Crosscurrents

There’s a new teacher in San Francisco classrooms. And she’s an AI bot… but not everyone is on board. Today, we hear how this reading tool is working. Then, we explore the nation's first law to encourage and protect whistleblowers working with AI. And, from Uncuffed one tragic accident triggered a decades long struggle with addiction.

There’s a new instructor measuring how well San Francisco’s first and second graders can read. Her name is Amira and she’s an AI bot. Teachers today are grappling with if and how to use AI in the classroom. When educators in the city went on strike last month, one of their demands was AI safety guards. But AI is already playing an important role in the classroom. KALW’s Education reporter, Julia H...

With Artificial intelligence increasingly becoming a part of our lives, comes the need to regulate it. California was the first state to draft laws regulating the internet and now it’s attempting to do the same with AI. SB 53 is the State’s Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act. It’s a first-of-its-kind AI safety law and it was passed last year. A number of AI companies lobbied agai...

Uncuffed producer Jorge Lopez on how one tragic accident can trigger a decades long struggle with addiction. A new story from Uncuffed about trauma, drugs, and the choice to change.

Finding housing in California is notoriously difficult. For unhoused people, the process can feel nearly impossible. Today, two women in Richmond take us into the challenges of their search for permanent housing.

Why is it so hard for people to move from homeless encampments to housing? California spends a lot of money trying to get people off the street — $27 billion since 2019. The state’s Encampment Resolution Fund in particular has invested over $700 million into moving people from encampments, to shelter, to permanent housing. There are still thousands of people living on the streets across the state,...

Today, we're kicking off Women’s History month. First, a local arts company is gathering women from across the Bay Area for an evening of resilience and performance. Then, we’ll hear the real history behind A LEGENDARY San Franciscan. Plus, poems from the next generation. 

Women’s History Month has begun and International Women’s Day is this Sunday. Women around the world will be celebrated and celebrating. The UN theme this year is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls” Here in the Bay Area, there is no shortage of events marking the day. One is the annual "What Do the Women Say? " An extravaganza of women’s performance held every year for the past 30 y...

Today, a San Leandro council member has pleaded guilty to charges of corruption. Could there be more indictments ahead? Then, artists and activists are working to reopen the Mission Cultural Center after its sudden shutdown. Plus, the favorite songs of a KALW music programmer.

Last month, former San Leandro Councilman Bryan Azevedo pleaded guilty in a federal court to two counts of corruption in connection with accepting a bribe from local businessmen. Azevedo has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in an ongoing federal corruption probe that has already led to indictments against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her partner, Andre Jones, and Andy and David Duong, the...

On Repeat, is KALW's mini-pod for music discovery. It’s hosted by Tshego Letsoalo, KALW’s Music Editorial Director. In the show Tshego talks with KALW music programmers about the songs they can’t stop listening to. And in this episode from 2024, Tshego talks with Devon Strolovitch, host of KALW’s Fog City Blues.

For nearly 50 years, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts has been a community anchor in San Francisco’s Mission district. In January, the center shut down indefinitely because of financial troubles.  Activists and community members have been rallying to reopen it. The city owns the 37,000-square-foot building that’s now under the control of the San Francisco Arts Commission. Paul S. Flores is...

Today, a young jazz singer from East Oakland is drawing fans of all ages. Then, an UnCuffed producer recalls a proud childhood moment that stays with him. And, an explosion of flowers! We’re digging into “super blooms”

The Oakland vocalist's music is a blend of hip hop, R&B, soul and jazz. Like good, old-soul jazz that reminds Host Jeneé Darden of the kind of jazz she used to hear out of her Texan granddaddy's truck.

Over the years you may have heard of the term “Super Bloom” from social media posts of people with vibrant fields of flowers behind them. But where did this term come from? Is it scientific? Or is it just a social media phenomenon? In 2019 KALW’s Marissa Ortega-Welch explored a few theories about the origins of this “super bloom” mania… and its impact.

Uncuffed producer Jorge Lopez recounts a memorable race where he got motivation from someone special in the stands.

San Francisco’s Mayor has been tight lipped about his infamous call with President Trump. Today, we hear about the people working for transparency. Then, why the WNBA’s first contract negotiations in six years have come to a standstill. And, a Bay Area poet reflects on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Four months ago, President Trump vowed to send National Guardsmen into the streets of San Francisco, claiming that they would be sent to reduce crime. This was amid similar deployments to Washington, D.C. and Chicago — both major cities run by Democratic mayors. But the night before the deployment was to begin, San Francisco's Mayor Daniel Lurie spoke to Trump in a phone call. And, the next day, t...

KALW’s BOUNCE host Erin Lim speaks to Crosscurrents host Hana Baba about WNBA ongoing contract negotiations between the players and the league owners. 

The Superbowl was held right here in the Bay Area this year. Now, San Jose poet Ellie Lopez helps us all consider the cultural significance of Bad Bunny's performance at this year's Superbowl. Here is her latest poem "When the NFL announced Bad Bunny as the halftime performance."

Today, a Bay Area harpist finds her way to playing on hip-hop stages. Then, learning life lessons from a game of chess. And, a festival puts the spotlight on Black choreographers.

GEOWAV brings the harp into hip-hop spaces, flipping a classical instrument and carving out a sound that feels fully Bay Area.

Visits with loved ones are a special time in prison. Families come from all over the state to see their loved ones for a short while, and it's one of the only opportunities incarcerated parents can connect with their kids. Uncuffed producer Fonuamana Fuahala recounts one memorable visit with his son.

One of host Jeneé Darden's favorite things to do is dance. She's no pro but she loves watching the pros on stage. Which brings us to the 21st annual Black Choreographers Festival.

Today, the historical significance behind a special creek in East Oakland. Then, we hear a father in prison sends a love letter to his daughter. Plus, Oakland poet James Cagney draws from Zen Buddhism for his latest collection.