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Sueann Ramella
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Weekend Edition Sunday on NPR News

Hosted by: Audie Cornish

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 Sunday combines the news with colorful arts and human-interest features, appealing to the curious and eclectic. Conceived as a cross between a Sunday newspaper and CBS' Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt, Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The highlight for many listeners is the regularly scheduled puzzle segment with Puzzlemaster Will Shortz, the crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times.

Visit Weekend Edition Sunday at NPR.org

Local Host(s): 
With Bruce Bradberry at Northwest Public Radio
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Afghanistan
3:16 am
Sun June 24, 2012

Afghan Tunnel: Decrepit, Dangerous Yet Indispensible

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Credit Qais Usyan / AFP/Getty Images
A truck drives down a highway on Salang Pass in Afghanistan's Parwan province in December. The Salang Tunnel, which crosses under the pass, provides a vital link between Central Asia and northern Afghanistan to Kabul.
Credit Sean Carberry / NPR
A truck carrying food for NATO troops drives into the northern entrance of the Salang Tunnel. This truck waited several days to be able to enter the tunnel.
Credit Sean Carberry / NPR
Vehicles drive one of the many switchbacks as the Salang Highway climbs from just over 5,000 feet at the valley floor to the Salang Tunnel, 11,000 feet up in the Hindu Kush range.
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By editor

Originally published on Sun June 24, 2012 4:49 pm

The U.S. military says it's spending an extra $100 million a month on the war in Afghanistan since Pakistan closed its border to NATO supply convoys. Now, NATO is using a route thousands of miles longer through Russia and Central Asia.

That route passes through Afghanistan's perilous Salang Tunnel, 11,000 feet up in the Hindu Kush mountains. The Soviet-built tunnel was heralded as a marvel of engineering when completed in 1964.

But years of war, neglect and geology have turned it into a dangerous bottleneck.

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Author Interviews
3:04 am
Sun June 24, 2012

The Fight For The Right To Hear, 'Yes, Chef'

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Credit Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images
Credit Kwaku Alston / Random House
Marcus Samuelsson is the proprietor of Harlem's Red Rooster restaurant.
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Originally published on Sun June 24, 2012 10:50 am

As you walk in the doors of Red Rooster, you immediately see a key piece of design: a bar dominates the front room, nearly touching the street, as if to say to the people of Harlem, N.Y., "Come on in."

The story behind the restaurant's owner, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, is more about life than food.

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National Teachers Initiative
3:00 am
Sun June 24, 2012

Former Dropouts Push Others To Reach Finish Line

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Credit Learning Works
Anthony Gonzales graduated on Tuesday from Learning Works charter school in Pasadena, Calif.
Credit StoryCorps
Credit StoryCorps
Mikala Rahn founded Learning Works, a charter school for students who have dropped out of traditional schools. Carlos Cruz, 24, is a graduate of the program and now works there.
Credit StoryCorps
Dominick Correy, 27, attended Learning Works after serving six years in prison and is now a mentor to other students.
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Originally published on Sun June 24, 2012 10:40 am

In Pasadena, Calif., one teacher's devotion is helping kids graduate. Mikala Rahn is the founder of Learning Works, a charter school for kids who have dropped out of traditional schools.

Carlos Cruz is one of the first students she helped graduate. When he started senior year, Cruz realized he was two years behind.

"[I remember] you looking at me and telling me that everything was going to be OK," Cruz tells Rahn, "and me looking back at you, and I'm like, 'How the [expletive] do you think everything is going to be OK?' "

Rahn says it was optimism.

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Sunday Puzzle
9:03 pm
Sat June 23, 2012

Finding The Common Thread

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Originally published on Sun June 24, 2012 4:31 am

On-Air Challenge: You are given three words starting with the letter "F." The answer is a word that can follow each of those three words to complete a familiar two-word phrase. For example, if given "flag, father's and field," the answer would be "day."

Last Week's Challenge From listener Kate MacDonald of Murphys, Calif.: Think of a common French word that everyone knows. Add a "V" to the beginning and an "E" at the end. The result will be the English-language equivalent of the French word. What is it?

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Music
1:03 pm
Sat June 23, 2012

Fresh Bluegrass For A Sultry Summer

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Credit Devon Kodzis / NPR
CABOMA members play guitar and mandolin on a summer afternoon.
Credit Devon Kodzis / NPR
Mike Mears, former CABOMA president, has been a member for 23 years.
Credit Devon Kodzis / NPR
CABOMA members play guitar and mandolin.
Credit Devon Kodzis / NPR
Bruce Day, the president of CABOMA, plays his acoustic guitar.
Credit Devon Kodzis / NPR
CABOMA member Tara Linhart plays her mandolin.
Credit Devon Kodzis / NPR
Vance Bonner and fellow CABOMA members play together on a summer afternoon.
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Originally published on Fri August 24, 2012 2:20 pm

In many places across the country, summer officially blasted in this week, which means that musicians who've wintered in dark rehearsal studios — and the street players who've been toiling away in cold and damp subway corridors — can now enjoy playing alfresco.

This summer, Weekend Edition is presenting audio postcards from musicians out-of-doors.

This installment comes from a group of bluegrass players who gather every couple of weeks at Lyon Park in Arlington, Va. They're members of the Capitol Area Bluegrass and Old-time Music Association, or CABOMA.

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Music Interviews
1:03 pm
Sat June 23, 2012

Cassandra Wilson: 'The Guitar Is My Heart'

Credit Marco Glaviano
Cassandra Wilson explores geography, as well as a lifelong relationship with the guitar, on Another Country.
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Originally published on Sun June 24, 2012 4:31 am

Cassandra Wilson was once described by Time magazine as "America's best singer." Wilson was born in segregated Mississippi — also the birthplace of the blues — but she's always been on a journey to explore other sounds and influences.

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NPR Story
9:42 am
Sun June 17, 2012

Rodney King Found Dead

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Originally published on Sun June 17, 2012 10:23 am

Rodney King — whose 1991 beating by police officers was filmed and lead to riots in Los Angeles — was found at the bottom of his swimming pool early Sunday. He was 47. Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates about the beating and how its aftermath changed race relations in America forever.

Sports
4:45 am
Sun June 17, 2012

Relishing The Heat, Never Cowering From Thunder

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Originally published on Sun June 17, 2012 10:23 am

Transcript

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LIFE IS A BALLGAME")

SISTER WINONA CARR: (Singing) Life is a ball game, being played each day...

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

If life is a ball game, then NPR's Mike Pesca is our man in Miami, relishing the heat, never cowering from the thunder. Hey, Mike.

MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: Possibly setting fire to the rain, very good.

(LAUGHTER)

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Middle East
4:45 am
Sun June 17, 2012

Heading Into Iran Nuclear Talks, A Diplomatic Slump

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Originally published on Sun June 17, 2012 10:23 am

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RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The up and down Iran nuclear talks appear to be in a down cycle as negotiators prepare to meet tomorrow in Moscow. Difficult talks in Baghdad last month were followed by contentious comments on both sides. And all this as new oil sanctions against Iran are due to take effect July 1st. NPR's Peter Kenyon has more from Moscow.

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Afghanistan
4:45 am
Sun June 17, 2012

Trip To Afghanistan Gives Uncertain Outlook

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Originally published on Sun June 17, 2012 10:23 am

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. Now, to the war in Afghanistan. NPR's Tom Bowman is just back from a month-long reporting trip in Afghanistan. He was out with U.S. troops and Afghan security forces trying to get a sense of how those Afghan forces are doing, since the U.S. is going to be bringing home more than 20,000 troops at the end of the summer. So, the question is: Will security gains last after the Americans leave? Tom is here in the studio to talk about what he saw. Good morning.

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