Eric Jay Dolin discusses America’s first encounters with China in the 18th century...and what those encounters on the high seas can tell us about the relationship between the two super powers today. Historian Sönke Neitzel looks into the mindset of German soldiers during World War II. Andy Borowitz offers his take on the presidential election and the vice presidential debate. Plus, Hal Needham joins us for our Please Explain segment—it’s all about stuntmen!

It is the fundamental issue of our time: Energy; where we get it; how we use it; what happens then. It powers our homes and our economy; it creates troubled alliances and disturbing divisions; it empowers and impoverishes; it enables almost all that we do and now threatens all that ...

Each week, nearly 4 million listeners tune in to Weekend Edition Saturday for two hours of news, features and entertainment anchored by Scott Simon, NPR's Peabody Award-winning host and correspondent.

The NPR News Quiz, a fast-paced, fresh and funny look at current affairs and the week's events.

A handheld camera for radio, This American Life takes an intimate look at the drama of the Everyman. Veteran producer Ira Glass shoots from the hip, exploring the lives of oddballs, antiheroes, and just plain folks who quietly fade into our homogenous national landscape. The program shares stories of life and love through monologues, documentaries, short radio plays, "found recordings," and original works for radio, giving you plenty of reasons to linger around the house.

What if horror film characters ran personal ads on dating sites, and musicians wrote songs like "Wake Up, Little Herman"? Our puzzle gurus imagine such a world, while our Mystery Guest, a 21st-century political darling, tells us what makes America sexy, and shows us that the good life is but a tweet away.

Reporters scour the globe for the most direct and compelling information, from the spread of AIDS in India to the inexplicable fluctuations of the Brazilian economy.

An eclectic mix of American Popular Standards, classical, rock and roll, jazz and "good talk" with host Jonathan Schwartz.