Weekend America

Writing Letters to the Sons of Strangers

For Reba Webster Hollingsworth, writing her own son in the military is only the tip of the iceberg. Hollingsworth and other military moms in Waco, Texas, regularly make cards to send to soldiers they've never met. The handwritten letter may be a throwback in the age of text messages and e-mail, but this group has a page on Yahoo and even a MySpace profile. Weekend America's Alex Cohen asks Hollingsworth why she started this project and what it means to her.

What Would Cesar Chavez Do?

What would United Farm Workers leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez have to say about immigration and undocumented workers? On the anniversary of his birthday we talk with columnist Ruben Navarette about what Chavez's point of view might be on some of today's big issues.

"Tennessee Williams Saved My Life"

This week, playwright Tennessee Williams would have been 96 years old. He wrote many of his most famous plays in the Crescent City, so people in New Orleans are celebrating his life and works at the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. Among Williams devotees is filmmaker John Waters, who wrote the introduction to a new edition of Tennessee Williams memoirs titled, "Tennessee Williams Saved My Life." We'll talk to Waters about whether the playwright saved his life and we'll also hear a scene from a production of a Tennessee Williams play currently on stage in Florida.

Playing with Plush Plagues on Passover

Some holidays lend themselves to toys and figurines. Others, like Passover, take a bit more creativity. One Miami toymaker just introduced a line of plush toys based on the ten plagues that fell on Egypt from the story of Moses. Exactly how does one put a face to boils and blood? Host Bill Radke talks locusts and pestilence with toymaker Barbara Matzner.

In Line with Saturday Night Klein

Louis Klein usually arrives at the line for standby seats to "Saturday Night Live" by Friday afternoon. The tickets are given away at 7 am the next morning. And he's pretty used to the all-night sitting. He's been waiting on the line since the show was popular enough to merit a line. He's seen 539 out of 622 shows. He saw the first show. And over the years he's gotten pretty famous--and even a little infamous--in SNL fan circles. Weekend America's Sean Cole spent the night, on the sidewalk, with Saturday Night Klein.

A Losing Season with the Seattle SuperSonics

Basketball is a zero-sum game, meaning if there's a winner, there's also a loser. Weekend America's John Moe has been spending a lot of time thinking about this. His favorite team, the Seattle SuperSonics, keeps ending up as the losers in this equation. Moe speaks with blogger Paul Merrill, editor Will Leitch and economics professor David Berri about his dilemma.

More Kindness at Burger King?

Animal rights activist celebrated this week after Burger King announced some changes in the meat they buy. The fast food chain will soon serve eggs from cage free hens and pork from farms that don't confine their sows to crates. The chain is promising more changes to come, thanks to the advice they have been getting from their animal welfare task force. Weekend America host Bill Radke talks with one of the task force members, Professor Temple Grandin, about what these changes mean.

The History of Bruce's Beach, California

In the early 1900s, there were only a few places in Southern California that African-American families could enjoy the beach. One of those places was at a resort owned by a black family named the Bruces in the coastal town of Manhattan Beach. In 1924, the resort was shut down after it was seized by the city. This Saturday, people will gather to rename that area to Bruce's Beach. Weekend America's Krissy Clark talks with historian Allison Jefferson about the history of Bruce's Beach.

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 writer Cora Daniels, author of "Ghetto Nation," Hollywood writer Dana Gould, and writer, actor and comedian Larry Miller.

The Defiant Ones Hit the Road

In Selma, Ala., this weekend, pairs of runners, one black and one white, will be embarking on a half-marathon to commemorate the message of the film, "The Defiant Ones." They'll be tied together and sent running through an obstacle course. Weekend America's host Bill Radke speaks with the defending women's champions, Tamika Little and Valerie Chittom about the race.

AIDS Awareness is the Message in the Music

This year's "Message in the Music" gospel music conference in Birmingham, Ala., is highlighting the message of HIV/AIDS awareness. AIDS is often considered too taboo to talk about in church. But organizers of the music conference this year want to change that. Minister Kendall Richardson contracted AIDS at 18, and he's one of the speakers at the conference. Weekend America host Bill Radke talks with Richardson about HIV/AIDS awareness and the church.

Tales from the Bench at the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Basketball tournament is slowly coming to an end, and not all the players got their time to show off their skills on the court, especially those sitting on the bench. Penn State Alumni Nate Althouse was intimately familiar with his warm seat on the bench. But Althouse eventually got his big chance to play and he reminisces about it with one of his fans, Dan Fravel.

On and Off the Road with Joe Ely

Songwriter Joe Ely spends most of his time on the road. He just returned from a tour in Canada with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark, and in about a week he'll be packing up again to go back on the road in Europe. Traveling has inspired some of Ely's music but it also inspires his other talents, like painting. His work is being displayed at the Ransom Center at the University of Texas. Weekend America's Michael May spent some time with Ely while he was home to talk about his work in the arts.