KQED's Forum

The US Department of Justice is considering breaking up tech giant Google, according to media reports. That news comes after a court ruling earlier this month that the company, which controls 90 percent of the search engine market, violated antitrust laws. “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta wrote in his decision. But some experts think a breakup is unlikely, and Google says it will appeal. We’ll talk about what the case could mean for consumers, the company, and the future of the internet.

Guests:

Rebecca Haw Allensworth, associate dean for research and professor of law, Vanderbilt Law School

Leah Nylen, antitrust reporter, Bloomberg News

Kamyl Bazbaz, senior vice president for public affairs, DuckDuckGo

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A squirrel in the street. Actors running in movies. A misplaced cup of tea. Naps. These topics are but a few that Atlantic staff writer James Parker has honored with an ode. To Parker, an ode isn’t just untempered praise — a healthy dose of complaining is essential. We talk to Parker about his favorite odes and why he thinks composing them can help us appreciate our everyday surroundings, from the annoying to the mundane to the beautiful. His new book is “Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive.” We want to hear from you: Have you ever written an ode? To whom or what?

Guests:

James Parker, staff writer, The Atlantic; author, "Get Me Through The Next 5 Minutes: Odes to Being Alive"

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You are walking down a dark dungeon hallway lit by torches and covered in cobwebs. You hear ominous squelching sounds. Wait! It’s the GIBBERING MOUTHER. Do you pull out a sword or cast a spell? If this is a scenario you have faced, it’s likely you have been playing Dungeons & Dragons, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The goal of the tabletop game is not to win, but for players to immerse themselves in a fantasy world and go on a heroic adventure. In a time when video games and screen time have proliferated, D&D offers the opportunity to gather with friends in real life to play an immersive and collaborative game that is always changing. We talk about D&D with expert dungeon masters and fans and hear from you: what draws you to D&D?

Guests:

Brennan Lee Mulligan, actor and writer; executive producer, writer and Game Master of the web-series "Dimension 20"

Danielle Radford, standup comedian, Radford has appeared in "Dimension 20," a web-based Dungeons and Dragons series. She is also the co-host of "Tights n Fights," a wrestling podcast.

Jon Peterson, author, "Playing at the World 2E: The Invention of Dungeons & Dragons," "The Elusive Shift" and "Game Wizards"; co-author, "Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana"

Gwendolyn Reza, co-owner, Games of Berkeley

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In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities can dismantle homeless encampments on sidewalks and other public places and make people move without running afoul of the constitution. The ruling by the Republican-appointed majority was cheered by many Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom who issued an executive order calling on cities to remove the tents and the people living in them quickly. Some have been eager to do so, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed – who is facing tough competition in her run for reelection. Other cities have taken a slower approach. We’ll discuss the impact the Supreme Court ruling is having in California, and why top Democrats disagree over the best course of action.

Guests:

Marisa Kendall, homelessness reporter, CalMatters

Fred Keely, Mayor, Santa Cruz

John Do, senior attorney for the Racial and Economic Justice Program, ACLU of Northern California

Darrell Steinberg, Mayor, Sacramento

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Amid the Bay Area’s dire need for more housing, California Forever has set out a bold vision for a new city in east Solano County on 17,500 acres of mostly farmland. But the company, backed by various Silicon Valley billionaires, has so far struggled to garner enough local support. In July, California Forever scrapped plans to ask for voter approval for the project on this November’s ballot, but said it plans to try again in 2026. Many county officials and nearby residents oppose the project, while others want more information about how it would impact their communities. We’ll talk about the state of California Forever’s plans and what could happen next.

Guests:

Adhiti Bandlamud, housing reporter, KQED

J.K. Dineen, Bay Area housing reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Jan Sramek, founder and CEO, California Forever

Marc Weiss, chairman and CEO, Global Urban Development - a nonprofit organization focused on sustainable economic growth and urban development strategies. He is also a visiting professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley

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The Darién Gap, the perilous mountain region connecting Central and South America, was thought for centuries to be all but impossible to cross. But now, hundreds of thousands of migrants are doing just that to reach the U.S. Pulitzer Prize-winning immigration reporter Caitlin Dickerson took three trips to the Darién Gap over five months, following groups of migrants on their 70-mile trek from northern Colombia into southern Panama. They risked hunger, thirst, drowning, disease, violence, sexual assault and death. We talk to Dickerson about what she witnessed and what she calls the “flawed logic” of U.S. immigration policy – “that by making migration harder, we can limit the number of people who attempt it.” Her new article in the Atlantic is “Seventy Miles in the Darién Gap.”

Guests:

Caitlin Dickerson, staff writer, The Atlantic - won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on immigration; her new article is "“Seventy Miles in the Darién Gap.”

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If you are a fan of kimchee like your grandmother made or are looking for the freshest curry leaf, you’re probably well acquainted with stores like H Mart, Patel Brothers, and 99 Ranch. These outlets go beyond the international food sections that you’ll find in conventional chains like Safeway and Whole Foods. Instead they offer aisle upon aisle of products that signify home to the Asian diaspora in the United States. And as these stores expand in size and volume, they are redefining American palates. We’ll explore what chains like these these mean to their customers, the impact they are having on mom and pop stores, and how they are changing how we eat and cook.

Guests:

Priya Krishna, Reporter and video host, New York Times -Krishna wrote the recent New York Times article "Don't Call It an 'Ethnic' Grocery Store." She covers the intersection of food and broader cultural issues for the paper and hosts the video series "On the Job." Krishna is also the author of the cookbook, "Indian-ish"

Margot Seeto, Dumpling columnist, SF GATE

Luke Tsai, Food editor, KQED Arts and Culture

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More adults are now relying on their parents for financial support, career advice and emotional regulation well into their 30s — challenging the notion that a parent is only responsible for their child until age 18. One poll found that about 45% of adults under 30 are living with their parents — “the most common living arrangement for that age group for the first time since just after the Great Depression,” writes Atlantic staff writer Faith Hill. In the past this may have been considered a “failure to launch,” but as families reckon with changing economic realities and delayed maturity milestones, they report benefits from their increased closeness compared with prior generations.” Is your relationship with your adult child, or children, different from the one you had with your parents?

Guests:

Faith Hill, staff writer, The Atlantic - author of the article "The New Age of Endless Parenting"

Kelly Nguyen, licensed psychotherapist, She has a private practice in San Francisco where she sees adult individuals and couples.

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As the A’s wrap up their final season in Oakland, the future of the Coliseum – the team’s home for 56 years– may finally be coming into focus. The African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG), a local Black-led development company, is set to purchase the site from the A’s and the City of Oakland for over two hundred million dollars. The final signing of those deals, supporters say, will help Oakland balance a tight budget and provide economic opportunities for East Oakland. AASEG plans to fill the complex with housing, sports, entertainment, and retail projects. We’ll talk with one of the developers and others about what’s next for the site.

Guests:

Casey Pratt, Chief of Communications, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Dan Moore, Bay Area-based freelance writer, his work has appeared in The Atlantic, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Ringer, where he's a contributor. He's also a nominee for the 2024 Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting.

Ray Bobbitt, Founder and Managing Member, African American Sports and Entertainment Group

David Peters, Founder, West Oakland Cultural Action Network. Oakland native and lifelong Oakland A’s fan. -Founder, Black Liberation Walking Tour. Peters is a 3rd generation West Oakland resident and lifelong Oakland A's fan.

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Feminist scholar Roxane Gay has no fondness for guns, no interest in gun culture and rarely thinks about guns unless, as she says, “the news cycle demands it.” But she’s a gun owner, having bought one after she and her family became targets of online death threats. “When I aim and pull the trigger and absorb the recoil,” Gay writes in a new essay, “I try to shoot straight and true. I revel in how capable I feel, what a welcome departure it is to be an active participant in my life instead of passively seething at all the things I cannot control.” We talk to Gay about feminism, race and gun ownership, and why more Black women are buying guns. Her new essay is called “Stand Your Ground: A Black Feminist Reckoning with America’s Gun Problem.”

Guests:

Roxane Gay, scholar and author. Her new essay is "Stand Your Ground: A Black Feminist Reckoning with America’s Gun Problem." Her books include "Difficult Women;" "Hunger" and "Bad Feminist"

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