Weekend America

Away for the Holidays

Youth Radio's Phil Herrick brings us the story of three kids and their father who were in Fairfield, California, living near Travis Air Force Base. Their mother, Shannon, was deployed and their dad was on active duty, so there was a chance both parents would have to be gone at the same time. Life without mom was not easy, but Lauren, Steven, and Zachary did their best to cope.

Culture Clash

The Katy Islamic Association has plans to build a mosque on 11 acres of land outside of Houston. They put a sign out front announcing their impending arrival, but things aren't going smoothly. Their soon to be neighbor, Craig Baker, also put up a sign announcing Friday night pig races. And the pigpens and the tracks are right up against the Islamic Association's property. Michael May tells us about the conflict.

The Baby Jesus Chronicles

Last weekend in Bellingham, Wash., a Jesus statue was stolen for the third time this year. In Plaistow, N.H., one was plucked from its cradle and replaced with a beer can. Basically, where there's a nativity scene, there's a good chance there'll be a manger kidnapping, and rarely does the baby Jesus get returned. But in Buffalo, N.Y., an 18-inch plastic figurine was stolen 2 days before Christmas, last year, and returned to its owners' doorstep 8 months later, along with a photo album chronicling where he'd been. We investigate.

Santa's Helpers

When Katy Sewell was in 8th grade a new kid named Jeremy moved to town. Sewell says her school was kind of "snooty" and Jeremy, the new kid, was quiet and generally ignored. So around Christmastime Sewell and her best friend embarked on an elaborate "random act of kindness" plot to try to make this holiday Jeremy's most memorable.

Six-Word Memoir

If you are wishing for a new iPod this holiday season, you could hint around to a loved one, or you could try to win one by entering a new contest being sponsored by the online magazine called Smith. All you have to do is write a memoir, but in six words. Alex Cohen talks with Larry Smith, the founder and editor of Smith magazine, about life in six words.

Holiday Loss

When Nanci Olesen's dad died suddenly three and a half years ago, her family all stumbled through that first holiday season. Now three years later Olesen reflects on how the death of a parent changes everything, especially this time of year.

Uncle Sam Wants You

This weekend, President Bush met with his new defense secretary, Robert Gates, at Camp David. The Iraq war was at the top of the agenda, but Bush has also asked Gates to look into increasing the size of the military. The increase would take years and cost billions of dollars. It would also put a strain on recruiters who, already, face tough challenges in attracting volunteers in war time. Weekend America's Pat Loeb spent some time with marine recruiters in Los Angeles to see what message they're sending this holiday weekend.

A Holiday Behind Bars

For some people in Columbus, Ohio, home for the holidays just isn't going to happen. This Christmas, two dozen Columbus residents will spend the holiday behind bars. It's part of a plea agreement, hatched by Judge Michael Holbrook, and Alex Cohen talks with him about how it works.

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 Amy Hungerford, Dana Gould, and John Ridley.

A Play a Day

A while back on the show, we talked with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. She wrote a play a day for a year and was on our show giving advice to actors performing in them. We have been tracking the plays as they are performed around the country. This week we hear about one written on December 26th called "Even in a House Like This."

Atheist at Christmas

Author Sam Harris wrote a bestseller called "The End of Faith" arguing that religious faith has always been beyond reason and dangerous. He goes on to say that secular Americans who tolerate religion make the problem worse. Bill Radke talks with Harris in front of a big Christmas display about what this season means to him.

Open Letters to Entities Unlikely to Respond

Open Letter

Is Rudolph suffering from an esteem problem? How else can you explain how easily he gave in to Santa's request to guide the sleigh after being slighted for so many years? Santa was nice on that one foggy Christmas Eve, but Rudolph, is he really your friend? In an "Open Letter to People and Entities Unlikely to Respond," A.F. Passafiume pleads with Rudolph to reconsider his unhealthy relationship with Mr. Claus.

Narcoleptic Christmas

Twenty years ago when Mali Einen was 24, her baby daughter said something funny and before she knew it, Einen's muscles went limp and she collapsed into the Christmas tree. That's when she discovered she was narcoleptic. It turns out that narcolepsy is a lot different from what we think it is. When Einen fell down, she hadn't suddenly fallen asleep, rather she was actually wide awake and her body had just become temporarily paralyzed. This continued to happen to Mali, and each episode was triggered by extreme joy. Weekend America's Hillary Frank brings us her story.