Shedding light on Obama’s transparency

 Though the White House has pledged more open government, a new list of visitors indicates to some watchdog groups that the campaign promise has yet to be fulfilled.

Crime rates on campus

The University of California’s branches in Berkeley and Los Angeles have been known to lead the rankings in academic and athletic excellence. But the schools’ top spots on the FBI’s 2008 “Crime in the U.S.” report are something the Golden State may not be so proud of.

Rooted in Beirut

By Ben Sellers

It has been about a century since Rusty Fallen’s families—the Mehfouds on her mother’s side and the Gibralls on her father’s side—made their way to Richmond. These days, the small, Middle Eastern country of Lebanon—bordered by Israel, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea—seems overwrought with conflict. But for Fallen’s forebears, the world was a different place.

The play’s the thing

 By Jaclyn O’Laughlin and Ben Sellers

 For Grant Mudge, the artistic director of Richmond Shakespeare, there’s something special about seeing the bard performed at Agecroft Hall.

“It’s hard to beat that building as a backdrop, playing in the courtyard of a 500-year-old building behind you that stood in England during Shakespeare’s lifetime, to which he could have traveled,” said Mudge.

Just their cup of tea

By Ben Sellers

Ashland Coffee and Tea’s new owners moved from retirement in Northern Virginia to a bustling coffeeshop that’s filled with its share of challenges–but the lively atmosphere is just what they’re looking for.