New Catholic Mass Already Causing A Stir

This weekend, Catholics may experience a little surprise when they attend Mass. The words and music are different, thanks to the first major change of the English-language Mass in 40 years. For many practicing Catholics, this will be a major adjustment. So on a recent Sunday, the Rev. Chester Snyder of St. Joseph’s church in [...]

English Teacher Reaches Through Student’s Haze

Christine Eastus was a double major in English and chemistry with plans to go to medical school. Instead — to the chagrin of her parents — she became a teacher. In the 1970s, she taught English at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas. “Once I started teaching, it was a completely new world, sort of frightening [...]

From South Africa, Lessons In ‘Soft Vengeance’

Sometimes in the life of a reporter, you meet a person so extraordinary, so interesting, that you want to share that experience with others. Such is the case with Albie Sachs, whom I met while on vacation in South Africa. Sachs has led a remarkable life, moving from freedom fighter to founding father. Once imprisoned, [...]

Bachmann’s ‘Conviction’ To Fixing Government

It wasn’t long ago that Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s rise to the top of the Republican field of presidential candidates was called “meteoric.” In August, she won the Iowa straw poll. Now, she’s polling in the single digits. But Bachmann is plowing ahead with her campaign and this week she came out with a memoir, [...]

Egypt Military Rulers Reject Calls To Step Down

Egypt’s military rulers rejected protester demands for them to step down immediately and said Thursday they would start the first round of parliamentary elections on time next week, despite serious unrest in Cairo and other cities. The ruling military council insisted it is not the same as the old regime it replaced, but the generals [...]

At The ‘Rampart,’ A Centurion’s Self-Destruction

The Los Angeles Police Department’s late-’90s reputation was far from spotless; reports of misconduct came flooding by the dozen out of the anti-gang unit of the “Rampart” division. Oren Moverman’s Rampart funnels those widespread sins into a single vessel — a cop whose corruption runs so deep that he barely acknowledges right and wrong anymore. [...]

Tough Times Spark Russian Resurgence In Latvia

Of all the economic downturns of the past few years, the tiny European nation of Latvia may have suffered as much as any place. Incomes fell and families suffered as the government implemented harsh austerity measures. Now, the citizens of this former Soviet republic seem more open to what was once unthinkable: backing a social [...]

Avoiding The Tax Man Could Cost Italians Dearly

As the European debt crisis drags on, one question being asked is what will happen to Italy. The new government of Prime Minister Mario Monti is struggling to convince the financial markets that the country has a plan to pay its debts. Among other things, Monti says he will do something about Italy’s long tradition [...]

In Joplin, Appreciating The ‘Thanks’ At Thanksgiving

For a lot of the people in Joplin, Mo., this Thanksgiving is going to be one more to endure than to celebrate. But new dreams are slowly taking root in the rocky soil here. While the losses from last May’s tornado have been terrible, they’ve left a lot of people here more grateful to be [...]

How Private Is Your Email? It Depends

Do the police need a warrant to read your email? Believe it or not, two decades into the Internet age, the answer to that question is still “maybe.” It depends on how old the email is, where you keep it — and it even depends on whom you ask. Some big-name tech companies are now [...]