Weekend America

Gated Into Foreclosure

The city of Las Vegas, Nev., has been hit hard by the subprime mortgage crisis and recent economic turmoil. Property values have plummeted, and the area has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. Things are especially dire in the newer parts of the city and freshly built subdivisions, like the gated community of San Niccolo.

A Joyful Noise

Reggie Prim spent his childhood being raised with the Black Hebrews in Israel. As a kid, he sang with the music group the Tonistics - a religious soul group modeled after the Jackson 5. The Tonistics' songs from the early 1970s have just been re-released. Reggie isn't exactly nostalgic for his childhood in Israel. But the re-release of the music from Dimona has brought back memories about his extraordinary journey from Israel back to the United States.

Conversations with America

Conversations with America: Brian Turner

The party platforms of the presidential candidates represent the direction a whole group of people want to steer our government. But maybe here on the weekend there's a way to think more broadly about some of the issues facing our country. So we've asked some writers and thinkers what they believe should be on voters' minds as they cast their ballots. Our essay today comes from Iraq war veteran and poet Brian Turner.

Levittown Turns 50

On Sept. 28, 2008, the residents of Willingboro, N.J. are throwing a semi-formal banquet to celebrate the town's 50th anniversary. But you might know Willingboro by its original name: Levittown. The name isn't the only thing that's changed. What started in 1958 as an all-white town on the edge of the Philadelphia suburbs is now a diverse community of people from all over the world.

State of Suburbia

The state of today's suburbs has become far more complicated since Levittown first was founded. With concerns about energy, urban planning and infrastructure, contemporary suburbanites have a lot more on their minds than just buying a home. To find out where the suburbs stand today, we spoke with Dolores Hayden, a professor at Yale University who's written extensively about suburbia.

21-Year-Old Jam

A jam session is open to anyone that walks in the door, and they provide musicians a chance to just let loose, without any pressure to satisfy an audience. One session in Minneapolis is old enough to drink this year. It's been going on every Friday night for 21 years. Reporter Sanden Totten takes us there.

Politics and the Bailout

The market meltdown on Wall Street converged with Presidential politics this week. CQ Politics reporter Jonathan Allen takes us to the high drama unfolding in Washington as members of Congress wrestle with the the biggest bailout in American history.

Politics on the Spot

Politics on the Spot: Emergency Room

For election season, we're taking you around the country to hear how some of the big issues at stake are playing out on the ground. This week we're tackling one of the most complex issues on the candidates' agendas: health care. To get at it, we sent WCPN's Mhari Saito to the MetroHealth System hospital in Cleveland. It's considered the hospital of last resort for the uninsured in the county.

Good News, Bad News, No News

Congress on the Bailout, McCain on the Campaign

The financial crisis shifted from Wall Street to Capitol Hill as Congress tried to hash out a bailout for the financial industry. The price tag could be as high as $700 billion. Is the bailout good news, bad news, or no news?

Weekend Soundtrack

"Cool Water"

It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack. The songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. Our latest story comes from Sara Breeze in Bemidji, Minn. Her soundtrack is "Cool Water" by Joni Mitchell and Willie Nelson.

Roky and the Elevators

This weekend Austin, Texas hosts the final mega-music festival of the summer season: Austin City Limits. But the most surprising appearance will be by one of Austin's own, Roky Erikson. Roky formed a band called the 13th Floor Elevators more than 40 years ago, but they got stuck on their way to the top. But like that other Rocky, there's always one more chance at a comeback.

A Baseball Dilemma

Weekend America host John Moe wonders if he's committing baseball adultery by rooting for a new team now that his beloved Seattle Mariners are on a losing streak.

The Marfa Sessions

Marfa, Texas is no stranger to the arts. Sculptor Donald Judd moved there in the 1970s, bringing a flock of artists with him. This weekend the folks at Ballroom Marfa, a local gallery, open a series of sound installations that artists have created and installed all over town. We've gathered a few of the artists to tell you about how their projects relay the sounds of Marfa.