Daniella Cheslow

A three-year drought has brought on water restrictions — and talk of "Day Zero," when Cape Town will run out of water. But for many people in the townships, a short supply is nothing new.

New Orleans conductor Paul Mauffray lifts the lid on a hot sauce opera that had been bottled up for a century. The show ran on Broadway in the late 1800s, and yes, it's about Tabasco.

In Puerto Rico, some people without power are relying on generators for electricity. Merengue singer Joseph Fonseca was inspired by the rumble of those machines, which led to his latest hit song.

Pittsburgh wants to become a model for cutting edge energy supply. Researchers in the city are planning a network of microgrids.

Last year China banned the sale of commercial elephant ivory. But that's led to another illicit trade — in woolly mammoth tusks — that is having a severe impact on Siberia's permafrost.

When Mary Jo and Mike Picklo bought their house in 2003, they expected to retire in it — until a coal mine opened across the street. They don't want it there, but they are nearly alone in their view.

About 5 percent of Israel's population is vegan. In a nation where military service is compulsory for most people, that's prompting the military to offer animal-free diets and clothing to soldiers.

During a month of renewed Israeli-Palestinian violence, one hummus restaurant is paying Jews and Arabs to sit down together for a meal. We drop in on the cafe to witness culinary diplomacy in action.

Making ancient Georgian wine is pretty uncomplicated: Toss grapes into a huge, egg-shaped pot, bury it, walk away. What comes out is an orange wine with a deep tannin flavor prized around the world.

The young, roasted form of wheat has been eaten in the Middle East for millennia. But over time many Palestinians replaced it with rice. Now it's becoming a nutritious, native food worthy of pride.