Crosscurrents

Today, we meet a group of fans trying to save their college basketball team, through the power of social media. Can memes save Cal Football? Then, we go on a road-trip to explore the borders of basketball fandom. And, the origins of a phenomenon known simply as “the Wave.”

A group of die-hard fans are out to save Cal football with the power of memes. KALW'S Jordan Karnes went to a game to find them. 

Today, finding human connection through song. Then, Star Parties give Bay Area earthlings a rare glimpse into outer space. And, one woman's most meaningful song.

Haena Worthing, an Uncuffed producer at the California Institution for Women, remembers the day her daughter was born.

Three years after a major flood, residents are still recovering… Today, a story on seeking accountability. Then, how some unhoused people stay warm in the rain. And, smooth jazz artist Brian Culbertson talks about collaborating with Sheila E on his recent album.

A 2022 New Year's Eve flood at the Coliseum Connections housing development in Oakland left lasting effects on the residents that it displaced. Reporter E Okobi spoke with one resident who is still living in the aftermath. 

Jazz and funk musician Brian Culbertson first made waves in the smooth jazz scene when he was just a college student. Twenty-nine albums and 41 Billboard chart-topping songs later, he's still creating music on his piano and keyboard that make fans groove and chill.His latest album is "Day Trip" and it features artists such as Marcus Miller and the Bay Area's own Shelia E. And this summer, Brian is hosting his 13th annual Napa Valley Jazz Getaway.

While most of Oakland sleeps, one place is alive with activity… and fresh produce. Today, we exploring Oakland's Produce Market. Then, we'll learn how to catch fish… in our own backyard.

Look in your fridge right now: maybe you have apples, lettuce, some herbs? As Californians, we have a sense of where those foods are grown. But produce, it takes a journey to get from farms to our homes. It goes through many places, and is cared for by many, many people.For her series, California Foodways, KALW's Senior Editor Lisa Morehouse got up in the middle of the night, to meet a bunch of those people who keep the Oakland Produce Market humming.

If you head out on a Ferry from Oakland's Jack London Square over the Bay, to San Francisco… there's another special place where you can get fresh food: Fisherman's Wharf. Here, boats dock early in the morning with salmon and halibut, mackerel.. and now it's Dungeness crab season! The catch then goes into refrigerated trucks, to eventually end up across the country or around the world. But for one Fisherman, catching and enjoying this bounty is best served… right here at home. Kirk Lombard is a sea forager. And he shows people why and how we should catch seafood ourselves, on the docks and mudflats around the Bay. In 2014 KALW's Angela Johnston went down to the wharf, to learn more.

The Oakland school board's student directors are making their voices heard…but what about their votes? Then, a new story from Uncuffed about breaking the prison pipeline. 

In California, students can sit on school boards — but how much power do they actually have?KALW's education reporter Julia Haney talked to one of the young leaders on Oakland's school board about the impact he hopes to make. 

Uncuffed producer Derrell "Sadiq" Davis shares the story about an incarcerated father who worries his newborn son will follow in his family's footsteps. Can he break the cycle?

Comedian Luenell has been keeping audiences laughing for decades. She's originally from Oakland but now lives in Las Vegas, where she has a residency at Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club on the strip. You can see Luenell on screen with Tracy Morgan in the Paramount+ sitcom “Crutch.” Host of KALW's Sights and Sounds, Jenee Darden caught up with Luenell to talk about her latest projects. Here's a part of that conversation

Today, we're distilling whiskey on Vallejo's Mare Island. Then, a West Oakland artist recalls using her music and spirituality to heal from a severe car accident.

Californians have made whiskey since the Gold Rush when they served miners and then loggers. Craft bourbon has been taking off in the last couple decades -- with as many as 150 distilleries in the state. For her series California Foodways, KALW's Lisa Morehouse visited a distillery's new home in the North Bay that's producing whiskey at a location where people used to make something really different: massive objects that changed the course of world events. 

West Oakland artist Nia Cephas came up with a word that encompasses her cultures, spirituality, and connection with people: Cosmicpolitan. That's also the name of her debut album. Nia's music reflects both her African American and Afro-Brazilian roots. Her songs range from being a testament of survival to an invitation to just feel free. KALW's Sights and Sounds Show host, Jenee Darden, spoke with Nia about the life experiences that inspired “Cosmicpolitan.” Here's an excerpt of that interview.

Today, a new story from Uncuffed about finding out your dad isn't who he says he is. Then, an Oakland cello player challenges us to break away from negative ideas about darkness. And, a musician encourages us ALL to keep on singing.

What happens when you find out your dad isn't who he says he is? A new story about family from Uncuffed and San Quentin producer Jorge Lopez.

When you hear the words “dark” and “darkness” what comes to mind?  Many of us may associate the words with mostly negative connotations. In the Black Diaspora, and among other communities of color, there's an ongoing conversation about why that is… and how to change it. Mia Pixley is a Black cellist, singer, and psychologist based in Oakland. Her new album, “Love. Dark. Bloom”  is a blend of classical, jazz, folk and the blues. Jenee Darden, the host of KALW's The Sights and Sounds Show, spoke with Mia about how her album explores the beauty of darkness. Hear the full interview here.

Recently, Oakland-raised musician, composer, and bandleader, Kev Choice, performied live at KALW's Studio Events space in downtown San Francisco. It was part of a preview for the upcoming show "In the Name of Love: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." from Living Jazz. Living Jazz is an educational organization that provides musical retreats in nature and workshops in elementary schools. KALW is a media sponsor.  Kev Choice is Music Director for the King Tribute. He and singer/songwriter B. Deveaux joined KALW's Executive Producer, Ben Trefny, to talk about the upcoming event, which is happening at Oakland's Paramount Theater in Oakland on Saturday, January 17th. Here's an excerpt from their conversation.

Today we're bringing you an episode of Uncuffed from 2024 that really resonated with our Newsroom staff. It's about a lesser known, but important aspect of life in prison: grieving.

When most Bay Area residents go to San Francisco International Airport, it's so they can leave. But some unhoused locals are heading to SFO to stay. Reporter Erin Bump brings us the story of folks seeking shelter at the airport, and the people there who are trying to help.

Today: The story of unhoused people who live at the airport—and the people who help them.

Today, we introduce you to the most recent Uncuffed class at Solano State Prison and get to know them through the songs they love. But first, we meet a boxer and the people who tried to help her redirect her emotions.

A story from the Uncuffed producers at the California Institution for Women about the people who helped a woman redirect her emotions.

Uncuffed's 2025 class at Solano State Prison just finished their training with the program. Get to know them through special songs that have shaped their lives.

Today, as an iconic San Francisco gay nightclub prepares to close... we hear from the owner of OASIS, some of the club's biggest fans, and San Francisco's Grandmother of Drag.

OASIS is an iconic San Francisco nightclub. The Drag show and cabaret venue opened on New Years Day, 2015. In a bittersweet bookend, they'll host their grand finale party on New Years Eve, later this month. The host of KALW's Sights and Sounds show, Jenee Darden, recently went down to the club in San Francisco's SOMA District to meet with OASIS owner, D'Arcy Drollinger. Here's an excerpt from their conversation.

When San Francisco's OASIS drag club on 11th and Folsom announced it was closing its doors forever this January 1st, the news was met with a chorus of broken hearts and a lot of tears. OASIS has a LOT of fans. People that have found a little piece of sanctuary within the loudness of their parties and performances.Here, members of the OASIS community share their favorite memories, what the space means to them, and what they think about the future without this home away from home.

Today, the lasting advocacy legacies of San Francisco's Chinatown. Then, for perpetrators of domestic violence it can be hard to ask for help. And, motivation from Mom's love. Plus, a poem.

The Trump Administration has made life very challenging for immigrants across the United States. And that's really been felt here in the Bay Area, where roughly a third of residents are immigrants. Many of the rights immigrants to the U.S. have are actually rooted right here in San Francisco's Chinatown. The community there came together more than a century ago, to fight against government efforts to remove Chinese people from the country.KALW recently held a live event focused on the history of one of the most prominent businesses for Chinese immigrants: laundries. It was called "The Anti-Immigrant Spin Cycle: Challenging A White-Washed History."  The evening was hosted by KALW's Executive Producer, Ben Trefny. And included David Lei, a board member with the Chinese Historical Society of America, Here's part of their conversation, starting with David explaining the court case of Yick Wo v. Hopkins, and how it shaped the rights for immigrants in America today.

Last week, KALW attended the 2025 San Francisco Press Club awards… and left with five wins! This next story was reported back in February, and took home an award for ‘Best Reporting'. When it first aired, organizers in California had been working for months to spread the word about this helpline/ a helpline for perpetrators of domestic and intimate partner violence. You heard that right. A helpline for perpetrators, not victims. It's an unusual approach to a serious problem: Rates of domestic violence in the U.S. are high, and they got even worse during the pandemic. The helpline – A Call for Change – promises anonymity to its callers. And their goal is to provide a non-carceral approach to preventing domestic and intimate partner violence. 

Darrell “Sadiq" Davis had a rocky relationship with school when he was younger. He kept trying to follow through with it, but things kept getting in his way - whether it was being bullied, or not being able to resist the call of the streets. But, what kept him going, no matter how hard things got, was knowing that getting a degree would make his mom proud. 

We'll stay on the theme of mothers and their impact on us for our next segment- a poem about life lessons, from the universe… and mom. Here's Eva Chen reading from her poem "A Lesson From My Mother About the Origins of Life." 

We are broadcasting live for KALW's December membership campaign. Today, we revisit the Valkyries first season and talk about some of our favorite music of the year. 

Today, we're doing things a little differently... For KALW's December Membership Campaign we're bringing you a special LIVE episode of Crosscurrents! And we're joined by our reporter, Wren Farrell.

Today, we visit a special space where conservatives and liberals connected. The Anderson Valley Grange Hall. Then, how a collection of posters in San Francisco's Mission district captures over four decades of community organizing.

Grange halls have been around for more than 150 years — the Grange began as a fraternal organization for farmers. Many rural towns still rely on Grange halls as community centers. In the Anderson Valley, many people credit this place for bringing together groups of people that were once really divided.

Located a block away from the 24th street BART station, the Mission Grafica print studio and archive has empowered public art in the Bay Area since 1982.KALW is now hosting a gallery of some of their prints at our space in downtown San Francisco at 220 Montgommery, it is called ‘Mission Grafica: The Public's Voice.'The posters on display offer a living timeline of how artists have aligned beauty with justice in the face of power and change.

What happens in kids' brains… when they're improvising? Today, we learn how brains work in childhood, and how that's linked to creativity. Then, a woman in prison discovers her inner beauty. And, a new series captures San Francisco at the height of the AIDS epidemic. We hear a conversation with the host of “When We All Get To Heaven.” 

A lot of adults feel they've lost touch with the ability to get messy… and also just mess up. Scientists call that childlike, everyday experimentation, “prosaic creativity.” And it's more accessible—even as adults—than many tend to think.