KQED's Forum

Are you one of the 20 million people on Bluesky? The social media platform has nearly doubled its user base since the election as more people migrate away from Elon Musk’s X. We talk about what’s drawing people to Bluesky and the pros and cons of the platform, and we’ll hear what you’re looking for in an online social network. We're on Bluesky now! Follow us @kqedforum.bsky.social! Guests: Zoe Schiffer, managing editor, Platformer - author of "Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter" Damon Beres, senior editor, The Atlantic

A conspiracy-theorist and vaccine denier to run the Department of Health and Human Services. A Russia-friendly intelligence chief. And an attorney general pick who has been accused of sexual misconduct. President-elect Donald Trump is appointing cabinet members at a breakneck pace, with one more norm-busting than the next. We’ll get the latest on Trump’s picks–and other recent political news– with journalists Molly Ball of the Wall Street Journal and Philip Bump of the Washington Post Guests: Molly Ball, senior political correspondent, Wall Street Journal Philip Bump, national columnist, Washington Post - Bump is the author of "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America"

President-elect Trump and his team want to end DACA and the Temporary Protected Status program – which could make nearly a million people vulnerable to deportation. They’ve said they’d use the military to carry out mass detentions and deportations. If enacted, these proposals are all but guaranteed to face legal challenges — as they did during the last Trump administration. But some advocates worry that federal courts could prove friendlier to Trump policies than last time. We’ll talk with UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham about the likelihood Trump’s latest proposals will become reality and the impact they’ll have on immigrant communities. Guests: Ahilan Arulanantham, Faculty Co-Director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA Law - former Legal Director ACLU of Southern California

Bay Area transit agencies have struggled to recover ever since the pandemic decimated ridership and revenue. Several measures on the ballot aimed to shore up public transportation. In San Francisco, Prop. L, which would have provided more funding for Muni, failed. But in Napa, voters approved Measure U to bring $25 million a year to improve transit. With a Republican administration and Congress set to take power in January, local transit agencies, concerned there may be a lack of federal support, are thinking about long term solutions to their funding shortfalls and looking to the state to do more. We’ll talk about the future of Bay Area transit funding and what it means for you. Guests: Dan Brekke, editor and reporter, KQED News Rebecca Long, Director of Legislation and Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Sebastian Petty, Senior Advisor, Transportation Policy| SPUR

The push to harness renewable energy sources like wind and solar has sparked a massive demand for critical metals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium, according to journalist Vince Beiser. To meet this demand, intensive mining operations are underway in regions like China, Chile, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), extracting rare metals needed for solar panels, electric vehicles, smartphones, and the infrastructure that supports them. In his new book, “Power Metal: The Race for Resources That Will Shape the Future,” Beiser explores the “terrifying” scale of metal extraction our electro-digital age requires and the global environmental and public health crises it may trigger. Beiser joins us. Guests: Vince Beiser, journalist; author of “Power Metal: The Race for Resources That Will Shape the Future”

Are we alone? Really, though, in a cosmic sense. 40 years ago the pioneering radio astronomer Jill Tarter co-founded a Bay Area non profit to support humanity searching for life beyond ourselves. We celebrate the SETI – as in, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – Institute’s anniversary and all their contributions to science which, sadly, do not yet include finding aliens. What do you hope SETI finds in its next 40 years? Guests: Bill Diamond, president and CEO, SETI Institute Wael Farah, radio astronomer and project scientist on The Allen Telescope Array, SETI Institute Nathalie Cabrol, astrobiologist and planetary geologist; director of Science, the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute Simon Steel, astronomer, director of Education and Public Outreach, SETI Institute

We’ll listen back to Mina Kim’s live, on-stage conversation last month at KQED Fest with actor, producer, rapper Daveed Diggs. Diggs won a Tony for his roles in the original “Hamilton” and is known for the TV show “Snowpiercer” and the Oakland-set movie and series “Blindspotting.” We talk about his career, about the “unspoken contract” a live performer makes with an audience and about executive producing a new documentary about Bay Area high schoolers during covid — “The Class.” Guests: Daveed Diggs, actor, rapper, writer. executive producer, Blindspotting, co-wrote, co-produced, and costarred in the 2018 film Blindspotting

Art is a mode of expression, a vehicle for processing thoughts and feelings, and a way to connect. Regardless of your political leanings, it’s fair to say we just went through a tumultuous election. These times of uncertainty often prompt us to look for art, create art, or reflect on how it can bring us beauty, reflection and meaning. So, we’ll talk to Bay Area artists about what is on their minds and how to access creativity. Guests: Tsutomu "Tom" Shimura, Lyrics Born, rapper, producer and song-writer; author of the e-book “Yes, Bay Area”, a collection of his tweets. Callan Porter-Romero, artist based in Oakland; One of her paintings is now on exhibit at The de Young Open. She was also included in the 2020 Exhibition. Matthew Zapruder, poet and author of "I Love Hearing Your Dreams: Poems"; He teaches in the MFA and English Department at Saint Mary’s College of California.

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he will nominate Matt Gaetz as U.S. Attorney General. The polarizing MAGA congressman from Florida engineered the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and is the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation for sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. We talk about the implications of Gaetz’s nomination and what the Department of Justice could look like under a second Trump term. Guests: Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare; senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute Claudia Grisales, congressional correspondent, NPR

Across the Bay Area, voters signaled a move away from progressive politics. A progressive mayor and DA were recalled in Oakland. A Levi’s heir was elected as San Francisco’s new mayor. The Bay Area rejected efforts to expand rent control and supported increasing criminal penalties for theft and certain drug crimes. What kind of platform do left wing political leaders need to appeal to this Bay Area electorate? We talk to political leaders about where progressives go from here. Guests: Jesse Arreguin, mayor, City of Berkeley; president, Association of Bay Area Governments; candidate, California State Senate District 7 Betty Duong, supervisor-elect, Santa Clara County, Board of Supervisors, District 2 Connie Chan, supervisor, District 1, San Francisco Board of Supervisors Edward Wright, director-elect, BART Board representing district 9. Wright is a former president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club

Many factors contributed to Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in the 2024 election. But for those hoping that Americans would elect the country’s first woman president — especially when picking between a Black and Asian woman and an adjudicated rapist — her defeat stung deeply. At the same time, 45% of female voters – and a majority of white women voters – cast their ballots for president-elect Donald Trump. We’ll talk about the roles racism and sexism could have played in this election, and whether the U.S. could have a female president in our lifetimes. Guests: Caroline Heldman, political scientist and professor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, political scientist and professor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Anna Sampaio, Professor of Ethnic Studies and Political Science, Santa Clara University Chaya Crowder, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Loyola Marymount University - author of the forthcoming book, “Intersectional Solidarity: Black Women and the Politics of Group Consciousness”

More than 60% of Oakland voters chose to recall mayor Sheng Thao last week, making her the first mayor to be recalled in the city’s history. Soon after the election is certified in December, Oakland will have four months to throw a special election for a new mayor. We’ll talk about what’s next for the city in the meantime. And we’ll check in with Oaklanders invested in the people, culture and functioning of the city about their hopes for the future of Oakland and what they’ll most be looking for from a new mayor. We want to hear from our Oakland listeners. Now that the old order has been tossed out, what do you want from a new one? Guests: Alex Hall, enterprise and accountability reporter, KQED Liam O'Donoghue, host and producer, East Bay Yesterday Nigel Jones, restaurateur, Calabash - an Afro-Caribbean and Jamaican restaurant, market and bar. Owned Kingston 11, which has now closed. Noni Session, executive director and co-founder, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative Dorothy Lazard, author, What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World - Former Head Librarian of the Oakland History Center Allison Brooks, executive director, Bay Area Regional Collaborative Janet Heller, executive director, Chapter 510 Angela Glover Blackwell, founder in residence, PolicyLink, an Oakland- based non-profit dedicated to advancing economic and social equity.

“The time to fight, with all our ingenuity and tenacity, and love and fury, is now.” That sounds like a rallying cry for democrats after their profound election defeat last week. But it’s in fact an environmental call to action from Katherine Rundell, whose new book “Vanishing Treasures” celebrates some of the earth’s most imperiled and unusual creatures. We’ll talk to Rundell about wombats that carry their young in upside-down pouches and excrete cube-shaped poop; the American wood frog that freezes itself solid to get through winter; the golden mole that’s evolved to be iridescent. What extraordinary creatures would you like to pay tribute to? Guests: Katherine Rundell, author, "Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures", Her previous books include "Impossible Creatures" and "Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Aren't So Old and Wise"

Transgender kids and their families have become a frequent target of president-elect Donald Trump and other conservative politicians. While the Bay Area and California have some of the strongest protections for trans people, federal policies could pose major challenges here. We’ll talk about the future of trans rights, whether access to gender-affirming care will remain possible, and what could happen during a second Trump administration. Guests: Honey Mahogany, Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives, City of San Francisco - former chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and cofounder of the Transgender District in the Tenderloin Tom Temprano, managing director of external affairs, Equality California, an LGBTQ+ rights advocacy organization Kate Redburn, academic fellow, lecturer and co-director, The Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, Columbia Law School Nadine Pourier Blumenshine, vice president, PFLAG Fresno, a nonprofit organization of LGBTQ+ people, parents, families, and allies focused on creating an equitable and inclusive world

Donald Trump had a rocky relationship with Silicon Valley during his 2016 presidential campaign, and he clashed with Big Tech during his first term. This time around, he had the support of some high profile tech leaders, including Elon Musk. Dramatic changes have also come to Silicon Valley, which has been shaken up by the emergence of artificial intelligence. While there is growing concern over AI’s potential impact on society, Trump is expected to take a hands-off approach to regulation. The same might be true with antitrust enforcement against tech companies, which the Biden administration has prioritized. We’ll look at how Trump’s second term is likely to impact the tech industry from AI to social media to cryptocurrency. Guests: Elizabeth Dwoskin, Silicon Valley correspondent, The Washington Post Kelsey Piper, senior writer, Vox's Future Perfect newsletter Jeremy Owens, technology editor and San Francisco bureau chief, MarketWatch

Donald Trump has called climate change a “hoax”, opined that sea level rise caused by melting glaciers “could create more oceanfront property,” and has said “nuclear warming” is just as concerning as a hotter planet. During his first administration, Trump made a point of dismantling Obama-era climate rules, and in his second, he has vowed to double down on production of fossil fuels. We talk to experts about what climate efforts may look like during a Trump Administration, and how California will respond. Guests: 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 Lisa Friedman, reporter on the climate desk, New York Times Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor, engineering, Princeton University Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director, Sunrise movement, a grassroots organization of students and young people focused on climate change

Political strategist Mike Madrid says that democrats are in for a “long overdue reckoning” following an election where Trump support among self-identifying Hispanic voters was up some 14 percentage points compared to 2020, according to an Edison Research exit poll. We talk to Madrid about why he says the democratic party is less ethnically diverse than it was and what it needs to do to regain working class and Latino voters. Guests: Mike Madrid, political strategist, his new book is "The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority is Transforming Democracy" ; co-founder, The Lincoln Project

On the face of it, California and Florida – the homestates of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump – are polar opposites. The divisions between the states came to symbolize the nation’s red/blue divide in the starkly different responses to the pandemic and the rivalry between their ambitious and politically powerful governors. But we also share a lot of the same concerns, including a housing affordability crisis and disasters caused by extreme weather. In this hour we team up with South Florida public radio station WLRN for a post-election conversation about where the country is headed and what unites and divides us. Guests: Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown

Donald Trump has long had it in for California. He’s threatened to withhold federal aid for wildfire recovery, tried to revoke the state’s Clean Air Act waiver and referred to Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff as examples of the “enemy from within.” Now that Trump has secured another term, California officials are preparing for what CalMatters reporter Alexei Koseff calls the “return of the resistance state.” How would you like California to respond to a second Trump Administration? Guests: Melanie Mason, senior political correspondent, Politico Alexei Koseff, reporter, CalMatters Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor for the state of California, chairs the California Advisory Council for International Trade and Investment Anita Chabria, columnist, Los Angeles Times

In a recent post on Substack, writer and longtime political observer James Fallows wrote, “By the standards of any presidential race in modern times, Kamala Harris ran a very ‘good’ campaign… By those same standards, Trump ran a very bad campaign… And none of it mattered.” So, what did matter on election day? And, how does the Bay Area make sense of an election where the country voted overwhelmingly against one of our region’s most prominent politicians, Kamala Harris? Fallows joins Forum to help us understand what happened in the election and to discuss his recent Wired article, “After the Election, California (Yes, That Hellscape) Will Keep Moving the World Forward No Matter What.” Guests: James Fallows, journalist; former national correspondent for The Atlantic and author of the newsletter Breaking the News. His new article in Wired titled “After the Election, California (Yes, That Hellscape) Will Keep Moving the World Forward No Matter What.”