Crosscurrents

Today, we hear from a visual journalist who documented this year’s events during a global pandemic. Then, a health equity expert pushes back on the hesitancy many Black people feel about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. And, we meet San Francisco’s new poet laureate.

Today, a farmer talks about how the pandemic has changed her work. It's part of an ongoing series called "At Work." Then, we hear from California’s youngest new assemblymember who started his campaign at just 23. And, we check out a famous piece of art by Diego Rivera in the city. Plus, an episode from the New Arrivals podcast.

The three largest mental health treatment facilities in the U.S. are jails. The criminal justice system has become the primary way the United States deals with mental illness. In the second of a two-part documentary, we see how some communities are working to find solutions to this misalignment of care.

In part one of a two-part investigation into how the country’s jails have become our default mental health treatment centers, we go to Santa Rita jail in Alameda County, one of the largest — and deadliest — jails in California.

When you’re the one in your family who ‘made it’ sometimes there’s an expectation to share your wealth and help relatives. Black communities call it the Black Tax. Whether you’re African American, or a Black immigrant, it’s the feeling of obligation that comes with prosperity. Today, an episode from The Stoop podcast. Tune into KALW 91.7 FM Monday-Thursday at 5 p.m. or subscribe to the podcast to listen on-demand.

Today, we meet the Fox Guy, a man devoted to protecting the elusive gray fox and other animals that live along the bay. Then, we consider what happens when certain species get more attention from conservationists than others. And, we hear about a climate change initiative that aims to improve overall quality of life.

In today's show, California lawmakers describe their experience under attack at the U.S. Capitol. Then, we get an update on why the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been slower than expected. And, we hear Shirley Weber's plans for her role as California's next Secretary of State. Plus, an episode from the New Arrivals podcast, featuring a local author.

Black women journalists have had to face criticism and jump over many hurdles to be seen and taken seriously. We explore what it means to be a Black woman on the air today. And, we go back in time to hear what it was like in the past with a Bay Area broadcasting pioneer. Veteran journalist Belva Davis, plus Jemele Hill. It’s a special episode from The Stoop podcast: Black on Air.Tune into KALW 91.7 FM Monday-Thursday at 5 p.m. or subscribe to the Crosscurrents podcast to listen on-demand.

In this story from The Spiritual Edge , we meet Sarah Byrne-Martelli, a hospital chaplain who is caring for COVID-19 patients when their families can't visit because she believes no one should die alone.

From The Spiritual Edge , this is the story of how Malcolm X inspired an outspoken Christian girl from Alabama, and how she went on to inspire a national campaign and a fatwa — a religious legal opinion — aimed at persuading the men who control America’s mosques to share space and power.