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
Sea Level Rise — Growing community from a flood plain
Pescadero is a small farming town about two miles east of highway 1 on the coast. Today how the residents of the agricultural town in San Mateo County have…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Our Collective and Personal Histories
Today, we peer through the lens of over 120 years of Muni photography. Then, an immersive show that is set in one of the San Francisco homes that survived the…
- Crosscurrents
The history of San Francisco through the lens of Muni photographers
A photographic exhibit at City Hall that came from a hidden archive highlights one of San Francisco’s most venerable institutions.
- Crosscurrents
Sights and Sounds: 'EARTHQUAKE! Shaken, But Standing Strong'
"EARTHQUAKE! Shaken, But Standing Strong" is an immersive historical show and tour of the surviving Haas-Lilienthal House that will take place on April 17 and…
- Crosscurrents
Baseball, a broken window, and an empathy lesson
Uncuffed producer Michael Callahan shares a story about how sometimes the roles get reversed when he's parenting from prison.
- Crosscurrents
'What Remains Eternal' by poet James Cagney
For poetry month Oakland poet James Cagney walks us down memory lane with an ode to the home he grew up in. Here is his piece 'What Remains Eternal.'
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Politics and Poetry
Today, a conversation with Congressional candidate Marie Hurabiell. Then, the return of the East Bay literary festival Beast Crawl. And, we honor poet Bob…
- Crosscurrents
State Of The Bay: Marie Hurabiell's Congressional Bid
KALW’s State of the Bay has been inviting the candidates for California’s 11th district to come on their show. And we’ve been airing segments of those…
- Crosscurrents
Sights and Sounds: Beast Crawl 2026
April is National Poetry Month and Downtown Oakland has some of the best Bay Area poets delivering powerful prose. That’s because they’re part of the annual…
- Crosscurrents
Bay Poets: "Suicide" a Bob Kaufman poem read by Josiah Luis Alderete
April is National Poetry Month but it is also the birthday month of one of San Francisco's most iconic poets, Bob Kaufman. To mark the occasion, Bay Poets host…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Finding acceptance and ourselves
Today, a local voice actor and kids podcaster talks about his experience with autism. Then, one new play features four Berkeley teenagers seeking figurative…
- Crosscurrents
Jonathan Cormur raises autism awareness through his kids podcast
Today we feature an award winning Bay Area creator who says being neurodivergent is exactly what helped him excel at what he does. Jonathan Cormur is a San…
- Crosscurrents
Eisa Davis' new A.C.T. play about teen musicians
The play “Girls, Girls, Chance, Chance, Music, Music" is about four talented teens who spend their summer in Berkeley at a prestigious music program for girls…
- Crosscurrents
'A Meditation Movement' by poet A.A. Vincent
April is National Poetry Month! Here’s a poem about the perpetual need to rearrange our personal comfort throughout our lives.
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: National Poetry Month Continues!
Today, a conversation with Congressional candidate Saikat Chakrabarti. Then, we hear about one special song from the UnCuffed team. And, how one poet from the…
- Crosscurrents
State of the Bay: Saikat Chakrabarti's Congressional Bid
This is a big election year for California’s District 11. Nancy Pelosi has held the seat in the US House of Representatives since 1987 and her retirement has…
- Crosscurrents
Uncuffed My Mixtape: Scared Love
The Uncuffed My Mixtape is a selection of our producers' favorite songs. Here, Uncuffed producer Rahim Bradshaw interviewed Michael “Luqman ” Russell Jr. about…
- Crosscurrents
The jazzy musical poetry of Q.R. Hand Jr.
April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate in proper style Bay Poets has been exploring the Poetry Center at San Francisco State’s archives. Josiah Luis…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Celebrating NBA Dreams, and SWANA Cultures
Today, a young man from Vallejo takes his next step towards the NBA. We hear his story, and how his mother worked to keep his pro basketball dream alive. Then…
- Crosscurrents
Chasing the NBA dream from Vallejo
As the Golden State Warriors take the floor for their final home game of the regular season, questions still linger. With injuries shaping much of the year…
- Crosscurrents
Celebrating SWANA heritage with henna
The San Francisco Public Library is honoring SWANA - Southwest Asian and North African - Heritage month with programs including art, film, ballet... And a…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: A Tale of Two Bars
Many lesbian and queer bars are important community spaces, but they struggle to survive financially. Today, we visit two different queer bars in Oakland to…
- Crosscurrents
What does it take for a queer bar to survive in the Bay Area?
Late last year, the beloved Oakland queer bar Friends and Family announced the news that it was closing. Their community was so upset, devoted customers even…
- Crosscurrents
State of the Bay: Scott Wiener's Congressional Bid
Nancy Pelosi has held the District 11 seat in the US House of Representatives since 1987. She announced her retirement last fall and that has created the first…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: The 'All People Powered' Concert and Pitch Competition
Today, we hear from Congressional candidate, Connie Chan who's in the race to take over Nancy Pelosi’s US House of Representatives seat. Then, a song by a San…
- Crosscurrents
State of the Bay: Supervisor Connie Chan's Congressional Bid
KALW’s State of the Bay has been inviting to their show the candidates that want to fill Nancy Pelosi's soon to be vacant Congressional seat. It's an effort to…
- Crosscurrents
Uncuffed My Mixtape: 'Dreamin’' by Yoz
Uncuffed producer Jorge Lopez interviewed Ricardo “Ricky” Romaro about a song that serves as his soundtrack for positive change.
- Crosscurrents
Sights + Sounds: 'All People Powered' Concert & Pitch Competition
Last year, the musical “Co-Founders” combined hip hop, art and Bay Area culture in its technologically ground breaking show. “Co-Founders” is the story of two…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Treasures in the Archives
Today, one woman's government-funded quest to document the folk music of California in the 1930s… And a family discovers a long-lost recording of their…
- Crosscurrents
Public Records: One woman’s quest to document California’s folk music
Are there certain songs that have been passed down in your family — that you sing together at gatherings, or that parents sing as lullabies? If you moved…
- Crosscurrents
The International Hotel's poet of struggle
April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate in proper style Bay Poets has been exploring the Poetry Center at San Francisco State’s amazing archives…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Art That Explores Secrets, and Discovery
Today, a story about a young Oakland woman who’s a little lost… then finds herself in the middle of a mysterious cross country trip. Then, an indie folk artist…
- Crosscurrents
Sights + Sounds: Soma Mei Sheng Frazier's novel 'Off the Books'
In the new novel “Off the Books,” a young, Chinese-American woman works an underground job in The Town. She chauffeurs mysterious people to their destinations…
- Crosscurrents
Bay Poets: 'The Grisham House' by poet Maw Shein Win
Maw Shein Win was El Cerrito's inaugural poet laureate. Here she is reading her piece, ‘The Grisham House.'
- Crosscurrents
Bay Area Beats: August Lee Stevens finds power in vulnerability
August Lee Stevens is an indie soul and folk artist from that city. She’s a graduate of Oakland School of the Arts. She and has just In 2024 she released her…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: National Poetry Month, and a Resolution to SF's Big Boba Feud
It’s National Poetry Month! Today, the history of Bay Area poetry and San Francisco’s first Latino Poet Laureate. Then, we hear the deep thoughts and feelings…
- Crosscurrents
Celebrating the Mission with San Francisco's first Latino Poet Laureate
April is National Poetry Month, and to celebrate in proper style we’re exploring the amazing archives at San Francisco State’s Poetry Center. Josiah Luis…
- Crosscurrents
Lucien Gonzalez’s Poetry
Besides being National Poetry Month, April is also World Autism month, and today we're bringing you the words of Alameda poet Lucien Gonzalez. Lucian describes…
- Crosscurrents
The Great Boba Turf War finally comes to an end
Food fights aren’t new. But in every city, there’s a different battleground. In Los Angeles, it’s the raging debate over who makes the best French Dip…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Students Preparing for a Shared Future With AI
Three and a half years after the arrival of ChatGPT, many schools have been slow to write clear guidelines for how students should, and shouldn’t, use AI. It’s…
- Crosscurrents
The Homework Machine: AI creates gray areas for students and teachers
Today, we bring you the second story from our 2025 series: The Homework Machine. In part one, we heard about the rapid rise of AI, and what it’s meant for our…
- Crosscurrents
Bay Poets: 'Your Mind Can't Tell the Difference' by poet Larry Dorsey Jr
Adopting and adapting to new technologies is part of the human experience. For our segment Bay Poets, poet Larry Dorsey Jr. explores the blurred lines between…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Kids, Homework, and AI
A few years ago, teachers started suspecting their students might be using generative AI in their work. Today, we hear about AI in education. And for some…
- Crosscurrents
The Homework Machine: AI arrives in schools
Parents and teachers alike are continuing to grapple with what has undoubtedly been a hot education topic- artificial intelligence. Any K through 12 student…
- Crosscurrents
The Homework Machine: AI arrives in schools
Parents and teachers alike are continuing to grapple with what has undoubtedly been a hot education topic- artificial intelligence. Any K through 12 student…
- Crosscurrents
Bay Poets: 'Blind Man Dancing In The Rain' by poet Larry Dorsey Jr
Here’s Youth Speaks alumni Larry Dorsey Jr reading his poem “Blind Man Dancing In The Rain.”
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Plug-In Solar, Electric Trains, and Trash Falcons
There's a new kind of solar on the block... but will law-makers allow renters to use plug-in solar? Then, a fully electric train ride into the future of…
- Crosscurrents
Low-cost solar power is here – but hurdles remain
Electricity prices have risen sharply over the past decade. A new, cheap solar power option could cut bills. But it’s facing legal challenges. Crosscurrents…
- Crosscurrents
Caltrain jumps into the future, from diesel trains to electrification
If you’ve ridden Caltrain anywhere between San Francisco and San Jose recently, you might have noticed that those trains have made the jump to being fully…
- Crosscurrents
Amidst trash pollution in the Bay, Oakland neighborhood group finds delight
Reporter Laura Isaza brings us this story from 2023, of one OAKLAND group tackling the trash near their home.
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Happy Birthday, Sights and Sounds!
Today, two new stories from Uncuffed. Plus, a special conversation with the Sights and Sounds team about what they’re looking forward to in their second year.
- Crosscurrents
Uncuffed: From the driver's seat of a Mercury to the triggers of a machine gun
Uncuffed Solano producer Saladin Rushdan loved his first car, a Mercury. But after he was sent to fight in the Vietnam War, he came back a changed man, with…
- Crosscurrents
Uncuffed: Searching for my father, I found my sister
Uncuffed producer Daniel Cowie struggled to find the courage to reach out to his father. But a conversation at Solano State Prison changed everything — and led…
- Crosscurrents
The Sights and Sounds Show celebrates its first anniversary
Last year, KALW’s Jenee Darden launched a new show all about arts and culture around the Bay. Now, the Sights and Sounds Show is celebrating its first…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: 'Remembering Our Future'
Today, Author Meena Harris talks about her new children’s book where a little girl asks "Where are all the statues of women?" Then, we explore the science…
- Crosscurrents
Sights and Sounds: Meena Harris and 'Maya's Big Question' book
Where are the women? That’s a question a little girl named Maya had. She is the main character in the book "Maya’s Big Question." In the story, Maya goes on a…
- Crosscurrents
Ways of Knowing Podcast: From Terminator to Time Travel
Some works of fiction seem to have predetermined where we are now as a society... And where we might be headed. To dive into these questions, KALW recently…
- Crosscurrents
State of the Bay: Art that Imagines the Future
The Common Wheel Gallery in Bolinas is asking big questions. About how communities around the world respond to a time of global uncertainty. The exhibit is…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Buzzing into Spring
You may have heard the phrase save the bees. Well turns out, maybe not ALL bees should be saved. Today, how we can help save California’s native bees. Then, a…
- Crosscurrents
SHOW: Rock On, Muslim Woman!
Muslim American women have to face Islamophobia, but when you’re also Black - it’s even more complicated. Today, we meet women navigating the intersection of…