It was nearly 9 years ago when PassinArt first produced the play "A Sunbeam." Now, with three actors from the original production returning to the stage, the controversial and emotional play about family, mental illness and tough choices is back. The play runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through April 25 at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center.
"A Sunbeam," by John Henry Redwood, tells the story of . . .

Today, Freedom Watch announced the filing of a class action lawsuit by shareholders of AIG to force the directors of the company to themselves pay back the millions in illicit bonuses, dividends and other perks they paid out to themselves and other officials who destroyed the company's financial standing. The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Los Angeles, is wide reaching and will accomplish what Congress cannot, given the patent illegality of its taxing scheme, which violates the U.S. Constitution as it would tax ex post facto and discriminately. . . .

http://www.addictinggames.com/trilliondollarbailout.html
Trillion Dollar Bailout

http://www.addictinggames.com/supergrannywinterwonderland.html
Supergranny Winter Wonderland

The 2009 Rose Festival Court's first public appearance is at the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade,
April 25, 9 a.m.
Each selected Princess will be awarded a $3,500 scholarship courtesy of The Randall Group.
Pacific Power provides a mentoring program of female executives who are matched with the court members as well as sponsoring the Queen's Coronation.
The 2009 KeyBank Grand Floral Parade is Saturday, June 6, at Memorial Coliseum.

Watch the documentary, "Life in Iran with Rick Steves" and meet the film's photojournalist, Abdi Sami.... "Life in Iran with Rick Steves" is a travel documentary about Iran and its people. Hosted by travel expert Rick Steves, the documentary explores Iran's history and modern-day Iran. Sami has worked in the film industry for more than 20 years.. . . .

Walter Mosley, returns to Seattle after a year and a half, an event occasioned not by his first new book since then, but his fourth. Since taking Easy Rawlins to the brink . . .
Mahmood Mamdani, an eminent professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, will be speaking about his new book "Saviors and Survivors . . .
The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai is returning to Seattle to discuss her new book "The Challenge for Africa." Here in the U.S. from her home in Nairobi, the Kenyan activist who first became known for her work in starting the Green Belt Movement. . . .
The 2009 Seattle Reads title, Nancy Rawles' novel "My Jim," is a novel narrated by a woman who lived as a slave in the U.S. in the 19th century. The continued existence of slavery now  . . .

John Hope Franklin, a towering scholar and pioneer of African-American studies who wrote the seminal text on the black experience in the U.S. and worked on the landmark Supreme Court case that outlawed public school segregation, died Wednesday. He was 94. ... Born and raised in an all-black community in Oklahoma where he was often subjected to humiliating racism, Franklin was later instrumental in bringing down the legal and historical validations of such a world . . .

Local author and historian Ester Mumford will discuss the history of African-American writers and small presses in Washington state. Many writings by African-Americans have been published by small presses and self-publishing. Following Mumford's talk, local writers from the African-American Writers Alliance will read from their work. . . .

As he carries out a retooled strategy in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama says he will consult with Pakistan's leaders before pursuing terrorist hideouts in that country. Obama said U.S. ally Pakistan needs to be more accountable, but ruled out deploying U.S. troops there. "Our plan does not change the recognition of Pakistan as a sovereign government,'' the president told CBS television's "Face the Nation'' in an interview broadcast Sunday. . . .

Despite the election of the nation's first Black president and the growing clout of Black Capitol Hill lawmakers, the lot of African-Americans remains largely unchanged and even slightly worse, according to the National Urban League's "The State of Black America 2009" report released March 18. "For Black America, it's a tale of two cities," NUL President/CEO Marc Morial told members of the Black Press during a March 17 phone conference about the annual report that gauges Black progress. "It's an important time to celebrate successes in the political arena but that doesn't mean the dream is realized.". . .