Ongoing Coverage:

Weekend Edition Saturday

Saturdays 7am-9am
Scott Simon

Whether revealing events in small-town America or overseas, or profiling notable personalities, Weekend Edition from NPR News appreciates the extraordinary details that make up every story. This two-hour weekend morning newsmagazine covers hard news, a wide variety of newsmakers, and cultural stories with care, accuracy, and a wink of humor.

Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.

The posts below are some of the highlights from Weekend Edition SaturdayVisit the program page on NPR to see a full list of stories.

  

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Around the Nation
6:41 am
Sat April 20, 2013

Witness To A Manhunt In Your Own Backyard

Originally published on Sat April 20, 2013 12:57 pm

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Back now to our coverage of the tense night and police activity that brought an end to the manhunt for the second Boston Marathon bombing suspect. Franklin Street in Watertown was the epicenter of that massive search. Police and SWAT teams took over the suburban neighborhood looking for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Keith Glavish lives nearby. He was in his house while the search unfolded. Thanks for being with us.

KEITH GLAVISH: Good morning.

SIMON: Quiet again?

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Deceptive Cadence
4:22 am
Sat April 20, 2013

A Moment With Pulitzer-Winning Composer Caroline Shaw

Originally published on Sat April 20, 2013 12:57 pm

How do you write something like Partita for 8 Voices, the a cappella vocal piece that is this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music?

"Very late at night," says the composer, Caroline Shaw, speaking with NPR's Scott Simon. "Sometimes it comes from having a sound in your head that you really want to hear, that you've never heard before, and struggling to make that sound happen in any way you can."

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Around the Nation
4:21 am
Sat April 20, 2013

Two Decades Later, Some Branch Davidians Still Believe

Originally published on Sun April 21, 2013 4:20 am

Twenty years ago, federal agents clashed with David Koresh's Branch Davidian community near Waco, Texas. The standoff ended with a raid and fire that killed some 80 people. It's remembered as one of the darkest chapters in American law enforcement history.

Two decades later, some of the Branch Davidians who survived the raid are still believers, while a new church group has moved onto the land.

The Raid

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Around the Nation
4:21 am
Sat April 20, 2013

Officials Seek Answers In Aftermath Of Deadly Explosion

Credit Charlie Riedel / AP
An explosion leveled a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, on Wednesday. The blast killed 14 people, injured more than 200 others and damaged or completely destroyed at least 80 homes.

Originally published on Sat April 20, 2013 3:46 pm

With the house-to-house search over and the living and dead largely accounted for, the town of West, Texas, began the transition from shock and disbelief to communal grieving.

On Friday night, mourners gathered at St. Mary Church of the Assumption to remember the dead. Many of the dead were first responders who were fighting a roaring fire for 30 minutes before the explosion, which was felt 80 miles away in Fort Worth.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn caused a stir when he suggested that there might be many more people missing than thought.

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Sports
9:11 am
Sat April 13, 2013

The Rise Of The Boston Marathon, A Runner's 'Holy Grail'

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Boston will be closed on Monday - more or less - for the 117th Boston Marathon. It's the Super Bowl for serious runners. For more, we turn now to running coach and marathon man Tom Derderian. He's the author of "Boston Marathon: The First Century of the World's Premier Running Event," and "The Boston Marathon: A Century of Blood, Sweat and Cheer." Tom, thanks for being with us.

TOM DERDERIAN: A pleasure to be with you.

SIMON: Tom, may I put you on the spot and ask what your best time - ever - was?

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Deceptive Cadence
9:11 am
Sat April 13, 2013

Extreme Drama: The Life And Music Of Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner was, and still is today, arguably the most controversial figure in classical music. A self-appointed deity and hyperdriven genius, Wagner is often considered the ultimate megalomaniac. He dreamed up and achieved a single-minded plan to change the course of classical music history.

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Sports
9:11 am
Sat April 13, 2013

Week In Sports: A Day At The Masters

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon, and I wait all week to say: It's time for sports.

(SOUNDBITE OF THEME MUSIC)

SIMON: The serene and pristine fairways of Augusta have been trampled up and down for a couple of full days now. The Masters tournament is halfway through. NPR's Tom Goldman has been there watching, not playing. Thanks for being with us, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: But trampling, Scott - I've done my fair share.

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Asia
5:17 am
Sat April 13, 2013

Diplomacy, Warnings Mark Kerry's Visit To Korean Peninsula

Originally published on Sat April 13, 2013 9:11 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News, I'm Scott Simon. Secretary of State John Kerry's in China as the world waits to see whether North Korea will test-fire a missile. Secretary Kerry hopes that Chinese leaders will put pressure on their traditional ally, the North Koreans. Before arriving he said there's no group of leaders on the face of the planet with more capacity to make a difference than the Chinese.

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Politics
5:17 am
Sat April 13, 2013

'Straw Purchases' Get Keen Eye In Gun Debate

Originally published on Sat April 13, 2013 9:11 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. The U.S. Congress reached a compromise this week. If that's not surprising enough, the issue is guns.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: On this vote the yeas are 68, the nays are 31. Three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.

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Around the Nation
5:17 am
Sat April 13, 2013

Saying Goodbye To The Grand Canyon's Mail Mules

Originally published on Mon April 15, 2013 7:57 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The U.S. Postal Service announced this week that it would postpone the end of Saturday mail delivery, which it had proposed to stop earlier in the year, but mail service will halt at the bottom of the Grand Canyon where mules have delivered the mail since the 1920s. The company that runs the mule train says they will no longer deliver packages starting next week. The service was a way for loved ones to send care packages to guides rafting down the Colorado River. Laurel Morales of member station KJZZ reports from Flagstaff.

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