KQED's Forum

For 45 years, the Bay Area’s vocal ensemble Kitka has entranced audiences with their complex harmonies, breathtaking vocal techniques and vast repertoire of traditional songs from Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The 10 members of Kitka join us in studio to share songs from their Wintersongs concerts, featuring music from the country of Georgia.

Guests:

Shira Cion, Executive Director, Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble - members of the ensemble: Kelly Atkins, Kristine Barrett, Stacey Barnett, Charlotte Finegold, Erin Lashnits Herman, Janet Kutulas, Maclovia Quintana, Katya Schoenberg, Talia Young-Skeen

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After president-elect Donald Trump announced his plans to nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, Senate confirmation seemed unlikely. Other than serving in the military, Hegseth lacked experience — and reporting emerged alleging sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement and alcohol abuse. But Trump is galvanizing his base to protect Hegseth’s nomination. We’ll talk about the likelihood of Hegseth’s confirmation and what the department could look like under Hegseth.

Guests:

Tom Nichols, staff writer, The Atlantic; professor emeritus of national-security affairs, U.S. Naval War College; author, “Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy”

Joe Gould, defense reporter, Politico

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Why are humans so bad at predicting the future? What exactly is college for? And does expensive wine really taste better? Those are among the many questions tackled by journalist Stephen Dubner and economist Steven Levitt over the years, since their bestselling book Freakonomics came out in 2005. We’ll talk with Dubner about the duo’s book and podcast empire which aims to reveal “the hidden side of everything” and about whether the field of behavioral economics has lived up to its promise. And we’ll dive into Freakonomics Radio’s recent series on the legal marijuana industry, and why it’s such a mess.

Guests:

Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics Radio host and best-selling author

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Learning to play piano, saxophone or cello can be intimidating at any age, but adult learners face special challenges such as the time and financial commitment and possibly a fear of not being good enough. We talk about the joy and satisfaction learning an instrument can bring. Whether you’re picking up your old violin or sitting down at the piano for the first time, tell us, what makes you want to play?

Guests:

Mia Mercado, author, books include “Weird But Normal,” and “She’s Nice Though”

Amanda Schlegel, assistant professor of music education, University of South Carolina

Sarah Hotchkiss, senior associate editor, KQED Arts & Culture

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This past year, the Bay Area’s local music scene continued to cultivate artists as eclectic as our region. KQED Art’s list of the best Bay Area albums from 2024 included La Doña, LaRussell, Sam Reider and the Human Hands, and Naked Roommate. Spotify’s list of the top U.S. songs for this year included “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey and “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan. We’ll listen to some of the best music of 2024 from the Bay Area and beyond and hear your picks for best song or album. What did you play on repeat in 2024?

Guests:

Nastia Voynovskaya, editor and reporter, KQED Arts

Suzy Exposito, freelance music journalist

Pendarvis "Pen" Harshaw, columnist, KQED Arts

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Some California residents could soon be eligible for an e-bike voucher worth up to $2000. State officials say the program will cut pollution and help meet climate goals, while promoting transportation equity for low income Californians. E-bike popularity has soared, with U.S. sales rising from around 250,000 per year to more than a million between 2018 and 2022. But an increase in e-bike accidents has raised concerns about the boom in new riders. We’ll discuss the state’s program, get tips on safe riding and talk about what to consider if you’re shopping for a new e-bike.

Guests:

John Maa, trauma surgeon, MarinHealth Medical Center; former president of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society; Website URL: https://sfkidsvsbigtobacco.com

Kendra Ramsey, executive director, California Bicycle Coalition

Karen Wiener, co-owner, The New Wheel; An e-bike shop in San Francisco, Oakland, and Marin

Jesse Villegas, Fresno resident, He bought an e-bike as part of the soft launch of the state's e-bike incentive program.

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If buying presents is your kryptonite, the plethora of gift guides that have likely hit your inbox may be the answer. This season, it seems like every media outlet, store, or Substack newsletter has a gift guide curated for every kind of interest. We talk to experts about gifts for the people in your life: The foodie, the gardener, the kids, the colleagues and the weird uncle. And we hear from you: What gifts are you giving and what’s on your holiday wish list?

Guests:

MacKenzie Chung Fegan, lead restaurant critic, The San Francisco Chronicle

Ellen Lee, writer, Wirecutter; Lee is part of Wirecutter's baby, kid, and health team; she is based in the Bay Area

Ronnie Sharpe, founder, Ronnie's Awesome List; a website that shares information about Bay Area events and happenings

Catherine Bailey, owner, Heath Ceramics

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Syrians continue to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the dictator whose decades-long rule was marked by terror and violence against his own people. But the situation on the ground is fluid and complex. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, one of the key rebel groups controlling Damascus, has former ties to Al-Qaeda and is currently labeled a terrorist group by the United States government. Its leader, Mohammed al-Bashir, was appointed Syria’s caretaker prime minister and said Tuesday he’ll run a transitional government until March. Meanwhile, Israel launched dozens of airstrikes Tuesday targeting Syrian military installations and weapons stockpiled by the Assad regime. We’ll talk about what’s next for Syria and the alliances that kept Assad in power and get reactions from Syrians in California.

Guests:

Ruth Michaelson , journalist based in Istanbul, The Guardian

Natasha Hall, senior fellow with the Middle East Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Sammy Hajomar, Los Angeles resident of Syrian descent

Marwan Chehadeh, San Diego resident of Syrian descent

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The murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO exposed widespread public anger over insurance claim denials and the overall state of medical care in the U.S. And it’s not just social media venting: a recent Gallup survey reveals that “Americans’ positive rating of the quality of healthcare in the U.S. is now at its lowest point” since 2001. We’ll talk with New York Times investigative health care reporter Sarah Kliff about why patients are fed up and what they can do to protect themselves and best navigate a broken system.

Guests:

Sarah Kliff, investigative healthcare reporter, The New York Times

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We look at Donald Trump’s plans to nominate former Hawaii congress member Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel as FBI chief. Nearly one hundred former national security officials have raised alarms about Gabbard’s sympathy for dictators like Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad, while Patel has said he wants to dismantle the FBI. We talk about the domestic and national security implications of the picks.

Guests:

Josh Meyer, domestic security correspondent, USA Today

Garrett Graff, journalist and historian

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