Peter Kramer

2 days ago | usatoday.com | Karissa Waddick |Margie Cullen |Peter Kramer |Caitlyn Kelleher |Katie Landeck

As Catholics mourn the death of Pope Francis and reflect on the pontiff's legacy as a reformer, questions are emerging about who might follow the 266th leader of the church. Cardinals from across the globe will soon gather under a shroud of secrecy at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City to decide who's best equipped to solve the challenges facing the Catholic Church and guide 1.4 million Catholic people. But where will the next pope come from? What will he stand on wide-reaching Catholic debates?

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Peter Kramer

Pope Benedict XVI drew crowds wherever he went in his "Christ Our Hope" tour in April 2008. On his first day in New York, he addressed the U.N. General Assembly, urging it to avoid war by "giving attention and encouragement to even the faintest sign of dialogue or desire for reconciliation." He stopped at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan for Passover greetings and then huddled with more than 250 Christian leaders in a small German Catholic church and recited the Lord's Prayer with them.

1 week ago | lohud.com | Peter Kramer

The 2nd annual Eastern Student Artist Guild (ESAG) Awards will honor non-musical high school theater productions in the New York metro area. The awards ceremony, sponsored by Iona University and Open Jar Studios, will be held on May 4th at the YWCA in White Plains.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Peter Kramer

This time last year, Rye Neck theater teacher Cyndi Feinman announced a new program to honor non-musical plays across the New York metro region, saying she hoped the Eastern Student Artist Guild awards would "level the playing field," to give non-musical plays their due amid the host of awards given to musicals. Feinman has just announced the nominations for the 2nd annual ESAG Awards: 14 theater programs and 16 productions from the Bronx to Brewster, more than in its inaugural year.

1 week ago | usatoday.com | Peter Kramer

The Institute for Museum and Library Services ends grants used to train librarians and fund innovations. President Trump's executive order to reduce the IMLS led to the terminations, despite Congressional funding for the programs. The grants are funded by reimbursement, so many institutions are on the hook for money already spent. Lawsuits have been filed to challenge the grant terminations, arguing they violate Congressional intent.