KQED's Forum

Alameda County spent more than $100 million last fiscal year to prevent housing displacement via shelters, permanent supportive housing and other solutions. Despite that investment, the number of homeless in the county increased by 43 percent, according to the latest point-in-time count. Oakland saw the largest increase, with numbers jumping 47 percent between 2017 and 2019. Forum takes a closer look at what's happening in Oakland, the stories behind these numbers and what's being done to address this ongoing crisis. This coverage of the housing affordability crisis in the Bay Area is in collaboration with the San Francisco Chronicle and other media outlets.

Twenty Democratic presidential hopefuls are set to meet in Detroit Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for the second round of primary debates. We'll review Tuesday's debate, which will feature half of the candidates, including progressive front runners Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders. We'll also talk about Silicon Valley's role in the upcoming election and the candidates' positions on big tech. And we want to hear from you: What was your biggest takeaway from the debate?

A recent UCSF study shows that nearly half of homeless seniors became homeless for the first time above the age of 50.  And that number is expected to grow. In collaboration with the San Francisco Chronicle and other media outlets, this week KQED focuses on the housing affordability crisis in the Bay Area. Forum will discuss the specific causes of elderly homelessness, the vulnerability of this population, and the solutions being proposed to decrease or end the displacement of Bay Area seniors.

Hitting a "rough patch" in a long-term relationship doesn't mean the end is near, nor inevitable. According to psychologist Daphne de Marneffe, "rough patches" can make a marriage stronger when partners work through it together. Her book, "The Rough Patch: Marriage and the Art of Living Together," explores how to improve communication, respect and empathy in a partnership. De Marneffe joins us in studio to share her relationship advice and workarounds.

The city of Gilroy continues to grieve the deadly shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival that injured 12 people and left four dead on Sunday, including two children and the gunman. Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee identified Santino William Legan, the grandson of former Santa Clara supervisor Tom Legan, as the alleged gunman. Gilroy police, with assistance from the FBI, are continuing to investigate the motives behind the deadly attack. Forum checks in with the latest news from Gilroy and discusses the efficacy of California's gun laws.

Traversing the San Francisco Bay in his kayak, Kirk Lombard, also known as the "Sea Forager," scavenges unusual seafood from our local shores, bays and estuaries. A commercial fisherman, a sea foraging tour guide, and a sustainability advocate, Lombard works to raise awareness about the importance of eating local and getting to know the lesser-known fish that the bay area has to offer. Kirk Lombard joins Forum to explain the art of sea foraging and illuminate some of the bay's more obscure delicacies.

While some may be familiar with the Exploratorium's distorted room or toilet water fountain, its upcoming installation “Middle Ground” analyzes perception in a whole new way. A free, public exhibition at Civic Center Plaza that opens August 13, “Middle Ground” analyzes the ways we interact with one another, questioning stereotypes, bias, teamwork and isolation. As the Exploratorium celebrates its 50th year, Executive Director Chris Flink joins us to share the installation's message and what to expect from its Pay It Forward Cafe, “Pulling Together” rope tug and other exhibits.

Everyone dies. BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger's new book "A Beginner's Guide to the End" aims to help us accept that fact, providing practical advice on preparing for our own deaths or the death of a loved one. Covering both complex emotions and bureaucratic end-of-life and funeral paperwork alike, the book aims to encourage more people to prepare for the inevitable and make their lives — and the lives of their loved ones — less complicated at the end.

As cannabis use becomes more common in social settings, is it time to set some ground rules? Lizzie Post, the great-great-granddaughter of etiquette maven Emily Post, thinks so. In her new book, "Higher Etiquette," Post clears up cannabis-related terminology, the proper ways to pass a joint, and how to host a dinner party where some do, and some don't, partake in an after-meal vape. And we want to hear from you: do you have any burning questions about common cannabis courtesy?

The popular food delivery app DoorDash announced this week it would no longer use customer tips to subsidize delivery workers' pay, after a Slate journalist brought the practice to light. But how can you know how much of your electronic tip is really going to the person who delivered your food? And what should you make of digital prompts to pay a gratuity, even for a shrink-wrapped pastry or a bottle of water? We'll talk about the complexities of tipping in the digital world, and we want to hear from you: when you're using an app or a store's tablet-based payment system, how much do you tip?