KQED's Forum

President Biden is expected to call for lower healthcare costs and higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy in his State of the Union Address on Thursday. He’s also expected to announce a temporary U.S. port in Gaza to deliver large-scale humanitarian aid, emphasize the importance of reproductive rights and promote his so-called “unity agenda,” which includes ending cancer, confronting the crisis of addiction and helping veterans. The speech is being billed by administration officials as an opportunity for a “reset” to overcome voter concerns about the President’s age as his approval ratings hover in the high 30s. We’ll analyze the speech and hear your reactions.Guests:Ro Khanna, U.S. Congressman for California's 17th Congressional District (Silicon Valley).Christopher Cadelago, California’s Bureau Chief, Politico - and former White House Correspondent.Mike Madrid, Republican strategist.Catherine Lucey, White House Reporter, The Wall Street Journal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Shannon Reed is aptly named because she absolutely loves to read. As a child with hearing difficulties, reading was a reliable way for her to take in information. Now, whether it’s a book, the back of a cereal box, or a sign in the subway, reading is a hobby, calling, and pursuit that captures her fully. In her new book, “Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out,” she delves into how we find connection, comfort and escape in the act of reading. She also gives you permission to put a book down if you’re not loving it. We talk to Reed and a panel of Bay Area authors. And we hear from you: Why do you love to read?Guests:Shannon Reed, author, "Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out" - Reed is a Teaching Associate Professor and Director of the undergraduate writing program at the University of Pittsburgh.Oscar Villalon, editor, Zyzzyva - San Francisco based literary journal.Vanessa Hua, author, "Forbidden City" - Hua's previous books include “A River of Stars.” She is a former columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Even if it was never the intention,” writes Kara Swisher, tech companies have become “key players in killing our comity and stymieing our politics, our government, our social fabric, and most of all, our minds.” Those are harsh words from the longtime Silicon Valley journalist who says she once rooted for young tech innovators like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Her disillusionment with the industry she covered is the foundation of her new memoir “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.” We talk to her about what she’s learned from nearly three decades of reporting.Guests:Kara Swisher, cofounder and editor-at-large, Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Leslie Jamison’s Splinters to Lyz Lenz’s This American Ex-Wife, a number of high-profile recent books explore womens’ experiences with divorce. We’ll talk with Jamison and journalist Tracy Clark-Flory about what these “divorce memoirs”, and their popularity, say about the state of marriage in America today.Guests:Leslie Jamison, author, "Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story." Her other books include "The Empathy Exams."Tracy Clark-Flory, journalist; essayist; author of "Want Me: A Sex Writer's Journey into the Heart of Desire." Her newsletter can be found at tracyclarkflory.substack.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California voters finish casting their ballots on Tuesday to choose their top two candidates for U.S. Senate and decide the fate of Proposition 1, the mental health services measure supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom. We’ll take stock of those results, check in on key congressional races around the state and look at the outcome of the presidential nominating contests nationwide.Guests:Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political BreakdownFaith E. Pinho, reporter, Los Angeles TimesScott Shafer, senior editor, KQED’s California Politics and Government desk; co-host, KQED's Political Breakdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a predicted anemic turnout, what lessons can be gleaned from voters in this March primary? Issues that crowd the headlines like public safety and homelessness appear in various state and regional ballot measures. Will these concerns tilt the otherwise progressive-leaning Bay Area towards a more conservative path? With the help of the KQED Politics team, we’ll analyze the election results and trends in this primary, and we’ll hear from you: What brought you to or kept you from the polls?Guests:Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government DeskMarisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host, KQED's Political BreakdownAnnelise Finney, reporter, KQEDJoe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, reporter and producer covering politics, KQED News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 96th Academy Awards are in less than a week, and a lot of ink has been spilled comparing contenders for best actor, best director and best picture. But what about less-discussed “craft categories” that reward creativity behind the scenes — like editing, costume design, cinematography and production design? We’ll talk to artists in each of those fields about what their work entails and how to recognize and appreciate a bold edit or a brilliant visual aesthetic. And we’ll hear from you: what’s an Oscars category you’d love to know more about?Guests:Sam Restivo, editor; credits include "Napoleon," "House of Gucci," and "The Last Duel"Allison Pearce, costume designer; credits include "Paint," "Black Bear," and "Clerks 3"Olivia Peebles, production designer and set decorator; credits include “Miss Juneteenth,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and “Oppenheimer”Elisha Christian, cinematographer; credits include "The Night House" and "The Voyeurs" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline Paul discusses the importance of outdoor adventures for women as they age, challenging societal norms and embracing bravery. The podcast covers awe, novelty, loss, and empowerment in the context of aging and outdoor pursuits. From mountain climbing to skydiving, the conversation highlights personal growth, vitality, and the transformative power of nature.

More than a year after a very bad breakup, LA Times journalist Todd Martens struggled to understand why he was still so stuck on his ex. He doodled her name whenever he held pen and paper; he couldn’t sleep and couldn’t stop stewing. So he turned to science to understand why his mind and body continued to hurt so much and shared what he learned in his recent article “Science can explain a broken heart. Could science help heal mine?” We’ll talk to Martens and turn to experts in neuroscience and psychology for strategies to heal broken hearts. And we’ll hear from you: what’s helped you get through a bad breakup?Guests:Todd Martens, columnist, Los Angeles Times - Martens covers theme parks, games and interactive entertainment for the LA Times. He is a self-professed Disneyland addict who wrote the piece, "This Is Your Brain on Disneyland"Mary-Frances O’Connor, neuroscientist; psychologist; author, 2022 book “The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn From Love and Loss"David Sbarra, professor of psychology, University of Arizona Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuesday is the final day to cast ballots in this year’s primary election. Voters across the Bay Area will decide on key races for county supervisor seats, state offices, and a slew of measures aimed at addressing mental health, public safety and the region’s homelessness crisis. Some of the races garnering attention include a rare recall election for two San Francisco judges who have been portrayed as soft on crime. In the East Bay, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín is competing with five other candidates for a seat in the state senate. In Napa, voters will decide on three of five supervisor seats. We’ll talk about the races you’re watching and what you need to know going into the primary.Guests:Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government DeskJoe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, reporter and producer covering politics, KQED NewsKim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter FoundationAnnelise Finney, reporter, KQED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices