New York Public Radio

Today’s the day! Episode 1 of the second season of Radiolab for Kids’ “Terrestrials” is here! Host and creator Lulu Miller explores the wild world of tree stumps with Dr. Amanda Thomson. They journey to Illinois to meet a stump that changed the sky, then onto West Virginia to meet a stump that birthed a city, and finally to Wales to meet a stump that confirmed a tall tale of the ancient past. As inert as they may seem, tree stumps are a hub of life and interrelationships. Plus hear kids (aka “The Badgers”) ask Lulu and Dr. Thomson all their burning questions! Listen here:

NEW: Ever since On The Media’s Breaking News Consumer's Handbook debuted in 2013, it’s been a useful reminder to stop, think and observe as major stories unfold and misinformation swirls. As we head into the most social media saturated election of our lifetimes, the team has updated the handbook specifically for these times. Spoiler alert: polls won’t tell you the full story.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT…. It was an absolute delight to welcome over 2,500 of WNYC’s friends and supporters in person at our Centennial celebration at City Parks Foundation SummerStage last night … and so many more on-air and online! It was an incredible night of storytelling, music, history, and of course, WNYC swag! We want to extend our deepest appreciation to Manhattan Borough President Mark D. Levine for joining us on-stage and presenting us with a City Proclamation in commemoration of WNYC’s 100th anniversary. If you missed this one-of-a-kind event, you can relive the magic on-demand on our website or the WNYC App! Photo by Sammy Siharat

NEW: Tomorrow at 10am, WQXR (105.9FM or online at wqxr.org) kicks off a new, 13-week musical moment for kids and families! Hosted by flutist Emi Ferguson, “Once Upon a Composer” will tell a fabulous and true story about one of her favorite composers, followed by some of their music. Over the course of 13 weeks, we’ll hear about composers from the Baroque era through the 20th century, including Elisabeth de la Guerre, Johann Sebastian Bach, Florence Price and Toru Takemitsu. 

It’s finally time for new adventures with Lulu Miller and Radiolab’s “Terrestrials!” This season, Lulu and the team travel to the far reaches of the Earth to learn about some of the most overlooked inhabitants of our planet. From tree stumps to bees and lichen to arctic squirrels, each episode of this family podcast tells an incredible story with original songs, humor and a heavy dose of wonder. Check out the trailer here and stay tuned for the first episode, launching on September 19!

Join us to celebrate WNYC’s Centennial under the stars! On Monday, September 9, we’ll hold our first-ever live event and broadcast from City Parks Foundation SummerStage in Central Park! Hosted by Brian Lehrer, the evening will include some of the most beloved voices you’ve heard on the air and a lineup of conversation, music, trivia, and more. Guests will include Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger, Ira Glass, John Schaefer, Alison Stewart, Sean Carlson, and Gabrielle Shea from The Moth. Performers for the event include Laurie Anderson with Sexmob, Nada Surf, Freestyle Love Supreme and mxmtoon, plus a DJ set by Donwill. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6pm; show starts at 7pm.  And if you can’t join us in the park, we’ve got you covered: the festivities will also air live on 93.9 FM, AM 820, and wnyc.org. Your favorite WNYC hosts, your fellow WNYC fans - it’ll be a night to remember!

This summer, Radiolab and the International Astronomical Union have invited the public to participate in a quasi-moon naming contest! Before the submission period closes on September 30, host Latif Nasser swung by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for a tour and to talk about quasi-moons with some of the smartest astronomical minds. Check out some photos from the visit below and stay tuned for Latif’s episode on NASA’s Curious Universe podcast!

As the DNC kicks off, Brian Lehrer’s “100 Years of 100 Things” Centennial series takes a look at Democratic National Conventions with Michael Kazin, professor of history at Georgetown University and author of What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party. WNYC will also air NPR’s special coverage of the DNC beginning tonight and continuing through Thursday. Tune in each night at 9pm ET!

Did you miss the return of “Radiolab for Kids”? Every other week host Lulu Miller will take you on a nature walk to encounter a plant or animal behaving in ways that will surprise you. This summer, you can enjoy the furriest and leafiest Radiolab episodes about animals or plants or nature ahead of the September launch of the second season of Terrestrials –  our show that tells fantastical-sounding stories about nature that are 100% true. On this week’s “Radiolab for Kids” episode:  the Paris Olympics are in full swing. Humans are racing against other humans from all across the globe. But you know the one race they don’t have? The one where a human competes against a horse. “Radiolab for Kids” brings back one of our favorite Radiolab animal episodes of all time where we head to that race in the desert of Arizona. Turns out it has everything to do with what gives us humans… our humanity. Also our butts. Listen and subscribe to Radiolab for Kids (It’s for kids at heart, too!). 

LISTEN: Brian Lehrer was joined by celebrated pianist Lara Downes on the show this week to talk about Rhapsody for This Land: The American Odyssey in Music, an outdoor concert to which will be held Saturday, July 27 at 6pm in Brooklyn Bridge Park. . The concert is presented in celebration of the Centennial anniversaries of both WNYC and George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”  Hosted by WQXR’s Terrance McKnight, the concert will feature Lara’s re-imagining  of Gershwin’s legendary work , Arturo O’Farrill’s new version of “This Land is Your Land,” plus performances by Christian McBride, Roseanne Cash and Time for Three. Lara shared, “Gershwin was a first-generation American, and he wrote this piece with what he called a vision of the musical kaleidoscope of America and the melting pot. He's celebrating this country into which he's been born, with this boundless promise, except he's doing it in an environment where that promise is really being threatened. I think, along with the great tunes, the excitement, the exuberance, and the experimentation, there is something really personal, genuine, and heartfelt, that lasts. Of course, he grew up in Brooklyn and that was his foundational sound. It's so New York. I'm so thrilled that we get to play this piece, really, in his footsteps, under the Brooklyn Bridge, for the people of New York, in this free concert. I can't think of any better way to celebrate this.” If you can’t make it in person, the concert will also be broadcast live on WNYC. Listen to the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/eg493acx