Weekend America

Sober Up and Fly Right

Sure, legal prohibition against alcohol might have official ended 75 years ago, but not everyone has given up the fight. The Prohibition Party has a split ticket this year between an actual dead man, and a man (alive) who says the return of prohibition could be the cure for society's ills.

Dry Town Goes Wet

Prohibition might have ended in 1933, but with more than 500 "dry" municipalities dotting the country - especially across the South - the spirit of Prohibition is alive and well. But that might be changing.

Bill's Values

Media & Mindless Consumerism

In this latest installment of his series, "Bill's Values", Bill Radke speaks to writer Susan Linn and film critic Richard Schickel about aggressive marketing that targets children and can inhibit their natural tendencies for make-believe.

Weekend Soundtrack

"Flume"

"Bon Iver is a weekend soundtrack for me during the monsoon season in Arizona. His music is really gentle, which reflects the environment that we experience during that rainy season."

Sounds of Mass Transit

As gas prices rise, more and more Americans are leaving their cars in the garage and running to catch mass transit. We explore the unique sounds of buses, subways and trains in five U.S. cities.

Poetry Radio Project

Scarred for Life

Karen Williams had the chicken pox when she was seven years old. The case wasn't severe, but her body was left covered with unusual scars, called keloids, that often form on African-American skin. These days, Karen doesn't pay much heed to her scars, but other people do.

Listening In

Focus Music for Power Lifting

More than 200 US athletes with disabilities will compete in sports like seated volleyball and blind judo in Beijing's 2008 Paralympic Games this September. Among them will be power lifter Mary Stack. In this installment of Weekend America's "Listening In" series, we find out what Stack listens to when preparing to lift.

Victims Visiting Prison

Everyone knows it's not easy to forgive someone and move on, especially if the offense was criminal. A program in Northern California helps people who have been the victim of a crime find forgiveness through dialogue. And who they talk to is kind of surprising.

Spotting a Liar

There are a lot of popular conceptions about how to spot a liar: are they talking too fast; do they avert their eyes; did their hand go up to their mouth? How accurate are these popular ideas?

Good News, Bad News, No News

BFF: Paris, Britney, Barack

John McCain aired a TV ad comparing Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. ("He's the biggest celebrity in the world, but is he ready to lead?") Is this campaign tactic Good News, Bad News or No News?

Gigs by Canoe

Summer is a time for music, but what happens when your musician can't afford to get to you? Christopher Bell has remedied the rising cost of gas by deciding to canoe to his shows. He's in week two of his six-week tour down the Erie Canal. He hopes to make it to Manhattan by the end of the tour.

Me, My Family, and a Minivan

When Tamara Keith was 15, her parents drove her and her brother Donovan thousands of miles through 32 states on a quest to discover America. At the time, Tamara was a columnist for the local newspaper in the small California farm town where they lived.

Tales from the Backyard Pool

As summer comes to a close, so will most public pools. For most, endless days spent swimming will end, but for the lucky ones with a pool in their backyard, the fun never stops. Dale Braiman of Haines City, Fla., tells us about the first time he took advantage of a privilege that only pool owners can enjoy. And Jane Bratton of Highland Heights, Ky., talks to us about what a backyard pool from her childhood still means to her.

Medicinal Music

Having trouble sleeping? Some doctors are experimenting with a remedy that uses music personalized to your own brain waves that reportedly relaxes you into slumber. Weekend America's Jim Gates speaks with a patient who uses, and the doctors who prescribe and design a new treatment called Brain Music Therapy, or BMT.