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The inspirational El Sistema music education program, developed in Venezuela, has Sao Paulo Symphony conductor Marin Alsop fantasizing about a better musical world. Her other orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, is bringing similar opportunities to Charm City children.

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks to Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine about the New York Jets, Tim Tebow and the NBA on Christmas Day.

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with American Enterprise Institute political analyst Norm Ornstein, about GOP Speaker of the House John Boehner. Since his "Plan B" on the fiscal cliff failed this week, where does he go from here with his unruly Republican caucus?

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with Atlantic correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg about the massacre in Newtown, Conn. He wrote the cover story in this month's issue, titled "The Case For More Guns — And More Gun Control." In it, Goldberg posits that it's impossible to reduce gun crime with the number of guns already on the street, and that maybe the answer is to allow more people to carry them.

SNL alumna Maya Rudolph and musician Gretchen Liberum co-lead the cover band Princess. The duo had its television debut, with some help from The Roots, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon this fall.

The House speaker is trying to emerge from a blow from his own party. But if John Boehner can pull off a bipartisan agreement to avert the fiscal cliff, he could come out of this better off.

On his last day hosting weekends on All Things Considered, host Guy Raz tells us about the movie he could watch a million times: Richard Linklater's School of Rock. "It's just a perfect movie," he says.

Since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, gifts have come into the grief-stricken Connecticut community by the truckload. Parents say they're not sure how to celebrate, but some hope the traditions will bring back some sense of normalcy.

It's tradition! Writer and humorist David Sedaris reflects on his short tenure as Crumpet the Elf at Macy's. Sedaris first read the "Santaland Diaries" on Morning Edition in 1992 — and instantly, a classic was born.

Nariman Behravesh, chief economist of IHS Global Insight, talks to Steve Inskeep about his economic forecasts for 2013. Among his predictions: the U.S. recovery will gradually pick up steam. Unless it falls off a cliff — then a recession will probably be unavoidable.

Wall Street didn't get much of a gift at the end of last week. The Dow lost 120 points, or nine-tenths of a percent, on Friday. The slump is partly tied to events in Washington last week — a Republican plan to avoid the "fiscal cliff" came undone.

In Spain, entrepreneurship is largely a high-class hobby. Family money and connections have long been the best indicators of small business' success. A recent World Bank report ranked Spain lower than Bangladesh and Afghanistan on the ease of starting a business. Now Spain's ruling conservatives want to change that.

In Britain, every year on Christmas Day, the Queen delivers a speech to her subjects. Recently in Cornwall, which is part of England, a new royal tradition has taken root based on an episode of The Simpsons.

On Friday, members of Congress went home without settling their differences over how to avoid the spending decreases and tax increases known as the "fiscal cliff."

With billions of children to visit in just one night, how does Santa make it to every house? And how does he fit down the chimney — assuming your house has one. Astrophysicist Neil De Grasse Tyson talks to David Greene about the science of Santa.

Four novels for the year's end: a new Raylan Givens adventure from Elmore Leonard, a story of psychology and obsession from Ellen Ullman, Thomas Caplan's latest spy thriller and Alex Gilvarry's debut set in the fashion world and Guantanamo Bay.

After more than 80 years, Emma Thompson's The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit brings Beatrix Potter's beloved character back for a romp around the Scottish countryside — and lots of rule breaking. Thompson says Peter Rabbit's "disrespect for authority" is one of the things she loves about him. (This piece initially aired on October 11, 2012 on Morning Edition.)

ABC polled a few Santa suit makers, who say Santa's girth has been steadily increasing. The man known for excess can now order suits up to size quadruple X. That's a 70-inch waistline.

As firefighters arrived at a house fire in Webster, N.Y., police say, convicted murderer William Spengler opened fire. Two firefighters were killed. Two others were wounded. Residents were evacuated. Police say Spengler apparently took his own life. Seven homes were destroyed.

You may not know that the traffic signal, the firehouse pole, and instant coffee were all invented by people of color. The stories behind those inventions and many more are included in the new book, Mad Science. Editor Randy Alfred speaks with guest host Celeste Headlee.