Weekend America

Get on the Bus

Organizers of the United for Peace and Justice March on Washington say Saturday's anti-war rally is the largest one they've organized yet. Protesters traveled from around the country to demonstrate their opposition to the war in Iraq. We ride a bus with a mix of them--some first-timers and a few old hats--from Kansas City, Mo., through St. Louis, eventually landing in Washington, D.C., for the main event.

Called to Be a Poet

Independent producer Scott Carrier takes a hike with nature-lover, writer and poet Jim Harrison. Harrison is best known for his series of short stories, "Legends of the Fall." His new novel is called "Returning to Earth." The two talk of things of man and earth as they walk along the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley, Mont.

Listener Letters

Every week we receive a number of emails and phone calls with comments about our past show and suggestions for stories, but no segment gets people to their keyboards faster than our weekly parlor game "Good News, Bad News, No News," where we divide the week's news into categories. We hear some of our listener's reactions.

Royal Infatuation

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, are in Philadelphia this weekend. They started their tour of the city at Independence Hall, the place where America severed its ties to Britain in 1776. It's also where, a few years later, the United States soundly rejected a monarchy in favor of a constitutional republic. And yet, there's nothing like a visit from a prince to bring out the latent royal devotees. Independent Producer Peter Crimmins has found the city of cheese steaks may have a hidden weakness for crumpets, after all.

King of America

In light of Prince Charles's visit to the U.S., we've been wondering - what if America had its own monarchy? Would having a king solve our electoral woes? Jermol Jupiter and Ignacio Evans are members of the Baltimore Urban Debate League. Their league was honored this week by the White House, so we asked them to give serious consideration to this unusual question: Should America have a king?

Listening In: Music for Sleeping

Last week we asked you what music helped put you in the mood for sleep. Some of us need absolute silence, but for those who like to press play before getting under the covers, we found some mighty interesting responses. In this installment of our Listening In series, independent producer Gideon D'Arcangelo found the music that sent you into dreamland.

Glass is Half Full

The day before President Bush gave his State of the Union address, his approval ratings were below 30 percent. This is the lowest approval rating for any President, the day prior to a State of the Union address, aside from Nixon in 1974. So how does the President keep morale up around the White House? What makes his staff come to work every day and look at the glass as half full? To gain some perspective on this seemingly doomed situation, Weekend America's John Moe talks to some other professionals who have had to work against the odds.

Good News, Bad News, No News

Good News, Bad News, No News

Our panel of non-experts review the week's events in a parlor game to gauge what kind of week America had. Weighing in is Hollywood writer Dana Gould, Nancy French, the author of "A Red State of Mind," and screenwriter and author John Ridley.

Throwing Muses

In 1985, Kristin Hersh was 16 years old and she was signed to legendary British indie label 4AD with her pioneering post-punk group, Throwing Muses. Hersh is now in her mid-40s, she's a parent, and she has managed to continue her career, on the fringes of the music industry. We catch up with Hersh and hear from her new album, called "Learn to Sing Like a Star."

Ouch! Spanking!

Last week, California assemblywoman Sally Lieber stirred up a hornet's nest when she floated legislation making it illegal for parents, or anyone, to spank children under the age of three. It also stirred up something here at Weekend America. When it comes to spanking, it seems almost everyone's taken a side. Except for maybe our host Bill Radke. As a soon-to-be first-time parent Bill thought it would be a good time for him and his wife to figure out where exactly they fall in the debate.

Open Letters to Entities Unlikely to Respond

An Open Letter to Lifetime Television

Lucy Baker has whiled away way too much time--not reading or taking photographs--but watching Lifetime Television. She blames a lot of time wasted on the TV channel. We hear a letter she has written about it.

Cats vs. Birds

How many birds are killed by domestic cats each year? The American Bird Conservancy has created an online scientific survey, called Project Predator Watch, to determine the number. They estimated it to be in the hundreds of millions. Cat advocates, on the other hand, insist that figure is grossly exaggerated. As Weekend America's Michael May reports from Austin, Texas, the debate isn't just among scientists, and it's getting heated on the ground.