Shows / Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents is KALW Public Radio's award-winning news magazine, broadcasting in the Bay Area Mondays through Thursdays on 91.7 FM. We make joyful, informative stories that engage people across the economic, social, and cultural divides in our community.
Episodes
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Rallying A Community To Turn Knowledge Into Action
Today, how environmental advocates are rallying their community to turn knowledge into action. Then, San Jose' Portugal Day. And, a collection of readings from…
- Crosscurrents
Ep. 7: Sea Level Rise — Balancing awareness and hope at Oxnard’s Ormond Beach
Ventura County’s Ormond Beach is a wetland home to wildlife and a potential refuge for the nearby community. But it’s coastline has been industrial for…
- Crosscurrents
The feeling of Saudade at San Jose's Dia de Portugal
Saudade. It’s a word in Portuguese that describes a deep sense of longing, a bittersweet nostalgia for something that’s no longer here. For many in the…
- Crosscurrents
New Arrivals: A collection of readings from local authors
Here are some readings from our series New Arrivals, a pocket-sized book tour with Bay Area authors.
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Building Your Personal Brand
Today, is all about finding success in personal brands. First, how WNBA players are shaping consumer culture. Then, we hear how food can inspire more than an…
- Crosscurrents
@Work: Culture, childhood food, and social media videos
Thousand of people are making a living as food content creators. They’re gaining big followings on YouTube and social media. Here, reporter Steffi Puerto talks…
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Meet your friendly neighborhood Satanists.
Satanism’s modern renaissance took place right here, in Bay Area, in the 1960s, when Anton LaVey established the Church of Satan in a small, all black…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Sand Dunes, And Safety On Public Transit
San Francisco’s newest park is dealing with coastal erosion. A BART campaign works to address harassment. And, authors read from their books for young people.
- Crosscurrents
Ep 6: Sea Level Rise — Dune restoration at Ocean Beach
Part six of our series on sea level rise looks at a dune restabilization project at Ocean Beach, and a wastewater treatment plant that is being threatened by…
- Crosscurrents
How are public transit agencies addressing harassment on board
The majority of South Bay transit riders, whether on train, bus, or light-rail, have experienced or witnessed some kind of harassment. KALW and Mosaic…
- Crosscurrents
New Arrivals: Books for young readers
Here are some readings from our series New Arrivals, a pocket-sized book tour with Bay Area authors. Today we’re featuring a collection of stories for young…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Threats To Pharmacies And Public Lands
Today we hear about the middlemen who are partly to blame for local pharmacy closures. Then, how National Parks are having to make big changes.
- Crosscurrents
The why behind local pharmacy closures
Pharmacies are shuttering around the Bay Area. Today we hear about the middlemen who are partly to blame.
- Crosscurrents
How Wild: The state of California’s public lands
Earlier this week KALW's Marissa Ortega Welch hosted a special live edition of her podcast, How Wild, about the state of California public lands. She spoke…
- Crosscurrents
On Repeat: Tarik Ansari
On Repeat is a mini-pod for music discovery. In this segment, we’ll hear from Tarik Ansari, one of KALW’s on-air announcers. Tarik gets us in the mood for…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Satanic Rituals, And Pet Parties
Today, we meet our friendly neighborhood Satanists. Then, we hear how small business owners are getting creative in a growing industry. And, a collection of…
- Crosscurrents
These art vendors help pet owners show off their furry friends
Pets are big business here in the Bay. Americans are spending about 240 million dollars every year on their animal companions. We visit a pet party in San Jose…
- Crosscurrents
New Arrivals: Berkeley writers
Here are some readings from our series New Arrivals, a pocket-sized book tour with Bay Area authors. Today we’re featuring a collection of Berkeley writers.
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Perched On The Edge Of Hope
Today we take you to the US-Mexico border where the Tijuana river is overflowing with sewage. Then, we pop into the launch party for KALW's new…
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Ep. 5 Sea Level Rise: The environment sees no borders
Residents and environmental advocates confront a decades-in-the-making binational pollution crisis that continues to plague the U.S. - Mexico border.
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'Notes From The Edge' launch party
Jeff Chang's new podcast “Notes From the Edge” held their launch party recently at Warfield Commons. On the show Jeff and his visionary guests look at our…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Riding The Waves Of Change
Erosion is affecting popular surf spots in Santa Cruz. Oakland hip-hop artist talks about ageism. Then, music from artists who didn’t get the recognition they…
- Crosscurrents
Ep. 4: Sea Level Rise — Protecting the coast and surf in Santa Cruz
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…
- Crosscurrents
Sights + Sounds: RyanNicole's album '#YoursTruly'
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…
- Crosscurrents
On Repeat: JoAnn Mar
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…
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Congress has eliminated funding for public media
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…
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Ep. 3: Sea Level Rise — Growing community from a flood plain
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…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Coping With Rising Tides
Today, we’ll hear how residents of an agricultural townare working towards solutions to flooding. Then, a local photojournalist who has been documenting the…
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Local photojournalist faces challenges "capturing the moment"
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…
- Crosscurrents
Bay Poets: "Sometimes the Moon" by poet Dr. Naomi Helena Quinonez
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…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Looking For Help In Hard Times
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…
- Crosscurrents
Ep. 2: Sea Level Rise — How one restaurant rises to the challenge
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…
- Crosscurrents
Chaos and confusion in closure of an Oakland homeless shelter
A homeless shelter in Oakland closed this week. But things did not go as expected—here's how.
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Bay Poets: 'this poem is in honor of homeless mothers' by poet Tiny Gray-Garcia
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…
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SHOW: It's Time For Tipoff
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.
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Wheelchair basketball is just basketball
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…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Reclaiming The Land
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…
- Crosscurrents
Ep.1: Sea Level Rise — High tides and an upstream battle on the Napa River
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.
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Land Back - A fight for reparations and recognition
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…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Walking For Pedestrian Safety, And A Corpse Flower Blooms
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…
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The joys, and dangers, of walking in San Francisco
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…
- Crosscurrents
Book It: Film noir in gay 1990s San Francisco
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…
- Crosscurrents
When a San Francisco corpse flower blooms — what happens next?
On Tuesday evening the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers announced that their corpse flower, named Chanel, was beginning its bloom. KALW’s Wren Farrell…
- Crosscurrents
Uncuffed: Finding Home
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…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Hope, Humor, And Healing Your Inner Critic
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.
- Crosscurrents
Rebuilding life after prison
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.
- Crosscurrents
Uncuffed: My proudest moment — Stand Up at San Quentin
Uncuffed producer Matt Sheppard is also a comedian. He shares some jokes from a memorable stand-up performance at the prison.
- Crosscurrents
Sights + Sounds: Masha Ellsworth takes on her inner critic
Have you ever tried to do something really important, but you hear that annoying, negative voice inside that tears you down? Award-winning filmmaker Masha…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Mandolin Orchestra, And Supreme Court Civil Rights History
Today, we meet a local mandolin ensemble. Then, the Supreme Court’s history of resistance to Black progress. And, we’ll hear some readings from local fiction…
- Crosscurrents
Longtime local mandolin supergroup readies first album
Mandolin orchestras were everywhere during the early 20th Century. It turns out that the Bay Area is the birthplace of a mandolin super-group founded by a man…
- Crosscurrents
Scholar reveals Supreme Court’s history of resistance to Black progress
Writer and scholar Brando Simeo Starkey’s new book, “Their Accomplices Wore Robes,” follows the US Supreme Court from the Civil War to today. He makes the case…
- Crosscurrents
New Arrivals: Fiction
Here are some readings from our series New Arrivals, a pocket-sized book tour with Bay Area authors. Today we’re featuring a collection of fiction writers.
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Hopes And Fears From Ancient Wisdom And Future Tech
Today, the public and private partnerships in the city’s policing. Then, a hip-hop musical about Oakland’s spirit. And, reading Plato in prison gave one man a…
- Crosscurrents
Tech billionaire makes largest donation ever to SFPD
Last month the San Francisco’s police commission approved a plan to incorporate the largest donation ever made to SFPD. What does the city stand to gain, or…
- Crosscurrents
Sights + Sounds: RyanNicole and hip-hop musical "Co-Founders"
RyanNicole is an actress and Grammy-nominated hip hop artist who co-wrote and co-stars in the musical “Co-Founders.” In it one young brilliant coder is trying…
- Crosscurrents
Bay Poets: "Decomposing Mystic" by poet Danni Blackman
Poet Danni Blackman brings us this piece, that’s also their visual artist name, “Decomposing Mystic.” This one is all about finding forgiveness, especially for…
- Crosscurrents
Uncuffed: Reading Plato in prison
Uncuffed producer André Davis recognizes himself in Plato's allegory of the cave.
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Autistic Joy
Today on Crosscurrents, we bring you one of our favorite episodes of The Stoop Podcast. In it we meet Ayanna Davis to learn what it means to be "Phenomenally…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: The Gender Pay Gap In Sports
Today, It's a new episode of BOUNCE: The Valkyries's First Season In The Bay. This time, we hear from players and coaches on the WNBA’s rapid growth. And, as…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Connecting And Caring
Today, how poetry can invite us to celebrate the threads that connect us to one another. And, the history, hard work, and personal stories of caregiving in…