Mauton Akran is a senior at Oakland Technical High School. He moved to Oakland, California from Nigeria when he was six and he hasn’t been back there since. He’s been teased by black Americans for the darkness of his skin, he’s shared their experiences of racism, and he’s developed a passion for hip-hop.

This 27-minute documentary explores the tensions between African immigrants and black Americans through Mauton’s eyes.

Listen to Part 1

Listen to Part 2

Delegates had to weigh two things at the Democratic state convention in Connecticut. One was the 18-year record of Senator Joseph Lieberman, who is seeking a fourth term. The other is how to deal with Mr. Lieberman’s support for the war in Iraq, which has become increasingly unpopular at home.

The City of Slidell, just north across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. But unlike the lower parishes of Southeast Louisiana, the water in the Slidell area, for the most part, came in and went out. That allowed the region to recover quickly and tens of thousands of displaced residents have moved in to be close to home, boosting the population by nearly a third.

Still, Slidell businesses that have decided to reopen face uncertain futures.

The city of Baton Rouge in Louisiana has an estimated 100,000 new residents thanks to Hurricane Katrina, and that has created an almost permanent traffic jam. The number of cars on the roads there is up at least 30 percent.

Now another story from the Northeast. If you visit Danbury, Connecticut, you’ll see evidence of successive waves of immigration over the decades. There are Portuguese bakeries, Asian gift shops and Brazilian beauty salons. But the latest newcomers are clashing with older residents, and the mayor is calling for a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell has signed a bill to establish civil unions for same-sex couples. Court rulings led to civil unions in Vermont in 2000, and marriage for same-sex couples in Massachusetts last year. Connecticut is now the first state to approve civil unions without court pressure. But both supporters and opponents of marriage for same-sex couples are unsatisfied with the new law.

Artist Jane Philbrick has spent the last several months working, not in her studio, but on a factory floor. She has been collaborating with the engineers of Honeywell Fire Solutions, makers of fire alarm systems. The resulting artwork – “Pull” – was installed at Art Space in New Haven as part of their “Factory Direct” exhibit.

American troops in Iraq largely have been spared major combat this Christmas weekend, following a week that saw 14 US military personnel killed in a suicide bomb blast in a dining facility in Mosul. Earlier this month Connecticut Army National Guard Specialist Robert Hoyt was killed in action at age 21. Hoyt was born on the Fourth of July in 1983.