KQED's Forum

Sea levels are expected to rise by more than three feet before century’s end if meaningful action is not taken against climate change. The resulting flooding could impact more than 400 of California’s hazard sites, including power plants and toxic waste facilities— and expose hazardous pollutants to nearby residents. The neighbors of these sites are five times more likely to be people of color and low-income, prompting further environmental justice concerns. That’s all according to a recent statewide mapping project from UC Berkeley and UCLA environmental health professors. We’ll discuss the project’s findings and what can be done to address them.

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Comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia has been called “the king of the one-man show." His first solo piece “Sleepwalk with Me", all about his life as a stand-up comic, was a hit off-Broadway and spawned a book and feature film. And he made it all the way to Broadway with 2019’s award-winning “The New One” in which he riffed on his fear of fatherhood. In January he’ll bring his latest “The Old Man and the Pool” to Berkeley Rep. We’ll talk to Birbiglia about the show and why his confessional style, which he describes as “a hybrid of comedy and emotionality” seems to resonate with audiences.

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Virtual learning has led to a boom in school surveillance technologies that can monitor students’ online behavior and allow teachers to view students’ screens and search histories. Though many schools are back in person, surveillance tech appears here to stay, with 81% of teachers reporting using some form of it. Proponents say the technology curbs cheating, keeps students on task and helps identify instances of threats or abuse. But critics have concerns about privacy and data collection. They also have equity concerns: as this technology is more likely to be deployed on school devices, students without personal devices — especially low-income students of color — are more likely to be surveilled. We’ll talk about all of this and take your questions.

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Artist Judy Chicago made her name in the 1970s with her groundbreaking feminist piece, “The Dinner Party”. Chicago has said she didn’t know if she’d live long enough to escape the shadow of that iconic piece. Now, in the first retrospective of her work, the full range of the 82 year old artist’s career is on exhibit at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. The retrospective highlights “how forward thinking and daring Judy has always been in tackling uncomfortable subject matter that is now very much at the forefront of our current discourse,” curator Claudia Schmuckli said. Forum talks with Judy Chicago and Schmuckli about the evolution of her art and social consciousness.

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As 2021 winds down, we want to hear from you about your favorite discoveries of the year. Did you find new places to go, things to do, cooking techniques or hobbies that inspired and sustained you over the past year? Whether it’s finding an exciting new TikTok influencer or a hidden neighborhood stairway–share your 2021 passions with us.

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Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday that laboratory tests suggest that their coronavirus vaccine is effective against the Omicron variant after three doses, adding that just two doses “may not be sufficient to protect against infection”. We’ll get the latest on Covid research and treatment and take your coronavirus questions with Bob Wachter, chair of UCSF’s Department of Medicine.

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“To all the wild, mad girls.” That’s to whom Venita Blackburn dedicates “How to Wrestle a Girl,” her new short story collection set amid the urban landscapes of Southern California. The stories explore in part what Blackburn describes as the “physicality of girlhood” -- girls' changing bodies and desires, their athleticism and their fierce protection of each other in the face of external threats. We talk to Blackburn about the book and her own California girlhood that inspired it.

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In his new article for The Atlantic, “Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun,” staff writer Barton Gellman looks at efforts to subvert democracy and upcoming elections, warning that government officials will be making "a grievous mistake" if they don’t take these threats more seriously. Gellman calls the January 6 insurrection a “practice” for future, more effective, efforts by Trump and the GOP to overturn an election. Last month a European think tank added the U.S. to its list of "backsliding" democracies for the first time. Their report highlighted that “a historic turning point came in 2020-21 when former president Donald Trump questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election results in the United States.” We'll talk to Gellman about the state of U.S. democracy and what it could mean for the 2024 presidential election.

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Eighty-eight percent of California’s nail salon owners do not have enough customers to meet business expenses and rehire workers, and most salon workers are now taking home less than $400 per week. That’s according to a new study from the UCLA Labor Center and the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, outlining the “tremendous emotional and financial strain” of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nail salon industry. California’s nail salons, which employ roughly 100,000 licensed manicurists, are primarily small businesses staffed principally by women and Vietnamese immigrants and refugees. We’ll talk about the challenges salon workers and owners face in the state and the practices and policy solutions that could help them.

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Farmworkers in California work outside even during wildfires that fill the air with toxic smoke. California law requires employers to provide mask and safety guidance during those periods of dangerous air. But, an investigation by KQED and The California Newsroom found that state officials rarely enforce those rules putting roughly 4 million outdoor workers at risk. Despite those failures, Douglas Parker, the former head of California Division of Occupational Health and Safety responsible for enforcing the regulations, was recently appointed by President Joe Biden to lead the nation’s worker health and safety efforts. We talk about the investigation’s findings and whether California regulators are falling short in protecting workers.

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