Alison Stewart, Guest Host, Weekend Edition

November 1st is El Dia de los Muertos -- the Day of the Dead. Its origins can be traced to pre-colonial Mexico, when it was believed that the souls of dead loved ones returned to their families once a year so that their lives could be celebrated. Today, families mark the day by creating altars; some visit cemeteries to talk to their dearly departed. If you could talk to one person who has passed on...who would it be? A family member? A historic figure? And of course tell us why.

Laura Krantz, Weekend Edition

Yes, folks, that's right. He's out this Saturday, November 1, but he'll be one of four hosts on Tuesday, November 4 -- Election Night! You can tune in for NPR's Special Election Coverage starting at 7:00pm EST and going all the way into the wee hours of the morning.

To give you an inside glimpse, Scott kindly took a few moments to walk us around NPR's Studio 4A - election central - and runs into a surprise guest.

And - if you aren't listening to the radio on Tuesday night, you can still get up-to-the-minute results, news, analysis, live blogging, interactive maps, and Ken Rudin at npr.org.

Andy Carvin, NPR Social Media Strategist

As you may have noticed by now, we're big users of Twitter here at NPR, particularly when it comes to politics. About a year ago, we created a Twitter account now known as nprpolitics to talk about the election. If you've never used Twitter before, it's like a conversation you keep in your pocket; you can use it to send messages to large numbers of people, and receive them as well, using your mobile phone or computer. And it's full of news junkies, making it a great place to talk politics.

On the day of the Texas caucuses, we noticed that a number of Twitter users were reporting problems at their caucus location -- for example, fire marshals prohibiting further entry at sites that had reached maximum capacity. It got us wondering how we could use Twitter to get the public's help us with our election coverage. For instance, we invited Twitter users to help us fact-check the presidential debates by posting URLs of primary sources that would refute claims made by the candidates. We ended up getting more than a dozen stories generated because of that help.

So when Nancy Scola and Allison Fine of TechPresident.com wrote a blog post about using Twitter to collect eyewitness reports of voting problems, we jumped at the chance to get involved. In a matter of just a couple of weeks, the Twitter Vote Report was born. A network of volunteer software developers, designers and bloggers created a number of ways for you to share information about your voting experience, such as long waits, broken voting machines or insufficient ballots. We'll then monitor the results and incorporate it into our election coverage when investigating voting irregularities.

And you don't even have to be on Twitter to participate: we've set up a number of ways you can submit your own vote report.

Continue reading "Please Help NPR Investigate Voting Problems" >

Alison Stewart, Guest Host, Weekend Edition

I am very excited to join the WeSat staff this weekend before the election. Of course we have all things politics going on as well as a piece about Harlem gentrification, an interview about greed with John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard mutual funds and a wacky piece on old timey campaign songs.

Until then a little political fun. Here are two campaign song mash-ups. For Senator McCain you have the John Rich tune "Raisin' McCain" mashed up with the California Raisins for some YouTube.

For Senator Obama is Allen Toussaint and Lee Dorsey's "Yes We Can" mixed with one of Obama's speeches. Click here to listen.

Enjoy and see you Saturday.

Patrick Jarenwattananon, Visiting Producer

"'Bout the only rapper still gettin' money in a drought"
--Jay-Z

Indie rocker Joseph Arthur

Joseph Arthur

 

As my appositive suggests, I am, in fact, just "visiting" here at Weekend Edition. Normally I warm a seat three floors above for NPR Music; as I have grown fond of telling people, the network basically pays me to think about music and use the Internet all day. (Not gonna lie -- it's pretty sweet.) And one of my favorite music things to think about, especially now that economic pessimism is dominating non-election headlines, is how full-time musicians routinely eke out a living by selling people their creativity.

Continue reading "Joe The Indie Rocker" >

Scott Simon, Weekend Edition Host

My local hosts were driving me to the airport in Spokane on Wednesday (where our member station, KPBX, has a large and devoted fan base), when I saw a woman wearing a beautiful golden African robe walking gracefully down a the side of a highway, holding the hand of a child, and balancing a large green jug of laundry detergent on her head--as I have seen so many women do in villages, towns, and great cities all over Africa.

Continue reading "Is this Spokane--or the Serengeti?" >

Ned Wharton, Senior Producer

The Moog synthesizer.

erikadotnet/flickr

 

Growing up, I was a lucky kid with a cool dad. He taught electronic music at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks back in the 1970's, and when I was about 15 years old, he gave me a key to the electronic music lab. I would goof around in there late into the night, where I'd create nests of tangled patch cords as I experimented with one of of those big old modular Moog synthesizers. I felt like a mad scientist!

Continue reading "Music & Technology" >

Sarah Beyer Kelly, Senior Producer

This week on Weekend Edition Saturday, Scott Simon interviews Jett Williams, the only daughter of Hank Williams, about a new boxed set of her father's recordings. It's called "Hank Williams, the Unreleased Recordings." Here's Scott in his office, talking about how he's been in awe of Hank Williams since he was a boy.

Alison Stewart, Guest Host, Weekend Edition

Liane Hansen left me a "post-it" note that says, "Welcome to our world, two words - HAVE FUN."

As a longtime listener of "Weekend Edition," it is a little surreal to be hosting the show. The weekend team has been so welcoming and aside from a few minor bumps (I couldn't find the audio booth), I'm ready to go for this Sunday and next Saturday.

On Sunday, we will speak with a true-life hero, Medal of Honor winner Retired Colonel Jack Jacobs about his new book. We will check in with a small business owner trying to slog it out during this tough economy. And we will answer a question that came to me while I was sitting on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport--who will fill the Senate seat or seats left open when the presidency is decided?

Continue reading "Welcome to the Weekends" >

Micah Sifry, Editor of the Personal Democracy Forum

In 2004, a grand total of 1.2 million people made a donation to George W. Bush's re-election campaign. As of the end of September 2008, 3.1 million people - more than two-and-a-half times that number -- had made a donation to Barack Obama's campaign.

In September alone, Obama raised money from 1.7 million people, of which about 630,000 were first-time givers, while the rest were repeat givers. Already he's raised more than $600 million, and if current trends hold, he'll have raised perhaps three-quarters of a billion dollars by election day. That would be $50 million more than George Bush and John Kerry combined, in 2004.

Continue reading "The Obama Machine" >

Scott Simon, Host Weekend Edition Saturday

This week on our program, we'll run a story about a place that I've wanted to see for years. It's a productive working farm, where they grow basil, tomatoes, and corn, farm fish, raise pigs and goats, and bake bread and cookies, which they sell at a farm-stand. Of course, it's on the southwest side Chicago.

Chicago's Agricultural High School is an actual working Chicago public school. It was one of the first experiments Chicago's system attempted when it began trying to energize the public schools. The 600 students there comprise the largest chapter of FFA (what we used to call Future Farmers of America) in Illinois.

Continue reading "Chicago's Agricultural High School" >

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

Over the past couple of weeks, we've asked you to write and tell us how the economy is affecting your life. One listener, Debbi Hardy, of Limerick, Maine, wrote on our blog to share some of the financial changes her family is going through. She spoke to Liane Hansen on Weekend Edition this morning. Debbi Hardy says with the loss of her part-time newspaper job almost six months ago, her family will soon be living hand-to-mouth. If you'd like to share your story about how the economic downturn is affecting you, post it below.

Patrick Jarenwattananon, Digital Media Visiting Producer

We've had a small rash of Harry Potter film alums on Weekend Edition lately. A few weeks ago, Daniel Radcliffe, who portrays young Mr. Potter, joined Liane Hansen to talk about Equus, a recently-revived play in which he appears. (Perhaps that's a bit of an understatement: there are definitely some full-frontal nude scenes for the boy wizard.) And this week, Liane spoke to Robbie Coltrane, best known to U.S. audiences as Rubeus Hagrid, Harry's oversized mentor and instructor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Continue reading "Producing Robbie Coltrane" >

Faye Anderson, Citizen Journalist

With Election Day only 17 days away, count me unsure. No, I'm not one of those vaunted undecided voters. Instead, I'm not sure whether the Bradley Effect is a ghost from the past that should be given a proper burial or whether it will rear its head and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Continue reading "The Bradley Effect?" >

Davar Iran Ardalan, Senior Producer

Thanks to NPR's Andy Carvin Weekend Edition is now on Twitter. If you're not familiar with it, Twitter is an online community that lets people from around the world chat with each other over the Web and through text messaging. The trick is your posts can only be up to 140 characters in length. You can now follow what projects Scott and Liane are working on and talk directly with us.

Click here to see us tweet! So far we have 51 followers, help us triple that by the end of this weekend!

Scott Simon, Host, Weekend Edition Saturday

I had expected Terrence Howard to be gracious and charming. People who want to promote a new film or CD usually are, and Mr. Howard, the star of Hustle & Flow and other films, has just produced his first music recording, Shine Through It. He was actually a singer and songwriter before he became an actor (and a carpenter--he still works occasionally as a professional carpenter!), and this album of songs he has written for himself reveals a whole new creative side.

Continue reading "Scott Simon on Terrence Howard" >

Liane Hansen, Host, Weekend Edition Sunday

Puzzlers Unite! Liane Hansen, Will Shortz and Susan Stamberg.

Weekend Edition

 

My seven minutes with Will Shortz are the most challenging and invigorating ones during the week. There is no research and there is no preparation. It all takes place in the moment. And, the best part is that I get to meet one of our listeners. I've played with schoolteachers from Illinois, lawyers from North Carolina, retirees from Utah, a farmer who told me his cows chew more contentedly when the puzzle is on the air -- and a gentlemen who modestly revealed that he was a prisoner of war in Dresden with Kurt Vonnegut.

Continue reading "Playing the Puzzle" >

Charla Bear, Assistant Producer

Over the past couple of weeks, we've asked you to write and tell us how the economy is affecting your life. One listener, Donna Giannola, of Frederick, Colorado, told us about drastic changes in her financial situation. She used to have a comfortable, middle-class lifestyle. Now, the graphic designer says the economy has made it nearly impossible for her to find a job in her field. So, she became a substitute teacher. The career change meant her income plummeted so low that she says she qualifies for food stamps and will have to cash out the mutual funds in her retirement account to stay afloat. She worries that she might even lose her home.

If you'd like to share your story about how the economic downturn is affecting you, post it below.

Thanks and good luck out there.

Jenni Bergal, Senior Editor

Today, we began a two-part series about the serious problem of airbag fraud. We found that some unscrupulous auto repair shops have victimized consumers by failing to replace airbags that deployed in a crash. And we found that some used car dealers have sold customers cars without working airbags. As you may have heard, the consequences can be fatal. We want to find out what you think about this issue -- and whether you've been a victim of airbag fraud. You can email us or comment below.

Elaine Heinzman, Assistant Producer

Last week, Liane spoke to Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme, just before his new film opened around the country. Demme gave us The Silence of the Lambs, documentaries on Jimmy Carter and Neil Young, the remake of The Manchurian Candidate, and now Rachel Getting Married.

Continue reading "Music to Get Married By" >

Scott Simon, Host, Weekend Edition Saturday

Major party campaigns for president often belittle independent candidates, especially as the election draws near. They ask those who may be tempted to vote for a Libertarian, a Green, a Constitution Party candidate, or Ralph Nader for president, "Why throw your vote away?"

Continue reading "Scott's Essay: Indie Campaigns" >

Scott Simon, Host, Weekend Edition Saturday

Will Grozier at work in Greens Park, London, England.

Caroline Simon

 

Will Grozier, bowled over by 1992 Booker Prize winner Michael Ondaatje.

Caroline Simon

My wife and I got into a cab in London about five years ago and haven't stopped talking to the driver since. Will Grozier, a London taxi driver, is simply the best-read man I know (and I work with Dan Schorr!).

Will reads deeply, incessantly and even indiscriminately--novels, histories, survival stories and philosophies, current books, remaindered books, old classics and books long forgotten. When you step into his cab and take a peek in the front seat, you'll see a couple of books he picked up from the remainders shelf, something that someone left in the back of his cab, and something he couldn't wait to read and picked up as soon as it came out. In fact, you have to move the books aside sometimes to fit in a suitcase.

Continue reading "Post Your Pick for The Man Booker Prize" >

Sarah Beyer Kelly, Senior Producer

Last week, we gave you a peek inside Liane's office, with promises of more from behind the scenes at Weekend Edition. This week, in their video debut together, Scott and Liane each talk about some of the surprising things that never make their way onto the radio. Like red socks and long walks on the beach. And there's a surprise for them as well -- former CNN and Fox News anchor Rudi Bakhtiar pops in to give them a couple of tips about massaging the camera. As one of the most downloadable news anchors she knows what she's talking about. So, do you want to see more about our hosts and maybe about what we all do to put together these weekly NPR shows? We've got lots more to reveal.

Scott Simon, Host, Weekend Edition Saturday

Big Bird participates in the 77th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, 2003 in New York City.

Matthew Peyton/Getty Images

 

There is always a special electricity when a big star is about to be interviewed. And this week on Weekend Edition Saturday, we have one of the biggest. The Chairman of the Board of children's entertainment. The avian that put the sizzle into Sesame Street. Ol' Bug Eyes Himself--Big Bird.

Continue reading "What's Your Favorite Letter?" >

Jenni Bergal, Senior Editor

Melissa Parker, of Sacramento, California, is one of our listeners who has been hard hit by the country's economic crisis. She wrote to us about how she and her husband, both white-collar workers, are surviving on beans and rice and are barely able to pay their mortgage. We want to hear from you about how the economic downturn is affecting your life. Post your story below.

Justine Kenin, Associate Producer

It's estimated that about two billion people in the world live without reliable electricity. Solar power has been discussed as one possible solution, but harnessing the sun's energy is costly, tricky and beyond the reach of most developing countries. A young Australian scientist hopes to change that. She's developed the iJET, a new type of solar cell that's cheap and easy to make, requiring not much more than a pizza oven, some nail polish remover, and a common inkjet printer. Her name is Nicole Kuepper. She is a 23-year-old Phd student at the University of New South Wales who has just won a couple of top Australian science awards.

Scott Simon, Host, Weekend Edition Saturday

What's it like to interview one of the most beautiful women in the world?

Well, I talk to my wife every day. But in addition, this week on Weekend Edition Saturday, we talk to Katie Holmes. She is starring, along with John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, and other established stars, in the revival of Arthur Miller's 1947 play, All My Sons, on Broadway. This new revival is directed by Simon McBurney, the avante garde London stage director. It is Katie Holmes' first appearance onstage since her high school days in Toledo, Ohio.

Continue reading "Scott Simon on Katie Holmes" >

Sarah Beyer Kelly, Senior Producer

You'll see something new this week on Soapbox that we hope you're going to enjoy -- a video vignette, a peek behind the scenes at Weekend Edition. There's a lot that happens behind the scenes that we don't have time to put out on the air. So, we're going to start posting video glimpses into Weekend Edition Saturday and Weekend Edition Sunday.

We also hope it'll give you a chance to get to know Scott Simon and Liane Hansen in a different way than you're used to. Working with them each day, I can tell you they're full of surprises! Like this first video. It was supposed to be an experiment, a practice run -- but Liane was such a hoot that we just had to put it up. Take a look, and keep coming back, 'cause we've got lots of ideas, and a couple of great hosts we want you to SEE and hear more of!

Micah Sifry, Editor of the Personal Democracy Forum

Business as usual on Wall Street may have ended this week, but it may also be over in Washington, too. And not just because Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke had to rush to Congress for a massive taxpayer bailout of the financial system. In the last few weeks of financial crisis many of us have discovered that the powers-that-be are just making it up as they go along and the emperor really doesn't have much to wear. But out of this crisis in confidence something new and potentially powerful is rising: the networked public sphere is turning its attention to how Washington actually works (or fails to work). Powered and connected by the Internet, a critical mass -- in both senses of the word -- is forming around what we can do to fix both our political and economic systems.

Continue reading "Masses of Citizens are Coming Together Around the Bailout Fight" >