Weekend America

Signs of Life at Dead Malls

Next month, developers are set to break ground on a 700,000-square-foot "lifestyle center" in Manteca, way east of the Bay Area in California. And another 1.2-million-square-foot "lifestyle center" is underway in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert. They're not called malls anymore, they're lifestyle centers. But there are some lifestyle centers where it's hard to find any signs of life. One of the biggest aging malls in the country is Randall Park, just outside Cleveland, Ohio. The question for the community there is what to do with it. Reporter Mhari Saito tells us about her weekend at the dead mall.

Where Does that Name Come From?

Monday is Columbus Day, also known as Indigenous Peoples Day. In honor of the holiday, we thought we'd find out about the Native American origins of some common places, like Milwaukee and Seattle. Some of these names are pretty straightforward. But others, says Ives Goddard of the Smithsonian Institution, are hard to figure out.

Weekend Soundtrack

Weekend Soundtrack: "In C"

Weekend America has been asking you for the soundtrack to your weekend. We want to know about the song you listen to and why it matters to you. This week, we meet Patrick Scott of Los Angeles. His weekend soundtrack is the minimalist work "In C" by Terry Riley.

Memories of Sputnik

Fifty years ago, a satellite the size of a beach ball was launched and began to orbit the earth. It was a feat of science, but the downside for the collective American consciousness was that the Soviet government accomplished the feat. We'll hear from people whose lives Sputnik changed. And we'll also listen to "The Deep Beep Beep: Short Plays Inspired by Sputnik," a performance in Colorado.

Putting a Price on a Song

This week, the band Radiohead announced they are selling their new release "In Rainbows" at any price. When it comes out on Tuesday, buyers will pay what they think the album is worth. We wondered how does one put a price on music? Sure, a song sells on the internet for 99 cents and an album at the record store is like $15. But sometimes there are those tracks worth more than retail value.

Prisoners and Art

This weekend, artists, writers, former prison inmates and prison administrators gathered for the Arts in Criminal Justice conference in Philadelphia. They've been talking about how art can reduce recidivism, and also how it can help facilitate something called "restorative justice." In Philadelphia, this has been happening through collaborative mural projects. And it's some of the most difficult public art to pull off, as reporter Peter Crimmins found out.

Writers in Myanmar

The University of Iowa International Writing Program encourages residents to write freely, workshop their pieces and speak at public functions. It's meant a lot to the 10 writers from Myanmar who've come over the years. They don't get any of those freedoms in their home country. Weekend America host Desiree Cooper speaks with Christopher Merrill, director of the program.

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 Yale literature professor Amy Hungerford; writer and comedian Dana Gould; and conceptual and performance artist damali ayo.

Yo-Yo Champion

Augie Fash will be sleeping, looping, going off-string and doing a bunch of other tricks with the yo-yo this weekend. Fash is competing in the National Yo-Yo Contest in Chico, Calif., and he has a pretty good shot at coming out on top. He speaks with Weekend America host Bill Radke.

Thinking of Fall

Debbie Samuels of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., grew up in Connecticut, where the leaves changing were a beloved event each year. Now that she's in Florida, the dramatic colors of New England are harder to come by. Unless of course someone sends them to you. We'll hear how Samuels gets the season sent to her in the mail.

Marching Bands in the Street

If you're in Boston this weekend, you might notice an up-tick in horns and drums mingling with traffic on the street. Alternative marching bands have descended on the city to play their brand of infectious marching music. This new breed of marching band looks nothing like your high school band. They use some of the same instrumentation, but they have a style all their own. We hear from one of the band leaders.

The Environment on the Border

This week, the immigration debate has spread to matters of the environment. The Sierra Club says a fence along the border will disrupt the animals and plants that live there. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff defended construction of a fence, saying it's actually better for the environment than all the trash that illegal border crossers leave behind. We hear from nature writer Craig Childs, about this harsh and beautiful landscape.