Weekend America Voices
Marc Sanchez
Recent Stories
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Spending the Stimulus Money
This week, the Obama administration's stimulus package passed the House. The Senate votes next. For some state agencies, you'd think it might be a challenge divvying up the funds. But Malcolm Wolf doesn't think it will be too difficult. He's the director of the Maryland Energy Administration, and we spoke to him about how the money will be spent in his state.
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Presidential Transparency
Transparency is a key issue in President Obama's new administration. The executive branch wants to shake government free from the veil of secrecy that cloaked the previous administration. And if you happened to be watching the official White House website this past Tuesday, you might have seen transparency in action. Whitehouse.gov has undergone a major overhaul.
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The Weekend Shift: Police Officer
Mark Lundquist laughs at the snow and subzero temperatures of St. Paul, Minn. If that was all he had to worry about, he could do his job blindfolded. Lundquist is a police officer. So putting up with a little snow, or even a lot of snow, is nothing compared to trying catch a crook. Weekend America Producer Marc Sanchez has our story.
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Walking to Alaska: Is it Really Over?
We've spent over a year on the trail of Erin McKittrick and Bretwood "Hig" Higman. The couple started walking from Seattle to Alaska in June of 2007, and we've been checking in on their progress. Last time we caught up with them, the couple had ended up in Seldovia, Alaska. We invited them onto the show for one last hurrah and to look back at what their trek has taught them.
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Donation Day
We're taking a look at stories that have stayed with us through the year. One of our producers, Marc Sanchez, received a FedEx package in early spring, and soon as he read the return address, he knew that they had found him. "They" are the National Marrow Donation Program. And Marc was going to have to face something he didn't even know he'd been avoiding.
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Economy Down, Environment Up
President-Elect Obama announced his picks for the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency administration this week. He has also been touting a plan that will jump start the economy through green jobs. We spoke about one of the recessions' few bright spots with the president and founder of the Earth Policy Institute, Lester Brown.
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Songs for Celesta
"Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" from "The Nutcracker" and the other-worldly bell tones of the celesta have come to symbolize this time of year. But the celesta has to have a life beyond sugarplum fairies, right? Fred Child, host of Performance Today, stops by to suggest some alternate uses of the celesta.
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Change of Seasons: Poetry and Curling
Is there a chill in the air yet, in your neck of the woods? Our nose hairs haven't frozen yet, but we're sure that treat is just around the corner. Which can only mean one thing: winter! You still have a couple weeks until the official beginning (December 21st, to be exact) but here's a little primer for the season.
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Vegetarians Falling Off the Wagon
Weekend America asked a delicate question of listeners recently -- and yes, it turns out there are more than a few ex-vegetarians who lapsed during the holidays. We hear their stories.
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Post-Election Mix Tape
The polls closed and a new president was elected. At the precise instant when your candidate won or lost, what was going through your head? Emotions ran high from every side of the political spectrum, and sometimes those emotions are best expressed through song. We reached out to some friends of the show to find out what songs best describe their post-election mood. We put them together for a post-election mixtape.
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The Great Halloween Candy Fiasco
Trick or treating is over, and you might have a giant mound of candy to get rid of. A couple weeks ago, we asked you for suggestions on what to do with your Halloween leftovers. A number of you wrote back, but one idea in particular stood out. It came from the budding entrepreneurial mind of Johnny Vince Evans. The plan he hatched in junior high was perfect. Until it went horribly awry.
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Cooking with Loser Candy
Maybe you've got that bowl, that plastic pumpkin, that pillowcase of sweets. What do you do with the good stuff? Easy. Eat it. But what about the loser candy? You know, Smarties, Tootsie Rolls, generic suckers from the drug store. Eating that stuff just plain tastes like defeat. Don't worry, we're here to help. Lynne Rosetto Kasper offers us tips on cooking with loser candy.
