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Sixty years ago, the Japanese invaded the Solomon Islands, and a young British officer stayed hidden behind enemy lines to spy. He's one of the heroes of the Battle of Guadalcanal. For Radio Expeditions, NPR's Neal Conan has his story.

Thomas Reese is a Jesuit scholar and editor-in-chief of America, the national Catholic weekly magazine. He's also the author of the book Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church. He'll discuss the pope's recent tour, the pontiff's health, possible successors and the divide between the church and its parishoners.

Every summer amateur astronomers around the country hold hundreds of "star parties," inviting the general public to gaze through telescopes at the night sky's wonders. At Stellafane, in rural Vermont, sky watchers have gathered since the 1920s. They'll be there again this weekend. So will Sky and Telescope magazine editor Kelly Beatty, who offers a commentary for Morning Edition.

For centuries, sugar has been the foundation of the Cuban economy, and a key part of the country's identity. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that Fidel Castro's government is drastically downsizing the sugar industry because of economic pressures, and transforming some of the old sugar mills into attractions for a more profitable industry: tourism.

The Latin jazz drummer has released more than 20 albums, including the 1999 Grammy winner, Latin Soul. Features in the series are produced by David Schulman and NPR's Jeffrey Freymann-Weyr.

Nick Lowe is a songwriter, musician, and producer whose influence on modern rock has far outstripped his chart performance. He talks with NPR's Joe Palca about his storied career and his new album, The Convincer, for All Things Considered Saturday.

Puzzlemaster Will Shortz quizzes one of our listeners, and has a challenge for everyone at home. (This week's winner is Dominic DeCecco from Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. He listens to Weekend Edition on member station WHYY in Philadelphia.)

Sculptor Joseph McNally, a member of the religious order of Christian Brothers, says a spiritual calling took him to Singapore to teach art. His own work, much of it carved from bog oak, evokes Chinese characters and carries a sense of singularity. Alex Van Oss has Brother McNally's story for Weekend Edition Sunday.

Storyteller Mitch Myers tells the story of guy who made it his mission to shout out "Freebird!" at concerts.

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to George Ratliff about his new documentary, Hell House. It focuses on a haunted house that a large Pentecostal church outside of Dallas puts together every year to scare people into the arms of God.