KQED's Forum

The United Nations World Food Programme warns the number of people facing starvation across the globe could nearly double to 265 million because of the coronavirus pandemic. In his new book, Hunger, author Martin Caparros calls the lack of access to food “the oldest problem” despite the fact that enough food is produced worldwide to feed everyone. The disconnect between available supplies and the people that need it is now exacerbated by a global health crisis. We examine the threat of growing food insecurity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Rick Bright, the ousted head of the federal agency in charge of vaccines testified before Congress Thursday. He told lawmakers that the “window is closing to address this pandemic” because the Trump Administration doesn’t have a comprehensive plan and has misled the public. Forum talks about the hearing and the rest of a very active week in the nation’s political news. We’ll also look at  Senator Richard Burr stepping down as chair of the intelligence committee following revelations he’s being investigated by the FBI for potential insider trading and democrats introducing a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.

Last week video surfaced of a young black man, 25-year old Ahmaud Arbery, being pursued, then shot and killed by two white men while jogging in a suburban neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. The video prompted the arrest of Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael on May 7 -- over two months after the Feb. 23 incident. With the killing of yet another innocent black person for "appearing suspicious,” director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center Ibram X. Kendi asked the question "Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?" in a piece for The Atlantic. Kendi joins us to discuss that question and the case of Ahmaud Arbery.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out a bleak financial scenario for the state on Thursday with projections of a $54 billion budget shortfall. Newsom plans to counteract steep declines in sales, corporate and income taxes by enacting spending cuts and digging into the state’s rainy day fund and other reserves. Still, his revised 2020 budget of $203 billion represents a 9 percent drop compared to what he proposed in January. Schools and healthcare will bear the hardest hits. Meanwhile, Newsom emphasized that help from the federal government could cancel out those painful cuts even though such assistance looks unlikely. We dive into how the coronavirus pandemic has distressed California’s finances and how the decreased spending will play out.

Has someone strayed too close to you at the grocery store? Have you questioned who has the right of way on a narrow sidewalk? Or seen groups of people hanging out without masks and thought to say something? Two months of stay-at-home orders have tested the patience of many people -- especially in regards to the behavior of others. Those frustrations are prompting a wave of shaming in person or on social media sites such as Nextdoor. We dive into the phenomenon of pandemic shaming and we want to hear from you: What public behavior is frustrating you during this time? What behaviors have been encouraging?

The deadliest and most destructive fire in California history struck the town of Paradise in Butte County in November of 2018.  In their new book "Fire in Paradise", journalists Alastair Gee and Dani Anguiano share the dramatic stories of Camp Fire victims and first responders.  They join us to talk about the people who lost their town, what Paradise looks like now,  and how the ordeal  has informed the community’s response to the current pandemic.

Republican Mike Garcia, a former pilot and businessman endorsed by President Trump, has defeated Democrat Christy Smith in Californias special election for the 25th congressional district, which includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The seat was left vacant by Democrat Katie Hill after a personal scandal last year  and Garcia will now serve out the rest of Hill's term. But Garcia and Smith will face off again in November.  We discuss the first California election of the coronavirus era, and its implications for the battles for Congress and the White House.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy, the 2020 class of college students will graduate into the most turbulent job market in modern history.  Some students lucky enough to have already landed a job are seeing the offers rescinded or delayed, others have lost precious internships that would have padded their resumes.  We talk with new graduates about their experiences looking for work in the middle of an economic meltdown, and we talk with experts about what jobs are still out there.

Cities across the country have been watching Oakland’s popular “Slow Streets” program, which aims to close about a tenth of the city’s streets to allow residents more room to get outdoors while keeping their distance during shelter in place.  But Oakland is also experiencing racial disparity in incidents of Covid-19 and the city’s large homeless population is especially vulnerable. Forum talks with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf about how the city is faring in the pandemic. And we’ll take your questions for the mayor.

With little direction from the federal government, commercial airlines have been tasked with implementing their own safety precautions during the coronavirus pandemic, creating chaos in the skies. For some travelers, flights are nearly empty,  with plenty of space to practice social distancing. But others have reported crowded planes, with some passengers not wearing masks. Flying is supposed to be limited to essential trips only, but the definition of essential is murky at best. We’ll talk about what it’s like to fly now, the state of the industry, and what the future holds for air travel.