KQED's Forum

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told Congress Wednesday that no safety standards will be compromised as the government evaluates the three COVID-19 vaccines that have advanced to Phase 3 clinical trials. His remarks came a day after a group of pharmaceutical companies made a similar safety pledge and after Astra-Zeneca halted its vaccine study when a participant became seriously ill. The reassurances follow recent statements by President Trump that a vaccine would be available before Election Day, a claim that health experts widely dispute. We'll talk about the status of COVID-19 vaccine research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump told journalist Bob Woodward that he knew early on that the coronavirus was “deadly stuff” but did not share that information with the public, saying he did not want to cause panic. Woodward recorded the interviews for his upcoming book “Rage”.  “I wanted to always play it down,” Trump told Woodward. We’ll talk about the president’s remarks and other revelations from Woodward’s book with NPR’s Ron Elving.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Area residents woke to ominous orange skies Wednesday, brought on by multiple wildfires across Northern California.  As a layer of heavy smoke all but blocked the sun, and as ash covered sidewalks, cars and houses, many are raising concerns about the health effects of going outside. We talk with a meteorologist and air quality expert about how long the darkened skies will last and the status of the region’s air quality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While there is a perception that Latinos tend to vote for Democrats, a significant percentage, especially in places such as California's Central Valley, Texas and Florida, side with the Republican Party. In a time when President Donald Trump has demonized and targeted Latinos, he nonetheless has garnered support of some Latino voters. In his latest book, “The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of an American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump,” historian and political commentator Geraldo Cadava, chronicles the history of Latinos organizing to support conservative candidates and causes. Cadava, who teaches at Northwestern University, joins us to discuss his book and how Hispanic Republicans could hold sway during the upcoming election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Among the Bay Area workers who have the luxury of working from home, some are eyeing an exit from a region known for its excessive cost of living and susceptibility to wildfires and earthquakes. And they’re contemplating an exodus even as rents have fallen throughout much of the Bay Area since the start of the pandemic. A recent survey from e-commerce site Fast found that of those Californians who are able to work from anywhere, 43% are thinking of leaving the state.  We’ll talk about the trend and hear what effect the recent disasters are having on the regional housing market. And we want to hear from you: Are you thinking of packing up and moving? If so, why and where are you headed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a New York Times piece, "Breonna Taylor's Life Was Changing. Then the Police Came to Her Door," correspondent Rukmini Callimachi uncovers details about the story of Breonna Taylor, the young woman in Kentucky who was killed by police during a drug raid on her home earlier this year. Drawing from various interviews, documents and recordings, Callimachi weaves together how an ex-boyfriend’s run-ins with the law and police mishandling of the raid ultimately led to Taylor’s tragic death just as her life was changing for the better. Only one of the three officers involved in the fatal shooting of Taylor has been fired and none have been arrested even as calls for "Justice for Breonna Taylor" continue in the streets and on social media. Callimachi joins us to shed more light on the life and death of Breonna Taylor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildfires have now burned a record 2 million acres in California this year. Meanwhile, as the extreme heat continues, PG&E is starting power shutoffs for many of its customers. We'll get the latest on the fires burning across the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, President Trump’s ongoing, mutually-reinforcing alliance with Fox News gained permanent traction in January 2017. That was when Trump, enraged over CNN’s coverage of his sparse inauguration crowd, found refuge in sympathetic reporting from Fox News. Stelter says from that point on, the network became Trump’s “humiliation-free zone” and his chief source of information. As detailed in Stelter’s new book “Hoax,” it also marked the start of an alliance in which Trump and Fox worked together to cast the rest of American media as “fake.” Stelter joins us to talk about what he uncovered about the evolution and impact of the Trump-Fox partnership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A close friendship can be one of the most fulfilling, and most challenging, relationships of our lives. In their book “Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close,” writers and longtime friends Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman share their honest and humorous account of what it really takes to maintain a meaningful bond -- from moments of being totally in sync to painful disagreements and everything in between. We'll talk to Sow and Friedman about the lessons they've learned together and hear your stories of big friendships that transcend life phases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a spate of bad luck led her to question the nature of chance, journalist Maria Konnikova began learning about poker. Konnikova -- who holds a doctorate in psychology--was curious about how the game hones players’ ability to distinguish between what is within and outside of our control.  Under the tutelage of an expert, she became a professional player and entered the World Series of Poker, a competition with a $10,000 entry fee. The experience shaped her new book, “The Biggest Bluff.”  Konnikova joins us to talk about the book, her year-long journey from novice to professional poker player, and what poker can teach us about the role of skill and chance in our lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices