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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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Soufan Center Senior Research Fellow Clarke about why the Islamic State staged an attack in Russia and why now.
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People in Senegal will finally have the chance to vote March 24. The country's president postponed elections last month.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with epidemiologist João Matias of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction about the organization's latest wastewater and drug detection analysis.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with actor Christina Elmore about the new show "The Girls on the Bus," a breezy drama following four political reporters on the 2016 campaign trail.
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Electric vehicles may account for more than half of new cars by 2032. Consumers have many questions and concerns about them and the environment.
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How troubled is Boeing? NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to aviation expert William McGee about the challenges facing the aerospace giant.
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Congress passed and President Biden has signed spending measures necessary to operate the government. It is a basic function but one that has become the object of Republican brinksmanship.
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Gaza, Haiti, and Sudan are all at risk of famine. NPR's Ayesha speaks to Paul Howe of Tufts University about the role of conflict in causing hunger.
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West Virginia's legislature has approved a bill that would allow individuals to distill up to five gallons of moonshine as a way to celebrate Appalachian history and heritage.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Palestinian American Yasmeen Mjalli, owner of the online boutique Nol Collective, about trying to evacuate her colleagues and their families from Gaza.