KQED's Forum

Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most beloved primatologists, has died. She was 91. Goodall was a hero of the conservation movement known for her decades long study of chimpanzees — how they use tools, care for their young, and care for each other. Her discoveries led her to devote her life to animal conservation and fighting deforestation, balanced with the needs of local people. We listen back to our conversation with Goodall from September 2023. She joined us along with two international conservation champions inspired by Goodall’s work to talk about the evolution of her activism and the future of the conservation movement. Guests: Jane Goodall, ethologist and conservationist; co-founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, which is devoted to the protection of great apes and their habitats; her books include "The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times" and "The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior" Jean-Gael "JG" Collomb, chief executive officer, Wildlife Conservation Network, which connects philanthropists with a global network of field-based conservation leaders Jeneria Lekilelei, Samburu warrior; director of community conservation, Ewaso Lions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A federal government shutdown looked increasingly likely on Tuesday as Congress remained at a bitter impasse on a bill to fund operations, with just hours to spare before the midnight deadline. We’ll get the latest on the negotiations and the potential impacts with California Congressman Mark DeSaulnier. Guests: Mark DeSaulnier, United States Congressman, representing 10th district of California (the East Bay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The politicalization of the Department of Justice took a new turn last week when US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an indictment against Trump nemesis and former FBI head James Comey. Donald Trump has made clear that this term, he intends to go after his personal enemies, but the capitulation of DOJ to his demands has raised troubling questions. With career prosecutors and FBI agents being fired or leaving in droves, we talk about what is happening to the Justice Department. Guests: Ismail Ramsey, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Quinta Jurecic, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine - Jurecic's most recent piece for the Atlantic is titled "The Comey Indictment Is an Embarrassment" Glenn Thrush, reporter covering the Justice Department, New York Times Ejaz Baluch, attorney, Baluch resigned from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice earlier this year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Tom Frieden, who led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under President Obama, is sounding new alarms about the direction the agency is heading. Frieden says that since taking office, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has “followed a consistent playbook: deny, distract, and destroy” by promoting vaccine misinformation, linking Tylenol use to autism and firing some of the CDC’s most competent professionals. We’ll talk to Frieden about how he thinks science can prevail over falsehood. His new book is “The Formula For Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives, Including Your Own.” Guests: Dr. Tom Frieden, former director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - author, "The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives-Including Your Own" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forum is continuing our series, “In Search of Home: Solutions for the Homelessness Crisis” with a look into what happens when people lose their housing. Each year in the Bay Area, an estimated 44,000 people will become homeless, according to All Home, a Bay Area nonprofit. Some find a new place to live quickly, while others shuffle through couch-surfing, sleeping outside, staying at shelters, living in cars or a tent. We’ll talk about the early stages of losing housing and the interventions that can help keep homelessness “brief and rare” as policy experts say, and head off chronic homelessness. Guests: Vanessa Rancaño, housing affordability reporter, NPR Sharon Cornu, executive director, St. Mary's Center - a provider of transitional housing and other services for seniors and families in Oakland Markos Gonzalez, associate director of programs community outreach, Bay Area Community Services (BACS) - a provider of behavioral health and homelessness services Keanna Ward, Bay Area resident, is formerly homeless Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal spending talks ground to a halt this week, with Democrats wanting healthcare subsidies to be included in any approved funding bills. Republicans are opposed and refusing to negotiate. President Trump does not appear interested in working out a compromise. He canceled a meeting last week with Democratic party leaders, and the White House says that it will order federal agencies to fire employees permanently if Democrats do not vote to approve a stopgap spending measure now. We talk about the stakes and what a government shutdown could mean for California. Guests: Adhiti Bandlamudi, housing reporter, KQED Russell Berman, staff writer, The Atlantic Sarah Wire, senior national political correspondent, USA Today Nicholas Wu, congressional reporter, Politico 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 talk to Limón about her new collection, “Startlement.” Guests: Ada Limón, poet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breaking into Hollywood isn’t what it used to be. Two former LA Times editors who have covered the entertainment industry for years offer a road map on how to make it in a business being reshaped by AI, streaming and social media. Ada Tseng and Jon Healey spoke with hundreds of showbiz professionals – from actors and producers, to agents and gaffers – getting honest advice about how to get started (hint: think twice before becoming a personal assistant). Their book is “Breaking Into New Hollywood: A Career Guide to a Changing Industry.” If you’re in the entertainment industry, what’s the most valuable advice you received? Guests: Ada Tseng, writer and editor; co-host, "Saturday School" - an Asian American pop culture history podcast Jon Healey, former reporter and editor for The Los Angeles Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marin County is known as the birthplace of modern mountain biking and it has long had a robust cycling culture. But lately, motorized e-bikes – some that go over 50 miles per hour – surged in popularity, especially with young people. A rise in serious bike accidents involving children and teens prompted county officials to ban anyone under 16 from riding the fastest e-bikes – the first ban of its kind in the state. We’ll talk about the prevalence of e-bikes, Marin’s attempt to regulate them – and why some Bay Area riders need to slow down. Guests: Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, news editor, KQED Asha Weinstein Agrawal, professor and researcher, Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University Talia Smith, legislative director, Marin County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law one of the biggest environmental policy overhauls in decades, a package of six bills aimed at meeting California’s ambitious climate goals — while making housing and electricity more affordable. The new legislation lays out a plan to reduce consumer electricity costs and harden the state’s energy grid; it also insulates utility providers from wildfire liability and incentivizes oil and gas companies to remain in the state. We take a closer look at the changes and trade-offs and what they mean for you. Guests: Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law; host of the podcast, "Climate Break" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, “The Invention of Design: A Twentieth-Century History,” historian and designer Maggie Gram traces the evolution of the field of design from a focus on decoration and the way things look, to a much grander idea — that we can design ourselves into a better world. From furniture and iPhone design to helping revamp city government, “good design” has been touted as the answer to a better life. We talk with Gram about her skepticism about tech’s confidence in being able to design solutions to enormous problems and the peril, and promise, of design thinking. Guests: Maggie Gram, historian and designer; author, "The Invention of Design: A Twentieth-Century History" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets over the weekend to protest an amnesty bill for former President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn the 2022 election. Trump, who has likened himself to Bolsonaro, called the trial a “witch hunt” and punished the country with 50% tariffs and sanctions on government officials. We look at the parallels between the two men, and what the U.S. can learn from Brazil’s effort to hold its leaders accountable and defend its democracy. Guests: Julia Vargas Jones, correspondent, CNN Juliana Dal Piva, investigative reporter, ICL Noticias and Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística Jack Nicas, Brazil bureau chief, The New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets over the weekend to protest an amnesty bill for former President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn the 2022 election. Trump, who has likened himself to Bolsonaro, called the trial a “witch hunt” and punished the country with 50% tariffs and sanctions on government officials. We look at the parallels between the two men, and what the U.S. can learn from Brazil’s effort to hold its leaders accountable and defend its democracy. Guests: Julia Vargas Jones, correspondent, CNN Juliana Dal Piva, investigative reporter, ICL Noticias and Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística Jack Nicas, Brazil bureau chief, New York Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, policy makers, politicians, and experts have blamed an absence of Black fathers as the reason Black children tend to not fare as well as white children. That reasoning has led to a lot of public policy pushing the two-parent family structure. In her new book, “Inherited Inequality: Why Opportunity Gaps Persist between Black and White Youth Raised in Two-Parent Families,” Harvard Sociologist Christina Cross argues that this claim is a distraction from addressing the systemic inequities that hold kids back such as racial discrimination in the housing market, schools and workplaces. We talk with Cross about how the two-parent paradigm became the standard and when that premise becomes harmful. Guests: Christina Cross, associate professor of sociology, Harvard University - author of, "Inherited Inequality: Why Opportunity Gaps Persist between Black and White Youth Raised in Two-Parent Families" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk became a political rally on Sunday, as President Trump told the crowd that unlike Kirk, he hates his opponents and blamed the “radical left” for political violence. Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid says that as influential Republicans use Kirk’s killing to demonize the left, the country is failing a crucial test: the ability to absorb political violence without discarding democratic cornerstones like free speech, respect for dissent and due process. We talk to Hamid and to New York Times reporter Jeremy Peters about this fraught political moment, and how, in Hamid’s words, we can step back from the brink. Guests: Shadi Hamid, columnist at the Washington Post, his forthcoming book is "The Case for American Power" Jeremy W. Peters, national reporter focusing on free speech, The New York Times - author, "Insurgency: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been one of the world’s largest providers of contraceptives and disaster relief. But recent funding cuts and orders from the Trump administration have dismantled programs, stranded millions of dollars’ worth of contraceptives, and left partner nations scrambling. We look at the unraveling of USAID’s work, the human impact on the ground and what America’s retreat means for the future of global health and humanitarian aid. Guests: Elissa Miolene, global development reporter, Devex, an independent news organization covering international development Hana Kiros, assistant editor, The Atlantic - Her recent article is “Inside the USAID Fire Sale.” Carson Christiano, executive director, Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mega-wealthy Silicon Valley group, California Forever, has announced a plan to build a manufacturing town in Solano County. Their intention to build the largest site for advanced manufacturing in North America comes at a moment where there is a lot of debate about whether we should reverse the decline of U.S. manufacturing and how to do it. We’ll talk about how the manufacturing industry has changed from the American factory of the past, the role the industry currently plays in the Bay Area Area economy, and the future of manufacturing in our region. Guests: Kate Gordon, CEO, California Forward Adhiti Bandlamudi, housing reporter, KQED Mathew Bogoshian, Executive Director, American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California synth-pop duo PRXZM joins us in studio for a live musical performance. Classically trained musicians Nick Ortega and Emma Maidenberg host a weekly livestream where fans can watch them compose in real-time and offer feedback. PRXZM’s latest project? Remixing our Forum theme song! We’ll talk to them about the process of remixing and what it’s like to collaborate so closely with their fans. Guests: Nick Ortega, synth, PRXZM Emma Maidenberg, vocals, PRXZM Daniel Reiter, guitar, PRXZM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been as full-throated in his support for President Trump’s aggressive immigration policies as California Governor Gavin Newsom has been in his opposition. We team up with South Florida Public Radio station WLRN to talk about how our states’ different approaches on immigration enforcement are playing out on the ground, and the impact on our communities, economy and voters. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED Tom Hudson, president of news, WLRN; an anchor of "The Florida Roundup" Jasmine Garsd, immigration correspondent, NPR; host of the podcast "The Last Cup," about soccer and the immigrant experience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s prisons were so packed fifteen years ago that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled they violated the Constitution. Today, the state’s prison population has decreased dramatically and California is closing prison facilities. Governor Newsom has closed five during his tenure, with the latest – the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, California – slated to shut down next fall. We’ll take a closer look at what’s driving the turnaround, and the impact of prison closures on communities and the state’s criminal justice system. Guests: Heather Harris, research fellow specializing in criminal justice, Public Policy Institute of California Caitlin O'Neil, principal fiscal and policy analyst, Legislative Analyst's Office - the California Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisor Nigel Duara, justice reporter, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices