NPR Weekend Edition Saturday

NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant talk MLB playoffs and the WNBA Finals tip off.

We look at where things are in the deal President Trump says he made to import Russian diesel, plus the reason why the Justice Department is suing California.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Spanish filmmakers Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo about their new film, La Bola Negra.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with southern rock/punk/folk musician Lee Bains III about his time away from music as a laborer and his new book of poetry, "Work Lunch."

Jazz vocalist Elizabeth Bougerol, singer for the group Hot Sardines, has a self-titled solo album out. She talks about her cinematic takes on jazz standards with NPR's Scott Simon.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth often cites scripture and has criticized "secular humanism" in the military. Now he's launched an Office of Religious Affairs to directly oversee chaplains and report to him.

Chuck Lorre is responsible for many sitcoms in the last decade or so, "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and A Half Men" among them. NPR's Scott Simon talks with him about his new memoir, "Sitcom."

More than three decades after the end of apartheid, families of victims of some of the worst crimes of South Africa's past are still fighting for justice. As survivors and perpetrators grow older, a new wave of legal efforts is seeking truth, accountability and reparations before it's too late.

About a third of couples are willing to save money on cake and dessert, according to the wedding-planning site Zola.

Chip Thomas, a retired physician on the Navajo Reservation, is well known for his large photograhpic murals. Now, he's been recognized with a MacArthur "genius" grant.

What would you do if you caught a baseball during the MLB playoffs? Give it to a kid nearby or keep it? This very scenario played out this week, with a fan deciding to keep the ball.

Moscow and Washington tout a diesel deal to ease sanctions and reopen fuel flows, but few details leave questions on price impacts and U.S. policy, sparking anger from Ukraine and allies.

ICE agents shot a man from the Dominican Republic in his car this week in New York City, while the man's 5 year-old was in the backseat. A judge has blocked the federal government from deporting him.

The U.S. has announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing to dismantle the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal.

The Saint-Exupery high school outside Paris is where the first protest took place last month about French education conditions. Students there tell NPR what they're hoping for and have achieved.

The first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season strikes the Florida panhandle and brings drenching rain over the southeast.

NPR's Scott Simon and sports reporter Michele Steele talk about the MLB playoffs and the late Chicago Bears coach, Mike Ditka.

It's likely you've already chewed and swallowed some tasty morsel today. But when did that ability emerge? New evidence points to at least the middle Jurassic, back when dinosaurs still reigned.

Bipartisan blowback on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plans to livestream a military execution, plus a scandal involving Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US Ambassador to Greece.

Philadelphia recently held its first-ever Parallel Parking Association Championship. Hundreds of people came out to see drivers compete for speed, accuracy and even flair.

Ohio is a critical battleground in next month's midterms elections. NPR's Scott Simon traveled to the state's 9th Congressional District to hear from voters about their priorities.

David Robinson is the latest tech industry employee to quit over AI safety concerns. He tells NPR's Scott Simon the "culture is broken" at OpenAI.

British musician Essy Sparrow talks about writing her song, "Weddings and Funerals" after receiving a wedding invitation from a former friend.

Lois Lowry returns to a dystopian future for the first time in a decade with: "Building 903." The new book depicts a world without art, music, or books, serving as a direct response to, "The Giver."

Author John Berendt has updated his Esquire series. published in book from, "Class Act: A Gentleman's Guide to Dressing Well." He gives NPR's Scott Simon some pointers.