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Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon speaks with Sen. Dick Durbin about the prospects for gun control legislation. The Illinois Democrat chaired a Senate hearing on the issue of gun violence, but the congressional debate remains contentious.

The Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was charged this week with the murder of his girlfriend at his home in South Africa. His appearance in the 2012 Olympics marked the first time a double amputee had ever competed. Also, with Selection Sunday just four weeks away, no team in college basketball can hang onto the No. 1 spot. Weekend Edition Saturday Scott Simon talks with Howard Bryant of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.

Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation this week. He gave the announcement in Latin, but who still understands the language? Apparently there are more than 50,000 people in Finland who do. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon speaks with Finnish radio broadcaster Tuomo Pekkanen about his Latin radio show.

At a news conference, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon revealed new details about the final showdown with ex-cop Christopher Dorner that left one deputy dead and another seriously wounded. It's unclear whether the wound was self inflicted.

President Obama reiterated his goal of bringing America up to speed with new high-speed rail projects nationwide. Meanwhile, the freight-rail systems are still helping farmers keep costs down and getting their crops out. Any new kind of rail expansion would have to take these long-established networks into account.

Described as the greatest living Wagnerian tenor, Kaufmann is using the Richard Wagner's bicentennial to reacquaint listeners with the controversial composer's work.

To get the Distinguished Warfare Medal, no valor or bodily harm is necessary. But even safely away from combat, drone operators and cyber hackers can have a major impact on military operations. Until now, there hasn't been an award for those contributions.

The explosions targeted mainly Shiite neighborhoods. The attack comes amid increasing Shiite-Sunni tension in Iraq.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said the cuts would offset "pretty good" economic activity over the past few months. GOP Rep. Paul Ryan was pessimistic about a deal, while Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer said the two sides would come together for an agreement.

A draft of the plan, which was leaked to USA Today, proposes the creation of a "Lawful Prospective Immigrant" visa for those living here illegally. But GOP Sen. Marco Rubio dismissed the proposal, saying it was "disappointing" to those working on a solution to the issue.