Illegal abortion and ‘The Way of the World’

“The Four Seasons,” a set of four 15-foot fiberglass sculptures by American artist and filmmaker Philip Haas, are on display at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix until April 28.

LOS ANGELES — A grave 12-year-old African girl, abducted from her village by vicious armed rebels and forced to wage war as a child soldier, guides the viewer through the horrors of Canadian director Kim Nguyen's engrossing Oscar-nominated drama "War Witch." Managing to be neither sentimental nor sensationalistic, the film tells its story from the heart, and from the simple, straightforward viewpoint of young heroine Komona, warmly played by the talented Rachel Mwanza in her screen debut.

“Beautiful Creatures” is yet another addition to the unendurable genre of “Twilight” wannabes. The fact that “Twilight” could inspire so many shameless copycats in both the mediums of film and literature is a true testament to the moribund state of originality. Compared to the effortless “I Am Number Four” and the inexplicably laughable “Red Riding Hood,” “Beautiful Creatures” may not be the worst of the “Twilight” rip-offs. Heck, it’s actually a major step up from any of the five “Twilight” movies. But not even the occasional impressive set piece or clever twist can save “Beautiful Creatures” from its perceptible longing to be the next fantasy romance phenomenon.

WAITSFIELD, Vt. (AP) — Nearly 30 years ago, a handful of enterprising Vermonters realized they could do more with milk than just sell it. And with a little help from the state, they became pioneers in what quickly blossomed into the now behemoth artisanal cheese movement.

Now that his reign as The Governator is officially over, Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to shoot bad guys, sell one-liners, and butcher the English language again.

It’s time to let everyone—parents in Arizona and other states, along with state and national policymakers—see the results of Arizona’s education savings accounts. Over 400 children are using the accounts this year, and thousands more become eligible next year.

It’s not Rockefeller Center, but CityScape Phoenix, with its Christmas tree, twinkly lights and real outdoor ice rink, is about as close as we can come to a festive urban holiday tableau.

I’ve eaten approximately 40 turkeys in my life. Well, parts of turkeys that is. I have never tried to eat a whole one by myself, but I have collected my fair share of turkey experiences and every year brings something new.

During a weekend visit to Danny's home state of Iowa, a longtime friend of his treated us with a bag of culinary goodies she collected during her trip to Spain: a creme of sardine and whiskey pate in a small red-and-gold tin; a scorpionfish pate in a box with a drawing of the notoriously ugly sea creature on it; a tin of pimenton and another containing blood-sausage pate.

The bugle is calling assembly for all Leathernecks, Deck Apes, Wingnuts, Dog Faces, Bubbleheads and Shallow Water Boys. No, this is not about throwing a costume party or casting a horror movie.

Few developments in education have blasted through the status quo like Sal Khan’s “Khan Academy.” What started as a collection of instructional videos on YouTube to help his seventh-grade cousin with algebra is now a website featuring 3,400 videos on everything from logarithms to art history.

In these days when American political partisans are obsessed with making sure their political team wins, and when Justin Bieber’s hair is the subject of thousands of well-read articles on Google, politics and celebrity are momentarily overshadowed elsewhere by the tale of a brave Pakistan girl whose only wish was to go to school — and is battling for her life because of it.

So you think you know steaks? And maybe you do. But truth is, you probably only really know the particular cuts you buy over and over again. That's good, but there's a world of great beef out there to explore.

A true-crime author stumbles onto something beyond his beat in Scott Derrickson’s “Sinister,” which follows Ethan Hawke’s Ellison Oswalt as he grows increasingly obsessed with a missing-girl case he hopes will lead to a bestselling book. Occasionally stupid (stretching even fright-flick conventions) but scary nonetheless, the pic should please horror fans.

“I am wondering who paid fee to ASU for space, parking, and security at the recent Carmona Rally featuring former Pres Bill Clinton.”

Creators of the legendary The Nest haunted house unveiled the world’s first integration of social media and scare tactics for a personalized fear experience. Using a program that combines Facebook Connect and RFID tracking technology, guests are given the option to sign in and get a credential badge to wear through the haunted house.

A true-crime author stumbles onto something beyond his beat in Scott Derrickson's "Sinister," which follows Ethan Hawke's Ellison Oswalt as he grows increasingly obsessed with a missing-girl case he hopes will lead to a bestselling book. Occasionally stupid (stretching even fright-flick conventions) but scary nonetheless, the pic should please horror fans.

The Butcher Jones Recreation Site, on the Mesa Ranger District in the Tonto National Forest, is reopening 8 a.m. Friday. The site was closed while repairs were made by the Maricopa County Department of Transportation to surrounding roads after summer flooding.

One of Casa Serena Mobile Home Park’s most popular residents — known to greet female residents with a kiss and “Bonjour, bonjour!” as he rides his bicycle — is set to celebrate a milestone birthday in grand fashion.

A spotlight shines on youth sports — especially high school football — in Arizona this year with the new requirement for concussion education and a mandated medical clearance before returning to the sport after a concussion.

Several years ago when we moved to the Queen Creek area, we decided that we wanted to have fresh eggs every morning. Not only would it be wonderful to enjoy those fresh, tasty eggs, but it would also be wonderful to have our freezer full of fresh, home-raised chickens. It would be good for the kids, and it would bring us a step closer to producing a little of our own food.