Weekly Program Highlights

Friday 8/14

NOON – 1:00 PM
Fresh Air…  Poet and writer Clint Smith grew up around monuments commemorating confederate leaders and owners of enslaved people. This week on Fresh Air, he talks about the distortions and how the history of slavery was taught to him and other Americans, which is the subject of his award-winning book. He also talks about becoming a father, and the impacts of slavery on his family.

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Science Friday… This week on Science Friday, hear a conversation with former interior secretary Deb Haaland about her unexpected path into politics, and how her relationship with the natural world shapes her perspective.

2:30 – 3:00 PM
Today, Explained… On Today, Explained, hear a discussion about humor and its subjectivity.

3:00 – 4:00 PM and 4:30 – 6:30 PM
All Things Considered… Leading artificial intelligence companies have reported that AI models have been escaping test environments and hacking into other computer systems, and that’s not all AI can do.

4:00 – 4:30 PM
Marketplace… The president's war in the Middle East is pushing up manufacturing costs everywhere, and global energy supplies have been disrupted, it's fair to say, except for a very particular industry and the key product made from it: plastics. 

6:30 – 7:30 PM
The Club McKenzie… Oversized Influence: Delve into the fast and surprising ascent of Duke Ellington's career as a bandleader. His rise is one of the great “right place, right moment, right ambition” stories of the Jazz Age. Ellington’s band was the second choice when The Cotton Club's house band turned down a contract extension. The Cotton Club had CBS radio wire hookups, so Ellington's music went out live several nights a week to a national audience that had never set foot in Harlem, accelerating him from a regional attraction to a nationally broadcast phenomenon almost overnight.

Saturday 8/15

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, it’s August and that means Peter and Alzo are grabbing a little beach time. So enjoy highlights from the year with Jason Benetti, Renee Rap, Mychal Threets , and Lily King. And, hear some never-before-aired moments with the panelists.

11:00 – NOON
Radiolab… For many people, certain insects instill a debilitating spiral of fear, anger, and disgust. This week, reporter Alex Neason tries to understand what might be behind her own fear in the hopes she can overcome it. In doing so, she learns more about these so-called pests than she could have ever wanted to. Then, shift gears to meet a man who was so in love with insects, he made them his entire life's career. 

3:00 – 5:00 PM
American Routes… This week on American Routes, it's back to the Golden Age of doo wop and classic songs. Hear a conversation with Dion DiMucci, the Bronx born-and-raised singer who made his name first with his neighborhood group, the Belmonts. He talks about his Italian American roots and his love of the blues, plus his life in music. Then, explore the roads to doowop from gospel quartets, R&B and jazz, including songs by Sam Cooke, The Mills Brothers, and Jimmy Reed.

Sunday 8/16

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Hidden Brain… Some people are remarkably good at reading the emotional temperature of a situation. They can pick up on what others are feeling, manage their own emotions, and respond skillfully. What's their secret? This week, explore the science of emotional intelligence. 

11:00 – NOON
This American Life… This week on This American Life, a show about the outsized power of labels.

NOON – 2:00 PM
Sunday Baroque… The Parley of Instruments is a musical ensemble named after a 17th century public concert series in London. This weekend on Sunday Baroque, the Parley of Instruments conducts a musical conversation between the performers over some 18th century music.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!… This week on Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, it’s August, and that means Peter and Alzo are grabbing a little beach time. So, enjoy highlights from the year with Jason Benetti, Renee Rap, Mychal Threets, and Lily King. And, hear some never-before-aired moments with the panelists.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Latino USA… Maria Hinojosa travels to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas to speak with Bobby Pulido, the Democratic nominee in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, to discuss where he stands on key issues as a moderate Democrat, and why he thinks he can win back Latino voters in the region. Then, hear from Gina Hinojosa, the Latina Democratic nominee for Governor in Texas, who is trying to beat incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott. She discusses key issues like water access, education, data centers, abortion, and why this is a race to watch for the whole nation.

4:00 – 5:00 PM
Reveal… Skidaway Island in Georgia is home to a luxurious gated community that is mostly white. But in 1865, the land was part of the US government's “40 acres” program. Black Americans got land titles, and they were starting to build their own utopia there. On this week’s Reveal, reporters visit the island and talk to the people who own that land today. And, hear from one descendant who sees her ancestor’s title for a plot of land that is now becoming another exclusive gated community. Explore how buried documents like these Reconstruction-era land titles are part of the long game toward reparations.

6:00 – 7:00 PM
The Moth Radio Hour… This week on The Moth Radio Hour, stories of being driven – bound, determined, or literally in the passenger seat of a car.

Wednesday 8/19

1:00 – 1:30 PM
Bioneers… This week on Bioneers, learn from two fire ecologists about how contemporary Western fire science is integrating what Indigenous peoples discovered over thousands of years of observation, and trial and error: fire is key to optimizing forest vitality and biodiversity.

1:30 – 2:00 PM
California Report Magazine… This week on California Report Magazine, Northern California’s Eel River has been dammed for more than a century, but that may soon change. This would mark a huge moment for members of the Round Valley Indian tribes.

6:30 – 8:00 PM
KCBX in Concert… This week on KCBX in Concert, host Lisa Nauful takes you on a journey through the reflective and leisurely works of the season. In the first half of the program, hear summer-inspired works by Suk, Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Albéniz. In the second half, hear Prokofiev’s enchanting “Classical Symphony” and a surprising jazz suite by Shostakovich. The show ends with lively dance music by Arturo Márquez.

Friday 8/21

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.