Daily Inbox

For years, graffiti has slowly been transitioning from a renegade act of defiance to a nearly mainstream form of art. Graffiti pieces are selling at contemporary art auctions, and the internet is making it easier for images to proliferate, allowing artists to make a name for themselves. Of course, no transition this big comes without it's share of hurdles, as demonstrated by several major lawsuits filed this month. First, three graffiti artists targeted Terry Gilliam for violating the copyright they hold on a large scale Buenos Aires mural called Castillo by including the mural in his newest film, The Zero Theorem. Then Maya Hayuk took singer Sara Bareilles and Sony Music to task for using her Bowery Street mural to promote a concert tour. She's also in a legal battle with Coach over...

In the midst of a historic drought, a new analysis of state records has revealed that the Bay Area of California has been losing as much as 23 billion gallons of water a year. Due to a variety of problems experienced by the region's water providers, including aging and broken pipes, the counties have leaked enough to submerge all of Manhattan with five feet of water. This news has been ill-received by area residents attempting to conserve their water usage. According to research conducted by the San Jose Mercury News, Bay Area water agencies have lost anywhere from three to 16% of their treated water. This news comes in light of area residents who have been forced to reduce their water use by up to 20% and abide by California's first statewide restrictions on outdoor watering. However, ...

Classrooms in Chicago city schools are going to get more comfortable soon. Air conditioning has been installed in 57 out of 681 public schools, and 29 more will receive air conditioning units by October's end. According to officials, 154 schools total have received air conditioning over the past two years. The air conditioning comes after several years of complaints from parents, teachers, and students alike. Both parents and teachers say that the high temperatures in the classroom make it difficult for students to actually learn. In Chicago, temperatures in the mid to high 80s persist from May until the end of September. The Chicago Public School system serves approximately 400,000 students, elementary to high school. The air conditioning installations are part of a larger, five yea...

Clean up crews are working around the clock to clear debris from parts of Michigan that were devastated by recent heavy rains and flooding. In many neighborhoods, piles of water-damaged furniture, carpets and other house hold items that could not be salvaged line the streets. As trucks attempt to clear the tons of garbage left in front of homes, many reinforcements have been called in. The city of Warren has already spent $100,000 in overtime costs to deal with the damage left by the storm. Many basements experienced severe flood damage, with some that had water up to the ceiling. As a place that doesn't typically receive this kind of rain or flooding, many residents were not prepared for the amount of water that invaded their homes, and many are facing thousands of dollars in repair...

Education has often been a hot topic, whether it's in regard to the latest budget cuts, the newest testing requirements, or the confusing nature of the Common Core. One issue that is often under-addressed, though, is the problem of buses not having any air conditioning, especially in Southern states where temperatures can soar to head indexes above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In Lake County School District -- near Orlando, Florida -- several buses in the district still lack air conditioning. Now that school is starting back up, many students are stuck sitting for up to an hour in hot temperatures. According to the district's spokesman, Chris Patton, 47 out of 330 buses lack air conditioning in the district. The issue is that, while new buses have air conditioning, older ones don't -- and th...