Search results for

When Bolinas, Calif., nearly ran out of water, the town came up with a plan — cut household usage to 150 gallons per day, half the average U.S. home use. The whole town pitched in, including the kids. Late rains saved the water supply, but it was only a reprieve.

In his new book, Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller, economist Jeff Rubin says rising oil prices will lead to a major restructuring of our economy and lifestyles.

In Paris, a new chapter in one of sport's greatest rivalries begins this weekend at the French Open. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have switched positions at the top of men's tennis. The transition from Federer, the former No. 1, to Nadal, the current top dog, has featured epic matches and displays of raw emotion.

Manmohan Singh is sworn in Friday for a second term as India's prime minister. Last week, his Congress party achieved its biggest election victory in many years. It means India's new ruling coalition will be stronger than the last — but it's also under greater pressure to deliver.

Stephen Bruton played guitar for nearly 40 years with Kris Kristofferson. He recorded five solo albums, and his songs have been covered by such greats as Bonnie Raitt and Willie Nelson. Bruton died of cancer on May 9 at the home of his longtime friend, music producer and songwriter T-Bone Burnett.

A now-infamous 2008 trip to Avatar Studios brought Liane Hansen face to face with her vocal limitations. But she also met a young artist making her debut recordings. Now Sabrina Scott has released her EP, called A New View.

A Congressional subcommittee on Wednesday had a hearing with two witnesses who warned the Bush administration against harsh interrogation techniques. One is Ali Soufan, the FBI agent who interrogated Abu Zubaydah. The other is Philip Zelikow, the State Department official who protested that there was no legal basis for justifying the techniques.

Composers seem to equate villainy with the bass voice. All the better for Samuel Ramey, whose resonant low tones have thrilled opera audiences worldwide as he plays libertines, devils and scoundrels.

Hundreds of civilians in Sri Lanka have been killed recently. Aid officials believe many were victims of shelling by the Sri Lankan army fighting against the Tamil Tigers, who are using civilians as human shields. The Sri Lankan government is ignoring international appeals for a pause in the fighting. The military has its sights set on one man.

The 2009 Social Security and Medicare Trustees report released Tuesday showed the funds will be exhausted a couple of years sooner than expected. That's largely because high unemployment rates mean a lower level of payroll tax receipts being paid in to both programs. David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal talks with Steve Inskeep about the financial future of the programs.