KQED's Forum

As fires rage throughout the state and the cost of living skyrockets, many wonder if California is becoming unlivable. One in seven homes in the state are at high risk for wildfire, 130,000 Californians are homeless and housing prices continue to rise. We'll discuss the future of California in the face of unmitigated climate change and income inequality, as well as the feasibility of proposed solutions such as improving public transit and building housing.

As California experiences repeated "public safety power shutoffs" this wildfire season, some Californians are making plans to power their homes and businesses without relying on the grid. The recent fires and blackouts have put a renewed focus on the reliability and safety of existing electrical infrastructure, as well as the unexpected costs and risks of relying on a grid that may be powered off during a disaster. This hour, Forum looks at getting off the grid and alternative energy options to power homes and small communities.

"'Great news!' Barr exclaimed, 'We’re home free! It’s a wash! The Report’s a big nothing that’s easy to quash!'” So begins a stanza of one of award-winning actor John Lithgow's 33 poems satirizing the critical moments and characters of the Trump era. Lithgow, known for his starring role in the sitcom "3rd Rock from the Sun" and his wide-ranging stage and film performances, dives into political satire with his rhyming book "Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse." We'll talk to Lithgow about the book and his experience playing Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in the upcoming film "Bombshell."

In the aftermath of the deadly 2017 Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County, local Latino leaders called out what they saw as rampant disparities in how low-income and immigrant communities experienced and recovered from the fires. Their findings, which included failures in emergency communication, price gouging and lack of access to aid, mirror what experts say is a national trend when natural disasters strike. We'll discuss the impact of the recent fires, evacuations and power shutoffs on the least privileged.

Tuesday marked yet another wave of PG&E's 'public safety' power shutoffs since the Kincade Fire broke out last week. It is expected to affect more than 596,000 customers in 29 counties across the state. From food rotting without refrigeration to businesses forced to close temporarily, experts estimate the economic cost of this week's blackouts could end up being anywhere from $65 million to $2.5 billion. We'll talk with economists about how the shutoffs are impacting the state's economy.

From statewide wildfires to PG&E power shutoffs, this October marks the first real crisis of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first year in office. It’s a situation former Gov. Gray Davis remembers too well -- California experienced rolling blackouts for months when he was governor. Forum will talk with Davis about the fires and get his analysis of Newsom’s response so far.

Firefighters scrambled on Tuesday to contain the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County before gusts of high winds, that were forecast to reach their peak Tuesday night, further fanned the flames. Forum checks in on the fire, evacuations and continuing power outages throughout Northern California.

As the Kincade Fire continues to blaze, residents of Northern California and first responders may find themselves not only physically affected by the poor air quality or being displaced, but emotionally impacted as well. Forum will talk to health experts about these physical health effects and the toll wildfires take on mental health -- from the stress of evacuations, to the devastation of losing a home, to the strain on firefighters.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday a "major investigation" into how PG&E and other utilities have used preemptive power shutoffs. PG&E shut off power to 960,000 homes and businesses over the weekend and an additional 100,000 customers unexpectedly lost power due to damage from the wind storm. The utility says it expects another wave of shutoffs to start on Tuesday, even as it restores some power to customers on Monday.

By Tuesday morning, the Kincade Fire tore through more than 75,000 acres in Sonoma County and prompted an estimated 185,000 evacuations. At least 124 structures have been destroyed. We'll get the latest on fire conditions and containment efforts.