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 asks Sudan-based reporter Zeinab Mohmmad Salih for an update on the violence in Sudan.
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Genetically modified seeds for purple tomatoes hit the market for home gardeners recently. But how did a purple tomato get splashed across the cover of a seed catalog specializing in non-GMO plants?
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Pedro Noguera, dean of the University of Southern California School of Education, about his role leading student protests at UC Berkeley against Apartheid in the 1980s.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with director Caitlin Cronenberg about her first full-length feature film, "Humane," about a future where people must sacrifice themselves to make life on earth sustainable.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with WAMU listener Joshua Green of Columbia, Maryland and puzzle master Will Shortz.
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For years, Hollywood's behind-the-scenes action heroes have been pushing for an Oscars category to honor their work. Many hope The Fall Guy will make it a reality.
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Researchers have been able to reverse the effects of a syndrome that affects brain development in a brain organoid. (This story first aired on All Things Considered on April 24, 2024.)
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Historical Markers in the US are fascinating, sometimes wrong, sometimes offensive and cruel. But they also have the power to unlock secrets, like those of a long forgotten Civil Rights cold case.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to a patron of the party, musician George Brown of the band Kool & The Gang, about his new book, new record, and the "Celebration" of a long and funky career.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with cyber security specialist Ram Dantu about disruptions earlier this month to 9-1-1 systems in Nevada, South Dakota, and Nebraska.