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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In Tupelo, Miss., the next generation of Elvis tribute artists competed at an annual Elvis fest in the town where The King was born.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with "Rivals" star Danny Dyer. The series follows a group of upper-class Brits as they jostle for power and double-cross each other along the way.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Ross Andersen of "The Atlantic" about a Chinese mosquito-killing laser and when it might be available in the U.S.
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At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia shows its most optimistic face as the war in Ukraine drags on.
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Influencers are using prediction market odds to sow doubt in vote counting, in some cases in posts paid for by the companies themselves. -
Texas officials announced they have detected the New World screwworm in livestock, the first evidence of the parasite in that state in decades.
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West Virginia is all-in on coal while neighboring Virginia is moving away from it. But the same utility serves both states, making it hard to lower bills for customers.
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An upcoming primary election in Maine and last week's primary elections in California mean campaign season is well underway.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Sina Azodi, who teaches Middle East Politics at George Washington University, about Iran's missile and drone stockpiles and its strategy in deploying them.
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Jupiter and Venus will appear close together in the sky Monday and Tuesday in what astronomy calls a "conjunction."
