Weekend America

In the Hours After the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

Mary Medeco was one of those calling all of her relatives in Minneapolis this week. Many live within minutes of the fallen Interstate 35W bridge. They're all okay. But news of collapse still hit Medeco hard. She once lived near the 35W bridge. Well, sort of. We hear from Medeco, and then from journalist Annie Baxter, who has been covering the collapse all week long. She tells us how the reality of a disaster scene, is in fact nothing like what we often see on television.

A Church In Need

Thousands of jobs have been lost in Elizabeth, N.J., and now even churches are trying to survive against economic adversity. St. Johns is responding by trying to sell off one of their most prized possessions: their stained glass windows. Reporter Brad Linder brings us the story from New Jersey.

Weekend Soundtrack

Weekend Soundtrack: Time Out of Mind

Each week we ask listeners about the song that reminds them of the weekend. This week, Allison Austin from Illinois explains why she can't get Steely Dan's "Time Out of Mind" out of her mind.

Poolside in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, the word poolside is practically synonymous with Summer. And Los Angeles is practically synonymous with Hollywood. Weekend America's Krissy Clark finds the intersection of the pool and the Hollywood lifestyle at her local public pool.

One Word at the Pool

Back in 1978, Marcia Bryant her brother and her friend all spent hot summer days at the local city pool in Cleveland. Bryant remembers it as a gleeful experience: Kids would get dropped off by parents and finally they were free, with nothing to do but splash around in the inviting blue water. But all that changed with one word on a Saturday in 1978. Bryant tells us what ended her days at the pool. Also, Laura Higdon flashes back to her Coppertone-infused youth, poolside; and Bruce Cuningham recalls a revelation that he had at the pool as a child, when he made a new friend.

Man-cation at the Shooting Range

This weekend in Manchester, N.H., you can shoot a machine gun for $25. If you don't have your own, you can rent one. And actually you can do that any day of the week in Manchester. Weekend America's Sean Cole was recently invited up to one of those ranges by his friend Nick, who called the trip a "man-cation." Unfortunately, Sean is what was referred to on the playground as a "girl."

Man versus Fish on the Illinois River

The trouble started when the carp busted out of the ponds. At least that's what they think happened in Bath, Ill. In Bath, the Illinois River is overrun with an invasive fish species called the Asian silverhead carp. To help rid the river of the carp, this weekend is the Redneck Fishing Tournament. But the fish have a serious handicap. Something about the motor of boats excites them and they actually jump right into the boat. The main thing is not to get hit by one on its way into your net. Weekend America's Kelly McEvers brings us this bizarre tale of fish and not really fishing.

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 Bob Mankoff, "New Yorker" cartoon editor; Elizabeth Spiers, founder of Dead Horse Media and the founding editor of Gawker.com, and Gustavo Arellano, author of Orange County Weekly's "Ask a Mexican!" column.

Christmas in August

So it's August: What better time to to trim Christmas trees! If you're a Christmas tree farmer, that is. And by "trim," we mean get out the hacksaw. Summer is shave and haircut time for Christmas trees. Reporter Martin Wells visited a few Christmas trees in Nebraska on a recent weekend, and found their leaves are not unchanging.

Beyond the Silk Road With Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma has worked for nearly a decade and educate people about the culture of the Silk Road. Weekend America's Bill Radke speaks with the renowned cellist about his latest collaboration with the Silk Road Ensemble.

Steinbeck in the 1960s

This weekend, the Steinbeck Festival will focus on the life and work of John Steinbeck from the 1960s. It was a time when the Vietnam War was escalating, and the events had an impact on Steinbeck's own work. Weekend America speaks with Susan Shillinglaw, who runs the Steinbeck Center at San Jose State University, about how Steinbeck shone a light on the human side of everyday life.