KQED's Forum

Reid Epstein, a Politics reporter for The New York Times, and Marisa Lagos, KQED's Politics correspondent, delve into the leadership void currently haunting the Democratic Party. They explore the implications of recent electoral setbacks and discuss potential leaders like Bernie Sanders and AOC. The conversation highlights the need for a cohesive strategy against the Trump administration and addresses the disconnect between party leaders and voters. Listener engagement sheds light on expectations for a more assertive Democratic response amidst ongoing political turmoil.

The Trump Administration cut $400 million in grants to Columbia for its alleged failure to address anti-semitism on campus. And 60 more universities are on Trump’s target list for similar cuts, including UC Berkeley, all while the federal Department of Education is on the chopping block. We’ll talk about the potential impacts on students from kindergarten to college, and why the Department of Education has long been in Republican crosshairs.Guests:Eric Kelderman, senior writer, The Chronicle of Higher EducationErica Meltzer, national editor,Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization that covers education; Meltzer covers education policy and politics for Chalkbeat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pennies are as lucky as ever, but the U.S. Mint reported losing more than $85 million last year producing the coin. Now President Trump has added his voice to bipartisan calls to stop minting the penny, but it would be up to Congress to make change. Would you miss the one-cent piece? We look at the historical, cultural and economic significance of the penny. Tell us your thoughts.Guests:Seth Chandler, head numismatist, Witter CoinJay Zagorsky, professor of economics, Boston University Questrom School of BusinessJacob Goldstein, podcast host and executive producer, Pushkin Industries; former co-host, Planet Money podcast; and author of "Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing"Frank Lee Holt, professor emeritus of history, University of Houston; author of “When Money Talks” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine Bracy, the executive director and founder of TechEquity, engages in a critical discussion about the damaging effects of venture capital on the economy. She explains how the obsession with short-term growth leads to failures like WeWork and Theranos, while distorting entire industries. Bracy advocates for sustainable and equitable business practices, exploring the need for alternative funding models that benefit society over just maximizing investor returns. Her insights urge a reevaluation of how tech industries are funded and operated.

Scientists who study and keep the public informed about wildfires, hurricanes, avalanches and climate change are reeling from the Trump administration’s mass firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the National Weather Service. We talk to climate scientist Daniel Swain about the essential work NOAA does in California and nationwide and the impacts of the firings on public safety and mission-critical scientific research. Tell us: Are you affected by the NOAA layoffs?Guests:Daniel Swain, climate scientist, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources & UCLA Institute of the Environment and SustainabilityHeather Welch, terminated research biologist at NOAA Fisheries who worked on the NOAA Climate, Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative in Monterey, CaliforniaKayla Ann Besong, terminated duty scientist for NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, HI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The average American student is “less than halfway to a full academic recovery” from the effects of the Covid pandemic. That’s according to a 2024 report by the Center on Reinventing Public Education. Studies show that lockdown also took a toll on kids’ mental health, as well as social and emotional skills. And like other Covid impacts, these challenges often hit students of color the hardest. In the first of our series of shows examining the effects of the pandemic as we reach five years since lockdown, we’ll look at how children, adolescents and young adults are faring.Guests:Petra Steinbuchel, medical director, Mental Health and Child Development at Benioff Children's Hospital OaklandRobin Lake, executive director, Center on Reinventing Public EducationAria Rani Sindledecker, junior at Mountain View High School; youth mental health advocateEmily Zavala, mental health and wellness coordinator, East Side Union High School District in San Jose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2013, Patrick Hutchison bought a derelict shack in the Cascades not far from his home in Seattle. Within a few years, the weekend renovation project would become an all-consuming DIY effort. He documents his turbulent journey from copywriter to carpenter in his recent book “Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman.” We talk to him about what he learned from transforming a “leaky, moss-covered box in the woods” into a special place.Guest:Patrick Hutchison, writer and carpenter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No band may better reflect the multicultural, gender-expansive exuberance of the Bay Area dream than Sly and the Family Stone. A new documentary “Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” explores the life and context of Vallejo’s brilliant, charismatic and troubled bandleader. We talk with the film’s creators and participants about the gifts Sly gave the world and the tolls it took on him.Guests:Joel Selvin, San Francisco-based music journalist and author, his latest book is "Words and Demons"Joseph Patel, Producer of the documentary Sly Lives. He also produced Summer of Soul, which won an academy award for best documentary feature Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal agency overseeing Voice of America has placed its chief national correspondent on a paid “excused absence” while it investigates his alleged bias against Donald Trump. The White House continues to bar the Associated Press from presidential events and maintains that it can handpick its press pool. Meanwhile, Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos — who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund — says the paper’s opinion section will now focus on free markets and personal liberties. The announcement led to the resignation of Post opinions editor David Shipley and triggered over 75,000 digital subscription cancellations. We look at the Trump Administration’s moves to muzzle the press and their potential impact.Guests:David Folkenflik, media correspondent, NPR NewsAnn Telnaes, Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist, formerly with The Washington Post; writer, the Substack “Open Windows” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linkedin co-founder Reid Hoffman is bullish on the ability of AI to improve our society and our selves. In his new book, “SuperAgency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future?” Hoffman, a longtime booster and investor in AI, and co-author Greg Beato, counter fears that autonomous AI will dehumanize us and make us subject to an Orwellian compliance. Rather, they argue, AI gives humans more agency. “Just as cars gave individual users new superpowers of physical mobility in the 20th century, AI gives individual users new superpowers of cognitive mobility in the 21st century.” We talk with Hoffman and Beato about our AI future and the role of tech titans in the Trump era.Guests:Reid Hoffman, co-founder and former executive chairman, LinkedIn; co-author of "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future"Greg Beato, co-author, "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices