KQED's Forum

“Plastic is everywhere” writes former EPA official Judith Enck, “wrapped around our food, stitched into our clothes, even coursing through our veins.” Enck says we need to drastically reduce our dependency on plastic to save our oceans, our air and ourselves. We talk to her about why it’s so hard to regulate plastic – and the individual ways we can free ourselves from its “synthetic embrace.” Each American uses about five hundred pounds of plastic a year. Enck’s new book is “The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late.” Have you tried to cut plastic out of your life? Guests: Judith Enck, president, Beyond Plastics; served as a regional administrator with the EPA during the Obama Administration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a press conference on Saturday after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured, President Trump said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a proper transition was in place. Trump said “he’s not afraid of boots on the ground,” and that the U.S. will sell seized Venezuelan oil, but the U.S. plan and next steps are far from clear. We’ll talk about Maduro’s capture and what it means for the U.S. and Venezuela. Guests: David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, New York Times - His most recent book is "New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion and America’s Struggle to Save the West" Elizabeth Dickinson, Deputy Director of Latin America, International Crisis Group John Garamendi, U.S. Representative for California's 8th congressional district, former California Lt Governor Lateefah Simon, U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wikipedia, the crowdsourced encyclopedia, is one of the world’s most visited websites, with 11 billion page views each month. Its founder, Jimmy Wales, credits its success to one thing — trust — which he sees at odds with our increasing loss of faith in institutions and in each other. In his new book, he lays out what he calls a “blueprint for building things that last” in volatile times. We’ll talk to Wales about the site’s history and why right wing figures like Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson are attacking it. The book is “The Seven Rules of Trust.” Has Wikipedia earned your trust? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonoma native and former U.S. poet laureate Ada Limón’s collection of new and selected poetry contemplates her relationship to nature, the role of art in an unruly world, and our connection to one another. Her hope is to create “some strange idiosyncratic song, an imperfect echo, to nature and humanity so they will know how much they are loved.” We listen back to our conversation with Limón about her new collection, “Startlement.” Guests: Ada Limón, poet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl leads the largest synagogue in New York City. But she says she’s never been so afraid to talk about Israel. That’s because she thinks that compassion for people suffering on either side of the war in Gaza has come to be seen as disloyal and even threatening – a zero sum empathy calculus that also applies to ideological battles fought in our country every day. Buchdahl is the first Asian American to be ordained a rabbi, a journey she describes in her new memoir “Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging.” We talk to her about why knowing what it feels like to be an outsider has helped her enable connection among people with disparate views and what happens when we become incapable of empathy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singing along with the crowd at a concert. Cheering together at a sports game. Laughing with the audience at a funny moment in a movie. Even getting work done in a busy cafe or library. These are moments when you might experience what has been called collective effervescence, a feeling of social unity that comes from a shared moment. As the year draws to a close, we want to celebrate the uniquely human moments that people share together. Tell us about a recent moment of collective effervescence that you’ve experienced. Guests: Shira Gabriel, psychology professor, University at Buffalo DJ D Sharp, official DJ for the Golden State Warriors Zoe Ellis, director of music ministries, GLIDE memorial church Bryan Steele, communications director, Golden Gate Triathalon Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When New York Times critic Amanda Hess was told her baby had a rare genetic condition, her first instinct was to “Google [her] way out of it.” But instead of comfort, she found anxiety – a feeling that would come to define her journey into parenthood. We talk to Hess about how technology, including fertility apps and high-end gadgets, are reshaping parenthood. Her new book is “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We take a look back at our favorite books of 2025. This year's best seller lists and critic choices were scattered with no clear big hits but there were still many excellent titles, says Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks podcast. We'll hear from critics, local authors and our bookworm listeners about what's worth reading in the new year. What was your best read of 2025? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Area native and acclaimed director of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights,” Jon M. Chu now brings one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals to the big screen with the conclusion of his box office-smashing two-part adaptation of “Wicked.” He joined Mina Kim onstage in San Francisco for a KQED Live event where he reflected on his Bay Area roots, his rise through Hollywood and the beauty of reimagining stories that feel larger than life. We listen to that conversation from December 3rd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICE raids. Tariffs. National Guard deployment. Ukraine. Venezuela. The longest federal shutdown in history. There was no shortage of major news headlines in 2025. We’ll try to make sense of the biggest stories of the past year with a panel of journalists, and look at what 2026 might hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Armisen, the comedian, actor and musician known for “Portlandia,” “Documentary Now!” and “SNL,” has a new album out called “100 Sound Effects.” There’s a jacket zipping, glass shattering, the “ooh” of receiving room service and even the sound we make when “Walking into a Video Room at an Art Museum and then Walking Out Quickly,” as the effect is titled. We’ll talk with Armisen about recording the sounds of the everyday, and we want to hear from you: What’s a sound you’d record in your life or would want preserved in a sound effect library decades from now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond just a wardrobe staple, jeans are often key parts of signature looks and core memories. Levi Strauss, the San Francisco company that brought jeans to the masses, has reopened its history museum, The Vault, with an exhibit called “Amped” that celebrates iconic denim looks worn by musicians including Kurt Cobain, Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Freddie Mercury. We listen back to our conversation about the exhibit and hear stories of your favorite pair of jeans. Tell us about the jeans that made you feel brave, the ones covered in patches that you refused to retire or maybe the pair that you were wearing when you met your first love. Guests: Gregory Climer, chair, fashion design program at California College of the Arts Audrey Kalman, created a denim archive for her master's degree from the University of Oregon Tracey Panek, Levi Strauss and Co. historian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dog, writes poet Billy Collins, moves through the world unencumbered, with “nothing but her brown coat and her modest blue collar.” In a new collection called “Dog Show,” the former U.S. Poet Laureate turns his gaze toward the quiet wisdom of our canine friends — their reminders to slow down, pay attention and let the ordinary become radiant. We talk to Collins about dogs, poetry and why it’s a good idea to get close to both in hard times. Has a dog changed the way you see the world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many, poetry is a balm. But for others, poetry feels inaccessible and hard to understand. In her latest book, “Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times” former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith aims to make poetry less intimidating. We listen back to our conversation with Smith about how to read poems, how to “listen at the widest possible angle” and how to use poetry to connect to one another across our differences. Guests: Tracy K. Smith, former U.S. Poet Laureate; professor of English and of African and African American Studies, Harvard University - Smith's latest book is "Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In groundbreaking experiments with mice, Boston University neuroscientist Steve Ramirez has succeeded in turning memories on and off, even implanting new ones. He says that someday we’ll be able to do the same in humans. But should we? We talk to Ramirez about the ethical dilemma and the personal experience that caused him to consider erasing his own memory. His new book is “How to Change a Memory: One Neuroscientist’s Quest to Alter the Past.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you ask someone with aphantasia to visualize an apple, a tree, or the house they grew up in, their mind draws a blank. Literally. The inability to conjure up mental images was discovered in the 1880s but only recently has been given a name and become the subject of more serious study. Aphantasia is found in approximately one percent of the population and can also affect the ability to recall sounds, touch and the sensation of movement. Some aphantasics experience their condition as a loss, while others say the freedom from being bound by visual memory allows them to live fully in the present. We listen back to our conversation about aphantasia and what it tells us about how our brains perceive and remember. Guests: Larissa MacFarquhar, staff writer for The New Yorker, her most recent article is titled "Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound" Tom Ebeyer, founder, Aphantasia Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s your favorite audiobook? Chances are, it’s one with a great narrator. Audiobook performers can make, or break, the experience for listeners. But what goes into their work? Julia Whelan has been dubbed “the Adele of audiobooks” and has narrated over 700 audiobooks – including Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl,” Tara Westover’s “Educated” and Ottessa Moshfegh’s “My Year of Rest and Relaxation.” She joins us to share her insights into the craft, how AI is reshaping the industry, and what we love about listening to stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To be a modern consumer is to experience poor customer service at some point in your life. The kind of service that has you in a fever dream of pressing “1” for “representative,” getting your call dropped, calling back again, and then asking to speak to a manager who can’t solve your problem. Experts call this kind of service “sludge,” an administrative morass meant to deter, not help, consumers. And for some businesses, it’s a feature not a bug. We listen back to our conversation with journalist Chris Colin about the practice and hear from you: what’s your sludge story? Guests: Chris Colin, journalist, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The current Trump administration has deported roughly 8,000 people to places most have never even visited, in a process known as third-country removal. Critics say this violates U.S. law, depriving people seeking asylum of their due process rights. We hear from a Russian whistleblower and asylum seeker who was en route to California when he was deported… to Costa Rica. Plus, we’ll hear from lawyers who are seeing the Trump administration expand third-country removals for asylum seekers within California. Guests: José "Caya" Cayasso, co-founder of the tech startup Slidebean; YouTuber and journalist who first reported German's story German, Russian whistleblower who was deported to Costa Rica after attempting to seek asylum in the United States Dr. Yael Schacher, immigration law historian and director for the Americas and Europe, Refugees International Nicole Gorney, immigration attorney, Vidas Legal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a year of political, economic and societal turmoil, we sit down with KQED’s Arts team to talk about their annual series, One Beautiful Thing. The series gathers reflections on singular experiences and practices from the past year that served as a balm, nourishment or enlightenment. This year’s picks include handwriting letters, supporting a struggling artist and taking a solo trip to follow a band on tour. And, we want to hear from you, what was the One Beautiful Thing in your life that punctuated 2025? Guests: Gabe Meline, senior editor, KQED Arts and Culture Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts Luke Tsai, food editor, KQED Arts and Culture Elissa Epel, professor and vice chair, UCSF's Department of Psychiatry; she is the author of "The Stress Prescription" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices