NPR's Weekend Edition on KUER 1

Weekends from 6:00am to 10:00am
Scott Simon and Liane Hansen

Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories.

Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians.

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Composer ID: 
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Podcasts

  • Sunday, May 19, 2013 6:00am
    Host Rachel Martin talks with Ramez Maluf, professor of journalism at Lebanese American University in Beirut, about different views in Arab media on the Syrian conflict.
  • Sunday, May 19, 2013 6:00am
    Martha Brockenbrough, the founder of National Grammar Day and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, tells host Rachel Martin about what she has referred to as an "apostrophe catastrophe." The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has a policy against possessive apostrophes in the names of places. The reason, The Wall Street Journal reports, is that the apostrophe quote implies private ownership of a public space.
  • Sunday, May 19, 2013 6:00am
    Controversies dominated this past week's political headlines, leaving the Obama White House on the defensive, trying to contain any lasting damage. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mara Liasson.
  • Sunday, May 19, 2013 6:00am
    In this week's Sunday Conversation, host Rachel Martin speaks with Detective Sgt. Joe Matthews, who worked for decades on the Adam Walsh murder investigation in Florida. She will speak to him about how the case changed overtime, how it affected him personally and professionally, and how it feels to close a case that he worked on for so long.
  • Sunday, May 19, 2013 6:00am
    This week, the final roster for candidates in Iran's presidential election will be announced by the country's religious Guardian Council. Host Rachel Martin talks with Iranian-American Rutgers professor Hooshang Amirahmadi about his candidacy.

Pages

Around the Nation
5:38 am
Sun April 21, 2013

Runners Honor Victims Of Marathon Bombing

Originally published on Sun April 21, 2013 2:56 pm

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

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Author Interviews
4:45 am
Sun April 21, 2013

'Orphan': A Novel Imagines Life In North Korea

Originally published on Sun April 21, 2013 2:56 pm

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Last week, a book called "The Orphan Master's Son" was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Adam Johnson's novel imagines what life is like for citizens of North Korea. I spoke with Adam Johnson last year about his book. And to mark his Pulitzer, we'd like to revisit that interview. In it, Johnson explained that as part of his research, he actually managed to finagle a visit to North Korea. He said his government minders maintained tight control over his itinerary but they couldn't hide everything.

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Food
4:45 am
Sun April 21, 2013

There's More To Rhubarb Than Meets The Eye

Originally published on Sun April 21, 2013 2:56 pm

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

If you're a regular public radio listener, this may sound a bit familiar.

GARRISON KEILLOR, HOST:

This portion of our show is brought to you by Beopareebopp Rhubarb Pie and Beopareebopp Frozen Pie Filling.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: That's Garrison Keillor on "A Prairie Home Companion," advertising a fictional and deeply Lake Wobegonian dessert.

KEILLOR: (Singing) Mama's little baby loves rhubarb, rhubarb, Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie. Mama's little baby...

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Around the Nation
4:45 am
Sun April 21, 2013

An Unforgettable Week, For Boston And The Nation

Originally published on Sun April 21, 2013 2:56 pm

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

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Sports
9:04 am
Sun April 14, 2013

A Controversial Drop Puts Woods Behind On Final Day Of Masters

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

It is the final round of The Masters today. American Brandt Snedeker and Argentine Angel Cabrera share the lead at 7 under par. Pre-tournament favorite Tiger Woods is four shots behind, which isn't bad considering what he went through yesterday. From Augusta, Georgia, NPR's Tom Goldman reports on how golf's greatest major almost lost its greatest player.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Fore, please. Tiger Woods now driving.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)

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Music Interviews
9:04 am
Sun April 14, 2013

Yeah Yeah Yeahs On Love Songs, New York And Transforming On Stage

Credit Dan Martensen / Courtesy of the artist
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' new album is titled Mosquito.
Education
5:34 am
Sun April 14, 2013

The Case For The Arts In Overhauling Education

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 9:04 am

One of the ongoing debates in education is whether so much testing in schools is taking away time for young people to develop their own critical thinking and creativity. At the same time, the White House has talked about the importance of innovation when it comes to staying competitive in the global market. The intersection of both of these issues could be the arts.

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Asia
4:47 am
Sun April 14, 2013

Will Lightning Strike Twice For South Korea's Psy?

Credit Kin Cheung / AP
South Korean rapper PSY performs at his concert in Seoul, South Korea on Saturday.

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 5:03 pm

Science
4:47 am
Sun April 14, 2013

A Poker Players Tells Are In The Hands As Much As The Face

Originally published on Mon April 15, 2013 8:11 am

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Let's talk poker. Dealer, let me see those cards.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "COOL HAND LUKE")

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (as character) King-three, you got a four. Queen-deuce gets a five. And a pair of sevens gets a john. And the big ace gets a slap in the face. OK, you still do the talking.

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Music Interviews
4:47 am
Sun April 14, 2013

On The Road With Dawes, The Band Behind The Band

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 9:49 am

The country rock band Dawes has built a grassroots following opening for other bands. As they release their third album, Stories Don't End, they're preparing to tour with their biggest headliner yet: Bob Dylan. Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin speaks two members of Dawes, singer and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith and keyboardist Tay Strathairn, about life on the road.

The Sunday Conversation
3:16 am
Sun April 14, 2013

Advice On Passion, Brilliance And Bugs In 'Letters'

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 9:04 am

Edward O. Wilson has spent a lifetime as a scientist, a teacher and a writer. In his scientific career, he's a preeminent biologist and a global expert on ants; as a teacher, he has been a professor at Harvard for almost six decades; as a writer, he has won two Pulitzer Prizes for his nonfiction, which presents science to a general audience.

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Middle East
3:12 am
Sun April 14, 2013

Syria Conflict Brings Middle East Leaders To White House

Credit Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian rebel patrols the area in the Sheikh Maqsud district of the northern city of Aleppo, on Thursday.

Originally published on Thu April 25, 2013 1:54 pm

In the coming weeks, the Obama administration plays host to the leaders of several Middle Eastern nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar and Jordan.

They are coming, in part, to register their concerns about the ongoing violence in Syria and to nudge the Obama administration to do more to tip the balance in favor of the rebels trying to oust President Bashar Assad.

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Around the Nation
3:09 am
Sun April 14, 2013

In Hazleton, A Mixed Welcome For City's Immigrants

Credit Carolyn Kaster / AP
Roads End bar on Broad Street in Hazleton, Pa., displays a sign in 2007 that reads "ALL Legals Served." Longtime residents of the city are divided over the recent influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants.

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 4:33 pm

Many residents say Hazleton, Pa., continues life now as a divided city. While some Spanish-speakers build new lives, longtime residents remain split on how the influx has changed their home.

It's not hard to find a Latino business in Hazleton these days, including law firms, insurance agencies and even a migrant education program. Amilcar Arroyo, the publisher of a local Spanish-language newspaper, says Latinos are now firmly establishing themselves as a part of the city.

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Education
2:58 am
Sun April 14, 2013

'Core Curriculum' Puts Education Experts At Odds

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 4:16 pm

At 2 p.m., it's crunchtime for students who write for The Harbinger Online, the award-winning, student news site at Shawnee Mission East High just outside Kansas City, Kan. They've been investigating an initiative to develop common curriculum and test guidelines for states.

The young reporters have pored over countless documents about the Common Core State Standards and talked to Kansas state legislators who pushed for their adoption, trying to understand why they're necessary.

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Education
2:58 am
Sun April 14, 2013

Jazz In The Cafeteria: Kids Learn To Listen While They Chomp

Credit Jenny Brundin for NPR
Saxophonist Harold Rapp plays during lunchtime at Alice Terry Elementary School in Sheridan, Colo.

Originally published on Sun April 14, 2013 4:44 pm

School lunch is often synonymous with loud noise. Studies have shown the decibel level in some cafeterias is as high as a lawn mower.

Every so often, though, students at Alice Terry Elementary School, southwest of Denver, are asked not to make any noise.

When the music teacher told students here they'd occasionally have a "silent" lunch break, this was kindergartner Alyssa Norquette's reaction: "Why do we need a silent lunch? Is it because we're too loud or something?"

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Shots - Health News
2:57 am
Sun April 14, 2013

Scientists Race To Stay Ahead Of New Bird Flu Virus

Credit AFP/Getty Images
Workers prepare an H7N9 virus detection kit at the Center for Disease Control in Beijing on April 3.

Originally published on Mon April 15, 2013 7:01 am

A precious package arrived at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last Thursday afternoon.

Inside, packed in dry ice to keep it frozen, was a vial containing millions of viruses derived from a 35-year-old Chinese housewife who died last Tuesday of respiratory and kidney failure.

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NPR Story
4:42 am
Sun April 7, 2013

Court Rejects Case To Ban Egyptian Comic's Show

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 9:08 am

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

In Egypt, Bassem Youssef has built a following by making jokes about his own government.

BASSEM YOUSSEF: (Foreign language spoken)

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: That's a bit of sound from Youssef's satirical TV show, which often gets compared to "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." His sharp critiques of the president and the ruling political party in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, have made him famous. But his show has also stirred up controversy.

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NPR Story
4:42 am
Sun April 7, 2013

New Strain Of Avian Flu Worries Scientists

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 9:08 am

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

In China, authorities are stepping up efforts to contain the spread of a new strain of bird flu, which has killed six people across that country. It is the first time this particular virus, called H7N9, has been detected in humans. For more, Dr. Thomas Frieden joins us. He is the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He joins us on the line from his office in Atlanta, Georgia. Welcome to the program.

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN: Good morning.

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NPR Story
4:42 am
Sun April 7, 2013

Lianne La Havas: 'The Golden Girl Of British Music'

Credit Ravi Dhar / Courtesy of the artist
The singer-songwriter released her debut studio album, Is Your Love Big Enough, this summer.

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 9:08 am

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

If you're open to possibilities and you're brave enough to take risks, good things can happen. Of course, it also helps if you're as talented as 23-year-old Lianne La Havas. One critic called the singer-songwriter the golden girl of British music. Another wondered whether she could be the next Adele. In this encore presentation, NPR's Elizabeth Blair has a profile.

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Author Interviews
3:28 am
Sun April 7, 2013

Stories Of 'Outside The Wire' Give An Insider's View Of War

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 9:08 am

In some ways, it was like any other writing class: backpacks, books, rough drafts, discussions about literature. But instructor Christine Dumaine Leche and her students weren't sitting in a college classroom or a community center — they were on an air base in Afghanistan and the students usually came to class after long days in a war zone. Leche was teaching them to translate their experiences — the danger, the boredom, the painful separation from their families, the fear and the hatred — into prose.

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Sports
3:16 am
Sun April 7, 2013

An NCAA Basketball Star In Europe

Credit Greg Nelson / Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

Originally published on Fri April 12, 2013 2:37 pm

With a single, devastating shot, Ali Farokhmanesh became the face of the NCAA basketball tournament in 2010.

He nailed the 3-pointer that propelled the ninth-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers to a major upset victory over the tournament favorite, Kansas Jayhawks. It also put him on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

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Sports
3:16 am
Sun April 7, 2013

Old Guard And Fresh Faces Square Off At Women's Final Four

Credit Sue Ogrocki / AP
Louisville guard Shoni Schimmel (23) and the Louisville bench react to her 3-point shot against Tennessee in the second half of the regional final in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Louisville won 86-78.

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 10:51 am

A women's Final Four without Baylor, Stanford or Tennessee? That's happened only one other time in the last dozen years. We've become so used to it being a power party, that it's downright disorienting.

Or maybe that's just vertigo from trying to track the movements of the Final Four's breakout star, Louisville guard Shoni Schimmel. She's a big reason why two of those teams — Tennessee and Baylor — aren't in New Orleans for a chance at the title.

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Politics
2:59 am
Sun April 7, 2013

Back From Recess, Congress Preps For Gun Legislation Fight

Credit Charles Dharapak / AP
Congress comes back from a two-week spring break on Monday.

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 10:45 am

The U.S. Senate was scheduled to begin voting on gun control measures this week when Congress returns from recess, but Senate staffers say a bipartisan agreement has yet to be reached on universal background checks. That snarl may end up delaying a vote on gun legislation for another week, as lobbyists on both sides of the debate use the extra time to keep the pressure on.

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Commentary
2:57 am
Sun April 7, 2013

Why You Shouldn't Wrinkle Your Nose At Fermentation

Credit Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
Kimchi is a traditional pungent fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings.

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 11:08 am

It's delicious, it's nutritious and it's basically rotten. Fermentation is a hot culinary trend, and, as Weekend Edition food commentator Bonny Wolf explains, the preservation process gives food a flavor unique to time and place.

People you know may intentionally be growing bacteria in their homes — on food, outside the refrigerator. And they are doing it to make food safe, and nutritious.

They are doing what cooks have always done: fermenting food.

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Shots - Health News
10:30 am
Sat April 6, 2013

With Plan B Ruling, Judge Signs Off On Years Of Advocacy

Credit Scott Olson / Getty Images
A federal judge has ordered the Food and Drug Administration to make all levonorgestrel-based emergency contraceptives available to younger teens without a prescription.

Originally published on Sun April 7, 2013 9:08 am

A federal judge ordered Friday what women's groups have failed to accomplish politically for a dozen years. He ruled that Plan B, the most commonly used morning-after birth control pill, be sold without a prescription or other restrictions to women of all ages.

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NPR Story
8:25 am
Sun March 31, 2013

1970s Chaos And Radicalism Fuels 'Flamethrowers'

Originally published on Mon April 1, 2013 12:51 pm

Rachel Kushner's new novel, The Flamethrowers, begins with a crash. A young woman named Reno is trying to set a record on her motorcycle at a racetrack at the Bonneville Salt Flats. She wants to photograph the tracks she leaves in the sand, as an art project. But her crash takes Reno in a different direction. Her artistic ambition thrusts her in the middle of New York's chaotic art scene in the 1970s, and eventually, Reno finds herself embroiled in a radical political movement in Italy.

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NPR Story
3:39 am
Sun March 31, 2013

How A 'Drone Court' Might Work

Originally published on Sun March 31, 2013 8:25 am

In recent months, there have been bipartisan calls for more transparency in the Obama administration's drone program. Host Rachel Martin talks with Gregory McNeal, a professor of national security law at Pepperdine University's School of Law, about proposals to bring more openness and accountability. One idea is the creation of a "drone court" that would review decisions to target and kill suspected militants.

NPR Story
3:39 am
Sun March 31, 2013

Want To Remember New York In The '90s? Pick Up The Phone

Originally published on Sun March 31, 2013 8:25 am

New York City has nearly 11,000 pay phones, and a new campaign is trying to turn about 5,000 of them into time capsules. Host Rachel Martin talks with David Droga, creative chairman of ad agency Droga5, about the "Recalling 1993" campaign.

NPR Story
3:39 am
Sun March 31, 2013

Phil Ramone's 'Musical Mind' Set Him Apart As A Producer

Originally published on Sun March 31, 2013 8:25 am

Phil Ramone was a violin prodigy; he played for Queen Elizabeth when he was 10. As a fledgling recording engineer, he manned the booth for "Alice's Restaurant." And as a producer, he recorded hits for Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel and Paul Simon. As NPR's Sami Yenigun reports, Ramone died Saturday at the age of 79.

Author Interviews
7:40 am
Mon March 25, 2013

Love, Roughhousing And Fifth Position In 'Brothers Emanuel'

The brothers in the Emanuel family are known for their success and for their chutzpah. The youngest is Ari Emanuel, a high-powered Hollywood agent. The HBO show Entourage actually based a character on Ari, and that character is a bit, well, blunt — threatening, for example, to rip out someone's tongue and serve it to his son's pet lizard.

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