August 17, 2012: Afternoon
- Russian punk band Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prison for protesting Putin in a church.
- Listen to Pussy Riot's new single, "Putin Lights Up the Fires."
- Tom Morello: "Paul Ryan is the embodiment of the machine our music rages against."
- The [Confederate] flag's use throughout the 20th century covered a time span significantly longer than its presence on Civil War battlefields.
- There's been a change in the weather.
- The 1950s "virgin birth" that almost had the scientists convinced.
- The story behind the term "off the cuff" doesn't quite match up; Mark Liberman investigates.
- Japan expected to deport Hong Kong activists who sailed to disputed islands claimed by Japan, China, and Taiwan.
- Children keep swallowing Buckyballs and similar products, which contain potentially dangerous rare-earth elements.
- Pennsylvania's voter ID law is unconstitutional.
- This isn't the first time a judge has upheld voter ID laws—a look at recent rulings for and against.
- Fascinating, fantastical interiors by British artist Anne Hardy.
- At Eva Restaurant in LA, diners can get a discount if they check their phones at the door.
- A writer confronts her Diet Coke addiction.
- The math behind why men should put the toilet seat down.
- Related: Pasha Malla explains why some toilet seats are u-shaped and others are full circles.
- Flannery O'Connor tells off a professor who misinterprets her story.
- Roundup: 20 theories of effective cover design.