Weekend Edition Sunday : About
Airs Sundays at 8am on 93.9 FM and AM 820
When Weekend Edition Sunday debuted on Jan. 18, 1987, NPR's morning and evening newsmagazines were extended to seven days a week. Conceived as a cross between a Sunday newspaper and CBS'Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt, the program has featured interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians as well as news events including Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison and the capture of Saddam Hussein.
Susan Stamberg was the original host of the show. Liane Hansen replaced her in 1989. Her travels took her from the slums of Cairo to the iron mines of Michigan's Upper Penninsula; from the oyster beds on the bayou in Houma, La., to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park; and from the kitchens of Colonial Williamsburg, Va., to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Since September 2011, the show has been hosted by Audie Cornish.
Every week, nearly 3 million listeners tune in to hear a unique blend of news, features and our regularly scheduled puzzle segment with Will Shortz, the crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times and Weekend Edition's puzzlemaster.
Weekend Edition Sunday is heard on nearly 600 NPR stations across the U.S. and around the globe via NPR Worldwide. It is also a pioneer in using new technology and social media platforms to create a conversation between the audience and its staff that enriches the show every week.
http://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/
Show Staff
Latest Stories from Weekend Edition Sunday
Last updated: Saturday, May 18 2013 11:10 PM
First Female Fighter Pilot: 'Attention Wasn't What I Wanted'
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
In this week's Sunday Conversation, host Rachel Martin speaks with Col. Jeannie Leavitt, the Air Force's first female fighter pilot, about gender in the Air Force. Leavitt is also the first female fighter wing commander, and she has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Back From Brink Of Death, Corpsman Tackles 'Warrior Games'
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
Three years ago, Navy corpsman Angelo Anderson was shot in his arm and leg in Afghanistan and he thought he was going to die. Sunday, he's competing at the fourth-annual Warrior Games in Colorado, along with more than 200 wounded service members. Eric Whitney of Colorado Public radio has this profile of Anderson, who credits the paralympic-style competition with restoring him physically and mentally.
Rhino Horns Fuel Deadly, Intercontinental Trade
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
NPR's Frank Langfitt and Gregory Warner have teamed up for a series about how myth and money are driving extraordinary slaughter of rhinos. They talk with host Rachel Martin about the issue, which has repercussions from the African continent all the way to Asia.
Gender Neutral: Armed Forces Submit Plans To End 'Exclusion'
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
This week, all divisions of the U.S. armed forces are supposed to submit their plans for ending "combat exclusion," the rule that says women cannot serve in most combat positions. Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Larry Abramson about the implications of the change.
Even In Basketball, Short Players Can Have Advantage
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Mike Pesca about the role of height in the NBA.
'More Than A Count,' Infant Mortality Is Societal Struggle
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
Infant mortality is an important indicator of the health of a nation, and decades-long efforts to improve birth outcomes are finally having an impact. Host Rachel Martin speaks with experts in the medical field who are working to promote healthy pregnancies and reduce infant mortality.
Chasing A Dream, Speeding Down 'The Emerald Mile'
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
Host Rachel Martin talks to writer Kevin Fedarko about his new book, The Emerald Mile, which tells the harrowing story of three men who ride the flooded Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
For Graduation, UMass Dartmouth Hopes To Convey 'Real Story'
Sunday, May 12 2013 12:00 PM
It's been an unusual semester at the Dartmouth campus of the University of Massachusetts. Accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a student at the school, and three of his friends were also arrested on charges related to the bombing. Anne Mostue of WGBH reports the school and its students are trying to move beyond the bombing as they celebrate commencement this weekend.
Early Results In Pakistan Point To Ex-Premier
Sunday, May 12 2013 10:55 AM
Partial, unofficial election results in Pakistan show former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party as the clear victor. Defying militant threats millions of voters turned out and sent the incumbent Pakistan People's Party packing after five years of rule marked by corruption allegations and a failing economy. Host Rachel Martin gets more on the election from NPR's Julie McCarthy in Lahore.
This One Is For You, Ma
Sunday, May 12 2013 09:34 AM
You are given two words starting with M-A. The answer is a third word that can follow the first one and precede the second one, in each case to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.
Bombing Suspect's Lawyer A Quiet Defender Of The Notorious
Sunday, May 12 2013 09:34 AM
Defense attorney Judy Clarke routinely faces an enraged public, top-notch prosecutors and difficult, often disturbed clients. Now, she is soon to face those things again with another high-profile client, alleged Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
He Didn't Just Call His Mother, He Made Her A Star
Sunday, May 12 2013 09:34 AM
Filmmaker Josh Seftel thought starting a Web series with his mom could bring them closer together. Amazingly, it did. In My Mom on Movies, they take on the big topics in the entertainment and pop culture world.
C-Sections Deliver Cachet For Wealthy Brazilian Women
Sunday, May 12 2013 09:34 AM
Brazil's economic boom has driven the demand for births by caesarean section. Some 80 to 90 percent of women in private hospitals deliver this way. Proponents say it allows mothers and doctors to better organize their time. Critics say the procedure drives up costs and may cause complications.
A 'Cooked Seed' Sprouts After All, In America
Sunday, May 12 2013 09:34 AM
Anchee Min's new book, The Cooked Seed, picks up 20 years after the end of her bestselling memoir Red Azalea, as Min arrives in America with little money and no English. After persecution in China, Min describes art school in America as "a strange environment, very surreal."
For Amy Grant, Beauty And Tragedy Give Way To 'Mercy'
Sunday, May 12 2013 09:34 AM
The singer, whose name is synonymous with contemporary Christian pop, is releasing her first studio album in 10 years. The new album begins with a flood, a funeral, a casualty of war and a family wedding.
About Weekend Edition Sunday
When Weekend Edition Sunday debuted on Jan. 18, 1987, NPR's morning and evening newsmagazines were extended to seven days a week. Conceived as a cross between a Sunday newspaper and CBS'Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt, the program has featured interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians as well as news events including Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison and the capture of Saddam Hussein.
Hosted by Audie Cornish