15 December 2010: Afternoon

Inquiry says Kosovo's prime minister runs weapons, drugs, and organs smuggling group.

Hitchens: Kissinger is "that rare and foul beast, a man whose record shows sympathy for communism and fascism."

I had never before encountered such a union of intrigue and idealism. Wieseltier remembers Holbrooke.

Nobel scandal shamed Marie Curie and ruined her love affair; Einstein advised quitting gossip.

Summary of this year's 10 big news stories in Africa.

Lack of cash for college athletes reconsidered after father tried to shop his (now Heisman-winning) son.

You guys in AZ are life savers. Arizona provided execution drug when California needed to kill its first person in five years.

Richard Owen was a renowned biologist until he fell out with Darwin and found success overshadowed.

Erasing bad memories may best be done by piggybacking on "the brain's natural 'uninstall' routines."

Hey, I realize I never asked, what are your pronouns? Etiquette when you don't know if someone's a boy or a girl.

Seventy-seven percent of Americans approve repealing "don't ask, don't tell."

Announcement: Judging position open for 2011 Tournament of Books.

Ten most powerful tweets of 2010, from Twitter's "Year in Review."

Best kitchen-items gift list we've seen; 60 Tumblr blogs.