Weekend Edition Saturday

Researchers looking at foodcrusts on the pottery shards of ancient humans say there's evidence of a wide variety of ingredients, indicating that they may have been experimenting with "recipes."

Investigators in the U.S. search for motives in three recent instances of targeted attacks, and whether they are related to the war in Iran.

NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Michele Steele discuss Iran's World Cup participation and college basketball as it heads into March Madness.

A group of New Jersey friends love to dance so much that when they got sick of the club scene they started a monthly dance party called, "All My Friends."

Lawmakers want an explanation for the Feb. 28 missile attack on a Tehran girls' school. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded.

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran two weeks ago. Most recently, six U.S. personnel died in a plane crash in Iraq, Iran vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, and more Marines are headed to the region.

NPR's Scott Simon asks former Israeli deputy national security adviser Chuck Freilich, now at Columbia University, about Israeli domestic politics and their effect on the Iran war.

New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins tells NPR's Scott Simon about Marco Rubio's role as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to a president shaking the world order.

Escalation of the Iran conflict is sending shockwaves through global markets — driving up oil, fuel, and commodity prices, stoking inflation and recession risks worldwide. We hear from three NPR reporters in Europe, Asia and Russia.

Sydney Peterson is among the U.S. athletes heading to the 2026 Winter Paralympics. A neuroscientist in training, Peterson is studying movement disorders, similar to her own condition.

Tired of listening to other people's music, shows, and phone conversations in flight, the people at United Airlines have written a rule that lets them kick you off the plane if you don't put on headphones.

A regional coalition of Latin American countries will make up "The Shield of Americas," which becomes official this weekend in Miami. What does the Trump Administration want from this new initiative?

Many tribes are encouraged by Trump's choice of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a member of the Cherokee nation, as the new DHS Secretary. ICE agents have been accused of racially profiling Native Americans.

Europeans are divided over how to respond to the US/Israel war with Iran. German leaders have been measured, while Spain's prime minister has been critical of the Trump Administration and of Israel.

In the week since the U.S. began bombing Iran, more countries in the Middle East are launching strikes.

Iranians are streaming across the border with Turkey, fleeing constant bombardment. But some are also going the other way -- returning to Iran out of worry for loved ones they can't otherwise reach.

Messaging from the Trump Administration over the war on Iran has been mixed and confused. There are tensions in the MAGA base over the war. Plus, a new Secretary of Homeland Security is in the works.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Michael Wahid Hanna of the International Crisis Group about how the spillover of the war between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. into other countries might change regional dynamics.

Iran has retaliated to U.S. and Israel strikes. Several countries that host American military bases in the region including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain say they have been attacked.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, about U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Shira Efron, an Israel and Middle East expert, about the U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., about the U.S. strikes on Iran.

We're looking at the strikes in Iran by U.S. and Israel.

We look at what it means for President Trump to launch attacks on Iran without Congressional approval, and the pushback and support he's getting from some lawmakers.

We look at the White House's messaging to the American public on the strikes in Iran.

President Trump announced a major military combat operation on Iran early this morning, targeting several cities across Iran. We look at the strategy there and potential outcomes.

Why did a $72 million mission to study water on the moon fail so soon after launch? A new NASA report has the answer.

Prompted by a new law, Kansas began sending letters to some trans people saying their drivers licenses were being invalidated until they change their gender information.

Rev. Jesse Jackson died this week at age 84. NPR's Scott Simon remembers covering Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign in Mississippi.

We look at what yesterday's Supreme Court decision on President Trump's tariffs means for his economic policies and campaign promises.

Researchers followed more than 400,000 teens until they were adults. It found that those who used marijuana were more likely to develop serious mental illness, as well as depression and anxiety.

The number of cattle in the U.S. has reached a low not seen since 1951. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Zach and Kacie Scherler-Abney, ranchers in Oklahoma, about the challenges of the cattle industry.

British police arrested the former Prince Andrew on suspicion of "misconduct in public office." NPR's Scott Simon speaks to royal expert Jennie Bond about the latest developments.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, about the possible outcomes of the increasingly tense Iran-U.S. nuclear talks.

Backwoods ski trails Quebec residents used to get from village to village a century ago are luring outdoor enthusiasts and boosting winter tourism.

Memory chips (aka RAM) are in short supply, globally. Why and what does that mean for consumers

NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant discuss the end of the Winter Olympics.

We look at the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down many of President Trump's tariffs, as well as a look as the possibility of another military clash with Iran.

In the new animated film, "Arco," a time-traveling boy gets trapped in the year 2075 and must evade captors, robots and wildfires. NPR's Scott Simon talks to writer and director Ugo Bienvenu.

He will have you for dinner: what is it about an unapologetic cannibal that so captured readers and audiences? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Brian Raftery about his new book, "Hannibal Lecter: A Life."

For some Valentine's Day isn't about love, it's about revenge. The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a stinky opportunity for those wishing to express a grudge.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Fiona Hill, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center on the United States and Europe, about the Trump administration's strategy to end Russia's war with Ukraine.

Sibling rivalry might not unique to humans. New scientific research shows that baboon siblings in southern Africa also feel jealousy toward each other.

Ilia Malinin of the U.S. was heavily favored for men's figure skating gold, but a series of falls and downgraded jumps landed him in eighth place.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany amid growing tensions between the U.S. and its European allies.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Emmy Martin from The Chronicle of Higher Education about what the Epstein files have revealed about his links to higher education.

Chinese lawyers and writers are calling for the release of two journalists detained by authorities after they published an investigation into a senior Communist Party official.

NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Michele Steele talk Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star games.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeks to reassure European allies and a partial government shutdown hits the Department of Homeland Security.

Some film professors are bemoaning the shortcuts students take to avoid watching assigned movies: some don't know what happens at the end. NPR's Scott Simon offers his own synopses.