Author: Eva-Jeanette Rawlins

Natalie Maines, front woman for country girl group the Dixie Chicks, just released a solo album—and it’s killer.

Pornography might soon be taught in schools in England. According to the BBC, “The Sex Education Forum wants pornography taught ‘in terms of media literacy and representation, gender, sexual behavior and body image.’” They are pushing for it to be incorporated into the general sex education curriculums of high schools.

Kakenya Ntaiya is a hero. Never heard of her? Not surprising. She’s not the kind of person you hear about, or the kind that particularly cares if you have. She’s a woman who has quietly taken the pain and suffering of her own life and turned it into hope and opportunity for others.

The Boston bombings marred the landscape of our country with terror yet again, and as we move further away from April 15 we are left with a lingering awareness of the evil that lives in people—and, at the same time, the overwhelming good in others. Pictures and stories of true heroes will remain with us.

You know how overused the saying “there’s an app for everything” is? Well, it will remain so, because it’s true. Take for instance the one I recently learned about in my Zumba class that allows you to donate the calories you burn toward world hunger. Don’t ask me how, but now your fat-burning could save a life. Remember that the next time you’re tempted to skip a sit-up.

Brad Paisley wanted to start a national discussion on race with his song “Accidental Racist.” He definitely got people talking. The song, recorded with rapper and actor LL Cool J, incited a flurry of reactions, but more for how poorly it handled the subject of race than for its ability to provoke discussion.

A few weeks ago, Mike Rice, the men’s basketball coach for Rutgers University, was fired after ESPN broadcast a video in which he was seen physically and verbally abusing his players.

Since January 2011, at least 82 violations have been reported in Oregon hospitals, according to a report by KATU News. These violations include a surgeon mistakenly operating on a child’s left eye instead of the right and a nurse accidentally connecting a nasogastric tube to oxygen instead of suction, sending the patient into cardiac arrest.

The Internet was all abuzz over a photo Women’s Rights News posted on its Facebook wall a couple of weeks ago. Thousands of people have since “liked” it and, no, it wasn’t another cute cat photo.

The New York City Police Department has carried out 5 million stop-and-frisks in the last
10 years, according to the Associated Press. The practice allows police to detain, question and pat down anyone who they “reasonably suspect” has committed or is about to commit a crime. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, both major proponents of the practice, claim it’s the reason the city’s crime rates are decreasing, according to an NBC News report.

The “Slower Traffic Keep Right” signs we see posted along our freeways may soon be more than just a good idea in Oregon—they might become law. If Oregon Sen. Ginny Burdick has her way, it will be illegal to drive in the left lane of the freeway unless you’re passing someone. Until very recently, I hadn’t given it much thought. Then I drove to California for spring break, and the proposal took on a whole different meaning.