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Samantha Balaban Samantha Balaban is a producer at Weekend Edition.
Samantha Balaban
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Samantha Balaban

Samantha Balaban
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Elissa Nadworny/NPR
Samantha Balaban
Elissa Nadworny/NPR

Samantha Balaban

Producer, Weekend Edition

Samantha Balaban is a producer at Weekend Edition.

After receiving her M.A. in Journalism and Latin American studies from New York University, she got her start in public radio covering the James "Whitey" Bulger trial for WBUR as an intern. Since coming to NPR in 2014, she has reported on a perfume-loving tiger, traveled to Mexico to meet actor Diego Luna (and cover the elections), ridden with border patrol officers along the Rio Grande River, eaten very well in Houston, interviewed a Bangle and used her waterproof fanny pack to help keep her mic dry during hurricanes. She's also responsible for Picture This, a series of conversations with authors and illustrators.

Most days, you can find her under a pile of books and mail coordinating Weekend Edition's book coverage. On weekends, she's hanging out with her dog, Winnie.

Story Archive

Tuesday

Rose Previte, of D.C.'s Michelin star restaurant Maydān, releases her debut cookbook

Rose Previte's stuffed summer squash with lamb and rice, from her new cookbook, Maydān: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption

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Elissa Nadworny/NPR

Food

Rose Previte, of D.C.'s Michelin star restaurant Maydān, releases her debut cookbook

The word maydan means a gathering place. And that's what Rose Previte wants her debut cookbook, Maydān: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond, to be: a way for people to come together around table.

Rose Previte, of D.C.'s Michelin star restaurant Maydān, releases her debut cookbook

Listen · 10:11
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Sunday

Inquiring minds want to know: 'How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?'
Illustrations Copyright © 2023 by Jon Klassen

Picture This

Inquiring minds want to know: 'How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?'

"How does he do it?" Author Mac Barnett and illustrator Jon Klassen squeeze, squash and generally put Santa through the wringer while trying to answer an age-old Christmas mystery.

Inquiring minds want to know: 'How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?'

Listen · 9:14
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Saturday

Beware! 'The Baddies' are here to scare your kids — and make them laugh
Illustrations © Axel Scheffler

Picture This

Beware! 'The Baddies' are here to scare your kids — and make them laugh

From the author and illustrator of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom now comes The Baddies: a witch, a troll and a ghost like being bad so much they compete to see who can be the very worst.

Beware! 'The Baddies' are here to scare your kids — and make them laugh

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Monday

We rewind to a time when Israel and Gaza were close to peace

U.S. President Bill Clinton and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat inaugurated the Gaza International Airport in 1998 in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. The presidential visit and the launching of the airport were seen as an important steps in the effort to establish a Palestinian state. Santiago Lyon/AP hide caption

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Santiago Lyon/AP

State of the World from NPR

We rewind to a time when Israel and Gaza were close to peace

We hear about a time when an airport opened in Gaza, a U.S. president visited and it seemed like Palestinian statehood was close to being a reality.

We rewind to a time when Israel and Gaza were close to peace

Listen · 10:50
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Friday

An aid lifeline to Gaza: we go to the only crossing point in or out of the territory

Aid trucks queue to enter Palestinian territories from the Egypt side of the Rafah Border Crossing on Nov. 15, 2023. Gehad Hamdy/picture alliance via Getty Images hide caption

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Gehad Hamdy/picture alliance via Getty Images

State of the World from NPR

An aid lifeline to Gaza: we go to the only crossing point in or out of the territory

There's only one place goods or people are allowed to enter or leave Gaza. Our reporter is in Rafah, Egypt and sees the trickle of aid going into Gaza.

An aid lifeline to Gaza: we go to the only crossing point in or out of the territory

Listen · 13:11
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Tuesday

What will it take to free the hostages in Gaza? Many Israelis support a prisoner swap

Shira Albag, (c) mother of hostage Liri Albag protests with family outside the ministry of defense base on November 04, 2023 in Tel Aviv Israel. Liri Albag, 18, is a surveillance soldier at the Nahal Oz army base, was taken captive by Gazan militants on Saturday, October 7, as they took control of the Israeli army base. Maya Levin for NPR hide caption

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Maya Levin for NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

What will it take to free the hostages in Gaza? Many Israelis support a prisoner swap

About 240 Israeli and foreign nationals have been held hostage in Gaza for a month. Many Israelis are calling for Israel to release all Palestinian detainees in exchange for the captives' freedom.

What will it take to free the hostages in Gaza? Many Israelis support a prisoner swap

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Sunday

Hamas attacked Israel 1 month ago. Here's where things stand now

Families of kidnapped hostages join thousands of supporters in a protest at the Family of Hostages Square outside The Kiryato on Saturday to demand that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secure the release of Israeli hostagesl. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images hide caption

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Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

Hamas attacked Israel 1 month ago. Here's where things stand now

About 1,400 people were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and more than 240 people were kidnapped. In the four weeks since, almost 10,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Friday

As Israel forces workers from Gaza back, thousands more remain stuck in the West Bank

Ibrahim Alfarany has been staying at Al-Istiqlal University for several weeks. He usually works and lives near a store south of Tel Aviv, where he stocks vegetables for a few weeks at a time, and travels back to Gaza. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

As Israel forces workers from Gaza back, thousands more remain stuck in the West Bank

Palestinians from Gaza were working in Israel when Hamas attacked the country on Oct. 7. Now, many are unable to go back and in limbo in the West Bank.

As Israel forces workers from Gaza back, thousands more remain stuck in the West Bank

Listen · 6:43
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Tuesday

Gaza's 34-hour phone and internet blackout, as told in voice memos

Anas Baba, a producer for NPR, has been reporting on the war from his base in Gaza. Anas Baba/NPR hide caption

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Anas Baba/NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

Gaza's 34-hour phone and internet blackout, as told in voice memos

Voice memos recorded by NPR's producer in Gaza during a 34-hour communications blackout convey a weekend of anxiety and uncertainty for Palestinians as Israeli ground troops invaded.

Gaza's 34-hour phone and internet blackout, as told in voice memos

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Monday

Middle East

Thousands of workers from Gaza are trapped in the West Bank and can't go home

Thousands of Palestinians from Gaza were working in Israel when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. Now, they're unable to go back and in limbo in the West Bank.

Thousands of workers from Gaza are trapped in the West Bank and can't go home

Listen · 6:43
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Friday

New details emerge about the Hamas-led attackers who massacred Israelis

Men working with a search and recovery team from the organization ZAKA look for human remains in Kibbutz Be'eri. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

New details emerge about the Hamas-led attackers who massacred Israelis

NPR has interviewed neighbors and relatives of one of the attackers and reviewed footage and information the Israeli military says it collected from villages and militants.

New details emerge about the Hamas-led attackers who massacred Israelis

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Tuesday

Attacked by Hamas at home, Israeli survivors find solace in a hotel

Shefayim Hotel, just north of Tel Aviv, is hosting hundreds of survivors of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a community that suffered some of the most catastrophic losses in the Hamas attacks two weeks ago. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

Attacked by Hamas at home, Israeli survivors find solace in a hotel

Residents of a kibbutz near Israel's border with Gaza are living in a hotel after Hamas killed dozens of people and destroyed homes in their community.

Attacked by Hamas at home, Israeli survivors find solace in a hotel

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Monday

How do Palestinians feel about the war and Hamas now?

People carry bodies of Palestinians 22-year-old Muhammad Alyan Hamid and 20-year-old Mahmoud Nahle killed by Israeli forces near Al-Jalazun Refugee Camp in Ramallah, West Bank on October 23, 2023. Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images hide caption

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Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images

State of the World from NPR

How do Palestinians feel about the war and Hamas now?

Though Gaza has been the focus of Israel's response to attacks by militants, the West Bank is also seeing an increase in violence. Residents there react to recent events. We also hear from members of a community that was hit hard by the Hamas attacks. They've been relocated to a hotel and are trying to make sense of what they've lost.

How do Palestinians feel about the war and Hamas now?

Listen · 11:46
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Tuesday

State of the World from NPR

An explosion at a Gaza hospital. And making sense of life after the Hamas attack

A blast at a crowded hospital in Gaza could become a turning point in the war. And people who lost their family and homes in Hamas' attack on Israel try to reckon with the aftermath.

An explosion at a Gaza hospital. And making sense of life after the Hamas attack

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Friday

Israel orders a million people in Gaza to move and snapshots of life under siege

Palestinians flee to safer areas following Israeli air strikes. Israel's military on Friday called for the evacuation of civilians from Gaza City for their "safety and protection" on October 13, 2023. Mohammed Talatene/picture alliance via Getty Images hide caption

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Mohammed Talatene/picture alliance via Getty Images

State of the World from NPR

Israel orders a million people in Gaza to move and snapshots of life under siege

Israel has ordered effectively half the population of Gaza to flee their homes ahead of an expected military assault. Many Israelis have decided to leave the country. And we hear from a hospital in Gaza.

Israel orders a million people in Gaza to move and snapshots of life under siege

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Left behind, in an assaulted Israeli town

Jewish religious items — yarmulkes, phylacteries and a prayer book — left behind in a reinforced safe room which was damaged in a rocket attack the previous day, in Sderot, Israel. Tanya Habjouqa/NOOR for NPR hide caption

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Tanya Habjouqa/NOOR for NPR

The Picture Show

Left behind, in an assaulted Israeli town

In the Israeli town of Sderot, less than a mile from the Gaza Strip, there are remnants and recollections of carnage from Hamas' ongoing attack.

Left behind, in an assaulted Israeli town

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Wednesday

Voices from both Gaza and Israel as the violence continues

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. Fatima Shbair/AP hide caption

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Fatima Shbair/AP

State of the World from NPR

Voices from both Gaza and Israel as the violence continues

The power is out in Gaza, as Israel's blockade prevents fuel, food, and water from entering. Civilians there fear nowhere is safe from Israeli airstrikes. And in Israel they are still reeling from Hamas' brutal cross-border attack and many are searching for missing loved ones who may have been kidnapped. We hear from our correspondents on the ground and from people on both sides of the conflict.

Voices from both Gaza and Israel as the violence continues

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Saturday

A concert audience of houseplants? A new kids' book tells the surprisingly true tale

In The Enchanted Symphony, a young boy named Piccolino harnesses the power of art, nature and community. Illustrations © 2023 Elly MacKay hide caption

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Illustrations © 2023 Elly MacKay

Picture This

A concert audience of houseplants? A new kids' book tells the surprisingly true tale

The latest children's book from Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton and illustrator Elly McKay is about the power of nature and music. They discussed their creative process in an interview with NPR.

A concert audience of houseplants? A new kids' book tells the surprisingly true tale

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Saturday

Rabbit and Opossum come to life in 'Ancient Night' — a new twist on an old legend
Art © 2023 David Álvarez

Picture This

Rabbit and Opossum come to life in 'Ancient Night' — a new twist on an old legend

David Álvarez's twist on traditional myths from Mesoamerica is about rivalry, jealousy and making amends. What started as a wordless picture book now has text by author David Bowles.

Rabbit and Opossum come to life in 'Ancient Night' — a new twist on an old legend

Listen · 7:39
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Saturday

A little boy falls in love with nature in 'Emile and the Field'

Reprinted from EMILE AND THE FIELD. Copyright © 2022 by Kevin Young. Illustrations copyright © 2022 by Chioma Ebinama Make Me a World, an imprint of Random House Children's Books hide caption

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Make Me a World, an imprint of Random House Children's Books

Picture This

A little boy falls in love with nature in 'Emile and the Field'

Kevin Young first wrote his story about Emile, a boy in love with a field, as a bedtime poem for his son years ago. Now, it lives on as a picture book with watercolor illustrations by Chioma Ebinama.

A little boy falls in love with nature in 'Emile and the Field'

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Saturday

Hop in the minivan: 'Summer Is for Cousins' invites you on a family vacation
Illustrations © 2023 Abhi Alwar

Picture This

Hop in the minivan: 'Summer Is for Cousins' invites you on a family vacation

Summer is for swimming, playing cards and talking all night. Summer is for ice cream and doing nothing. And, in this new picture book from Rajani LaRocca and Abhi Alwar, summer is also for cousins.

Hop in the minivan: 'Summer Is for Cousins' invites you on a family vacation

Listen · 7:53
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Sunday

Trumpet was too loud, clarinet was too soft — here's 'The Story of the Saxophone'

Art from The Story of the Saxophone, text by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustration by James E. Ransome Holiday House Publishing, Inc. hide caption

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Holiday House Publishing, Inc.

Picture This

Trumpet was too loud, clarinet was too soft — here's 'The Story of the Saxophone'

A shared love of jazz led author Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrator James Ransome to discover inventor Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax and the instrument named after him.

Trumpet was too loud, clarinet was too soft — here's 'The Story of the Saxophone'

Listen · 8:48
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Saturday

On Kali Uchis' soulful new album, love has many dimensions

Love, good karma and a bit of old-school funk are ingredients for a happy life, says Kali Uchis. Cho Gi-Seok hide caption

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Cho Gi-Seok

Music Interviews

On Kali Uchis' soulful new album, love has many dimensions

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with singer-songwriter Kali Uchis about her soulful new album 'Red Moon in Venus' and the inspiration behind it.

On Kali Uchis' soulful new album, love has many dimensions

Listen · 6:01
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Saturday

Turkey's Antakya is in ruins after the quake, erasing cultural and religious heritage

A view inside what was the dome of the historic Habib-i Najjar Mosque in Antakya. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

Middle East

Turkey's Antakya is in ruins after the quake, erasing cultural and religious heritage

The city of Antakya, known in antiquity as Antioch, was at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. After the Feb. 6 earthquake, many of its centuries-old monuments and sites lie in ruins.

Turkey's Antakya is in ruins after the quake, erasing cultural and religious heritage

Listen · 7:14
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