KALW NewsRoom

(2007-08-06) Entrepreneurs seeking to strike it rich in the U.S. need more than just inspiration and elbow grease. They need good credit. For those just getting started, and those who don't believe in paying interest, that's a problem. Some Bay Area microlenders are here to help, where banks will not. Also, we learn about how small loans that have helped impoverished people around the world are being used to transform lives in the Bay Area.

The Burst Bubble Edition

(2007-02-21) The bubble has burst. And people banking on the housing market could be in trouble. We take a look at rising foreclosures and what high-risk loans mean in the changing real estate market. Also, we talk with Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, about how the high, but flattening, cost of housing will affect individuals and the overall economy.

The Tenderloin Edition

(2007-07-04) In collaboration with students from UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, we look, in depth, at San Francisco's Tenderloin District. What trends are shaping this historic downtown? How do neighbors make community out of a diverse mix of backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles? Four stories that show where the Tenderloin has been, and where it is going.

The Religion and Poverty Edition

(2007-01-16) Faith leaders join an emerging movement to unite religion and labor in an effort to raise the lower and middle classes. Also, a conversation with the short-lived president of the Christian Coalition. Forget what you think you know about the religious right - the Church is moving front and center.

The Foster Care Edition

(2007-01-18) Imagine being taken away from everything you know. That's the beginning for foster kids. Children are removed from terrible situations... and sometimes find themselves in equally bad places. We go inside the system to see what works, what doesn't, and what hope there is for neglected and abused children.

The New Suburbia Edition

(2007-08-01) Poor people are moving to the suburbs in record numbers, but many cities aren't providing enough housing to shelter them. What's fair when it comes to creating community? Also, we discuss a grand plan to develop San Francisco's CalTrain terminal.

The Day Laborers Edition

(2007-07-18) The Federal Immigration Bill is dead. But many undocumented workers continue to scrape out a living on U.S. streets as day laborers. We travel to Hayward, where civic leaders consider the controversial creation of a center where day laborers can congregate, learn new skills, and have their rights honored. Also, we talk with Eric Holt-Gimenez, who has spent decades retracing the steps of migrant laborers.

The ICE Raids Edition

(2007-06-20) Imagine living in fear, every day of your life, because you live in a country illegally. That's the case for 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. We have the story of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, from both sides of the closed door. Also, we evaluate pending legislation that would transform this country's immigration laws.

In Search of the American Dream: Organized Labor

(2007-06-13) In the 1950s, more than one in three American workers belonged to a union. Unions worked to ensure good wages, healthcare, and a pension. But today, fewer than one in eleven workers is part of an organization looking out for their workplace well-being. And many argue that is making it difficult for millions of working Americans to join the middle class. KALW's Rose Aguilar looks at how the American Dream has been affected by the changing labor movement.

In Search of the American Dream: Stephanie Coontz

(2007-06-07) An in-depth conversation with families scholar Stephanie Coontz, research director of the Council on Contemporary Families, as part of our continuing series, "In Search of the American Dream."

A Day Without Immigrants

San Francisco, CA (2006-05-01) On May 1, 2006, people throughout the nation marched for the cause of immigration. This special one-hour live program chronicles that event through produced and live reports, in-studio expert analysis, and live call-ins.

In Search of the American Dream: Families

(2007-05-30) Families encapsulate the many different aspects of life that have changed over the years as Americans pursue their goals. In this documentary feature, part of our continuing series, we go in-depth with three generations of one San Francisco family to see how life has changed from then to now.

In Search of the American Dream: Higher Education

(2007-05-24) Our series exploring the changes in American society and institutions continues with the California community college system. Opportunities abound in certain high-tech tracks, but the vast majority of programs face challenges in funding and incoming student preparation. Also, we talk with former California Board of Education President Michael Kirst about the challenges of transitioning from high school to college.

In Search of the American Dream: Small Business

(2007-05-16) We continue our series considering how Americans reach their goals by opening the doors to small businesses. What do McDonalds, Yahoo! and Farmer Joe's Market have in common? They all started out as inklings in the minds of entrepreneurs. We explore the opportunities available today for ambitious businesspeople. And we discuss the large role immigrants play in the modern American marketplace.

In Search of the American Dream: Immigration

(2007-05-08) Our series exploring the different forces shaping life in the United States continues with an exploration of immigration. Specifically, we consider public education opportunities for immigrant families. Many Bay Area educators and non-profits try to facilitate schooling for English language learners... but is it enough? Also, we trace the possibility of inequities in opportunities for many immigrants in America.

In Search of the American Dream: Primary Education

(2007-05-02) In part two of our documentary series, we consider the idealistic vision once held for public education in California... and we examine the realities of the system today.

In Search of the American Dream: California History

(2007-04-25) To launch our documentary series, we consider how California has changed since World War II. Government programs and an emboldened workforce led to an emerging middle class in the years following the war. California met the challenge of educating its growing population and bolstering a supportive infrastructure. But over the last several decades, that development has decayed, and the wealth gap is widening again. We explore this progression through interviews, historic audio and music.

In Search of the American Dream: Robert Reich

(2007-04-22) As a prologue to our documentary series "In Search of the American Dream," we speak with former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Now a professor with the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, Reich discusses the vastness of the wealth gap and what can be done to reverse the trends splitting the United States. (Note: Audio to be posted Monday, April 23.)

The Immigrant Business Edition

(2006-12-01) An in-depth look at the impact immigrants have on the American economy. We travel to Bay Area restaurants and corner stores, as well as the agricultural fields of Northern and Central California, to analyze the influence immigrants have on business and labor, and what recent changes in local and national policies will have.

San Francisco Town Hall on Poverty - Program

(2007-02-14) San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom visited the Whitney Young Community Center to discuss the issues facing the city's Bayview/Hunters Point District. In a lively, two-hour discussion, Newsom and dozens of the city's department heads talked with residents about issues ranging from affordable housing to redevelopment to violence. This half-hour program includes excerpts from that conversation. You can also hear the unedited hearing in our "Complete Archives."