KQED's Forum

Young voters turned out in huge numbers four years ago, helping to propel Barack Obama to victory. But this year, polls show that America's youth are less motivated and enthusiastic. What local, state and national issues matter most to young voters in this election? For the past several months, KQED has been talking to college students at Bay Area campuses. We'll hear their voices and talk to experts about the youth vote.

Over half of California is covered in rangeland. Today, 15 million acres of open space are protected because of the Williamson Act, which since 1965, has offered tax relief to ranch and farm owners who preserve their land. But according to new research out of UC Davis, recent cuts to state funding for the act are putting 20 percent of this rangeland at risk for development. We'll discuss the Williamson Act and its impact on conservation and ranching in California.

Hurricane Sandy made landfall early Monday evening on the New Jersey shore, destroying part of the Atlantic City boardwalk. The storm has already caused extensive flooding as well as widespread evacuations and power outages throughout the east coast. We bring you the latest on the monster storm.

Lately they've talked about the economy, foreign policy and tax plans -- but where is religion in this presidential race? President Obama is a Christian, and Mitt Romney is a Mormon. How do their religions play into their campaigns, if at all? Does faith affect their views on controversial issues like abortion or gay marriage? And do voters really care what religion their candidate follows?

Author, essayist and farmer Wendell Berry has been called a modern-day Thoreau and the father of the sustainable food movement. He joins us to discuss his latest story collection, "A Place in Time," the tenth volume in his series about the mythical town of Port William. Berry was recently awarded the National Humanities Medal.

The San Francisco Giants are World Series champions, sweeping the Detroit Tigers with a 4-3 victory in extra innings on Sunday night. What was your favorite moment of the team's stunning post-season?

Author Camille Paglia is best-known for her contrarian views on art and culture, as well as her outspoken critiques of modern feminism. Her latest book, "Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt to Star Wars" is a survey of Western art and a collection of essays on 29 significant pieces of art spanning 33 centuries.

Calling all ghosts, ghouls and hipster robots -- it's time to set up your social calendar for Halloween. We check in with event planners and others about the best shows, haunted houses and other frights around the Bay. How are you going to celebrate the holiday? Are you dressing up as a kung-fu baseball panda or a binder full of women?

In a tight presidential race, either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney could lose the popular vote yet still win the majority of Electoral College votes and gain the White House. The National Popular Vote movement, which California endorsed last year, seeks to guarantee the presidency to the candidate who wins the popular vote. We look at efforts to reform the Electoral College system.

The Obama administration is facing pressure from Republicans to explain internal government e-mails, released publicly this week, which shed new light on what officials knew about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. One of the e-mails suggests that the State Department was informed in the immediate aftermath of the attacks that a terrorist group had taken credit for the killings in a Facebook post. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton downplayed the e-mails, saying that a Facebook post does not amount to evidence. We'll discuss what the e-mails reveal about the administration's handling of the incident.

Parents of students at Piedmont High School received an e-mail over the weekend informing them of the existence of a "Fantasy Slut League." Based on the popular NFL and NBA fantasy leagues, male students earn points for their sexual activities with female students. School officials said varsity athletes started the league over five years ago. But officials say their hands are tied when it comes to disciplining off-campus activities. So what should be done? And what does this say about sexism and bullying among high schoolers?

After facing elimination in six straight games, the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 Monday to win the National League Championship Series. The Giants now head to the World Series to face the Detroit Tigers. We preview the series.

President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney met on Monday night for the third and final debate, this time on foreign policy. Moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News picked topics including America's role in the world, the war in Afghanistan, terrorism and the Middle East and China's rise. As polls show a tightening race, we analyze the impact of the debate and parse the candidates' positions.

Richmond's Measure N is a proposed one-cent-per-ounce tax on local businesses that sell sugar-sweetened drinks. Supporters say the tax will promote public health by providing millions of dollars for anti-obesity and recreation programs. But opponents argue that the measure would hurt local business, and say there's no guarantee the money would be spent on anti-obesity programs. Should local governments tax soda?

San Francisco's Omega Boys Club is marking 25 years helping at-risk kids lead lives free from violence and incarceration, succeed academically and make positive contributions to society. Omega has provided academic and life skills support to more than 1,300 boys and girls, and its violence prevention programs have reached more than 15,000 students. Co-founder and Executive Director Joe Marshall joins us as part of our First Person series on the leaders, innovators and others who make the Bay Area unique.