Weekly Program Highlights

Friday 6/19

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Hidden Brain… We all have moments in our lives when we see someone who could use a helping hand. We tell ourselves we should help, but then something stops us. This week on Hidden Brain, take a look at what keeps us from taking a moment to be kind, and how to overcome these barriers to create stronger, happier connections.

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… A Cultural Epicenter: The Harlem and New York jazz scene in the 1920s was driven by several interconnected forces. The Great Migration was perhaps the most fundamental catalyst. Hundreds of thousands of African Americans moved from the rural South to northern cities, bringing musical traditions that fused blues, ragtime, spirituals, and brass band music into what would crystallize as jazz. Harlem became the heart of it all as the neighborhood transformed into a vibrant Black cultural hub, providing an intellectual and artistic framework that elevated jazz as a serious art form. Jazz clubs created steady demand for live jazz and launched careers of artists like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Fats Waller.

Saturday 6/20

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the panelists are Peter Grosz, Karen Chee, and Shane O’Neill. Plus author Caro Claire Burke joins us to talk about her new book Yesteryear and play Not My Job.

11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… This week on Radiolab, they’ll re-examine a single week in 1973, and the earworm heard ‘round the world. Is “Stockholm Syndrome” just pop psychology built on a pile of lies? Or does it hold some kernel of truth that could help all of us better understand inexplicable trauma?

3:00 – 4:00 PM
American Routes… This week on American Routes, for Juneteenth, it’s music from the Staple Singers, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Bob Dylan, plus classic jazz, reggae and a new generation of singers: the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Norah Jones and Questlove. Then, songs, rhythms and histories from the Georgia Sea Islands Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters.

Sunday 6/21

NOON – 3:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… Johann Sebastian Bach was not only a prolific composer, he was also a prolific father of 20 children. This Father’s Day on Sunday Baroque, you can listen to music by Johann Sebastian Bach played by an outstanding musical father and son team.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Code Switch & Life Kit… This week on Code Switch, a show about the Obama Presidential Center opening. Then on Life Kit, a show about how to get into reading.

6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, stories of American Dreams—from a beauty pageant hopeful, a farmhand, and an advocate.

Monday 6/21

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Issues & Ideas... As more California communities consider adopting so-called “ICE Free Zone” policies…questions remain about what local governments can legally do when it comes to federal immigration enforcement. We’ll hear from immigration law expert Bill Hing explaining the limits of local authority, the difference between non-cooperation and interference, and why supporters say these policies help build trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement. We’ll also explore the history, health benefits, and culinary traditions behind olive oil with Templeton growers and producers that are helping shape the industry on the Central Coast. Then KCBX contributor Brian Reynolds explores what it means to be a parent and build a strong family with KCBX host, author and local therapist Elizabeth Barrett.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Splendid Table… This week on The Splendid Table, a show recorded live in the New Tampa Performing Arts Center with WUSF as part of their 30th anniversary tour. Guests include Dalia Colón of WUSF's The Zest podcast and author of The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook, Andrea Gonzmart Williams of the legendary Columbia Restaurant, founded in 1915 by her great-great grandfather, Anthony Gilbert a community leader known for his video reviews of Tampa Bay's under-the-radar-eateries and Megan Sorby, founder and CEO of Pine Island Redfish.

Tuesday 6/22

1:00 – 2:00 PM
TED Radio Hour… For years, we’ve heard about the harms of screen time social media on teens’ mental health. But psychologist Candice Odgers says the actual data paints a different picture. This week on TED Radio Hour, host Manoush Zomorodi is joined by Odgers for a conversation on what we’re getting wrong about teens and screens.

Wednesday 6/24

1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… This week on Bioneers, visit with two unlikely pathfinders who are helping to revolutionize farming. Calla Rose Ostrander and John Wick of the Marin Carbon Project are taking carbon out of the atmosphere and putting it back where it belongs: in the soil. In doing so, they’re also revitalizing the soil, conserving water, and building agricultural resilience. Scaling up these revolutionary regenerative methods can offset the climate destabilization, which threatens to confound agriculture and endanger our food supply.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Freakonomics Radio… This week on Freakonomics Radio, Stephen Dubner looks at what inspiration we can draw from the great American physicist and public intellectual Richard Feynman. Then, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria says he doesn’t think the U.S. isn’t in decline—but it’s not all good news, either.

6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… This week, KCBX in Concert takes inspiration from two of the Central Coast’s premier summer music festivals—The Music Academy of the West and Festival Mozaic. The program reflects the spirit of both festivals, blending orchestral masterworks, chamber music, and contemporary voices. Hear the sparkling energy of Gustav Holst’s Mercury, the Winged Messenger from The Planets, Johannes Brahms’ Second Symphony, Arthur Foote’s lyrical work for flute and strings featuring Mark Sparks, and a moving first movement of Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil. Also enjoy Mozart’s Romanze from his Gran Partita and two beloved movements from Antonín Dvořák’s “American” String Quartet. Join host Lisa Nauful for a program that celebrates the rich musical traditions and adventurous programming that make summer festival season such a special time for classical music lovers.

Thursday 6/25

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Central Coast Voices… This week on Central Coast Voices, we explore the history of Santa Maria's New Japanese Community Center. The City of Santa Maria's Japanese Community Center opened June 8, 2026 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Learn about the history and people who made it happen in this July 24, 2025 episode of Central Coast Voices with host Lata Murti and her guests, Jo Anne Nishino Spencer, President of the Santa Maria Japanese Community Center, and Wes Koyama, Santa Maria Japanese Community Center Vice-President.

Friday 6/26

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Science Friday… This week on Science Friday, learn about a new drug that can combat pancreatic cancer.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Hidden Brain… Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? This week on Hidden Brain, explore the negativity bias: the deeply human tendency to hold on to what went wrong and overlook what went right.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Fresh Air… This week on Fresh Air, remember James Burrows, a respected director in television comedy. He directed thousands of episodes for shows like Taxi, Cheers, and Frasier. He also co-created Cheers and chose the cast for Friends.

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… This week on The Club McKenzie, cut right to the heart of how the economy actually worked for jazz in the 1920s and early ‘30s. Hear how small bands struggled financially despite the freedom of creativity.

Saturday 6/27

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the panelists are Emmy Blotnick, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and newcomer Gianmarco Soresi. Plus 90’s indie rock legend Stephen Malkmus, notably from the band Pavement, talks about his prolific music career and plays Not My Job.

11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… This week on Radiolab, start with the story of perhaps the most iconic Patient Zero of all time: Typhoid Mary. Then, dive into a molecular detective story to pinpoint the beginning of AIDS. After that, they’re left wondering if you can trace the spread of an idea. In the end, they find themselves faced with a choice between competing claims about the origin of the high five. And they come to a perfectly sensible, thoroughly disturbing conclusion about the nature of the universe ... all by way of the cowboy hat.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
American Routes… The late saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins ignited the jazz scene ever since he was a kid in the 1940s, hanging out with his mentor Thelonious Monk. This week on American Routes, they’ll revisit their conversation with the jazz master about his work with Miles and Monk among others, and his improvisatory explorations. Then, visit with New Orleans’ own jazz legend, the late Bob French, who led the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, to learn the finer points of keeping time in the Crescent City.

Sunday 6/28
NOON – 3:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… Antonio Vivaldi, Tomaso Albinoni, and Georg Philipp Telemann all were friendly admirers of a brilliantly talented German violin player named Johann Pisendel. They were all so impressed that the composed music especially for him. Hear some of their dedications – and one of Pisendel’s own compositions this week on Sunday Baroque.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Code Switch & Life Kit… This week on Code Switch, a show about birthright citizenship. Then on Life Kit, a show about food waste.

6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, a woman starts her own church, a woman goes on a bike ride for rights, and another learns a new dance move and ends up in the spotlight.

Monday 6/29
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Issues and Ideas… This week on Issues and Ideas, the City of Santa Barbara appears to be on track to pass landmark rental protections before the end of the year. We’ll hear from one tenant advocate who’s been working on the effort. The Fourth of July weekend marks the nation’s 250th birthday and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Wine Country producer Mira Honeycutt gets in on the celebration with her take on wines for the holiday. And, Father Ian Dellinger speaks with one local farmer about what it takes to grow garlic in Arroyo Grande.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Splendid Table… This week on The Splendid Table, Francis is answering your questions with help from the dynamic duo of Sohla and Ham El-Waylly. Sohla's latest book is Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook, and Ham's latest is Hello Home Cooking: Do-Able Dishes for Every Day. Thenrestaurateur Will Guidara joins us with advice on how to be a great host.He is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.

Tuesday 6/30

2:00 – 3:00 PM
The Reluctant Therapist… This week on The Reluctant Therapist, tune in for an inspiring conversation with Evan Harrison, CEO of Kiss the Ground — a nonprofit championing regenerative agriculture as a powerful solution for human and planetary health. Through storytelling, education, and strategic partnerships, Kiss the Ground has helped boost public awareness of soil health from just 4% to 13% since 2023. This momentum is sparking real change: consumer demand is rising, sustainable practices are expanding, and over 70,000 acres were successfully transitioned to regenerative farming in 2025 alone. Want to know how healing the soil can heal us? Evan Harrison has the answers.

Wednesday 7/1
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… This week on Bioneers, listen to author and queer activist Tyler Brosby discuss the backlash against LGBTQ+ rights. As a writer addressing the fossil fuel industry’s acceleration in the midst of climate chaos, Taylor is forced to choose between the existential crises of the assaults on nature and on LGBTQ people. It’s all connected, he says, as he seeks to reconcile nature, culture, diversity and belonging.

1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… This week on California Report Magazine, rewind to 1956 when a raid at a gay bar in San Mateo county became a playbook for the state in how to target the queer community.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Freakonomics Radio…New York is the latest state to legalize medical aid in dying. This week on Freakonomics Radio, Stephen Dubner speaks with the governor who signed the law, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, a death doula, and an ethicist who thinks the very idea is wrong.

6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… This week on KCBX in Concert, join host Craig Russell as he celebrates American music from the era of the Revolutionary War and beyond. He’ll program music by William Billings, Andrew Law, Stephen Foster, and the catchy, rough-hewn hymns from The Sacred Harp. Craig will then highlight contemporary band pieces inspired by this New England and Southern repertoire and will end with Aaron Copland’s awe-inspiring A Lincoln Portrait.

Thursday 7/2
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Latino USA… This week on Latino USA, meet Frank Ross, a 93-year-old incarcerated man in Pennsylvania, who gets released from prison after a terminal diagnosis through a policy known as compassionate release. Explore why this law is needed and how it falls short as the U.S. prison population becomes older than ever before. Later, Michie -legal name Marie Scott- has spent 53 years in prison for murder, even though she never killed anyone. Over decades in prison, she witnesses what she calls serious shortcomings in healthcare access for women. Then, one day, she finds out she has breast cancer.