KQED's Forum

Lowrider magazine, known for its coverage of ground-hugging vintage cars and the Mexican American community, issued its last print copy in December. First published in 1977 by three San Jose State University students, the magazine grew popular for highlighting not only Chicano car culture but social and political issues in Chicano communities as well. Lowrider still boasts a social media following of more than 4 million and its editor Joe Ray vows to continue chronicling lowrider culture online. We'll talk about the magazine's impact from the '70s to today.

San Francisco criminal defense attorney John Keker was recently named by the Daily Journal as one of the top 100 lawyers in California. Keker, who has four decades of experience with jury trials, is considered an unrelenting and passionate defender of the accused. His client list has included celebrities Lance Armstrong and George Lucas, investment banker Frank Quattrone and former Enron executive Andrew Fastow. He was also the lead trial attorney in the case against Lt. Col. Oliver North over the Iran-Contra scandal. As part of Forum's First Person series, which profiles Bay Area figures who make the region unique, we talk with Keker about his legal career and advocacy work with veterans.

The clock is ticking on California State Senator Scott Wiener’s ambitious and controversial housing bill, SB 50. The bill, which aims to spur housing construction by relaxing zoning requirements near transit and job centers in major cities, stalled out in the legislature last year. It now has until the end of January to pass or supporters will have to start over. On Tuesday, Wiener is expected to announce amendments that would provide local governments more flexibility in implementing the law. We’ll talk with KQED Reporter Dan Brekke about the proposed changes and the future of the bill.

Silicon Valley Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna said on Monday that should President Trump order further military action against Iran without approval from Congress, the president would violate the Constitution and commit another impeachable offense. Khanna joins us to talk about escalating tensions with Iran as well as President Trump's impeachment trial.

For almost 50 years, Jerry Brown was a fixture of California politics. The scion of a political family, Brown is the longest-serving governor in the state's history, a former mayor of Oakland and a former presidential candidate. KQED's Scott Shafer and Guy Marzorati sat down with Brown for an exclusive set of conversations about his political life. These were combined with archival recordings to create the new series "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown," which debuts on Jan. 8. We'll talk about Brown's insights on today's politics and the future of the Golden State.

The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that it will send an additional 3,000 troops to the Middle East. This news follows the Friday morning U.S. drone killing of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, Iraq, in response to which the supreme leader of Iran called for retaliation against the U.S. The U.S. State Department has urged American citizens to exit Iraq. Forum will provide the latest updates and discuss what may come next.

With the decadence of holiday festivities over, many New Year’s resolutions may revolve around health in 2020. For some, that can mean taking a dry January. Taking a break from alcohol for the first month of the year may facilitate weight loss and improve sleep, among other health benefits. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of going cold turkey on alcohol and offer tips on staying safe and sober when trying a dry January.

Early Friday morning, a drone strike authorized by President Trump killed top Iranian intelligence commander Qassem Soleimani in Bagdhad. Iran responded by vowing "harsh vengeance" on the U.S., which claims the strike was carried out in order to disrupt an "imminent attack" on Americans in the Middle East. As tensions between the two nations escalate, countries around the region appealed for calm. We'll talk about what might come next.

California's new data privacy law went into effect on January 1. California consumers now have the right to know how their data is used, the right to get their data deleted and the right to opt out of data sale. We'll explain how the new law will affect consumers and the response of companies that rely on data collection. We'll also talk about how consumers who often don't read the fine print can still take advantage of this groundbreaking legislation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been called "the most effective congressional leader of modern times" by the Atlantic. The San Francisco Democrat is also a frequent target of President Trump and his Republican Party allies, most recently for her decision to delay sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate. Her daughter Christine Pelosi joins Forum to talk about her new book, "The Nancy Pelosi Way: Advice on Success, Leadership, and Politics from America's Most Powerful Woman." We want to hear from you: what will be Nancy Pelosi's greatest legacy?