Weekend America

Food Fears

This week, Federal health officials said that lettuce was the most likely source for the E. coli outbreak that has made 70-plus people sick in the Northeast. This scare really hits home for Dennis Krause. Last September, his family got sick from eating contaminated spinach. His son was hit the hardest, and after being put on dialysis and having several blood transfusions, is still recovering. We talk to Krause about how his relationship to food has changed since his family's illness and what the latest scare means to him.

Sleepover!

Two intrepid reporters, Hillary Frank and Jonathan Menjivar, brave the world of PJs, giggles and video games to see what really goes down at weekend slumber parties. Frank and Menjivar went to two sleepovers, a girl's slumber party and a boy's one, respectively, to get the goods on what really goes on once the lights go out.

Chamber Music at Gleason's Gym?

There's a new chamber music series in New York City and the venue has been the home of some of the most legendary names in the game: Muhammad Ali, Riddick Bowe, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson. Yes, the game is boxing and the concert series is called "Strike!" Musicians and boxers alternate performance and spectacle. Reporter Lawrence Lanahan went to investigate.

Spare Some Change?

Recently in Seattle, business owners began handing out brochures to people advising them how to deal with panhandlers. Last week on the show we asked our listeners what they do when people ask them for change. Is it OK to give to some panhandlers, but not to others? Or should you never give money to panhandlers at all? This week we share what our listeners said.

Keep the Lights On

Every year, the residents of West 37th Street, in Austin, Texas, decorate their houses with lights. But it's not your typical Christmas scene. There's a Barbie doll tied to a lit-up train track and a volcano that spews smoke out of a glowing mound of lights. And then there's the house at 310 West 37th Street. On weekend nights in December, up to 10,000 people visit to see the spectacle. Alex Cohen takes us there.

Autistic as an Adult

Last week the U.S. House passed the Combat Autism Act. The new legislation authorizes almost one billion dollars to fund autism-related research, early detection and intervention. When it comes to funding, most of the attention goes to children, which may be a problem for teenagers on the verge of "aging out" of the system. KPCC reporter Susan Valot spent time with a family that includes two autistic teens.

Good News, Bad News, No News

Good News, Bad News, No News

Our panel of non-experts review the week's events in a parlor game to gauge what kind of week America had. Weighing in is Hollywood writer Dana Gould, our weather guy and culture vulture, John Moe, and writer Nancy French.

Gifted Cow

When we give to charities, we like to think we've helped the world and leave it at that. But what actually comes of our donations? Reporter Julie Siple went all the way to Romania to find out what became of a cow donated to a poor family through Heifer International. What she finds is that giving a cow may be easy, but keeping it can be more complicated.

Dreamgirls

The movie version of "Dreamgirls" opens this weekend and actress Jennifer Hudson's performance is creating a buzz. She sings the movie's signature tune, "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going," but the song was made famous by actress Jennifer Holliday. It earned Holliday a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1982. This kind of show-stopping tune is referred to as an "11 o'clock number." We talked with Larry Maslon, an associate arts professor at NYU, about the importance of the 11 o'clock number.

Hanukkah Decor

Hanukkah started yesterday and if you are looking for decor, Fredda LeBlang is the person to talk to. She owns the Hanukkah product company Colpod. This is the first holiday season the family-owned company has been open for business, and LeBlang says it's been a busy one.

Delicious Iraqi Dates

Michael Rakowitz has thought a lot about shipping during wartime. He wondered, how can such an ordinary thing essentially disappear when there's a war going on? He figured if he was managing to ship small parcels to Iraq, why couldn't he get something sent from there to here? How hard could that be? Weekend America Editor Amanda Aronczyk shares the story.