After months of sitting on their wallets, Americans went shopping in July. The uptick reported Tuesday is boosting economists' hopes for a reasonably strong back-to-school season. And retailers are looking for clues about how the holiday shopping season will turn out later in the year.

"This is a good report," Chris Christopher, an economist with IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm, wrote in an assessment of the latest report. "It indicates that consumers came back after hunkering down" during the year's first half when sales were "dismal."

Eclectic mix of interesting alternative, jazz, singer songwriter, Americana and much more.

The Mayo Clinic's confirmation Monday that Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is receiving care there for bipolar depression is a reminder that the condition, which affects around 2.3 million Americans, can be treated.

But figuring out the right treatment for each patient can be a long and difficult road, as a new memoir called Perfect Chaos: A Daughter's Journey to Survive Bipolar, a Mother's Struggle to Save Her shows.

"Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, Mr. Kotter!"

If you watched TV in the '70s, you probably recognize that line.

Dirty Rice is the longest running Louisiana Music show going today. Started by Todd Mouton back in 1991 or so it's now hosted on an alternating week basis by Lee Kleinpeter me. We're trying to bring you the best Louisiana music on your Saturday nights. The way i see it is that it's time to roll up the rug, sweep up the floor, turn up the radio loud and wear out the linoleum if you're housebound, drive a little faster if you're out on the streets or just plain have fun out there cooking in the kitchen.......

There's a story out of Hungary that has received quite a bit of play from the religious press but hadn't quite risen to the mainstream until the AP ran a piece about it today.

It's quite dramatic with an incredible plot twist: One of the leaders of Hungary's Jobbik Party, which the Anti-Defamation League says is one of the few political parties in Europe to overtly campaign with anti-Semitic materials, has discovered that he is himself a Jew.

Lots of traditional and contemporary Cajun French favorites. Includes a weekly segment with A.J. LeBlanc on Acadian genealogy. 

As much as its music pervaded my high school existence, I never attended Warped Tour — the sneaker-sponsored touring festival that has dipped into rap, Top 40 pop music and metalcore, but for the most part has stuck to its skater-friendly punk roots. On a recent mid-week day-off in late July, however, I was extremely tempted to hitch a ride to Merriweather Post Pavillion for the largely teenage-populated festival to see one band: Title Fight.

Every morning, thousands of Cajun French music lovers tune in to KRVS to start their day with Pete Bergeron and "Bonjour Louisiane." Like morning coffee, "Bonjour Louisiane" gets you up and going with traditional Cajun French favorites and the latest releases from talented newcomers. Brush up on your French, find out about the fairs and festivals, and share the "joie de vivre" of French Louisiana.