Free Republic

America’s favorite novel ever has been named: Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. More than four million votes were cast for PBS’s The Great American Read program, in which the public was given a list of 100 popular fiction contenders to choose their most-loved book. The contest was introduced in May with the long list, and voting has taken place through the fall, with PBS airing eight episodes spotlighting the novels according to theme: “Heroes,” What We Do for Love,” and on. Celebrities and famous authors were featured in the episodes, providing commentary on their personal favorite books and why...

In his first major speech since leaving office, former President Barack Obama endorsed the idea of providing a universal basic income. Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in South Africa on Tuesday, Obama raised the notion of guaranteed income as a way to reduce what he called "yawning disparities" in wealth, education, and security across different socioeconomic groups. "It's not just money that a job provides," said Obama. "It provides dignity and structure and a sense of place and a sense of purpose. So we're going to have to consider new ways of thinking about these problems, like a...

The following represent the swirling conversations I hear as I travel to various colleges where I am an adjunct instructor. ** I was hurrying to my classroom when I overheard the following. A female professor smilingly says to a student that she looks quite lovely in that new outfit. As the student thanks her and rushes off to class, the professor turns to another female professor standing in the hallway and worriedly says, "I guess I shouldn't have said that. It could be construed as sexist." The other professor, well-known for her multicultural slant, laughingly retorts that as the only...

IT'S OFFICIAL: 2005 WILL BE the newspaper industry's worst year since the last ad industry recession. And things aren't looking much better for next year either, according to a top Wall Street firm's report on newspaper publishing. "Sadly, 2005 is shaping up as the industry's worst year from a revenue growth perspective since the recession impacted 2001-2002 period," says the report from Goldman Sachs, adding a warning that meaningful growth in 2006 is "very unlikely."