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In 'Gold,' Olympic Rivalry Is Personal, Professional

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Credit Lou Abercrombie / Simon & Schuster

Chris Cleave is the author of Little Bee and Incendiary.

By editor

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 6:32 am

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More than 10,000 athletes are headed to London this summer to run, swim, cycle, shoot, fence and compete in the events of the Olympic Games. Each of them has a story — what they've won, what they've lost and what they've sacrificed just to get their chance to get there.

Chris Cleave's latest novel, Gold, tells the stories of three world-ranked cyclists — Zoe, Jack and Kate — who are training for their last chance at Olympic gold. Zoe and Kate are friends as well as rivals; Jack and Kate are raising an 8-year-old who suffers from leukemia.

4:53 am

Sat June 30, 2012

Youthful Candiate Favored To Be Mexico's President

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Credit Esteban Felix / AP

A man walks past a campaign sign for Enrique Pena Nieto, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party. Mexicans vote for their next president on Sunday.

Credit Alfredo Estrella / AFP/Getty Images

Mexican presidential candidate Enrique Pena Nieto is heavily favored in Sunday's election.

By Carrie Kahn

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 6:26 pm

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As Mexicans prepare to elect a new president Sunday, the clear front-runner is Enrique Pena Nieto, who is seeking to return his PRI party to power after 12 years.

The PRI, or Institutional Revolutionary Party, ruled Mexico for more than 70 years before being ousted in 2000. Most polls show Pena Nieto with a comfortable double-digit lead in the race.

11:03 pm

Fri June 29, 2012

Eugene Levy Stays Smart, Even In The Cheapest Gag

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Credit KC Bailey / Lionsgate

In Madea's Witness Protection, George Needleman (Eugene Levy, center) is put in witness protection with Madea (Tyler Perry, right) after he discovers he's the fall man for a Ponzi scheme.

Credit Photofest

Levy (left) with some of the noted comedians that were part of Second City in Toronto: (from left, after Levy) Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Rosemary Radcliffe and John Candy.

Credit The Kobal Collection

Eugene Levy with Jason Biggs and the now-infamous defaced pie in one of his most popular recurring roles as Jim's dad in American Pie.

By editor

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 6:32 am

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George Needleman is the chief bean counter of an investment bank who, in Madea's Witness Protection, is too consumed with family problems to realize he's being set up to take the fall for a Ponzi scheme. When he grasps what's going on, he's placed in witness protection — at Madea's house.

Tyler Perry, who wrote and directed the movie, plays Madea, as well as most other members of her family. Needleman, the latest fussy, funny, bushy-eyebrowed, precise and put-upon man, is portrayed by Eugene Levy.

5:27 pm

Fri June 29, 2012

A Lone Trumpeter Serenades The National Mall

Credit Devon Kodzis / NPR

Trumpeter John Thornton plays at the corner of 7th Street and Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., just a few blocks from NPR's headquarters.

By editor

Originally published on Fri August 24, 2012 3:23 pm

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This summer, Weekend Edition Saturday is listening to the sounds of music al fresco. Today, we present an audio postcard of a trumpeter we recently heard blowing "The Star-Spangled Banner" just down the street from NPR.

3:54 pm

Fri June 29, 2012

After Two Years, Gifted Classical Students Leave The Nest

Credit Stephanie Berger / Getty Images

Nathan Schram (back row, third from left) performs with his students from PS 75 in Brooklyn.

By Jeff Lunden

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 7:48 am

The odds of making it in the classical music business are long, but for the past two years, 25-year-old viola player Nathan Schram has received a stipend, health insurance, lots of amazing performance opportunities and a real-world education teaching violin students at an inner-city elementary school in Brooklyn. Now, Schram and his colleagues have to say goodbye to The Academy.

7:09 am

Sat June 23, 2012

Behind A Wave Of Asian Immigration, Stories Of Struggle

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

A Pew Research Center study shows Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing immigrant group in the U.S., but that doesn't make theirs a success story.

By Scott Simon

Originally published on Sat June 23, 2012 12:43 pm

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The Pew Research Center says Asian-Americans are now the fastest-growing ethnic and immigrant group in the United States: 18 million Americans, almost 6 percent of the population. Pew says Asian-Americans also tend to be the most educated and prosperous.

6:58 am

Sat June 23, 2012

Soccer Fails To Give Greeks Much-Needed Boost

By Philip Reeves

Originally published on Sat June 23, 2012 10:07 am

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Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The soccer game - they call it football - between Greece in Germany in Poland yesterday was always about more than just sport. Of course, there's friction between these two countries because of that eurozone crisis and both sides said they'd try to set aside politics for the day just to enjoy the entertainment. Now, of course, as has been widely reported, Germany won the game. They head to the semi-finals of the European championship. NPR's Philip Reeves was there and he sends us this account of an unusual day.

6:58 am

Sat June 23, 2012

Mathematician's Work Lives On In Everyday Life

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Originally published on Sat June 23, 2012 10:07 am

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The British computer pioneer and wartime code-breaker Alan Turing was born 100 years ago Saturday. With today's world so dominated by the computer, Turing's work impacts all our lives on a daily basis. Host Scott Simon talks with Stanford professor Keith Devlin about this remarkable man.

Middle East

6:58 am

Sat June 23, 2012

Syrian Conflict A Haunting Reminder Of Bosnia

By Jackie Northam

Originally published on Sat June 23, 2012 10:07 am

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Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

6:58 am

Sat June 23, 2012

Sports: The Heat's Glow, Olympics And Title IX

By editor

Originally published on Sat June 23, 2012 10:07 am

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is Weekend Edition from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. It's time for sports. We're joined by NPR's Tom Goldman.

Morning, Tom.

TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.

SIMON: And, of course, Jerry Sandusky was convicted late last night for the sexual abuse of 10 young boys. A longtime assistant football coach at Penn State, a pillar of the community, known for his charitable work. You were in State College to cover the story when it broke.

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4:54 am

Sat June 30, 2012