Crosscurrents

Today, an Oakland airport expansion is bringing community groups together for environmental justice. It's the second story from our series Elements, about the four most elemental ingredients of life and how they’re being reshaped by climate change. Then, growing up in the foster care system and aging out into a world that doesn’t see you.

Today we're launching a new Crosscurrents series: Elements. It's a collection of stories about the four most elemental ingredients of life — air, water, earth, and fire — and how they’re being reshaped by climate change. Today's story takes us to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the front lines of California’s water war. Then, the original vision for BART.

People have come to the U.S.YS for different reasons. Sometimes, it can be a matter of life and death. Some LGBTQ+ immigrants flee from their home countries and leave everything behind. And as we head into October, which is LBGTQ+ History Month, we are revisiting a story from someone who shared his experience with just that.

Today, we meet the man who reports on the athletes at San Quentin prison who play everything from basketball to pickleball. Then, Fantastic Negrito's drummer James “Sticknasty” Small talks about his debut solo album. And, we’ll hear why a seminal Jewish text got an updated translation.

Today, we talk to reporter Sonia Paul about a first-in-the-nation measure to add caste to state anti-discrimination laws. And we hear from three Bay Area authors with three very different novels. Then, we meet the ladies of the Grant Avenue Follies who celebrate mid-century Chinatown's cultural scene one song and dance at a time.

Today, we meet researchers using a special night vision camera to track the movement of trains and pollution. We hear how open air coal trains are impacting Oakland communities. Then, we learn how the Folsom Street Fair got it's start. And, we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month by highlighting the work of some Bay Area poets.

Today, we meet the first openly LGBTQ fire chief in the country in a new story from our series "At Work." Then, a conversation about the future of small publishing with J.K. Fowler, the founder of Oakland's now-shuttered Nomadic Press.

In today's episode, we go to a blue house in San Francisco that attracts crowds of French people. It's a new story in our series Culture Keepers, celebrating Bay Area communities. Then, we get an unexpected answer to a question about the most influential Latino in the Bay Area from our collaborative reporting series, Hey Area.

In this episode, we rock out with a Bay Area band who takes public performance and the idea of moving to music to a whole new level. Today, we’re checking out the DIY punk scene. Then, we hear why 10 out the 12 members left college footballs' Pacific Athletic Conference. What led to the PAC-12's sudden demise?

Today, we climb into the bell tower at Holy Trinity Cathedral to meet a bell ringer who's been cultivating his craft since childhood and is passing it on to the next generation. Then, we meet Wayne Harris, who wrote and stars in the play "Train Stories," about three African-American men on a train ride, figuring out their place in a 1948 America.

Today, two formerly incarcerated mothers reflect on how their children keep them strong. Then, we hear how becoming a teacher led one person to finally feel seen. Stories from Uncuffed’s re-entry class. And, we get an update on the possible resurrection of San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Company.

In this episode, we meet an East Bay chef who goes beyond shopping at the farmer’s market. We hear how he works to connect food, urban diners and nature. Then, we’ll go back in time to visit San Francisco’s oldest gay bar before it closed its doors. And, we hear how piano playing can create a future for those in prison.

In this episode, we travel thousands of miles to hear how Bay Area movements like the Black Panthers influenced activists in Australia. It's an award-winning episode from The Stoop podcast. Then, we bring it back to San Francisco to visit a place where creativity has reigned supreme for four decades.

Today, we begin with a new story from Uncuffed. We'll meet an incarcerated media-maker who shares how a program at San Quentin rekindled his creative spark from childhood. Then, a 2023 Gracie award-winning Stoop episode explores the secrets of Black history that a building can hold within its walls.

In this episode we speak with nationally recognized poet, Sarah Fathima Mohammed. She shares how the women in her life inspire her work and how she found her voice through poetry. Then, in an excerpt from The Stoop podcast, we hear from a wellness educator who says female sexual pleasure is a neglected part of Muslim teachings. And, a reading from Cloverdale author Vince Montague.

Tomorrow our station turns 82 years old — happy birthday KALW! We’re one of the oldest FM stations in the country and the very first one west of the Mississippi. So, we're going to take a moment to look back at what we've accomplished and look forward to where we want to go from here.

In this episode, we hear how a new state bill can bring more accountability to California’s developmental disability system. Then, one of San Quentin’s award-winning reporters talks about his investigative journalism career. And, a walking tour honors a San Francisco queer and disco icon. Plus we get an update on new COVID-19 variants.

Our investigation deepens when an administrator at Katrina’s group home comes forward. She discloses disturbing details about resident mistreatment, and describes a facility — and company — in disarray.

Recently, KALW’s series “Without a Voice” won the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists award for Investigative Reporting in audio. It looks into allegations of abuse at one of the most carefully regulated group homes in the state.

Gen Z is known for being one of the most politically active generations, but their turnout at the polls still lags behind previous generations. What’s behind the low numbers? We hear it directly from teenagers in an episode from the KALW original podcast, tbh. Then, Novato author Anita Gail Jones reads from her latest novel.

Climate change is scary and it's even scarier for teenagers who feel like it’s up to their generation to fix it. In an episode from the KALW original podcast tbh, teenagers tackle climate anxiety and action. Then, a reading from San Carlos author Jane Kuo. Plus, our local music segment spotlights Decant. They’re playing at Berkeley Art Gallery this Friday.

In this episode, we hear how students honored the life of a classmate who died from a fentanyl overdose. A story of student journalism making an impact in the fourth episode from the new season of our podcast, tbh. Then, we hear how the family of a man who was killed by police in 2017 carries on his legacy.

Today, we meet recent Independence High School graduate, Jamareion Adrow. He was guided through high school with the help of his school's wellness center. Now, he's advocating for better resources and encouraging his peers to do the same. Then, we hear how California officials have been visiting Texas to get advice on how to deal with homelessness.

In the second episode of tbh, we explore the effect of AI on creative fields. In the wake of new technologies, how are visual artists feeling about how AI can or should be used? Listen to tbh to hear Santa Clara High School senior, Theodore Nguyen, tell his story.

In the first episode of tbh's new season, we hear from Berkeley High school junior, Miriam Reichenberg. She is thinking a lot about how students are engaging with ChatGPT and also returning to older forms of technology in hopes of sparking their creativity. We'll get to hear what Gen Z thanks about the future of AI and what it means for them.