Weekend America

An Indian Sacrament Behind Prison Walls

At San Quentin State Prison in California, there's a place of worship for everyone -- a Protestant chapel, a Jewish synagogue, a Catholic church, a mosque and what's called the San Quentin Indian Reservation, where many of the American Indian inmates go every Saturday for a traditional sweat ceremony.

Fighting the Endless Skeeter War

Weekend America's John Moe met up with mosquito expert Mike McLean, who works for the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in Minnesota's Twin Cities area. In this man-mosquito war, it's important to know your enemy -- so Mike took John to an infested pond near Lake Phalen in St. Paul for a little skeeter primer.

Drive, Daddy, Drive

Many people in the United States have fond memories of summer road-trip vacations, and our Desiree Cooper is no different. But the specter of racism colors some of her most treasured family memories.

Weekend Soundtrack

'Come O Thou Traveler'

When you want to get into a space that's all your own, what song do you keep going back to? Our latest story comes from Pastor Thomas Biatek, who listens to us in Shorewood, Minn., on KNOW radio. Biatek is a minister there, and the soundtrack to his weekend is a hymn called "Come O Thou Traveler."

Waterfalls Along the East River

If you are walking this weekend along the East River in New York City, you might notice something different: waterfalls. It's New York's largest public art project since Cristo's "The Gates" two years ago in Central Park. We talk to residents about their first impressions, and hear from the artist himself.

A Lightning Strike Miracle in Maine

Lightning strikes have sparked hundreds of fires in bone-dry California. But not all lightning is destructive -- take the case of Edwin Robinson, who was struck by a bolt in Maine and suddenly regained his sight and hearing, and even started growing hair on his bald head.

Painting the Air with Flights of Fancy

On the beach in Santa Monica, a 97-year-old man delights his many friends -- plus makes new ones -- with his fanciful menagerie of kites. Tyrus Wong once painted backgrounds for classic Disney films. Now he paints the air with paper swallows, pandas and centipedes.

Three Decades of Bakke's Mixed Legacy

Thirty years ago today, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of U.C. Regents v. Bakke that public institutions can't put quotas on minority student enrollment. But the ruling wasn't clear-cut about the role of affirmative action. Desiree Cooper talks with University of Houston professor Cathy Horn about the ruling's impact.

Express Rant? Free Express Car Wash!

It's not news that rising fuel prices are causing many a cash-stretched customer to vent their frustration at the hapless employees working at the gas station. What is novel is how one gas station owner found a way to help both his clients and employees cope with the rising prices and mounting stress.

Good News, Bad News, No News

No Crying in Court, Swift Boat Sinks

Our panel of non-experts suss out the most controversial headlines of the past week: Author and conservative commentator Nancy French; comedian Dana Gould; and Stacey Grenrock Woods, former "Daily Show" correspondent and sex advice columnist for Esquire magazine.

Voicing Art Opinions in the Round

At museums around the country this weekend, lots of folks will plug in and walk the halls listening to someone tell them about art. Sound artist Halsey Burgund wanted to update the standard museum audio tour, so he dreamed up a project called "Round." Now you can hear people talking about the art, and you can leave your own opinions.

Summer Travel: Rainbow Family Reunion

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Gathering of the Tribes, the annual migration of the Rainbow Family of Living Light. It sounds like a hippie happening, and it is. More than 20,000 come together first week of July, and the Fourth of July is their day of prayer, a prayer for peace.

Zimbabwe's Spritual Instrument

These days, when you think of Zimbabwe, the elections are probably your first thought. But for a lot of people, their first association is the mbira -- a musical instrument that's also called a thumb piano. There are many people living in the United States who play mbira -- we tracked a couple of them down.