This week has overflowed with unexpected arts stories. From the breakdancing troupe in Uganda and predictions that the Street Art bubble is due to burst, to a Tony Awards ceremony with hardly a Hollywood star to be found and the sudden death of a celebrated photojournalist, the past several days have been anything but business as usual in the art world. These are our highlights of the week. What were yours?

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MEXICO CITY — The government of quake-prone Mexico City is planning to send earthquake alerts by text message and through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says he hopes to have the system working by Sept. 19, the anniversary of the 8.1-magnitude earthquake in 1985 that killed as many as 10,000 people.

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SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Costa Rican rescuers on Friday found the body of a third U.S. high school student who was swept out to sea while taking a beach break during a religious mission.

A coast guard patrol recovered the body of Kai Lamar in waters off Bejuco beach on the Pacific coast, said Jesus Escalona, Red Cross assistant director of operations. The bodies of the other two students, Caity Jones and James Smith, were found earlier this week.

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DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points, Jason Terry had 23 and Peja Stojakovic scored 11 of his 15 in the fourth quarter, rallying the Dallas Mavericks to a 98-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night that puts the two-time defending champions on the brink of elimination.

Dallas trailed by seven points with 5:05 left and was getting shredded inside by a new-look Lakers lineup featuring three big men. The Mavs hadn't led since late in the second quarter and a record crowd was turning silent. Then Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer and Stojakovic followed with another, bringing the team and the crowd to life. An 18-6 rally followed, turning around the game and possibly sealing the series.

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Florida, your long nightmare is over!

No, I'm not talking about the current reign of your grifter governor -- that's a nightmare of much shorter duration.

At long last, and on its third attempt, the Florida legislature has succeeded in passing an anti-bestiality bill. From the perspective of the folks outraged about what happened to this goat, "Osama bin Laden has been brought to justice."

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The bipartisan legislation is unique in that it carries with it the prospect of a roll call, in which every member of the House will have to choose a side: open-ended war in Afghanistan, or a clear plan for military withdrawal?

After the stroke, my mother no longer remembered all the good times we'd shared. Even though my name was the first she uttered aloud, it quickly lost meaning when she proceeded to call everyone else Padma as well.

The Supreme Court of the United States just told a sexually assaulted high school girl to shut up and go home. They didn't say it...

Whether you are a fan of paying down the debt, providing a strong national defense, or protecting social security, if money is sitting in the oil industry's pockets rather than in our national bank account, we are all out of luck.

It is time for us to engage in our own sovereign duty to protect American companies, workers and jobs from the trade manipulations and schemes others engage in.

Black Friday comes and goes and has many wondering, does this mean that U.S. Internet gaming is doomed? My answer is no, Black Friday didn't ruin the emergence of U.S Internet gaming; it actually helped it.

All that relentless touring has made Gregg Gillis very, very hungry. Last week Gillis shared some of his favorite on-the-road eats with us -- he's a regular ol' foodie.

A Los Angeles councilman introduced a motion Friday that could prohibit the sale and purchase of pets bred in puppy and kitten mills.
Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents an area that includes West L.A., Hollywood and Encino, said he introduced the motion to ease the city's pet overpopulation problem.
Some pet stores purchase animals from puppy and kitten mills or large-scale breeding operations with unsanitary and overcrowded conditions and inbreeding.

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Blake Shelton didn't mean to be homophobic and perpetuating anti-gay violence, but did those who RTed The Voice coach get that? Probably not.

Recently, More editor Lesley Jane Seymour let the world in on a little secret: Fashion editors cut the size labels out of clothes on fashion shoots, as not to damage the oh-so-fragile egos of actresses.

Recently I held a reading of a new anthology I have an essay in. I read aloud a sort of audio-word cloud of some of...

Millennials have grown up in this world of instanity, where information, photos, and prices (when they're shopping) are just one click away. They are also...

Myths and facts presented out of context are all too common in the U.S. abortion debate. Misinformation extends to even the most basic questions: Who...

That picture of a cat licking a lollipop you found on Google Images may be infected.

According to the SANS Internet Storm Center, a number of Google Images are actually infected with malware that misdirects users to pages that try to sell fake anti-virus scareware that and to make users believe they must download the program to avoid viruses.

These scammers use photos from third-party sites so that the images appear to be legitimate, using top search terms from Google Trends so that the content on the page also seems real.

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Did Eichmann and Hussein receive true justice by appearing in courts of law and sentenced to death under the rule of law? Was Osama bin Laden notably and unceremoniously treated to a revenge killing for his crimes?

The Mint Julep rules as the official Kentucky Derby cocktail. Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve's master distiller, knows his way around a mint julep and shares his ultimate recipe.

The stunning capture and death of Osama bin Laden belies the widespread and ever-insistent notion that nothing works in America.

The European Commission's director-general for transport and mobility policy warned if actions are delayed to reduce oil dependency, "we may be forced to drastically reduce all our mobility."

I recently sat down with foundation staff member Amie Newman to answer some of her questions about maternal health. It's a topic about which I am passionate.

Saturday marks the 137th Run for the Roses, and whether or not you're a horse-racing fan, it's a day for wearing frivolous hats and drinking...

Now is the time -- if there ever was one -- for Hamas to work as a government, not a terrorist entity. They must sit with Fatah and together show that they can be partners for peace.

If Thor isn't a homerun, it's an extremely solid base hit, effectively extending the goal posts of what to expect in this universe without ever shattering our suspension of disbelief.

I explain to my finance students that inflation is like hypertension: a silent, symptomless killer. The easiest way to grow poor for the long run is to succumb to the ersatz safety of cash.

Most of our kids know that killing is "bad." So the celebration of this man's death certainly has the potential to generate confusion in our children.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Two Muslim religious leaders say they were removed from a commercial airliner in Memphis on Friday and were told it was because the pilot refused to fly with them aboard.

Masudur Rahman, who is also an adjunct instructor of Arabic at the University of Memphis, said by telephone from the terminal at Memphis International Airport that he and another imam had already been allowed to board their Delta Connection flight to Charlotte, N.C., before they were asked to de-board.

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A growing rift between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has bubbled to the surface recently, fueling speculation that the president will resign.

The schism began months ago, but came to a head in recent weeks when Ahmadinejad dismissed Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi. Khamenei, who has final authority on all political decisions, immediately re-instated the minister in a move widely perceived as a rebuke to the president.

In retaliation, Ahmadinejad skipped two Cabinet meetings, but by Sunday, May 1, he signaled he was stepping down from the fight. According to the AP, he ended "his apparent boycott of Cabinet meetings and accusing the U.S. and Israel of exaggerating internal rifts."

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Being there to see these 300 pound creatures come up on the beach and lay their eggs is one of the most moving wildlife experiences on the planet.

The Vermont House of Representatives voted 94 to 49 this week to establish a Green Mountain health insurance exchange, the first step in establishing a single payer program in that State. But there's still a long way to go.

Jitlada has seen us on plenty of L.A. Date Nights. Can we not spice things up (we are in Thai Town, after all)? The Hollywood Thailand Plaza is set up like a game of get-in-the-mood Monopoly -- a Thai restaurant with easy-cuddling leather booths, a Thai market with cutesy custard desserts. And a stone's throw away is a new enclave of nightcaps to cool your peppered tongue.

Ruen Pair: Thailand Plaza has dining fare for days -- eschew the flashier Thai Patio and Red Corner Asia and seek out the green sign that bears mostly Thai lettering (we believe "Ruen Pair Thai Cuisine" was added as a let's-help-the-Americans afterthought). Request a table that shares the leather banquette, and like a magnet, your date will opt to sit beside you for the entire meal (as my date did recently -- swoon!). After a heaping papaya salad that's a must-share, an order of stewed duck with these wide, flat noodles (pictured, at right) might inspire a "Lady and the Tramp" moment. And another thing: A night at Ruen Pair is barely two dollar signs.
5257 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; 323-466-0153

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Like the photo diary of an itinerant young bohemian, "The Wild Heart" invites the viewer into the bedrooms of the photographer and her friends, where we find the inhabitants unguarded and authentic.

What if, at this pivotal moment in history, the U.S. sought to lead the world on a path of reconciliation rather than a path of war?

If you need evidence that the pallid economy is regaining its color, just ask mural artist Doug Coggeshall. Last week, I caught up with Coggeshall...

HELENA, Mont. -- Two Montana residents have filed a lawsuit against "Three Cups of Tea" author Greg Mortenson and his Central Asia Institute for alleged fabrications in his book.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Missoula is the latest fallout after published reports Mortenson lied about events in his best-selling book and may have benefited from his charity.

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Walji and I discussed the intersection between innovation and development, the future of social enterprise, current initiatives and efforts underway in the Innovation Practice, and much more.

Unfortunately, rankings are a zero sum game: if everyone learns to game them, no one can get a competitive advantage. The consequence is a market-induced disaster.

By Colin Clark
Editor, AOL Defense

Washington: John Douglass, the former head of America’s top defense lobby, will run for Congress in the Virginia district currently held by Rep. Frank Wolf (R).

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Pull the banner out of storage and string it back across the aircraft carrier. Because this time, Mission Really Accomplished. Barack bested bin Laden. Obama got Osama.

There Be Dragons is one of the few faith-based films that knows what "cinematic" looks and sounds like. That's what a $35 million dollar budget gets you.

Kids, are you taking notes? 3 breakfasts-in-bed and 3 celebratory dinners that mom's little helpers (or big ones) can tackle with pride. Breakfast in Bed...

The Republicans in the Senate have thrown down the gauntlet: 44 Republican senators have signed a letter saying they won't confirm anyone to be the director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unless the new agency is made toothless.

Al Qaeda confirmed that Osama bin Laden is in Hell, the only thing bleaker than a Golden Corral on a Saturday night. The first GOP presidential debate indicates the Republican primary will be won or lost on heroin and pizza chains. And as Americans mark the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Riders, Republicans are preparing to anoint the next heroes in the fight for civil rights: Booz Allen Hamilton executives. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Friday, May 6th, 2011:

Playbook led with "West Wing Week" this morning. Only a BOLD political tip sheet would drop some government propaganda right out of the gate. Take it away, Chairman.

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Thor marks the official beginning of the summer blockbuster season -- and these days, that means comic books and superheroes.

WASHINGTON -- Hispanic lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with President Barack Obama for not using his executive authority to change immigration policy, an issue with next to no prospects in Congress for at least another two years.

A Wednesday meeting between Obama and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) “started off testy,” according to one lawmaker in attendance, as members vented that the president had not adequately used his power to advance an issue he routinely supports.

“We’ve run out of time. We’re not going to get any legislation out of the House or even the Senate. We need some administrative relief,” said this lawmaker, adding, "we go back home and get shit on all the time” for not getting anywhere on immigration policy.

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By Maura Kelly In mid-April I traveled to Ethiopia and zigzagged 1000 miles across the rolling hills and towns of the northern Amhara region with...

The Windsors have tied the knot yet again. But the wedding of this century has turned out to be very different from the one in 1981 when Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer.