Crosscurrents

Oakland poet Cyrus Armajani helps us pause to consider nature, humanity, and freedom. Here he is, reading his poem, "Free."

Here’s a question. When you talk about an issue you deeply care about, like climate change- what’s the reaction from the people around you, in your life? Are they supportive, are they dismissive? Sometimes you’re the lone voice at your workplace, or in your family, pushing others to recycle or compost properly… and that can be isolating.

That was the topic of discussion at a recent event held here at our KALW event space in downtown San Francisco. We hosted a live recording of the climate-focused podcast Doom and Bloom, hosted by Marc O’Brien. His guest was Dr. Renee Lertzman - a psychologist, researcher, and strategist. In this excerpt, she talks about why some people struggle to act on climate change, despite caring deeply about it-  and how it feels to be that lone voice in the room… 

Illegal dumping is a big problem in Oakland. Today, we’ll from unhoused people about how the excess garbage that accumulates around encampments impacts their daily lives — and, some of the strategies they use to manage it.

Today, we check in with our transportation reporter to get the latest on the spiking gas prices around the Bay Area. Then, Americana and roots singer Miko Marks, talks about her special residency at Yoshi’s. And, a Samoan dynasty in Deathmatch Wrestling.

Getting around the bay has never been… cheap. But if you’ve stopped to fill up your gas tank recently, you’ve definitely noticed that the price per gallon, even with a cash discount, is higher than ever.

To understand what’s influencing that rapid increase in gas prices, Crosscurrents host Hana Baba speaks with KALW’s transportation reporter Zain Iqbal, for a segment of what we call “Getting Around the Bay.”

The Oakland-based singer, Miko Marks, first came onto the music scene as a country artist. But Miko’s powerful vocal range is wide, and so is her creativity. Now she identifies as an Americana and roots singer. She currently has a residency at Yoshi’s in Oakland that’s running now throughout the summer. Her next show is Thursday, May 21st. And her special guest is jazz legend Faye Carol. 

Miko sat down with KALW’s Jenee Darden on “The Sights + Sounds Show.” They spoke about Miko’s growth as an artist. Here’s an excerpt of that interview.

May is when we celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage. Next we’ll drop in on the world of wrestling. In the Bay Area’s world of pro-wrestling, Polynesian wrestlers are a small but influential group, with a rich and proud history. We bring you their story from our Culture Keepers series – celebrating the Bay Area’s unique spaces and people.

Pro-wrestling is DRAMATIC. A combination of storytelling, live theater, sports and entertainment. And Wrestling has a lot of sub-groups… with individual lore, fandoms, and legacies. Reporter Demetrius Johnson introduces us to a wrestler from a Samoan pro-wrestling dynasty, in this story from March 2025.

Oaklanders are angry about the trash spilling onto their streets. Today, an exploration of Oakland’s illegal dumping crisis. And, why unhoused people often get the blame.

Illegal dumping in Oakland is not an issue you can deny, if you spend enough time in the city you will be met again and again by sprawling, incomprehensible mountains of trash. Last year, municipal crews in the city of Oakland collected over 7 million pounds of illegally dumped waste from city streets.

And that’s just what they cleared, the trash on the streets keeps piling up. KALW’s Arlen Levy went to find out where it’s all coming from, and what’s being done to clean things up.

An Oakland musician challenges traditions, while also keeping them alive. Today, the music of World War 2 incarceration camps that helped Japanese Americans protest, connect, and heal. Then, Hrishikesh Hirway, host of the hit podcast Song Exploder, shares how the show, and his new album, came to be.