Crosscurrents

Today we hear about how residents are preparing to pass a tougher version of the naturalization civics test. Then, a grandmother writes a children’s book with her grandson, and he has an idea for the main characters. Plus, preserving memories when family comes together.

For lawful residents yearning to become naturalized citizenships, learning U.S. history and civics is one of the barriers to passing a ten question exam and it just got harder.

Here’s Al Robles reading an excerpt from his poem, “Cold Mountain in Chinatown,” which he performed at the Poetry Center at San Francisco State on November 10th, 1976.

Author Stephanie Wildman’s children's books have centered around three characters Flor, Roberto and Luis who are adventurous siblings. But her latest book Story Power is different- she co-wrote it with her nine-year-old grandson Simon Wildman Chung.

Thanksgiving week makes us feel… Different things. About history, about family, about memory... Back in 2018 reporter Margaret Katcher brought a recorder to her holiday table. But when she turned it on, she found herself wondering about her impulse to document the moment…

Today, we’ll get an update on housing, and more, from District 3 City supervisor Danny Sauter. Then, a woman in prison wrestles with what to do, after hearing her brother has been shot. And, acclaimed Oakland author Caro de Robertis is the keeper of an oral history collection of personal stories from trans and gender nonconforming elders of color.

A a story from Uncuffed and the California Institution for Women about a woman in prison who hears that her brother has been shot and wrestles with what to do.

Caro De Robertis is an author based in Oakland, and a creative writing professor at San Francisco State. They’re mostly known for their magical works of fiction. But for their most recent project, they wanted to focus on the true stories of queer elders of color. The book is “So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color.”

Today, an excerpt from the award winning episode of The Stoop, ‘This ain't Texas, it's Africa.’

The work of disability advocacy just lost one of its strongest voices. Today, we remember Alice Wong. Then, we’ll hear a story about navigating the pain and stigma of losing loved ones to suicide.

San Francisco disability justice activist, writer, and MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant recipient, Alice Wong, died last week at the age of 51. We honor her and her lasting impact with this tribute.

In this story, we hear from Palo Alto loss survivors as they navigate the complicated emotions around a loved one’s death and what it means for them to keep going.

A “tree army” from the 1930s helped build today’s Tilden and other East Bay regional parks. The program’s impact can still be felt today. Then, a story about how a friend can help you see, and change, yourself. It's a new story from California Institution for Women. Plus, a poem!

In this third episode of The Public Works series, reporter Sheryl Kaskowitz makes some surprising discoveries about the history of the East Bay Regional Park District. In the 1930s, the federal government’s Civilian Conservation Corps left its mark on the landscape, and their work continues in a different form today.

A story from Uncuffed producer Daphnye Luster at the California Institution for Women about how a friend can help you see yourself and change yourself.

This is Lorenz Mazon Dumuk reading his poem, “Everyday I become an Egg.”

Today, we’re bringing you an excerpt from The Stoop episode, ‘Bury Me Whole." It recently won The Northern California chapter of Society of Professional Journalists for Long Form Storytelling. It's the story of one woman’s incredible loss, and her struggle deciding whether or not to donate her son’s organs. And it's a conversation about Black communities and the stigma around organ donation.

San Francisco has to build more housing… but where will it happen? And how? A panel of experts weighs in on the ongoing debate. Then, back in March, a Russian bathhouse in San Francisco went public with a controversial policy. It's an award winning story about trans inclusion… and exclusion.

KALW recently hosted a Town Hall conversation about proposed changes to San Francisco's zoning plans. It took place at our live event space in Downtown San Francisco, and was cohosted by KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny and SF Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood.

The Northern California chapter of Society of Professional Journalists recently announced their 2025 award winners… KALW took home four awards! Today, we’re bringing you a story that won an award for explanatory journalism. March was a particularly tense time for trans folks in San Francisco. Two local bathhouses — Imperial Spa in the Fillmore district, and Archimedes Banya in Hunters Point — were accused of enforcing anti-trans policies. After facing backlash online and potential protests, Imperial Spa quickly reversed their policy. But at Banya, it was a little more complicated.