You can't come to the touring Cake Picnic unless you bring a dessert to share People across Southern California came out to eat cake this weekend… 483 different cakes to be exact. A touring picnic took over a Santa Monica park with one simple rule…bring a cake. Makenna Sievertson
A ubiquitous flower in LA brings memories of homeland for a local Salvadoran chef At this time of year, the flor de izote, or yucca flower, blooms in Los Angeles. Chef Karla Vasquez bought some at a Salvadoran market, and prepared a recipe from her book The Salvisoul Cookbook. Christopher Intagliata
Comic Cristela Alonzo grew up in fear of border patrol. ICE has 'brought it all back' For the first seven years of her life, Alonzo lived in an abandoned diner in a south Texas border town. Her new Netflix stand-up special is called Upper Classy. Terry Gross
Scared of spiders? Some former arachnophobes now are keeping jumping spiders as pets The jumping spider pet market is booming, particularly with women. And for many, the journey to spider enthusiast began as an arachnophobe. Alina Hartounian
Latin superstar Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show The National Football League, Apple Music and Roc Nation made the announcement during halftime of Sunday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. NPR Staff
Tony Hawk auctions his iconic 1999 skateboard on which he first did the "900" In 1999, Tony Hawk's "900" trick put a fresh spin on skateboarding. Now the board, helmet and other gear he used to land it have sold big at auction. Hawk tells us how it all came together. Michael Radcliffe
'Doomscroll,' 'rizz,' 'dad bod': Gen Z lingo is entering the Meriam-Webster dictionary Meriam-Webster is revising one of its dictionaries to include many Gen Z words like "dad bod" and "cold brew." Ayesha Rascoe
The endangered cactus behind Mexico's sweet secret In Mexico, September means chiles en nogada season. But one key ingredient, a candied barrel cactus called biznaga, is now illegal because it's vanishing in the wild. Eyder Peralta
'The cases swung, not me': Ex-Justice Kennedy reflects on a changing Supreme Court In an interview with NPR to be aired in October, Kennedy said he is "very worried" about America today. Nina Totenberg
How the beloved state fair grew from livestock showcases to cornucopias of amusement The state fair dates back to the 1800s, and its agricultural roots go back even further. Ever since, states have been putting their own spin on the annual event while staying true to tradition. Ayana Archie
