A&E

Pope Benedict XVI attends screening of made-for-TV movie about John Paul II

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI attended a Vatican screening Thursday of a television miniseries on the life of Pope John Paul II -- giving equal billing to the latest biopic on his predecessor after watching a rival production six months ago. Benedict said "Pope John Paul II," which CBS will broadcast Dec. 4 and Dec. 7, provided an important service in spreading the message about the life and works of the late pope.

Designer giving pairs of $215 specialty sneakers to illegal immigrants

SAN DIEGO -- The high-top sneakers cost $215 at a San Diego boutique, but the designer is giving them away to migrants before they cross to this side of the U.S.-Mexico border. These are no ordinary shoes. A compass and flashlight dangle from one shoelace. The pocket in the tongue is for money or pain relievers. A rough map of the border region is printed on a removable insole.

Unions protest produce placement trend

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood writers and actors are calling for a code of conduct to govern a growing trend of hidden advertising in TV shows and films, and they say they will appeal to federal regulators if studios don't respond.

Lewis and Clark monument dedicated

CAIRO, Ill. -- While thrilled to be entrusted with creating a memorial to Lewis and Clark's brief visit two centuries ago to this outpost near where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet, Evertt Beidler found the work itself to be a bit of an adventure. The Southern Illinois University art graduate student built the 12-foot, 1,100-pound sculpture of stainless steel and bronze inlays in a school building that lacked the right hoisting equipment for such a massive project. As a result, Beidler did a lot of improvising.

Former Straight No Chaser singer goes solo

Local singer-songwriter Ryan Ahlwardt has been creating quite the buzz around Bloomington. He is working on finishing his first album featuring his track "I Can See Forever." Ahlwardt hopes the album will be released later this year, but for now, he's still working on trying to "get the fun I have on stage onto a CD.

Getty's ex-curator to appear at art theft trial

ROME -- The former antiquities curator of the J. Paul Getty Museum was dealt a series of setbacks as her trial on illegal trafficking charges resumed Wednesday in a court case widely seen as a warning to the art world. The case, which stemmed from a 10-year smuggling investigation, has cast doubt over the provenance of artifacts in several museums other than the Getty, including Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Music student wins major competition in Paris

"Congratulations, Frederieke!" shouts a passerby carrying a cello case.

Loyal fan base packs Alumni Hall for Hanson rock concert

Hanson still has the ability to shake its mostly female audience to the core. Case in point: Some girls got sick in the bathroom before the show even began.

Hanson bridges gap between musicians and fans

Screams of anticipation could be heard from Whittenberger Auditorium Monday afternoon. Newly independent band Hanson visited campus for a screening of its documentary, "Strong Enough to Break," and later held a concert in Alumni Hall.

Italy invites Metropolitan Museum of Art director

ROME -- Italy's culture minister has invited the director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to Rome for talks as Italy steps up efforts to recover allegedly looted antiquities from top U.S. museums, the minister said Friday.

Festival celebrates traditional, modern Asian art

The Asian American Association pulled together Saturday a night of fashion, dance, comedy and talent. The program was devoted to showing the cultural contributions Asian Americans have made to the United States. "The U.S. is not a melting pot but one big stirfry," said the emcee, student Dan Vergara.

Audience: 'Macbeth' is 'powerful'

The lobby of the Ruth N. Halls Theatre was buzzing Friday night after the opening performance of Shakespeare's classic tragedy "Macbeth." The play, the third in the IU Department of Theatre and Drama's season, started its run with enthusiasm despite the dark mood of the show. "It was spectacular," said senior Erin Aakhus after the show. "It's a visual feast."

Straight out of a 'dream'

The next production of the IU Opera Theatre will involve a rare collaboration between the opera and ballet departments - odd bedfellows, for the two departments hardly ever collaborate in productions. Benjamin Britten's operatic rendition of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," opening at 8 p.m. Friday at the Musical Aarts Center, is one of this season's operas in English that is actually a part of the English operatic tradition, rather than a translation from Italian, French or German.

POWER DECEPTION MURDER

Halloween might be over, but the Department of Theatre and Drama is keeping the devilish spirit alive with its presentation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," opening at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.

Hanson live and electric '05

After reaching the height of fame in their early teens, it's taken years to shake a teenybopper image. Now, 13 years and a handful of albums later, Hanson has severed ties with the record industry that made them international stars, having become industry vets who are older and wiser.

Chicago lawyer writes war novel

CHICAGO -- Author Scott Turow's father served as a field surgeon in a medical unit during World War II, but his stories about that experience stopped flowing before his son reached his teen years. Now Turow -- whose work as an attorney has often inspired his best-selling legal thrillers like "Presumed Innocent" -- has used his father's conflicted views about war and courage as the jumping off point for his latest novel, a foray into historical fiction called "Ordinary Heroes."

They dressed that way so we wouldn't have to

Uptown almost perfect, except for service

Rumor has it that the Uptown Café is one of the hot spots in Bloomington. Located just off the square in the heart of downtown, the café, better know as Uptown, is recognized for its great food and personable atmosphere. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, we sat in the restaurant's outside seating.

Mitchell Street Band boasts originality

Not many bands can claim to be started on a cruise ship -- and many bands in Bloomington can't even claim to prefer original pieces to covers.

IU String Academy boasts world-class experiences

IU's School of Music is hiding something right under students' noses -- literally.