{"podcast":{"title":"KQED's Forum","slug":"kqed-s-forum-910728","podcast_index_feed_id":910728,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633","website_url":"https://www.kqed.org/forum","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/f7fab6b6-22d6-11eb-9a54-13d0154cc15e/image/KQED_Podcast_tiles_-_NPR_network_Forum.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"KQED","episode_count":3536,"summary":"Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. In the first hour, Alexis Madrigal convenes the diverse voices of the Bay Area, before turning to Mina Kim for the second hour to chronicle and center Californians’ experience. In an increasingly divided world, Mina and Alexis host conversations that inform, challenge and unify listeners with big ideas and different viewpoints. Want to call/submit your comments during our live Forum program Mon-Fri, 9am-11am? We'd love to hear from you! Please dial 866.SF.FORUM or (866) 733-6786 or email forum@kqed.org, tweet, or post on Facebook.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-30T22:18:30.402859+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728"},"episode":{"title":"Artificial Stone Containing Silica is Killing Workers. Will California Ban It?","slug":"artificial-stone-containing-silica-is-killing-workers-will-california-ban-it","published_at":"2026-08-17T18:50:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/artificial-stone-containing-silica-is-killing-workers-will-california-ban-it","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728","url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC5218542422.mp3","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC5218542422.mp3","summary":"More than 600 California stoneworkers have contracted silicosis, a deadly and incurable lung disease resulting from exposure to the silica in engineered stone. The material, a go-to choice for home countertops, has been found to be toxic to the workers who cut, grind and polish it. Now, doctors, stoneworkers and activists are pressuring California lawmakers to ban the material and embrace available alternatives. At the same time, stone manufacturers and lawmakers are pushing federal legislation to protect manufacturers from worker lawsuits. Join us as we unpack the danger of artificial stone containing silica and the state of efforts to protect workers. Guests: Farida Jhabvala Romero, labor correspondent, KQED Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi, pulmonologist and assistant professor, UC San Francisco; director, the Center for Silicosis Support and Research Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"More than 600 California stoneworkers have contracted silicosis, a deadly and incurable lung disease resulting from exposure to the silica in engineered s…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3285,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/kqed-s-forum-910728/episodes/artificial-stone-containing-silica-is-killing-workers-will-california-ban-it/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/kqed-s-forum-910728/artificial-stone-containing-silica-is-killing-workers-will-california-ban-it.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}