KQED's Forum
KQED
Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. In the first hour, Alexis Madrigal convenes the diverse voices of the Bay Area, before turning to Mina Kim for the second hour to chronicle and center Californians’ experience. In an increasingly divided world, Mina and Alexis host conversations that inform, challenge and unify listeners with big ideas and different viewpoints.Want to call/submit your comments during our live Forum program Mon-Fri, 9am-11am? We'd love to hear from you! Please dial 866.SF.FORUM or (866) 733-6786 or email forum@kqed.org, tweet, or post on Facebook.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 7, 2026 • 55min
Inside California’s Crowded Governor’s Race
Seema Mehta, LA Times politics reporter covering California campaigns. Guy Marzorati, KQED correspondent on statewide races and polling. Marisa Lagos, KQED politics correspondent and Political Breakdown co-host. They unpack a crowded governor’s primary, why two Republicans lead polls amid Democratic vote-splitting, Trump’s endorsement effects, timing of ballots and ads, and which lower-polling Democrats might surge.
Apr 7, 2026 • 55min
Why Aren’t Doctors Better At Diagnosing Illnesses?
Gurpreet Dhaliwal, a UCSF medicine professor and diagnostician, and Alexandra Sifferlin, health and science editor and author, explore why diagnoses go wrong. They discuss diagnostic errors, the limits of tests and AI, rare disease odysseys, biases against women, the role of multidisciplinary clinics, and how patients and clinicians can work together to find answers.
Apr 6, 2026 • 55min
How L.A. Cleaned Its Air—and What It Means for Climate Policy Today
Ann Carlson, UCLA environmental law professor and former NHTSA acting administrator, recounts L.A.'s gritty battle with smog and how policy, science and public pressure turned the tide. She discusses legal fights over federal authority, California’s unique waiver power, the rise of clean-vehicle standards, industry pushback and the implications for today’s climate and air-quality choices.
Apr 6, 2026 • 55min
California Farmers Struggle to Weather the Agriculture Crisis
Stuart Woolf, third-generation Central Valley farmer and processor leader; Alexis Maxwell, Bloomberg Intelligence fertilizer and commodity analyst; Don Cameron, Terranova Ranch operations chief and state board president; Daniel Sumner, UC Davis agricultural economist. They talk about soaring diesel and fertilizer prices, labor and regulatory pressures, processing and irrigation costs, and how supply shocks and tariffs strain California agriculture.
Apr 3, 2026 • 55min
Fewer Friends, More Pressure: The State of ‘American Men’
Jordan Ritter Conn, journalist and author of American Men, profiles men grappling with loneliness, trauma, and shifting expectations. He discusses how inherited masculine scripts, economic and technological changes, and fear of vulnerability shape men's friendships and relationships. The conversation explores cultural variation, coping strategies, and where men still find connection today.
Apr 3, 2026 • 55min
Why We’re Headed Back to the Moon For the First Time in Half a Century
Loren Grush, Bloomberg space reporter and author, and Anthony Colaprete, acting science director at NASA Ames and Artemis II team member, break down the Artemis II flyby. They discuss Orion and SLS systems, lunar water ice and in‑situ resources, communications upgrades, lander development, and why a stepwise return to the Moon matters for building a sustained base and preparing for Mars.
Apr 2, 2026 • 55min
Planning to Vote By Mail This November? What Californians Need to Know
Madison Aument, KVCR reporter who covers Inland Empire election controversies. Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State overseeing state elections. Kim Alexander, founder of the California Voter Foundation focused on election access. They discuss federal limits on vote-by-mail, Supreme Court timing for late ballots, ballot handling controversies like the Riverside seizure, and alternatives to mailing ballots.
Apr 2, 2026 • 55min
San Francisco Has Tried to Make its Streets Safer for Pedestrians – Has it Worked?
David Zipper, transportation writer and podcast co-host, offers national context on road safety. Viktoriya Wise, SFMTA Streets director, explains data-driven street design and enforcement. Jodie Medeiros, Walk SF leader, describes community campaigns for speed cameras and quick-build redesigns. They discuss recent pedestrian deaths, safety strategies, street engineering wins, vehicle trends, and automated enforcement.
Apr 1, 2026 • 55min
In New Book, Sen. Cory Booker Urges Americans to Take a 'Stand'
Cory Booker, U.S. senator and former Newark mayor known for criminal justice reform, discusses his new book Stand. He talks about defending birthright citizenship, curbing billionaire influence in politics, demands for congressional oversight on war, and the need for generational renewal and grassroots civic engagement.
Apr 1, 2026 • 55min
A Close Look at the Earth's Tiniest, and its Most Vast, Wonders
Ariel Waldman, documentary filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer who studies astrobiology and extreme ecosystems, takes listeners from Antarctic Dry Valleys to American prairies. She describes field life and microcinematography, hunting tardigrades and nematodes, and how extreme places inform Mars research. She also contrasts prairie soil biology and discusses warming, microbial transport, and conservation challenges.
