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
COVID-19 Vaccine Update / Chiropracter @WORK / Oakland Murals
California has moved on to a new vaccination phase: Now, people 65 and older have priority. But, there’s very limited supply. Today, we hear about the…
- Crosscurrents
Why Clowns Are Essential / Roman Mars / Hostile Architecture
A Bay Area non-profit is bringing laughter to hospitals and assisted living centers. Today, we hear why clowning is essential. Then, 99% Invisible host Roman…
- Crosscurrents
Finding Common Ground / Seniors Combat Loneliness / Highway 280
President Biden’s inaugural speech was focused on unity. But, how can we achieve it? Today, we talk to Professor john a. powell of UC Berkeley's Othering and…
- Crosscurrents
The Progressive Prosecutor Pt 1 / Chinatown Pretty
Today, we look at how a decision Chesa Boudin's parents made shaped his path from the public defender's office to the prosecutor's seat. It's the first…
- Crosscurrents
@Work With A Visual Journalist / Vaccine Equity / San Francisco's New Poet Laureate
Today, we hear from a visual journalist who documented this year’s events during a global pandemic. Then, a health equity expert pushes back on the hesitancy…
- Crosscurrents
Farming During COVID-19 / Assemblymember Alex Lee / Diego Rivera Murals
Today, a farmer talks about how the pandemic has changed her work. It's part of an ongoing series called "At Work." Then, we hear from California’s youngest…
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Criminalizing Mental Illness, Part 2
The three largest mental health treatment facilities in the U.S. are jails. The criminal justice system has become the primary way the United States deals with…
- Crosscurrents
Criminalizing Mental Illness, Part 1
In part one of a two-part investigation into how the country’s jails have become our default mental health treatment centers, we go to Santa Rita jail in…
- Crosscurrents
The Stoop: That Black Tax
When you’re the one in your family who ‘made it’ sometimes there’s an expectation to share your wealth and help relatives. Black communities call it the Black…
- Crosscurrents
The Fox Guy / Endangered Insects / Planting Trees In Stockton
Today, we meet the Fox Guy, a man devoted to protecting the elusive gray fox and other animals that live along the bay. Then, we consider what happens when…
- Crosscurrents
California Lawmakers At The Capitol / Vaccine Rollout / Shirley Weber
In today's show, California lawmakers describe their experience under attack at the U.S. Capitol. Then, we get an update on why the COVID-19 vaccine rollout…
- Crosscurrents
The Stoop: Black On Air
Black women journalists have had to face criticism and jump over many hurdles to be seen and taken seriously. We explore what it means to be a Black woman on…
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee / Oakland Artist Bryan Keith Thomas / Uncuffed
As the latest wave of coronavirus cases has prompted increased restrictions, U.S. lawmakers are still trying to negotiate a relief package. Congresswoman…
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The Stoop: All Black Everything?
What happens when your community, your group, has certain behaviors, that you just don’t want to engage in? Or don’t support? A Stanford psychologist breaks…
- Crosscurrents
Quarantine Diaries: Special Episode
Next week will mark nine months since Bay Area health officials first ordered residents to shelter-in-place. As we approach the end of this year, bracing for a…
- Crosscurrents
Oakland Anti-Violence Activist / Teen Drumming Sensation / Uncuffed
Homicides are way up in Oakland this year, surpassing last year’s count. We hear from an anti-violence activist on what’s driving these killings. Then, meet an…
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Black Satire
Danielle Fuentes Morgan On The Revolutionary Power Of Black SatireLives Worth Living Through Humor, by Dara M WilsonComedy Is For The People, by Alexandria…
- Crosscurrents
How Stockton's Mayor Lost / Solano County's Health Director / An Urban African Diasporal Artist
How Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs May Have Lost His Job Because Of A Controversial "News" SiteSolano County Builds Community Trust Before Rolling Out…
- Crosscurrents
Menstruating While Homeless / SF Poet Laureate Kim Shuck / The Future Of Science Is Female
Periods Are A Monthly Crisis For Homeless WomenSan Francisco Poet Laureate Kim Shuck Has the Mic, and She's Speaking Up for Indigenous WomenNew Arrivals: Zara…
- Crosscurrents
Why Armenians Love Steve Kerr / Rebuilding Family While Behind Bars / New Arrivals: She Votes
Why Armenians Love Steve Kerr. It’s Not Basketball. It’s Thanks to Steve Kerr’s GrandparentsRebuilding Family Relationships From Inside Prison WallsNew…
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Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris / Vinyl Nation
When Kamala Harris left her post as California’s Attorney General to join the senate her political stances appeared to shift Today, we’re bringing you the…
- Crosscurrents
Who Is Kamala Harris? Ep. 5 - That Little Girl From Berkeley Goes to Washington
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was only the second Black woman and the second Asian American to have ever served in the U.S. Senate. She gained a…
- Crosscurrents
Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris? / Uncuffed
Vice President elect Kamala Harris surprised the people closest to her when she chose her career. Today, in another episode from the new podcast Chronicled…
- Crosscurrents
Who Is Kamala Harris? Ep. 3 - That Little Girl Was Me
Today, we're continuing a new series from the San Francisco Chronicle looking at Vice President-elect Kamala Harris's early life and career as a prosecutor to…
- Crosscurrents
Who Is Kamala Harris? Ep. 2 - Bigger Job, Bigger Fights
Today, we're bringing you a new series from the San Francisco Chronicle that looks at Vice President-elect Kamala Harris's early life and career as a…
- Crosscurrents
Who Is Kamala Harris? Ep. 1 - Top Cop
San Francisco is a city of just seven by seven miles, but it's produced some of the nation’s biggest political names — most recently Vice President-elect…
- Crosscurrents
San Francisco's Plan For Housing / Valerie Troutt's 'The Oakland Girl' / Uncuffed
At the beginning of the pandemic, San Francisco rented over 2,000 hotel rooms to move unhoused people off the street. Today, we hear how they plan to move…
- Crosscurrents
Richmond Elections / Growing Up With Albinism / New Arrivals
Progressive candidates won big in the city of Richmond — we discuss what those election results mean. Then, a Black author talks about growing up with albinism…
- Crosscurrents
San Francisco Election Results / West African Dance In Oakland / Teaching Truck-Driving In Prison
San Francisco voters have had their say, so what do the election results mean for Bayview-Hunters Point? We hear post election analysis from Hoodline reporter…
- Crosscurrents
Oakland Elections / Dance Like The World Is Ending / Berkeley Noir
Today, we go to Oakland to check on election results and how they will change the city. Then, we hear about a band that’s always switching things up. And, we…
- Crosscurrents
Local Elections / East Palo Alto / New Arrivals
While we’re still glued to our screens waiting for a final verdict on the presidential race, we're also looking at local elections results. We hear how people…
- Crosscurrents
Homelessness During An Election / Poll Workers
As voters cast their ballots, intimidation and suppression tactics are emerging, and those experiencing homelessness are especially vulnerable. Today, we take…
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tbh: Athletes And Activism
This year has marked a turning point in how American athletes have engaged in political issues. Today, we’ll hear from our teenaged reporters from the podcast…
- Crosscurrents
Alameda Could Allow Denser Housing / Getting Bayview Voters To The Polls / New Arrivals
Residents in the City of Alameda are debating over building more dense housing. We learn more about Measure Z. Then, we head to Bayview, an area with…
- Crosscurrents
Prop 17: Voting For Parolees / Californians In Texas / Ghosts In The Bay Area
The election is just a week away, and Californians will decide on a measure that could allow people on parole to vote. Today, we learn more about Prop 17…
- Crosscurrents
San Francisco's Proposition A / East Palo Alto Voters / New Arrivals
San Francisco bond measures are usually planned out years in advance, but this year, Proposition A got a last minute edit. Today, we hear about a bond focusing…
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Discipline In Schools
America’s entrenched institutional racism has roots in its schools. Today, we hear first-hand stories of how prejudice has impacted the education of Black…
- Crosscurrents
Climate Change In Wine Country / Oakland Voters / Story Medicine Woman Tureeda Mikell
Recent wildfires have made grapes in wine country unfit for consumption. Today, we hear from winemakers in Sonoma. Then, the managing editor of The Oaklandside…
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Remembering Loved Ones Killed By Police / Voting In Richmond / New Arrivals
The aunt of a man shot and killed by police in 2017 wants people to know about the family he left behind. Today, we’re looking at the aftermath of police…
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Diversity ≠ Integration
Segregation is a common scene in Bay Area high schools. When children are separated by race, voluntarily or involuntarily, how does that impact the way our…
- Crosscurrents
East Oakland District 7 / Health Effects Of Wildfire Smoke / Managing Wildfires
The race for East Oakland’s District 7 is on. We talk about the issues on the table — and there are a lot of them. Then, what are the health effects of all the…
- Crosscurrents
Reaching Low-Voter Turnout Areas / Battling Depression In A One-Man Show / New Arrivals
With Election Day just three weeks away, we talk about the effort to get out the vote in the lowest voter turnout precincts. Then, actor Brian Copeland brings…
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Wheelchair Basketball Is Just Basketball
Finding your place can be hard. Just ask a high schooler. Today, we hear from young people about how they build community and confidence — even during a…
- Crosscurrents
Oakland Murals Honor Black Lives / Black At Albany / Movie Theaters Struggle To Survive
Some of the most powerful art in Oakland isn’t on a canvas in a gallery, it’s on plywood covering store windows — and many of these temporary murals honor the…
- Crosscurrents
Looking Back At The Frisco Five Hunger Strike / Violinist Alisa Rose
Today, we take a look back at a powerful act of civil disobedience that changed the San Francisco Police Department: The Frisco Five hunger strike. Then, we…
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Cancel Culture
Young people are struggling with a tech world that can quickly turn somebody from an influencer into an outcast. In the next episode of tbh, we're taking a…
- Crosscurrents
Pregnancy And Pesticides: Doctors And Lawyers Team Up
In Monterey County, mothers who worked in farm fields during their pregnancies worry about the effect it’s had on their children. We hear about a lawsuit that…
- Crosscurrents
Pregnancy And Pesticides / Oakland Roots Compete For NISA Championship
For two decades, researchers have been studying the effect on women in Salinas Valley who work in the fields while pregnant. We meet one young woman who's been…
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Representation In Video Games
Gender bias can start early and have lasting effects. Today, we’re passing the mic to the next generation, to hear how sexism and other inequities play out…
- Crosscurrents
2020 Census Deadline Approaches / DJ Nina Sol / Folsom Street Fair
It’s crunch time for census 2020 — there's only nine days left and the focus on reading "hard to count" populations. We get an update on the progress in…
- Crosscurrents
tbh: Healthy Relationships
Ask a high school student, and they’ll tell you: They’re missing out on some of the education they need. Today, we’re bringing you inside the world of…
- Crosscurrents
Keeping Libraries Open / New Arrivals Podcast
In Oakland, library branches are closed, but for kids and families, their services are needed more than ever. We’ll meet a children’s librarian who’s finding…
- Crosscurrents
White Coats For Black Lives / Ethnic Studies Requirement In California Colleges
Medical students are demanding racism be treated like a public health emergency. We hear about White Coats for Black Lives. Then, a personal story from our Bay…
- Crosscurrents
Fantastic Negrito Addresses Mental Health In New Album / New From Uncuffed
Oakland artist Fantastic Negrito has a new album out. We hear how he’s using his Black Roots sound to address mental health. Then, an interview with a formerly…
- Crosscurrents
Farmworkers Risk Health During Wildfires / Disability Activist Alice Wong / New Arrivals
California is burning, but the state’s farmworkers are still going to work, risking their health. We hear from activists who worry that 2020’s disasters is…
- Crosscurrents
Teaching High School / Graduating During A Pandemic / New Arrivals
Schools have started back up, but it’s nothing like it used to be. We hear what it’s like teaching via zoom after years in a classroom. Then, we find out what…
- Crosscurrents
THE INTERSECTION: Black Lives Matter Meets Black Rock City At Burning Man
Yesterday, we met a group of people planning a protest about racial inclusion at Burning Man, but it's not that easy when you're in the middle of the desert…
- Crosscurrents
THE INTERSECTION: Radical Inclusion Meets Racial Exclusion At Burning Man
Most years, tens of thousands of people gather and build a temporary city in the Nevada desert for Burning Man. Why is an event that’s guided by a principle of…
- Crosscurrents
THE INTERSECTION: Past Meets Present At Burning Man
Burning Man is known for a lot of things. The art. The parties. The wooden man that’s set ablaze every year. But most participants don’t know much about the…
- Crosscurrents
THE INTERSECTION: Revelry Meets Reverence At Burning Man
Burning Man began yesterday and this year it's virtual. The theme is the multiverse. Today, we’re going to bring you into that world by taking you inside its…
