Weekend America

Obama and Chicago

On Tuesday night in Chicago, nearly a quarter million people filled Grant Park to celebrate the election of Barack Obama. They laughed, they cried, the danced, and they stayed up all night partying like it was the weekend. Now that it actually is the weekend, we wondered if the party was still going. To find out, we got Ben Calhoun on the line. He's the political reporter for Chicago Public Radio.

Alaskan Politics

We still don't know the result of Alaska's senate or congressional race. But as it stands now, Senator Ted Stevens is hanging on by a thread despite his recent conviction in federal court. If he wins, he'll be the first convicted felon to serve in the Senate. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is back home after a failed bid for the vice presidency. These are interesting political times in the Last Frontier State.

Prop 8 Revisited

This week, the buzzword was "hope" for many voters around the country. But not for gay and lesbian couples in California, where the electorate passed ballot Proposition 8 - a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Three lawsuits have already been filed to overturn the ban. While the presidential campaign is finally over, the fight over the definition of marriage still has a long way to go.

Letters: Loser Candy, Religious Guilt and Scary Movies

We open the Weekend America mailbag and hear your responses to recent stories, including a defense of "loser" Halloween treats and questions about religious guilt and P-O-R-N. Finally, we speak with Dr. Joanne Cantor, a former professor of Communication Arts, about the neurological reasons why scary movie memories stay with us forever.

America's Infrastructure

America's Infrastructure: Jordan Bridge

This weekend, the Jordan Bridge in Chesapeake, Va. will close permanently. It's the oldest drawbridge in Virginia and a shortcut for many residents to and from the shipyards. Many small bridges around the country are closing permanently, giving Americans rough commutes and forcing them to spend more time and money to get to their jobs.

Post-Election Mix Tape

The polls closed and a new president was elected. At the precise instant when your candidate won or lost, what was going through your head? Emotions ran high from every side of the political spectrum, and sometimes those emotions are best expressed through song. We reached out to some friends of the show to find out what songs best describe their post-election mood. We put them together for a post-election mixtape.

Legions Versus Ultras

This weekend at the Home Depot Center near Los Angeles, there will be some very passionate soccer fans on hand to watch team Chivas USA take on Real Salt Lake in the Major League Soccer playoffs. Most Chivas fans are Mexican-American, but the team has struggled to find its identity in the United States. It even has two rival fan clubs. Weekend America's Charlie Schroeder explains.

This Election Year

To have closely followed the 2008 campaign that culminated in the election of Barack Obama is to have read a million articles. But now that it's the weekend, let's look at the proceedings from a bird's eye view: How did we get here and what does it mean? To help answer those very daunting questions, host John Moe is joined by author David Rakoff. We also check in with Claire Petersky, a former college classmate of Obama's at Occidental College.

Obama's Win, Palin's Blunders, and a New Chief of Staff

Our panel of non-experts weigh in on this week's news events in a parlor game to gauge what kind of week America had. Joining us on this week's panel are: Nancy French, author of "A Red State of Mind"; comedian Dana Gould; and John Ridley, editor in chief of www.ThatMinorityThing.com.

Duck Soup

The classic Marx Brothers' film Duck Soup -- a movie devoid of ducks and soup - is 75 years old this month. Weekend America producer Ochen Kaylan didn't know much about the film or the man at the center of it, so he chatted with someone who does.

Statements By Buildings

The Supreme Court is in session. Next week, the justices will hear from a religious group that wants to put their "Seven Aphorisms" next to the Ten Commandments in a public square in Utah. The group says the government can't pick and choose religions to sanctify, and that monuments are "government speech." We got to thinking about all the things monuments have to say around the country.

The Weekend Shift

What Your Mailman Knows About You

For most people, checking the mailbox is an anonymous interaction. But your postage worker might actually feel quite connected to you. Because although you may have no idea what he or she looks like, they've probably got a picture of you in their head based on what's going in your mailbox. And as Kate Hinds found out in conversation with her mailman, the picture might be surprisingly accurate.

The A-11 Offense

Two frustrated coaches at Piedmont High School in Northern California were brainstorming ideas to keep their small team competitive. What they devised was a crazy new offensive strategy called the A-11 that took advantage of the "scrimmage kick" formation. If you have no idea what that is, you're not alone, but the A-11 strategy worked and the Piedmont Highlanders began winning. Is it the future of football?