KQED's live call-in program presents wide-ranging discussions of local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.
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Coming up on Forum:
Berkeley's Heyday Books is known for its eclectic catalog of well-crafted works that emphasize the history, culture and ecology of California. We talk with founder Malcolm Margolin as the independent publishing house celebrates its 40th anniversary. Margolin's own books include "The Ohlone Way: Indian Life in the San Francisco-Monterey Bay Area." Heyday recently published a book on Margolin, entitled "The Heyday of Malcolm Margolin: The Damn Good Times of a Fiercely Independent Publisher."
More than 58,000 newborns in India died last year from drug-resistant bacteria, according to The New York Times. The global spread of these bacteria, often called "superbugs," has alarmed experts for some years, especially in developing nations where health care spending is low and sanitation is lacking. We'll discuss the increase in superbugs and the possible overuse of antibiotics. What role can the U.S. play in helping the international community contain the problem?
Recently on Forum:
We meet John Vanderslice. The musician and record producer helped put out groundbreaking records from indie bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon and The Mountain Goats. His San Francisco recording studio Tiny Telephone focuses on analog production techniques, and aims to keep the cost of production affordable for up-and-coming bands.
Civil rights leaders are calling for a march on Washington in the wake of grand juries declining to indict police officers in the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. As protests continue in the Bay Area, we'll hear a variety of perspectives on the Garner decision and the ongoing tension over police use of force. We'll also discuss efforts to improve police departments' training and relationships with minority communities.
Nicholas McGegan has conducted the San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra for nearly 30 years, and he's made it his personal mission to make baroque music fun and appealing to everyone. He's known for sharing juicy tidbits about 18th-century composers and introducing audiences to obscure instruments, such as a violin bow made from Mongolian horse hair or flutes made of mammoth tusks. McGegan joins us for a crash course in Baroque musical masterpieces.
NPR State Department correspondent Michele Kelemen and Pentagon reporter Tom Bowman excel at the difficult tasks of digesting, dissecting and explaining complicated foreign policy and military issues for a wide audience. We talk with Kelemen and Bowman about their recent stories and the thrills and challenges of covering their beats.
In his new memoir, "Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light," Carlos Santana writes about struggling with poverty and sexual abuse as a child in Tijuana, Mexico and his teenage years in San Francisco. We'll talk to the guitar legend about his rise out of the 1960s music scene into international stardom, his spiritual beliefs and the many musicians and songs that have inspired him.
Citing health and safety concerns, San Jose officials plan to remove residents of a popular homeless camp on Thursday. The 75-acre camp, known as "The Jungle," houses about 300 people and is considered the largest homeless camp in the United States. Residents live in tents, shacks and treehouses amid piles of trash. San Jose is spending $4 million to subsidize housing for those removed from the camp, but critics say the subsidies are inadequate to cover rising rents.
Recent studies have found spending too many hours sitting can double the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The news is driving a lot of people out of their chairs and onto their feet at work. Sales for standing desks have grown by 50 percent over the past year. But is standing at a desk really better than sitting? We talk with ergonomic experts about sitting, standing and how to incorporate more movement into your day.
On Monday, the Supreme Court weighed arguments over whether or not online threats are protected speech. Anthony Elonis made threatening Facebook comments against his estranged wife but he claims that his postings were no more menacing than rap lyrics. When does an online rant become a threat? Should Facebook comments be taken as seriously as those made in person or those uttered over the phone?
Bay Area journalist and critic Jeff Chang chronicles the interaction of art, race and social change in the U.S. over the past half a century in his new book, "Who We Be." In earlier books, Chang wrote about hip-hop as an art and a significant piece of our history. This time Chang takes on the issue of race as a social divider.
At least 100 were killed and many more injured Friday in explosions at a mosque in the city of Kano, Nigeria. The attack came after a local emir called on Nigerians to take up arms against militant group Boko Haram, the main suspect in the attacks. And in Mexico, President Pena Nieto said he will overhaul the police force: a response to criticism surrounding the police handling of the disappearance of 43 students in September. We'll discuss these and more international headlines.