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.
Another trademark of Sunday's program is "Voices in the News," a montage of sound bites from the past week, poignant in its simplicity. Hansen also engages listeners in her discussions with regular contributors, who cover a wide range of national and international issues.
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"Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote" aims to educate young adult readers about the fight for democracy in the U.S. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to authors Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau.
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Child care and student safety were two topics that candidates addressed last week in the presidential race. We hear from them in their own words.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with the musical duo from Madrid behind the new pop-rock album, "Viva Hinds."
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A traditional guessing game is bringing seniors from two Oklahoma tribes together to play against each other. We'll visit a lively handgame competition.
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Ana is so excited that her abuela is coming to live with her — until it means saying goodbye to her babysitter. No More Señora Mimí is an ode to caregivers from Meg Medina and Brittany Cicchese.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Jonathan Dekel-Chen about his son, Sagui. He's an American, taken on Oct. 7, and still being held hostage in Gaza.
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The bodies of six hostages were returned to Israel. Security cabinet members and members of the public in Israel are responding.
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Eagle Pass, Texas, has been center stage in a border conflict between federal authorities and the state. A new art exhibition aims to reframe the city's image. (Story first aired on Morning Edition.)
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We follow up on one of the big stories of recent days: the listeria outbreak. Inspection reports show myriad problems at the Boar's Head deli meat factory where the outbreak originated.
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Every year, millions of visitors come to Yellowstone National Park to see bison roam free. The Park says there's room for more — but the neighboring state of Montana is threatening to sue.