KQED's Forum

Californians decided major issues in Tuesday's election, including whether to abandon the death penalty, label genetically modified foods and raise taxes to fund schools. We discuss those propositions and more results from local and state races.

The results of Election 2012 are in. We discuss the outcomes with a panel of political experts, from the presidential race to some of the bitterly fought congressional contests, as well as how the vote played out in Ohio and other states. How did our nation's changing demographics affect the outcomes?

As voters head to the polls, we go to the movies. What is your favorite film about campaigns, elections or the political process?

China's Communist Party is getting ready for a leadership transition -- something that happens once a decade. Starting Nov. 8, a new generation of party leaders will begin to take the helm. Who will become the new top officials, and how might the shift affect U.S.-China relations?

As voters head to the polls, we check in with Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation about online registration, the increased popularity of mail-in ballots, voting technology and last-minute online resources.

How attention-grabbing is the U.S. election to people in Asia, Africa, Europe or South America? We'll talk with experts from around the world to get international perspectives on the U.S. election.

The Bay Area includes half of the state's shoreline. Could the flooding we saw in New York and New Jersey happen in Northern California? We talk to Jeffrey Mount, professor of geology and founding director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, about natural disaster risk in the Bay Area and the lessons we can learn from Hurricane Sandy.

Most eyes will be on the final showdown between President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney on November 6. But what about the congressional races? Thanks to redistricting, zealous fundraising and on-camera gaffes, some candidates are now racing neck and neck. So what are the tightest races in California and across the country? And what does it mean for who controls Congress?

Hitting in the final week of a presidential campaign, Hurricane Sandy stirred up the debate on an already divisive topic: the proper size and purpose of government. Mitt Romney and President Obama offer distinct and divergent visions for the role of government. We'll contemplate their competing worldviews with former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, and Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal editorial page.

It started off as a monthly art walk between eight galleries in 2006. Today, Oakland's Art Murmur has exploded, drawing as many as 20,000 people to downtown for a vibrant street party featuring live performances, food trucks and more than 30 participating galleries and venues. We talk to the organizers of Art Murmur and First Friday about the event.

The first major retrospective of works by Bay Area visual artist Jay DeFeo, as well as a survey of Jasper John's rich 60-year career will be on display from November 3 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. We'll discuss the artists and their work with the exhibit curators.

More than $350 million has been spent to sway voters on California ballot initiatives ahead of the November 6 election. We'll look at the money behind the stream of TV ads and campaign mailers. We'll also get the latest news on efforts by state election officials to identify the source of a mysterious $11 million out-of-state contribution to pass Prop. 32 and defeat Prop. 30.

This years election has been the costliest in U.S. history. We follow the money.

Will Mickey Mouse be wielding a light saber sometime soon? On Tuesday, Disney bought Lucasfilm, the Marin-based company owned by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, for over $4 billion. Disney is now set to release the seventh "Star Wars" film by 2015. So what will this mean for the future of the "Star Wars" franchise ... and for George Lucas?

For international humanitarian aid groups, saving lives inevitably involves compromise -- such as negotiating with despots, putting employees in harm's way and sometimes even promoting military intervention. How do such groups navigate on-the-ground realities while maintaining their principles? We'll discuss these issues and more with Sophie Delaunay, executive director of the U.S. section of Doctors Without Borders.