Jackie Northam covers foreign affairs for NPR news. She has spent two decades covering the world's hot spots, reporting on international and foreign policy issues. She was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

The one question that came up repeatedly since I started my U.S. naturalization process nine months ago was: why?

This Memorial Day weekend is kicking off what promises to be the best vacation travel season since 2007.

"Workers are starting to regain enough confidence in their employment situation to ask for and actually use vacation time," John Challenger said in a written analysis. He's chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., an outplacement firm based in Chicago.

Over the past three summers, the travel and leisure sectors have been hurt by the surge in "staycations," the stay-at-home alternatives for people who couldn't afford destination vacations.

Language Advisory: This is a live concert recording, and may not contain language suitable for all audiences.

Language Advisory: This is a live concert recording, and may not contain language suitable for all audiences.

One of the breakout bands of 2010, the L.A.-based quintet Local Natives plays briskly infectious, harmony-rich folk-pop music that benefits greatly from its propulsive, Afrobeat-inspired rhythms. But Local Natives' songs aren't just pretty empty vessels: Its young members have a knack for lyrics that exude genuine thoughtfulness.

Language Advisory: This is a live concert recording, and may not contain language suitable for all audiences.

On May 30, 1911, a literal multitude swarmed into Indiana with all the subtlety of the eighth plague of Egypt. Dozens jammed into hotel rooms. Those who couldn't fit slept in hallways and on the streets. The Indianapolis Sun described the horde as "speed-lust kings and queens, trimmed in gold and perfumed with gasoline and lubricating oil."

On that day, the Indianapolis 500 was born. This weekend, the race celebrates its centennial, and the speed-lust kings and queens are still there, now in even greater numbers.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been saying for months that he'll stand by his agreement with the U.S. for the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq by the end of this year.

In recent weeks, though, Maliki has done a turnaround. Now he says he'd support keeping some troops in the country after the deadline, if he can get a majority of Iraq's politicians to agree.

Maliki outlined his position in a news conference, saying he's willing to meet Iraq's elected officials and consider whether some U.S. troops should stay beyond this December.

For a bit of flavor, here are my 'minutes' from Sasquatch: 60-second video clips of some of the the many, many bands I've seen at the festival so far. I will post new videos as I shoot them, so keep checking back or follow us on Twitter @allsongs.

Of course, our main coverage of Sasquatch is here — click through for full concerts, photographs and much more. Enjoy!

Language Advisory: This is a live concert recording, and may not contain language suitable for all audiences.