Weekend America

On the Hill

Women are making a mark on the Capitol. Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House and of the newly-elected members of Congress, at least 12 are women (some races were still undecided Saturday). That brings the total number of women in Congress to at least 87.Reporter Jill Morrison catches up with some of the freshman females, to see if they think more women in Congress will make a difference on Capitol Hill. Thanks to the Capitol News Connection in Washington, D.C., for this story.

Goodbye Jesus Camp

The documentary "Jesus Camp" followed three kids during their stay at a Christian evangelical summer camp called Kids on Fire. The film inspired much debate among religious and secular folk alike. And some of it was very serious. Camp Director and Chief Pastor Becky Fisher decided to close the camp this summer because of the negative reaction that's been sparked by the film. After the movie opened near Devil's Lake, N.D., the campsite was vandalized and Fisher received threats. Barbara Bogaev talks to Fisher about camp, the film and the future of Kids on Fire.

Classical Music Pick

Steve Smith, the classical music editor of Time Out New York, brings some new music from acclaimed violinists Nicolo Paganini and Louis Spohr. Modern-day virtuoso Hilary Hahn has performed two of their compositions on a new album. We check it out.

National Adoption Day

Alison Dolan was abandoned as a newborn. She was found in a Budweiser box in an alley in the Bronx, on a frigid winter day in 1987. The story of an abandoned little girl made headline news and she was subsequently adopted by a family in Pennsylvania. Now, almost 20 years later, Dolan is looking for her biological parents. Bill Radke talks with Dolan about her search.

Guided By Voices

Indie rock fans know Robert Pollard as the hard-partying lead singer of the band Guided By Voices. He was 36 before the band received any sort of acclaim, teaching grade school for half of the band's 21-year career. Pollard has recorded more than a thousand songs, and even though Guided by Voices broke up in 2004, he is still writing and touring as a solo artist. Reporter Sean Cole asks Pollard what drives him to produce so much.

Refuge in the Church

Since August, Elvira Arellano has taken refuge in a Chicago church. Arellano, who is in this country illegally, is trying to avoid being deported to Mexico. She says she shouldn't have to choose between leaving her 7-year-old son, a U.S. citizen, behind and taking him back to Mexico. We get an update on her story.

Operation Jumpstart

Operation Jumpstart, part of President Bush's border security plan, has put 6,000 National Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexico border while new border agents are recruited and trained to replace them. The troops have been living for months in desolate areas along the border. Many have settled into apartments and whole new lives on the border. Weekend America's Michael May visited the troops in the border town of Laredo, Texas, to see how they're adjusting to their new lives.

Sustainability

Tree Hunting

Byron Carmean is tree hunter. Carmean isn't after just any old tree, he hunts for "champs." Champs are the crown jewels of the forest. They have the largest height and circumference out of all the old growth trees. And since old growth trees are rapidly dying out, lots of people like Byron Carmean have been on the hunt for champs, in hopes of saving them. Weekend America's Hillary Frank paid a visit to a Byron Carmean, in a Virginia forest to learn the techniques and passions of a big tree hunter.

Think Different

The Zune music players came out last week. They're Microsoft's answer to the iPod, and they've gotten mixed reviews. But look what they're up against. Everybody has an iPod, and for the most part, people love them. They're well-designed, they're simple, they're small. They're perfect. And that's really bumming out one long-time Mac user: our web producer, Neille Ilel.

Food Fight

Is a burrito a sandwich? That's the question that was the center of a recent court case in the Massachusetts area. Weekend America's John Moe has been looking into it, and Bill Radke gets the scoop.

Heavenly Dinner

In their new book, "Cooking with the Bible: Biblical Food, Feasts, and Lore," authors Reverend Rusty Hesse and Anthony Chiffolo have researched 18 meals mentioned in the Scriptures, and examined how the food may have influenced the meaning of the text. The book includes menus and recipes for readers to recreate Biblical meals, with traditional and contemporary ingredients. Barbara Bogaev talks with the authors as they prepare a meal in Westchester, N.Y.

Parking Meters of Hope (or Despair)

A slew of new parking meters have been installed along the pedestrian walkway in downtown Baltimore, Md. But these meters aren't for parking. Instead of counting down minutes from when coins are inserted, the meters count down from "hope" to "despair." The proceeds will go to the Baltimore Homeless Services. We talk with Benn Ray, a local book shop owner, about how this parking meter is something different to each person that walks past it.