Weekly Program Highlights

Friday 8/21

NOON – 1:00 PM
Fresh Air…   This week on Fresh Air, remember rock critic Dave Marsh, who was an early biographer and champion of Bruce Springsteen. He wrote for the rock magazine Creem and later, Rolling Stone. Also, hear a conversation with Peter Heller, whose novel The Dog Stars has been adapted into a new film.

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Science Friday… This week on Science Friday, find out why researchers are studying moments of lucidity in Alzheimer’s patients after years of cognitive decline.

2:30 – 3:00 PM
Today, Explained… On Today, Explained, Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” just might be the song of the summer. It’s topped the Billboard charts for 18 weeks so far, and only three other songs have managed that feat since 1958. So why is there still so much debate over whether it’s the right kind of song of the summer?

3:00 – 4:00 PM and 4:30 – 6:30 PM
All Things Considered… Over the past year, the sight of armed, uniformed National Guard troops has become commonplace in Washington. DC, sparking public outcry, but what do Guard members think? Hear from several who are worried about the new norms the deployment has established.

4:00 – 4:30 PM
Marketplace… Hear a conversation about the endless job search. More than a quarter of people who are unemployed right now have been looking for a job for more than half a year, and that's only counting the people who are still looking, not the ones who've stopped.

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie…  Needless Words: In jazz’s original form that began in New Orleans, musicians played collectively, but by the early 1920s, the first major change that took place was the incorporation of solos by several members of the band. Then, the rise of larger dance orchestras and early big bands in the late '20s pushed things toward arranged sections and designated solo spots, rather than simultaneous group improvisation. This adaptation was partly for practical reasons, since you can't have eight horns all improvising at once.

Saturday 8/22

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, revisit some memorable show moments with Ken Jennings, Oliva Munn, Bobby Lopez and Father James Martin.

11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… This week on Radiolab, hear two stories about being in the emergency room. First, a flight out of California turned catastrophic when it crashed into a farm in rural Nebraska. What happened that night at the local hospital, and what went wrong, would inspire a global sea-change in how emergency rooms operate and fundamentally alter the way doctors think in a crisis. Then, head to the frontlines of the Covid pandemic in March 2020 to hear how doctors adapted on the fly. 

3:00 – 5:00 PM
American Routes… This week on American Routes, it’s beachside rhythms from the Beach Boys, Toots and the Maytals, Wilco, and the Kinks. Also, stay home to bask in the sultry heat of “Summertime,” composed by George Gershwin and novelist Dubose Heyward in 1934 for the opera Porgy and Bess. It’s one of the most covered tunes in the American songbook with over 30,000 renditions.

Sunday 8/23

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Hidden Brain… When we look at the people we love, how clearly do we really see them? This week on Hidden Brain, hear a discussion about how our fears, desires, and insecurities can shape our perceptions of our partners — sometimes creating the very reality we expect.

11:00 – NOON
This American Life… This week on This American Life, hear a story about life aboard the USS John C. Stennis, an aircraft carrier that was stationed in the Arabian Sea and supported bombing missions over Afghanistan. Only a few dozen people on board actually fly jets. It takes the rest of the crew — over 5,000 people — to keep them in the air. This American Life producers visited the Stennis in 2002, about six weeks into its deployment.

NOON – 2:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… When Italian violinist Francesco Geminiani was invited to play for England’s King George, he worried about having a qualified accompanist. So, he insisted on having George Frideric Handel do it, forging a long term friendship between the two musicians. Hear music by both of them 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!, revisit some memorable show moments with Ken Jennings, Oliva Munn, Bobby Lopez and Father James Martin.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Latino USA… Hear from climate disaster experts about the aftermath of the earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia, and also hear from journalists in Puerto Rico about the water shortage crisis. Then, Anthony Ramos is a triple threat – actor, singer, and dancer – who broke out in Broadway’s smash hit, Hamilton. Ramos opens up with Maria Hinojosa about some of the most difficult years of his life, his creative process around his latest album, and how he has finally found peace with himself.

4:00 – 5:00 PM
Reveal… The loss of land for Black Americans started with “40 acres,” the government’s broken promise to help formerly enslaved people build wealth, but the land loss didn’t stop there. Eminent domain, overtaxation, and racist laws have worsened the wealth gap in America. This week on Reveal, hear part three of the “40 Acres and a Lie” series with a look at the renewed fight for reparations.

6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, hear stories of invention, beauty pageants in the time of Nelson Mandela, and finding balance.

Wednesday 8/26

1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… This week on Bioneers, hear a conversation between five activists about the collective story around men and masculinity, and how to reenvision perceptions around it.

1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… This week on California Report Magazine, meet a man who was suddenly detained at his green card interview, after living in California for 25 years, before being separated from his newborn son and his US citizen wife.

Friday 8/28

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.