Crosscurrents

Today, we're looking into earthquake preparedness around in the Bay Area. First, we meet San Francisco’s Neighborhood Emergency Response Team. Then, will the City’s skyscrapers stand up against the Big One when it hits? And, how will the city’s water system fare? Plus, is ‘earthquake weather’ a real thing?

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused a lot of destruction. It also stirred up a lot of change. And helped create new things, like NERT, the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team. NERT started as a way to prepare for natural disasters, but it's got some problems that are man-made. Back in 2023, KALW’s Wren Farrell went out to see what role NERT might play in the city’s next big emergency.

A new documentary explores how hedge funds are destroying local newspapers. Today, we hear how journalists are fighting back. Then, the life of Afghan refugees. And, after she was arrested, a young girl in Oakland chose a program in the desert, instead of going to jail. It's a new Uncuffed story from the California Institution for women.

Hedge funds have also led to the collapse of local newspapers as they acquire publications across the country. The new PBS Documentary "Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink," explores the issue. It's directed by two-time Oscar-nominated documentarian, Rick Goldsmith. He spoke to Sights + Sounds host, Jenee Darden.

KALW and the Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California recently hosted a night centering the lived experiences of the Afghan refugee community. It was at our live event space in Downtown San Francisco, as part of our series ‘The Bay Agenda.’

Uncuffed producer Daphnye Luster remembers her experience in an outdoor program meant to be an alternative to juvenile prison.

Today, we’ll hear how to transition your home off polluting appliances. Then, a new Uncuffed story about fathering from prison. And, readings all about Bay Area nature.

The gas appliances in our homes are part of the problem. They’ve been shown to worsen asthma and cause other health problems. Plus, they contribute to climate change. Recently our climate reporter, Mary Catherine O'Connor, hosted a panel of experts at KALW’s live event space in Downtown San Francisco.

A new story from Uncuffed San Quentin producer Anthony Gomez about two fathers who made the choice to have kids, while they're in prison.

Now we’ll hear some readings from our series New Arrivals, a pocket-sized book tour with Bay Area authors. Today’s writers are all interested in local lands, and the plants and animals that live on them.

As war in Ukraine rages on artists are collaborating to preserve Ukrainian identity. Then, we’ll hear about reporting from a city under siege.

We’ll hear part two of reporter Adreanna Rodriguez’s reporting from Ukraine. She’ll take us inside the electronic music scene in Kyiv and explain how music producers view their work as a necessary act of resistance and preservation of culture.

Live music is quintessential to any city's nightlife. But increasing rents and impacts of the pandemic have made it difficult for small venues around the Bay Area to stay open.

Infusing joy in daily life during war isn’t just about pleasure, it’s about survival. Today, we’ll hear how, in Ukraine, resistance against Russia isn’t just happening on the frontlines.

Bay Area-based reporter Adreanna Rodriguez follows the quiet revolutions of daily life in Kyiv, Ukraine, where people are seeking pleasure, joy, and normalcy despite the ever-present shadow of war. Her reporting reveals resilience, hope, and cultural survival at the heart of a city under siege.

The Golden State Valkyries created a movement bigger than themselves. Today, we’ll hear about the "Violet Wave" on the Finale of Bounce: The Valkyries' 1st Season in the Bay.

LadyRyan is one of the Valkyrie’s official game DJs whose job it is to keep the arena JUMPING. And she’s also a KALW music programmer - you can hear her every Wednesday from 10pm-midnight on our air, curating music sets. Lady Ryan is well-versed in all genres and capable of playing to fit any vibe, She’s a co-founding member of the queer monthly Oakland day party, Soulovely. And she has been holding space for QT-BIPOC communities for years

Today, we go back to the 1930s to hear how the New Deal helped artists to keep creating. The history of Public art- from our series “The Public Works.” Then, Oakland is considering a new homelessness policy that would crack down on people living in their vehicles.

In the second episode of the Public Works series, reporter Sheryl Kaskowitz uncovers treasures by Black sculptor Sargent Johnson that are hiding in plain sight in the Bay Area. It’s a legacy from the New Deal era in the 1930s, when the federal government made supporting artists and public art a priority.

Cities around the Bay Area have been debating how to handle people camping in public places or living in RVs. Oakland may follow suit.