Arts & Culture

Legislators consider punishment as a means to boost test scores.

When he became the first African American President of the U.S. Barack Obama pledged to unite the nation. But two years later, America is even more divided. Wondering whether the over 63,000 students who became part of a political grassroots effort to get him elected are disillusioned with the inability to find a job (unemployment hovers just below 10% with no improvement in sight) and the mandatory purchase of healthcare after age 26. Let us know what you think.

Former NBA star Allan Houston addresses the egregious misconduct by a growing number of professional athletes that has left a major blemish on an otherwise vibrant sports industry. Currently the Assistant to the President for Basketball Operations at the New York Knicks, Houston, a model leader both on and off the court, talks about player development and the importance of father-mentors to help young people cultivate life skills.

While the word, advancement generally connotes that something is better, this reporter argues that often “advancements” come in a package with more negatives than positives.

80,000 lives were instantly lost on August 6, 1945 when the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Miraculously, 1.8 kilometers from the epicenter of the bombing, a piano survived. Today the Hibaku Piano (as it is called in Japanese) is featured in concerts devoted to delivering messages of peace and hope for the future – serving as a symbol of our shared humanity.

Traditional paths “to make it” as a celebrated artist in today’s world are not enough.

One of the very few places that has not been hardhit by a worldwide recession and volatile global stock markets is the art market. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that young professionals are attending auctions and investing in art “collectibles” that are likely to increase in value.

Was President Obama’s swim in the Gulf last weekend enough to convince the public that the water is clear of oil and dispersants, the fish safe to eat and the images of the BP oil spill we’ve seen since April, old news? The owners of New Orleans’ oldest continually operating oyster processor and distributor in the country, P&J Oyster Company hope so. Ironically, government’s six month moratorium on offshore drilling also continues to threaten Gulf fishermen.

Four and a half years after Katrina, New Orleans is both recovering and being challenged. This New Orleans reporter worries that progress is fleeting and can too easily become irrelevant and end.

The debate over illegal immigration has created deep divisions in America’s political landscape.