Crosscurrents Podcast

In November of 2018, Chico resident and expecting mother-to-be Kaylan Sigel began writing letters in a journal to her unborn son. Four days after penning the first entry, Kaylan’s life was turned upside down when the Camp Fire of Butte County burned down her home.

Alpine county has been working for three years to change the name of a mountain peak named after a Confederate president. Why does it take so long? Then, the musical Hamilton is giving high school students a new way to see and hear history. And, we’re headed to the west side of Golden Gate Park, where marksmen and women take aim. Plus, a new reading from our "New Arrivals" series.

As COVID continues to spread throughout California prisons, and cases in San Quentin surpass 1,400, people share letters they wrote to their incarcerated loved ones. And, we hear from one of the men who, until last week, was behind bars at San Quentin. It's a special episode from the Uncuffed team.

Santa Clara County passed a resolution declaring that racism is a public health crisis. What does that mean for the county? Then, book shop supporters around the Bay Area rally to save their beloved independents. And, a reading from a local author’s new novel.

COVID-19 cases at San Quentin State prison have surpassed one thousand. We hear from a law professor who has been following the outbreak. Then, we return to San Francisco’s backyard, for the next installment of the Golden Gate Parkcast, where we meet the park’s hairiest denizens. And, a reading from a local children’s author whose new book is about surfing... and emotions.

Plus, today's local music is Oakland-based artist Baeilou featuring Mani Draper from Richmond. Their new track "Uneven" was produced by Nahuel Bronzini.

In this story from The Spiritual Edge, we meet a Palestinian man trying to navigate one of the thorniest conflicts imaginable — whether Palestinians and Israelis can exist peacefully on a landmass barely bigger than the nine-county Bay Area.

Most religions teach people to help those in need. But what happens when that mandate clashes with how the government views the law? In this story from The Spiritual Edge, we hear how federal prosecutors cracked down on volunteers providing aid on the border. 

It's been 100 days since shelter-in-place began and people across the Bay Area are taking stock of how their lives have been transformed. Locals are trying to keep the spotlight on historical injustices, while dealing with our strange new corona-reality. It’s Day By Day: KALW's Quarantine Diaries.

San Francisco lost one of its most influential queer elders this year. Phyllis Lyon was a lesbian activist and trailblazer. She died in April at the age of 95. Phyllis developed dementia in her final years and was able to live independently in her own home. Or so she thought. A community of lesbian, queer, and trans people supported her with kindness... and deceit.

Constance Johnson chronicles her experience sheltering in place with her two kids on a converted school bus in Richmond. Then, an artist tells the stories of LGBTQ+ history in San Francisco through acting. And, we hear a reading from a San Francisco poet whose debut poetry collection has just been published.

This week the Bay Area entered its fourth month of shelter in place. It's a confusing time: infection rates are climbing in some counties, just as some are welcoming back diners.

For the past three months we’ve been checking in with people from all around the Bay Area, to see how the pandemic is affecting their day-to-day lives. It’s Day By Day: KALW's Quarantine Diaries.

California public schools are moving slowly to address the most common reading disability. In the second part of a two-part series, we hear about who is getting left behind. And, in the latest from our New Arrivals series, we hear a reading from a local author.

California public schools are moving slowly to address the most common reading disability. We’ll hear about who is getting left behind. Then, we learn who’s behind the name of San Francisco’s Castro District. And, we’ll hear a reading from a local author and garden expert who’s written a book about growing marijuana in the garden.

From our series on essential workers, we bring you an episode on a butcher who's doing things a little differently. Then, we’ll take a look at the legacy the Black Panthers left in East Oakland.

Nearly 3 months into shelter-in-place, society is beginning to reopen. People are heading outside. For some it’s to restaurants or back to work. Many are joining the anti-racism protests that began over two weeks ago. And change is happening - in communities, and in government. At the same time, experts warn that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again. This week we check in with a group of people as they decide how to move forward in the midst two unfolding crises. It’s Day By Day: KALW's Quarantine Diaries.

School’s out, flights are canceled, and many of us are thinking about getting outside … if we can. We find out how to camp safely and responsibly in the summer of COVID. Then, we're rexamining stereotypes about who is and who is not ‘outdoorsy.’ And, we’ll hear a reading from a local author who writes about a painful family history.

How is the agriculture industry faring in the new normal? We look at how family farms are adjusting during shelter-in-place. Then, East Bay musicians share what it’s like to be LGBTQ in the pop-punk scene. And, we'll continue our "New Arrivals" series featuring local authors. Plus, we're remembering Oakland's Bonnie Pointer.

A clinic in East Oakland is on the frontlines of fighting the spread of the coronavirus. We'll hear one doctor's thoughts on whether restrictions are being relaxed too soon. Then, a funeral director says the pandemic is making it easier for some loved ones to say goodbye. And, we head to San Quentin state prison, and hear from two unlikely cellmates.

Since the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order took effect over 11 weeks ago, we’ve been hearing the voices and opinions of a mix of people to find out how they are dealing with these extraordinary times. In these past months, we’ve learned a lot about the virus. It has affected our work, our lives, and revealed longstanding racial disparities. In some states, black Americans are more than three to seven times more likely to die from COVID-19 than whites. So, when the video of the police killing of George Floyd sparked uprisings and protests across the country, thousands of residents gathered and put their lives at risk to protest something bigger. It’s Day By Day: KALW's Quarantine Diaries.

Thousands of Bay Area residents feel compelled to protest, but many struggle to balance that against the threat of COVID-19. We’ll hear what protesters can do to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. Then, we talk to Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods about the protests. And, we continue our new arrivals series featuring local bay area authors.

Today, we're considering the relationship between police and people of color. Before the current wave of protests, one Bay Area athlete sacrificed his career by demanding change.

This documentary originally aired on November 15, 2016.

The Bay Area erupted in protest over the weekend. We hear from a Oakland journalist Darwin BondGraham about OPD's response. And, we celebrate San Francisco's oldest gay bar as it closes its doors amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order took effect over 10 weeks ago, we’ve been checking in with a mix of people to find out how they are dealing with these extraordinary times. It’s Day By Day: KALW's Quarantine Diaries.

Plus, we hear new music from a local band. Sealand, from San Jose, recently released their new album, Eternity. 

A small business owner in East Oakland shares how the coronavirus is affecting his work. Then, we hear how the pandemic has turned Lake Merritt into a place of refuge and anxiety. And, we’ll go to a place where amateurs and pros alike learn to cast a line.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Americans into sudden intimacy with difficult feelings: anxiety, fear, and grief. In this story from The Spiritual Edge, we get to know a North Carolina woman whose Buddhist practice has helped her navigate fear and grief.

Time in the pandemic seems to be moving faster now, with all Bay Area counties loosening shelter-in-place restrictions. For the past nine weeks, we’ve been checking in daily with folks from around the Bay to hear how they are dealing with life during COVID-19. Today, we’ll hear about a senior who sings, a teacher on his last day of class, and a bookseller happy to see regulars again... It's the Quarantine Diaries.

California is distributing millions of dollars to undocumented residents to help them through the pandemic, but it still might not be enough. Then, a group of Black women artists gather to address critical issues.

In this story from The Spiritual Edge, we'll meet Al and Andi Tauber, married singer-songwriters who direct music for a congregation of urban Mennonites in Chicago. Like their Amish and Quaker spiritual cousins, Mennonites favor the simple life, but they see God in city life too. For the Taubers, this means taking their faith and music to the streets.

Faith leaders in Oakland are pushing for Governor Newsom to open churches throughout the state. We hear why this rally struck a chord with Oakland residents. Then, we meet a biologist who feeds San Francisco's only albino alligator. And, the story of how one man in prison turned his life around by pulling strings. Literally.

Since the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order took effect over eight weeks ago, we’ve been checking in with a mix of people to find out how they are dealing with these extraordinary times. Today, we’ll hear from an 88-year-old poet, an unemployed potter, and a frustrated restaurant owner. It’s Day By Day: Quarantine Diaries.

Plus, we end today's show featuring Oakland-based singer songwriter Emily Afton. Her latest EP "Consideration" came out in March.