Weekly Program Highlights

Friday 8/28

NOON – 1:00 PM
Fresh Air…   This week on Fresh Air, remember Tim Curry, best known for his work on The Rocky Horror Picture Show as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and starring as King Arthur in the Monty Python Broadway musical, Spamalot.

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Science Friday…  What could go wrong if your doctor is using AI? This week on Science Friday, chart the usage of AI in healthcare.

2:30 – 3:00 PM
Today, Explained… On Today, Explained, when Dolly Parton died, many people exclaimed at how apolitical she was since the Democratic Socialists of America issued a statement memorializing her, and the President of the United States posted on Truth Social. But the reality is a lot more complicated and interesting.

3:00 – 4:00 PM and 4:30 – 6:30 PM
All Things Considered… Twelve years ago, President Obama shook the conscience of a nation when he wore a tan suit to a press conference, a suit that has since gone missing. Follow the search for the “Yes We Tan” suit. 

4:00 – 4:30 PM
Marketplace… A study out from UCLA looks at how immigration raids impact small businesses and the communities they serve. Less foot traffic and more debt have turned some neighborhoods into ghost towns. Explore how immigration policy changes local economies.

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie…  Names Behind the Spotlight: It takes several musicians to make a band, yet early jazz was centered around the band leaders while the other musicians got very little attention. Hear a show dedicated to music by the sidemen who shaped the sound but rarely got the recognition.

Saturday 8/29

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the show welcomes a terrific panel with Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Peter Grosz, and Tig Notaro. Plus, Carisa Hendrix, who personifies the popular internet sensation Lucy Darling, plays Not My Job.

11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… This week on Radiolab, meet a woman who is one part Charles Darwin, one part Indiana Jones. She braves war zones and pirate-infested waters to collect fossils from prehistoric caves that help us understand the origin of our species. She shares about how she came to believe in evolution, and how much that belief cost her. Then, science writer Sabrina Imbler discusses how they balance maintaining scientific rigor while also drawing inspiration and metaphor from the animal world to unearth new insights about predation in human society. 

3:00 – 5:00 PM
American Routes… This week on American Routes, remembering the late Dolly Parton with an archival interview from 2000 about her musical and family roots in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where she first broke into song, performed on the radio, and admired the fashion of the local trollop. Then, hear music from across the American spectrum, including Parton's “Coat of Many Colors.” Also, hear a conversation with the late historian Charles Wolfe about the ballads and songs of the Appalachian South.

Sunday 8/30

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Hidden Brain… This week on Hidden Brain, you’re invited to think about the last time a piece of music stopped you in your tracks, or a novel kept you up late at night, and explore why these experiences feel so powerful.

11:00 – NOON
This American Life… People always think they know what you need. Actually not just people; AI bots also are certain about it. This week on This American Life, a waitress gets lucky, two Claudes get stuck while helping each other, and Kristen Roupenian (“Cat Person”) reads her story about a father’s relationship to his AI girlfriend.

NOON – 2:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… Hear chamber music by the Berlin Baroque Soloists, a spinoff of the Berlin Philharmonic, one of the world’s greatest orchestras. Plus, one of the principal flutists of the Berlin Philharmonic performs Johann Sebastian Bach’s Second Orchestral Suite on Sunday Baroque this week.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the show welcomes a terrific panel with Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Peter Grosz, and Tig Notaro. Plus Carisa Hendrix, who personifies the popular internet sensation Lucy Darling, plays Not My Job.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Latino USA… Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Ada Ferrer discusses her new memoir, Keeper of My Kin, and reflects on her family’s separation, how geopolitics can reshape ordinary lives, and the stories we inherit across generations. Then, the story of the tiniest of dog breeds with the biggest attitude: chihuahuas. Explore how chihuahuas went from spirit guides of the great Toltecs in ancient Mexico to TV stars in food advertising and their objectification by Hollywood.

4:00 – 5:00 PM
Reveal… Every day, doctors use medical tests to determine the health of patients and diagnose and treat diseases. But some of these tools are adjusted for race and produce different results for Black patients, often leading to misdiagnoses. Reveal has teamed up with the New England Journal of Medicine to examine a standard medical test with a brutal history that is harming Black patients. Why is this test still being used in most hospitals across the country?

6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, hear stories of historical events and momentous decisions with far-reaching impacts: a teacher who pushes boundaries; a trail-blazing student; and a political prisoner in Soviet Russia.

Monday 8/31

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Issues and Ideas… Raluca Scarlat, a nuclear engineering professor at UC Berkeley and member of the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee, discusses how preparing for the unexpected is built into how the Diablo Canyon Power Plant operates. Then, CapRadio’s Vicki Gonzalez speaks with CalMatters’ health reporter Kristen Hwang about the impacts of Health Net’s decision to cancel assisted living benefits by the end of the year. And, Brian Reynolds, host of “BookWaves,” speaks with author Cliff Branch on his latest book and his reflections on the current political climate. And lastly, Father Ian Dellinger sits down with restaurant owner Russell Kwong about closing the historic restaurant, Mee Heng Low, and what’s next for him.

Wednesday 9/2

1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… From chimpanzees to dolphins to geese, a striking range of animals use health remedies that grow naturally in their environments. This week on Bioneers, meet primatologist Elodie Freymann, whose work in the forests of Uganda and Peru has given us new insights into how animals self-medicate. 

1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… This week on California Report Magazine, an iconic highway that ends in the Golden State turns 100 years old.

6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… This week on KCBX in Concert, join host Lisa Nauful for a deep dive into composers who were overlooked, misattributed, and lived in the shadows of giants. Start with Joseph Martin Kraus, often called the “Swedish Mozart,” whose String Quartet in G Major brims with elegance and energy. Next, unravel Rodion Shchedrin’s bold Carmen Suite, a clever reimagining of Bizet’s beloved work. Then, hear Horatio Parker’s Four Sketches, followed by César Cui’s Suite Miniature, for a delightful glimpse into a composer often overshadowed by his Russian contemporaries. To close, set the record straight with the unmistakable masterpiece, Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Adagio” from Concierto de Aranjuez, performed by the legendary Julian Bream.

Friday 9/4

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… At Its Core: The origins of New Orleans’ jazz – from 1900 to the early 1920s – centers on ensembles that were relatively small, with only five to eight components, compared to what came later. These smaller bands practiced simultaneous improvisation before jazz transitioned to the soloist-centered performance, which changed the basis of the music. Hear music by some of the smaller groups that acted as a practical enabler of the collective texture that became a defining feature of jazz.