KQED's Forum

Set up a P.O. box. Learn your insurance policy. Know it’s OK to mourn the material objects you lost, or to refuse donations you don’t need. These are just some of the many pieces of advice survivors of past California wildfires have for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. We’ll talk to people who’ve lost their homes to fires in Paradise, wine country and the Sierra Foothills about managing the practicalities as well as the emotions. And we’ll hear from you: If you’ve survived a wildfire, what advice might you give?

Guests:

Jennifer Gray Thompson, CEO, After the Fire - A nonprofit that helps communities rebuild after wildfires.

Melissa Schuster, owner, Burnt Barn Distilling Co, in Paradise - former Paradise town council member

Lizz Porter, NorCal small business owner who lives in Colfax; Lost her home during the River Fire in Placer County. She wrote the recent Chronicle op-ed, "I lost everything in a California wildfire. Here’s what people in L.A. need to know now"

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The first Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners have been released and Gazan exiles have begun returning to their war-ravaged communities after the Israel and Hamas ceasefire deal went into effect Sunday. After 15 months of brutal war, the ceasefire has brought much relief but also uncertainty about whether it will last and under what terms. We talk about what the ceasefire agreement means and what could happen next.

Guests:

Omar Dajani, professor of law, University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law; board member, A Land For All; former senior legal advisor, Palestine Liberation Organization's Negotiations Support Unit

Jacqueline Mates-Muchin, senior rabbi, Temple Sinai, Oakland

Janine Zacharia, lecturer, Stanford University; former Jerusalem Bureau Chief and Middle East correspondent, Washington Post

Andrew Roth, global affairs correspondent, The Guardian

Sam Hindi, former mayor of Foster City, member of the Palestinian American Coalition-San Francisco

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Donald Trump takes the presidential oath of office on Monday, ushering in a second term that he says will push hardline policies on immigration and trade, deregulate industry and slash climate protections. We get your reactions to his inaugural address and what you think the coming days and weeks will bring. How are you preparing for a second Trump term?

Guests:

Claudia Grisales, national correspondent, NPR

Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent, Vox

Franklin Foer, staff writer, The Atlantic; His books include "The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future."

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We look back on the life and career of legendary Los Angeles director David Lynch. Known for “Blue Velvet,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Twin Peaks,” Lynch used dream-logic narratives to interrogate the American dream itself and to capture the dark beauty of Los Angeles, the city he dearly loved. He was also sunny in outlook, famously advising “keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” Lynch’s family announced his death on Thursday. He was 78. What is your favorite work by David Lynch? What did he mean to you?

Guests:

Rebecca Alter, staff writer who covers comedy and pop culture, Vulture

Alexandre Philippe , filmmaker and director of the documentary “Lynch/Oz”

Jackson Kim Murphy, associate news editor, Variety

Ian Nathan, film writer and author, “David Lynch: A Retrospective”

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On Monday we will, once again, inaugurate Donald Trump as president and, once again, it will come as the country is bitterly divided and often deeply confounded by people with opposing political views. We at Forum thought this would be a perfect time to listen back to our interview with john a. powell. He’s director of UC Berkeley’s Othering and Belonging Institute and his work focuses on communicating, and understanding each other’s humanity, across divides. We talked to him about his institute’s work and his new book “The Power of Bridging.”

Guests:

john a. powell, director, UC Berkeley's Othering and Belonging Institute; professor of Law, African American and Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley

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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.

http://picoiyerjourneys.com

Guests:

Pico Iyer, journalist and author, "Aflame"; He is the author of 15 books, including "Video Night in Kathmandu" and "The Art of Stillness" and has been a contributor for more than thirty years to Time, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, the Los Angeles Times.

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In the nearly seven years since the Supreme Court legalized sports betting, it has exploded as an industry. Last year, 67.8 million Americans put down bets worth a total of $23 billion on the Super Bowl alone. And where once official leagues like Major League Baseball decried betting as an “evil” that would damage the sport, now gambling on games and players’ performances is being embraced as wholesome entertainment. As fans put down bets ahead of the national college football championship this Monday, we’ll talk to sports betting experts about how gambling has impacted sports, the players, and the people who bet on them.

Guests:

Ryan Rodenberg, professor, Florida State University

Danny Funt, journalist, Funt has written for the Washington Post about sports betting. His forthcoming book on sports betting is titled, "Everybody Loses"

David Purdum, writer, ESPN, Purdum covers the sports betting industry

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Democrat Ron Wyden has represented Oregon in the U.S. Senate for three decades, championing legislation on the environment, health care and tax reform. We’ll talk to him about how he plans to operate within a Republican-controlled chamber, why he thinks Democrats can still mount an effective resistance to extreme MAGA-ism and why effecting change depends on playing the long game. Wyden’s new book is “It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change.”

Guests:

Ron Wyden, U.S. senator, D-Ore; author, "It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change"

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Americans are getting more and more of our calories from ultra-processed foods. One study found that more than half of our diets consist of foods that contain ingredients with no nutritional value including sports drinks, wheat bread, flavored yogurt, and frozen pizza. Studies have shown ultra-processed foods can lead to poor health outcomes from obesity and cancer to anxiety. But the products that shoppers should steer clear of can be hard to detect. They are often marketed as healthy options and some health experts say they are not all bad. We dig into the rise of ultra-processed foods, what they might mean for our health and how to spot them on grocery shelves.

Guests:

Alice Callahan, nutrition reporter, The New York Times

Dr. Uma Naidoo, psychiatrist, chef, and nutritionist; She is the author of "This Is Your Brain on Food" and "Calm Your Mind with Food."

Laurel Bristow, host of Health Wanted, WABE Public Radio in Atlanta and NPR; She is also associate director of audience development for the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

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It’s that time of year when many of us dust off our running shoes, sign up for a gym membership and vow to develop a fitness routine we can stick with. Whether you’re just getting started or aiming to set a new personal record, we talk to two experts who share their advice and answer your questions. What are your New Year’s fitness resolutions?

Guests:

Juliet Starrett, certified nutrition coach and CEO and co-founder, The Ready State; author, "BUILT TO MOVE: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully"

Kelly Starrett, doctor of physical therapy; co-founder, The Ready State; author, "BUILT TO MOVE: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully." His other bestselling books include “The Supple Leopard” and “Becoming a Supple Leopard."

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