KQED's Forum KQED

Gov. Gavin Newsom last week proposed a series of deep cuts to close the state’s $45 billion budget deficit. The proposals, which include no new taxes, include a nearly 8% cut to state operations and the elimination of 10,000 unfilled jobs and will affect some education, public health and affordable housing programs. The governor’s office says that the proposal “maintains service levels for key housing, food, health care, and other assistance programs.” We look at the Governor’s May revise and the fiscal health of our state.

Guests:
Guy Marzorati, correspondent, KQED's California Politics and Government Desk
Michelle Gibbons, executive director, County Health Executives Association of California
Lindsey Holden, legislative reporter, The Sacramento Bee

Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid “is the most openly authoritarian campaign I’ve seen [from] any candidate anywhere in the world since World War II”. That’s according to Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky, co-author of the book “How Democracies Die”. Trump’s stated plans include seeking revenge on political opponents, purging the federal workforce, ordering mass deportations, and deploying the military domestically. As part of Forum’s “Doing Democracy” series, we’ll talk with Levitsky and others about why democracy experts are sounding the alarm about a possible second Trump administration, and whether our institutions can withstand the upheaval.

Guests:
Steven Levitsky, professor of government, Harvard; co-author with Daniel Ziblatt of the New York Times bestseller "How Democracies Die." Their latest book is "Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point."
Lulu Garcia-Navarro, host, "The Interview" podcast, New York Times; former NPR correspondent
Eric Cortellessa, reporter, Time magazine - He interviewed Donald Trump for a cover story in April.

You may know actor and stand-up comedian Tiffany Haddish best for her riotous performance in the 2017 film “Girls Trip.” Or for her Emmy Award-winning turn as host of Saturday Night Live…or for her voicework in “The Lego Movie 2” and other animated films. But her successes came hard-won against a backdrop of childhood trauma and mental health challenges. “I know what it feels like to hurt and what it feels like to see other people hurt,” she writes in her new memoir “I Curse You with Joy.” We talk to Haddish about her career, her life and what’s bringing her joy right now.

Guests:

Tiffany Haddish, author, "I Curse You with Joy"; stand-up comedian; actress, "Girls Trip," "Night School," "Nobody's Fool" and more.

In his magazine profiles and podcasts, Oakland writer Carvell Wallace has a gift for examining people and the times we live in with clarity and wisdom. With his new memoir “Another Word for Love,” Wallace extends his compassionate gaze to his own story, tracing a childhood peppered with homelessness and abuse, through to his quest for healing, pleasure and the divine. “It is is not enough to be hurt and to know that you have been hurt,” he writes. “The price of being alive, of being in love, is that you are required to heal.”

Guests:

Carvell Wallace, author, "Another Word for Love: A Memoir"; 2023 recipient of the American Mosaic Journalism Prize; host, "Closer Than They Appear" and "Finding Fred"; his other book is "The Sixth Man" which he co-authored with Andre Iguodala

Amtrak reports that overall demand for passenger rail is soaring as yearly ridership totals approach pre-pandemic levels. But in California, the story is different. Popular west coast lines are losing riders and remain challenged by underinvestment and rules that give track priority to freight trains. In addition, increasingly powerful storms and rising seas threaten Amtrak’s infrastructure: Southern California’s Pacific Surfliner has repeatedly suspended service for emergency repairs. As part of Forum’s In Transit series, we look at the future of Amtrak in California.

Guests:

Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law; host, the Climate Break podcast

Tom Zoellner, English professor, Chapman University; editor-at-large, LA Review of Books; author, "Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World -from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief"

Fashion is self-expression. It’s art. It’s also responsible for between 8 and 9 percent of planet-warming emissions. But it doesn’t have to be. We’ll talk about the fashion industry’s troubled relationship to labor, climate, and human rights issues – and spotlight companies creating sustainable alternatives. Plus, our panel of mending, thrifting and styling experts will share practical tips so that you can be chic… and climate-conscious!

Guests:

Ayesha Barenblat, founder and CEO, Remake

Kara Fabella, stylist and founder, The Flipp Side

Hayley Colette, educator, WorkshopSF

James Reinhart, cofounder and CEO, ThredUp