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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We look at an Altadena resident who has made it her mission to help reunite keepsakes that survived the LA fires — photos, kids art, postcards — with their owners.
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We have a report on Camp Mystic, a Christian camp hit by the deadly floods in Texas. Several girls attending the camp remain unaccounted for.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Duke University professor Tim Meyer about the looming deadline for international trade deals to be worked out and what's been accomplished thus far.
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We speak to music journalist Christopher Weingarten about why so many high-profile drummers have either been fired or retired this year in what's been dubbed the "Drumpocalypse."
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Summer reading season is here! We' have some top book picks for you, courtesy of NPR staffers.
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After several decades, the city of Windsor, Ontario is ending its cross-border bus to Detroit. Two regular riders reflect on what it means to them.
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The news from Central Texas, where July 4 rains caused severe flash flooding, continues to be grim. The number of deaths has risen to more than 50, according to state officials. Most, so far, are in Kerr County, according to the County sheriff.
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Many states rebranded their Medicaid programs years ago to reduce stigma — MassHealth in Massachusetts, for instance — but some research shows that the name changes have confused recipients.
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We look at President Trump's spending bill and what it could mean for the 2026 midterms, as well as the Democratic Party's strategy for those midterms and the 2028 presidential elections.
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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks reporter Anshel Pfeffer, author of the biography "Bibi," about what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will want from this week's visit to the White House.