Weekend Edition

Topics from the Most Recent Show: Saturday | Sunday

Saturday

• Championship Wrestling, Nubian-Style
  There's a weekly power struggle in northern Khartoum in Sudan. On this Friday, a young Nubian man answers the referee's call for a contender and waits to see who will enter the wrestling ring to test his strength in one of humankind's oldest traditions.
• Obama Arrives In Afghanistan
  Afghanistan is the first stop on a week-long overseas trip during which Sen. Barack Obama also plans to visit Iraq. His presence there is considered part of a congressional delegation and not part of his presidential campaign.
• Bill Would End U.S. Ban On Visas For Those With HIV
  This week, the Senate approved a $48 billion extension of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Included in the bill was a provision that would lift a ban, in place since 1987, on visas for people with HIV.
• Are You Ready For The Summer? Camp, That Is
  A new book titled <em>Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flies</em> is an ode to the time of year when kids swarm to camps with appropriated Native American names and sweaty cabins filled with bunk beds and the spoils of independence.
• Iran Says It Won't Suspend Enrichment Program
  Multilateral talks aimed at curbing Iran's uranium enrichment program began Saturday in Geneva. But any hope that the Bush administration's decision to send a high-ranking envoy to the talks will change Iran's position faded when an Iranian official said Iran would not stop enriching uranium.
• Saying Good-Bye To NPR's Gary Smith
  Our dear NPR colleague, Gary L. Smith, died this week at age 57. For the past four years, Smith presided over NPR's front desk, greeting everyone who walked through with a giant smile. The loveliness that lit up his face was his determination to see the beauty in everyone.
• South Carolina Miffed By U.K. 'Gay' Ads
  London recently held its annual gay pride festival. A tour operator who promotes gay-friendly tourism to several U.S. cities bought some ad space for posters that said, "South Carolina is so gay." South Carolina caught wind of the ad campaign and was not happy.
• Tour De France Drama On And Off the Course
  The 14th stage of the Tour de France got underway Saturday morning in Nimes, France. There have been some surprising results on the course, and some unsurprising developments off it. Doping once again has plagued the Tour.
• For Die-Hard Fans, A Cubs-Themed Cemetery
  Being a Chicago Cubs fan isn't always easy. For true die-hards, parting with the perennial also-rans, under any circumstances, is unthinkable. Now they won't have to &mdash; ever. How? A Wrigley Field-themed cemetery, of course.
• Can The Fed Help Control Inflation?
  Scott Simon talks to Alan Binder, former vice chair of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, about whether the Fed can bring inflation under control in the face of spiraling energy and food prices.
• The Evolving Role Of The Vice President
  Scott Simon talks with vice presidential scholar Joel Goldstein about why and how the role of the vice president has changed.
• Zimbabwe's Billion-Dollar Bill Nearly Worthless
  In Zimbabwe, banknotes issued a few months ago are worth only a fraction of a percentage of what they were originally. The Zimbabwean $50 billion bill is worth 33 U.S. cents; and it takes 1.2 quadrillion Zimbabwean dollars to make up about $4,000 U.S.
• Passion For Kayaking Sparks Fight Against Malaria
  Five years ago, Dr. Jessie Stone had temporarily given up medicine and left New York to pursue her passion for kayaking. She had no idea that her medical career and her passion would cross paths and change her life. Today, she runs a malaria prevention program in rural Uganda.
• Mayors Urge Municipal Bans On Bottled Water
  The U.S. Conference of Mayors has passed a resolution urging governments to phase out bottled water in city buildings. Scott Simon talks with Martin J. Chavez, mayor of Albuquerque, N.M., and one of the co-authors of the resolution.
• Obama's Foreign Trip; U.S. Envoy to Iran
  Scott Simon reviews the week's news with Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr. Among the topics: Sen. Barack Obama's first foreign trip since become the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee; and the U.S. sends an envoy to talks in Geneva regarding Iran's uranium enrichment program.

Sunday

• Stories From An Early American Cemetery
  In 1808, a Philadelphia neighborhood became known as Fishtown. And today, if you live there, you can be buried in historic Palmer Cemetery. It has so many graves that a pole is pushed into the ground when searching for an empty plot. NPR's Liane Hansen takes a guided tour of with local historian Ken Milano.
• Reduced Shakespeare Analyzes NPR's 'Character'
  The Reduced Shakespeare Company prides itself on reducing Shakespeare to "short, sharp comedies." The three-man comedy troupe has applied its talents to the NPR series <em>In Character,</em> finding a Pandora's box within NPR's own halls.
• More Bank Failures May Follow IndyMac
  Federal regulators seized IndyMac Bank Friday, one of the nation's largest lenders, because of questions about its viability. The bank is now being run by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner at Federal Financial Analytics, about what that means for the financial sector, speaks with NPR's Liane Hansen.
• Baghdad Officials Fear Outbreaks From Dirty Water
  Health officials have been sending warnings to avoid tap water and ice, which they say is tainted. But those most at risk are people who live in the city slums, where few have cell phones or television to receive the notices.
• Native Americans March For Burial, Green Issues
  Native Americans held ceremonies on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. this weekend to mark the completion of a five-month walk across the United States. The walkers hope to raise awareness of issues facing Native Americans, from environmental concerns to burial rights.
• Who Is An American: 'Ladies of Liberty'
  In 1808, women did not have the right to vote or own property. But the wives, sisters, daughters and friends of powerful men were able to exert some influence over the course of American life, politics and culture. NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with NPR's Cokie Roberts about her new book, <em>Ladies of Liberty</em>.
• Financial Troubles Spread Among Mortgage Lenders
  With the failure of IndyMac Bank, the second largest financial institution to close in U.S. history, on Friday, investors are increasingly focused on how mortgage lenders are responding to an uncertain housing market and slumping economy.
• A Legal Review Of The U.S. Position In Iraq
  Legal authority for U.S. troops to remain in Iraq expires on Dec. 31. The United States is seeking an agreement to let American troops stay in Iraq indefinitely, but Iraqi officials indicate no deal may be reached until President Bush is out of office.
• Rethinking The Tuesday Vote
  U.S. presidential elections are held on Tuesdays, a tradition that dates back to 1845. For a variety of reasons, Congress had decided Tuesday would be the most convenient day for Americans to vote. But today, the most common reason given by people who don't vote is they're "too busy."
• NAACP Convention Marks Racial Recovery In Ohio
  The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is hosting its 99th convention in downtown Cincinnati this weekend. The city had been boycotted by prominent black organizations and public figures after 2001 race riots broke out there. Cincinnati's mayor Mark Mallory talks with NPR's Liane Hansen.
• Former Rep. McKinney Heads Green Party Ticket
  The Green Party selects Cynthia McKinney, the former congresswoman from Georgia, to head its presidential ticket. McKinney is known for controversial and provocative statements &mdash; and a run-in with a Capitol Hill security guard.
• Animal Disease Lab Plans Controversial Relocation
  The Department of Homeland Security is considering relocating the nation's main animal disease lab. Now located on an isolated island off New York, the lab could be moved to North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, or Kansas. Local residents, farmers and ranchers are worried, while local officials anticipate the money and prestige the lab might bring.
• Captain Fatty's Message In A Bottle
  From his boat, Captain Fatty Goodlander reflects on why it's good to keep moving.
• An Adventure In Mongolia
  In this installment of <em>Weekend Edition's Summer Adventure Series,</em> NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with Sarah McLester, of Charleston, S.C., about her trip to Mongolia.
• Chinese Contemporary Art Gains New Audience
  A new exhibit of Chinese artists opens at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this week. The exhibit highlights a common theme in modern Chinese art: the conflict between the individual and the collective. China recently surpassed France as the world's third largest art market and prices are rising quickly.