Crosscurrents

Santa Cruz is famous for its surf breaks. But for the last three years, winter storms and massive waves have eroded the road and cliffs. The reverence for waves runs so deep that it’s helping shape local climate policy.

Oakland actress and hip hop artist RyanNicole's latest EP is called “Yours Truly.” In it she gets real personal on her tracks, discussing her own experiences with motherhood and mental health, as well as her insecurities and desires. 

On Repeat is a mini-pod for music discovery. In this segment, we hear from JoAnn Mar, the host of KALW’s “Folk Music & Beyond.” Here, JoAnn shares music from artists who didn’t get the recognition they deserved during their heyday. 

Congress just voted to strip away all Federal funding for public media. That means a $400,000 hit to our annual budget which directly funds our local journalism and cultural programming. Now's the time to Stand With KALW. Please support your local station to keep the programming you rely on alive. Go to KALW.org and click donate right now. Support the media you deserve, and don’t let anybody take...

Residents of the agricultural town of Pescadero in San Mateo County have long dealt with the issue of flooding. But what happens when each solution spells an issue for their neighbors?

Today, we’ll hear how residents of an agricultural townare working towards solutions to flooding. Then, a local photojournalist who has been documenting the immigration raids.

For more than a decade, photographer Pablo Unzueta has used his camera to capture the rich cultural and political tapestry of ordinary people for San Francisco’s El Tecolote Newspaper.

The night sky can remind us that we’re very small. And part of something very big. The same can be true of poetry too. Here’s Dr. Naomi Helena Quinonez reading her poem, “Sometimes the Moon.”

Today, how one Humboldt County restaurant experienced an outpouring of love, and help, from their community in the wake of flood damage. Then, what went wrong at Oakland’s Wood Street Community Cabins? And, a poem for the people who keep going, even when it feels impossible.

King Salmon is an unincorporated community on the southern edge of Eureka, CA. But three to four times a year “King Tides” roll in. And when those tides combine with the heavy rain, it’s not uncommon for buildings in King Salmon to flood with a foot or more of water.

A homeless shelter in Oakland closed this week. But things did not go as expected—here's how.

Disappointment can feel so big, it’s overwhelming. Today, a poem for the people who keep going, even when it feels impossible. Here’s East Oakland poet Tiny Gray-Garcia aka Poverty Skola, reading "this poem is in honor of homeless mothers.” 

Today, an Oakland basketball legend talks about visibility on and off the court. And we hear from a former USA paraolympics women's basketball coach.

Today we’re re-airing a story from tbh that first came out in 2020. It’s all about the power of sports to bring people together and why one athlete doesn’t want to be called “inspirational.” 

Today, we meet members of a riverside community who are grappling with an uncertain — and expensive — future. Then, we hear from teens on what the land back movement means to them.

Residents of a riverside community in Napa County are being forced to confront sea level rise — and conflicts about how to build for the future.

Today we’re bringing you a story from tbh, our podcast by, about and for teenagers. It’s a look at Berkeley’s landmark decision last year to return a sacred Shellmound site to the Sogorea Te Land Trust , through the eyes of young indigenous folks. And it just won a Public Media Journalists Association Award ! 

Walking in San Francisco has its joys – but also its dangers. We hear what safety advocates have tried to do to tip the scales. Then, an author takes us back to the gay scene in 1990’s SF. Plus, the Conservatory of Flowers’ corpse flower recently bloomed, but what’s next? 

San Francisco is a pretty small city. Despite those 48 hills, it’s a fun place to walk. But it’s not always safe. In 2024 pedestrian fatalities hit a 10-year high. Now advocates are pushing for change. 

Old movies bring together gay San Franciscan's in Christopher Tradowsky's " Midnight at the Cinema Palace ." Tradowsky pulls from his own experience of 90s San Francisco to tell the story of three friends.

On Tuesday evening the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers announced that their corpse flower, named Chanel, was beginning its bloom. KALW’s Wren Farrell took a look at the program last year when the Academy’s corpse flower ‘Mirage’ had its own bloom. Here's that story.

Getting out of prison is often called 'going home.' But when people have been away from it for so long, the idea of home can be complicated. In this episode host Greg Eskridge shares three stories from Uncuffed producers about finding home in unexpected places.

Today, one man's hope for the future after 25 years in prison. And jokes bring joy to the men at San Quentin. Then, a Pixar animator takes on her inner critic. 

Mandrell Knight spent more years of his life incarcerated than free. Now, he's rewriting his story to prove his past doesn't define his future.

Uncuffed producer Matt Sheppard is also a comedian. He shares some jokes from a memorable stand-up performance at the prison.