Crosscurrents

Today, a local voice actor and kids podcaster talks about his experience with autism. Then, one new play features four Berkeley teenagers seeking figurative and literal harmony during a summer of music school. And, a local poet reminds us to take a breath.

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 Mateo county based voice actor, host of the award winning kids podcast Dorktales Storytime. 

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. And like life, some days there's harmony and other days they have to deal with the hard notes. The show includes themes of friendship, self-discovery and how music helps many of us survive. 

April is National Poetry Month! Here's a poem about the perpetual need to rearrange our personal comfort throughout our lives. 

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 east coast became part of San Francisco's literary history. 

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 created the first really competitive race to represent San Francisco in congress for nearly 40 years. KALW's State of the Bay has been inviting the candidates for California's 11th district to come on their show, and help voters get to know what they are running on and for. And we're going to be airing segments of those conversations here on Crosscurrents this month.Today, Saikat Chakrabarti. Chakrabarti started his career in tech here in San Francisco before turning to politics. He worked with Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and later served as campaign manager and chief of staff for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York. He now leads a policy think tank devoted to issues like affordability and a green economy.Chakrabarti spoke to State of the Bay host Grace Won.

The Uncuffed My Mixtape is a selection of our producers' favorite songs. Here, Uncuffed producer Rahim Bradshaw interviewed Michael “Luqman ” Russell Jr. about a song that makes him think about the challenges of maintaining a relationship while incarcerated.

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 Alderete is the host of KALW's series, Bay Poets. And he has dug up audio of four San Francisco poets that have had a deep and lasting impact on the city's literary landscape. We will be presenting them to you throughout the month. Today's poet was is from the East Coast, but helped shape San Francisco's literary scene. Here's KALW News Editor, Sunni Khalid, speaking with Josiah about Q.R. Hand Junior. 

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, we visit a local pioneer who brought henna art to the Bay 30 years ago.

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, and the postseason picture uncertain. Will younger players get a chance to step into the spotlight?It's a moment built on opportunity, something every young player dreams of. Including Chance McMillian of Vallejo. After completing his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team's developmental affiliate, he's one step closer to reaching his long-held dream. Reporter Demetrius Johnson brings us his story. 

The San Francisco Public Library is honoring SWANA - Southwest Asian and North African - Heritage month with programs including art, film, ballet... And a henna workshop taught by San Francisco henna artist Renda Dabit. Crosscurrents host Hana Baba went to visit Renda in her SF henna studio, and sat down for some henna and a chat.

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 see what it takes to survive in the Bay Area. Then, we hear from State Senator Scott Weiner on why he wants to join the US House of Representatives. 

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 threw the bar a funeral. KALW's Jordan Karnes went to find out why these spaces are so important to their communities, and what's the magic formula that queer bars need to survive. 

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 really competitive race to represent San Francisco in congress for nearly 40 years. KALW's State of the Bay has been inviting the candidates for California's 11th district to come on their show, and help voters get to know what they are running on and for. And we're going to be airing segments of those conversations here on Crosscurrents this month.Today, California State Senator Scott Weiner. He's speaking to State of the Bay host Ethan Elkind. He asks the State Senator what he would do if the Republicans in Congress tried to preempt sanctuary city policies.

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 Quentin musician that reminds his peers that change is possible. And, a live show in Oakland that is described as “Shark Tank” meets “Soul Beat.”

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 help voters get to know what they are running on and for. And we're going to be airing segments of those conversations here on Crosscurrents this month. Up first, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan. Chan is a Chinese immigrant that moved to the Bay Area at the age of 13 with her family. She has held multiple positions in San Francisco city government and now represents San Francisco's District one, which includes much of the city's northwest region, which includes the Richmond District, Lone Mountain, parts of Golden Gate Park, Lincoln Park, the University of San Francisco area, Sea Cliff and Presidio Terrace. Here's Supervisor Chan speaking to state of the bay host Grace Won, about why she feels it's the right time for her to move from local to national politics…

Uncuffed producer Jorge Lopez interviewed Ricardo “Ricky” Romaro about a song that serves as his soundtrack for positive change.

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 unlikely partners chasing impossible entrepreneurial dreams. And the show went on to sell out of tickets during their run in San Francisco, and now the creators are back — with a real life version of their musical! It's called The “All People Powered Concert & Pitch Competition.” And it's a mix of live music performances and aspiring tech entrepreneurs in a competition of ideas.  And it is happening this Saturday at the Henry J. Kaiser Center in Oakland. KALW's Jeneé Darden, of The Sights and Sounds show, spoke with Ryan and the other creator of the show "Co-Founders," Beau Lewis about their new pitch competition. Here's an excerpt of that interview.

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 relative hiding in the collection. Then we meet the poet of the International Hotel.

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 across the country or across the world, what songs would you bring with you to remind you of home?Back in the 1930s, an adventurous woman named Sidney Robertson went on a quest to document those kinds of songs across Northern California. With support from the federal government, Sidney and her small staff were able to collect and catalog hundreds of songs, capturing the music people brought with them when they moved here from all over the U.S. and the world.These recordings became a soundtrack that celebrates the cultures that make up the Bay Area, and they show how music has the power to connect us across generations and communities. In this story, reporter Sheryl Kaskowitz meets a family in Oakland who discovered the power of these recordings for themselves. It's the fourth episode of The Public Works, her series about how the New Deal transformed the Bay Area and what lessons we can learn from it today.

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. Josiah Luis Alderete is the host of KALW's series, Bay Poets. And he has dug up audio of four San Francisco poets/ that have had a deep and lasting impact on shaping this city's literary landscape. We will be presenting them to you throughout the month. Here's KALW News Editor, Sunni Khalid, speaking with Josiah about San Francisco poet, Al Robles.

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 explores the power of vulnerability in her music. Plus, we'll hear from Bay Poets. 

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. No questions asked. But she has a lot of questions for her handsome new client. He needs a ride across the country to transport a huge, black suitcase. What's in the bag is a mystery. “Off the Books” is the debut novel by Soma Mei Sheng Frazier. Soma is the former San Francisco Library Laureate and she's now a creative writing professor at SUNY (State University of New York) at Oswego. KALW's Jenee Darden spoke with Soma about themes of family, grief and romance on “The Sights + Sounds Show.” Here's an excerpt of that interview. 

Maw Shein Win was El Cerrito's inaugural poet laureate. Here she is reading her piece, ‘The Grisham House.'

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 debut EP - Better Places. In this segment of Bay Area beats, Stevens discusses her musical career, and what it's like producing her own music, in this 2024 piece from reporter D'Andre Ball.

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 of a teenager with autism. And, we take you to a San Francisco neighborhood that's being torn apart… by Boba.

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 Alderete is the host of KALW's series, Bay Poets. And he has dug up audio of San Francisco poets that have had a deep and lasting impact on shaping this city's literary landscape.  Here, KALW's Sunni Khalid speaks with Josiah about Alejandro Murgia - and the historical context that led to him becoming San Francisco's first Latino poet Laureate. 

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 himself as a non-speaking autistic person. He loves watching NPR Tiny Desk concerts, traveling to new places, and writing poetry. Lucian worked with a KALW producer to create an audio essay weaving together two of his poems. They are voiced by Hussain Khan in this piece from 2024.

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 sandwiches – Philippe's or Cole's? In South Philadelphia, it's Pat's versus Geno's for where to get the best cheesesteak. Or in Montreal, where can you get the better bagel – St-Viateur or Fairmount?And in San Francisco? Tensions run high about… Boba. Also known as bubble tea, boba's a hugely popular drink from Taiwan that is usually made of tea, milk, sweeteners, and chewy tapioca balls called “boba” that the drink is named for. For almost 20 years, the feud between two bubble tea shops, Teascape and Bobaland, has torn one San Francisco neighborhood apart. But as KALW's Anna Casalme found out, this heated rivalry… may be starting to cool.

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 the next story from The Homework Machine series.

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 schools and education. In this next episode we'll hear how reporter Jesse Dukes has been working with researchers at MIT, speaking to teachers and students all across California and around the country. He learned that the arrival of ChatGPT and other AI tools has led to more cheating in schools… but, it's not always easy to define what cheating IS…  or to know what to do about it. 

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 living life and capturing its moments through technology, Here he is reading his poem, "Your Mind Can't Tell the Difference.” 

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 teachers, it's not all that scary. Plus, a poem.

Parents and teachers alike are continuing to grapple with what has undoubtedly been a hot education topic- artificial intelligence. Any K through 12 student with an internet connected device has had access to ChatGPT and other powerful generative AI. And one big thing AI can do effectively? Writing. Essays. Homework assignments… So what has that meant for our schools and education? For his 2025 series The Homework Machine, reporter and researcher Jesse Dukes talked to teachers and students throughout California and across the country about AI.Today we hear part one of his series.

Parents and teachers alike are continuing to grapple with what has undoubtedly been a hot education topic- artificial intelligence. Any K through 12 student with an internet connected device has had access to ChatGPT and other powerful generative AI. And one big thing AI can do effectively? Writing. Essays. Homework assignments… So what has that meant for our schools and education? For his 2025 series The Homework Machine, reporter and researcher Jesse Dukes talked to teachers and students throughout California and across the country about AI.Today we hear part one of his series.

Here's Youth Speaks alumni Larry Dorsey Jr reading his poem “Blind Man Dancing In The Rain.”

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 Caltrains. And, one group is keeping fun at the center of something that's the cause of a lot of grumbling -- litter. It's Oakland's Trash Falcons!

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 host Hana Baba sat down with KALW's climate reporter, Mary Catherine O'Connor, to learn more.

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 electric. Gone are the days of the loud, lurching—and often smelly—diesel locomotives. And electrifying the 51 miles of railway along the Peninsula was not cheap. It was a multi-billion dollar modernization project. It's also just a small part of a larger, statewide ambition: the California High Speed Rail system.Last year, KALW's transportation reporter, Zain Iqbal went on one of the new trains to see what's changed with electrification.

Reporter Laura Isaza brings us this story from 2023, of one OAKLAND group tackling the trash near their home.

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.

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 different feelings about the car of his youth.