ST. LOUIS — I showed up at the airport at 5 a.m. with a birthday wish.

One of my sisters has worked for an airline for nearly 30 years. A perk of the job allows her to share a buddy pass with a family member or friend willing to try for a standby seat on a flight. It costs a fraction of what I normally pay for an advance purchase fare.

I don...Read more

'IS GOD IS'

Rated R for strong/bloody violence and language.

What it’s about: Twin sisters set off on a revenge road trip to enact vengeance on their abusive father.

The kid attractor factor: This is a Southern noir — bleak, violent and dark. Not for kids.

Good lessons/bad lessons: It's a challenge to escape our circumstances and ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — Frankie Antonelli, like his mother, Debbie, is a pure shooter. His best sport may be swimming — he’s racked up numerous Special Olympics medals in freestyle — but basketball is where his true passion lies. You see it in his myriad 3-point celebrations and the smile he wears on the court.

Frankie, 28, self-scouts as a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Another California baby has contracted measles — this time, in Orange County — raising questions about what parents should do to protect their youngsters as the notoriously contagious disease continues to spread nationwide.

It's at least the state's second infant case of measles so far this year. Officials in San Francisco ...Read more

'THE SHEEP DETECTIVES'

Rated PG for thematic material, some violent content and brief language.

What it’s about: A group of intrepid sheep set out to solve the murder of their shepherd by using the skills they've learned through mystery novels that he reads to them.

The kid attractor factor: The animated sheep are a draw, of course, as well...Read more