KQED's Forum

Roman emperors have long provided a template for autocrats and a warning for politicians, according to acclaimed historian Mary Beard. But not all emperors were cruel, bloodthirsty and decadent. Beard’s new book “Emperor of Rome” looks at the daily practicalities of their lives, as they managed budgets and troop deployments, headed public banquets and responded to petitions from their subjects. It also examines the ordinary Romans who made the imperial system function, including soldiers, aristocrats and the enslaved. We talk to Beard about what life was like in the corridors of power of ancient Rome and take your questions.

Guests:

Mary Beard, classicist; scholar of Ancient Rome; author, "Emperor of Rome"

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The latest season of KQED’s podcast Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America examines how Californians are grappling with the concept of home as climate change disrupts where and how people live. Extreme weather causing wildfires and flooding has already forced thousands of people from their homes. Obtaining insurance for a home has become a herculean feat for some owners. Even seemingly simple decisions about what appliances to buy for your home can drastically alter your carbon footprint, but options are not always easy or affordable. For our next episode of Climate Fix, Forum’s regular collaboration with KQED’s Science team, we’ll explore the intersection of climate and housing along with our colleagues from KQED’s housing team.

Guests:

Ezra David Romero, climate reporter, KQED

Erin Baldassari, housing affordability reporter, KQED

Danielle Venton, science reporter, KQED

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Since the NCAA’s decision to allow student athletes to participate in name, image and likeness deals, wealthy alumni across the country have been starting donor collectives to attract players. Many of these collectives were founded as non-profit organizations, allowing donors to claim tax write-offs, while the money gets passed on to the players. But recently, the IRS has called into question the collectives’ legality. We speak with NY Times reporter David Fahrenthold, who looked into how various collectives operate across the country and what the NCAA and IRS are doing to crack down on them.

Guests:

David Fahrenthold, investigative reporter, New York Times. Fahrenthold is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter that focuses on non-profits. His most recent New York Times piece with Billy Witz is titled "How Rich Donors and Loose Rules Are Transforming College Sports"

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Brian Merchant is the technology columnist for the L.A. Times. He’s also a self-professed Luddite. In his new book “Blood in the Machine” Merchant explains that Luddites, most known for destroying machinery in the 19th century, didn’t hate technology. Rather, they railed against the Big Tech elites of the day whose automated machines threatened to erase livelihoods and the government that was deaf to the workers’ concerns. Merchant says there are lessons to be learned from the Luddites, who asked to be part of the technological revolution, instead of being replaced by it. We talk to him about his book.

Guests:

Brian Merchant, author, "Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion against Big Tech"; technology columnist, the Los Angeles Times. He is also the author of "The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone"

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The longest strike by TV and film actors against studios in history concluded Thursday when SAG-AFTRA leadership agreed to a new contract with major studios. The deal, which will go into effect once union members approve it, includes higher wages, better streaming residuals and safeguards for AI. As actors go back to work and studios scramble to finish the season’s productions, we’ll talk about what actors won – and failed to attain. And we’ll hear how the strike impacted the people in the film industry, from studio executives to craft services vendors to actors themselves.

Guests:

Eric Haywood, writer, producer and director. His TV shows include "Empire" and "Law & Order: Organized Crime"

Eric Goins, negotiating committee member and Atlanta local president, SAG-AFTRA

Chris Candy, actor; member, SAG-AFTRA based in LA

Marsalis Burton, actor and musician based in LA

Wendy Lee, entertainment business reporter, LA Times. Lee covers streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+

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Two of the biggest songs to come out of the Bay Area’s hip hop scene – Too Short’s “Blow The Whistle” and E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go” – dropped in 2006. That year turned out to be a pivotal one as hyphy captured audiences nationwide with its uptempo beats, flashy fashion and distinctive dance styles. But in its place of origin, the Bay Area, people were dealing with the turmoil of displacement, economic uncertainty and friends dying in the streets. KQED’s Pendarvis Harshaw joins us to talk about the context, complexities and contradictions of the music and the era that he explored through a new Rightnowish podcast series called Hyphy Kids Got Trauma.

Guests:

Rich Iyala, Bay Area musician who coined the phrase, "Hyphy Kids Got Trauma"

D-Ray, Oakland-based hip hop photographer

Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts; host, KQED's "Rightnowish" podcast

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California’s Employment Development Department paid out up to $30 billion in fraudulent claims during the Covid pandemic. Meanwhile, some six million Californians with legitimate claims saw their unemployment benefits delayed or improperly denied. That’s according to a new investigation by CalMatters, which found that state agencies and lawmakers were aware of red flags and security holes for years, but chose not to address them. As the fraud’s total cost – and its human toll – continue to be tallied, government agencies and private contractors point fingers at each other. We look at what caused the unprecedented failure of California’s unemployment system and how the state is proposing to fix it.

Related link(s):

myEDD – EDD’s new online system

Bank of America’s EDD Debit Card site

Find and contact your state representative

Legal Aid at Work

Center for Workers’ Rights

State Bar of California

Guests:

Lauren Hepler, investigative reporter, CalMatters

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Starting on November 11, leaders from around the Pacific Rim descend on San Francisco for APEC, and one of the most anticipated meetings is a conversation between President Biden and China’s leader, Xi Jinping. On the heels of recent economic and diplomatic tensions, analysts believe this could be a chance to stabilize relations between two of the world’s economic superpowers. With important elections in Taiwan and the U.S. on the horizon and global conflicts in need of addressing, the agenda could cover topics from tariffs to the fentanyl crisis. We’ll talk with experts about what’s on the table for discussion.

Guests:

Victor Shih, director, U.C. San Diego's 21st Century China Center

Colleen Cottle, deputy director, Atlantic Council's Global China Hub

Evan Osnos, staff writer for The New Yorker

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The week's most compelling interviews in 30 minutes or less! Get a historical perspective on the news with history professor and author of "Democracy Awakening," Heather Cox Richardson, then dive into a range of criminal justice issues with California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

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Many of us are familiar with the biases baked into modern technology, but these are heightened with AI, warns Dr. Joy Buolamwini, who has been called the “conscience of the A-I revolution.” A computer scientist and digital activist who holds a PhD from MIT, Dr. Buolamwini exposed how facial recognition technology failed to recognize darker skin color across a range of commonly used apps. We talk to Dr. Buolamwini about her new book “Unmasking AI,” which chronicles her efforts to bring humanity back to technology and her fight for “algorithmic justice.”

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