Saturday mornings are made for Weekend Edition Saturday, the program wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.
Drawing on his experience in covering 10 wars and stories in all 50 states and seven continents, Simon brings a humorous, sophisticated and often moving perspective to each show. He is as comfortable having a conversation with a major world leader as he is talking with a Hollywood celebrity or the guy next door.
Weekend Edition Saturday has a unique and entertaining roster of other regular contributors. Marin Alsop, conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, talks about music. Daniel Pinkwater, one of the biggest names in children's literature, talks about and reads stories with Simon. Financial journalist Joe Nocera follows the economy. Howard Bryant of EPSN.com and NPR's Tom Goldman chime in on sports. Keith Devlin, of Stanford University, unravels the mystery of math, and Will Grozier, a London cabbie, talks about good books that have just been released, and what well-read people leave in the back of his taxi. Simon contributes his own award-winning essays, which are sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant.
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There was a lot of pomp on President Trump's Middle East trip, but not much talk about the biggest diplomatic challenge in the region — the war in Gaza.
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A survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on a music festival is representing Israel at the Eurovision song competition as critics decry Israel's actions in Gaza.
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NPR's Scott Simon speaks to George Eaton of New Statesman magazine about the populist, right-wing party Reform UK which is reshaping British politics.
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France's crypto millionaires are increasingly the targets of violent criminals.
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NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Christopher Moore, who brings Gustav Klimt, Sigmund Freud, an undead woman, and a host of other unlikely characters together in his latest book, "Anima Rising."
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NPR's Scott Simon asks Robert Guenther of the Florida Tomato Exchange about new efforts to limit the import of Mexican tomatoes to the U.S.
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It's been nearly two months since President Trump silenced Voice of America. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Jay Sophalkalyan, who says the broadcasts were a lifeline when he was growing up in Cambodia.
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NPR's Scott Simon asks Eurasia Group's Firas Maksad about President Trump's visit to the Middle East and his administration's shifting priorities in the region.
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NPR's Scott Simon asks Howard Bryant of Meadowloark Media about the NBA and NHL playoffs and the new WNBA season.
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Severe storms and tornadose tore through several states overnight Friday. In London, Ky., the mayor says over 20 people died.