Weekend America

All's Fair in Campaigning and Politics

Political consultant Rod Shealy is a S.C. native who has seen and caused his fair share of political drama. He is usually very busy around this time, but as Republicans cast their vote in the 2008 S.C. primary, he'll just sit back and watch. He's not working for any presidential candidates this time around. Guest host John Moe talks with Shealy about his state's reputation for mudslinging during election time.

Election 2008

Nevada Caucuses for the West

Nevada has moved its caucus up earlier than its ever been in hopes that it will force presidential hopefuls to pay attention to issues that matter to the West. Host Bill Radke speaks with Larry Swanson, director of the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West about what the Nevada's new position on the 2008 election season calendar means.

Immigration: One Thing

One Thing: A Chat With the Producers

Producers Ann Hepermann and Kara Oehler found so many compelling stories of refugees and the special thing they brought with them, that they couldn't fit them all into the One Thing Series. They share some of stories and special moments with host Bill Radke.

Giving Up Cell Phones and Cocaine

Last week listeners thought we talked too light- heartedly about addiction. But they were pleased that we explored the idea of trashing the cell phone.

Lynchings in the Old West

Recently, a California photographer named Ken Gonzales-Day came face to face with the little-known history of lynching in the American West. He photographs trees in California where violent lynchings took place, often of Latinos, in the time of vigilante justice.

The Truth About Jena

After racial tensions came to a head in the small town of Jena, La., Atlantic Monthly contributor Amy Waldman found that there was more to the racial conflict than most of the media coverage reflected.

Listening In

An Architect's Morning Music

Before architect Daniel Libeskind sets to work designing buildings, like the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Freedom Tower at Ground Zero, he listens to music. It's a morning ritual. Producer Gideon D'Arcangelo lets us listens in with Libeskind.

Reversing a Reputation

For years, the small town of Howell, Mich., has been trying to live down its reputation as a hotbed for the Ku Klux Klan. Weekend America's Desiree Cooper visited Howell for an update on their progress.

Jane Has a Dream

After Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, elementary school teacher Jane Elliott changed her lesson plan, dramatically. She divided up her all-white students by eye-color and then discriminated against one group, in order to teach them about racial injustice. The experiment had a huge impact.

Good News, Bad News, No News

Unemployment, Life Skills and Cloned Food

Food from cloned animals, ditching physical education in school for teaching life skills, and no more clowns in hospital decor. Is all this good news, bad news or no news?

Weekend Soundtrack

Midnight in a Perfect World

Weekend America listener Jesse Lugus loves relaxing to DJ Shadow's "Midnight in A Perfect World."

Change of Seasons

Seeing Snowflakes

Kenneth Libbrecht photographs snowflakes. To do so, he holds out a piece of cardboard, captures the fleeting flake and photographs it using a custom-built microscope. The photographs capture the beauty that falls to earth, mostly unnoticed.

How To Tell A Joke

Whatever happened to jokes? Not just saying something funny, but a real joke with a set up and punchline. Guest host John Moe asks Chris Cashman of Seattle, the recent winner of a joke-telling contest.

To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever

Will Blythe is the author of the sports memoir, "To Hate Like This Is to Be Happy Forever: A Thoroughly Obsessive, Intermittently Uplifting and Occasionally Unbiased Account of the Duke-North Carolina Basketball Rivalry." The title pretty much says it all. We hear an excerpt.