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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Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, but on earth it's in short supply. And Iran's retaliatory strikes on helium-rich Qatar have made it even more scarce.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, professor of Economics at Virginia Tech, about the potential impact of a strike on oil facilities on Iran's Kharg Island.
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Both the Senate and President Trump have taken action recently to address the high cost of housing. But many different economic realities are colliding in the housing market.
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The rise of the far-right movements in France has changed the nature of politics in Paris and other French cities. We look at how this might affect the results of thousands of mayoral elections today.
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The war with Iran has caused diesel prices to spike nationwide. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with energy analyst Patrick De Haan about the implications for all the industries that rely on the fuel.
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The driest place in North America is covered with an explosion of wildflowers right now. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with ecologist Tiffany Pereira about Death Valley's superbloom.
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The El Niño weather pattern will likely emerge this summer and persist through the rest of the year, boosting global temperatures and affecting regional weather around the world.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to Lauren Kahn of Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology about the role of artificial intelligence in war.
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Armadillos are making North Carolina their home. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with wildlife biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel about how Texas' state mammal has gotten a foothold in the Tar Heel State.
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We look at President Trump's shifting objectives in the war with Iran, as well as the last front on his fight to impose global tariffs on dozens of countries.