KQED's Forum

May 1 is approaching, the deadline for the hundreds of thousands of California high school seniors who applied to college to commit to their chosen schools. But for many, this year's admissions cycle was punishing. The COVID-19 pandemic closed high schools to in-person learning, cancelled standardized tests and pushed campus tours online. Many students gave up on the idea of college, especially those with newfound home responsibilities or financial pressures. At the same time, application volumes ballooned at some of the most popular schools, like UC Berkeley and Harvard, making admissions increasingly competitive. We talk about the changing landscape of college admissions and the experiences of this year’s high school seniors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than half of American adults have now had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, but around 20% say they are still reluctant to to get the vaccine. To persuade the hesitant, health officials are turning to influencers on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, and partnering with social media like never before to message younger, more diverse audiences and hard-to-reach communities. Well talk about vaccine influencers, what explains the high rates of vaccine hesitancy and the science of changing peoples' minds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now in her second term as Speaker, made history in 2007 as the first woman to hold the position. She also made headlines Tuesday when her comments following Derek Chauvin’s conviction drew immediate backlash, with some contrasting her remarks with those of the youngest generation of congressional Democrats. In her new biography, “Madam Speaker,” journalist Susan Page looks at Pelosi’s climb to power and what Pelosi represents — and has to say — about the future of the Democratic party. We’ll talk to Page, who is Washington Bureau chief at USA Today, about the book and other national politics news, including where the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act currently stands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chinese President Xi Jinping will take part in a virtual climate change summit hosted by President Joe Biden on Thursday, Earth Day. It’s a bright spot in a deteriorating U.S.-China relationship, and comes as tensions rise over human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region and as China doubles down on a more aggressive style of diplomacy. We’ll hear about the roots of China’s so-called “wolf warrior” foreign relations offensive and discuss the future of relations between the two countries on climate change, human rights, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After three weeks of often wrenching testimony, a Minneapolis jury on Tuesday found police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter Tuesday in the death of George Floyd. We want to hear how you are processing the jury’s decision, and what you think it means for broader efforts to achieve racial justice and police accountability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supporters of police reform are expressing relief at the guilty verdicts on all counts in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin Tuesday.  They say it’s a big first step toward holding law enforcement accountable for use of excessive force.But how are the verdicts being interpreted by police officers, chiefs and unions, some of whom have resisted or blocked efforts to reform law enforcement?We’ll talk with San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott – whose union supports certain reforms – and police department critics, to hear their take on the verdicts and what they may mean for real change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dean Karnazes once ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. That was in 2006, not long after his memoir “Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner” became a national bestseller. His new book, "A Runner’s High: My Life in Motion," charts Karnazes’ return to the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in his mid-50s. Once named one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine and a winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon and 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series, Karnazes has a unique insight into the power and physicality of running. The “Ultramarathon Man” joins us to discuss what it means to achieve a runner’s high. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The non-fungible token (NFT) craze, which took off in 2020, appears to continue unabated. NFTs are digital “certificates of authenticity” that attach to creations like songs, photos and sports clips, and they can command hefty prices. An NFT of digital artist Beeple’s work brought in $69 million at auction last month, and other NFTs are being sold for similarly eyebrow-raising sums.  And demand is showing no sign of declining despite what law professor Jonathan Zittrain in a recent Atlantic piece calls “their abstraction, their seemingly arbitrary valuation, and...the paltriness of the privileges they convey to their owners.” We talk to Zittrain about the future of NFTs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A fiscal management team issued a dire warning earlier this month about the finances of City College San Francisco, the city’s two-year community college which offers free tuition to all city residents. The devastating report concluded that the college could not meet its obligations to students, faculty and staff and remain solvent without making drastic changes. In March, noting it faced a $33 million budget shortfall for the upcoming academic year, City College announced that it would cut 163 full-time faculty and 34 administrative positions. As students and faculty rally to save classes and programs, the administration says its hands are tied by the financial problems caused by decreased enrollment and revenues. We talk about the future of City College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even after the Civil Rights Act in 1964 banned employment discrimination, women in the workplace still found it nearly impossible to get the kind of jobs they really wanted and were qualified for. When National Public Radio launched 50 years ago, four women found their way into a world previously closed to them — broadcast journalism. They became icons — using their voices to fight sexism in the workplace and cover decades of news. We examine the amazing careers of “Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie” with Lisa Napoli, author of “The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices