KQED's Forum

In an increasing number of households "Hey Alexa" or "Hey Google" is becoming as common a refrain as "Moooom!" The adoption of smart speakers has grown exponentially with Nielsen reporting in late 2018 that now nearly a quarter of U.S. households have one. Like many new technologies, increased use of smart speakers has led to concerns about their effects on the brain and behavior, especially in kids. We discuss the latest research on and best practices for voice command devices and we want to hear from you: If you have a smart speaker, how do your kids use it? What, if anything, has given you pause about having a smart speaker in your home?

Benjamin Dreyer, Random House's longtime copy chief, explains the do’s and don'ts of good writing in his forthcoming book, "Dreyer's English." His tips include: utilize the semi-colon, split infinitives without fear and rid your prose of the terms "very," "rather," and "of course," which Dreyer dismisses as "Wan Intensifiers" and "Throat Clearers." Dreyer joins us to share stories from the publishing world and to give advice to writers and editors of all types.

As the partial government shutdown continues, visitors to many of the Bay Area's national parks, including Muir Woods and Point Reyes National Seashore, are finding overflowing trash, locked bathrooms and a lack of ranger presence. We'll discuss the shutdown's ecological impacts on the parks and what can be done to mitigate the damage.

Since 1864, a small school district in San Rafael has been called the Dixie School district. Now, residents are in a heated debate regarding whether or not the "Dixie" name, which some say hearkens back to the Confederate South, is appropriate and should be changed. Those supporting a name change claim that "Dixie" is unwelcoming and reflects poorly on the community, whereas those who wish to keep the name say it is associated with a good school district and shouldn't be altered.

With even obscure historical information readily available online, what's the point of memorizing facts like the names of the original 13 colonies or the major battles of the Civil War? Not much point, according to Stanford education professor Sam Wineburg. But what kids do need, he argues, are the skills to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information and the ability to overcome confirmation bias. The former high school history teacher joins us to discuss navigating online information, the myth of a "golden age of fact retention" and his new book, "Why Learn History (When It's Already on Your Phone)."

We'll bring you analysis of President Trump's Tuesday night address from the Oval Office. We'll also talk about revelations that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort shared polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign.

A new documentary short, "Lifeboat," highlights the plight of refugees and migrants who flee the coast of Libya under the cover of darkness. Director Skye Fitzgerald joins us to discuss his Academy Award-shortlisted film, "Lifeboat." We'll also talk with Oakland-based Asylum Access about the ongoing migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

The daughter of immigrants from Rwanda and Uganda, jazz vocalist and songwriter Somi's music weaves together elements of American jazz, African rhythms, pop and soul. Her most recent album, "Petite Afrique" was inspired by West African immigrants in Harlem and their struggles with gentrification. We'll talk to Somi about the album and her human rights activism.

On Tuesday evening President Trump will deliver a prime-time speech to address the ongoing government shutdown and make his case for a wall along the U.S. southern border. As several television networks weigh whether to air the address, some media critics argue that the press shouldn't give President Trump uninterrupted airtime without adequate rebuttal or fact-checking. As the country enters another presidential election cycle, we discuss to what extent the media should change how it covers politics, in particular, President Trump.

Some privately insured patients who received emergency care at Zuckerberg San Francisco General are finding themselves stuck with tens of thousands of of dollars in hospital bills that their insurers refuse to pay. That's according to a new report by Vox senior health policy correspondent Sarah Kliff, who spent a year studying the billing practices of emergency rooms around the country. Zuckerberg SF General says it does not accept private insurance in accordance with its mission to serve those with public health plans. We'll talk to Kliff about her findings and we want to hear from you: have you had to foot a surprisingly large ER bill?

"You have cancer" are terrifying words for anyone to hear, as UCSF oncologist Pamela Munster knows well, having delivered that news to her patients for years. But then, at the age of 48, on a phone call she thought was about a patient, Munster was told there were "irregularities" in her mammogram. Munster's new memoir "Twisting Fate" describes her journey from doctor and caregiver to patient and cancer survivor. Dr. Munster joins Forum to discuss life on both sides of a cancer diagnosis.

Monday in Sacramento, Gavin Newsom will be sworn in as the 40th governor of California. He takes over a state flush with a $14.5 billion dollar rainy day fund and a budget surplus of at least $10 billion. But Newsom also inherits a state experiencing a housing crisis, rising income inequality and a growing vulnerability to wildfires. The Statehouse will be stacked in Newsom's favor, with a three-fourths “ultra” Democratic majority. Meanwhile, the  California Republican party will be forced to do some soul searching about if and how it will rebuild itself. Tell us, what are your hopes -- or fears -- for a California under Governor Newsom?

Matt Green wasn't born in New York City, but he might know it better than many people who were. Seven years ago, Green embarked on a project to walk every block of all five boroughs. His walks are now the subject of a documentary called “The World Before Your Feet.” Locally, Greens' expedition helped inspire runner Rickey Gates to run every street in San Francisco. Green and Gates join Forum to discuss their respective challenges, and the unique, urban beauty they find along the way.

It's the first week in January, which means a lot of people are starting healthy habits like going to the gym, running or swimming. If you're a longtime athlete -- what advice do you have for newbies? What are the unwritten rules where you work out? And if you yourself are the new face at the gym or in the pool, what questions do you have?

"There Will Be No Miracles Here," a new memoir by Casey Gerald, is a coming-of-age story that straddles the complex intersection of race, class, religion, sexuality and masculinity. On the surface, Gerald's story is a classic rags-to-riches tale: a poor boy from a rough neighborhood gets recruited by Yale to play football and ends up making it to Harvard Business School, Wall Street, Washington and beyond. But Gerald turns the American Dream narrative on its head, illuminating the reality of inequality and questioning the systems that perpetuate it.