Weekend America

Civil Rights Cold Cases

The F.B.I. and the Justice Department recently announced they are reopening unsolved cases from the civil rights era. In 1989, the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., built a memorial to those who lost their lives during the Civil Rights Movement and in the process helped spark a renewed interest in their cases. Weekend America guest host Tess Vigeland speaks with Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, about the monument and some of the people who lost their lives fighting for equal rights.

Taking the Rap

The jury in the perjury trial of former Vice Presidential Aide I. Lewis Libby is deliberating this weekend. They are to decide if Libby lied in his testimony about the identity of then undercover C.I.A. agent Valerie Plame Wilson. Weekend America's John Moe helps us understand the details of the Libby case, by comparing it to another high profile perjury trial.

Sister Corita

When you think about pop art and counter culture, in all likelihood, you don't immediately think of a convent in Los Angeles in the 1960s. Sister Corita Kent was a nun at the Immaculate Heart Convent in Los Angeles, as well as a teacher in the art department at the Immaculate Heart College. She was also an artist whose screen prints garnered world-wide attention. At one point she was on the cover of Newsweek. But she was also criticized by conservative Catholics, including the archbishop of the Los Angeles archdiocese. Sister Corita Kent left the convent at the height of her fame but continued to live a fascinating life. Weekend America host Bill Radke visits the Corita Art Center in Los Angeles to learn more about her life and see some of her work.

The Simple Life

Imagine living without your computer, cell phone, and all those fancy appliances you bought in the last year. Christina Wall doesn't have to imagine because that's how she's been living for the past month. Wall recently decided to live without technology invented after 1949. Weekend America guest host Tess Vigeland talks with Christina Wall about her experience living with pre-1950 technology, and about making the leap back to 2007.

Year of the Boar

For some, celebrating the New Year isn't a one day affair — it's a cultural journey. The Chinese New Year started on February 18, and this Monday the celebration comes to a close. Independent producer Charlie Schroeder and his wife, Wendy Mok, have been keeping a diary of their Chinese New Year experience, as they try their best to stick to tradition at their home in Los Angeles. But sometimes being traditional is harder than it looks.

Listener Mail

Weekend America listeners have been writing in, sharing their thoughts about last week's stories. Bill Radke and Tess Vigeland share what the listeners have to say about same-sex unions, the Anglican Church and a controversial word in a children's book.

Whose Country?

The face of country music is diversifying and the music industry is taking notice. In South Florida, there's a growing group of Latinos that have taken a liking to American country music. What is it that attracts this new group of listeners? Is it the lyrics? The music? Independent producer Lyn Millner explores this growing group of new fans in the world of country music.

Left Behind

It's test time in America. In the weeks ahead, students across America will be filling in bubbles to find out which of them, exactly, are "being left behind." Congress is currently debating the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, a law that mandates standardized testing and sanctions schools with inadequate test results. Although some states are resisting this law, Texas has embraced it. This year five Texas schools face closure if their students don't succeed. Independent reporter Michael May heads to Austin, Texas to speak with students and teachers about the their situation.

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. Weighing in are writers John Ridley, Nancy French, and Henry Alford.

Lunar Muse

This weekend, people around the world will witness an intergalactic phenomenon: the lunar eclipse. For centuries the disappearance of the moon has inspired artists. Weekend America listens in on the effect that a celestial muse has had on writers.

Pond Memories

Winter has been starting later and later in the Northeast. While this makes being outside more pleasant, it also means less snow and ice. Weekend America's Hillary Frank used to look forward to the cold when she was a kid. She'd pray for freezing temperatures so that she could skate on the 11-acre pond across the street from her house in Westport, Conn. A few weeks ago, Frank heard that the pond froze for the first time all winter, so she took a trip back home, in hopes of skating again.

Open Letters to Entities Unlikely to Respond

Open Letter to Host Family

Studying abroad is a way to learn about a new culture and meet new people. And of course, you can write to those back home about your adventures. Amy O'Leary ended up writing a letter, after her study abroad experience, to her host family.

Children of Metal

A lot of kids grow up listening to pop music like Kelly Clarkson, the Killers, and Beyoncé. But in John Moe's home, the tunes you'll hear are heavy — heavy metal. His kids have found an affinity for bands like Wolfmother and Iron Maiden. John explores his family's musical taste for head-banging rock and tries to answer a question: should he be supportive of his children's appetite for metal?