KQED's Forum

Are we destined to parent the way our parents parented even if we strongly object to some of the things they did? Sure, we can probably keep ourselves from dropping cigarette ashes in our toddler’s cereal, but when things get chaotic do we snap the same way our parents did? In her article “The Parent Prophecy” in The Atlantic, Faith Hill says there are elements of Greek tragedy in it all, “parents run away from their parents and sometimes end up right back in the same spot.” What do you do, for better or worse, that your parents did? And are things your parents did with you that you wish you were able to do with your kids?Guests:Faith Hill, senior associate editor of Family, The Atlantic - She wrote the article, "The Parenting Prophecy" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australia, Chile and China are the top three sources of the world’s lithium – the element essential to build the batteries that power electric vehicles. But that could change as mining operations progress in California’s Imperial Valley. “Lithium Valley,” a vast underground reserve near the Salton Sea, contains enough lithium to meet all of U.S. future demand and more than one-third of global demand, according to the Governor’s office. We learn more about the project and its impacts as part of Forum’s “In Transit” series.Guests:Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law; podcast host, Climate BreakEduardo Garcia, Assemblymember, representing California's 36th State Assembly District in eastern Riverside County and Imperial County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a civil rights investigation Wednesday into the Antioch Police Department after dozens of officers were caught sending and receiving racist, homophobic, and violent text messages in which they brag about using force against the city’s residents. Bonta also cited longstanding complaints about the Antioch police department, saying data shows spikes of excessive force especially against communities of color. The police department has already been under investigation for misconduct since 2022, by the FBI and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. We’ll talk about police wrongdoing in Antioch and its impact on the city’s residents.Guests:Sandhya Dirks, national correspondent covering race and identity, NPRNate Gartrell, Contra Costa County Courts reporter, Bay Area News GroupShagoofa Khan, community organizer in Antioch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Thursday, the federal Covid Public Health Emergency expires, and with its end comes the cessation of federal benefits like additional hospital reimbursements for Covid patient care and free at-home tests. It also marks a moment in which doctors, scientists, politicians and experts are asking themselves: What did we get right during this pandemic? While Covid has fallen out of the headlines, it continues to infect the population, and in 2022 it was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. But the death toll could have been even worse. The science could have been bogged down. Vaccinations could have been delayed. But they were not. What lessons have we learned and what should we do to prepare for the next pandemic?Guests:Jennifer Nuzzo , Professor Epidemiology, and Director, Pandemic Center, Brown University School of Public HealthDhruv Khullar, Physician and assistant professor of Health Policy and Economics, Weill Cornell Medical College - Khullar is also a contributor at The New Yorker. His most recent New Yorker article is titled "Ending the Covid Public Health Emergency Isn't All Good News" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that Rocky Road ice cream originated in Oakland? Or that Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were once married in San Francisco City Hall? Or that a disaster in Concord helped desegregate our nation’s military? Our region is full of fascinating history that even some lifelong residents don’t know about. Uncovering forgotten history and solving local mysteries is what KQED’s Bay Curious podcast is all about. And now, the show’s reporting is in a book, “Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area.” KQED’s Olivia Allen-Price, host of Bay Curious joins us to talk about investigating forgotten histories, legendary locals, and the many quirks and oddities that make the Bay Area unique.Guests:Olivia Allen-Price, Host, KQED's Bay Curious - a podcast that investigates questions asked by local residents about things both profound and peculiar that make the Bay Area unique. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parking is one of the biggest paradoxes of American life. There are between one and two billion parking spaces in the United States, several for each car, and in cities the ratio is even higher. At the same time, to harried drivers seeking a spot near an appointment or to residents of densely populated neighborhoods, it can feel like there are never enough places to park. We’ll talk to Slate’s Henry Grabar about whether the parking shortage is real or imagined and how parking determines the design of our buildings, the character of our communities and the health of our environment. Grabar’s new book is “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.”Guests:Henry Grabar, staff writer, Slate - author, "Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to have a capitalist democracy that ensures that all people flourish? One that represents common values, yet respects differences? Professors at Stanford’s Moral Political Economy program are bringing together thinkers from across disciplines to reimagine our political, social and economic systems. We’ll talk about what it would mean to base our political economy on the idea that humans are social beings who mutually benefit from cooperation and reciprocity. What would a moral, equitable world look like?Guests:Margaret Levi, political science professor, Stanford; co-editor, Winter 2023 edition of DaedalusHenry Farrell, professor of international affairs, Johns Hopkins; co-editor, Winter 2023 edition of DaedalusManuel Pastor, professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity, University of Southern California; contributor, Winter 2023 edition of DaedalusFederica Carugati, history and political economy professor, King’s College; contributor, Winter 2023 edition of Daedalus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been more than two months that California Senator Dianne Feinstein has been away from Capitol Hill, as she recovers from a case of shingles that left her hospitalized in March. Her absence has created a critical vacancy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and her fellow Democrats say it’s hurting their ability to confirm judges nominated by President Joe Biden. Now the list of Democrats calling on Feinstein to resign is growing, amid Republican lawmakers’ ongoing refusal to seat a temporary replacement on the Committee. We’ll talk about the political impacts of Feinstein’s extended absence.Guests:Ro Khanna, U.S. Congressman, California's 17th Congressional District (Silicon Valley); chairman, House Subcommittee on the Environment; member, House Oversight, House Agriculture and House Armed Services committeesAnnie Karni, congressional correspondent, New York TimesJoanne Kenen, journalist in-residence, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the use of artificial intelligence explodes, government officials are trying to figure out how best to regulate the technology. Already, generative AI companies are producing software that can replicate voices, create stylized portraits, and produce thousands of fake online reviews. Experts fear that internet harassment, identity fraud and spread of misinformation could become exponentially worse with easy access to AI and warn regulation is crucial to head off potential harms. But, what regulations would be helpful? And what regulations might cause more harm than good? We dive into potential ways to regulate AI and what consumers can do in the meantime to protect themselves.Guests:Jennifer King Ph. D., privacy and data policy fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial IntelligenceRumman Chowdhury, responsible AI developer, leader, speaker, founder, investorBen Zhao, professor of computer science and director of graduate studies, University of Chicago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The barista who makes your morning coffee, the person at the dog park or the fellow commuter who you exchange a smile with on the bus every day: You may not know their names, but these acquaintances are more important than you think. Scientists believe that the people with whom you might share a “hello” or a quick nod or a passing glance can help you live a happier life. With loneliness on the rise, acquaintances might be the key to creating connection. We’ll talk to a leading expert and hear from you: who are the acquaintances in your life, the ones you know, but don’t know?Guests:Gillian Sandstrom, director, Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices