Crosscurrents Podcast

After a month delay to the start of crab season, we’ll hear from a fisherman on the future of the industry and the oceans. Then we’ll meet the author of the latest book on Batman. And we'll drop by a community in Alameda that transforms its block into a winter wonderland.

The H-1B is one of the most commonly-used work visas in the United States, and the Trump Administration is denying them at a record rate. Data reporter Sinduja Rangarajan spent eight months investigating why.

A federally-guaranteed educational rights for homeless students is under the microscope. Then, we hear about strategies for getting through the holidays in prison.

The students of Berkeley High are fighting to make their campus more sustainable. Then, a Cirque du Soleil clown talks about life under the big top. And, this week's Audiograph, a signature sound from around the Bay.

The homeless crisis in Oakland has pushed some people to extreme measures, like taking over an empty home they don’t own. We’ll hear about Moms 4 Housing. Then, we’ll hear from musician Carly Bond about how her family history influenced the title of her first record, "Heart Hunger." And, we sing with an Oakland group that performs Eastern European traditional music.

The government says deepening shipping canals in the Bay for oil tankers will reduce emissions and drive down gas prices. But environmentalists say it’s only deepening our reliance on fossil fuels. Then, a woman who finally made it to Burning Man, after years of being told she couldn’t.

Stanford researcher studies our brains and the emotion of empathy. Turns out, we can teach it. Then, we meet a man on his way out of prison.

West Oakland has a problem with diesel pollution, and trucks are part of it. We’ll find out how truck routes are changing. Then, Chronicle reporter Heather Knight joins us to talk about why San Francisco streets are getting more dangerous. And, a familiar San Francisco sound is going on hiatus.

A San Francisco-based court might block one of the Trump Administration’s signature immigration policies. We’ll hear more about that policy and how the court might rule. Then, what happens when you sing a song with toxic lyrics on repeat for three days straight?

A man denied an education as a San Francisco schoolboy gets a second chance. We’ll meet the lede plaintiff in a 1970s landmark lawsuit and see how his life has changed. Then, we’ll find a sympathetic ear in a time of need — San Francisco’s warm line is going statewide. And, author Mimi Lok writes about diaspora and Chinese women in her first book.

San Francisco supervisor Matt Haney set up a new taskforce to tackle drug dealing in the city — we’ll find out more about his plan. Then, we’ll hear from men inside San Quentin State Prison as they consider masculinity and music.

Today we're bringing you a special show featuring recent award-winning stories from our news department. First up, we’ll consider what a focus on the butterfly means for other creatures affected by climate change. Then, we’ll meet a young man who’s helping his Mayan community speak their truth in Bay Area courts. And, a delicious Audiograph.

The Great Highway at Ocean Beach will be closed for the next couple months because of erosion. We’ll meet the urban designers working on a solution. Then, an interview with one of the founders of Burning Man about the year that changed everything And, get ready for Thanksgiving dinner with an award-winning San Francisco chef.

Bay Area lawmakers are fighting to abolish private immigration detention centers. We'll find out how ICE has responded. Then, we’ll hear how activists create a sacred space for Native Americans at San Quentin. And, we’ll hear about some of the ways that Native Americans have fought for their rights while incarcerated.

A team of San Francisco public defenders is attempting to change the system. We’ll hear how rapid response legal counsel can get people out of jail faster. Then, this week's Audiograph takes us to a 'big game.'

Fifty years ago today, dozens of Native American activists occupied Alcatraz Island. We’ll hear from people fighting to preserve their culture. Then, a popular 19th-century Japanese magician in the United States inspired one actor to tell his story on stage. And, we take a look at the natural world of Shakespeare in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

A new type of housing is launching soon in San José — tiny homes. They’re temporary, cheaper to build, and easy to relocate. Then, we meet the Boys & Girls Club’s National Youth of the Year, and she’s from right here in San Francisco. And, we’ll hear about a former cop who bought a castle in San Francisco at a steep discount.

Today, San Francisco Chronicle’s energy reporter has been immersed in PG&E news ever since he took the job. What's he paying attention to? Then, we hear how yoga brings people together — in prison. The latest episode of Uncuffed. 

Mark Zuckerberg invited civil rights groups to dinner, to talk about hate content on Facebook. What did they talk about? Then, it’s about more than just spinning tunes for San Francisco DJ Lamont. And, we head to a local diner for this week's Audiograph.

An East Oakland community is still grieving over a hit-and-run accident and a laundromat is honoring the victims by pushing to make their streets safer for pedestrians. Then, if you live in East Oakland, where can you get fresh produce with a WIC voucher? And, a tech reporter goes deep into her troubling family history.

San Francisco’s next District Attorney pledged to end mass incarceration. What will that take? Then, the new season of THE INTERSECTION explores some of the less expected nooks of Burning Man — we’ll follow a family as they finish building a mutant vehicle in honor of their 91-year-old grandmother.

Mayor London Breed has been fighting for safe injection sites since she was first elected. We’ll hear what’s next in the legal battle. Then, author Carolina De Robertis explores what it means to be LGBTQ in her family’s country. And, for this week’s Audiograph, we’re venturing into the wild... right here in the city.

San Francisco’s Sheriff Vicki Hennessy reflects on the moments that shaped her career working in the city’s jails. Then, we’ll spend a day on the street with a professional canvasser.

It’s election day! We’ll hear about changes to the way San Francisco funds its candidates. And, we’ll meet people whose job it is to scope out polling places.

Incarcerated men reflect on their relationships with their fathers, and their sons in the second episode of Uncuffed. And, we’ll hear how the climate science community is talking about the wildfires.

We’re heading north to the kelp forest collapse that’s closed the nation’s largest recreational abalone fishery. Then, an art exhibit addresses women’s labor disparities. And, we meet someone who tracks down ghosts.

KALW is listener supported. Donate to support local public radio.  

Is a young entertainment company changing the game in Hollywood by giving movie fans the chance to invest in films? And, we hear from a performer on how their identity shapes their drag.

KALW is listener supported. Donate to support local public radio.  

Today, we're going to a different world in the new season of THE INTERSECTION. We’re going to Burning Man, where we’ll meet all kinds of interesting characters. And, what has London Breed accomplished in her first 500 days as mayor of San Francisco.

KALW is listener supported. Donate to support local public radio.  

More people are hiking with their smartphones and using apps to navigate. How is technology changing people’s experiences in nature? Then, a former abuser is trying to stop domestic violence from behind prison walls.

KALW is listener supported. Donate to support local public radio.  

A leader in the Bay Area’s Maya community talks spirituality and the impact of colonization. Then, why does a former marine and school district employee want to be mayor of San Francisco? A conversation with candidate Paul Ybarra Robertson. And, this week’s Audiograph sound.