Weekend America

Senate Do-Over

Minnesota still lacks one U.S. Senator, but it's not the closest Senate race in history, at least not yet. That happened in New Hampshire in 1974. Republican Louis Wyman and Democrat John Durkin went through two recounts, and then the whole mess moved to Washington, DC for the spring and summer. We reached John Durkin at his home in Manchester for the rest of the story.

Fronteras Unlimited

In West Texas, along the Mexican border, an American woman named Cynta de Narvaez spends her Saturdays making an all-day trip - one that used to take just a few minutes. The Rio Grande once was an easy way to visit her neighbors in Mexican border towns. That changed after the September 11 attacks, when the US government closed the border.

Returning to God

This weekend thousands of people will crowd into Detroit's Most Holy Redeemer Church. The 128-year-old building was once home to the largest Catholic parish in North America. Today, more than 5,000 people attend the six weekend masses. But for 35-year-old Antonia Bunton, going to church there every Saturday is a special privilege.

Letters

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.

The Weekend Shift

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.

Pollution Smells Like Pumpkin Pie

The holidays are over. Maybe you've joined a gym, started a new, healthy diet. It's been a week since you touched that plate of stale holiday cookies. But for the salmon in Puget Sound, the feast is just beginning. And their diet has been getting much worse. From Seattle, Joshua McNichols explains.

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.

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.

Living Room Diplomacy

As fighting continues in Gaza, a grassroots effort called Living Room Dialogues tries to engage regular Jews and Palestinians living in the U.S. in conversations. Len Traubman started the dialogue group 16 years ago in San Mateo, California. One of the people he eventually invited to attend was Melek Nasr-Totah. She's a Palestinian-American whose father fled Palestine in 1948.

Good News, Bad News, No News

Good/Bad/No News: The Green Stimulus, Roland Burris, and Squirrel Eating

Time for our weekly parlor game to gauge the week's news. Our guests this week are Luke Burbank, host of the radio show "Too Beautiful To Live" in Seattle; Stacey Grenrock-Woods, a sex advice columnist for Esquire Magazine; and John Roderick, songwriter and guitarist for The Long Winters.

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.

Poetry Radio Project

Our First Inaugural Poet

A lot of people are going to watch Barack Obama being sworn in as the country's next president. They'll squeeze into D.C. by the millions for the ceremony, and more will be watching on TV, including poet Linda Pastan. She'll see the whole thing sitting on her couch, just like she did almost 50 years ago when she curled up to watch John F. Kennedy's Inauguration.

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.

Mortuary Band

Even in the best of times, it's hard to make it as a working musician. Gigs can be few and far between, and often either don't pay well, or don't pay at all. In San Francisco, Julie Caine met up with some of the best musicians in the city who pay their rent by scaring off ghosts.