KQED's Forum

When LA Times associate editor Jessica Roy had her wallet stolen, she braced for the worst: She froze her credit, filed a federal identity theft complaint and requested a police report. But when thieves began using her name to obtain bank accounts, car loans and bail bonds, she wasn't prepared for the bureaucratic nightmare that followed as she tried to recover her money and restore her credit. Her experience might sound familiar — a recent survey estimates that 42 million Americans were victimized by some type of identity fraud in 2021, with total losses estimated at $52 billion. Roy joins us to talk about how banks, credit agencies and law enforcement can do more to protect us.

Guests:

Jessica Roy, assistant editor, utility journalism, LA Times

Eva Velasquez, president/CEO, Identity Theft Resource Center - a nonprofit based in San Diego that provides assistance to victims of identity theft.

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Elon Musk took ownership of the San Francisco based social media network Twitter less than a week ago and he’s already overhauling the company. Musk immediately fired several executives and board members and news organizations have reported that mass layoffs could be imminent. He also tweeted he wants to charge a monthly fee for users to retain verified status. We dive into what this new era at Twitter means for the Bay Area, users and the social media landscape.

Guests:

Annalee Newitz, Science journalist and author of "Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction" - Newitz is also the author of the novels "The Future of Another Timeline," and "Autonomous." Website: techsploitation.com

Damon Beres, senior editor focused on technology, The Atlantic

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The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared skeptical of race-conscious admission policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard University throughout five hours of oral arguments on Monday. If the Court decides against the universities, it could issue a ruling broad enough to overturn decades of precedent permitting the limited use of race in college admissions and even, according to Vox Supreme Court correspondent Ian Millhiser, “prohibit the government from considering race in virtually any context, including efforts to voluntarily integrate racially segregated grade schools and other institutions." We’ll talk about the cases and their potential outcomes and what they may mean for California.

Guests:

Michele Goodwin, Chancellor's professor, UC Irvine School of Law - Her books include "Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood"

Ian Millhiser, senior correspondent, Vox - His books include "Injustices: The Supreme Court's History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted" and "The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court is Reshaping America."

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George Saunders is widely considered one of the greatest fiction writers alive, attested to by all the prizes, the respect of other writers, and even book sales. He’s got his first book of short stories in a decade. It’s called Liberation Day, and it will surprise no one that it is a brilliant work filled with generosity, pain, and characters who can’t quite answer the door when honesty comes knocking. The book affirms that lurking in every office, off every highway, underneath the ground, there are humans, and so there are stories. Forum talks to George Saunders about his new book, the changing political climate for fiction, and the magic of short stories.

Guests:

George Saunders, writer, MacArthur "genius" and Booker Prize winner, "Liberation Day: Stories"

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No one knows you like your sibling. They are the keepers of family secrets. They know how to push your buttons. They are probably the longest-lasting relationship you’ll have in your life. Why is it that the outside world considers you a functioning adult, but your siblings still treat you like the family crybaby? What happens when parents pass and siblings drift apart? We look at sibling relationships and hear from you: what do you love most or find hardest about your sibling relationship?

Guests:

Aretha Hampton, licensed clinical social worker, sole proprietor of Roots Consultation Services in Berkeley.

Laurie Kramer, Professor, Applied Psychology, Northeastern University.

Catherine Carr, Host of the podcast "Relatively" which focuses on siblings and their dynamics.

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Terms such as artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning bring to mind computers processing loads of data into uses for the real world. But the authors of a recent essay published in the magazine Noema say the truth is much uglier, and often ignored. “Far from the sophisticated, sentient machines portrayed in media and pop culture, so-called AI systems are fueled by millions of underpaid workers around the world, performing repetitive tasks under precarious labor conditions,” they write in the essay, “The Exploited Labor Behind Artificial Intelligence.” One of the authors, Timnit Gebru, lost her job at Google for raising ethical concerns about AI, and now advocates for better practices and regulations to protect people. Another, Adrienne Williams, is a former Amazon delivery driver who organized in protest of unsafe conditions. They join us to discuss the hidden dangers and ethical questions surrounding AI.

Guests:

Adrienne Williams, a former Amazon delivery driver and organizer.

Timnit Gebru, computer scientist and artificial intelligence researcher.

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Michael Gillespie is a cancer survivor and cat lover who used to work for Nerds On Call in Illinois. Fabian Wosar is a high school dropout from Germany who became obsessed with computer viruses at age 11. Sarah White is a computer science prodigy who became a malware expert as a teenager. They’re all members of the Ransomware Hunting Team, an invitation-only group of elite coders who crack ransomware attacks across the globe. We learn more about these cybercrime fighters from Pro Publica reporters Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden, authors of the new book “TheRansomware Hunting Team.”

Guests:

Renee Dudley, technology reporter, Pro Publica - co-author, "The Ransomware Hunting Team: A Band of Misfits' Improbable Crusade to Save the World from Cybercrime."

Daniel Golden, senior editor and reporter, Pro Publica - co-author, "The Ransomware Hunting Team: A Band of Misfits' Improbable Crusade to Save the World from Cybercrime."

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What has the Democratic Party become under Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership, and how is it changing? How does the government actually function, as viewed from the inside? We’ll ask a man with a front-row seat: John Lawrence, who was Pelosi’s chief of staff during some of the tensest and most pivotal decisions in recent American history.

Guests:

John Lawrence, former chief of staff for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Author, "Arc of Power: Inside Nancy Pelosi's Speakership 2005-2010." Visiting Professor, University of California Washington Center.

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Plastic is designed to last. And last it does. Often composed of “forever chemicals” which take thousands of years to break down, it flakes throughout its life into microplastics — fragments, fibers and films less than 5 millimeters long. Microplastics are everywhere: they’re in our air, our water and our food, and they’re in our own bodies. And their effect on human health is still largely unknown, writes Wired science journalist Matt Simon in his new book “A Poison Like No Other.” Simon joins us to discuss the extent of the microplastic threat and what we can do.

Guests:

Matt Simon, science journalist, WIRED; author, “A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies”, "Plight of the Living Dead: What Real-Life Zombies Reveal About Our World—and Ourselves" and "The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar: Evolution's Unbelievable Solutions to Life's Biggest Problems."

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Crime in Oakland is up. The problem of homelessness seems intractable. And the A’s may or may not be leaving for Las Vegas. These are only some of the issues facing Oakland’s next mayor. Ten candidates are vying for the spot, and ranked choice voting will play a role in who comes out ahead. We’ll talk to reporters about who is running, the candidates’ positions, and we’ll hear from you: What do you want the next mayor to focus on?

Guests:

Darwin BondGraham, News editor, Oaklandside

Maria Fernanda Bernal, reporter, KQED

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