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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Syrian rebels seized much of the country's second-largest city after a stunning couple of days in which they've reignited a conflict that's been largely static for years.
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NPR's Eric Deggans speaks with Dareen Khalifa of the International Crisis Group about Syrian rebels taking control of parts of Aleppo.
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Researchers have conducted what could be the largest study ever of dinosaur poop. The findings shed new light on how dinosaur's diets allowed them to dominate the planet. (This story first aired on Morning Edition on November 28, 2024.)
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NPR's Eric Deggans asks Natasha Sarin, former counselor to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, about plans to cap credit card interest rates.
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European nations are bracing for new tariffs and less security support from the incoming Trump administration.
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NPR's Eric Deggans speaks with musician and composer Jon Batiste about his new album, "Beethoven Blues," in which he riffs on classical favorites.
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California is still counting general election ballots, which generally takes longer than in other states.
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NPR's Eric Deggans talks with director Garret Price about his new documentary, "Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary," about a specific California soft rock sound.
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NPR's Eric Deggans talks with Zahid Rafiq about his first book, "The World With Its Mouth Open," a collection of short stories about the lives of people in Kashmir.
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Immigration, school vouchers, and abortion will dominate the upcoming Texas legislative session.