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Weekend Edition Saturday

Saturdays from 6:00 - 9:00 a.m.

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 morning newsmagazine covers hard news, a wide variety of newsmakers, and cultural stories with care, accuracy, and a wink of humor.

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U.S.

4:08 am

Sat July 7, 2012

How One Drought Changed Texas Agriculture Forever

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Credit Michael O'Brien / Michael O'Brien

Siblings Charles Hagood and Nancy Hagood Nunns grew up in Junction, Texas, in the 1950s. Charles says the drought drove ranchers to find other types of work.

Credit Michael O'Brien / Michael O'Brien

When Mort Mertz, 88, returned from the Korean War in 1952, he started ranching in New Mexico and West Texas. He later moved with his new wife to the Mayer Ranch outside San Angelo to raise sheep, cattle and horses and to fight the drought.

Credit Michael O'Brien / Michael O'Brien

The long drought affected Sandy Whittley, 74, and her neighbors while she was residing in San Angelo.

By John Burnett

Originally published on Sat July 7, 2012 5:34 pm

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In Texas, there is still the drought against which all other droughts are measured: the seven-year dry spell in the 1950s. It was so devastating that agriculture losses exceeded those of the Dust Bowl years, and so momentous that it kicked off the modern era of water planning in Texas.

From 1950 to 1957, the sky dried up and the rain refused to fall. Every day, Texans scanned the pale-blue heavens for rainclouds, but year after year they never came.

Author Interviews

12:03 am

Sat July 7, 2012

Remembering George Szell, Powerhouse Conductor

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Credit Bachrach

Author Michael Charry is a conductor who worked with Szell. His biography of Szell draws on decades of interviews with the conductor and his family and associates.

By NPR Staff

Originally published on Sat July 7, 2012 3:42 pm

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Michael Charry was the "sorcerer's apprentice" to celebrated 20th-century conductor George Szell. For the last decade of Szell's tenure at the Cleveland Orchestra, Charry was an assistant conductor.

Now, Charry has captured the power of Szell's artistry — as well as his tempestuous personality — in a new biography called George Szell: A Life of Music.

Charry vividly recalls Szell testing him on how many notes he could find in a chord when he first auditioned for the job.

Music Interviews

3:12 pm

Fri July 6, 2012

16 Musical Odes To Very Strange Animals

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Credit Jelmer Noordeman

Illustrator Jelmer Noordeman's rendering of a real-life creature: the venomous, nocturnal solenodon.

Credit Illustration by Jelmer Noordeman / Courtesy of the artist

The Blue-Footed Booby

Credit Illustration by Jelmer Noordeman / Courtesy of the artist

The Elephant Shrew

Credit Illustration by Jelmer Noordeman / Courtesy of the artist

The Leafy Seadragon

Credit Illustration by Jelmer Noordeman / Courtesy of the artist

The Solenodon

Credit Illustration by Jelmer Noordeman / Courtesy of the artist

The Axolotl

Credit Courtesy of the artist

Michael Hearst is the musician behind Songs for Unusual Creatures.

By editor

Originally published on Sat July 7, 2012 11:21 am

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CD sleeves usually feature pictures of the musicians, the text of lyrics and copious thanks.

From Our Listeners

5:32 am

Sat June 30, 2012

Your Letters: Out Of Home Ec, Into Moose Calling

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Transcript

(SOUNDBITE OF TYPING)

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Time for your letters.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

Middle East

5:29 am

Sat June 30, 2012

Egypt's New President Officially Sworn In

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Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 5:32 am

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Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Of course, Egypt has a new president - an Islamist from the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood. Mohamed Morsi took the oath of office in Cairo today, a day after appearing at Tahrir Square to proclaim that the people are the real source of power, not the generals and the supreme military council. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Cairo that despite the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Morsi may not have really taken hold of the reins of power.

PRESIDENT MOHAMED MORSI: (Foreign language spoken)

Around the Nation

5:29 am

Sat June 30, 2012

Colorado Firefighters Gain Ground On Blaze

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Nearly 350 homes have been destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado.

By Jeff Brady

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 1:54 pm

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Firefighters are slowly gaining ground on the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado. It's scorched about 17,000 acres and believed to have claimed two lives.

More than 300 homes have burned. There's been a lot of talk about how many houses were lost in the fire, but Colorado Springs Fire Chief Rich Brown wants you to know there's a flip side to that: He says crews worked hard to minimize damage.

Around the Nation

5:29 am

Sat June 30, 2012

Corn Dries Up, Even As Farmers Try To Combat Heat

By editor

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 5:32 am

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Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The heat and drought that brought much of Colorado Springs into danger has also hit the Midwest. Temperatures broke 100 degrees in the Great Plains, and the heat and the lack of rain is endangering what was expected to be a bumper crop of corn. Tim Lenz is a farmer near the town of Strasburg in south central Illinois, where he grows corn and soybeans. Mr. Lenz, thanks for being with us.

TIM LENZ: Thank you.

SIMON: What's it been like there for the past couple of weeks?

Europe

5:29 am

Sat June 30, 2012

Metal Detector Hobbyists Find Rare Heap Of Celtic Coins

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Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 5:32 am

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For more than 30 years, Richard Miles and Reg Mead scoured the fields of their native Jersey with metal detectors, hoping to one day come across an ancient coin or two. Earlier this week, the detector beeped and they found the world's largest-ever stash of Celtic coins. Host Scott Simon speaks with Reg Mead about their find.

Food

5:29 am

Sat June 30, 2012

The Season Of Ice Cream: Tips From The Top

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Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 5:32 am

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Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Now, to our occasional WEEKEND EDITION series Taste of Summer.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME")

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: (Singing) Hot fun in the summertime.

SIMON: A few weeks ago, Alton Brown shared some grilling secrets with us. Today, it'll be ice cream. Whether plain old standard vanilla, or artisanal organic squash blossom rhubarb poblano crunch - a flavor I just made up, by the way - summer is the season of ice cream. And so today, we head to the Pumphouse Creamery in Minneapolis.

Politics

5:29 am

Sat June 30, 2012

Obama's Health Care-Infused, Fire-Stoked Week

By Scott Horsley

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 5:32 am

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Transcript

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. President Obama told residents of Colorado yesterday that the country has their back. The president visited an evacuation center and met with some of the firefighters who have been battling the deadly Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs.

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