KQED's Forum

Are we alone? Really, though, in a cosmic sense. 40 years ago the pioneering radio astronomer Jill Tarter co-founded a Bay Area non profit to support humanity searching for life beyond ourselves. We celebrate the SETI – as in, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence – Institute’s anniversary and all their contributions to science which, sadly, do not yet include finding aliens. What do you hope SETI finds in its next 40 years?

Guests:

Bill Diamond, president and CEO, SETI Institute

Wael Farah, radio astronomer and project scientist on The Allen Telescope Array, SETI Institute

Nathalie Cabrol, astrobiologist and planetary geologist; director of Science, the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute

Simon Steel, astronomer, director of Education and Public Outreach, SETI Institute

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We’ll listen back to Mina Kim’s live, on-stage conversation last month at KQED Fest with actor, producer, rapper Daveed Diggs. Diggs won a Tony for his roles in the original “Hamilton” and is known for the TV show “Snowpiercer” and the Oakland-set movie and series “Blindspotting.” We talk about his career, about the “unspoken contract” a live performer makes with an audience and about executive producing a new documentary about Bay Area high schoolers during covid — “The Class.”

Guests:

Daveed Diggs, actor, rapper, writer. executive producer, Blindspotting, co-wrote, co-produced, and costarred in the 2018 film Blindspotting

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Art is a mode of expression, a vehicle for processing thoughts and feelings, and a way to connect. Regardless of your political leanings, it’s fair to say we just went through a tumultuous election. These times of uncertainty often prompt us to look for art, create art, or reflect on how it can bring us beauty, reflection and meaning. So, we’ll talk to Bay Area artists about what is on their minds and how to access creativity.

Guests:

Tsutomu "Tom" Shimura, Lyrics Born, rapper, producer and song-writer; author of the e-book “Yes, Bay Area”, a collection of his tweets.

Callan Porter-Romero, artist based in Oakland; One of her paintings is now on exhibit at The de Young Open. She was also included in the 2020 Exhibition.

Matthew Zapruder, poet and author of "I Love Hearing Your Dreams: Poems"; He teaches in the MFA and English Department at Saint Mary’s College of California.

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President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he will nominate Matt Gaetz as U.S. Attorney General. The polarizing MAGA congressman from Florida engineered the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and is the subject of an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation for sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. We talk about the implications of Gaetz’s nomination and what the Department of Justice could look like under a second Trump term.

Guests:

Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare; senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute

Claudia Grisales, congressional correspondent, NPR

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Across the Bay Area, voters signaled a move away from progressive politics. A progressive mayor and DA were recalled in Oakland. A Levi’s heir was elected as San Francisco’s new mayor. The Bay Area rejected efforts to expand rent control and supported increasing criminal penalties for theft and certain drug crimes. What kind of platform do left wing political leaders need to appeal to this Bay Area electorate? We talk to political leaders about where progressives go from here.

Guests:

Jesse Arreguin, mayor, City of Berkeley; president, Association of Bay Area Governments; candidate, California State Senate District 7

Betty Duong, supervisor-elect, Santa Clara County, Board of Supervisors, District 2

Connie Chan, supervisor, District 1, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Edward Wright, director-elect, BART Board representing district 9. Wright is a former president of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club

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Many factors contributed to Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in the 2024 election. But for those hoping that Americans would elect the country’s first woman president — especially when picking between a Black and Asian woman and an adjudicated rapist — her defeat stung deeply. At the same time, 45% of female voters – and a majority of white women voters – cast their ballots for president-elect Donald Trump. We’ll talk about the roles racism and sexism could have played in this election, and whether the U.S. could have a female president in our lifetimes.

Guests:

Caroline Heldman, political scientist and professor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, political scientist and professor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

Anna Sampaio, Professor of Ethnic Studies and Political Science, Santa Clara University

Chaya Crowder, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Loyola Marymount University - author of the forthcoming book, “Intersectional Solidarity: Black Women and the Politics of Group Consciousness”

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More than 60% of Oakland voters chose to recall mayor Sheng Thao last week, making her the first mayor to be recalled in the city’s history. Soon after the election is certified in December, Oakland will have four months to throw a special election for a new mayor. We’ll talk about what’s next for the city in the meantime. And we’ll check in with Oaklanders invested in the people, culture and functioning of the city about their hopes for the future of Oakland and what they’ll most be looking for from a new mayor. We want to hear from our Oakland listeners. Now that the old order has been tossed out, what do you want from a new one?

Guests:

Alex Hall, enterprise and accountability reporter, KQED

Liam O'Donoghue, host and producer, East Bay Yesterday

Nigel Jones, restaurateur, Calabash - an Afro-Caribbean and Jamaican restaurant, market and bar. Owned Kingston 11, which has now closed.

Noni Session, executive director and co-founder, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative

Dorothy Lazard, author, What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World - Former Head Librarian of the Oakland History Center

Allison Brooks, executive director, Bay Area Regional Collaborative

Janet Heller, executive director, Chapter 510

Angela Glover Blackwell, founder in residence, PolicyLink, an Oakland- based non-profit dedicated to advancing economic and social equity.

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“The time to fight, with all our ingenuity and tenacity, and love and fury, is now.” That sounds like a rallying cry for democrats after their profound election defeat last week. But it’s in fact an environmental call to action from Katherine Rundell, whose new book “Vanishing Treasures” celebrates some of the earth’s most imperiled and unusual creatures. We’ll talk to Rundell about wombats that carry their young in upside-down pouches and excrete cube-shaped poop; the American wood frog that freezes itself solid to get through winter; the golden mole that’s evolved to be iridescent. What extraordinary creatures would you like to pay tribute to?

Guests:

Katherine Rundell, author, "Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures", Her previous books include "Impossible Creatures" and "Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Aren't So Old and Wise"

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Transgender kids and their families have become a frequent target of president-elect Donald Trump and other conservative politicians. While the Bay Area and California have some of the strongest protections for trans people, federal policies could pose major challenges here. We’ll talk about the future of trans rights, whether access to gender-affirming care will remain possible, and what could happen during a second Trump administration.

Guests:

Honey Mahogany, Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives, City of San Francisco - former chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and cofounder of the Transgender District in the Tenderloin

Tom Temprano, managing director of external affairs, Equality California, an LGBTQ+ rights advocacy organization

Kate Redburn, academic fellow, lecturer and co-director, The Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, Columbia Law School

Nadine Pourier Blumenshine, vice president, PFLAG Fresno, a nonprofit organization of LGBTQ+ people, parents, families, and allies focused on creating an equitable and inclusive world

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Donald Trump had a rocky relationship with Silicon Valley during his 2016 presidential campaign, and he clashed with Big Tech during his first term. This time around, he had the support of some high profile tech leaders, including Elon Musk. Dramatic changes have also come to Silicon Valley, which has been shaken up by the emergence of artificial intelligence. While there is growing concern over AI’s potential impact on society, Trump is expected to take a hands-off approach to regulation. The same might be true with antitrust enforcement against tech companies, which the Biden administration has prioritized. We’ll look at how Trump’s second term is likely to impact the tech industry from AI to social media to cryptocurrency.

Guests:

Elizabeth Dwoskin, Silicon Valley correspondent, The Washington Post

Kelsey Piper, senior writer, Vox's Future Perfect newsletter

Jeremy Owens, technology editor and San Francisco bureau chief, MarketWatch

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