KQED's Forum

Since taking office, President Trump has issued executive orders rolling back trans Americans’ rights in schools, prisons and the military. The administration is also attempting to pull critical federal funding for transgender health programs and research. Many of these actions are being challenged in court, but they’re still impacting trans Americans’ day-to-day lives — even in California. We’ll talk about the national and statewide landscape for trans rights in Trump’s America.

Guests:

Jo Yurcaba, reporter, NBC Out, the LGBTQ section of NBC News

Jim Mangia, president and CEO, St. John's Community Health in Los Angeles

Dannie Ceseña, director, California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network

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Picking up stakes and moving somewhere new was once so common in America that cities had a designated “Moving Day” when thousands of tenants would move house on the same day. Often whole blocks of residents would change addresses, with moving boxes and bags littering the streets. But in the last 50 years, more Americans have stayed in place. Not by choice, but by a lack of social mobility, according to Atlantic writer Yoni Appelbaum. Regions with opportunities lack affordable housing. Cities with abundant cheap housing lack opportunities. In his new book, “Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity,” Appelbaum contends that it is progressive policies that have stood in the way of progress. We talk to Appelbaum.

Guests:

Yoni Appelbaum, deputy executive editor, The Atlantic; he is the author of "Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American"

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After his California home burned in a wildfire, acclaimed author and travel writer Pico Iyer retreated to a remote monastery in Big Sur. There, he discovered the power of solitude and stillness to help process loss and cope with uncertainty. In his new book, “Aflame,” Iyer writes about his frequent visits to the monastery over the following three decades, always finding joy and renewal in the “silence and emptiness and light”… and lack of screens. We’ll talk with Iyer about the book, and why his inner journeys mean more to him than his far-flung trips across the globe.

Guests:

Pico Iyer, journalist and author, "Aflame"

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A century ago, the United States designated its first wilderness area – a place to be forever preserved and protected from human impact. But what does “wilderness” mean in the era of smartphone technology that keeps us constantly connected and human-fueled climate change? And who gets to enjoy these “untrammeled” spaces? These are the questions posed by environmental journalist Marissa Ortega-Welch in her podcast “How Wild.” We talk with Ortega-Welch, an environmental historian, and an outdoor educator about the complex history and future of our wildest landscapes. And we hear from you: What does wilderness mean for you?

Guests:

Marissa Ortega-Welch, science and environmental journalist, host of the podcast "How Wild"

Phoebe Young, professor of environmental history and chair of the history department, University of Colorado Boulder; author, "Camping Grounds: Public Nature in American Life from the Civil War to the Occupy Movement"

Aparna Rajagopal, founding partner, The Avarna Group

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We pull back the curtain on the San Francisco Opera with Music Director Eun Sun Kim and General Director Matthew Shilvock, who joined us live on stage on Feb. 4 to talk about the artistry and passion that make this Bay Area institution beloved. On this rebroadcast, Kim shares behind-the-scenes footage of her recent production of Lohengrin from documentary filmmaker Elena Park and discusses how she interprets timeless works alongside live performances by the Opera’s young resident artists, the Adler Fellows.

Guests:

Eun Sun Kim, music director, San Francisco Opera

Matthew Shilvock, general director, San Francisco Opera

Elena Park , documentary filmmaker and director, “Eun Sun Kim: A Journey Into Lohengrin”

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New Yorker writer Rachel Syme loves letters — their content, the paper they are written on, the envelopes that enclose them. For Syme, “A letter is a vessel that can gently cradle family drama that would otherwise explode at Thanksgiving dinner; it is the ideal medium for giving voice to what is difficult to say out loud, and for reconciliation, forgiveness, and clarity.” In her new book, “Syme’s Letter Writer,” she offers advice on how to develop a letter writing style, how to write about juicy gossip, and how to write your mother. We talk to Syme, and hear from you, what’s a letter you’ve written or received that changed your life?

Guest:

Rachel Syme, staff writer, The New Yorker; during the pandemic, she founded a pen pal exchange that attracted 10,000 members from over 75 different countries

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What is outrage, and what triggers it in us? When someone violates our moral sense, we might bristle with rage or thirst for retribution but UNC psychology professor Kurt Gray wants us to understand that the other side is also motivated by moral convictions, even if they don’t make sense to us right away. We talk to Gray about how understanding the psychology of moral conflicts can help us better manage them. His new book is “Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground.”

Guests:

Kurt Gray, social psychologist and professor of psychology and neuroscience, University of North Carolina; director, Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding

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In the midst of President Trump’s rapid fire, sweeping, and arguably illegal actions since inauguration day, resistance and protest against the president and his agenda has seemed quieter than at the beginning of his first term. But as the administration continues to take controversial actions on federal funding immigration, and transgender rights, resistance is ramping up in congress, the courts and on the streets. We’ll talk to Trump opponents about their strategies and what resistance could look like in this Trump term. And we want to hear from you, what is missing from the Democrat’s resistance strategy?

Guests:

Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director, The Indivisible Project; co-author, Indivisible Guide; former Congressional staffer

Rebecca Solnit, writer, newsletter called "Meditations in an Emergency" about politics, language and possibilities; historian; activist; author, more than twenty books that include "Orwell’s Roses"; "Recollections of My Nonexistence"; "Hope in the Dark"; and "Men Explain Things to Me."

Lateefah Simon, U.S. representative, California's 12th congressional district; former board director, Bay Area Rapid Transit; board trustee, California State University system; longtime friend and mentee of Kamala Harris

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Journalist Nicola Slawson has been single for more than a decade, and says there’s beautiful freedom in being unattached. But, too often, single people are made to feel that there’s something wrong with them. In her new book, “Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms,” Slawson says you don’t need to wait to fall in love for your life to start. As Valentine’s Day nears, we want to hear what you like – or miss – about being single.

Guests:

Nicola Slawson, freelance journalist; author, "Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms"; writer, "The Single Supplement," a newsletter for single women

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During his campaign for San Francisco mayor, Daniel Lurie promised to bring progress on tough issues that have dogged the city for years including homelessness and drug addiction. He also pledged to revitalize downtown and other areas that have yet to recover from the pandemic. But he’s come into office facing major challenges with a looming budget deficit and President Trump threatening to withhold federal funds over the city’s immigration policies. One month into office, we’ll check in on Mayor Lurie’s plans, hear what he’s excited about, and take your questions and suggestions.

Guests:

Daniel Lurie, mayor, San Francisco; founder and former CEO, Tipping Point Community, a foundation focused on fighting poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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