About the Program

Weekend Edition Sunday with Liane Hansen on Sunday mornings brings news, analysis and features from Daniel Schorr and puzzle master Will Shortz.

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Japan Wants U.S. To Move Out; Can They Still Be Friends?
This week, President Obama is scheduled to begin a 10-day tour of Asia. He is expected to visit Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea. A variety of topics will be on the agenda, including trade relations, North Korea's nuclear ambitions and climate change. When the president visits Japan, he'll have several issues in mind, including a dispute over U.S. military bases in that country. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki about U.S.-Japan relations. (11/08/2009)

House Health Care Vote Makes History
The House of Representatives passed a bill to overhaul the nation's health care system Saturday night. The vote was close, 220-215, and it only included a single Republican. To pass the bill, Democrats also had to allow a controversial amendment banning abortion funding in both public and private plans in the new marketplaces the bill would create. But as NPR's Julie Rovner reports, passage represents a major hurdle cleared for President Obama's top domestic priority. (11/08/2009)

Mixed Race Americans Picture A 'Blended Nation'
The 2000 U.S. census was the first to give Americans the option to check more than one box for race. Nearly 7 million people declared themselves to be multiracial, a number that's expected to shoot up in the 2010 count. As more of the nation's population identifies itself as being of mixed race, the authors of a new book say Americans' ideas of racial identity are in for a challenge. (11/08/2009)

Serial Murderer's Grisly Home Haunts Cleveland Community
Authorities in Cleveland, Ohio, are working to identify the remaining bodies discovered inside and around the home of 50-year-old convicted sex offender Anthony Sowell. The bodies of 11 victims have been recovered from his property; most appear to have been strangled to death. Host Liane Hansen speaks with <em>Cleveland Plain Dealer</em> columnist Phillip Morris about the case and its impact on the community. (11/08/2009)

New Music From Long-Dead People
In 'What's in a Song,' our occasional series from the Western Folklife Center, we learn of one man's quest to channel the music of the Aztecs and Mayans through new compositions that combine inspiration with scholarly research. (11/08/2009)

New Ocean May Be Forming In The Desert
Scientists studying a crevasse in the Ethiopian desert say we may be witnessing the birth of a future ocean. In 2005, a 35-mile-long rift broke open as two parts of the African continent separated. Researchers from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans. They say it is likely the beginning of a new sea. Host Liane Hansen talks with Professor Cynthia Ebinger of the University of Rochester about the event. (11/08/2009)

Narrow Health Care Vote Portends Battle Ahead
Late last night, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 220 to 215 in favor of the health care bill President Obama calls the centerpiece of his agenda. The vote was close and conservative Democrats joined all but one Republican in voting no. The vote capped an unusual Saturday session in which the president went to Capitol Hill to press for passage of the bill. For analysis, host Liane Hansen turns to NPR Senior Washington Editor Ron Elving. (11/08/2009)

It's Been A Happy 20 Years Of Hosting 'Weekend Edition'
It's host Liane Hansen's 20th anniversary of hosting <em>Weekend Edition Saturday</em>, and we've got a surprise for her. (11/08/2009)

Your Letters: Governor's Island; Minority Achievement Gap
Host Liane Hansen shares listener responses to last week's show, including comments about a maritime school on Governor's Island and about a report on the minority achievement gap in schools. (11/08/2009)

Atlanta's Mayoral Runoff Race Is A Sprint
In Atlanta, the runoff to choose the city's next mayor has begun. City Councilwoman Mary Norwood was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's primary election and she's running against former state senator Kasim Reed. Both candidates have spent the past few days trying to raise money and rally their supporters. But they don't have much time; the election is only three weeks away. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports. (11/08/2009)

The Ex-Presidents Club 20 Years Later
On host Liane Hansen's first show 20 years ago, she and now-Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr chatted about the former presidents. At the time, the first President Bush was in the White House and four previous presidents were still living. Schorr rejoins Hansen for an update on today's former presidents. (11/08/2009)

A Juvenile Life Without Parole
Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether sentencing a juvenile to life in prison without parole is unconstitutional because it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Nationally, there are more than 2,500 people serving life sentences for crimes committed when they were teenagers. Nancy Mullane brings us this profile of one woman, a Hispanic mother serving life without parole in a northern California prison. (11/08/2009)

Twenty Years Of Sundays With You
Even after 20 years, host Liane Hansen says she's still not used to getting up early on a Sunday, but knowing you're there makes it all worthwhile. Hansen reflects on 20 years as host of NPR's <em>Weekend Edition Sunday</em>. (11/08/2009)

Questions Remain As Fort Hood Recovers
The military town of Killeen, Texas, is still in mourning days after Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Hasan opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, killing 13 and wounding 30 others. Soldiers and civilians alike are still searching for answers about the suspected killer and his possible motives. NPR's John Burnett reports on the aftermath of last week's attack at Fort Hood in Texas. (11/08/2009)

Categories Fit For 'Radio'
To mark Liane Hansen's 20th anniversary hosting <em>Weekend Edition Sunday</em>, this puzzle is a game of categories using the word "radio." Will Shortz names the categories, and the guest names something in the categories beginning with each of the letters in "radio." (11/07/2009)

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DATE	TIME	SERVICE	STATION
SUN	7:00 am	News	Find a station

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