Search results for

Clifford Odets, remembered as the defining American playwright of the 1930s, would have turned 100 this year. His works -- including Waiting for Lefty, Awake and Sing and Golden Boy brought social realism to the stage. Many companies around the country are staging his plays.

Under intense security, President Bush arrives in Pakistan, where he is greeted with violent protests. Bush will meet with President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday. The newly announced nuclear agreement with Pakistan's neighbor, India, could affect Musharraf's cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

An eclectic range of influences is at the heart of Latin Alternative, a music created by young players who have been raised not only on their parents' music but also on rock, hip-hop and electronica. It represents a sonic shift away from regionalism and points to a new global Latin identity.

One of New Orleans' best-known native sons, the piano professor Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, was back in town for Mardi Gras this week. In a tour of devastated neighborhoods, he expresses fear that the city's unique grassroots culture has been uprooted.

The human spine is an elegant piece of architecture. But by middle age most people have spinal degeneration. Eight out of 10 people will suffer back pain at some point.

The smaller-than-normal crowds at Mardi Gras this week symbolize the lingering impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans' economy. The city's hotels are struggling to recover, but a shortage of workers is hampering their comeback.

The Army announces a criminal investigation into the death of Pat Tillman, who died fighting in Afghanistan nearly two years ago. Tillman gave up an NFL football career to join the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks. The Army at first said Tillman was killed by enemy fire during a firefight -- then later determined he had been accidentally shot by other U.S. soldiers.

Dana Corp., one of the nation's largest auto-parts manufacturers, seeks protection from creditors in federal bankruptcy court. The company had declining revenue, a result of a market share loss at Ford and GM. Dana's shares plunged this week after the company failed to make bond payments worth $20.8 million.

On Christmas Eve, 1945, the Sodder family of Fayetteville, W.V., lost five children in a fire. Strange events that night and afterward fueled speculation, which continues to this day, that the children may have been kidnapped or murdered.

Many American soldiers spending the holiday on duty in Mosul are watching with detachment as the war in Iraq is debated back home. But some say they are a bit frustrated by calls for a swift pullout of troops.