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Since 1986, the U.S. has steadily built an infrastructure on its Southern border and inland. All told, the nation has spent nearly $200 billion in today's dollars. Roughly 80,000 government workers depend on immigration enforcement, along with defense contractors large and small. NPR's Ted Robbins reports immigration is down, but there's no end in sight for the border-industrial complex. (This piece initially aired Sept. 12, 2012, on Morning Edition).

In South Africa, thousands of mineworkers have embarked on industrial action that began with a deadly pay strike by platinum workers. They've agreed a wage deal with their management, this week, but the labor unrest is spreading to other platinum and gold mines in an industry that's the engine of South Africa's economy. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton discusses the repercussions with host Scott Simon.

Mitt Romney released his 2011 tax return Friday, along with a summary of the tax rates he has paid over the past 20 years. NPR's John Ydstie reports Romney apparently paid more than he had to.

Residents of Zimbabwe's second largest city are flushing the toilets at the same time tonight. The action isn't some form of protest, but the result of 72 hours of water restrictions thanks to a severe drought.

With Terraplane, the guitarist transforms from New York avant-garde aesthete to down-and-dirty Chicago bluesman. In an interview with NPR's Jacki Lyden, Sharp remembers Chicago blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin and his "pearls of blue wisdom."

Fresh Air Weekend

Actor Michael Peña could watch Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose a million times. "You know, you get into the world of what it means to be a comic," he says.

So far in this presidential campaign, the two main contestants have managed to keep details of their plans for the White House remarkably vague. Weekends on All Things Considered guest host Jacki Lyden speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about what he'd like to hear once they share the same stage at the first debate.

The Gaza Strip will be unlivable by 2020 if nothing is done to alleviate the situation there, a recent U.N. report found. By almost every indicator, Palestinians in Gaza today are worse off than they were in the 1990s — squeezed by a high birthrate, dwindling resources and trade and travel restrictions.

The number of overweight and obese children is rising. Many of those kids struggle to manage medical conditions at school, but they also face practical challenges, like frequent bathroom breaks and difficulty moving between classes. Obesity can also take a toll on kids' emotional health — and their test scores.