Weekend America

From Refugee Camp to Austin Apartment

For our continuing series "First Weekend Home," reporter Tori Marlan brings the story of a family of refugees from Myanmar (formerly Burma) spending their first weekend in a place they hope will one day feel like home: Austin, Texas. But just getting used to common things -- light switches, supermarkets and beds -- is a challenge.

Dubious Honor for a Departing Bush

In San Francisco this weekend, a group of activists will be gathering signatures for a special ballot initiative to rename a sewage treatment plant after George W. Bush. They've gotten enough signatures to put the initiative on the bill and if it passes, the official re-naming ceremony will take place on Inauguration Day.

Bill's Values

You Can't be Happy All the Time

Weekend America co-host Bill Radke's daughter Susanna turns 17 months old this weekend, and he's questioning his own need to see her smile all the time. Sometimes a little sadness and anguish can be good for the soul -- as long as that dark guest in your head knows when to leave...

Weekend Soundtrack

Santana's "Aquamarine"

James "Dewey" Dewhurst is a former National Guardsman from Louisiana. He is now a private contractor stationed in Afghanistan, working 11 miles from the Pakistani border. Dewhurst's Weekend Soundtrack is "Aquamarine" by Carlos Santana, which he found while on R-and-R leave in Negril, Jamaica.

A Native American Take on Independence

This weekend, we celebrate our nation's 232nd birthday. But it's not a celebration for everybody, especially for many of the Indian tribes who lived here long before the Founding Fathers got here. So how is the Fourth of July handled on sovereign Indian lands? Weekend America's Krissy Clark spoke with some tribal members to find out.

The Weekend Shift

The Squirrelman's Rolling Home

David Csaky is unemployed and homeless. He works odd jobs, sometimes during the week, sometimes on the weekend... whenever he can get it. This weekend, David is caring for rescued animals at a ranch in Washington state. Jenny Asarnow brings us his story.

This Weekend in 1968: At War on the Fourth of July

People nationwide will celebrate our nation's independence this weekend. There will also be hundreds of thousands of U.S. servicemen and women hunkered down in Afghanistan and Iraq. Two veterans of two different wars discuss their experiences serving under fire and then and returning home from an unpopular war.

Good News, Bad News, No News

DINKs vs. Breeders

Our panel of non-experts tackle the top issues of the past week: John Ridley, author of the "Visible Man" blog at NPR.org; Yale University professor Amy Hungerford; and Jesse Thorn, host of public radio's "The Sound of Young America."

Letters

Letters: Kites, Narcs Gone Bad

We love letters from our lovely listeners. Some of you praised us, others chastised us for the stories we broadcast. At least one story - on the "Turncoat Narc" - inspired a spirited debate amongst listeners. If something we broadcast touched you, angered you, saddened or inspired you, let us know. You can read more listener responses here.

Our Very Own Sea Monster

There's a farmer's market today in Lake City, Minn., on the shores of Lake Pepin, a popular getaway spot for folks from Wisconsin and Minnesota. People will buy produce, socialize, hang out... Some might be staring really hard at the water, looking for a ripple, maybe a fin, perhaps a monstrous slimy head.

Japanese-American 'No No Boys'

During World War II, Japanese Americans put into internment camps were given a questionnaire. How they answered those questions would determine their quality of life behind the fences -- and the answers to two questions in particular about military service changed the lives of the so-called "No No Boys."

Three-Day Weekend: The Code Hunters

Another three-day weekend is upon us. Time to revisit our three day weekend series of stories about what we all do with one more day in our weekends. For the past decade, Francis Heaney and Dan Katz have spent the MLK weekend at MIT every year. They go to compete in the MIT Mystery Hunt, which recently celebrated its 29th anniversary. Weekend America's Charlie Schroeder recently talked with them about why they return to play the hunt year after year.