KQED's Forum

Adolescence has always been turbulent, but what happens when you mix in early puberty, digital information overload and a world that feels increasingly unsteady? Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Matt Richtel says we’re living through a radical shift in how we come of age. In his new book “How We Grow Up,” Richtel draws on neuroscience and conversations with youth and their families to explore what’s behind a rising adolescent mental health crisis — and why it’s not just about the phones. He joins us. Guests: Matt Richtel, health and science reporter, New York Times; author, "How We Grow Up: Understanding Adolescence" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first six months of his second term, President Trump has done a lot of what he said he would do, from proposing sweeping tariffs to gutting federal agencies and their workers to deporting thousands of immigrants. And Americans now await the effects of Republicans’ massive bill cutting taxes and expanding immigration enforcement while slashing popular programs. We check in on Trump’s ambitions and the ways Congress and the courts are expanding, or checking, his presidential power. Guests: Philip Bump, national columnist, Washington Post; author of "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America" Claudia Grisales, congressional correspondent, NPR David Graham, staff writer, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Water conservation is a constant challenge for Californians, but according to the New York Times’s Michael Kimmelman, there’s one city that’s doing it right: Los Angeles. Kimmelman found that L.A. has consumed less water in total since 1990 even as the city gained millions of residents. We talk with Kimmelman and California water officials about the strategies L.A. is using and what other states can learn from its example. Guests: Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic, New York Times Liz Crosson, chief sustainability, resiliency and innovation officer, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Mark Gold, board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; adjunct professor at UCLA’s Institute for the Environment and Sustainability; former director of Water Scarcity Solutions for the Natural Resources Defense Council Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To be a modern consumer is to experience poor customer service at some point in your life. The kind of service that has you in a fever dream of pressing “1” for “representative,” getting your call dropped, calling back again, and then asking to speak to a manager who can’t solve your problem. Experts call this kind of service “sludge,” an administrative morass meant to deter, not help, consumers. And for some businesses, it’s a feature not a bug. We’ll talk to journalist Chris Colin about the practice and hear from you: what’s your sludge story? Guests: Chris Colin, journalist, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No band may better reflect the multicultural, gender-expansive exuberance of the Bay Area dream than Sly and the Family Stone. A new documentary “Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” explores the life and context of Vallejo’s brilliant, charismatic and troubled bandleader. We talk with the film’s creators and participants about the gifts Sly gave the world and the tolls it took on him. Guests: Joel Selvin, San Francisco-based music journalist and author, his latest book is "Words and Demons" Joseph Patel, producer of the documentary Sly Lives; he also produced Summer of Soul, which won an academy award for best documentary feature Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist E. Jean Carroll has won two multimillion-dollar judgments against President Trump for sexual abuse and defamation. Her new memoir, “Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President,” is a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to sue a U.S. President: the toll it took, and how support and some dark humor helped carry her through. We talk to Carroll about her experiences and hear reflections from MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin about the significance of Carroll’s victory against a president who has otherwise avoided legal consequences for his actions. Guests: E. Jean Carroll, journalist; author of the long-running advice column "Ask E. Jean"; author, "Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President" Lisa Rubin, legal correspondent, MSNBC; host of MSNBC's "Can They Do That?" on Youtube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The flooding in Central Texas over the Fourth of July holiday has claimed more than 100 lives and caused widespread destruction across six counties. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with teams from across the country — including California — joining the response. We get on-the-ground updates, hear how rescue operations are going and as extreme weather events become more common, we look at whether this could happen in California. Guests: Hayley Smith, reporter focusing on extreme weather, Los Angeles Times Lucio E Vasquez, breaking news reporter, Texas Newsroom Greg Porter, senior newsroom meteorologist, San Francisco Chronicle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Library of Congress’s new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Bay Area children’s author Mac Barnett wants to reframe how we think about picture books. With his platform, “Behold the Picture Book,” he’s championing the vital role picture books play in engaging readers of all ages and why we love them. What’s the picture book you love reading over and over and over? Guests: Mac Barnett, author of the children's books "Circle," "Square" and "Triangle" which have been made into a new animated series "Shape Island" on AppleTV+; his books have won Caldecott honors and E.B. White Read Aloud Awards Aida Salazar, children's book author, her picture books include "Jovita Wore Pants" and "In the Spirit of a Dream" Laura G. Lee, children's book author and illustrator, her picture books are "Soy Sauce!" and "Cat Eyes" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump on Friday signed into law a massive tax and spending package: the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which delivers sweeping tax breaks for the wealthy while slashing social safety net programs. It cuts nearly $30 billion in Medicaid funding to California, defunds wildfire prevention and, according to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, puts hundreds of thousands of jobs in the state at risk. The legislation also directs at least $170 billion to immigration detention and border security. Meanwhile, deficit watchers worry about its fiscal impacts. We’ll break down what this bill means for healthcare, immigration, education and everyday Californians like you. Guests: Jessica Roy, personal finance columnist, San Francisco Chronicle David Lightman, chief congressional correspondent, McClatchy Andrea Castillo, staff writer covering immigration, LA Times Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caregiving is the most universal of human acts. But also one of the most invisible. While caring for a child, parent or loved one can be meaningful, and life defining, it can also be exhausting and life breaking. Drawing on her groundbreaking research on baby’s brains, UC Berkeley psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik is leading a multidisciplinary project to better understand the social science of caregiving with hopes of translating those insights into practical policies. Gopnik and policymaker Anne-Marie Slaughter join us to talk about how rethinking our approach to caregiving and how we support care providers, could lead to a better, more functional society. Guests: Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy, UC Berkeley; author, "The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children" Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, a non-profit think tank; author of "Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Atlantic staff writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Bruenig has attended five death row executions over the past half-decade. “What I witnessed,” she writes in her new cover story, “has not changed my conviction that capital punishment must end. But in sometimes-unexpected ways, it has changed my understanding of why.” We talk to Bruenig about what she saw and what she learned about mercy, forgiveness and redemption. Her article is called “Witness.” Guests: Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer, The Atlantic - whose recent article is "Inside America’s Death Chambers" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a scrappy San Francisco literary journal launched in 1985 to champion West Coast writers, the dream was to make a lasting imprint. Now, 40 years later, we celebrate Zyzzyza’s anniversary with editor Oscar Villalon and writers Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. We’ll talk about the literary journal’s vision, its stellar roster of writers and poets, and what makes the West Coast literary scene special. Guests: Oscar Villalon, editor, Zyzzyva Magazine - San Francisco based literary journal Daniel Handler, author of the children's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" under the pen name "Lemony Snicket" - contributor, "The End of the Golden Gate" Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Bay Area-based writer, author of the novel “Fruit of the Drunken Tree” and the memoir “The Man Who Could Move Clouds” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Musician Greta Morgan began performing professionally when she was 16, singing for groups like The Hush Sound and Gold Motel before touring with Vampire Weekend and charting her own path as a singer-songwriter. But in 2020, a severe case of Covid led to a neurological disorder that reduced her voice to a hush. We talk to Morgan about what a drastic change to her singing voice taught her about her inner voice and how her listening became so powerful that when she watched a meteor shower, she thought she could hear the stars. Morgan’s new memoir is “The Lost Voice.” Guests: Greta Morgan, musician, songwriter and author, "The Lost Voice: A Memoir" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“An artist is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special,” said San Francisco artist Ruth Asawa. From her studio in her home in Noe Valley, Asawa created crocheted wire sculptures whose shadows are just as evocative as the art itself. But as the mother of six, Asawa was also passionate about arts education and teaching. As a new retrospective of her work and life opens at SF MOMA, we talk about Asawa’s legacy as an artist, teacher, and community member as part of our Bay Area Legends series. Guests: Janet Bishop, Thomas Weisel Family chief curator, SFMOMA; She co-curated the exhibition Ruth Asawa: Retrospective Terry Kochanski, executive director, SCRAP Andrea Jepson, close friend of Ruth Asawa; Jepson served as the model for the fountain "Andrea" in Ghiradelli Square, and also worked with Asawa on her public school education projects Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Steves is one of the most trusted sources for Americans traveling abroad. But he once dreamed of becoming a piano teacher. That was before he backpacked along the Hippie Trail from Istanbul to Kathmandu in 1978, a trip that made him want to help others experience life-altering travel. We talk to him about his new book called “On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer” about a life spent away from home. What would you like to ask or tell Rick Steves? Guests: Rich Steves, travel writer, TV host Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LaRussell is known for a lot of things. His prolific music drops. His backyard concerts from his hometown, the “itty bitty city near the Bay,” Vallejo. And, for making a name in the world of hip hop on his own – no record deal needed. LaRussell is one of the Bay Area’s hottest musicians not just because of his talent and artistry, but also his business savvy. He is the founder of Good Compenny, a collective of independent artists. LaRussell joins us in studio for a special musical performance and to talk about growing up in Vallejo, what it means to “leave empty” and how he’s forged a career on his own terms. Guests: LaRussell, artist and founder, Good Compenny - an organization that promotes rising Bay Area artists. Michael Prince, violin, Good Compenny Kenivah Bockari, dj, Good Compenny Simon Ajero, piano, Good Compenny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spotify was originally marketed as a democratic, anti-establishment music streaming platform. But according to journalist Liz Pelly, it has become a system favoring major labels and its own algorithmic playlists featuring “ghost artists,” all while underpaying independent artists. Pelly draws on interviews with former employees, music industry veterans and artists to pull back the curtain on the music streaming giant in her new book, “Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Cost of the Perfect Playlist." Guests: Liz Pelly, writer; contributing editor to The Baffler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oakland based art-pop band Tune-Yards is widely loved for their complex and funky rhythms, layers of sound, thrillingly dynamic vocals, and thought provoking lyrics. The duo, Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, have just released a new album, “Better Dreaming,” praised by critics as highly danceable and jubilant while, as always, grappling with the state of the world. Merrill Garbus joins us in the studio for a new album listening party and to demonstrate how she creates her powerhouse sound. Guests: Merrill Garbus, singer, musician, Tune-Yards - newest album is "Better Dreaming" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever felt so creatively connected to someone that it’s like you share the same brain? That’s how acclaimed writers Tommy Orange and Kaveh Akbar describe their relationship. They’re best friends who wrote their recent novels “Wandering Stars” and “Martyr” by sending each other “cheernotes” in which they “waved [their] pom poms with genuine excitement at what the other’d just wrought from the ether,” as Akbar puts it. The two are embarking on a Bay Area driving tour to celebrate their friendship and art, and they join us on Forum. Guests: Tommy Orange, novelist, his books include "Wandering Stars" and "There There," which was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize. Kaveh Akbar, poet and novelist, his books include "Martyr!," a National Book Award finalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hercules native August Lee Stevens dropped her debut album “Better Places” last year earning her a following and praise for her indie soul sound. The 25-year-old singer and songwriter started classical piano when she was in elementary school and continued her study at the Oakland School of the Arts. In her senior year, she picked up singing – a decision that changed her life. She is now part of a wave of emerging musicians from the East Bay. Stevens joins us for a special live performance, and to talk about her musical roots and journey. Guests: August Lee Stevens, Bay Area-based musician and singer-songwriter; her debut album “Better Places” came out in 2024 Frankie Maston, vocalist Ash Stallard, vocalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices