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
Mar 13, 2026 • 56min
The First-Ever Casting Director Oscar Goes To...And ‘Pope of Trash' John Waters on the Power of Weird Queer Cinema
John Waters, legendary provocateur behind cult films like Pink Flamingos, reflects on shock, humor, and his Frameline honor. Debra Zane, veteran casting director (American Beauty, Dreamgirls), explains the craft, logistics, and why casting earned an Oscar nod. Davia Nelson, documentary radio producer, traces casting’s hidden history. They discuss casting’s art, queer cinema’s power, and how transgressive films change minds.
Mar 13, 2026 • 55min
Did Your Great Resignation Career Change Work Out?
Ezequiel (Zeke) Anderson, baker who turned a private-chef past into Rise Up Bakery. Aki Ito, Business Insider tech and workplace reporter. Alex Neese, former Apple marketer who launched Wilder Walks guiding trips. They discuss pandemic pivots into baking, outdoor guiding and entrepreneurship. Short stories cover financial tradeoffs, seasonality, prototyping new paths, loneliness of small-business life and lasting workplace shifts.
Mar 12, 2026 • 55min
The World Cup Heads to California
Roger Bennett, writer, broadcaster and co-host of Men in Blazers, brings soccer savvy and World Cup lore. He reacts to Iran’s withdrawal and explores how geopolitics will shape the 2026 tournament. He traces soccer’s rise in the U.S., previews California’s role as host, and teases how media, fan culture and city logistics will transform the World Cup experience.
Mar 12, 2026 • 55min
Local Businesses Were Hit Hard by Tariffs. Now They Want A Refund.
Lauren Crabbe, co-owner of Andytown Coffee, on how tariffs forced menu and sourcing changes. Daniel Desrochers, international trade reporter at Politico, explains refund mechanics and statutory complexity. Zoe Tillman, Bloomberg law reporter, provides legal context about the Court of International Trade. Alfred Mai, owner of ASM Games, describes sudden tariff spikes and cashflow pain. They discuss refunds, ruined orders, and who bears the cost.
Mar 11, 2026 • 55min
How to Keep Track of all the Corruption Concerns of Trump 2.0
Andrea Bernstein, award-winning investigative reporter focused on money and power. Donald K. Sherman, head of CREW, a government ethics watchdog. They unpack expanded Trump-era money flows: hotels, crypto, foreign investments, pardons tied to investors, and taxpayer costs of presidential properties. They also discuss legal battles, disclosure gaps, and how tracking these overlaps is getting harder.
Mar 11, 2026 • 55min
Child Sex Trafficking is a Big Problem in the Bay Area. How Can We Stop It?
Sharan Dhanoa, director tackling systemic vulnerabilities in trafficking. Aisha Mays, founder of Dream Youth Clinics providing youth-centered health services. Josh Singleton, lieutenant leading the DA’s human trafficking task force. Elizabeth Quiroz, survivor and co-founder of Redemption House Bay Area. They discuss prevalence in the Bay Area, grooming and online recruitment, law enforcement strategies, survivor support services, and prevention through community and youth-centered programs.
Mar 10, 2026 • 55min
Anthropic-Pentagon Clash Spotlights Role of AI in War
Sheera Frenkel, NYT tech reporter who covered the Anthropic–Pentagon dispute. Paul Scharre, national security expert and author on AI and autonomous weapons. Ro Khanna, Silicon Valley congressman active on tech and defense oversight. They dig into Anthropic suing the Defense Department, the politics of Pentagon tech deals, ethical limits on AI in warfare, and risks of surveillance and autonomous weapons.
Mar 10, 2026 • 55min
In Second Week, Iran War Expands Through Region
Nabih Bulos, Beirut-based LA Times bureau chief reporting on Lebanon and Hezbollah. Dalia Dassa Kaye, UCLA foreign policy expert on U.S.-Iran relations. Mona Yacoubian, CSIS analyst on Middle East security. They discuss Lebanon as a second front, Hezbollah’s political choices, regional strikes across the Gulf, Iran’s new succession, and how energy, law, and U.S. strategy shape widening conflict.
11 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 55min
Why Is California's Cannabis Black Market Still So Strong?
Scott Eden, investigative reporter and author of A Killing in Cannabis, recounts a Silicon Valley entrepreneur’s move into legalized marijuana and the violent fallout. He explores how taxes, regulation, legacy growers and limited retail kept the black market thriving. The conversation traces tangled business choices, crime, and potential policy fixes in California’s cannabis landscape.
Mar 9, 2026 • 55min
Bay Area Legends: Celebrating the Trailblazing Life of the Nation’s Oldest Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin
Kelli English, National Park Service program manager who supervised Betty at Rosie the Riveter, and Bob Reid, musician-activist and Betty’s son, share memories. They recount Betty’s decades of reinvention, her late-career role as a park ranger, wartime and civil rights experiences, her musical life and recordings, and the family and public responses to her long legacy.
