Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR & Classical Music

Saturday from 6-10 AM
Hosted by: Scott Simon

Whether revealing events in small-town America or overseas, or profiling notable personalities, Weekend Edition from Northwest Public Radio & NPR News appreciates the extraordinary details that make up every story. Join Bruce Bradberry and other Northwest Public Radio hosts for this two-hour weekend morning newsmagazine covering 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.

With Bruce Bradberry at Northwest Public Radio

Visit Weekend Edition Saturday at NPR.org

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Around the Nation
4:35 am
Sat July 21, 2012

How Columbine Shaped Police Response To Shootings

For many, the shootings in Colorado Friday seem like an echo of the tragic shootings at Columbine High School 13 years ago. James Johnson is the chief of Police for Baltimore County and a 34-year veteran of the force. Host Scott Simon speaks with Johnson about changes in police tactics since Columbine.

Around the Nation
4:35 am
Sat July 21, 2012

Man-Volvo Love Story May Hit 3 Million-Mile Mark

Host Scott Simon talks with 72-year-old Irv Gordon. His 1966 Volvo P1800S needs about 30,000 more miles to reach the 3 million-mile mark. His license plate reads, "MILNMILER."

NPR Story
4:24 am
Sat July 21, 2012

Deadly Shootings Put Politics In Suspense

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 4:35 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

American flags are flying at half-staff today over the White House, and elsewhere in the country. The shootings in Aurora have silenced politics as usual - at least, for the moment. The Romney and Obama campaigns have both pulled their TV ads from the air in Colorado, a state that had three top political advertising markets in the country this week. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on a somber day on the campaign trail.

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NPR Story
4:24 am
Sat July 21, 2012

Stream Of Refugees Leave Syria With Heavy Violence

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 4:35 am

Opposition activists in Syria report that there's been another day of heavy shelling in a number of cities, as rebel fighters continue their guerrilla war to topple President Bashar Assad. Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Peter Kenyon in Beirut, which has seen a huge increase in refugees in recent days.

NPR Story
4:24 am
Sat July 21, 2012

In Syria, An Urgent Effort To Organize Rebels

Credit Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images
Members of the group Hamza Abdualmuttalib trained this week near the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 6:47 pm

The battle for Syria appears to have reached a decisive stage. Tanks are on the streets of Damascus as civilians flee the city, and rebels have seized outposts on the borders with Turkey and Iraq.

The opposition has shown a surprising military capability over the past few days. As fighting intensifies in the Syrian capital, there's an urgent push under way to organize the rebel force.

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Books
3:06 am
Sat July 21, 2012

Get Revved Up: London Cabbie Picks Olympic Reads

Credit Pierre-Philippe Marcou / AFP/Getty Images
Black taxis drive through London. Weekend Edition knows one London cabbie who treats reading like an Olympic sport.

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 4:35 am

At the end of July, thousands of visitors will descend on one of the great literary landscapes of history for the London Olympics. And if they're lucky, they may find themselves getting a ride from a man who drives for a living, but lives to read. London cabbie Will Grozier occasionally joins Weekend Edition to discuss what he's been reading. Lately, he's been thinking about books for the London Olympics visitor — reads that put both the games and the host city in context. He shares his recommendations with NPR's Scott Simon.

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Americandy: Sweet Land Of Liberty
3:06 am
Sat July 21, 2012

The Modjeska: A Star On Stage, Sweetly Remembered

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 7:20 am

In the back room of Muth's Candies in Louisville, Ky., Jonathon Skaggs and Bobby Masterson are busy dipping marshmallows into a copper pot.

The pot is filled with a top-secret hot caramel mixture. Skaggs and Masterson tap the excess golden caramel off each candy before placing it on a board to cool.

Masterson says it's a rhythm repeated hundreds of times each day.

"They're good ... they're a big-time seller in here in Kentucky, especially right here in Louisville," Masterson says. "There's a lot of people that come and get 'em."

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Deceptive Cadence
3:05 am
Sat July 21, 2012

A Grand Soviet Symphony, By Way Of Brazil

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 6:08 am

People keep asking me why I recorded Sergei Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony for my first CD release in my new post leading the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. The simple answer is that it just felt right. But in thinking about it, I can now see many parallels — at least for me — between Prokofiev's music, the city of Sao Paulo and the country of Brazil.

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Music Interviews
3:05 am
Sat July 21, 2012

A Tribal Anthem's Author — And A Cult Rock Hero

Originally published on Sun July 22, 2012 5:39 am

In the 1960s, the late Lumbee Indian singer, composer and activist Willie Lowery led a band called Plant and See — as in, plant the seed in the ground and see what comes up.

The band recorded only one album, Plant and See, which went out of print shortly after it was released in 1969, but psychedelic rock fans have always held it in high esteem.

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The Aurora Theater Shootings
3:00 am
Sat July 21, 2012

In Chaos And 'Severe Trauma,' Colo. Lives At Risk

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 6:48 pm

In Colorado, authorities are investigating why a gunman opened fire in a movie theater on Friday. Suspect James Holmes is in custody, and police say they have talked with the 24-year-old, but won't say yet what they've learned.

Meanwhile, vigils are planned this weekend to remember the 12 people who died and to support the dozens injured. In all, there were 70 casualties — police say nearly all of them suffered gunshot wounds.

'It Was Like A Dream'

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