Weekend Edition Saturday

Populist British MP Nigel Farage resigned from Parliament over questions about his finances, and is running for re-election in his constituency. His biggest rival? Count Binface.

The nation's oldest continuously operated weather observatory in Milton, Massachusetts, keeps track of a surprising climate indicator: the date the first blueberry ripens.

President Trump refused to sign a housing bill, now law, in protest over Congress not passing new restrictions on voting.

NPR's Scott Simon asks Republican strategist Liam Donovan about his party's approach to November's Senate races.

NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant discuss the World Cup quarterfinals.

The sport of beep baseball uses sound to guide visually impaired players to hit the ball and run the bases.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Swarthmore College political science professor Dominic Tierney about the U.S.-Iran war and other conflicts that have left the U.S. in drawn-out entanglements.

Among the many treasures of the New York Public Library are tens of thousands of restaurant menus.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with sportscaster Andrés Cantor about announcing the 2026 World Cup.

Jermaine Butler, who performs as "Jermaine from the South," entered his Creole-inspired song "Dan Vi-Cila" to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest.

Republicans stripped Planned Parenthood and several other healthcare providers of Medicaid funding for one year, but now clinics can resume billing Medicaid for non-abortion services.

Poets like Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes have written movingly about America.

We say goodbye to longtime NPR arts reporter Elizabeth Blair with this encore of her piece on one of the most American of songs: "This Land is Your Land."

Today's Independence Day celebrations may be tamped down by severe heat and, according to a NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, worry about the future.

Authorities in Beijing broke their silence about a small plane that crashed into the skyscraper headquarters of one of China's largest state-owned financial conglomerates.

NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Michele Steele discuss the World Cup and speculate about LeBron James.

The U.S. is turning 250 this weekend. To mark the anniversary, we discuss the films and TV series that best depict the American dream.

Emails from CDC officials released by Sen. Bernie Sanders reveal agency leaders dealing with political pressures during the Trump era and highlight challenges for the next director.

Severe heat is forcing Independence Day event organizers across the country to change and even cancel festivities.

Atlanta's Venezuelan community, one of the largest in the U.S., is gathering aid for earthquake victims.

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the popularity of ranch dressing among international visitors to the U.S. during the World Cup games.

Anthropic pulled two new AI models offline after the Trump administration said they were too dangerous for foreigners to use. Rival OpenAI agreed to let the administration vet users of its newest model.

Texas students will be required to read Bible passages and learn about the role of Christianity in the state's history under new reading lists and social studies curriculum expected to be approved Friday.

Three days after twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, rescue teams race against time amid mounting casualties, strained relief efforts, and mounting criticism of the governments response.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Karol Bassim, senior program manager at International Medical Corps about the situation on the ground in Venezuela after two devastating earthquakes there this week.

This week the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration a green light to expel hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants who've been living and working legally in the U.S.

NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant have a World Cup knockout stage preview and discuss Serena Williams' return to Wimbledon.

President Trump has an interest in a piece of voting legislation, called the SAVE America Act, that is not shared by all of his Republican colleagues on Capitol Hill.

Prof. Ajay Narendra from Macquarie University in Australia tells NPR about his team's discovery of a particularly rare, and high-powered, hunting method of the informally named "ballista spider."

In China, the northeast Dongbei region looms large. Once a gritty, industrial hub, now this rust belt area is the source of music, literature, comedy and culture that have gained wide popularity.

President Trump's beautification project of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become plagued with a robust algae bloom, despite a $14 million investment and a coating of "American flag blue."

Loons, beloved American waterbirds, face threats from climate change and pollution. An oil spill settlement funds a new phone app helping non-scientists to aid research on these birds.

The ceasefire agreement between the U.S, and Iran extends to Lebanon, but the fighting there has yet to stop and Israel says it is not withdrawing.

SpaceX stock hit the market last week. Here's how it could turn up in your retirement or investment portfolio.

What's brown and sticky? A stick, of course. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Paul Silvia, a psychology professor at UNC Greensboro, about new research on what makes a good dad joke.

President Trump's numbers are falling, as many Americans harbor concerns about the economy. His approval now stands at 36% — according to the latest NPR/ PBS News/Marist Poll — a new low.

Over a month after the Ebola outbreak was declared in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and aid is beginning to arrive but too slowly, as officials warn of "brutal geographic expansion" of the virus.

Indoor pools can have a distinct odor caused by chlorine binding to body waste. A Minnesota student invented a device to measure chloramine levels.

Ohio's Governor says that his state should end the death penalty. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, about why he changed his mind on a practice he once supported.

NPR's Scott Simon and sports reporter Michele Steele discuss the World Cup.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the U.S. killed the leader of Tren de Aragua in coordination with Venezuela.

A $111 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery got the green light from the Trump administration, though several states are raising anti-trust concerns.

Some of the 18 cruise ship passengers in quarantine after a deadly hantavirus outbreak have had a tough time in isolation.

SpaceX had an enormous IPO on Friday, but is it really worth the price?

NPR's Elissa Nadworny speaks with former Senate parliamentarian Alan Frumin about the president's calls to remove his successor, Elizabeth MacDonough.

The United States opened its 2026 World Cup with an impressive 4-1 victory over Paraguay. It was the most goals the U.S. had ever scored in a World Cup match.

Senator Tommy Tuberville is facing a residency challenge that could prevent him from running for governor of Alabama.

Jose Alvarado, the only Knicks player born in New York City, lived in public housing in South Williamsburg. Fans there speak of him as a legitimate "homegrown star."

President Trump heads to France for the G7 as the war in Iran continues to dominate global discussions.

NPR's Elissa Nadworny and sportswriter Howard Bryant discuss the NBA Finals and the World Cup.