People & Life
People & Life on Weekend America
-
What Happens in the Middle of the Night
Here at Weekend America, we asked listeners what they do in the middle of the night when they're not sleeping. And lots of people took a break from their nocturnal activities to write us. One was an artist/telephone technician who got his best work - both musical and telephonic - done in the wee hours. Another was an emergency room doctor who described the late-night hours in the ER.
-
Weekend Soundtrack: "From the Bottom of My Heart" by The Wallflowers
It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack - the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. This week our story comes from Amy Hoffman. Her weekend soundtrack is the song "From the Bottom of My Heart" by The Wallflowers.
-
Illegal Soldiers
Immigrants turned out in record numbers to vote for President-elect Obama, but it's unclear whether he'll tackle comprehensive immigration reform as president. As a Senator, Obama supported the DREAM Act, which offered help to children who were brought illegally over the border. Daniela Gerson reports that the act could be a win-win for both immigrant youth and military recruiters.
-
Dr. Sofa
With foreclosures rising across the country, many people are moving into smaller homes. And sometimes people find they no longer have room for their favorite furniture. That's a particularly acute problem in New York City, where it can be literally impossible to move your stuff in. Dr Sofa provides a solution for these tight situations.
-
Walk Across America
Back in 2006, BJ Hill walked across Massachusetts collecting handwritten messages for the Governor in a notebook, which he handed over to Governor Deval Patrick personally. This year, BJ set out to do the same thing on a much larger scale. He's been traversing the country coast to coast collecting messages for the next President of the United States.
-
Saving Iraqi Interpreters
The US military has relied on Iraqi workers to help with everything from interpreting to rebuilding since the invasion in 2003. And many have been targeted for their loyalty to the Americans. Over 300 of these Iraqi workers have been killed by insurgents, and many thousands more have fled to neighboring countries. One soldier is trying to help his Iraqi colleagues.
-
Second Skeleton
Basketball season is starting for kids around the country. Parents can expect their kids to come home with scrapes, bruises, perhaps even the occasional sprained elbow or jammed finger. For one family, the consequences can be much more severe. Even the slightest injury to eight-year- old Justin Henke can inflame a dormant and destructive disease lurking within his genes.
-
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.
-
Letters: Weekend Soundtrack and Music Mashups
We open the Weekend America mailbag and hear listener reactions to our stories. Recently we heard from a mountain biker named Charles Wommack, who is recovering from a stroke. His story inspired Sara Benson to write in about her own recovery from an accident that happened on a bike. Also, we look into whether digital sampling is breaking the law or the inevitable future of music.
-
Listener's New Year's Resolutions
With the new year comes the annual opportunity to put yourself on the line. To set yourself up for improvement, dedication, empowerment. Or to set yourself up for frustration, futility, disappointment. Talking of course about the New Year's Resolution. An annual proclamation of the new you. Easy to declare on New Year's Eve, perhaps a bit trickier as the year wears on. We asked you, our listeners, what you resolved to do this year. Here's what you told us.
-
January Joiners
All right, so it's January, right? That means you're very likely to be in one of two groups: new member at the gym or old member at the gym who can't get on one of the elliptical machines at the gym because some new member is on it. Dang new members. The online slang compendium UrbanDictionary.com has a name for this phenomenon: "January Joining." It defines a "January Joiner" as someone who "joins the gym in January as part of a New Year's resolution and by February is back to being a couch potato."
-
Crazy for Time Capsules
There are thousands of time capsules buried by school children, civic leaders, colleges, and hospitals across the country every year in the United States. It's fueled by that indomitable optimism about the future we humans seem to have. We bury things and think future generations will find them - and care
