KQED's Forum

According to a new report by San Francisco's Budget and Legislative Analyst, the Muni driver shortage is worse than SFMTA officials previously estimated. The agency has 411 fewer full-time bus and train operators than it currently needs to operate, and with a steadily dwindling applicant pool, the problem seems far from over. Drivers say poor pay and unsafe working conditions makes their job unappealing to new recruits. Forum discusses the driver shortage and what it could mean for the future of Muni. Tell us -- has the driver shortage affected your commute?

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team has until Friday to file documents detailing why it believes former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort lied to investigators and violated his plea agreement. Friday's also the deadline for Mueller and federal prosecutors to recommend a sentence for former Trump fixer Michael Cohen for New York financial crimes. We'll discuss the status of the investigation and its implications for President Trump.

This Thursday marks the 153rd anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. Forum marks the occasion by talking about the Bay Area and California's rich, but often overlooked, African-American history.

“There There” is the debut novel of Oakland native Tommy Orange. The story follows multiple generations of Native Americans living in and around the East Bay, exploring how place and culture can influence the complex legacies and identities of Native peoples. Orange joins us to discuss his East Bay roots and his novel. What's your question for him?

Amid statehouse protests, Wisconsin's Republican-controlled legislature passed bills Wednesday to strip key powers of Democratic Governor-elect Tony Evers and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul. The plan, which Democrats called a power grab, would give lawmakers control over the state's economic development agency, limit the governor's ability to protect the Affordable Care Act and restrict early voting to two weeks. As other states consider similar moves, we'll discuss the national implications of Wisconsin's legislation.

San Jose City Council was expected to vote Tuesday night to greenlight a Google development on more than 10 acres of public land adjacent to the Diridon Station. Supporters of the project say it will bring an estimated 25,000 jobs to the city. We’ll hear about the new campus, which opponents fear will lead to rent increases and aggravate the city's housing shortage.

Stanford scholar Francis Fukuyama believes America's increased political polarization can be traced back to a universal desire for recognition. His latest book, "Identity," digs into the factors that gave rise to President Trump, Brexit and even violent extremist groups. Fukuyama joins Forum to discuss identity politics, the road back to a united American identity and how the world has changed since publication of his best-selling "The End of History."

According to the State Poverty Task Force, one in five children in California lives below the federal poverty line. In a new report, the task force provides a detailed plan for how to end extreme childhood poverty, advocating for increased social services, guaranteed childcare and universal preschool, and a targeted child tax credit. The plan comes out weeks before Governor-elect Gavin Newsom prepares to release his first budget to the state Legislature in January. We'll discuss child poverty in California, the details of the new plan and challenges to its implementation.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 30 to 40 times more potent than heroin, caused more than 29,000 overdose deaths in the United States last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We'll discuss what's driving the fentanyl crisis and what policy makers and public health officials can do to keep fentanyl off the streets.

Emotions flared at last week's California Public Utilities Commission meeting in San Francisco as many people expressed anger at the possibility of another PG&E bailout. The commission renewed a call by CPUC President Michael Picker to open a new inquiry into PG&E’s corporate governance structures and unanimously approved a proposal that requires the company to adopt various safety measures. This comes after a federal judge demanded that PG&E detail any responsibility it may have had in sparking the Camp Fire, and as 35 families from Butte County are suing the utility. Forum gets the latest news on PG&E.

More than 90 percent of Paradise housing stock was destroyed by the Camp Fire in Butte County, creating a housing emergency that is far from resolved. FEMA said last week that as many as 2,000 trailers could soon be available to provide temporary housing, but the agency acknowledged that trailers alone won't solve the problem. More than 17,000 people displaced by the fire have applied for housing aid, which could include cash for apartments or hotels. Meanwhile, weary evacuees are being asked to move from one temporary shelter to another, as relief organizations consolidate them into bigger sites.

President Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen lied to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, according to court documents filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Thursday. Cohen’s guilty plea contradicts statements made by the president about his business involvement with Russia. It came just as Trump was preparing to attend the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. We’ll get the latest on the Mueller investigation, and discuss the summit, where the U.S., Canada and Mexico signed a new trade deal to replace NAFTA.

Taylor Mac loves Christmas music but hates the lyrics. The MacArthur Genius-winning playwright, singer, actor and drag artist has opened an extravagant new show, "Holiday Sauce," which reframes traditional Christmas songs to highlight the dysfunction of the holidays. The show is a celebration of being queer and embracing, in one's own way, the holidays and traditions you feel alienated from.

Earlier this week San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin asked the city attorney to look into the possibility of removing the "Zuckerberg" name from Prescilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Peskin is exploring the renaming in response to Facebook's use of opposition research firms and misuse of user data. Controversy around the name of the city's public hospital is not new. Formerly "San Francisco General Hospital," the name was changed after Chan and Zuckerberg donated $75 million to the hospital in 2015. We'd like to hear from you -- Should Zuckerberg's name be removed?

California Democrats crushed state Republicans in the recent midterm election, reducing the GOP to seven of the state's 53 seats in the House of Representatives. We'll talk with California republicans about how the party plans to move forward.