KQED's Forum

Several Capitol police officers have been suspended, and at least a dozen are under investigation for possible complicity in the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol last week. The actions of the officers -- including one who posed for a selfie with insurrectionists and another who appeared to direct the mob around the building -- have exposed anew the force's troubled history of discrimination against Black officers, who've lodged hundreds civil rights lawsuits against the force in the last two decades. We'll talk about the role of racism in igniting, and sustaining, the insurrection. And we'll also get an update on how state and federal authorities are responding to threats of extremist violence ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration next week.

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Rancor and division were on full display Wednesday as the U.S. House of Representatives debated and then voted to impeach President Trump for inciting his supporters to storm the nation’s Capitol last week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has excluded the possibility of an impeachment trial before the inauguration. We get the latest on the historic impeachment and what happens next.

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A majority in the House impeached President Trump on Wednesday for inciting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol last week, while many Republican lawmakers continued to say they oppose impeachment in the name of "unity." And on Monday, President-elect Joe Biden's team announced that the theme for Inauguration Day will be "America United," echoing his campaign and post-election messaging calling for unity and healing. What does the idea of “unity” mean, though, amid such long-standing, deep divisions and continued threats of more insurrections? We’ll take a critical look at these calls for unity and hear from listeners about what you think is necessary, at this point, to unify the country.

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The day before last week’s assault on the U.S. Capitol by violent insurrectionists, an angry, pro-Trump, anti-mask crowd threatened violence at a Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting. West Coast states voted solidly for Joe Biden, but California, Oregon and Washington have plenty of extremist groups promoting anti government rhetoric and ideas. We'll examine the history and ideology of those groups and the role they played in last week’s deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

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House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday charging President Trump with "incitement of insurrection" for his role in last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol. The insurrection "was a direct attack on our democracy," wrote Congresswoman Katie Porter, who represents California's 45th district in Orange County and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and the House Oversight and Reform Committee. She amassed a national profile over the past year by directing tough questions to Trump administration officials and corporate executives in congressional hearings. We'll talk with Rep. Porter about the impeachment effort as well as her fight for equity in COVID-19 testing and vaccines.

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Support for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump grew among House Democrats Friday, following Wednesday's violent pro-Trump insurrection that left five people dead at the U.S. Capitol. We'll discuss the latest developments. 

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California announced plans last week to administer the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine to a million people in the course of only ten days. The decision came as the state continues to see a surge in cases, and as it faces criticism over a slow vaccine rollout for health care workers and nursing home residents. We'll get the details on the vaccination push.

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QAnon conspiracists, white nationalists, business professionals and Proud Boys militants. Those are some of the perpetrators of the deadly pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week that law enforcement officials have identified and begun to charge with federal crimes. We’ll talk about what we know about the insurrectionists, what they were planning and why some investigators say the violence could have been far worse. And we’ll look at some of the raid’s historical antecedents, and its racist roots.

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The siege of the U.S Capitol by Pro-Trump extremists on Wednesday has many grappling with questions of accountability and justice. Democratic leaders Thursday demanded that President Trump be removed from office. Several White House officials have resigned, but what will be the punishment for members of Congress who supported Trump’s attempt to steal the election? Lawmakers are also calling for congressional hearings on the failure of law enforcement to protect what should have been one of America’s most secure buildings. We’ll discuss the aftermath of Wednesday's violence and who should be held accountable. 

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More than one million California state unemployment claims--approximately 1 in 7-- were suspended this week in an attempt to avoid more fraudulent payouts. The California Employment Development Department has lost up to $4 billion on fraudulent claims since the pandemic started. We break down the latest problems besetting the state’s EDD, as a record number of Californians await much-needed financial relief.

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