Weekly Program Highlights
Friday 9/11
NOON – 1:00 PM
Fresh Air… This week on Fresh Air, observe the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Hear stories of survival and loss recorded soon after the attack, and some reflections in poetry and music.
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Science Friday… You’ve heard the warning: finish those antibiotics or you’ll breed antibiotic resistance. This week on Science Friday, learn how doctors are updating their thinking and what that means for your next sinus infection.
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Today, Explained… On Today, Explained, take a look at the 9/11 memes that are filling social media feeds. Explore how jokes about the worst thing to ever happen to our country have helped young people deal with it.
6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… The Renaissance: The Harlem Renaissance in 1920s America stands as a vitally important time in the country’s history. The era was characterized by an extraordinary flourishing of creativity across artistic disciplines. From the lyrical genius of poets like Langston Hughes to the innovative rhythms of musicians such as Duke Ellington, the Harlem Renaissance produced an unparalleled body of work that not only enriched American culture but also laid the groundwork for future generations of artists. The movement's emphasis on self-expression and racial pride resonated deeply, making it a significant chapter in the ongoing struggle for equality and justice.
Saturday 9/12
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, hear favorite interviews and Bluff the Listener games. And the team asks people they think are cooler and more fun how we can be more like them. Will Ferrell joined the show as Ron Burgundy. We revisit a Not My Job interview with comedian husband and wife duo Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone. And we listen to Emmy winner and panelist Jeff Hiller give Wait Wait tips on how to be a little more alluring.
11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… This week on Radiolab, after reading something that said her menstrual cycle changes her brain each month, Senior Correspondent Molly Webster goes on a reporting mission to see if that’s true, and, if so, how. This journey into sex hormones and the brain involves females and males, and exacting self-experimentation. It gets into PTSD, and ends with a new twist on self-care. And, it starts to reveal a sneaky truth: that each one of us is at the mercy of a crashing sea of chemicals inside of us — those things we call hormones.
3:00 – 5:00 PM
American Routes… This week on American Routes, Harry Smith was a 20th century polymath and hustler who compiled the legendary 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, an LP collection of mostly Southern US folk songs. The Anthology established a cult of listening and influenced artists from John Sebastian and the New Lost City Ramblers to Jerry Garcia, and Beck. Hear a conversation with Smith’s biographer about Harry’s life as an artist, record collector, and 1950’s bohemian. Then, hear old and new covers of the Anthology and its B-sides from Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan, Gatemouth Brown and Amythyst Kiah.
Sunday 9/13
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Hidden Brain… This week on Hidden Brain, it's a deep dive into the motivations of people on the brink of extremism — and those who have already been radicalized. Examine what prompts people to turn to violence, and how to pull them back from the seductive appeal of extremist ideas.
11:00 – NOON
This American Life… Cryptic messages on a cell phone and a teeter totter at a construction site: these are clues people found, trying to make sense of a death.
NOON – 2:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… Italian composer and music teacher Francesco Gasparini was a student of the renowned, trailblazing violin expert and composer Arcangelo Corelli. Gasparini described his teacher as a “great virtuoso of the violin, and our contemporary Orpheus.” This week on Sunday Baroque, hear music composed by Francesco Gasparini and by his teacher.
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, hear from panelists Negin Farsad, Peter Grosz, and first-timer Sureni Weerasekera. Plus, comedian Leslie Jones talks about her new HGTV series Roast My Rental and plays Not My Job.
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Latino USA… The 9/11 attacks left nearly three-thousand people dead. It also reshaped U.S. immigration policy forever. This episode explores major changes and events over the past 20 years that altered the U.S. stance toward immigrants through the lens of that one catastrophic day. Also on the show, just because this year’s World Cup is over doesn’t mean the sport of soccer has left our hearts. So, Latino USA shares an episode from their sister podcast, American Futbol, featuring an en-“chant”-ing conversation about the current state of US soccer chants, and how they could honestly use some work.
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Reveal… A mysterious disease was killing cats with no treatment available, at least not in the U.S. So a group of cat lovers turned to the black market to get lifesaving treatments into the hands of pet parents. It was working, until the feds showed up. On the next Reveal, stories from the cat drug black market, and why we needed it in the first place.
6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, hear stories from the gray areas and in-between spaces: stuck in the middle; straddling two worlds; or searching for where you belong.
Monday 9/14
1:00 – 2:00 PM
SPECIAL: Sources and Methods… It’s been 25 years since al-Qaeda attacked the United States by hijacking commercial airliners and crashing them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A fourth was headed for the U.S. Capitol but crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after its passengers overpowered the hijackers. NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly revisits that day and the legacy of the attacks with key people who were in government and intelligence at the time.
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Today, Explained… A show about Islamaphobia and how Republicans are using the well-worn playbook of stoking anti-Muslim sentiment ahead of the midterms.
Tuesday 9/15
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Today, Explained… A look at why new warnings about AI killing off humanity are different from the old warnings about AI killing off humanity.
8:00 – 10:00 PM
Pickin’ Up the Tempo… This week on Pickin’ Up the Tempo, tune in for a show focused on indie bluegrass. Host Laura Joines shares music with fresh sounds, inventive picking, bold harmonies, and artists carrying the music forward in exciting new directions.
Wednesday 9/16
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… In the late 20th century, a handful of scientists proved that aquatic mammals have advanced communication capabilities and a consciousness strikingly similar to humans. This week on Bioneers, author and adventurer James Nestor leads us on a deep dive into the mystery of marine mammal consciousness, and the story of how a small band of freedivers, pushing the limits of human endurance, is finding that saving the whales may become the story of the whales saving us.
1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… This week on California Report Magazine, as people celebrate John Coltrane’s 100th birthday this month, the show visits a church that literally worships the jazz icon.
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Today, Explained… Promising treatments for Alzheimer’s disease have long fizzled out due to negligent or even fraudulent research, but now, the science seems to have turned a corner.
6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… This week on KCBX in Concert, join host Lisa Nauful for an eclectic and enticing musical lineup. The show begins with the energetic Overture to The School for Scandal by Samuel Barber. Following that, enjoy the intricate harmonies and captivating rhythms of Poulenc’s Concerto in D minor for Two Pianos, performed by Katia and Marielle Labèque. Then, hear the vibrant and joyful melodies of Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, and explore celestial realms through the ethereal sounds of Hovhaness’ Symphony No. 6. The show concludes with a breathtaking selection from Anna Clyne’s "Dance" for cello and orchestra.
Thursday 9/17
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Central Coast Voices…Kris Kington-Barker and her guests from the nonprofit, End-of-Life Choices California, discuss the information and support that are available to successfully navigate legal end-of-life options in this state.
Friday 9/18
6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… The Transition: The acoustic-to-electric shift is one of the great inflection points for sound, and it happened remarkably fast once it started. Through 1924, records were cut using the acoustic horn method, which couldn't capture a full frequency or dynamic range of the instruments. In 1925, however, electrical recording changed how bands could perform while recording. The invention of microphones meant recordings could capture a much wider range and had the ability to pick up subtler playing, so musicians could now sit at a natural distance from one another.