KQED's Forum

Gov. Gavin Newsom last week proposed a series of deep cuts to close the state’s $45 billion budget deficit. The proposals, which include no new taxes, include a nearly 8% cut to state operations and the elimination of 10,000 unfilled jobs and will affect some education, public health and affordable housing programs. The governor’s office says that the proposal “maintains service levels for key housing, food, health care, and other assistance programs.” We look at the Governor’s May revise and the fiscal health of our state.Guests:Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government DeskMichelle Gibbons, executive director, County Health Executives Association of CaliforniaLindsey Holden, legislative reporter, The Sacramento Bee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid “is the most openly authoritarian campaign I’ve seen [from] any candidate anywhere in the world since World War II”. That’s according to Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky, co-author of the book “How Democracies Die”. Trump’s stated plans include seeking revenge on political opponents, purging the federal workforce, ordering mass deportations, and deploying the military domestically. As part of Forum’s “Doing Democracy” series, we’ll talk with Levitsky and others about why democracy experts are sounding the alarm about a possible second Trump administration, and whether our institutions can withstand the upheaval.Guests:Steven Levitsky, professor of government, Harvard; co-author with Daniel Ziblatt of the New York Times bestseller "How Democracies Die." Their latest book is "Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point."Lulu Garcia-Navarro, host, "The Interview" podcast, New York Times; former NPR correspondentEric Cortellessa, reporter, Time magazine - He interviewed Donald Trump for a cover story in April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may know actor and stand-up comedian Tiffany Haddish best for her riotous performance in the 2017 film “Girls Trip.” Or for her Emmy Award-winning turn as host of Saturday Night Live…or for her voicework in “The Lego Movie 2” and other animated films. But her successes came hard-won against a backdrop of childhood trauma and mental health challenges. “I know what it feels like to hurt and what it feels like to see other people hurt,” she writes in her new memoir “I Curse You with Joy.” We talk to Haddish about her career, her life and what’s bringing her joy right now.Guests:Tiffany Haddish, author, "I Curse You with Joy"; stand-up comedian; actress, "Girls Trip," "Night School," "Nobody's Fool" and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his magazine profiles and podcasts, Oakland writer Carvell Wallace has a gift for examining people and the times we live in with clarity and wisdom. With his new memoir “Another Word for Love,” Wallace extends his compassionate gaze to his own story, tracing a childhood peppered with homelessness and abuse, through to his quest for healing, pleasure and the divine. “It is is not enough to be hurt and to know that you have been hurt,” he writes. “The price of being alive, of being in love, is that you are required to heal.”Guests:Carvell Wallace, author, "Another Word for Love: A Memoir"; 2023 recipient of the American Mosaic Journalism Prize; host, "Closer Than They Appear" and "Finding Fred"; his other book is "The Sixth Man" which he co-authored with Andre Iguodala Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amtrak reports that overall demand for passenger rail is soaring as yearly ridership totals approach pre-pandemic levels. But in California, the story is different. Popular west coast lines are losing riders and remain challenged by underinvestment and rules that give track priority to freight trains. In addition, increasingly powerful storms and rising seas threaten Amtrak’s infrastructure: Southern California’s Pacific Surfliner has repeatedly suspended service for emergency repairs. As part of Forum’s In Transit series, we look at the future of Amtrak in California.Guests:Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law; host, the Climate Break podcastTom Zoellner, English professor, Chapman University; editor-at-large, LA Review of Books; author, "Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World -from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fashion is self-expression. It’s art. It’s also responsible for between 8 and 9 percent of planet-warming emissions. But it doesn’t have to be. We’ll talk about the fashion industry’s troubled relationship to labor, climate, and human rights issues – and spotlight companies creating sustainable alternatives. Plus, our panel of mending, thrifting and styling experts will share practical tips so that you can be chic… and climate-conscious!Guests:Ayesha Barenblat, founder and CEO, RemakeKara Fabella, stylist and founder, The Flipp SideHayley Colette, educator, WorkshopSFJames Reinhart, cofounder and CEO, ThredUp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new memoir “Small Acts of Courage,” MSNBC host Ali Velshi recounts his family’s migration across continents –– beginning in India under British rule, intersecting with Gandhi’s “satyagraha” movement in South Africa, and eventually settling in Canada during a refugee crisis for the global Indian diaspora. Ali himself immigrated to the United States two days after September 11, 2001 and writes: “Cynicism about politics is actually a luxury of those who have never had to experience life without it, and if those people every truly lost their ability to participate in the system, they’d never take it for granted again.” And we want to hear from you: Are there “small acts of courage” that define your life and values? What are they?Guests:Ali Velshi, MSNBC host; author, "Small Acts of Courage" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yet another stretch of Highway 1 near Big Sur remains closed after a chunk of the roadway fell into the ocean in March. The latest closure raises questions about the future of the iconic highway amid threats from extreme weather and coastal erosion. “Everything is working against Highway 1,” Gary Griggs, an oceanography professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz told the Washington Post. We’ll look at what it could take to save Highway 1 and what it all means for local residents and the state’s economy.Guests:Jonathan Warrick, research geologist, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, United States Geological SurveyRosanna Xia, environmental reporter, Los Angeles Times; Xia specializes in coastal and ocean issues. Her latest book is "California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline."Brianna Sacks, extreme weather & disasters reporter, Washington PostBen Perlmutter, managing partner, Big Sur River Inn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When most people think of a burrito, the “mission-style” burrito probably comes to mind. Rice, beans, meat – and maybe guacamole or salsa – wrapped in a giant flour tortilla and served in foil. Popularized across the country by the Chipotle chain, the mission-style burrito has its roots in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco. But just because it’s the most popular, is it the best? Los Angeles and San Diego each provide their own unique offerings and in a state as diverse as California, burritos are always evolving. We’ll revisit the legends around some popular burrito varieties, learn about your favorites and try to settle if there’s one style that deserves to be called California’s burrito.Guests:Bill Esparza, writer, Eater LA; author, "L.A. Mexicano: Recipes, People and Places"Cesar Hernandez, associate restaurant critic, San Francisco ChronicleLuke Winkie, staff writer, Slate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and seasoned travel writer Gary Shteyngart had never been on a ship larger than the Staten Island Ferry before he embarked on the inaugural voyage of the “Icon of the Seas,” the world’s largest cruise ship. Proudly sporting a “Daddy’s Little Meatball” t-shirt that he hoped would be a conversation starter and aiming to make new friends, Shteyngart instead experienced loneliness and despair. He chronicles his experience in the Atlantic Magazine piece “Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever.” Shteyngart joins us to talk about this journey, his life as a travel writer and the vacations that can make you feel part of — or alienated from — the rest of the world.Guest:Gary Shteyngart, writer. His latest piece for the Atlantic is titled "Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever"; author, "Our Country Friends, "Little Failure: A Memoir," and "Super Sad True Love Story." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices