Weekend America

Hitting the Campaign Trail at 15

As the presidential race gains more momentum, some faces from the past are coming back. In 2004, a precocious 12 year old named Ilana Wexler grabbed the attentions of millions when she took the stage at the Democratic National Convention. As a pre-teen, she founded the organization Kids for Kerry, and now at 15 she is being courted by Hillary Clinton's campaign to chair another committee. But this teen is doing her research and watching how the upcoming election will shape up. Weekend America host Bill Radke speaks with Wexler about the impact kids have on political campaigns and how much her life has changed from three years ago.

In Honor of National Poetry Month

Most news outlets tend to use National Poetry Month as an excuse to do light features about poetry. And we're going to get to that later in the month, but right now we're just giving you raw, unfiltered poems. First we hear Charles Bernstein reading his poem "Thank You for Saying Thank You." Whether or not you think you understand poetry, you'll definitely be able to make sense out of this one.

The Strange Allure of the Cemetery Club

Everyday Tony and Benny Vasquez bring their folding chairs to their mother's grave at Resurrection Cemetery in Montebello, Calif. As the day goes by people join the group. They eventually all sit in a circle and call themselves the Cemetery Club. Weekend America host Bill Radke visited Resurrection to speak with the Vasquez brothers about what the Cemetery Club means to them.

Listener Letters: Chuck Berry at the Beach

We're always anxiously checking our mail, printed and digital, to find out what you have to say about our show. This week we hear a photographer's thoughts on a story we did on toy cameras, an alumni of Taylor University and a music aficionado.

Not Your Ordinary Wild Goose Chase

While many people prepare to go Easter egg hunting this weekend in Chicago, professionals are gearing up in search of Canadian goose eggs. Over the last 20 years, the geese have been wreaking havoc on the local parks. After volunteers find the eggs, a select team of pros will "handle" the eggs to curb the overpopulation of the geese. Weekend America host Bill Radke speaks with Susan Hagberg, president of Wild Goose Chase, about how these geese have overstayed their welcome.

It's not Augusta, It's Pasadena

This weekend one golfer will be presented with the coveted green jacket from the Masters Tournament. Not everyone will get the chance to play the hallowed greens in Augusta, Ga. But that doesn't matter to avid golfers Andy Chong and Robert Lusetich--they play golf every week in Pasadena, Calif., with 24 other guys. It's a friendly competition with a cash prize at the end. Independent Producer Charlie Schroeder talks with Chong and Lusetich about their special game of golf.

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, but in Spray Paint

Millions flock to Italy to see Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, but here in the United States people have been driving to Iowa to see a new take on a classic work of art. Waterloo, Iowa, has its own Sistine Chapel, thanks to a local artist Paco Rosic. This version of the original masterpiece is half the size and is created entirely out of spray paint. Independent Producer Kyle Gassiott has the story from Iowa.

What Makes a Person Care About Someone Else?

This weekend is the 13th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, when over a million people were victims of ethnic cleansing and the international community was accused of not taking any action. We wondered what makes certain causes bring people to act, while in other situations people stand by and do nothing? Professor Paul Slovic from the University of Oregon says a person's actions may depend on how she focuses on the event.

Sustainability

Getting in Trouble For Being Green

Arshia Khurshid, a homeowner in San Antonio, Texas, decided to tear out the smooth grassy lawn that came with her new home and replace it with a limestone tile mosaic and native plants like sunflowers. The new landscaping is far better for the environment. While the old grass lawn required watering about twice a week, the new rock garden barely needs a drop. But in the eyes of her homeowners association, she had committed a serious crime. As Weekend America's Michael May reports, some "green" homeowners are fighting a battle of aesthetics versus the environment with their homeowners associations.

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 John Ridley, he's the author of "The American Way," writer Henry Alford, and Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Cathy Sorbo.

Part 2: In Honor of National Poetry Month

To honor National Poetry Month, Weekend America will be spotlighting poetry all month long. In this installment we hear from Danielle Legros Georges, a Haitain-American poet in Boston. She shares her poem "How to Kiss."

What's Your Weekend Soundtrack?

We've been asking what's on your CD player, or MP3 player or even tape deck on Saturday and Sunday. What songs say to you, it's the weekend? This week we hear from listener Katie Kalbach from Seattle, Wash. She tells us what a song by Joshua Radin means to her.

A Peep in Every Dish

Nothing says Easter like marshmallow Peeps. It's not unusual for those little bright pink or yellow chicks made of sugar and chemicals to be a person's favorite part of the holiday. Naturally, Weekend America's John Moe wasn't satisfied with eating peeps straight out of the box. He decided to enlist Seattle chef Jason Wilson to help him make a full Easter meal that incorporated the noble Peep into every dish.

Open Letters to Entities Unlikely to Respond

Open Letter to Cadbury Crème Eggs

Judy Minor noticed something disturbing this year. Each year the Cadbury Crème Egg starts showing up on grocery store shelves earlier and earlier. That prompted her to write this letter. It's part of our series: Open Letters to People and Entities Who are Unlikely to Respond.

Starting Easter Under the Dark of Night

Let's be honest, for some people, Easter is one of only a few times they go to church. With all these new worshipers, empty pews start to get scarce. If you want to avoid those crowds, consider that Easter actually begins tonight at sundown. We talk with Reverend Mark Stanger of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. He performs the nighttime Easter vigil on Holy Saturday, which begins with an unlit church.

There's the Best of the Best, then There's the Rest

College dance teams from around the country will be in Chicago Saturday for the "Best of the Best" Indian dance contest. Dozens of South Asian American college students will compete by transforming traditional religious and folk dances into elaborate numbers. Independent Producer Brad Linder caught up with Penn Dhamaka, the University of Pennsylvania dance team as they prepared for the event.