KQED's Forum

When New Yorker staff writer Emily Nussbaum began working on her book about the origins of reality TV, she says that the deeper she looked “the darker things got.” She found reality stars whose lives were wrecked and “methods of production so ugly they’re hard to look at.” But she says reality TV has also elevated the struggles of ordinary people, taken on historically forbidden subjects like queerness and divorce and pioneered new filmmaking techniques. We talk to Nussbaum about her new book “Cue The Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV,” which she calls her attempt “to describe the reality genre through the voices of the people who built it.”Guests:Emily Nussbaum, author, "Cue the Sun! The Invention of Reality TV"; staff writer, The New Yorker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao spoke publicly on Monday for the first time since the FBI raided her home last week. Thao, who faces a recall election in November, said she does not plan to step down or be “threatened out of this office.” Since coming into office in January of 2023, the mayor has dealt with a flood of criticism for her handling of property crime, homicide rates, police staffing levels, and a major budget deficit. We’ll talk about what the FBI raid could mean, the various controversies the mayor is facing, and why she’s being asked to resign.Guests:Darwin BondGraham, news editor, OaklandsideAnnelise Finney, reporter, KQEDDan Lindheim, policy scholar and urban affairs expert, UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy; former City Administrator of Oakland under Mayor Ron Dellums Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Project 2025, the sweeping right-wing agenda drafted by the Heritage Foundation, calls for expanding presidential powers, eliminating federal agencies and programs and implementing substantial tax cuts. Created by close allies of former President Trump, it mirrors much of his campaign rhetoric. Meanwhile, Democrats are using it as a call to action. We examine the specifics of Project 2025 and how closely it aligns with Trump’s agenda.Guests:Philip Bump, national columnist, the Washington PostNicholas Wu, congressional reporter, PoliticoMichael Hirsh, senior correspondent, Foreign Policy; author, "Inside the Next Republican Revolution" a Politico article on Project 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Andor Broudeur is a classical music critic for the Washington Post and he’s also a self-described “meathead” with an relentless desire to make his body bigger. In his book “Swole: The Making of Man and the Meaning of Muscle” Broudeur grapples with the contradictions and complexities of male body image and masculinity. He embraces the gay male gym culture he’s a part of but writes that it would be silly “to try and distance the symbol of the buff male bod from its long and wide lineage of unsavory cultural signifiers. As a mascot for classical beauty, the meathead must also embody white supremacy, hetero-patriarchy, and a vast panoply of nationalisms.” We’ll talk with Brodeur about how weight training has shifted his perspective on what it means to be a man.Guests:Michael Andor Brodeur, author, "Swole: The Making of Men and the Meaning of Muscle"; classical music critic, the Washington Post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Immigrants to any country learn to adapt. So it was the case for food writer and cookbook author Khushbu Shah’s family who came to the States from India. Hoping to recreate dishes from home, but not finding the ingredients they needed, Shah’s family like other members of the Indian diaspora, used the ingredients on hand — Bisquick for khoya an ingredient in the dessert Galub Jamun, peanut butter in chutneys, or Cream of Wheat to take the place Upma, a polenta-like dish. What emerged was a distinctly Indian-American cuisine, which is the focus of Shah’s cookbook, “Amrikan.” We talk to Shah about her favorite recipes and her tips for turning pantry staples into Indian comfort meals.Guests:Khushbu Shah, author, "Amrikan"; food writer and journalist; She was most recently the restaurant editor at Food and Wine magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meteorologists are predicting this summer will be one of the hottest on record, and they’re warning we’re likely in for a big wildfire season. Heavy rains in recent years enabled a couple of mild years of fire. But this year’s heat and drier conditions are already fueling blazes. So far, major fires have forced evacuations and singed homes in Sonoma County and Southern California. We’ll talk about the weather, what we can expect the rest of the year and what you can do to prepare for an active fire season.Guests:Brian Garcia, warning coordination meteorologist, National Weather Service SF Bay Area/MontereyIsaac Sanchez, deputy chief of communications, Cal FireDaniel Swain, climate scientist, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLADanielle Venton, science reporter, KQED News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new Biden Administration policy announced this week will allow undocumented people who are married to American citizens to remain in the U.S. while pursuing citizenship, as long as they have no criminal record and have lived in the country for at least 10 years. The policy, which could protect a half-million people from deportation, comes two weeks after an executive order banning asylum for unauthorized migrants at the southern border — the most restrictive action on asylum by a Democratic president. We’ll talk about Biden’s election-year approach toward immigration, the Trump campaign’s rhetoric and how both are using the border to court voters.Guests:Hamed Aleaziz, covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy, The New York TimesMolly O'Toole, fellow, Wilson Center - Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter currently working on a book on immigration for Penguin Random House Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Oscar-winning animated movie “Inside Out,” emotions like joy, anger and sadness populate the brain of 11-year-old Riley, the film’s heroine. In the sequel, “Inside Out 2,” Riley is now a teen, and the emotions running headquarters have to make room for new feelings…. Hello, anxiety! Pixar’s Pete Docter joins us to talk about the movie.Guests:Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer, Pixar - He directed "Inside Out," which won the 2016 Oscar for Best Animated Feature. He also directed "Monsters, Inc." and Oscar winners "Soul" and Up." He was the third animator to be brought on board at Pixar.Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley - He served as a consultant on the Pixar film, "Inside Out 2". Keltner is the author of "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life."Riya Richardson, member of "Riley's Crew," the group of teen girls who served as consultants to the movie "Inside Out 2" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two new laws in California set to eliminate hidden fees, taking effect next month. In a statement released by the attorney general’s office, the purpose of the “Honest Pricing Law” is to ensure that “the price a Californian sees should be the price they pay.” While the laws are aimed at protecting consumers from unexpected charges on purchases like concert tickets and hotel reservations, many restaurant owners are concerned. They fear they may be forced to raise prices, potentially driving away customers. A third bill is swiftly moving through the Capitol with hopes of exempting restaurants from these regulations. We look into the details of these laws and their potential impact on you. Have hidden fees affected you?Guests:Lauren Saria, deputy food editor; The San Francisco StandardDan Walters, columnist; CalMattersBill Dodd, California state senator, district 3; which includes Napa County and parts of Sonoma county Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, “The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy,” author Natalie Foster argues for an American economy that guarantees governmental support for seven core areas: housing, health care, a college education, dignified work, family care, an inheritance, and an income floor. Foster is president and co-founder of the Economic Security Project, a nonprofit that advocates for economic stability. She joins to talk about her vision to improve individual lives and society as a whole. Guests:Natalie Foster, president and co-founder, Economic Security Project, a research center focused on guaranteed income programs, and senior fellow, The Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices