KQED's Forum

The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis focused the nation’s attention, once again, on police brutality. Now, as cities across the country erupt in protest over Floyd’s killing, attention also turns to how police are handling those protests -- from reported police attacks on protesters and journalists to police taking a knee in solidarity with demonstrators. Forum checks in with KQED criminal justice reporters about how these issues have been playing out in California.

Dozens of Facebook employees joined a virtual walkout Monday to protest CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision not to remove an incendiary post by President Trump. Posting in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police, Trump wrote "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."  In a statement Friday, Zuckerberg said the post did not violate company policy. Meanwhile, Twitter attached a label to the same post, warning that it glorified violence. We'll talk about how the two social media companies are handling the president's rhetoric on their platforms.

The coronavirus pandemic is making some renters more vulnerable to losing their homes after nearly three months of shelter-in-place orders. Some tenants have kept up their payments thanks to government relief programs or even charging rent on their credit cards. At the same, apartment listing website Zumper reports that rents plummeted in May in some Bay Area cities such as San Francisco and Mountain View. We discuss how the pandemic is rattling the rental market.

San Jose, Los Angeles and other cities across the state imposed curfews on Sunday in response to  protests over the killing of George Floyd.  Tensions remain high between police and protesters after mostly peaceful demonstrations gave way to violence in several cities this weekend. Floyd, an African American, was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day. We’ll get the latest on the growing outrage against police brutality and how the protests are playing out in California.

The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police is sparking outrage and protests throughout the country even as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The recent deaths Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky had already reignited anger over the police killing of black Americans. Many Americans are left asking how do these types of incidents keep happening? In this hour, we talk about strategies for allyship and how the United States can tackle long standing racial challenges.

Forum reviews, analyzes and answers your questions about the latest in national political news.

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned everything upside down, including the way some couples interact while sheltering in place and being forced to spend more time together.  We’re seeing sides of our partners we haven’t seen before now, and we're finding new ways to communicate, compromise and negotiate some alone time. We'll explore the impact of the pandemic on our domestic lives and intimate relationships.

Since legislators agreed to give Gov. Gavin Newsom unrestricted access to $1.1 billion from the state’s budget back in mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic, some lawmakers have started to question the extent of Newsom’s authority. As the pandemic shows signs of slowing in California, the governor’s recent request for an additional $2.9 billion in emergency COVID-19 funds exempt from normal legislative oversight has led the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office to raise concerns about his use of power. Now, several GOP groups are suing Newsom’s executive order to mail every registered voter in the state a ballot ahead of the November election, claiming it to be an "illegal power grab". In this hour, we talk with experts about the constitutionality of Newsom’s authority during this crisis and how he’s using that authority.

There’s been an outpouring of anger, grief and demands for justice in Minneapolis after the death of 46-year old George Floyd who died Monday as a city police officer held his knee on the man’s neck for more than five minutes, leaving him to die on the street. Protesters broke into a police station in Minneapolis overnight and burned it, which the city's mayor has said was understandable. We’ll get the latest and your reactions.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, office rents in San Francisco and Oakland had reached all-time highs and developers couldn’t keep up with demand for space. Now, the trend toward working from home has forced many companies and workers to rethink where and how they work, which could have profound implications for the real estate market. A few businesses have already shelved expansion plans. Still, some experts argue that relying on Zoom meetings and remote work has its limitations and companies will again fill office towers and campuses once it’s deemed safe. In this hour of Forum, we dive into how the coronavirus pandemic could reshape the future of the office market and the future of work.