Join WRKF as we recognize Independence Day and a quintessential summer holiday weekend with programming examining freedom, national identity, political and ideological division, summer food traditions, and summer romance.
Divided States: Efforts to Pull Together When Things Fall Apart
Sunday, July 2 at 6am
As we emerge from isolation and pandemic, we find ourselves in many ways, a nation divided. For Independence Day weekend, this special takes a dive into issues that divide us and efforts to pull together. Our stories explore how some family members of Qanon believers are feeling a sense of loss and grief and are fighting for ways to deprogram and free them from the conspiracy theories ... how ethnic studies has become a hot button issue ... how online doxxing more and more often is leading to real-life danger ... how Asian American communities are coming together to fight hate crimes ... and how music brings us all together. This hour of in-depth, documentary-style news features is made possible by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
The One Recipe Summer Celebrations
Sunday, July 2 at 5pm
A celebratory summer edition of The Splendid Table’s newest “podbaby,” The One Recipe. We talk to culinary superstars about their summer entertaining strategies. They’ll discuss the recipes that work for a crowd and explore cooking traditions and foods with influences from all over the world. They’ll leave you with ideas to jumpstart your own summer parties, whether you’re celebrating Juneteenth, graduation, Father’s Day or the Fourth of July. Guests include chef Chris Williams of Lucille’s in Houston, who has dedicated his kitchen to innovative takes on Southern food classics inspired by his great-grandmother Lucille B. Smith, Esteban Castillo, author of Chicano Bakes: Recipes for Mexican Pan Dulce, Tamales and My Favorite Desserts, Bao Ong, restaurant columnist at the Houston Chronicle and Natasha David author of Drink Lightly, A Lighter Take on Serious Cocktails.
Selected Shorts: Romance of the Summer
Sunday, July 2 at 6pm
A light-hearted collection of summer-themed works including: “A Case for Remaining Indoors,” by Samantha Irby, performed by Retta; “The Miraculous Beach, or, Prize for Modesty,” by Massimo Bontempelli, translated by Jenny McPhee, performed by Hugh Dancy; and “The Thrill of the Grass,” by W.P. Kinsella, performed by Denis O’Hare.
The Pulse: Degrees of Freedom
Tuesday, July 4 at 12 noon
In this Fourth of July special, The Pulse will be exploring the idea of freedom through a scientific lens. We’ll hear from a neuroscientist and a social psychologist about their very different takes on freedom, and then we’ll discuss what freedom really means in the age of powerful networks that collect millions of data points on us. Also, we'll hear about one person’s social experiment to experience freedom.
Food Fight from Things That Go Boom
Tuesday, July 4 at 7pm
This time of year, with the flags and bunting, flipping burgers on the grill… it tends to get us thinking about what exactly it means to be American. There are a lot of answers to that question. But one we don’t often explore has to do with those burgers, or pad thai… whatever you might find on your plate… and what those things have to do with our national security. In this special from from Things That Go Boom, Inkstick Media, and PRX: Two stories about food, family, and the choices our government makes in our name. The US Secret War turned many Southeast Asians into refugees. Now their kids are keeping that story alive. And meet one of the one-in-four military families dealing with hunger, even as they serve our country.
