KQED's Forum

As Ann Patchett began plotting her newest novel "The Dutch House," she told herself that she wanted "to write a book about the kind of stepmother I don't want to be." The resulting work follows a family fractured by a mother's decision to abandon her young children and an emotionally distant stepmother who takes their beloved childhood home from them. We'll talk with Patchett about how she scrapped the book's original draft, and about the roles of family and childhood memory in her work.

On Oct. 17, 1989, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas fault, 10 miles from Santa Cruz, violently shook the Bay Area. The Loma Prieta earthquake killed 63 people, brought down a section of the Bay Bridge and caused about $6 billion in damage throughout the area. We look back at that day 30 years ago, and we want to hear from you. Where were you and how did you experience the Loma Prieta earthquake?

Twelve Democratic presidential candidates take the stage in Ohio Tuesday evening for a debate hosted by CNN and the New York Times. We'll review the candidates' performances and compare their positions.

California leaders want the state to build half a million new homes each year until 2025 — a rate of housing construction that has never happened before. Some legislators think we could help reach this goal by easing the path for single-family homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, often called “in-law” or “granny flats,” on their property. To that end, the state just approved a number of bills that allow construction of backyard units and garage conversions. We’ll hear about the bills, and find out why some residents are worried that the changes will negatively impact the character of single-family neighborhoods.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Sunday that pushes forward the start of the school day for many California students. After a three-year phase-in, the new law will require middle and high schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m., respectively. Proponents say the later times, and extra sleep, will lead to better attendance numbers and higher grades. But opponents, including many school boards and teachers, say the matter was better left to local control. Former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar proposal last year. We discuss the new rules, and consider what the latest research says about teenagers and sleep.

Each year, about 40,000 California workers file wage theft claims against their employers. That's according to researchers at UCLA's Labor Center, who also found that less than 20 percent of those who prevail manage to recover the money owed to them. A series of laws and reforms are aiming to combat wage theft in the state, including AB 51 — a newly signed bill that outlaws forced arbitration in wage theft and other workplace legal actions. We’ll consider what kinds of workers are most vulnerable to wage theft, and what can be done to prevent it.

In a recent letter to Mayor London Breed, PG&E declined San Francisco’s $2.5 billion offer to buy the company’s electrical infrastructure within city limits. PG&E’s largest union also opposes the offer. The city said it's not giving up. If the plan, supported unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, were to go through, San Francisco would own the third largest government electric utility in the state. Forum discusses the pros and cons of municipalizing the city's power grid.

Forum reviews, analyzes and answers your questions about the latest news from Washington, D.C.

With the headline "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades," New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey broke the story that rocked Hollywood in 2017 and has since rippled across industries. In their new book "She Said," the two veteran journalists provide a behind-the-scenes account of the investigation that won them a Pulitzer Prize and helped spur the burgeoning #MeToo movement. Two years after the scandal first broke, we'll talk to Kantor and Twohey about the book, current developments in the Weinstein case, and how their reporting has impacted how society talks about sexual harassment.

Inspector Gadje, a San Francisco-based Balkan brass band with members from around the world, plays dance parties that last into the early morning. A street band with social activist origins, Inspector Gadje transformed into its current form after band members studied intensively with masters of Romani music and fell in love with the genre. We'll hear from members of the band about their music and their mission to educate audiences about Romani culture.

Songs heard on air during this segment:

• Adrenalina

• Ismail's Taxim

• Gangam

• Cochek Amerika

The album is “Live at Kafana Balkan.”