KALW NewsRoom

(2007-02-07) One nation... one language? The sentiments of Californians have changed over the years regarding English-only restrictions. Now, with China becoming an increasingly visible player on the world stage, Bay Area residents are making significant efforts to reach out - namely, by learning Cantonese and Mandarin. We look at the growing local influence of Chinese speakers, and we talk with San Francisco educators about their efforts to make every child in the city bilingual.

The Consumer Edition

(2005-04-17) We examine Wal-Mart's claims on public radio by visiting three Northern California big box towns, and we look at "shop dropping" - dropping homemade art into shopping centers.

The Christmas Shopping Edition

(2005-12-18) A responsible shopper asks Union Street proprietors about who makes the products they sell. San Francisco city leaders pass an ordinance requiring goods bought from the city to be made in sweatshop-free conditions. The people who bring your imports from Shanghai to ship to shore to shop talk about the trip made by the things we buy. And plus-sized dancers shake what their momma gave them on stages across the Bay Area.

The New Consumer Edition

(2006-07-23) Thinking outside the "big box." A dying mall gets a new lease on life by transitioning to the social services. Also, we talk with Meizhu Lui, coauthor of The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the U.S. Racial Wealth Divide.

The Purpose of Art Edition

(2006-04-23) n the beginning, there was... art. And almost immediately after came debate over the purpose of art. Some enlightened individuals help us define the undefinable. Criminal minds turn their passions to poetry. Artists discover the joys of day jobs. And children find adventure in what looks like a Berkeley junkyard.

The Cash of Culture Edition

(2006-02-12) A consideration of what the public should expect in return for an investment in the arts. An arts task force in San Francisco debates funding distribution and how it can change a city. BART commuters weigh in on how the arts affect their lives. Players in the Iron Triangle Theater company stage classical and original works that mirror and explore modern day life in of Richmond. And north of Richmond, in San Pablo, a city of immigrants, some Mexican traditional arts are experiencing a revival.