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Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney holds a slim lead in the popular vote in many polls. That's quite a turnaround from a little more than a month ago, when President Obama held clear leads in polling. Guest host Jacki Lyden speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about the race toward the finish line.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the last major overhaul of the U.S. tax code. This election year, both President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney say they are committed to serious tax reform, which would include simplifying the code and reducing middle-class tax rates. Weekend Edition host Scott Simon talks with New York Times columnist Joe Nocera, who takes a look back at the historic 1986 reform and finds the required elements of that deal missing in the current political climate.

BASE is an acronym for the objects the practitioners of the sport jump from: Buildings, Antenna, Span, Earth. Wingsuits are sometimes involved; parachutes, always. Avid BASE-jumper Luke Hively shares his experiences in the air and Science Friday investigates the physics and neuroscience of the sport.

It's Eid al-Adha, or the feast of the sacrifice, a four-day religious holiday that is one of the holiest events of the Muslim world. But there is little to celebrate in Syria's largest city, Aleppo. A cease-fire called for the holiday is already crumbling, and in some areas it never took hold.

The world's most prominent broadcaster, the BBC, is in an uproar over allegations that one of its most famous TV personalities was a pedophile who preyed upon youths who appeared on his shows. NPR's David Folkenflik reports that the BBC is both investigating the actions of the late Jimmy Savile and fielding sharp questions about why it killed a documentary exploring such accusations late last year.

Rowan got his start performing with the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe. In the '70s, he formed the band Old and in the Way with Jerry Garcia. In 2010, he joined his group for an in-studio session and interview on Fresh Air.

As China approaches a once-in-a-decade leadership transition, fissures in the country's political system are deepening. A scandal involving a top official has left the party reeling, and calls for reforms are mounting steadily. Critics say the communists of today have become what they once opposed.

Fairbanks, AK - It’s hard to imagine that oceans in the far north once teemed with ancient marine reptiles. But 145 million years ago, that’s exactly what…

Weekend Edition host Scott Simon talks to Mort Berkowitz, who has been making political buttons since 1976. He shares some of his favorites with host Scott Simon.

A keyboardist and singer who started out working solo on his laptop, Passion Pit's Michael Angelakos makes Technicolor electro-pop with monster hooks. But his songs are sturdy, versatile things, as this performance indicates.