Weekend Edition Saturday

Moderate Wins Iran's Presidential Election

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 17:49:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. The Iranian interior minister has announced on state TV that Hasan Rowhani has won that country's presidential election. Mr. Rowhani reportedly won 53 percent of the vote. He's considered a moderate on Iran's political spectrum. Karim Sadjadpour is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and joins us.

Will The Court's Gene Ruling Stifle Bio Innovatioon?

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:01:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that patenting natural human genetic material must stop. But the court also ruled that synthetically produced DNA is fair. The decision was prompted by patents on a gene test for breast cancer which was issued to Myriad Genetics of Salt Lake City. We're joined now in our studio by Arthur Caplan, who's head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU's Langone Medical Center.

How U.S. Arms Will Reach Syrian Rebels

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. The Russians and their ally Syria have lashed out at the White House's claim that Syria has used the nerve gas sarin against rebels and civilians. The Obama administration announced this week it will arm the rebels after warning the Syrian president he had crossed a red line by using chemical weapons. The White House shared evidence with the Russians, but Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov told his U.S. counterpart, John Kerry, that the evidence is not convincing.

Rain, Cooler Weather Slow Colorado Fire

KUNC-FM: Kirk Siegler — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. In Colorado, cooler weather and some rain has helped crews begin to get a handle on the Black Forest fire that's burning just north of Colorado Springs. Yesterday, several thousand people were allowed back into their homes, but an estimated 30,000 people remain evacuated from the area.

The blaze has claimed two lives and it has destroyed at least 470 homes.

Turkish Protesters Refuse To Leave Gezi Park

Peter Kenyon — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Protesters who were camped out in Istanbul's Gezi Park say they won't pack up and go home despite a government offer to avoid bulldozing the park without court approval and a public referendum. Protest organizers say that other demands such as releasing detained protesters have not been met.

And meanwhile, officials have warned that if demonstrators don't leave the park, police may be sent in to clear them out. Turkey's response to more than two weeks of unrest has involved more than riot police and teargas.

What Whitey Bulger Means To Boston

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Whitey Bulger is finally on trial after 16 years on the run. The Boston mobster who was once on the FBI's Most Wanted List is accused of murdering 19 people as well as extortion and racketeering. Prosecution alleges he worked as an FBI informant in exchange for protection. Dick Lehr is the co-author with Gerard O'Neil of "Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mobster." He joins us from member station WBUR in Boston.

Dick, thanks for being with us.

DICK LEHR: Good to be with you, Scott.

SIMON: So this was the first week of the trial.

Are The Protests In Turkey Really About A Park?

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

We have to remind ourselves now, the nationwide protests in Turkey began with a small group of people who were protesting the government's plans to pave over a small park in Istanbul. Elif Shafak, an award-winning writer who divides her time between Istanbul and London. We spoke with her yesterday and asked her how what began as a kind of modest stand to protect a city park broadened into nationwide protests.

ELIF SHAFAK: It started as a peaceful sit-in.

Flocking To The Fudge Capital

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Tomorrow isn't just Father's Day. It's also National Fudge Day if that didn't come up on your calendar. By most accounts, the first batch of fudge was cooked up in Baltimore in the 1880s, but Mackinac Island in northern Michigan is considered the modern day fudge capital of America.

Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta reports.

RICK PLUTA, BYLINE: There aren't many ways to get to Mackinac Island but most people take the ferry. Once they get to the island, there are no cars or trucks allowed. People get around on foot, bicycle or horse-drawn taxis.

Istanbul Reservoir Cools Pakistanis

Philip Reeves — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Most people look forward to summer, but perhaps not in Pakistan. NPR's Philip Reeves has been out and about in its capitol city and sent us this letter from Islamabad.

PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: I often wonder how Pakistanis manage to keep up their spirits. Every day brings fresh reports of militant attacks, murders or kidnappings. And even after the monsoon rains roll in, as they are now, it can be unbearably hot. This year's worse than ever thanks to constant power outages.

"Music Man" Finds A Home For His Vinyl

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Last year, we brought you the story of Music Man Murray. Murray Gershenz was looking for a buyer for the enormous record collection that was shelved in his store in Los Angeles. Now, notice I said record. Most of his music was indeed on old vinyl. Murray was turning 90 and his overstuffed store was becoming more than he could handle.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "MUSIC MAN MURRAY")

MURRAY GERSHENZ: I love this place. If I had nothing else to do, I would just be here and listen to the records all the time.

Hoops, Hockey Championships Still Undecided

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. And I wait all week to say: time for sports.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIMON: Finals time - on ice and the hardwood. The Heat and the Spurs are tied at two games each in the NBA Finals. And tonight, the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Boston Bruins in game two of hockey's Stanley Cup. Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine joins us from the studios of New England Public Radio in Amherst.

Songwriters' Group Calls Pandora's Radio Station Buy A Stunt

Laura Sydell — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:28:00 +0000

This week, the Internet radio broadcaster Pandora made what seems like a backward move — technologically speaking. Pandora purchased a local radio station in Rapid City, S.D. The company says it's aiming to get the more favorable royalty rates given to terrestrial broadcasters, but the move has songwriters and composers up in arms.

Blake Morgan is an independent musician whose "Better Angels" was among a number of his songs that got some 28,000 plays on Pandora.

'I'm Not The Only One': Transgender Youth Battle The Odds

editor — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:27:00 +0000

Despite a number of victories for gay rights and national polls reflecting a growing acceptance of gay men and women, there is a population within the LGBT community that often feels left out of the national debate.

They are the "T": transgender men and women who still face many obstacles, including employment discrimination and homelessness.

High-Tech Surveillance Targets Evolving Terrorist Tactics

Tom Gjelten — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:25:00 +0000

Since public revelations that the National Security Agency is collecting telephone records and reviewing Internet communications in the U.S. and abroad, officials have been making the case that the programs are vital. They argue that the tactics match the new ways terrorists are planning and communicating.

There was a time when America's enemies conspired face-to-face, or communicated through couriers, or by leaving messages for each other somewhere.

Just In Time: The New Agency Responsible For Keeping The NSA In Check

Martin Kaste — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 15:30:00 +0000

On Friday, President Obama defended the two NSA surveillance programs that were leaked to the news media this week.

One program collects the general public's phone records, the other allegedly gives the government backdoor access to Internet services such as Google and Facebook.

Obama said the programs "strike the right balance," but that's done little to reassure those who think government surveillance has become too broad.

The 9/11 Commission saw this coming.