Coming up on Speakers Forum, May 23 at 8:00 p.m.

Pepto-Bismol pink is a color sometimes used in prisons to calm inmates. People with names that start with K are more likely to donate to victims of Hurricane Katrina than Hurricane Rita. Professional cyclists pedal faster when people are watching.

A variety of external factors influence our thoughts, feelings, and decisions, says Adam Alter, a professor of psychology at NYU and the author of “Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave.”

He spoke about the degree to which our environment shapes who we are at Seattle’s Town Hall on April 2, 2013.

Seattle City Council Member Tim Burgess is stepping down as a mayoral candidate.  His disclosure came as the filing deadline loomed for the November election. Burgess said he won’t yet endorse anyone. But he said he’s leaving the race to make it easier for another candidate to unseat incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn. 

The Moscow mausoleum where you can see Vladimir Lenin's body has reopened, following a major renovation project. But most Russians now say it's time Lenin received a proper burial — in the ground.

Perhaps they've come to believe, as Americans seem to believe, that it's a little creepy to have someone's body preserved with chemicals and put on display for all to see. It makes him seem like some character from a fairy tale, like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.

KUOW headed over to what may be the only publicly displayed statue of Lenin in America, in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, to see how Lenin's reputation is faring here.

Full list of stories from KUOW Presents, May 17:

Driving around Seattle this weekend will be trickier than normal. The Seattle Department Of Transportation plans to close parts of Aurora and Mercer Street around South Lake Union as part of the effort to convert Mercer into a two-way street. The city's now focusing on the Mercer West project, the section of Mercer between Dexter Avenue and West Fifth Avenue.

Today is National Bike to Work Day and The Conversation’s Hannah Burn asked people in the neighborhood how they got to work or school today. The Census Bureau reports that in 2011, about half a percent of commuters biked to work in the United States. Seattle seems to trend higher as of the 14 people Burn talked to, 28 percent were cyclists.

We’re in the full swing of spring here in Seattle, and with the season come certain rituals like spring cleaning. A lot of the stuff we get rid of ends up at garage sales and yard sales. David Hyde poses the question: What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever found at a garage sale? Listeners and local garage sale enthusiasts weigh in.

In her book, "Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity," Emily Matcher says more and more people are embracing traditional domestic activities like canning, knitting, baking and gardening. The movement has gained a lot of traction in the northwest. Matcher talks with David Hyde about the pros and cons of the “new domesticity.”

Washington state’s proposed marijuana rules were released yesterday, and critics are already weighing in. Plus, Republican legislators are pushing for education reform. David Hyde gets all the details from Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins.

The White House has received a lot of criticism this week over three issues that have gained national attention. A series of emails were released by the White House in relation to the Benghazi hearing. The IRS seems to have been targeting political leaning groups, in particular conservative ones, for audits. Journalists from the Associated Press had their phone records obtained by the government without their knowledge. How do these latest controversies effect the political climate in Washington D.C.?

Also, Washington Governor Jay Inslee has unveiled his top three budget priorities for the special session, the National Transportation Safety Board wants to lower the legal alcohol limit to 0.05, and 400 people showed up to a King County Council meeting this week to object to the potential cuts in bus service.

Finally, will this be the last time that Eli Sanders, C.R. Douglas and Knute Berger have to talk about the NBA, the Sacramento Kings and the Sonics on our panel?

Write to us at weekday@kuow.org to tell us what news stories you have been following this week.