Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR News

Saturday 6-10 AM
Hosted by: Scott Simon

Whether revealing events in small-town America or overseas, or profiling notable personalities, Weekend Edition from Northwest Public Radio & NPR News appreciates the extraordinary details that make up every story. Join Bruce Bradberry and other Northwest Public Radio hosts for this two-hour weekend morning newsmagazine covering hard news, a wide variety of newsmakers, and cultural stories with care, accuracy, and a wink of humor.

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. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.

Visit Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR.org

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Middle East
4:55 am
Sat June 2, 2012

A Case For Military Intervention In Syria

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 8:01 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

For more on possible options in Syria, we're joined by Thomas P.M. Barnett. He is a former Pentagon analyst who's written in support of military intervention in Syria on Time magazine's Battleland blog. Mr. Barnett's also chief analyst at Wikistrat, a consultancy firm on geopolitical analysis. He joins us from his office in Indianapolis. Mr. Barnett, thanks for being with us.

THOMAS P.M. BARNETT: Thanks for having me on.

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Monkey See
3:43 am
Sat June 2, 2012

For Impressionist Jim Meskimen, The Voice Is 'A Sample Of Who We Are'

Credit Vince Bucci / Getty Images
Jim Meskimen arrives at the premiere of Frost/Nixon in November 2008.

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 8:50 pm

Food
3:20 am
Sat June 2, 2012

America's Gone Bananas: Here's How It Happened

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 8:01 am

Today, Americans take bananas for granted. They're cheap, they're ripe, they're everywhere. But take a moment and consider: How did a pale, fragile tropical fruit become so commonplace in America? Immigrants arriving at the South Ferry terminal, where the Ellis Island ferry landed, were once handed bananas and told, "Welcome to America."

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Books
3:09 am
Sat June 2, 2012

London's Mayor On 'The City That Made The World'

Credit Christopher Lee / Getty Images
London Mayor Boris Johnson stands atop the ArcelorMittal Orbit, an observation tower in London's Olympic Park, at its unveiling on May 11. Johnson is the author of Johnson's Life of London: The People Who Made the City That Made the World.

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 8:01 am

In just a few weeks, the world will descend on London for the Olympic Games.

But the world goes to London every day, according to Boris Johnson, the former journalist who has just been re-elected mayor of London. In his new book, Johnson says people don't just visit the city, they've made their lives there for centuries now. It's a city, Johnson writes, where national soccer teams from all over the world can show up and count on crowds of thousands of fans to support them.

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Religion
2:57 am
Sat June 2, 2012

Conspiracies Swirl As Vatican Scandal Engulfs Rome

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 4:13 pm

The scandal over leaked documents that has been engulfing the Vatican is the biggest breach of confidence and security at the Holy See in recent memory.

Known as Vatileaks, the crisis has shed light on a Vatican gripped by intrigue and power struggles like a Renaissance court.

Vatileaks erupted into a full-blown scandal with the publication two weeks ago of a book of Vatican documents alleging corruption and conspiracies among cardinals.

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National Security
2:56 am
Sat June 2, 2012

'Flame' Sheds Light On Politics Of Cyberwarfare

Credit iStockphoto.com

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 10:51 am

New information about computer viruses shows how countries may be lining up to fight a cyberwar. The New York Times reported that former President George W. Bush and President Obama both authorized computer attacks against Iran, culminating in the Stuxnet virus, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.

Meanwhile, a United Nations agency raised alarms about another virus, dubbed "Flame," which may also have been designed for use against Iran.

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Politics
2:53 am
Sat June 2, 2012

Analysts Smell Fear After Lack Of Job Growth

Credit Richard Drew / AP
Trader Peter Tuchman works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading Friday. The stock market suffered its worst day of the year after a surprisingly weak jobs report.

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 11:01 am

If unusually warm weather helped encourage job growth earlier this year, May was like a wet, cold rain. A report from the Labor Department on Friday showed that U.S. employers added just 69,000 jobs last month — far fewer than expected.

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Deceptive Cadence
11:03 pm
Fri June 1, 2012

A (Very) Young Composer Gets His Chance At The New York Philharmonic

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 1:51 pm

What would it be like if you were 10 years old and composed a piece of music that was played by the New York Philharmonic? For a few New York City school kids, including one fifth-grader, it's a dream come true, thanks to the orchestra's Very Young Composers program.

Composer Jon Deak, who played bass with the New York Philharmonic for more than 40 years, says the idea for Very Young Composers came when he and conductor Marin Alsop visited an elementary school in Brooklyn several years ago.

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Music Interviews
3:59 pm
Fri June 1, 2012

Kelly Hogan: Cashing In An Album's Worth Of Favors

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Kelly Hogan's new album is I Like to Keep Myself in Pain.

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 8:01 am

"I started singing in bars when I was still in high school," says Kelly Hogan. "It's not the easiest thing to do if you like to eat something besides ramen noodles and have insurance."

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Business
4:49 am
Sat May 26, 2012

A Holiday Treat: Lower Prices At The Pump

Originally published on Sat May 26, 2012 7:52 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

And if you're one of millions of motorists on the roads this holiday weekend, you may have noticed something unexpected and welcome. Gas prices are falling. This at the start of the summer driving season when gas prices usually spike. We turn now to Daniel Yergin. He's author of "The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World," and chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates. He joins us from his office in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Yergin, thanks so much for being with us.

DANIEL YERGIN: Thank you.

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