KQED's Forum

Yet another stretch of Highway 1 near Big Sur remains closed after a chunk of the roadway fell into the ocean in March. The latest closure raises questions about the future of the iconic highway amid threats from extreme weather and coastal erosion. “Everything is working against Highway 1,” Gary Griggs, an oceanography professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz told the Washington Post. We’ll look at what it could take to save Highway 1 and what it all means for local residents and the state’s economy.

Guests:

Jonathan Warrick, research geologist, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, United States Geological Survey

Rosanna Xia, environmental reporter, Los Angeles Times; Xia specializes in coastal and ocean issues. Her latest book is "California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline."

Brianna Sacks, extreme weather & disasters reporter, Washington Post

Ben Perlmutter, managing partner, Big Sur River Inn

President Biden is expected to call for lower healthcare costs and higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy in his State of the Union Address on Thursday. He’s also expected to announce a temporary U.S. port in Gaza to deliver large-scale humanitarian aid, emphasize the importance of reproductive rights and promote his so-called “unity agenda,” which includes ending cancer, confronting the crisis of addiction and helping veterans. The speech is being billed by administration officials as an opportunity for a “reset” to overcome voter concerns about the President’s age as his approval ratings hover in the high 30s. We’ll analyze the speech and hear your reactions.

Guests:

Ro Khanna, U.S. Congressman for California's 17th Congressional District (Silicon Valley).

Christopher Cadelago, California’s Bureau Chief, Politico - and former White House Correspondent.

Mike Madrid, Republican strategist.

Catherine Lucey, White House Reporter, The Wall Street Journal.

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”

How soon will Californians be able to travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco by high-speed rail? In welcome news, the California High-Speed Rail Authority received nearly $3.1 billion in federal funding last month to advance work on the project. Environmental reviews are largely complete for the 500-mile route, and construction has begun on bridges and tunnels in the Central Valley. But the cost for the entire project is now expected to reach $128 billion, four times higher than was estimated when voters first approved it in 2008. In this installment of our In Transit series, we speak to the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority to get updates and take your questions.

Every day, first responders in the Bay Area are straining to help people struggling with addiction. Firefighters and paramedics respond to emergency calls for people acting erratically or overdosing on drugs. Nurses administer care when they arrive at hospitals. Then, a network of social workers and counselors try to intervene with services. Many of those workers see their jobs as crucial, but also psychologically draining and frustrating as the crisis becomes even more dire. San Francisco officials are already predicting that 2023 will set a record for the highest number of drug overdose deaths. We’ll talk with frontline workers about their experiences and how they see the region’s addiction crisis.

Guests:

Audrey Fisher, registered nurse, psychiatric emergency services, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center

Brittany Banis Buckley, stabilization supervisor for the Opiate Treatment Outpatient Program, San Francisco General Hospital

Sam Gebler, firefighter and paramedic. He serves as vice president of San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798.

Claudia Mendez, behavioral health clinician, San Francisco Department of Public Health