Features

New star-studded Web video protests Proposition 8

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 13:03:24 MST

Since Proposition 8 passed in California, much of Hollywood has been up in arms. Now, they are singing and dancing, too, in a new Web video called "Prop 8: The Musical.

Oscar 'Knight'? Batman rises to serious contender

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 12:23:21 MST

Los Angeles » As the box-office bankroll climbed for "The Dark Knight" last summer, the Hollywood consensus was that a posthumous nomination for Heath Ledger was the Batman blockbuster's best Academy Awards hope.

Web site offers education 'facts'

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 11:42:20 MST

A group that's perhaps best known for promoting school vouchers last year is back in the spotlight, but this time its message has nothing to do with the v-word, said the group's executive director.

Vampire movie 'Twilight' adds lifeblood to Northwest tourism

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 11:26:41 MST

Fans of the hit movie "Twilight," inspired by Stephenie Meyer's vampire series, are swarming tiny Forks on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, where the novels are set, and checking out "Twilight"-themed tours, hotel packages and even food.

Group: Less lead in toys, but many may still have toxins

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 10:19:20 MST

After the recalls of millions of lead-contaminated toys last year, a watchdog group said Wednesday that its tests found fewer toys with high levels of chemicals in them this year.

Writer brings his hero alive in 'Milk'

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 10:05:19 MST

Dustin Lance Black wasn't yet born when Harvey Milk was shot dead in 1978. But Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor who was the first openly gay man to hold major elective office, became a hero to Black as a high school kid, raised in a Mormon family and first realizing he was gay.

Tough economy forces divorced couples to keep living together

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 10:04:11 MST

Running into your ex is almost always awkward and stressful. David Snyder and Nancy Partridge deal with it nearly every day. The Denver couple divorced after six years of marriage but have been forced to live together for months because they can't sell their place or afford to set up separate

Lil Wayne leads Grammy nods

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 09:51:33 MST

Los Angeles » Lil Wayne -- the most prolific, ubiquitous and successful performer on today's music scene -- was the most rewarded by the Recording Academy on Wednesday, receiving eight Grammy nominations including album of the year for "Tha Carter III.

Sundance's slate shows film's global reach

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 20:31:41 MST

The competition slate for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival has something to get everybody buzzing, including a romantic-comedy star's real-life romance, an inside look at fashion editor Anna Wintour, and an adaptation of a book by the recently deceased David Foster Wallace.

Dining Out: Hit or miss solace at Oasis

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 20:29:36 MST

Grilled cheese and tomato soup exemplify the sort of comfort we seek year round, but especially this time of year when the chill sinks into your bones.

Fans and embattled booksellers eager for new J.K. Rowling book

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 19:58:36 MST

LONDON » Recession-hit booksellers are hoping for a magical boost from a new book by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a collection of five fables mentioned in Rowling's saga about the boy wizard, is being published around the world today with only a fraction of

Scientists ask: Is technology rewiring our brains?

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 17:01:08 MST

NEW YORK » What does a teenage brain on Google look like? Do all those hours spent online rewire the circuitry? Could these kids even relate better to emoticons than to real people?

Mestizo: Coffee shop and gallery caffeinates Salt Lake City's west side

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 16:46:25 MST

The Mestizo Coffee Shop and Art Gallery is almost certainly the only java joint whose main entrance is flanked by the verse of Spanish poet Federico Garciá Lorca and Chicano poet Francisco X.

Everyday Ethics: Plane ticket switcheroo

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 16:25:24 MST

I bought a plane ticket to take my young son, Nathaniel, to a family gathering. Near the departure date, I decided to take his older sister instead. The airline prohibited name changes on a ticket, and a replacement cost $700, but someone in customer service told me: "There's no requirement for

Accurately portraying war's toll challenges actors in Salt Lake City production

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 15:47:28 MST

Jack Muncie didn't understand his brother-in-law's pain. Like him, Muncie had served in World War II. He even landed on Utah Beach --- on June 8, 1944.