Saturday mornings are made for Weekend Edition Saturday, the program 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.
Drawing on his experience in covering 10 wars and stories in all 50 states and seven continents, Simon brings a humorous, sophisticated and often moving perspective to each show. He is as comfortable having a conversation with a major world leader as he is talking with a Hollywood celebrity or the guy next door.
Weekend Edition Saturday has a unique and entertaining roster of other regular contributors. Marin Alsop, conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, talks about music. Daniel Pinkwater, one of the biggest names in children's literature, talks about and reads stories with Simon. Financial journalist Joe Nocera follows the economy. Howard Bryant of EPSN.com and NPR's Tom Goldman chime in on sports. Keith Devlin, of Stanford University, unravels the mystery of math, and Will Grozier, a London cabbie, talks about good books that have just been released, and what well-read people leave in the back of his taxi. Simon contributes his own award-winning essays, which are sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant.
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NPR's Melissa Block speaks to musician Regina Spektor, who's known for her lyricism, about her first album in six years, "Home, Before And After."
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One of the most popular Minecraft players on YouTube, known as "Technoblade," died this week after a battle with cancer. In a farewell message, he finally divulged his first name: Alex.
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NPR's Melissa Block talks with author Morgan Talty about his book, "Night of the Living Rez," a series of short stories about members of a Native American tribe wrestling with poverty and addiction.
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Climate change is posing challenges to vintners in Turkey, endangering the future of an ancient industry.
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NPR's Melissa Block speaks with Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media about the coming changes in college sports conferences, NBA free agency, and Serena Williams' Wimbledon comeback.
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Two Ukrainian fighters — one a volunteer solider, the other, a commander — describe what they're seeing on the frontlines of the war against Russia.
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NATO wrapped up its summit in Madrid with a clear, unified message, but there were unsettling reminders of the brutal road ahead in Ukraine and political turmoil back in the U.S.
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It's hard to get tested. Vaccines are in short supply. The monkeypox outbreak may resemble the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it's not the same.
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NPR's Melissa Block speak with Houston Chronicle reporter Elizabeth Trovall about how the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on immigration policy and how the death of 53 migrants this week is related.
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Aides to President Biden say the administration still has options it can pursue in its effort to control climate change despite an adversarial Supreme Court ruling this week.