Whether revealing events in small-town America or overseas, or profiling notable personalities, Weekend Edition from NPR News appreciates the extraordinary details that make up every story. This two-hour morning newsmagazine covers hard news, a wide variety of newsmakers, and cultural stories with care, accuracy, and a wink of humor, courtesy of hosts Scott Simon and Liane Hansen.
On Saturdays, Simon's award-winning commentaries sum up an idea or event related to the week's news. There are fresh reports from a cross-section of NPR correspondents on topics from religion to health to food to politics. Simon's interviews with key artists, authors, performers and personalities are always memorable.
On Sundays, Weekend Edition combines the news with colorful arts and human-interest features, appealing to the curious and eclectic. With a nod to traditional Sunday habits, the program offers a fix for diehard crossword addicts-word games and brainteasers with The Puzzlemaster, a.k.a. Will Shortz, puzzle editor of The New York Times. With Hansen on the sidelines, a caller plays the latest word game on the air while listeners compete silently at home. The NPR mailbag is proof that the competition to go head-to-head with Shortz is rather vigorous.
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Tensions grow between European countries and the U.S. over helping in the Strait of Hormuz and the future of NATO.
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Chicago Catholics are reacting to the very public spat last week between President Trump and Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV. The pontiff has been critical of the war in Iran.
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NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks to journalist Caity Weaver about what she learned on her quest to find the best free restaurant bread in America.
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NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks to Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution about Iran's long-term goals.
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NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks to Jane Kaczmarek about reprising her role as the tough but loving mother, Lois, for the 'Malcolm in the Middle' reboot, "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair."
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NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks to singer Jessie Ware about finding her inner diva in her new album, "Superbloom."
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A few big cities no longer have daily newspapers and other outlets have switched to digital formats. In Council Grove, Kansas, a daily newspaper has managed to survive.
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NPR's Elissa Nadworny plays the puzzle with WMEH listener Chee Sing Lee and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
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A scientific instrument on the Voyager 1 has been shut off to conserve power as the probe continues its interstellar exploration.
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This was the hottest March ever recorded in the contiguous U.S., going back 132 years. Climate change is driving up temperatures, and making intense wildfires more likely.