24 April 2007: Morning

  • Suicide bomber rams truck into U.S. outpost in Iraq, killing nine soldiers and wounding 20.
  • Baghdad Sunnis demonstrate against the al-Adhamiyah wall, fearing life as pseudo-Palestinians.
  • Whether halted or continuing, how many walls are planned for Baghdad? (For some reason, dents and hair dryers come to mind.)
  • Lives on either side of a wall dividing the U.S. and Mexico.
  • Texas has easy time deploying security on the Mexican border, harder time securing land rights.
  • We will take the evidence where it leads us. Office of Special Counsel launches broad investigation into Karl Rove's tenure at the White House.
  • Terrific coverage as Economist reporter goes "furtive" in Zimbabwe.
  • Reporter goes undercover at a 72-hour party dedicated to "Shabu," otherwise known as meth for rich people.
  • Migrants' remittances, to get realpolitik with foreign aid, account for $300 billion.
  • Yeltsin, a man for all seasons: hero, villain, buffoon.
  • David Halberstam dead at 73 from a car crash.
  • Eighty-seven Christians reverse-crash Mike Daisey's Invincible Summer, citing offensive language (see video; also, art scandals).
  • How to interview the White Stripes on public radio.
  • Russell Simmons wants three "extreme curse words" bleeped from rap.
  • Venn diagrams break down extreme-curse-word-heavy "This Is Why I'm Hot."
  • The astounding story of imaginary soul superstar Mingering Mike and a gallery of his hand-painted cardboard records.
  • Robert "Don't Call Me Robbie" Birnbaum on the week in books.
  • Adultery in the Amis family, and other ways of being Kingsley and Martin.