Crosscurrents

Today, we check in with our transportation reporter to get the latest on the spiking gas prices around the Bay Area. Then, Americana and roots singer Miko Marks, talks about her special residency at Yoshi’s. And, a Samoan dynasty in Deathmatch Wrestling.

Getting around the bay has never been… cheap. But if you’ve stopped to fill up your gas tank recently, you’ve definitely noticed that the price per gallon, even with a cash discount, is higher than ever. To understand what’s influencing that rapid increase in gas prices, Crosscurrents host Hana Baba speaks with KALW’s transportation reporter Zain Iqbal, for a segment of what we call “Getting Aroun...

The Oakland-based singer, Miko Marks, first came onto the music scene as a country artist. But Miko’s powerful vocal range is wide, and so is her creativity. Now she identifies as an Americana and roots singer. She currently has a residency at Yoshi’s in Oakland that’s running now throughout the summer. Her next show is Thursday, May 21st. And her special guest is jazz legend Faye Carol.  Miko sat...

May is when we celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage. Next we’ll drop in on the world of wrestling. In the Bay Area’s world of pro-wrestling, Polynesian wrestlers are a small but influential group, with a rich and proud history. We bring you their story from our Culture Keepers series – celebrating the Bay Area’s unique spaces and people. Pro-wrestling is DRAMATIC. A combination...

Oaklanders are angry about the trash spilling onto their streets. Today, an exploration of Oakland’s illegal dumping crisis. And, why unhoused people often get the blame.

Illegal dumping in Oakland is not an issue you can deny, if you spend enough time in the city you will be met again and again by sprawling, incomprehensible mountains of trash. Last year, municipal crews in the city of Oakland collected over 7 million pounds of illegally dumped waste from city streets. And that’s just what they cleared, the trash on the streets keeps piling up. KALW’s Arlen Levy w...

An Oakland musician challenges traditions, while also keeping them alive. Today, the music of World War 2 incarceration camps that helped Japanese Americans protest, connect, and heal. Then, Hrishikesh Hirway, host of the hit podcast Song Exploder, shares how the show, and his new album, came to be.

Today we start with this question: What are the first sounds that come to mind when you think about war? If you happen to say music  - you’re not alone. Oakland musician Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto would agree. She is a beloved musician who has played music her whole life. And it’s music deeply influenced by her family’s history. She’s the descendant of Japanese immigrants who were incarcerated during...

Hrishikesh Hirway is best known as the host of the hit podcast Song Exploder - where he asks musicians to break down their creative process. Last spring, KALW’s Music Director Tshego Letsoalo got the distinct privilege of creating a sort of offshoot to Hirway’s podcast with Song Exploder Remix. Each week she stitches together a few episodes from the podcast around a common theme. And the only plac...

Today, we hear about a new women’s tackle football team has touched down in Oakland. Then, the past, present, and future of women’s basketball in the Bay.

Football is the most popular sport in America. But, that love doesn’t necessarily extend to athletes who aren’t cisgender men . And old, out-dated attitudes about who can (and should) play football, aren’t stopping athletes from making their mark on the sport.  At Oakland’s Laney College, there’s a storm brewing… The Golden State Storm to be exact! It’s the newest women’s tackle football team in t...

Last year, here at KALW, we rebooted our sports podcast, BOUNCE to follow the Valks progress through their first season in the Bay. And BOUNCE will be back following the second Valks season that just started. So recently we hosted a live event celebrating the launch: a tip off party. The event featured a panel discussing Valkyries, and explored the past, present and future of women’s basketball in...

Oakland is at a crossroads with its policies on homelessness. Today, we hear a conversation with Oaklandside housing and homelessness reporter Natalie Orenstein. But first, why it used to be an uphill battle to publish poetry about motherhood. A special live recording of “The Mother Of It All, podcast.” Plus, a reading from a local author. 

Leading up to Mother’s Day, KALW’s show Bay Made, our series that features local audio storytellers, has been airing episodes of the podcast “ The Mother Of It All. ”  The show dives into the different aspects about being a mother, with candid conversations about everything from pregnancy in the digital age, parenting trans children and even the cult of Dr. Becky. The hosts Sarah Wheeler and Miran...

Life is going to get tougher for Oakland's homeless population. Last month, the city council approved a new law on encampment sweeps that gives new powers to conduct sweeps, no longer requiring the city to provide housing for those who are displaced. At the same time, Mayor Barbara Lee has established a new office on homeless affairs, pushing against this policy of removing encampments without off...

Today, a segment from New Arrivals- our pocket sized book tour with Bay Area authors. In her book ‘ Why Fly? San Francisco author and pilot Caroline Paul takes us into the cockpit for the harrowing seconds and quick decisions that need to be made during/ an engine failure. 

California is suing the federal government to save our Clean Air Act. Today, a conversation with our Attorney General Rob Bonta. Then, the lead singer of the band Electric Ex explains the process behind their new album Analog Therapy. Plus, authors read from their books about nature, and humanity.

Right now, the state of California has a very litigious relationship with the federal government. Currently our state is actively working on 67 separate lawsuits against Trump’s administration. The legal disputes range from tariffs, public housing funding, sanctuary city policies, ICE agents wearing masks and even birth right citizenship. And, something notable is that almost a quarter of all the...

Treasure Island is changing fast — and a new professional women’s soccer facility is part of that transformation. Today, how it’s bringing opportunity, and uncertainty. Then, the artists behind a climate inspired art show in Downtown San Francisco.

Treasure Island redevelopment is underway. For months, construction crews have been building new housing, parks, and roads, transforming the island from a quiet, low-income community into one of San Francisco’s biggest new neighborhoods.  The city hopes to bring thousands of new residents to the Island /as part of its plan to expand housing across San Francisco. Reporter Grace McCarty takes us to...

For the past couple of years KALW has had a second home at the Mills Building on Montgomery Street in Downtown San Francisco. Besides making great radio here, and training new journalists, we host lots of live events for listeners… like you! Recently one of those events brought guests deeper into the building… to a curated installation inside the halls of the Mills Building: Earth, Air, Fire, Wate...

Today, a conversation about how AI is rapidly shaping, and changing, journalism. Then, we hear how more and more people are turning to AI chatbots to help with grieving.

Nowadays, there is a good chance you have heard - or been in conversations about- all the different ways that artificial intelligence is changing the landscape of work. And it’s real. U.S. hospitals have doubled their adoption of AI in two years. Finance companies now execute 70% of equity trades through AI algorithms.  And Amazon deployed over 1 million warehouse robots that have boosted producti...

Artificial intelligence is not just changing how we get our information, but also in some cases, how we emotionally process a major life event, like death. When loved ones die we find ways to hold on  — through photos, stories, and keepsakes.  Now, things like AI memorial platforms and companion chatbots offer digitized connection with the dead. But with these technologies becoming more common, wh...

One mariachi ensemble in the Bay Area is reframing traditions. Today, we bring you the art and music of Mariachi Femenil. Then, we hear how seven thousand stranded passengers in a small Canadian town inspired a broadway musical.