KQED's Forum

We like to think of adoption as an unmitigated social good – a practice that UCSF sociologist Gretchen Sisson says “makes possible the maintenance of both the heteronormative family ideal beloved by the right and the nontraditional, chosen family ideals embraced by the left.” But Sisson says that framing ignores the experiences of birth mothers, who tend to have far less socioeconomic power than adoptive parents and who bear the complicated and even traumatic consequences of relinquishing an infant. Sisson conducted more than 100 interviews with birth mothers who relinquished their children to learn how they came to decide on adoption and the impact that decision has had on them and their families. Her new book is “Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood.”

Guests:

Gretchen Sisson, qualitative sociologist studying abortion and adoption at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF; author, "Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood” - her research was cited in the Supreme Court’s dissent in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

Serina Chacon, birth mother based in Northern California

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Have you ever encountered someone you felt like you could share your life story with, even if you just met? In his latest book, “Supercommunicators,” journalist Charles Duhigg details just how some people have come to master the art of conversation. To learn the secrets of effective communication, Duhigg interviewed a CIA agent tasked with recruiting spies, a NASA psychiatrist who screened astronauts for intense missions, and the creators of the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” who duke out ideas in the writer’s room. Duhigg joins us to talk about how to listen better, how to make yourself understood and how to connect on a much deeper level.

Guests:

Charles Duhigg, reporter, New York Times; author, "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection" and "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business"

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Global outrage persists after high-profile Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died last week in an Arctic penal colony. His death — and the two-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine — have prompted the Biden Administration to impose new sanctions against Russia that will be announced on Friday. We’ll talk about the deep rift between the Biden Administration and Russia and the ongoing congressional stalemate over aid for Ukraine and the national security issues it implicates.

Guests:

Kathryn Stoner, senior fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University; author, "Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order"

Max Boot, senior fellow for national security studies, Council on Foreign Relations; columnist, Washington

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Oprah and Gayle. Bert and Ernie. All four of the Golden Girls. For many people (and puppets), their soulmate is often their friend. We don’t have a good word to describe that kind of friendship – one that involves intimacy without sex, constancy without marriage, and a belief that you cannot live without the other person. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate friendships that you build your life around, argues author Rhaina Cohen in her new book “The Other Significant Others.” We’ll talk to Cohen about the breadth and depth of these friendships and how we can center them in our lives. And we’ll hear from you: Tell us about that friend who is your person.

Guests:

Rhaina Cohen, author, "The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center" - Cohen is a producer and editor for the NPR documentary podcast "Embedded"

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If you were watching TV in the 1980s you’re probably familiar with the sounds of electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani, whose synthesizer compositions became the sonic logos for Coca-Cola, Atari, GE, PBS and dozens of other brands. Ciani has gone on to cultivate new audiences through her quadraphonic concerts that she produces using an updated version of the same synthesizer that she played as a student at UC Berkeley in the late-1960s, the Buchla 200E. We’ll talk with Ciani about her career, how California inspires her and hear excerpts from her upcoming concert series that celebrates the 40th anniversary of her breakthrough album “Seven Waves.”

Guests:

Suzanne Ciani, music composer, performer

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With the soaring cost of college tuition, which at some private universities can hit over $80,000 a year, it’s not surprising that over 85% of American families apply for financial aid. A critical step in that process is completing the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. But this year, the Education Department’s rollout of a new form has been bedeviled by delays and technical problems that are affecting the admissions process for colleges, students and their families. Some universities are rolling back enrollment deadlines while others are waiting in hope that the issues will resolve. We’ll talk with financial aid experts and hear from you: Are you applying for financial aid? How has that process been for you?

Guests:

Eric Hoover, senior writer, Chronicle of Higher Education

Anna Takahashi, director of college counseling, Eastside College Preparatory School, East Palo Alto

Sonia Jethani, associate vice president, financial aid, Cal State East Bay

Jake Brymner, deputy director of policy & public affairs, California Student Aid Commission

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Have you ever wondered why you keep forgetting where you put your keys? Or the name of a stranger you met at a party? It’s easy to dwell on our everyday forgetfulness, especially as we get older. But for UC Davis neuroscientist and psychologist Dr. Charan Ranganath, the more important question is “why do we remember?” He says that brains have evolved to deprioritize unimportant things in favor of information that can help us survive and navigate a changing world. “Our memory is much, much more than an archive of the past; it is the prism through which we see others and the world.” We talk to Ranganath about how memory works and how better to remember the things that matter. His new book is “Why We Remember.”

Guest:

Charan Ranganath, professor of psychology and neuroscience, UC Davis, where he leads the Dynamic Memory Lab. His new book is "Why We Remember"

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In this era of dramatic videos of smash and grab robberies going viral and drug stores locking up many of their shelves, retail theft is getting a lot of attention. Police departments are making fewer arrests and solving fewer property crimes. Are shoplifting and “smash and grabs” really on the rise, or are we just noticing them more? Either way there is a growing movement to crack down on thieves and reform sentencing laws. A proposed ballot initiative would roll back portions Prop. 47, a California law that reduced prison sentences for petty crimes including shoplifting. We’ll examine the complicated relationship between retail theft, law enforcement and threat of punishment, and what it means for you.

Guests:

Charis Kubrin, professor, University of California, Irvine Department of Criminology, Law and Society

Jeff Reisig, district attorney, Yolo County

Marisa Lagos, politics correspondent, KQED; co-host of KQED's Political Breakdown show

Rick Chavez Zbur, member, California State Assembly. Zbur represents the 51st Assembly District that includes West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica

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Enlistment in the U.S. military has been in continuous decline since its peak during the Vietnam War. Evolving societal attitudes towards military service, as well as demographic shifts and competition from the private sector have drawn many young people away from serving. One major hurdle is the diminishing pool of eligible candidates, with factors such as obesity rates, educational requirements and drug use impacting the recruitment pool. We’ll talk about what it means for a country to struggle to staff its all-volunteer military and the lengths recruiters are going to fill its ranks in California and nationwide.

Guests:

Beth Asch, senior economist and PhD in economics, Rand Corporation

Roberto Camacho, race, equity, and social justice reporter

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Three of five seats on the Napa County Board of Supervisors are up for grabs this year. The results could have major implications in a county known worldwide for its wine industry. The winning candidates will have to tackle controversial issues such as how and where agriculture can expand in the county, how to support the workforce, and how to protect the environment amid demand for housing and commercial development. We’ll talk about the election and Napa’s future.

Guests:

David McCuan, Professor and Chair, department of political science, Sonoma State University

Dan Evans, executive editor, Napa Valley Register

Carlos Cabrera-Lomeli, community engagement reporter, KQED

Nisa Khan, audience engagement reporter, KQED

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