Weekend America

Get on the Bus

Recently, Annie took her 13-year-old granddaughter Andrea to a women's prison. The prison holds something special for Andrea: her mother Sandra. Because of the three strikes law, Sandra won't see her daughter grow up. Instead she has to settle for four hours a year. Andrea makes the trip only once a year, due to her grandmother's poor health. We'll hear from Annie, Sandra, and Andrea about being a family separated by bars.

Do You Have Moxie?

Before people just had moxie, it came in a can. It was supposed to cure all sorts of things, including imbecility, softening of the brain, and "loss of manhood." Moxie, the soda that is. Moxie was invented in Maine in 1876, and early marketing made some pretty big claims. It was even supposed to give a person "spunk." These days Moxie is found only in parts of northern New England, but it still exists, perhaps due to the efforts of one special man: the Moxie Man. Producer Josh Gleason has the story of the Moxie Man.

Weekend Letters

Weekend America is opening up the mail bags and sharing listener comments about stories that have aired. This week we hear about your comments about health insurance and the real city that can stake claim to the Revolutionary War.

What's In A Name?

Ever wonder how some towns got their names? In the US there are towns called Fleatown and Idiotville. In Central Illinois, there's a place called Goofy Ridge. Many of these places with these unique names are in rural and poor areas. Weekend America's Kelly McEvers spent a Saturday in Goofy Ridge to find out how the town got its name and why they decided to keep it.

Music to Pump You Up

Go to a baseball game and often you'll hear a player's "signature" being played as he batters up. In the next installment of our "Listening In" series, Gideon D'Arcangelo visited the Boston Red Sox, to find out how music plays into the game at Fenway Park.

Pay Day on the Weekend

In many parts of the country, payday lending stores outnumber many popular fast food chain restaurants. Mhari Saito of W-C-P-N spent time with one woman as she tried to figure out just how much she owes various payday lenders around Cleveland.

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. This week we have David Rakoff, actor and author of "Don't Get Too Comfortable," and John Warner, editor of McSweeneys.net

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

Dr. Emanuel Bronner created "Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap" in 1947 after he escaped a mental institution. The soap is liquid and peppermint-infused and the bottles really stand out. They're covered in white text -- over 30,000 words -- of quotes ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Mother Teresa. Sort of odd for a soap bottle. Weekend America talks with Emanuel Bronner's son, Ralph Bronner, about his eccentric dad's mission, that reached far beyond soap.

Dedication to Lady Bird

Town Lake is a park in Austin, Texas, that Lady Bird Johnson helped to create out of a flood zone in the early 1970s. There were attempts to name the park after her, but she declined. Weekend America went to Town Lake and asked people what they thought about dedicating the park to Lady Bird Johnson since her passing.

Life Shuffle

Sometimes you hear a song that conjures up a memory, and other times that special tune can make your heart skip a beat. The best part is when that right song plays at the most unexpected time. Guest host John Moe shares songs from his music library that connect him to his family when he's on the road.