Seeking Oakland's Soul In The 'New Oakland'
Oakland, Calif., was a hub of African-American life on the West Coast. Today, it's one of the most diverse cities in the country. How has that shift affected its culture?
Story of the Day
Inside The Brains Of People Over 80 With Exceptional Memory
Research into why some people have strong memory well into old age suggests that their brains are different from their peers. Some parts of the brains of "superagers" responsible for attention, thinking and memory seem to be spared the typical age-related shrinkage.
Immigration Debate Puts Farm Workers Union In Spotlight
The United Farm Workers seemed to be all over Washington this week — lobbying members of Congress and gathering for a big immigration rally outside the Capitol. The union has gotten "a huge injection of leverage" from its role in the immigration debate, one analyst says.
'We Have To Do More': Michelle Obama's Next Four Years
This week marked a new step in Michelle Obama's evolution as first lady. In her hometown of Chicago, she delivered one of the most emotional speeches of her career. Obama almost never ventures into the top political controversy of the day, but her role may be changing.
Cities Turn Sewage Into 'Black Gold' For Local Farms
Cities are finding beneficial and lucrative ways to dispose of solid waste, while also helping farmers. But a lot of sewage still ends up in landfills or being processed at big, industrial incinerators.
Texas Contractors Say Playing By The Rules Doesn't Pay
With a large labor force willing to work for low wages, construction may appear to be a lucrative field for contractors in Texas. But prices have been driven so low that many say they can't compete if they play by the rules. Instead, some misclassify their workers or turn a blind eye to undocumented laborers.
Crowdsourcing Creativity At The Cinema
The Canon-sponsored Project Imaginat10n used social media to crowdsource images and ideas to produce five short films. It's an idea director Ron Howard says other artists would be foolish to ignore.
One Manufacturing Giant Creates Winners And Losers
Residents in Memphis, Tenn., are thrilled that Swedish appliance giant Electrolux is opening a new factory there this year. The company plans to employ 1,200 people at the new, high-tech facility. But in Webster, Iowa, an Electrolux plant closure in 2011 has left the local economy reeling.
Loan Education Becomes Prerequisite As Student Debt Balloons
Americans hold about $1 trillion in student loans, and the debt burden is only getting heavier. One financial aid counselor says students are starting to smarten up and asking questions he'd never considered himself before the recession hit.
Without Reviews, Inmates Can Get Lost In U.S. Prison System
Every year 10 million people funnel in and out of America's jails and prisons. And every year some of them get lost. Recently there have been two high-profile cases of such inmates — one who got out years too early, and one who stayed years to long. Both had disastrous consequences.