KQED's Forum

“Privacy is a check on power,” writes Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation in her book, “Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance.” Since the San Francisco based non-profit began in 1990 to advocate for open access to a then fledgling internet, EFF has been at the center of battles over individual rights and privacy from corporations and government in an increasingly surveilled world. We talk to Cohn about the ever-shifting world of digital surveillance and why, despite its ubiquity, we don’t need to feel powerless.

Guests:

Cindy Cohn, executive director, Electronic Frontier Foundation; author, "Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance"

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With the spring travel season upon us, the cheapest airline tickets are becoming even more restrictive, as the nation’s top airlines chip away at what’s included in a “Basic Economy” fare. These tickets can severely limit travel perks like choosing your own seat, carrying-on a bag, or making changes to your flight. At the same time, rising fuel prices are making air travel more expensive and the government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security is creating major slowdowns at TSA checkpoints. How much is too much to ask of air travelers, and can we push back?

Guests:

Andrea Sachs, travel reporter, The Washington Post

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Women’s history often goes unwritten and unspoken. But KQED’s Rae Alexandra sets the record straight in her new book, ‘Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area.” From Delilah Beasley, a trailblazing columnist for the Oakland Tribune who inspired generations of black female journalists to Bertha Wright, a nurse, who in 1913 founded what we now know as Benioff Children’s Hospital, Alexandra uncovers hidden histories and stories that deserve to be told. We talk to Alexandra about the women who made the Bay.

Guests:

Rae Alexandra, author, "Unsung Heroines: 35 Women Who Changed the Bay Area; staff writer, KQED Arts & Culture

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Historian Ibram X. Kendi says that in order to understand the rise of authoritarianism, we need to understand great replacement theory. It’s the racist idea that “powerful elites are enabling peoples of color to steal the lives, livelihoods, cultures and electoral power and freedoms of white people,” Kendi writes in his new book, “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age.” We talk to the National Book Award-winning author about how politicians are using great replacement theory to justify authoritarian power and how it has moved from the fringes to the mainstream.

Guests:

Ibram X. Kendi, professor of history, Howard University; author, "Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age," "How to Be an Antiracist," "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America"

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Despite a spike during the pandemic, violent crime in the Bay Area and the United States has been on the decline for most of the last 30 years. Now, data from last year shows the nation’s homicide rate is at its lowest level since reliable record-keeping began in the late 1950s. But what’s not so clear is just why crime has dropped so sharply. We’ll explore the possible reasons for what some are calling the Great Crime Decline and what steps might help continue the trend.

Guests:

Alex Piquero, professor and chair, Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Miami. Former Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics under President Biden

Magnus Lofstrom, senior fellow and policy director of criminal justice, Public Policy Institute of California

Jeff Asher, crime data analyst; co-founder, AH Datalytics

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Reform California, the conservative group behind a proposal to require voters to show identification at the polls, say they’ve gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot. Supporters of the initiative, which would require a government-issued photo ID each time a voter casts a ballot in person or by mail, say it’s necessary to combat fraud. But critics say voter fraud is close to nonexistent and that the ID requirement could disenfranchise some state residents. We talk about the impact of voter ID laws on elections and voter behavior.

Guests:

Christian Grose, professor of political science and public policy; director, Democracy and Elections Lab at USC

Lindsey Holden, California politics reporter, Politico

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It’s about to get very hot. A prolonged heat wave is hitting Western states with Bay Area temperatures expected to get 20 to 30 degrees above average, likely shattering temperature records for March. And that’s after what has already been the warmest winter on record for most of the West. We’ll talk with climate scientist Daniel Swain about this unusual ‘heat dome’ and what it could mean for our already meager snowpack, the coming wildfire season and our water supply.

Guests:

Daniel Swain, climate scientist, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR)

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The 98th Academy Awards will honor casting directors for the first time in the ceremony’s history. It’s the first new category in 25 years. We’ll speak with casting directors on the Academy Board of Governors about the joys and challenges of their work — and what it actually entails — before the inaugural “Achievement in Casting” Oscar is handed out on Sunday.

Guests:

Davia Nelson, radio producer, "The Kitchen Sisters Present"

Debra Zane, casting director; governor on the Academy Board for the casting branch

John Waters is set to receive San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ film festival Frameline’s eponymous award for his lifelong contributions to queer cinema.  We’ll talk with Waters about what makes a great queer film, and the power of movies to challenge the status quo.

Guests:

John Waters, legendary director of works including "Hairspray" (1988), "Pink Flamingos" (1972) and "Polyester" (1981)

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There was a period of time about  five years ago that came to be known as the Great Resignation, when workers quit their jobs en masse. The pandemic forced many people to reconsider different aspects of life, especially work. Many workers took that time as an opportunity to reinvent themselves or chase a dream they had long neglected. So, what happened to those who took a big risk? We’ll talk with people who made major career pivots after 2020 about how it’s played out and discuss whether workers still have the freedom to pursue their dreams in this economy.

Guests:

Simone Stolzoff, independent journalist, designer and consultant; author, "The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work" and upcoming "How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers"

Azikiwee Anderson, founder and owner, Rize Up bakery

Aki Ito, chief correspondent, Business Insider

Alex Kniess, lead guide and owner, Wilder Walks - a company that organizes backpacking trips in the wilderness

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The World Cup may be three months away, but it’s already making news. Iran, which was scheduled to play its first match in Los Angeles, announced Wednesday that it will not participate in the tournament — the first time that’s happened since 1950. And the Iran news is likely just the first geopolitical shakeup of the 2026 World Cup. With the United States, Mexico and Canada sharing hosting duties, the games could become a flashpoint for tariffs, visas and more. “Men in Blazers” host Roger Bennett previews what’s to come.

Guests:

Roger Bennett, author, "We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event"; co-host, "Men in Blazers" podcast

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