KQED's Forum

Senate lawmakers on Tuesday edged closer to a vote on a $2 trillion rescue package to address the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. The bill would provide direct payments to individuals and families, massive loans to both small and large businesses and expanded benefits for laid off workers. We'll talk about what's in the bill, and how it might affect Californians.

Empty shelves at grocery stores are fueling anxiety about food scarcity as people shelter in place to avoid spreading or contracting coronavirus. Despite this rising concern, growers and grocers are assuring citizens not to panic -- America won't run out of food. We look at how the food supply chain is holding up and what others are doing to provide more food for the people who need it.

An increasing number of Bay Area residents need assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. Some need food and other supplies, others require financial support to make rent and some could use help with the challenges of forced isolation. In this hour, Forum will discuss the ongoing efforts by Bay Area organizations and individuals who are providing needed services. And we'll talk about how to stay safe and avoid spreading COVID-19 when volunteering in person.

After Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to stay home on Thursday to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, even more of the state's workers may find themselves adjusting to remote work. We'll discuss how workers and employers can make the most of telework arrangements and how the workforce has changed in the stay-at-home era. We want to hear from you: If you're working from home, what's been your experience?

When will California’s schools reopen? And in the meantime, how can we ensure that our kids keep learning? Those are among the questions on the minds of parents, teachers, and students as they try and weather an unprecedented disruption of the state’s education system. We’ll get the latest on the coronavirus closures from California State Chief Deputy Superintendent Stephanie Gregson.

After failing to pass a nearly $2 trillion coronavirus aid package over the weekend, the U.S. Senate is scrambling again to strike a deal. Senate Democrats blocked a vote on Sunday, saying the package didn’t do enough to protect workers and was too generous to corporations. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lashed out at Democrats saying they squandered days of negotiations and threatened to undermine the economy even further. We’ll talk to Congresswoman Barbara Lee about where things stand on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.

San Jose individuals and businesses received more than 56 warnings last week, as law enforcement ensured everyone followed the stay-at-home order. After Governor Newsom announced a state-wide order to shelter, the city is now ramping up efforts to get the community to comply, including misdemeanor citations and business license sanctions for repeat offenders. We'll talk with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo about how the city is coping, his plans for tackling the shelter-in-place order and his new initiative "Silicon Valley Strong" to provide funding for those hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump continues to refer to the novel coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," despite officials and experts saying that the term is inaccurate and harmful to Asian communities. Meanwhile, the increased spread of coronavirus mirrors an increase in physical and verbal attacks on people of Asian descent, with researchers from San Francisco State University finding nearly 500 attacks reported in February in the United States. We discuss the impact of coronavirus-related xenophobia and how some Asian Americans are responding.

Gov. Newsom on Thursday issued a state-wide order for California residents to stay at home. He projected that 56 percent of the state's population could be infected by COVID-19 over an eight-week period if mitigation efforts were ignored. Meanwhile, health workers in some Bay Area hospitals are wiping down and reusing masks and other equipment that used to be discarded after each use: the new reality of health care in the coronavirus era. We'll get the latest on Gov. Newsom's order, and the shortage of personal protective gear.

The Bay Area shelter-in-place order is putting greater pressure on the elderly, a group of people who already suffer from higher levels of isolation and loneliness. As nursing homes go into lockdown, some people have resorted to checking on grandparents through windows. Meanwhile. Safeway and Whole Foods are offering special hours for elderly shoppers. We discuss the many challenges seniors face in dealing with the pandemic and the resources available to help.