Psst! 

Today is/was day one of two Public Media Giving Days. 

If you’re like me, this is the quiet part of your night when you’ve long since cleared away dinner, said goodnight to your household (pets and plants included), put on your PJs, brushed your grill, and now find yourself with a moment to check in on how your day went and what’s on tap for tomorrow. And actually, it’s not that late — you have a smidge more time and maybe you’ll watch late-night, but maybe you reach for your phone, and yes, here we are, checking email together. Right now. Me and you. 

Now that I have you (oh, okay, I did plan this moment between us), I want to tell you something: 

PUBLIC MEDIA IS IMPORTANT 

I’m not shouting, not at this hour of the night. Rather, read the all caps as earnest gravitas. Public media is important because information is moving faster than ever. And in the blur of this swirl, the dust devil is in the details — who and where is this information coming from? What does it want from and for me? Yup, these days it's easy to feel stuck in the vortex of someone else’s monetized algorithm. 

But not here in Public Media land where algorithms and advertisers hold no sway, and where, as KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis said this afternoon, “We talk to you like a citizen, not a consumer.” Ahh, that’s refreshing. It’s why you listen. But let me remind you that Public Media informs, inspires, and enlightens you because you want it that way — we are beholden only to YOU, dear pajama’d citizen. You fund Public Media and you keep it independent, free, and accessible for all. Now, I’m not going to push, but I’ll just leave this right here for now or tomorrow (if you promise not to forget):

Donate tonight, and have your gift matched, thanks to a $10,000 challenge grant from KCRW Champion and public media supporter Enid Koffler. Your $100 can turn into $200, just like that! But only for these two days.

Did I ever tell you you’re my hero? 

Connie Alvarez

Your KCRW Insider since 2001

P.S. I bet you sleep with a stuffie. I do! It's a chubby gray dinosaur. What's yours? 

Congrats to the James Beard 2024 Media Award Nominees

The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees for the 2024 Media Awards and KCRW's Good Food earned a nod for the hour-long, 4-part episode, "The life and times of Lalo García: Immigration, deportation, reconciliation." It traces the life of chef Eduardo "Lalo" García Guzmán and features him along with journalist Laura Tillman, who wrote The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo García. Tillman's book was also nominated for a Beard Award, in the Literary Writing category. Check out the other NOM-inees and learn more about Lalo.

Border Crossings: Navigating Identity, Language, and Belonging

After years of working at the intersection of immigration and education, journalist Lauren Markham offers a different approach to writing about immigration that may lead to greater understanding. In her book A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging, Markham talks about challenging narratives and stories, looking at our own history, and asking what it means to belong to a place. Jonathan Bastion chats with Markham about the themes and complexities of borders, migration, and belonging.

Customland LA: The Importance of Creative Communities

Upcycling, customizations, alterations? Customland LA does it all and more. KCRW spent some time with owners Geeg & Halsey to chat about their services and specialties: custom embroidery and airbrush. Now with a storefront, they're integrating more and more with the community and sharing the importance of making connections, fostering creativity, and what you can do to invest in your "old" clothes by altering them to be new, unique expressions of yourself.

Outrage + Optimism: Impatient for Change 

Looking for some climate optimism? Listen to a data scientist who's found hope in numbers. The hosts welcome Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor at Our World in Data and a Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford, and discuss her book Not the End of the World, How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet. Ritchie challenges the ever-pervasive doom and gloom outlook humanity has for the Earth.

Members Only Summer Nights Launch Party 

KCRW Summer Nights is BACK, and we’re launching our iconic summertime series with the folks that make it possible: KCRW members! Join us at Soho House on Saturday, May 11th, to get the exclusive scoop on the entire Summer Nights 2024 lineup. Enjoy sets from KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe & Francesca Harding, KCRW giveaways, and the opportunity to get a head start on all things Summer Nights! Not a member? Become one today to get your invite!

"KCRW is a sanctuary for me. There’s a program and host for every moment of the day and night. You are a constant source of fuel for my imagination, education, and good vibes. Thank you!"
– Elaine (Redondo Beach)

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