4 June 2009: Afternoon

Israelis miffed Obama won't honor "clear understandings" with Bush to allow settlement growth during "settlement freeze."

Ahmadinejad's rival during debate attacks corruption, Holocaust-denial, general "illusional perceptions."

What exactly the Chinese government says about Tiananmen Square: nothing, or the "June 4 incident."

Op: The economy's improvement is likely thanks to the Fed's monetary policy, though Obama's confidence booster may have played a role.

Newspapers mum about raising prices, but several, including the Times, cost double what they did in 2007.

One key difference between the '70s and today is that in the '70s the tourists looked scared. James Walcott remembers skuzzier New York.

Diversity hiring and ticket-balancing is as old as the Republic; only our hypocrisy about it is new.

Obama's Cairo speech to be broadcast via text message to more than 200 countries, but not the U.S.

Birdsong radio falls off the air.

Study finds isolated finches sing like those in nature, suggesting a genetic basis for birdsong grammar.

Alex Ross's list of favorite Mahler symphonies.

Gearing up for Infinite Summer, your upcoming Foster Wallace reading challenge: learn the rules, meet the guides.

J.D. Salinger emerges--or directs his lawyers to emerge--to block an author's Catcher sequel.