Weekend America

Chicago Politics

Early Tuesday, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was led away in handcuffs by federal authorities, and he's now charged with a conspiracy to sell off the US Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Obama. We check in with Chicago Public Radio political reporter Ben Calhoun for a sense of how the scandal is affecting Chicago so soon after the glow of Obama's victory.

The Death of News?

In light of the Tribune bankruptcy and the massive loan the New York Times just leveraged on its own building, the future of daily journalism looks to be on life support. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Weekend America's Ben Adair debunks the top three myths of the media meltdown and tells us why reports of newspapers' demise have been severely exaggerated.

Dear Dad: A Christmas Card

We're getting into the thick of the holidays. Maybe you've already spent some time shopping for gifts. Maybe you've started receiving a few holiday letters or cards. Sometimes these letters are incredibly personal - and not always in the best way. Sometimes they even reveal family secrets long buried. Raluca Oncioiu, whose family is originally from Romania, received one such Christmas card.

Weekend Soundtrack

Weekend Soundtrack: "Tracy in the Bathroom Killing Thrills"

It's time to listen to your weekend soundtrack - the songs that bridge the gap from Friday to Monday. This week our story comes from Paula Pisani. Her weekend soundtrack is the song "Tracy in the Bathroom Killing Thrills" by the rock group Mary's Danish. She says it gives her an adrenaline rush to start the weekend.

Big Buck Hunting

This is the last weekend to go deer hunting in Wisconsin. Although hunting has been on the decline for the last decade in the rest of the country, it's been a fairly good year in Wisconsin for the sport. The economy's got everyone worried, and a deer or two can provide a lot of family meals. Deer hunting is something Sarah Lemanczyk knows well.

Songs for Celesta

"Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" from "The Nutcracker" and the other-worldly bell tones of the celesta have come to symbolize this time of year. But the celesta has to have a life beyond sugarplum fairies, right? Fred Child, host of Performance Today, stops by to suggest some alternate uses of the celesta.

Moving Into Miami's Foreclosed Homes

New numbers on foreclosure rates came out this week, and Florida has risen to the number two spot. One in every 173 homes there is now in foreclosure, and that rate is not looking to get better in the near future. That adds up to a lot of empty houses in Miami, a place where there are a lot of homeless families as well. One local activist has decided to match the two together.

America Forecloses, Japan Watches

Foreclosure tours are popping up in American cities as a way to showcase the inventory stacking up on the real estate market. There's one underway in Denver this weekend, and it's attracted some unusual interest. A Japanese television crew from NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is on board. They're filming what will be a New Year's special in Japan.

Good News, Bad News, No News

Blagojevich, Auto Bailouts and Leno

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 and writer Dana Gould; and Yale literature professor Amy Hungerford.

Conversations with America

Conversations with America: Annette Gordon-Reed

It's never easy being president, and these days the transition to that job is fraught as well. We're continuing our series Conversations with America, asking writers and thinkers to talk about transitions of their own, and what should be on the incoming president's mind. Annette Gordon-Reed is a historian who's written extensively about President Thomas Jefferson's relationship with his slave Sally Hemings.

Kosher Meets Capitalism

With the weekend comes Shabbat, or Shabbos: the Jewish day of rest. On Shabbat, Jewish law forbids certain, very specific kinds of "work." That means even very simple things day to day actions are forbidden - even turning the lights on and off. But in recent years, an industry has emerged which manages to merge modern convenience and this sacred time.

Poetry Radio Project

Cocktail Hour

Tis the season for holiday parties and the goodies that come along with them, like cocktails. It's time to see beyond the ingredients of your drink. Spout Press released a poetry anthology dedicated to cocktails titled "Lush." We asked poets Stephen Burt, Cindy King, and Sima Rabinowitz to share some insight about their cocktail of choice.

Inside Blackness

Inside Blackness: Black Santa

This weekend, you might be headed to the mall to see Santa. Some kids can't wait to get on Santa's knee. Others go to Santa kicking and screaming. For some people of color, the local mall's Santa can bring on a crisis of a different sort. As part of the series Inside Blackness, we hear about the complicated relationship some black families have with the traditional Santa Claus.