9 November 2010: Morning

After voting mishaps, Connecticut's rising-star secretary of state finds herself in Katherine Harris territory.

The two men had played together, prayed together, and politicked together. How the election injured G.O.P. nepotism.

Lest anyone get too caught up in nostalgia--reminders of why the Bush presidency was as bad as you thought.

Progress is not the same as perfection, and shifting sand is not the same as progress. How we got from Bush to Obama to last week.

According to a U.K. survey, smokers stop quitting during a recession--researchers blame lack of "mental energy."

The L.A. Philharmonic prepares to live transmit performances to more than 450 movie theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada.

We know the Earth is covered with water and filled with it--scientists want to figure out how it got here.

Despite forensic show hype, scientific evidence is often negligible in murder trials.

Geneticist Malli Adrayha is on a global mission to find the perfect fig for American cultivation.

Michael Specter evaluates the dangers of TB, and whether a new device could save millions.

In decline, their minor virtues come into focus: people spend less time telling you how fortunate you are to be there. Why Tony Judt loved New York's twilight.

Does the Fed print money? If so, how? Questions for the Economist's U.S. correspondent about the basics of monetary policy.

Just like the title says: Lazy Self-Indulgent Book Reviews.