News and Issues

"They became the first immortal human cell line ever grown in culture and one of the most important tools in medicine: Research on HeLa was vital to the development of the polio vaccine, as well as drugs for treating herpes, leukemia, influenza, hemophilia, and Parkinson's disease; it helped uncover the secrets of cancer and the effects of the atom bomb, and led to important advances like cloning, in vitro fertilization, and gene mapping." more »

Maggi Hambling: 'She works all the hours she can, waiting, working, until the muse arrives, as she puts it. If the muse doesn't show up, Hambling destroys the canvas she's working on' ". more »

"These are serious times, and what's required by all of us — Democrats and Republicans — is to do what's right for our country, even if it's not always what's best for our politics. I know it may be heresy to say this, but there are things more important than good poll numbers ... A middle class that's back on its feet, an economy that lifts everybody up, an America that's ascendant in the world — that's more important than winning an election." more »

President Obama peppered his State of the Union address to Congress and the nation with facts, which were mostly right but sometimes cherry-picked, strained or otherwise misleading. The Republican response had its problems, too. more »