Weekend Edition Saturday

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Saturday

8:00 am

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Saturday

8:00 am

From civil wars in Bosnia and El Salvador, to hospital rooms, police stations, and America's backyards, National Public Radio's Peabody Award-winning correspondent Scott Simon brings a well-traveled perspective to his role as host of Weekend Edition Saturday.

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

This Time, Germany's Rise Doesn't Worry The French

Opposition politicians and press pundits in France warn that the Sarkozy-Merkel plan to save the Euro will make France subservient to Germany. They say France will lose its sovereignty by giving a German-dominated EU control over French fiscal policy. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley pounded the pavement of Paris for days, however, and could not find a single rank-and-file French citizen who shared these fears.

N.H. Tea Partiers Weigh Their Remaining Choices

Tea Party voters were expected to play a key role in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, but with movement hopefuls Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry low in the polls, and Herman Cain now out of the race, the Tea Party vote remains very much in play. New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers reports.

Oldest Black Church Open After Six-Year Restoration

The nation's oldest black church reopens to the public this week after a $9-million restoration fueled in part by federal stimulus funds, and completed in painstaking detail despite the recession. Shannon Mullen tours Boston's African Meeting House with the woman who led the project.

Alternate Routes To One Goal: Tax The Wealthy

Democratic governors Andrew Cuomo and Jerry Brown are both are asking their states' wealthiest residents to pay higher income taxes to help plug major holes in their budgets. That's pretty much where the similarities end.

Horror For The Holidays: Meet The Anti-Santa

The Krampus is a character from European Alpine folklore. It stands on two hooves, has horns growing out of its skull and carries a basket to haul away naughty children. For those who get sick of the saccharine season, a good Krampuslauf is just the thing.

Laura Nyro's Lasting, Eclectic Musical Legacy

Most of the names announced for induction to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame this week are familiar. The name Laura Nyro, however, may need some explaining. Her songs outlasted their times, and today, a range of artists call her an inspiration.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Olof Arnalds: An Icelandic Take On Heartland Rock

The experimental rock singer says she found her own way to English-language pop music.

Turks Enjoy A Little Schadenfreude At EU's Expense

After years of seeing their bid to join the EU stalled, Turks are trying not to show too much pleasure at the doom-laden economic news emanating from Europe. However, economists warn, Europe's debt crisis could easily spill in Turkey's direction.

Haiku Traffic Signs Bring Poetry To NYC Streets

New York City's Department of Transportation has taken an artful approach to safety: colorful traffic signs written in haiku. "Poetry has a lot of power," says artist John Morse. "The idea is to bring something to the streetscape that might catch someone's eye."

Gary Oldman Steps Into A Spymaster's Shoes

In a new film based on John le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the veteran actor reinvents an iconic character — and finds a darker George Smiley than the one Alec Guinness created for British TV.

Nature And Design Meet In Lautner's Modern Homes

An artist with an idyllic childhood might be as rare as a house with walls made of air, but both play a part in the story of architect John Lautner. Aesthetically influenced by his Northern Michigan upbringing, Lautner's designs have been featured in several films, including The Big Lebowski.

Behind Unemployment Figure, A Nuanced Outlook

The U.S. unemployment rate took a big tumble in November, from 9 percent to 8.6 percent, according to the government's monthly jobs data. Still, it's probably too soon pop the champagne corks. A combination of forces caused the big drop, some good and some bad.

Gingrich's Popularity: A Winning Boost?

The former House speaker is now the focus of the race to become the GOP presidential nominee — and with that comes the heat. Despite recent criticism, Newt Gingrich insists he'll stay positive. The big question is whether he can sustain his surge in the polls.

White House Decks The Halls In Military Brass

A group of more than 100 volunteers helped decorate the White House this year, covering the mansion in Christmas trees, cookie ornaments and several versions of the Obamas' dog, Bo. The real stars, however, were the military families who joined the celebration.

What's In a (Baby) Name?

So many end-of-the year lists detail something trivial. But sometimes those lists can help us appreciate something obvious.

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Arts & Culture

NPR

More Time Together, Though 'Midnight' Looms

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke return for the third in Richard Linklater's loosely peerless Before series, and they've never been more persuasive — nor has the storytelling. (Recommended)

Food

NPR

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Does the kind of charcoal you use really make a difference when it comes to grilling up a tasty steak or other food on the grill? Yes — but deciding which one to use depends on what you're after. Both briquettes and lump charcoal — aka "natural" hardwood charcoal — have their advantages and disadvantages.

Politics

NPR

Obama's Terrorism Fight Is Colored Gray, Not Black And White

If President Obama's newly recalibrated counterterrorism strategy demonstrates anything, it is his penchant for nuance.

Technology

NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

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Weekend Edition Saturday

Arts & Culture

More Time Together, Though 'Midnight' Looms

Food

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Politics

Obama's Terrorism Fight Is Colored Gray, Not Black And White

Technology

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

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