KQED's Forum

A third of households headed by single mothers are in poverty. A new report by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation argues that promoting marriage is America's greatest weapon against poverty. We discuss the report, the link between single-parent households and poverty and what can be done about it.

Four years ago, members of San Francisco experimental theater company foolsFURY went on a three-day cruise to research a new play. The eclectic black comedy "Port Out, Starboard Home" is the result of what they found and imagined on that cruise, as created by playwright Sheila Callaghan. We talk with members of foolsFURY about the new play and the weird world of cruises, both real and imagined.

The new play "PLACAS," set in San Francisco's Mission District, tells the story of a Salvadoran ex-gang member who is released from prison and -- as a condition of parole -- must have his gang tattoos removed. The play explores issues of immigration, refugees and Central American gangs in U.S. cities. We talk with playwright Paul Flores and actor Ric Salinas about the play, which plays at the Lorraine Hansberry Theater as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival.

Two new studies suggest wind could power the world in the future. One of the studies, from Stanford University, finds that wind could exceed the world's power demands several times by 2030. What is the future of wind power? How does it compete against solar power, which is cheaper? What's the latest wind technology, and could we start to see deep-water wind turbines off the California coast?

Michael Chabon, Berkeley-based author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," joins us in the studio. Set in the East Bay, Chabon's new novel "Telegraph Avenue" deals with issues of race relations and gentrification, and explores the worlds of midwifery and vintage vinyl.

We discuss the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans by armed protesters at a demonstration over an anti-Muslim video.

Should California end the death penalty? If approved by voters, Proposition 34 on the November state ballot would convert the sentences of death row inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole. We'll debate the measure as part of our election series, "What's Government For?"

A writer who sets up rock concerts for gorillas. A former bicycle engineer who makes art out of scrub brushes and rope swings. A man who designs natural "lightbulbs" with roots and dirt. Those are some of the creative minds who are part of the Artists Programs at Headlands Center for the Arts, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this week. We look at the history of the center, and talk to the artists who find inspiration in the old military fort nestled in the Marin Headlands.

The Atlantic magazine writers Derek Thompson and Jordan Weissman join us to discuss their article "The Cheapest Generation," about how the Millennial generation is fundamentally changing America's culture of consumption.

California is among the worst states in the country in which to run a business because of its legal climate, according to a just-released survey of corporate attorneys. We'll discuss the survey, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. What does it say about job creation and retention in California?

As the 2012 presidential campaign nears its climax, political rhetoric is at a fever pitch and fact-checkers are busier than ever. Are politicians bending the truth more this year than in past elections? Where's the line between political hyperbole and flat-out lying -- and how much do voters really care?

We team up with KQED Public Radio's "The Do List" program for a special fall arts preview. Cy Musiker and David Wiegand will share their picks for the best of music festivals, concerts, visual art, theater, comedy and dance in the Bay Area.

He was known as the man who armed the Black Panther Party with guns and weapons training. With his trademark sunglasses and mustache, Richard Masato Aoki was a militant with ties to radical groups in the 1960s. But new information suggests he was also an FBI informant. Journalist Seth Rosenfeld joins us to talk about Aoki's hidden life and other secrets from his new book, "Subversives: The FBI's War on Student Radicals, and Reagan's Rise to Power."

Actress Molly Ringwald was the teen idol of the 1980s for her roles in iconic films like "Pretty in Pink," "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club." Now a novelist, Ringwald joins us to talk about her book, "When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories" and her career.

A fall TV preview used to be a fairly simple and straightforward thing. But today, live TV is competing with a seemingly endless array of content and platforms. Consumers are now watching their favorite shows wherever and whenever they want. What shows are you watching and how?