"Of those 200 casualties, only 10 were confirmed as known Hamas operatives." Interviews with active-duty IDF soldiers about what's really happening in Gaza. (Content warning) / Haaretz See also: 10 conflicts to watch in 2025. / International Crisis Group As Biden departs office, a federal appeals court strikes
Tis the season... for a list of causes favored by TMN and friends. We'll see you again on January 3, 2025. Peace. The Freedom to Read Foundation protects the public's right to access information and materials in libraries without limitations. / Freedom to Read Foundation Survival International
In an unwritten, unannounced policy change, Louisiana's Dept. of Health is forbidding employees from promoting Covid, flu, or mpox vaccines. / NPR Photos of daily life for the Palestinian people—"before all hell broke loose"—by Adam Rouhana. / VICE An interactive exploration of data from the Fort
Jamelle Bouie: It's time the Democrats take up the mantle of an opposition party, if they even understand what that means. / The New York Times [+] Texas Gov. Abbott has purchased billboards in Mexico and Central America warning migrants they risk being raped if they cross the border. / San
The Department of Homeland Security says China, Russia, Iran, and Israel are spying on Americans through their phones. / 404 Media Cybersecurity officials are worried about Trump's transition team relying on private emails that can be hacked. / Politico An eye-opening look at how and why right-wing trolls are blaming
Deforestation of the Amazon in Brazil has been halved once again, thanks to president Lula da Silva. / Sustainability by numbers New studies find our skin can generate antibodies, independent of the rest of our immune system. / Nature Today's theories about the shape of the universe are thought to
Ukraine claims the killiing of Russia's head of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons with a bomb attack in Moscow. / The Kyiv Independent After many reforms, Argentina exits its deep recession. / CNN Executives in the billionaire-protection industry say business is up. / Bloomberg [+] Related: A brief history of superyachts—and
In agreeing to give $15 million to Trump's presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit, ABC News broke the first rule of resisting autocracy: "Don't obey in advance." / AP, American Crisis Related: "Trump and his picks threaten more lawsuits over critical coverage."
Raw milk consumption hasn't been linked to H5N1; still, a Marin County toddler who drank raw milk fell ill with some kind of influenza-like illness, just not bird flu. / STAT "This idea of progress acknowledges that as soon as we have something...we see its flaws."
President-elect Trump invites Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month. / CBS News Some Democrats regret going sour on Elon Musk. Meta gives $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. / Politico, The Wall Street Journal [+] President Biden will commute the sentences of around 1,500 people. / Reuters
Which economy did best in 2024? Spain, Ireland, and Denmark. / The Economist "How has this year been for you?" Some responses from Palestinians. / The London Review of Books A photographic tour of Bashar al-Assad's presidential palace. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Once again, a massive wildfire has
Israel carries out large-scale attacks across Syria, targeting airports and strategic military infrastructure. / Al Jazeera The United States carries out dozens of airstrikes on over 75 Islamic State targets. / Politico Anne Applebaum: The end of the Assad regime creates something new, and not only in Syria. / The Atlantic [+] Thoughts on
The USDA finally orders testing of the nation's milk supply for bird flu, with the initial round of tests to begin in mid-December. / NBC News The District of Columbia is suing Amazon for neglecting to provide Prime deliveries to two predominantly Black neighborhoods, while still charging customers for
In a new study, bird flu is found to be one mutation away from becoming more easily transmitted between humans. / Scientific American The European Space Agency has launched a pair of satellites capable of creating artificial solar eclipses, which could help scientists better understand geomagnetic storms. / AP Sally Rooney: "
A visualization of places around the United States at highest risk for disasters and insurance hikes. / The Guardian An interview with a physicist focused on bio-based materials. "The question is whether we have enough." / Knowable Magazine When will we get nuclear fusion? Probably after 2050, though first "
South Korea's president faces impeachment after he unexpectedly declares martial law. / BBC News Some analysis of China, North Korea, and Russia's response to regional developments. / CNN Unrelated: Vladimir Putin has a "secret" daughter working as a DJ in France? / NME Turkey's proxies
France's prime minister faces a no-confidence vote that may leave the country without a functioning government. / BBC News France has recorded 52 Israeli violations of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. / The National News Palestinians explain what it's like to go through an autumn olive harvest in Area C.
Scientists are still unsure why H5N1—which is known to have a fatality rate around 50%—has so far been mild in all 55 reported human cases in the US this year. / STAT "When you're homeless, you are even more vulnerable. You have no place to go,
TMN will return on Monday, following the Thanksgiving holiday. Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the fastest rate since the start of the 2022 invasion. / Reuters How many Ukrainian soldiers have died? As a share of population, more than America suffered in the Vietnam and Korean wars combined. / The
US prosecutors indict Indian billionaire Gautam Adani over his alleged role in a bribery scheme. / Al Jazeera The boats behind Mozambique's $2 billion "tuna bond scandal" are up for sale. / gCaptain The White House says it'll lend $6 billion to help Rivian build a
The ICC's warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant sent shockwaves, but don't expect the Court to rock American Exceptionalism, an "assertion of who the rules apply to and who they don't." / Forever Wars The first known H5N1 infection in a child in the
After 800 years of dormancy, Iceland's geological systems reactivated in 2021; since then, a volcano near Reykjavík has erupted 10 times. / Reuters The discovery of a mummified saber-toothed tiger cub is providing scientists a first-ever glimpse of the species, and providing answers to long-held questions. / National Geographic To
The International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and former defense minister, and Hamas's military commander. / BBC News A recap of Gaza resolutions voted on by the UN's Security Council since last October. / Al Jazeera Consulting firm McKinsey is said to
Negotiators at COP29 are stalled on how much money to raise for climate action in developing countries, "and how to raise it." / Semafor A new generation of cheaper batteries is becoming increasingly popular with EV automakers. / Canary Media The TSA expects to screen 18.3 million travelers next
Ukraine fires "longer-range" ballistic missiles into Russia on the 1,000th day of war. / CNN Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country may soon face 100,000 North Korean troops. / The Guardian How has the Assad government maintained control in Syria despite 13 years of civil war? By becoming a
In trade journals, agriculture experts worry Trump's combination of RFK Jr. and tariffs could chill their $1.5 trillion industry. / NPR See also: Under Trump, the future of Medicare drug price negotiations—one of Biden's key domestic policy achievements—is now uncertain. / Roll Call Polls indicate
A bankruptcy judge has halted The Onion's purchase of Infowars, claiming concerns over the transparency of the auction. / Bloomberg Law How the planned construction of a Trump golf course near Hanoi might affect Vietnam's relations with the incoming administration. / The Diplomat Now that the election is
India's Supreme Court forbids "bulldozer justice," i.e., when the government demolishes someone's home after they've been accused of a crime. / BBC News The GOP retains its House majority, giving Republicans full control of Congress and the White House. / Politico Some Republican
Russian lawmakers vote to ban all media that promotes "a child-free lifestyle," including social media. / Semafor Since the 1990s, deaths have nearly always outnumbered births in Russia. / The Washington Post [+] What can President Biden do prior to Donald Trump's new term? "Use his clemency power
Israel says there will be no ceasefire or pause until its war objectives are met. / The Times of Israel A video round-up of what's happened in north Gaza since the US gave its 30-day warning a month ago. / Al Jazeera Between news-averse voters and disinformation, "Donald Trump
For the first time in history, every incumbent party in a developed nation this year lost vote share in elections. / Financial Times See also: A German far-right party won a regional election in September, which hasn't happened since the Nazi era—a result of 30 years of ignoring
The United States and Somalia sign an agreement formalizing debt cancellation worth $1.14 billion. / The South China Morning Post Cuba's power grid fails again as Hurricane Rafael crosses the island. / The Guardian Germany's ruling coalition collapses, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy.
Before any political news, some wanderlust to kick things off: pictures of a modern cabin in Vermont. / The New York Times [+] Also, some fashion illustrations from the roaring twenties in Très Parisien magazine. / Flashbak (Fwiw, today's clothes are made using enormous amounts of petrochemicals and fossil fuels.) (Clothes
Ukrainian officials say North Korean soldiers deployed to fight alongside Russian troops came under fire. / The Kyiv Independent A fascinating long read about an Israeli college student who wound up in a prisoner swap because of her Instagram stories. / The New York Times Magazine [+] The United States is spending an
There could be more continents than you think. Case in point: New Zealand may be part of its own continent, separate from Australia. / The New York Times [+] The Greenland Ice Sheet temporarily stores a large amount of meltwater in the summer, a discovery that may aid in accurately forecasting future
More than 200 people have now died from the flooding in Valencia, Spain, in Europe's deadliest weather disaster since the 1970s. / Reuters Long a crime that targeted Black and Latino people, jaywalking is now legal in New York City. / HuffPost "Even liberal yuppies in my Brooklyn neighborhood
North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile, perhaps looking for attention prior to the US presidential election. / USA Today The Economist magazine endorses Kamala Harris, saying "being independent and being opinionated" aren't in conflict with each other. / Semafor Election officials in battleground states are trying—and
Foreign interference in this year's election is said to be far more sophisticated, and far more difficult to track. / The New York Times [+] China is considering approving $1.4 trillion in extra debt to revive its economy. / Reuters Related: If "Xi Jinping Thought" is not a
Saudi Arabia and Iran conducted a joint military drill last week in the Sea of Oman. / TRT World A good summary of current conflicts in the Middle East from Spencer Ackerman. / Forever Wars Oren Yiftachel: "Apartheid is not only a moral abyss and a crime against humanity; it is
"Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden last night that was so racist it got the New York Times to dust off the actual word 'racist' and use it in a headline." / Welcome to Hell World A look at the billionaires and businesses getting
In attempting to investigate its own citizens' abortion history, Texas is suing to access out-of-state medical records. / The Nation "Do not tell voters that Trump is rude and boorish and impolite. Tell them that Donald Trump is the motherfucking problem." The rich cause the problems they want
Israel has damaged more buildings in two weeks than in a year of fighting with Hezbollah. / BBC News A brief history of Hezbollah, Israel, and Lebanon. / Vox China cracks down on "uncivilized" puns that people use to get around censorship controls. / The Guardian One of the foremost American
Regarding the election, most of Europe is pro-Harris, while Israel, Russia, India, and other countries favor Trump. / Semafor A round-up of the rampant disinformation circulating about the election. / The New York Times [+] Related: Vladimir Putin hosts a summit for global leaders, including China's Xi Jinping and India'
Russia has suffered catastrophic losses during its invasion of Ukraine, but its policies suggest the end justifies the means. / The Guardian Mara Karlin: An era of limited war has ended; an age of comprehensive conflict has begun. / Foreign Affairs A rideshare startup in South Africa is reportedly using intimidation to
Amid shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, Cuba's electrical grid has collapsed four times since Friday, leaving 10 million people without power. / Reuters The presidential election is down to more than swing states; in fact, the outcome appears to rest on these 21 microcommunities. / The New York Times
Researchers find that people think they know enough to make informed decisions—regardless of what information they have. / Ars Technica Some thoughts on what the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar means for the Middle East. / NPR A detailed investigation into how Russian propaganda reaches and influences Americans. / NBC News
We apologize for any readers experiencing glitches with links. We're looking into it! For back-up, each day's headlines are posted at TMN. Israel's military is investigating whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed during a military operation. / CNN Mohamad Elmasry: The US warning to
China's appetite for an Iran-Israel war is said to be limited. / The Economist Five takeaways from Kamala Harris's interview with Charlamagne Tha God. / The New York Times [+] Donald Trump turns a town hall into a 39-minute "living-room listening session." / The Washington Post [+] Why does
Due to some unforseen events, we missed a couple days last week. Sorry about that. All is better now, and we appreciate the readers who reached out. Israel reportedly says any attacks on Iran will target its military, not nuclear or oil facilities. / CNN Republican campaigns spend more money at
Millions are without power after Hurricane Milton tears across Florida. / The Tampa Bay Times The hurricane also tore open the Tampa Bay Rays' roof and felled a crane. / The Weather Channel, X Photographs of Los Angeles's 400-mile network of aqueducts and hydropower plants. / Science History Institute New
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly calls President Biden to discuss Israel's plans to strike Iran. / axios The UK's Security Service says it has responded to 20 plots backed by Iran since 2022. / BBC News A review of China as a sentinel state—phone monitoring, "grid
Hurricane Milton, headed for Tampa, becomes the second-fastest storm to reach Category 5 status. / Vox John Morales: The proportion of tropical cyclones that reach very intense levels is projected to increase. / The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tells her followers that the government controls the weather.
Brief profiles of the 97 hostages who remain unaccounted for after last year's Hamas-led attacks. / BBC News An eloquent essay from a former Gaza resident. "In the past year, I have lost many of the tangible parts of my memories." / The New Yorker Computer analysis finds
"Bolivia, too, is undergoing a kind of disillusionment with democracy." How the rest of the world views this year's US election. / The Dial See also: How British vernacular invaded America, or why everyone's saying "gutted" now. / The Guardian More solar activity could
Highlights from the newly unsealed election interference case against Donald Trump. / Politico Some 56 percent of divorced men support Trump—more than single men, married men, and women of any relationship status. / The Cut Jessica Grose: The misogyny of young Gen Z men has been overstated. / The New York Times
In light of Israel's incursion into southern Lebanon, a look back at its 1982 invasion that became an 18-year occupation. / Politico Magazine Viewers say last night's vice presidential debate was an even match, and an overwhelming majority felt the tone was positive. / CBS News Interviews with
The White House sides with Israel's ground assault of Lebanon while much of the world calls for a ceasefire. / Al Jazeera Iran is said to be preparing to launch a ballistic-missile attack. / The Wall Street Journal [+] A long profile of Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose new book criticizes Israel and
The death toll from Hurricane Helene has now reached 91 as Asheville, isolated by floods, struggles to get supplies airlifted to emergency workers. / Associated Press Every time a climate disaster like Helene happens, insurance companies gouge customers, who complain to politicians, who claim climate disasters rarely happen. / How Things Work
Nearly four million homes and businesses in the South are without power as Helene makes landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida. / Associated Press Conservative purists may hope a Trump defeat will end Trumpism, but the GOP is likely to remain ruled "by, and for reactionary business interests
More than four million people have been affected by floods across six countries in western and central Africa. / CBC Heavy rainfall caused parts of the Saraha Desert to turn green. / NASA Earth Observatory New analysis suggests that one in seven scientific papers is at least partly fake. / Retraction Watch A
Hezbollah launches its first long-range missile at Tel Aviv. / CNN Was Israel's detonation of the pagers an act of terrorism? "To kill civilians in a mass operation that entails their deaths is neither a tragedy nor an accident." / Zeteo American religious conservatives are working with Russia
Tens of thousands of people in Lebanon have fled their homes since Monday amid Israeli air strikes. / France24 Murders in the United States dropped 11.6 percent from 2022 to 2023, the largest single-year decline in the last 20 years. / NBC News A white paper finds that female politicians, most
Citing issues during the primary season, election officials are raising concerns about the US Postal Service's readiness to handle mail-in ballots in November. / NPR In 2017, Cards Against Humanity bought land in Texas at the Mexico border to protest Trump's wall. Now it's suing
Trump's proposed tax plan is like 2017 but more, and research confirms those gains in fact never trickled down beyond the wealthiest individuals and corporations. / Rolling Stone See also: Explainers on how Trump's tariffs would distribute wealth upward and how his backwards plan to lower grocery
A group of former Donald Trump advisers have helped to build a pro-Russia website that frequently spreads debunked conspiracy theories. / The Guardian A little more than half of Trump supporters say they believe his lies about Haitian immigrants eating pets. / The Washington Post [+] See also: "How the Trump Campaign
This year marks the centennial of the abolition of the Caliphate, or the "successorship" to the Prophet Muhammad. / Law & Liberty A brief history of the decades-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah/Iran. / Al Jazeera Who are the best bureaucrats in the United States? There's an
The number of people killed or wounded in the Russia-Ukraine war has reached roughly one million. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Devastating flooding sweeps through Central and Western Africa. / DW Europeans are upset about Gaza, but they don't appear to be voting like it. / The Economist Unrelated: "I
California lawmakers have passed legislation that would require health warning labels to appear on gas stoves. / NPR Bill McKibben: How seeding pollinator-attracting plants in solar farms might address two climate crises at once. / The New Yorker Boar's Head has shut down the Virginia meat plant where a listeria
Covid is the only virus that has an adequate availability of tests—other infectious diseases remain dangerously lacking in diagnostics. / Financial Times In the first year after the end of affirmative action, colleges' diversity numbers are already dwindling, and many are looking at ways to reverse the trend. / Inside
Nearly 400,000 people are without power as Tropical Storm Francine makes landfall in Louisiana. / CBS News Photos of the French Quarter in New Orleans before and during Francine. / The Times-Picayune Four civilians become the first non-government astronauts to conduct a spacewalk. / CNN One of the largest US militias, AP3,
The US says Iran is shipping ballistic missiles to Russia for its war against Ukraine in a "dramatic escalation." / NBC News A first-hand account of surviving Israel's attack on Gaza's al-Mawasi "humanitarian zone." / Al Jazeera Kamala Harris won last night's
Vice President Harris will meet Donald Trump tonight in their only confirmed debate. / axios Some interviews with people who started politics-free Facebook groups. / The Wall Street Journal [+] A political reporter says the question he gets asked most often is "who will win the presidential race?" (He says it&
From restoring access to enshrining bans—including two competing measures in Nebraska—a look at the abortion initiatives on US ballots this November. / The New York Times [+] What's causing grocery price inflation? Retailer data shows it's not just corporate greed, it's also consumer spending
Data from 10 million car crashes shows larger vehicles kill more Americans—compared to compact cars, colliding with a heavy pickup increases fatality rates by roughly seven-fold. / The Economist See also: Cars have destroyed American cities, which were designed around cars. / How Things Work How office workers shifted from sharing
Researchers say they've discovered an antibody that can effectively fight against all variants of Covid-19. / KUT News Some advice from experts on when to get shots to protect against influenza, Covid, and RSV. / STAT A small study of gender-affirming care finds immune system differences in men and women.
Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro moves Christmas to October, to distract from his seemingly stealing the election. / The Guardian An Iranian writer is sentenced to 12 years in prison for tweeting a period to Iran's supreme leader . / NPR Lebanon's former central bank governor, arrested over alleged financial
Acadia Healthcare, a leading chain of psychiatric hospitals, is holding some patients against their will to maximize insurance payouts. / The New York Times [+] Only about 6% of American plastic waste is recycled. "You're being lied to." / Semafor A Texas resident tracks her plastic recycling all the
Please note: We'll be off for Labor Day, and back in your inbox on Tuesday—see you then! Hundreds of California officials have been convicted of corruption in the past decade—analysts say a political supermajority and little oversight have encouraged wrongdoing. / The New York Times [+] Embroiled in
Why is the Horn of Africa on the cusp of war? Because Ethiopia wants to be a coastal nation. / The New York Times [+] Africa will finally get mpox vaccines amid a lot of criticism over delays caused by the World Health Organization's red tape. / The Guardian Thanks to
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he's ready to present a "plan of victory" to end the war with Russia. / Semafor More than 1.2 million oral polio vaccines have arrived in Gaza. How they'll be distributed without a ceasefire, or "polio pause,"
This year is tracking to be the most deadly for police shootings in a decade. The previous record was set last year. / The Economist "The moment of glamour seemed worth it." Kurt Andersen says RFK Jr. was his cocaine dealer at Harvard. / The Atlantic [+] Unrelated: Who is Kick
"The outcome of the race might hinge on whether they can keep the former president on script." Six factors that will define the final stretch of the election. / Wake Up to Politics See also: Here are the individuals and organizations that have pumped the most money into the
Seasoned Democrats warn party delegates not to think “everyone is as energetic as you are." / Politico A veteran from Capitol Hill says if you want to take politics seriously, don't send money to candidates. / Matt's Five Points Lessons gleaned from interviews with so-called low information
A mutated form of mpox has been circulating for months in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country still doesn't have a single vaccine. / Bloomberg [+] Former national security adviser HR McMaster says Vladimir Putin deliberately exploited Donald Trump's "ego and insecurities." / The Guardian Related:
President Biden approved a secret strategy in March to prepare the United States for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with China, Russia and North Korea. / The New York Times [+] Condoleezza Rice: US-China relations badly need new procedures and lines of communication to prevent an accidental catastrophe. / Foreign Affairs Political influence campaigns
China and the United States are making progress, albeit limited, in cutting reliance on coal. / Semafor At this point of the year, global wildfire burn is about the highest it's been since 2012. / Sustainability by numbers See also: A fashion designer's rain-harvesting hats, and a skiable
Even as the GOP publicly lambastes Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, some Republican mayors in Ohio say it's making local energy projects possible. / Semafor A researcher at a US agency developing moonshot health therapies suggests replacing brain tissue as a way to treat stroke victims—and eventually
US officials say that Israel has done all it can militarily against Hamas in Gaza, and any further actions will only risk harming civilians. / The New York Times [+] See also: How Israel's finance minister is using obscure policy to connect a new West Bank settlement with Jerusalem. / The
The World Health Organization says the spread of mpox is a global public health emergency—the second such declaration in two years. / STAT Jess Craig: It remains unclear if the new designation will have any impact on mpox vaccine availability. / Vox Advice on when you should get your next Covid
Scientists discover "seismic signals" of liquid water on Mars. / BBC News China is building a massive wall of solar panels to fight desertification. / Semafor Analysts explain why Harvard canceled its solar geoengineering project. / The Verge Is carbon offsetting just greenwashing? I.e., "a mechanism that allows polluters
David Wallace-Wells explains why we shouldn't be applying lessons learned from Covid to bird flu. / The New York Times [+] A British couple compares photos of a Swiss glacier taken in 2009 and 2024. / Kottke Demand in the United States for avocados is encouraging deforestation in Mexico. / Bloomberg Immigrants
Experts say Covid can now be considered endemic, although it may take another decade to reach the predictability associated with other endemic diseases. / NPR "The CDC has likely been violating federal law for years by systematically deleting lower-level employees' emails, a federal judge ruled Friday." / Politico The
A deep dive into a US court's ruling that warrantless searches of incoming travelers' devices at the border are unconstitutional. / The Dissenter How a prominent anti-abortion doctor in San Antonio somehow became the rural representative for Texas's maternal mortality committee. / The Texas Tribune "It&
Doctors say it doesn't work, but Olympic athletes swear drinking a Coke after emerging from the polluted Seine helps "flush out anything inside of us." / The Wall Street Journal [+] Gyms depend on members not showing up—that's now a problem because new fitness trends
The Trump campaign is attacking Tim Walz for a policy that allows felons to vote, conveniently forgetting that Trump is also a convicted felon. / The New Republic Harris picking Walz as her running mate is a big win for the right-to-repair movement. / Gizmodo How we are watching the Olympics this
As part of Olympic security, French authorities are using—and critics argue, abusing—an anti-terror law to restrict the movements of hundreds of people. / AP "Aug. 2, 2024, was Black Friday for the artificial intelligence boom, as a week of rough earnings from Big Tech led to what felt
"Few questioned whether the MAGA tent was big enough to cover the tech futurists and the evangelical Christians." Inside the pro-Trump 2024 Bitcoin Conference. / The Verge Hamilton Nolan: "The Democrats are a Big Tent Party…in the way you might feel if you arrived at a group
Currently Germany's political shift toward right-wing extremism appears to be accelerating. / Semafor The Pentagon deploys more warships and fighter jets to the Middle East. / Reuters A review of bipartisan legislation that passed this week in Washington—e.g., supporting Alzheimer's research and protecting bald eagles. / Wake
Currently Bangladesh arrests more than 10,000 people after weeks of protests. / The Guardian Russia frees journalist Evan Gershkovich, part of the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War. / The Associated Press See also: Fascinating details from the secret negotiations to free Gershkovich. / The Wall Street Journal [+] In addition:
Currently Iran and its proxies are meeting to discuss potential retaliation against Israel. / Reuters Spencer Ackerman: If Harris wants to be different on Israel, she quickly needs to choose "active deescalation." / Forever Wars "Why are you being so weird?" Inside the Democrats' new "big
Currently Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh is killed in Tehran. It's likely to have a chilling effect on ceasefire talks. / Al Jazeera, BBC News Etan Nechin: Pinpoint operations stand in stark contrast to five-ton bombs. / X Dan Williams: Ignorance and misperceptions are not puzzling. The challenge is to
Currently Venezuela severs diplomatic relations with countries that question this weekend's disputed presidential election. / Semafor Heather Cox Richardson: At this country's most important revolutionary moments, it has seemed as if the country turned on a dime. / Letters From an American Political rallies and fundraisers are moving
Currently Oil prices fall as traders seem to be unfazed by the risk of war between Israel and Iran's Hezbollah. / CNBC Mohanad Hage Ali: Hezbollah will likely choose restraint and de-escalation, owing to Lebanon's fragility. / Foreign Affairs Kamala Harris's team tells donors to be
Currently A few details about an investment scheme created, at the behest of Saudi and Emirati clients, to crash Qatar's currency. / The Financial Times [+] Atlanta's "Cop City" is said to have become "a case study for how solidarity itself can be criminalized."
Currently What to know about this weekend's presidential elections in Venezuela. / Chatham House Kristina Foltz: In partnership with Hezbollah, "Caracas is directly threatening security for the entire hemisphere." / Newsweek Riley Beggin explains why so many American Democrats support Israel, but not its leader. Meanwhile, the Obamas
Currently The United States economy looks to be strong for the next couple years—so, who gets to take credit for it? / The New York Times [+] Kamala Harris and her husband face sexist, racist attacks online. Same for JD Vance's wife and children. / The Guardian, ABC News Yet
Currently A big new Dexter Filkins article on whether Israel and Hezbollah, i.e., Iran, will go to war. / The New Yorker See also: How October 7 unraveled a landmark Mideast climate deal. / Grist Israel's Netanyahu will speak "in one of the few places he can count
Currently Vice President Kamala Harris says she has enough verbal commitments from delegates to clinch her party's presidential nomination. / Politico Goldman Sachs tells clients it's "impossible" to model US trade policy under a potential second Donald Trump presidency. / Semafor Could Republicans sue to keep
Currently Looking at Truman and Johnson's withdrawals and subsequent electoral defeats for Democrats, historians say Biden's circumstances differ quite a lot. / The New York Times [+] Drug-resistant bacteria often spread in war zones; as conflicts proliferate around the globe, the risk of superbugs reaching civilian populations rises.
Currently Please note: We're going on summer break starting tomorrow, and will be back on Monday, July 22—see you then! As areas of Houston continue to suffer without power, who gets access to generators has illuminated the city's socioeconomic divisions. / The New York Times [+] Nearly
Currently This week's Nato summit finds the global center left enjoying a moment together—perhaps temporarily. / Politico.eu An argument for political neutrality. "The world likely needs more thoughtful interventions and politically neutral spaces and less activism for activism's sake." / Dust to Dust The
Currently Nigeria's debt to gasoline suppliers surpasses $6 billion, doubling since early April. / Reuters Young men in Sri Lanka face an epidemic of kidney disease linked to extreme heat, dehydration, and heavy pesticide use. / The New York Times [+] "Sun kinks" refer to train tracks getting "
Currently An explanation of what just happened in France's shock election, and where it leaves Macron. / BBC News Ukranian tennis star Elina Svitolina wears black at Wimbledon after a Russian missile barrage hits Ukraine's largest children's hospital. / The Guardian Are you sure you wouldn&
Currently Tropical Storm Beryl is now pushing inland, leaving more than two million people in Houston without power. / Associated Press Scalpers have reverse-engineered the anti-scalping technology used by major ticketing platforms, and are creating counterfeit tickets that can be resold. / 404 Media Slop is rampant in video games, and AI—
Currently Please note: We'll be off the rest of the week and will return on Monday—see you then! Following yesterday's Supreme Court decision, Manhattan prosecutors agreed to delay Trump's sentencing in the hush money trial. / Associated Press "It's mind-blowing in
Currently After the far right came out ahead in yesterday's elections, France's other parties are withdrawing candidates to try and block Le Pen's party from reaching a majority. / France 24 A new lawsuit alleges Microsoft and two sex-toy retailers are tracking users' personal,
Currently By overruling the decision that led to Chevron doctrine, the Supreme Court just upended federal agencies' authority to interpret laws. / SCOTUSblog Related: The ruling could have a major effect on environmental regulations and the speed with which agencies can react to scientific findings. / Yale Environment 360 Drought and
Currently Yes, Democrats are panicking about Biden's poor debate showing, and while there are calls to replace him, he'd have to drop out first. / The New York Times [+], POLITICO Hamilton Nolan: "This is the outcome of any system in which wealth and power naturally accumulate
Currently Explaining the Supreme Court's decision in the Idaho abortion case: It "does nothing to help those same patients in the other 49 states." / Vox Since Biden's new asylum restrictions took effect, daily crossings of undocumented migrants have fallen to the lowest level of
Currently Some Providence residents say the city is too noisy, and the mayor agrees, but plans to curtail noise could unfairly target poor and immigrant communities. / The New York Times [+] See also: Johns Hopkins undergrads have invented a 40% quieter leaf blower. / Johns Hopkins University "It's designed
Currently Abortions are on the rise nationally, bans are more likely to hurt the maternal health of Black women, and other ways abortion has changed since Roe ended two years ago. / Vox A Texas medical panel has approved additional guidance for doctors performing abortions, including modifying some reporting requirements—but
Currently More than 1,170 pilgrims die during this year's hajj due to extreme heat. / The Wall Street Journal [+] A journalist shot by Minneapolis police while covering protests over the death of George Floyd is dying of her injuries. / NPR Extremist groups are using AI to spread their
Currently The White House plans to send nearly $110 million in security and police assistance to Haiti. / Reuters While Zimbabwe's economy worsens, traditional healers are making money by promising people wealth. / rest of world Congress almost unanimously passed a clean energy bill this week and it didn'
Currently Leading AI chatbots are spreading Russian disinformation created by an American fugitive operating from Moscow. / NewsGuard A major expansion is underway inside one of Iran's nuclear facilities. / Semafor A majority of Iranians now support Iran pursuing nuclear weapons. / Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists See also: How to
Currently In many regions, communicable diseases are surging past their pre-pandemic levels, "often by significant margins." / yahoo! news The surgeon general calls for a warning label on social media platforms. / The New York Times [+] You have until June 26 to prevent Meta from using your photos and text
Currently Millions in the United States, from the Midwest to the Northeast, prepare for a weeklong heat wave. / axios People explain what it's like to live through a 121 degree day. "I can't complain. Other people have it harder." / Goats and Soda Researchers say
Currently Chinese and Philippine ships collide, making for a test of Beijing's new coastguard law. / The South China Morning Post A remote outpost in the South China Sea is reportedly a front line of potential global conflict. / The Atlantic During the pandemic, the US military launched a secret
Currently G7 leaders finish their summit in Italy by telling China to quit helping Russia invade Ukraine. / Voice of America See also: The summit's final communiqué references the country 28 times, "almost always as a malign force." / The New York Times [+] Eight examples of congressional bipartisanship
Currently The US Supreme Court unanimously rejects a bid by anti-abortion groups to restrict access to mifepristone. / Reuters Ian Millhiser: This is a victory for abortion rights, but it's also unlikely to be the last word in the fight. / Vox Ukranian children describe what it's like
Currently The White House plans to signal a long-term commitment to Ukraine with a 10-year security agreement. / Newsweek France's conservative wing implodes overnight. South Africa's ANC party tries to find unity. / Politico, Semafor Regarding the climate crisis, hundreds of looming projects suggest we're on
Currently A new poll finds Donald Trump with a slight edge, but fundamentals favoring President Biden. / 538 American diplomats and White House aides say the recent far-right gains in Europe could've been much worse. / Politico Unrelated: Why is Hungary so small? An illustrated guide. / Uncharted Territories How the
Currently The UN Security Council votes to support an American resolution backing a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas's praise for it is said to be "a hopeful sign." / BBC News, France24 Energy drinks in Ukraine, branded with patriotic machismo, are reported to be "an essential antidote&
Currently "What is going to happen when a recovered herd gets infected again? Maybe someone knows the answer to this already, but I don't." Scientists have questions about bird flu. / STAT Inside the controversy over the much-hyped Istanbul restaurant whose Syrian influencer chef has been accused
Currently The attack on Snowflake, which provides cloud services to multiple large corporations, appears to be snowballing into one of the largest data breaches ever. / TechCrunch, WIRED Ikea is hiring employees—at a rate of just under $17 an hour—to work in its Roblox store. / The Independent Unrelated: TJ
Currently In October, more than 17,000 elephant seals died in an H5N1 outbreak. According to a genetic analysis, the virus jumped at least three times before that. / The New York Times [+] Yesterday, Florida's Supreme Court gave its governor the power to remove locally elected prosecutors—and therefore
Currently Israel is found to be using fake social media accounts to encourage US lawmakers to fund its military. / The New York Times [+] An explainer unpacks the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. / Reuters Scientists aren't sure why the second half of last year was so much hotter
Currently An investigation into officials and politicians who carried out a campaign to permanently transfer Ukrainian children to Russia. / The New York Times [+] President Biden says Ukrainian defeat would mean "you'll see Poland go." Also, that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza
Currently Vote counting begins in India after the world's biggest, most expensive election. / CNN, The Economist How did Mexico end up with two women on the ballot for president, only 71 years after suffrage? "Activism, electoral reform, and timing." / Interruptrr An Italian village with 46 residents
Currently A "game changer" immunotherapy drug "melts away" tumors, and may one day replace surgery and conventional chemo for bowel cancer. / The Guardian Mexico has elected its first female president, former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum. / NPR Related: An economic boom means many Mexican citizens are
Currently In a groundbreaking medical trial, thousands of NHS patients will receive personalized cancer vaccines designed to prevent tumors from returning after surgery. / The Guardian "The reaction that I encountered most often was disbelief that he was bright enough to manage such a scheme." The Hollywood hopeful behind
Currently Yes, Trump can still run for president now that he's convicted, and even from jail—and there's precedent, since Eugene V. Debs did it in 1920. / Politico Though as a former president, Trump has Secret Service protection, and if he goes to jail so does
Currently Aid entering Gaza drops by 67% after Israel begins its assault on Rafah. Meanwhile, Egypt is in a dangerous bind. / CNN, The Wall Street Journal [+] A profile of the Israeli doctor who saved the life, several years ago, of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar. / The New York Times [+] From April,
Currently South Africans go to the polls in what's viewed as a hugely consequential election. / The Guardian An overview of what's so consequential, and what else you need to know. / The Week in Africa Incidentally: Reacher is a fantasy about white power, Angelica Jade Bastién says.
Currently Israel's diplomatic isolation grows over its offensive on the Gazan town of Rafah. / Semafor According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the overall Palestinian death toll in the war is now above 36,000. / The Associated Press Taiwanese activists are using Meta's Threads app to organize
Currently We're taking the weekend off for the holiday, so we tried to make today's edition extra good. See you Tuesday. The US Air Force tracks more than 25,000 pieces of space junk larger than 10 centimeters. / Scientific American A question for the weekend: Do
Currently Nearly three in five Americans wrongly believe the United States is in an economic recession, and the majority blame the Biden administration. / The Guardian Unrelated: "Biden Carried Away By Ants." / The Onion Britain's prime minister calls for a general election in July, which the Tories
Currently Spain, Ireland and Norway say they will recognize a Palestinian state. / The Associated Press Members of Israeli security forces are telling settlers the location of aid convoys so they can intercept them. / The Guardian The EU is financing operations to detain tens of thousands of migrants in North Africa
Currently Yesterday's edition was foiled by a technical reason called forgetfulness blargh. Iran sets new elections, which may serve as a "dress rehearsal" for an upcoming power struggle. / Semafor, Atlantic Council Analysis of who inside Iran may benefit from President Raisi's death. / The Atlantic
Currently Views of the aurora borealis should return in a couple of weeks, as the massive solar storm rotates back toward Earth. / BBC "Some political scientists describe this strategy as 'state crime,' violence tacitly permitted or encouraged by the government." Why did Greg Abbott pardon a
Currently A deep investigation into how the Chinese underworld has come to dominate America's illegal marijuana trade. / ProPublica "Fewer than one in 1,000 US university courses include references to critical race theory or other so-called "woke" topics that have become flashpoints in the country&
Currently What's worse for disease spread: animal loss, urbanization, or the climate crisis? The climate crisis. / Goats and Soda Donald Trump allegedly asked big-oil executives last month for $1 billion in campaign donations. / The Guardian DNA analysis shows baobab trees first arose in Madagascar 21 million years ago.
Currently Tree rings prove that last summer was the hottest summer in the past 2,000 years. / BBC News Current solar and wind deployment rates are much faster than most countries during the nuclear boom period. / Sustainability by Numbers Investors and developers today expect 8 to 10% annual growth in
Currently Secretary of State Blinken visits Ukraine, intending to signal "strong reassurance" that the West will continue to back Kyiv. Meanwhile, Putin heads to Beijing. / Semafor Russia is conducting "hybrid warfare" in Moldova—i.e., anything "short of bombing the country." / The Week Notes
Currently Along with the aurora borealis, this weekend's solar storm wreaked havoc on farmers' GPS systems ahead of a critical moment in the planting season. / 404 Media The CDC is expected to release a public dashboard today that will track influenza A viruses, including H5N1, in sewage.
Currently Sports Illustrated was only the beginning—the company behind those fake bylines has been working with dozens of well-known publications to provide AI-generated content. / Futurism The Drake/Kendrick rap battle briefly shut down Genius, as users rushed to annotate "Euphoria" moments after its release. / The New York
Currently Explaining the Biden-Netanyahu rift over Rafah: It's about how realistic it is to dismantle Hamas, and at what cost. / The New York Times [+] See also: Will Gaza hurt Biden's reelection chances? If you ask younger voters, yes, but not as much as a host of
Currently President Biden says the United States will halt some weapon shipments to Israel if it launches a full invasion of Rafah. / CNN Interviews with people living in Rafah, forced to flee Israel's attacks. / Al Jazeera NATO members (excluding the US) increased military spending last year by 19%
Currently Only a small minority of American college students—8%—have participated in recent protests. / axios In Mexico, immigration officials and the National Guard are said to be working together as a "new cartel." / SAGA Peter Salmon: By establishing whether the sovereign can kill us, we build the
Currently Israel bans Al Jazeera and raids its offices. Meanwhile, the blasting of Rafah continues. / Semafor, Al Jazeera Thomas Friedman: MBS put his country's worst religious extremists in jail, while Netanyahu put his worst religious extremists in his cabinet. / The New York Times [+] Palestinian artists describe their daily
Russia will hold military exercises near Ukraine, apparently intending to show it could use battlefield nuclear weapons there. / The New York Times [+] It's impossible to tell how far H5N1 has spread in the US, since dairy farmers—unlike poultry farmers—aren't compensated for reporting infections. / WIRED
Protestors want universities to divest from Israel, yet schools' endowments are frequently—conveniently—opaque. / The Washington Post [+] Photos: Fifty-four years ago today, the Ohio National Guard arrived at Kent State University and opened fire on student protestors. / The Atlantic "The fact that Palestinian children are children doesn'
Members' voting patterns reveal the eight types of House Democrats and Republicans, based on how much they do (or don't) align with their caucuses. / FiveThirtyEight See also: "The House passed bipartisan bills on climate change and border security this week, and almost no one noticed."
Student demonstrators say they fear being doxxed by pro-Israel groups accusing them of antisemitism. / The New York Times [+] Spencer Ackerman explains how warrantless spying on campus protesters is easier than ever. / Forever Wars See also: Tracking the nationwide arrests of more than 1,700 campus protesters. Universities blame outside agitators.
Regarding universities and protesters, since April 18, more than 1,000 people have been arrested on more than 25 campuses across at least 21 states. / CNN The DEA plans to recommend reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. / The Associated Press Helen Branswell breaks down what we're starting
Diplomats voice hope amid multiple signs of progress toward a Middle East truce. / Semafor The war on Gaza is thought likely to radicalize a new generation of global jihadists. / The Economist Campus protests ignite in France, inspired by American students. / Al Jazeera Unrelated: The making of France's far-right
Less than a month after seven of its team members were killed by Israeli airstrikes, World Central Kitchen says it will resume operations in Gaza. / NPR A new UK law requiring device manufacturers to ban users' weak passwords goes into effect today. / The Register Texas groups file a lawsuit
Today is Independent Bookstore Day! Here are ways you can support and celebrate your local. / Book Publishing Brick by Brick Millions of Lego pieces fell overboard near Land's End in 1997. Now, a 13-year-old has found a "holy grail" piece—one of the payload's
Testing of dairy items from store shelves in the US shows the bird flu outbreak among cows is more widespread than previously indicated. / STAT Zeynep Tufekci: "One thing that travels back and forth between cattle farms and chicken farms is human beings." / The New York Times [+] Comparing the
Over 100 students protesting Israel's war in Gaza are arrested at the University of Texas and the University of Southern California. / Al Jazeera "It's a consideration to protect your anonymity." Why protesters are wearing masks these days. / Semafor How many people died from disasters
Costa Rica consistently gets more than 99 percent of its electricity from renewables—and "it's still not enough." / The Verge An orange haze descends over Athens as dust clouds blow in from the Sahara. / BBC News Los Angeles earns its 25th-straight F for air quality. / The
Global defense spending grew 7% to a record $2.4 trillion in 2023, the fastest annual rise since 2009. / Reuters Related: "We now risk entering a pre-war era that consolidates the battle lines of conflict globally." / Noema In Myanmar, a new generation joins the rebels who've
Scientists have developed an RNA-based vaccine that targets all strains of a virus, potentially eliminating the need for chasing influenza strains every year. / UC Riverside As the WHO raises concerns about bird flu's potential to spread among humans, H5N1 has now been detected in raw milk from infected
Patagonia faces an existential crisis as it tries to navigate ways to curb the microplastic epidemic while producing apparel that contributes to the epidemic. / InsideHook "He showed [sharks] were able to 'habituate' to both visual and auditory stimuli and to the presence of humans. And they make
The limited nature of Israel's counterattack on Iran suggests both sides want to avoid escalation. / The New York Times [+] Most of the US military aid approved for Ukraine is being spent in the US—and specifically in these congressional districts. / The Washington Post [+] Tracking AI-generated election content around
The amount of homicides in major American cities is falling at its quickest rate in decades. / axios Mass shootings in the United States are said to be down 30% from this time last year. / X Funding for US-based "creator" startups more than doubled in the first three months
Photographs from four days in a Ukrainian trench with soldiers from an international legion. / The New York Times [+] "Be honest and vulnerable." Activists explain how they keep calm in a world full of crises. / Goats and Soda Spencer Ackerman: A world with exceptions to international law is one
In China, companies making fentanyl precursors and analogues can apply for state tax rebates. / NPR Nearly 200 American colleges and universities hold contracts with Chinese businesses, valued at $2.32 billion. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Argentina experiences a 2,153% increase in Dengue fever cases. / The Guardian From February, some
Following Israel's thwarting of Iran's aerial attack, world leaders urge Netanyahu not to retaliate, and Biden says the US won't support an Israeli counterattack. / AP, Axios A mission to capture space junk has now rendezvoused with a second-stage rocket that's been orbiting
Following Israel's attack on Iran's consulate in Syria, Iranian forces have seized an "Israeli-linked" container ship near the Strait of Hormuz. / Al Jazeera See also: "The conventional wisdom in Washington and elsewhere has often held that Iran has become contained, even isolated. But
Bird flu outbreaks typically go away after culling poultry, but over the past three years the virus hasn't died down, and in fact is increasing. / WIRED Moira Donegan: How society's failure to help an obvious victim of domestic violence led to Nicole Brown's death.
The February heatwave in West Africa was made 10 times more likely by climate change. / CarbonBrief British farmers say this year's record rainfall suggests an ongoing emergency. / The Guardian A round-up of superlatives, senior yearbook style, for "the most surprising, actionable, and fun solutions" to the
"If the global south exists, then who leads it?" From 2000 to 2021, China funded more than 20,000 infrastructure projects across 165 countries. / The Economist Ed Conway: Elon Musk isn't going to be the Henry Ford of the electric car—China is. / Material World Jon
Over the weekend, Iran seemed to float a way to stop the Gaza genocide and a regional war. / Forever Wars From February: Gaza and the dilemmas of genocide scholars. / Al Jazeera The Moscow terror attack causes a backlash against labor migrants in Russia. / Carnegie Endowment for International Peace See also:
Israel regroups its army to move into Rafah. A round-up of statistics from a devastating six months. / The Associated Press, Al Jazeera Pankaj Mishra: The more remote the Shoah has grown, the more fiercely its memory has been possessed by Jewish Americans. / The London Review of Books Who is Portugal
Hi. Due to the work required this month to produce the Tournament of Books, we're going to take a week off and nap. See you April 8. With the Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich now detained in Russia for a year, other journalists explain how they
At least 32,490 Palestinians have been killed and 74,889 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. / Al Jazeera Right-wing Israelis question whether the country relies too much on the United States. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Dominic Tierney: Israelis are likely to look back on the war
Ukraine says a third of all Russian warships in the Black Sea have been sunk or disabled. / Semafor The ship that hit the Baltimore Key Bridge was involved in a collision while leaving Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016. / The Guardian See also: "The Baltimore bridge collapse is only the latest—
A bridge in Baltimore collapses after being hit by a large container ship. / The Wall Street Journal [+] The rate at which Gaza has reached its depth of food insecurity is "practically unheard of" in the 21st century. / Vox Despite some 667,000 people experiencing "catastrophic" levels
Russia marks a day of mourning for victims of the concert hall attack. / NPR Vladimir Putin brushed off American warnings about the attack as "blackmail." / The Economist Images of Emmanuel Macron punching a boxing bag are linked to France's increasingly tougher stance against Russia. / CNN Some
At least 133 people are dead after an attack on a crowded concert hall outside Moscow. An ISIL affiliate claims the assault. / BBC News, Al Jazeera The United States warned Russia weeks ago of an impending attack. / The New York Times [+] Negotiators at the United Nations are working to recognize
The United States drafts a new security council resolution calling for Israel to commence an immediate ceasefire. / Al Jazeera China and Russia veto the measure, partly due to the US linking the ceasefire to a condemnation of Hamas. / axios See also: A round-up of things to know about ongoing efforts
MacKenzie Scott's latest round of giving sends $640 million to 361 small nonprofits—more than double what she pledged. / The Associated Press A list of the organizations that received grants. / Yield Giving Meanwhile, a study finds only a small fraction of Amazon's plastic packaging ever makes
A study says 71 percent of the world's population now lives in autocracies, up from 48 percent just a decade ago. / The Washington Post [+] All but one of the 100 cities with the world's worst air pollution last year were in Asia; 83 were in India.
The EPA announces a comprehensive ban on asbestos, which is still used in bleach and brake pads. / STAT As China and India grow richer, they may decide "that the costs of asbestos have come to outweigh its benefits." / Works in Progress What do American households use electricity for?
Vladimir Putin wins a fifth term in Russia, partly because the Kremlin made sure he didn't have real opponents. / BBC News Thousands of Russian voters silently protested Putin by showing up to the polls at noon. / Reuters Berlin's techno scene is now registered as part of
More than 300 people are believed to have been kidnapped this week in northern Nigeria. / CBS News "I started dragging myself like a snake." An account of a 17-year-old boy who got away. / BBC News A round-up of recent events in Haiti. / Interruptrr France and Germany's
Voters begin casting ballots in Russia where the Kremlin "remains determined" to render a semblance of legitimacy. / BBC News A day of mourning is declared after another Russian missile attack in Odesa. / The Guardian Protesters at the New York Times hand out editions of the New York Crimes.
A list of key events on day 160 of Israel's war on Gaza. / Al Jazeera "Every day felt like an eternity." A short interview with a freed Israeli hostage. / BBC News Unrelated? "That the U.S. military establishment employs so many historians should be little
The European Union's foreign policy chief accuses Israel of using starvation as a "weapon of war." / The Times of Israel In photographs: what it's like right now to hunt for food in Gaza. Meanwhile, food insecurity in Nigeria, in Haiti. / The New York Times
The director of the World Peace Foundation says he was wrong to predict the end of large-scale famines. / The New York Times [+] Linking indifference toward suffering in Sudan to a pattern of antiblackness. / Africa Is a Country See also: An argument that "you, personally, should want a larger human
An error in Saturday's newsletter suggested this year's Tournament of Books just concluded. In fact, the second week is just beginning! Palestinians in Gaza are afraid of attending Ramadan evening prayers for fear of being bombed. / Al Jazeera The United States removes non-essential staff from its
Sailor Cole Brauer becomes the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself. / The Newport Daily News Republican and Democrat First Ladies are said to both deal with different versions of the "same gendered expectations." / Politico See also: A roundtable with three female watch collectors.
Sweden joins NATO as the 32nd member of the alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality. / The Associated Press Related: How Sweden and Finland went from neutral to NATO. / BBC News A report finds an Israeli tank crew killed a Reuters reporter in October by firing two shells at
Remember the 43 Mexican students who vanished in 2014? Families are still hunting for answers—and nothing looks good for the government's cover-ups. / The New Yorker Hungary's Viktor Orbán arrives in the United States to meet with Donald Trump. / The Guardian A German man who got
Russia uses facial recognition to identify and detain attendees of Alexei Navalny's funeral. / Semafor Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European states have spent more than €100 billion on military equipment—80% outside the EU, with more than 60% going to the United States. / Reuters A new
Ghana's president steps back slightly from an anti-LGBTQ bill for fear of losing $3.8 billion in World Bank funding. / BBC News France becomes the first country to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. / Al Jazeera Birth control pills are about to be sold in the United States
Political candidates are being attacked across swaths of Mexico where cartels dominate. / The Associated Press About 900 Chinese nationals who were forced to work at "scam centers" in Myanmar returned home this weekend. / Semafor France's Macron says he'll swim in the Seine River to
A United Nations team finds many people injured in Thursday's attack on Palestinians awaiting food in Gaza City had gunfire wounds. / Al Jazeera Researchers project excess deaths in Gaza may climb to between 74,290 and 85,750 if the war escalates. / Goats and Soda A California congressman
Thousands of mourners defy arrest by gathering in Moscow for Alexei Navalny's funeral. Music is played from Terminator 2, Navalny's favorite film. / The Wall Street Journal [+], USA Today Antara Haldar: Blame Putin for Navalny's death, sure, but also blame "shock therapy" economic
More than a hundred Palestinians are killed in an incident around an aid convoy in northern Gaza. / BBC News A new report says antiterrorism law "has been structurally anti-Palestinian from its inception." / Forever Wars The Supreme Court grants Donald Trump "an extended pause" on his trial
More than 100,000 Michigan primary voters vote "uncommitted," protesting Biden's handling of the war in Gaza. / Politico Related: Netanyahu is sacrificing Israel's legitimacy for his personal needs, and "he will not hesitate to take Biden down with him." / The New York
The White House says Israel will halt military activities in Gaza during Ramadan. / Reuters Meanwhile, tension increases as Hezbollah and Israel exchange strikes on the Israel-Lebanon border. / Al Jazeera Hungary approves Sweden's bid to join NATO after two years of negotiations. / Semafor Bellingcat investigates a global network of
Countries and legal experts try to make "ecocide" the fifth crime that the International Criminal Court can prosecute. / Grist The climate benefits of planting forests may be 15 to 30 percent lower than previously thought. / NewScientist Why are there so many new chairs for public use in London?
International leaders visit Kyiv to mark the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. / BBC News American military officials warn that the best Ukrainians can hope for is "a largely frozen conflict." / The New York Times [+] Clinics in Alabama halt offering in vitro fertilization after the
The White House announces new sanctions connected to Russia's war machine and the death of Alexei Navalny. / NPR Six things the executive branch did this week—e.g., student-debt cancellation, an upgrade for water infrastructure. / Wake Up to Politics A satirical social media post brings a ton of
The EU moves to sanction Indian and Chinese companies accused of helping to supply Russia's war on Ukraine. / The South China Morning Post Debunking four myths about Ukraine that have taken hold. / Politico Your weekly white paper: An annual poll of experts ranks Joe Biden in the top
A docked ship carrying 19,000 cows envelops Cape Town with a putrid smell. / The Associated Press Three of the world's biggest meatpackers are linked to illegal deforestation in Brazil. / BBC News Farmworkers in Florida band together to create the United States' "strongest set of workplace
Scientists spot the most luminous object ever detected in the known universe, with a brightness equivalent to 500 trillion suns. / BBC News Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny's widow, urges the world not to recognize Russia's election, scheduled for March. / Reuters Britain and France have 500 nuclear warheads
Making the case that Vladimir Putin assassinated his imprisoned rival Alexei Navalny. / Why It Matters See also: Navalny seen in video a day before his reported death. / BBC News How Navalnyorganized anti-Putin Russians—who remain and are in larger numbers than ever. / Foreign Affairs Tucker Carlson's quip on
A family struggles amid health issues, financial turmoil, and an unsupportive state government: the year after a denied abortion. / ProPublica Yesterday, SpaceX launched a lunar launder that, if successful, will be the first private spacecraft to land on the moon. / Quartz See also: The legal and ethical tug of war
Britain and Japan fell into technical recessions in the final quarter of 2023. / ABC News Meanwhile, the sneaker resale market is plummeting. / Business of Fashion "Tooth fairy inflation" refers to parents competing over Generation Alpha's average payout per lost tooth. / The Wall Street Journal [+] "People
The United States CDC plans to drop its five-day COVID-19 isolation recommendations. / Reuters Michigan becomes the first state in decades to repeal the union-restricting law known as "right-to-work." / The Associated Press See also: A day in the life of our "most prolific" professional bridesmaid. / The Hustle
South Africa says it's sending 3,000 troops to fight groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. / Reuters In 2022, the DRC produced almost three-quarters of the world's cobalt—"essential in the green-energy transition." / Semafor Taylor Swift's private flight to the Super
Even as guns remain a cornerstone of Republican politics, the NRA is in decline, losing more than a million members over the last five years. / The New York Times [+] According to a new report, climate change is erasing many of the gains in air quality over the past few decades.
"Part of the reason why our immigration debate is so bad is the perception among many people that there is a fixed number of jobs in this country." / How Things Work Thirty seconds of Super Bowl advertising alone is not worth $7 million. / Axios See also: A Super
In describing Biden as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," the special counsel's report opened a new front in the election. / Vox See also: "[The special counsel], a lifelong Republican and creature of DC, didn't have a case against Biden,
For the first time on record, global warming exceeds the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit over a 12-month period. / Al Jazeera An unlikely coalition behind the White House's natural gas pivot: climate activists and manufacturing facilities. / Grist Some good news? "Hungry sea otters are helping save California’
Three scenarios imagine how the Supreme Court may handle Donald Trump's imminent appeal to avoid an election-subversion trial. / Politico Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi never lost a vote in eight years as leader. Speaker Mike Johnson just lost two in one night. / Wake Up to Politics Fox Corp.
A profile of Esmail Qaani, head of Iran's covert paramilitary operations, whose lack of charisma is said to make managing different groups difficult. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Why is there growing interest in economic degrowth? Young people want radical change, claims Kohei Saito. / Grist The United States Supreme
After Jan. 6, big business rebuffed Trump—now some CEOs are signaling they wouldn't mind the former president's return to the White House. / The New Republic See also: Celebrated two years ago for saying it would not finance new coal projects, Bank of America is now
In retaliation for Iran's attack that killed US troops, the US launches airstrikes against targets in Iraq and Syria linked to Iran-backed groups. / Reuters See also: Why the war in Gaza makes a nuclear Iran more likely. / Foreign Affairs Following a history teacher's viral video, Target
Campaign finance reports show that last year, Trump donors spent more than $50 million on the former president's legal fees. / Axios See also: In the last quarter of 2023, Trump raised $19 million to Biden's $33 million. / Reuters The Texas Supreme Court halted depositions in the
The European Union reaches a deal on $54 billion of support for Ukraine after months of obstruction by Hungary. / Deutsche Welle Some 1,300 farmers blockaded central Brussels with trucks and tractors to protest new biodiversity legislation—and combined with other protests, it worked. / Bloomberg, The Guardian Related/unrelated: Why
Israel's Netanyahu vows to continue the Gaza attack despite widespread pressure to reach a ceasefire. Perhaps he fears losing power? / Al Jazeera, Haaretz Israel's influential far right ministers want to resettle Gaza and exclude Palestinians. / The Wall Street Journal [+] A pediatrician visiting Gaza calls it "
Our understanding of the devastation in Gaza is fast dimming as Palestinian journalists leave, quit, or die. / The New York Times [+] Nazia Kazi: With increasing fervour, Muslim America is united in demanding a shift in Middle East policy. / Al Jazeera Documents show the Kremlin is studying ways to undermine the
EU officials reportedly plan to sabotage Hungary's economy if its Putin-friendly prime minister again blocks support for Ukraine. / The Guardian Related/unrelated: Seven laws of pessimism. / Quillette E-commerce revenue in the United States is forecast to exceed $2.5 trillion by 2027. Growing alongside it: a rise in
Though Biden's poll numbers are currently underwater, polls on incumbents are notoriously imperfect predictors of reelection. / NPR How ultraviolet light—which is incredibly effective at killing viruses lurking indoors—might be used to stop the next pandemic before it starts. / Vox After winning 33 straight matches at the
The United States economy grows 3.3% in the final quarter of 2023, beating analysts' predictions. / Semafor Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova say they didn't grow women's tennis for it to be exploited by Saudi Arabia. / The Washington Post [+] Four women from Myanmar relate what
The world's deadliest humanitarian crisis in 2022 was not in Afghanistan or Ukraine, but the Central African Republic. / Undark Ten countries have now been dragged into the "ever-expanding" Middle East war. / The Economist An investigation finds the United Arab Emirates funding more than 100 assassinations in
In the past year, the Pentagon has successfully tested a wide range of autonomous weapons, and while there's more to come, international consensus remains iffy. / Defense One The US is currently on pace to produce more oil—13.3 million barrels of a day—than any country in
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court rules Border Patrol can once again remove razor wire installed by Texas at the Mexico border. / The Dallas Morning News An investigation of the White House's pharmacy uncovers disturbing findings, including a request to "hook up" someone with a
Israel appears to be following the advice of the Biden administration and other allies by waging a more targeted war to reduce civilian casualties. / The New York Times [+] Still, the death toll of Palestinians in the Gaza war surpasses 25,000, as Israel announces the death of another hostage. / AP
Some of these certainly flew under the radar, but here are 20 things the US government did this week. / Wake Up to Politics A surprising number of Americans think they live in the Midwest, even when they're as far away as Colorado or Arkansas. / The Wall Street Journal
Ambassadors to Washington are betting against American democracy, thanks to the GOP-Democratic divide. / Politico Magazine Richard Louv: Reconnecting children and nature may be the last cause in the US that transcends political barriers. / MIT Press Reader Related, perhaps: "Poverty doesn't cause societal violence—how you become an
The United States attacks Houthi ballistic missiles in Yemen over the Iran-aligned group's targeting of Red Sea shipping. / PBS Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they attacked Israel's "spy headquarters" in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. / Reuters Pakistan warns of retaliation for an
Despite facing multiple indictments, Donald Trump wins the Iowa Republican primary by a historic margin. / Politico A round-up of African migration trends to watch in 2024—e.g., state fragility, seasonal economic opportunities. / Africa Center The world's most "powerful" passports, ranked. / The Points Guy A very
Internet and telecom services in Gaza get cut as a result of Israel's bombardment. / Al Jazeera Jeremy Bowen: It's time to stop talking about the war spreading elsewhere—it's already happened. / BBC News Spencer Ackerman: You did it, Joe! You escalated the war you
A report says Niger, Senegal, and Rwanda will be among this year's highest growth economies. / Semafor Whither pandemic preparedness and global health cooperation? Helen Branswell's public health questions for 2024. / STAT Unrelated: Collective online archiving as a way to mourn a friend. / Dirt In normal times
Taiwan says it doesn't consider the launch of a Chinese satellite, whose rocket flew over southern Taiwan, an attempt at election interference. / Reuters Related: Breaking down Wang Yi's speech on China's diplomacy in 2023 and priorities for 2024. / Tracking People's Daily Ethiopia
Hezbollah says one of its commanders has been killed in a strike in southern Lebanon. / BBC News Alon Pinkas: Maybe the most ominous thing about an Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon is the feeling that it's a foregone conclusion. / Haaretz In 2024, more than half of humanity will live
Xi's military leadership shake-up—apparently part of his plan to tackle corruption and disloyalty—raises questions about China's combat readiness. / The Wall Street Journal [+] The history of the US government's comic books, which run the gamut from educating Americans on safety to pushing all-out
Three years after Jan. 6, more than 80 people are yet to be identified for their roles in the violence, and the mystery of who placed the pipe bombs remains unsolved. / AP Related: This morning, three Jan. 6 fugitives were captured at a ranch in Florida. / NBC News A breakdown
The White House has confirmed that Russia has been using ballistic missiles provided by North Korea in Ukraine. / The Hill House Democrats claim during Trump's presidency his businesses took in at least $7.8 million from foreign entities—similar to what Republicans allege against Biden. / CBS News A
Technical difficulties prevented yesterday's newsletter from being published. Sorry about that. Recent events—the killing of a senior Hamas leader, explosions in Iran and Lebanon—raise fear of wider conflict in the Middle East. / Politico A round-up of trends likely to drive humanitarian need in 2024. / The New
A political crisis may be brewing in Israel, as its Supreme Court strikes down a law proposed by Netanyahu's government that would have limited the court's government oversight. / Axios As we head into a major election year, you can expect a tug of war over the
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2023, and what were the least?
We'll be back with more headlines on Jan. 3. In the spirit of giving, here are some charities and groups favored by TMN contributors. Happy holidays! The Clean Air Task Force works to reduce air pollution in the US and beyond by pushing for the technology and policies
As Israel expands the ground war against Hamas, the Palestinian death toll tops 20,000—nearly 1% of Gaza's population before the war. / AP There's scant evidence to support Israel's claims that Hamas was using Gaza's largest hospital as a command and
The Pentagon says China hopes to double its nuclear arsenal to over 1,000 operational warheads by 2030. / BBC News Some thoughts on the three bomb problem: "In all likelihood the United States will continue to seek nuclear primacy behind a screen of superficially reasonable rhetoric." / The London
The European Union reaches a deal on how "to collectively receive, manage and relocate the irregular arrival of migrants." / Euronews Some thoughts on the current state of citizenship, and how the concept has been declining since the 1960s. / Sidecar Askfhsjkd, kkkk, awdjyt—how different societies laugh online. / rest
Footage of a volcano in south-west Iceland erupting, following weeks of seismic activity. / BBC News The United States announces a 10-nation task force to protect ships traveling through the Red Sea. / The Associated Press The British Library suffered a cyberattack back in October, and the library's reading rooms
Migrants from as far away as Africa and China are making their way through the jungle between Colombia and Panama to reach North America. / AP Fifty years ago, US auto regulations loosened the definition of "trucks," setting in motion an epidemic of bigger and bigger cars and more
A binder of classified intel on Russian election interference went missing at the end of Trump's presidency, and still hasn't been located. / CNN The British Library's vast digital collections vanished in a cyberattack. The physical editions remain intact, but we lost something nearly as
There were 34 legal abortions in Texas in the first half of the year, far below the expected number of cases where the mother's health is in danger. / STAT See also: "No sector of the Texas economy is immune." Fifty-one Texas businesses sign onto a letter
The House of Representatives votes to authorize an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. / BBC News Related: "An impeachment inquiry into Biden very likely does not happen without organizations like Fox News rewarding members of Congress." / Reliable Sources A report says the Ukraine war has cost Russia 315,000
The COP28 summit concludes with the world's governments agreeing that "the era of fossil-fuel consumption and production is ending." / Semafor The United States expects solar and wind power generation to surpass coal-fired energy for the first time in 2024. / AEE Related: "Noctalgia." "Global
The United Nations climate talks in Dubai, aka COP28, may be in jeopardy over a draft deal on fossil fuels deemed "weak." / BBC News Young people around the world are holding their governments accountable for climate change inaction. / The Kid Should See This A day in the life
Citing incorrect analysis, the National Retail Federation retracts its claim that "organized retail crime" is to blame for nearly half of shrink losses. / CNBC See also: "Nearly one in seven shoppers admitted to having purposely stolen items at self-checkout, and nearly half of those said they would
No surprise here, but scientists say 2023 will be the hottest year on record. / ABC News Jakarta is sinking, and what happens next could come down to one billionaire's plan to save the city—which would also rake in profits for one of his businesses. / Bloomberg The Electoral
Teenagers' math and reading skills are in an unprecedented decline across dozens of countries, and Covid is only partly to blame. / Reuters The world's largest iceberg is on the move for the first time in more than 35 years. / CNBC The United States' first utility-scale offshore
At least 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists have passes to Dubai's COP28 climate talks. / Kick Big Polluters Out Jonathan Krishner: Washington's bipartisan hawkish consensus on China's hawkish intentions is wrong. / The Los Angeles Review of Books Related: Americans did the "China shock"
Young South Africans have a "love-hate relationship" with Nelson Mandela on the 10th anniversary of his death. / BBC News Mexican politicians find "a goldmine" among Swiftie fandoms on TikTok. / rest of world The United States breaks its record for the most mass shootings in a single
While everyone's paying attention to Gaza, Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is on the rise—and could lead to outright war. / Vox Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired ballistic missiles on multiple vessels, including a US warship, which shot down three drones. / Associated Press
Fighting has resumed between Israel and Hamas—the White House blames the ceasefire's end on Hamas's failure to produce a new list of hostages for release. / Reuters Gaza City officials accuse Israel of deliberately destroying its main public library, home to thousands of books and historical
US life expectancy has rebounded by more than a year, but still remains below 2020 levels. / Associated Press Following on yesterday's news about African cocoa producers, farms in Ghana that supply the Mars company have children as young as five harvesting cocoa beans. / CBS News Untold numbers of
Peru's glaciers are melting, forming high mountain lagoons that are trapping Peruvians' water reserves—should the lagoons overflow, widespread flooding may follow. / Reuters The COP28 president has been using his role at the climate summit to lobby foreign governments on oil and gas deals. / Center for Climate
TMN is taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday and will resume publishing on Wednesday, November 29. Hamas and Israel agree to a four-day ceasefire and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. / Al Jazeera The Harvard Law Review spikes a fact-checked article about genocide in Gaza. / The Intercept
Qatar's foreign ministry says negotiations between Israel and Hamas are in their "final stages" over a potential release of hostages. / Al Jazeera Casualities are mounting on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. / The New York Times [+] Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jeremy Shapiro: Now's the moment
The Dept. of Defense fails its sixth consecutive Congressionally mandated audit, and doesn't appear to have any plans for that to change. / The Intercept When wildfires hit the tundra, thawing permafrost releases ancient carbon that converts into large amounts of methane, further accelerating climate change. / High Country News
New research finds gig workers may be missing from government job reports, which could have massive implications for how the Fed assesses inflation risk. / Reuters Signal's president breaks down what it costs to keep the platform afloat, which by 2025 will add up to around $50 million a
The FTC is trying to stop industry groups and nutrition influencers from pushing guidance without disclosing that it's paid advertising. / The Washington Post [+] Did Osama bin Laden's "Letter to America" really go viral on TikTok? Not exactly—and besides, how views are counted on
A long lull in Russian bombing has left people in Kyiv finally getting some decent sleep. / The New York Times [+] Of the 36,000 small- and medium-sized companies registered in Ukraine this year, 51% are run by women. / The Economist The IMF says central bank digital currencies have the potential
The United States now experiences a "billion dollar" disaster event every three weeks. (It was every four months in the 1980s.) / The Wall Street Journal [+] ICYMI: The veterans and civilians who volunteer to do disaster relief together as a form of group therapy. / GQ "Do we or
A high-ranking Israeli official says the country and Hamas are closing in on a deal to free some hostages. / The Washington Post From Gaza to Ukraine, Myanmar to Sudan, diplomats are "running out of bandwidth." / The Economist Global negotiators reconvene in Kenya to create a landmark treaty to
Launched on Saturday, a first-of-its-kind satellite will detect carbon dioxide emissions from individual facilities. / Reuters An explainer on the subsea cables that the internet depends on, and that will surely be targets in any sort of kinetic conflict." / CNET As if deepfaked nudes of private individuals weren't
Diagrams suggest how extensive Hamas militants' underground passageways under Gaza could be, and how the tunnels are used. / The New York Times [+] An explainer of what's going on with the multiple investigations into NYC Mayor Eric Adams's campaign fundraising. / The City "I asked him
Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in ethnic murders in the Sudanese region of West Darfur, forcing thousands more to flee. / BBC News Related: Gaza has the world's attention—as it should—yet no one seems to have noticed the world's largest child displacement crisis
Spain's Socialists secure the backing of Junts, a Catalan separatist party, to form a new government. / Reuters Guinea's former president, Moussa Dadis Camara, nearly broke out of prison last weekend. / Africa Is a Country An argument for Taiwan as China's "best province."
The European Commission recommends that formal talks should begin with Ukraine on joining the European Union. / BBC News At least 45 American service members may have been injured in Iran-linked attacks. / NBC News Five takeaways from last night's off-year elections, where abortion rights fueled big Democratic wins. / Politico,
Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel intends to resume "overall security responsibility" for the Gaza Strip "for an indefinite period." / BBC News Watch: A day in the life of a young surgeon at al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest medical facility. / Aljazeera China boasts the world'
US Marines with heavy artillery deployed to fight the Islamic State returned with a strange set of symptoms—which may have been caused by the very weapons they were using. / The New York Times [+] Around the US, cities are trying to enact laws to protect outdoor workers from extreme heat—
Iran, Russia, and China are mounting anti-Israel disinformation campaigns that are "larger than anything seen before." / The New York Times [+] Retail workers and thieves explain what's going on with all the shoplifting, a problem the businesses don't seem to care about enough to try
By 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African, "a seismic change that's already starting to register." / The New York Times [+] South Africa's rugby team, which recently won the World Cup, is said to be among the few things holding the
Hamas says it's prepared to repeat October's attack on Israel over and over until the country no longer exists. / The Toronto Sun In the first days of the Israel-Hamas war, 15 people have been killed every hour in Gaza, six of whom are children. / Al Jazeera
The world's largest fusion reactor fires up in Japan and produces plasma. / Science Magazine China's first domestic gene-therapy breakthrough restores natural hearing pathways for deaf children. / MIT Technology Review Unrelated: The British Navy ends its tradition of "Chinese laundrymen on warships," and will now
David Remnick reports from Israel. "The only way to tell this story is to try to tell it truthfully and to know that you will fail." / The New Yorker "It's not even one house in Gaza that they don't have death." On
The United Auto Workers have now reached a tentative deal with GM, effectively ending a 40-day strike against the big three Detroit automakers. / Reuters Shouting antisemitic slogans, a mob storms a Russian airport in search of passengers on a flight from Tel Aviv. / BBC Retail analysts say chains are blaming
Ethiopian-born scientist Gebisa Ejeta receives the National Medal of Science for his contribution to plant genetics. / BBC News A 2021 study predicted there would be a surplus of 8,000 emergency physicians by 2030 in the United States—and it had ripple effects. / STAT Colorectal cancer is highly curable when
The United States attacks two facilities in Syria used by Iran and Iran-backed groups, according to the Pentagon. / Al Jazeera The White House says Russia is killing soldiers who fail to follow orders in Ukraine, also threatening entire units with death. / The Associated Press A very long, very good assessment
"We won things no one thought possible." The United Auto Workers reach a tentative agreement with Ford, as strikes remain at Jeep maker Stellantis and GM. / AP Following weeks of Republican infighting, hard-right election-denier Mike Johnson has been elected House speaker. / NPR This aged poorly—from Tuesday, "
Analyzing the missile video that purports to provide evidence of what happened at the Gaza hospital blast. / The New York Times [+] At the UN, the US wants "humanitarian pauses" for aid to reach Gaza, and Israel calls for the Secretary-General to resign for saying Israel bears some responsibility
No matter what measures are taken to reduce emissions, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will continue melting, according to a new study. / Reuters Though Jim Jordan lost his bid for House speaker, how Republicans voted shows how the party's right wing may win out soon enough. / The New
Israel is pressed to delay its ground offensive. Israel's Defense Minister says its attack plan may last three months. / Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel The White House promises a "continued flow" of aid into Gaza. / NBC News China launches a (seemingly) politically motivated tax investigation
The first humanitarian aid convoy has arrived in the Gaza Strip. Israel says the aid doesn't include fuel, and can only go to areas where civilians have amassed. / Reuters Diagrams of Gaza's dense neighborhoods explain what a ground war could look like—and how Hamas has
The Biden administration is asking Congress for $105 billion in a package that includes aid and resources for Ukraine and Israel. / CNN Yesterday, a US warship intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched from Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in Yemen, potentially toward Israel. / Reuters With people now down to an
President Biden is expected to ask Congress to approve $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. / Reuters At least 15 journalists have been killed in the first 10 days of the Hamas-Israel war. / axios Misinformation on X has reached unprecedented levels, with aggregators posting thousands of
China and the Kremlin see an opportunity in the Israel-Hamas war to distract and discredit the United States. / The Wall Street Journal [+] Minxin Pei: "The weaker they both are, the greater their incentive to hang together." / Bloomberg Maziar Motamedi explains why Jordan cancelled its summit with President Biden.
Some 400,000 of Gaza's 1.1 million residents have feld south, following Israel's order to leave. / BBC News Even before the Israeli evacuation order, one-fifth of Gaza's population had been displaced. / The Economist President Biden prepares to visit Israel and Jordan tomorrow. / The
Iran: "It is highly probable that many other fronts will be opened" if Israel mounts a ground invasion of Gaza. / Al Jazeera The Likud government is pushing regulations to imprison Israelis who spread information that could "harm national morale" or be used for enemy propaganda. / Haaretz
Thomas Friedman: "Now Israel believes it must restore its deterrence by proving that it can outcrazy Hamas's latest craziness." / The New York Times [+] Related: A senior Hamas political leader explains the group's strategy. / The New Yorker "There is an unspoken but notable fervor
With a ground attack in northern Gaza imminent, Israel's military warns around 1.1 million Palestinians to evacuate within 24 hours. / CBS News The UN's response: "This will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into abyss." / Reuters
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak on the phone about the Israel-Hamas war. / Al Jazeera American intelligence says Iranian leaders were surprised by the operation. / The New York Times [+] In case your social media is flooding with misinformation about the war, here are some
Israel's defense minister "releases all restraints" on troops. Hamas and Israel at war: what we know on day five. / The Times of Israel, The Guardian Unpacking how X and Telegram beat television networks this weekend to report on Hamas's attack. / Haaretz The notion of
Updates on the war in Gaza, while the United States sends a carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean. / The Associated Press Jonathan Guyer: Everyone forgot about the Palestinians, and President Biden's focus on Israel-Saudi talks may have lit a match. / Vox "It inevitably creates a situation
Netanyahu says Israel is "at war" after Palestinian militants fired around 2,200 rockets into Israeli territory. / CNN See also: Maps and videos chronicle this morning's rapid escalation in fighting. / The Washington Post [+] 23AndMe confirms stolen data from Ashkenazi Jews is circulating on the dark web.
Following a two-year battle, a federal court orders Alabama to use a redrawn congressional map—here's how the decision will change the makeup of districts. / The New York Times [+] Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi, jailed but still fighting the regime's oppression against women, wins the Nobel Peace
Climate change is making public health gains harder to achieve and undoing some of the world's hard-earned progress. / The New York Times [+] In a quarter of counties in the United States, working-age people are dying at a higher rate than 40 years ago. / The Washington Post Related: Some
Anticipating winter, Russia attacks Ukraine's power grid with missiles, drones, and cyber attacks. / The Economist NATO says its members are running out of ammunition to supply Ukraine. / CNN Slovakia's recent election shows how vulnerable other democracies are to Moscow's "weapons of mass manipulation.
Climate change and the rapid evolution of mosquitoes are driving up malaria deaths. / The New York Times [+] Related: A cheap malaria vaccine that can be produced on a massive scale has been recommended for use by the World Health Organization. / BBC News Three physicists win the Nobel Prize for exploring
The Panama Canal Authority says that due to ongoing drought conditions, it will again reduce the daily number of ships that can travel the waterway. / AP "The past month in Tefé has seemed like a science-fiction climate-change scenario." More than 100 Amazonian river dolphins have died over the
A suspect who police say was the "shot caller" in Tupac Shakur's murder has been arrested, 27 years after the shooting. / AP Photos and videos of the sudden, intense flooding yesterday in New York City. / Digg "All drainage systems have their limitations and New York
Google, Meta, and H&R Block "jointly schemed" to scrape and transmit taxpayers' data, alleges a new class-action lawsuit. / Gizmodo Cochran County, Texas, which borders New Mexico, has passed an ordinance prohibiting travel on its roads for the purpose of seeking an abortion. / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal A
The price of crude oil surges to $97.56 a barrel, its highest price in more than a year. / CNBC Foreign direct investment in China was just $4.9 billion in the second quarter of 2023, down by 94% from the same period in 2021. / The Economist Switzerland's
In just a decade, China has amassed the world's largest coast guard fleet, and its patrol vessels often resemble warships. / The New York Times [+] With elections looming, "China wants Taiwanese voters to think America is their greatest threat." / The Economist With elections scheduled in Poland and
As the Northern Hemisphere emerges from the hottest summer on record, South America exits winter with temperatures pushing 110 degrees in parts of Brazil. / Grist Since the beginning of summer, Ukraine has "massively" stepped up strikes on the Crimean peninsula. / The Economist For United States foreign policy, the
NASA has brought back its first asteroid samples—the 4.5 billion-year-old specimens are the largest sample return since the Apollo moon landings. / AP Biden's push to remove medical debt from credit scores is a good start, advocates say, but should extend to banning medical credit cards and
The US and Vietnam may be approaching the largest-ever arms transfer ever between the countries—edging out Russia, which has been Vietnam's main supplier since 2016. / Reuters For only the second time in history, surgeons have transplanted a heart from a genetically engineered pig into a human. / STAT
"Wearing radiation monitors, safety goggles, and seven layers of gloves, they practice shaping new warhead plutonium cores—by hand." How America maintains its aging nuclear weapons. / AP America's relationship with air conditioning went from fascination to addiction in the 20th century—from here on out, life
Russia launches a large aerial assault on several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. / The South China Morning Post In 2022 South Korea sold $17 billion in weapons, more than twice the amount of the previous year. / The Economist Syrian President al-Assad goes to China for a bilateral summit with President Xi.
A study finds that 98% of Europeans live in areas with highly damaging fine particulate pollution. / The Guardian A climate research firm says 39 million homes in the United States are at risk of losing their insurance. / Axios More than a year ahead of its deadline, California installs 10,000
Congressional Republicans are divided on a short-term bill to fund the government through Halloween. / The Hill One theory about our government shutdowns: maybe blame it on Congress's embrace of air conditioning. / Politico A windowless telecommunications hub in New York City "embodies an architecture of surveillance and paranoia.
In a deal that also releases $6 billion in Iranian funds frozen by sanctions, the US and Iran swap five detainees each. / Reuters Vocational schools in China are providing student labor to annotate data in order to feed the country's AI industry. / Rest of World The "healthy
The death toll from flooding in the Libyan coastal city of Serna has now reached an astonishing 11,300 people. / Al Jazeera The CDC says that, compared to last year, it's expecting a similar number of hospitalizations this year from Covid, RSV, and flu. / Reuters Related: "Some
Nigeria gets hit by widespread power cuts following a "total system collapse." / BBC News Increasing protectionism in South Africa, which currently has an unemployment rate around 30 percent, hurts thousands of skilled migrants. / rest of world Previously known as the murder capital of the world, Medellín, Colombia, is
Officials in Libyasay more than 5,000 people died after the flooding in Derna, and some 10,000 are reported missing. / Reuters NASA publishes maps from the first space probe designed to measure air quality above North America. / It's Nice That As climate change fuels the destruction of
Much of the Libyan cityDerna is under water after two dams and four bridges collapse, killing at least 1,500. / BBC News A new report finds the United States responsible for more than a third of the expansion of global oil and gas production planned by mid-century. / Oil Change International
The death toll in the Morocco earthquake has now topped 2,100, as survivors struggle to find food, water, and shelter. / Reuters Covid cases and hospitalizations are rising, mask debates are brewing, and boosters are coming: "This is our life now." / STAT After entering the tournament as a
More than 1,000 people have died in Morocco in the strongest earthquake to strike the country in 120 years. / AP For all the countries that are not China, Russia, or the US, hedging remains a sound strategy—though one that becomes harder to maintain over time. / Foreign Affairs Apple&
Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalized abortion this week, ruling all federal health services and institutions must provide the procedure to anyone who requests it. / ABC This summer, heat records in the northern hemisphere were "not just broken but smashed." / Financial Times Related: August was the second hottest
Palestinian officials present their list of demands in the event of a historic deal involving Israel and Saudi Arabia. / BBC News See also: The "new" Middle East has more money and less war—but now here comes the climate crisis. / The Economist The Biden Administration moves to cancel
Flooding caused by heavy rain leads to at least 10 deaths in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece. / BBC News The European Union says six tech companies—including Alphabet, Amazon and Apple—will be subject to new antitrust regulations. / NBC News Unrelated: A platform for discovering facts about representation in street names
Spotted lanternflies, the "Labor Day pest," seem like a plague to some residents of New York City and Pittsburgh. / MSNBC Invasive hornets are "wreaking havoc" in mainland Europe. / BBC News Blending the two: German director Werner Herzog pays tribute to a family that adopted him (in
We'll be off for the holiday weekend—see you Tuesday! Hospitalizations in the US are up 39% due to the new Omicron subvariant, nicknamed Eris—the Greek goddess of strife. / The Independent, The Theoi Project The White House is offering automakers and suppliers $12 billion in grants to
Tropical storm Idalia knocks out power for thousands in the Carolinas after leaving a trail of wreckage across the Southeast. / CNN Climate protesters park a 28-foot trailer across the entry road to Burning Man, causing miles of gridlock. / Vox A pharmacist in DC admits she's filled prescriptions for
The Kremlin accuses Ukraine of launching strikes on targets in six Russian regions. / The Associated Press A profile of Ukranian tennis player Evita Svitolina about the impact of Russia's war on her country and her sport. / The New York Times Magazine See also: What it's like,
Medicare announces the 10 drugs that will be up first for price negotiation. / STAT News Scientists search for ways to improve air quality in school buildings in order to prevent Covid breakouts. / The New York Times In today's Covid wave, experts advise putting a mask on if you&
The FAA has been investigating around 4,800 active pilots who are still flying, yet collecting veterans benefits for disabilities that could ground them. / The Washington Post Tropical Storm Idalia appears poised to become a hurricane, and is projected to rake across Florida and Georgia later this week. / Orlando Sentinel
The new, highly mutated Covid variant—BA.2.86—still appears to be in "low numbers," but is now spreading to multiple countries. / Reuters While health officials are still trying to understand the new variant, it appears to have greater potential to evade antibodies. / The Washington Post More
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary Wagner Group, is believed dead after a private jet crashes near Moscow. The cause of the crash remains unclear. / Reuters ICYMI: Joshua Yaffa's long look inside the Wagner Group's uprising. / The New Yorker See also: In Russia, nobody expects to
India becomes the first country to land a spacecraft near the Moon's south pole. / Space Ronan Farrow reports on Elon Musk's emerging role at the Pentagon. "We'll talk to you if Elon wants us to." / The New Yorker In Greece, fires that
To pass exemptions for Texas's abortion ban, a new state law—which focuses on how the previous legislation threatens mothers' lives—avoids the word "abortion." / NPR In history and experiments, randomly chosen leaders perform more democratically than elected officials. / The New York Times See also:
Hilary brings historic flooding to Southern California—here are photos and videos of the devastation. It's the first tropical storm to hit the area since 1939. / Axios, Digg, The New York Times See also: Why the US was unprepared for this summer's extreme heat. / POLITICO Russia&
A new, highly mutated Covid variant differs from the latest omicron subvariant by more than 30 amino acid changes—a similar scale to what originally led to omicron. / CNN "It's really difficult to torque up a planet...but relatively simple to change the moment of inertia and
A US appeals court has now ruled that mifepristone should remain on the market, but must be obtained through in-person doctor visits and cannot be mailed. / NPR In a major step toward using animal organs to save people, for over a month a pig's kidney has been working
"The timing right now is a little bit funny." With Covid again on the rise, experts weigh in on whether you should get a booster now or wait until fall. / NPR A new report says Earth is facing an "unprecedented water crisis," citing increasing demand and
A Georgia grand jury indicts Donald Trump and 18 others for an alleged racketeering scheme to overturn the state's 2020 election results. / NPR John Dean, White House counsel to former President Richard Nixon, calls the indictment "a very, very impressive document." / The Week Small-scale experiments around
Local police raid a Marion County, Kan., newspaper office, seizing computers and reporters' devices, in what appears to be a violation of federal law. / Kansas Reflector Music labels are suing the Internet Archive over its "Great 78 Project," which contains recordings between 1878 and the 1950s. / TorrentFreak
As Hawaii's death toll climbs to 80 people, the state attorney general announces an investigation into decisions that were made before, during, and after the wildfires. / Honolulu Star-Advertiser The WHO says worldwide Covid cases have risen 80% over the past month, but the true number may be higher
At least 55 people have now died in the Maui wildfires, and more than 1,700 buildings have been destroyed. / The Honolulu Star-Advertiser How a changing environment—with less precipitation and more invasive species—dried out Hawaii's landscape and increased its susceptibility to wildfires. / The New York Times
Fires on Maui kill at least 36 and destroy historic Lahaina, the Hawaiian kingdom's original seat of power. / The Honolulu Star Advertiser The term "global warming" first appeared in print 48 years ago this week. / History To prepare for future heat waves, cities and architects need
China's economy slips into deflation, with consumer prices falling for the first time in more than two years. / CNN The United States has a new Covid-19 strain, nicknamed Eris, estimated to be causing 17 percent of current cases. / Vox Evidence suggests social media is serving as an accelerant
Italy's government approves a 40% tax on its major banks' 2023 windfall profits. / The Guardian Why does Britain export 80% of its oil? "It makes far more sense for individuals to focus on what they're good at." / Material World Some thoughts on the
From outright lies to demands for loyalty, Trump's actions following his latest indictment follow an authoritarian playbook. / NPR Ocean temperatures are rising, in part because of a 2020 measure to reduce ships' sulfur emissions, resulting in lower cloud coverage overall. / The Telegraph "Google knows my home
Federal prosecutors seek measures to bar Trump from disclosing evidence, citing his social media posts that could result in witness tampering. / NBC News A Texas judge issues an injunction allowing women with complicated pregnancies to receive abortions, and shielding doctors who provide care from prosecution. / The Texas Tribune In a
Florida has "effectively banned" AP psychology after the College Board declined to remove gender and sexual orientation material from coursework. / The Washington Post "The rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are skyrocketing." The health effects of extreme heat are worse than you think. / STAT
One oddity of former President Trump's federal indictment is that a great deal of it "is already quite familiar." / Lawfare Richard L. Hasen: It is hard to overstate the stakes riding on this indictment. / Slate Joyce Vance: Trump is finding out that democracy and the Constitution
Donald Trump is charged with four federal counts connected to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. / NPR Fitch downgrades the United States' credit rating partly due to a "steady deterioration" in fiscal governance—e.g., all the debt-ceiling standoffs. / Reuters A good overview of China&
Among 18 high-income countries, the United States is now dead last on life expectancy. / The Economist As Saudi Arabia continues to evolve into "a global investment powerhouse," some thoughts on the prospects of a Saudi century. / The New Statesman Related: Walmart didn't just compete with small
At least 43 people were killed by a suicide bomber at a political rally in Pakistan, in what may be escalating tensions between groups aligned with ISIS and the Taliban. / The Week The coup in Niger completes a coast-to-coast line of six African countries now under military rule, almost all
Medical board disciplinary records reveal that US doctors who spread Covid misinformation faced few repercussions. / The Washington Post "Things don't just snap back to normal." Removing CO2 from the atmosphere won't entirely undo climate change—it's vital to avoid polluting in the
China plans to increase its global power by building overseas ethnic-Chinese communities. / The Washington Post A tally of 900 tech firms around the world finds more than 220,000 jobs cut in 2023. / The Economist Seven global automakers band together to build an electric vehicle charging network in North America.
Russia raises its conscription age to 30, making more men liable to serve in the armed forces. / BBC News Ukraine demonstrates the power small countries can wield, but its "sovereignty, democracy and post-war stability are Europe's to lose." / Eurozine The total number of Japanese citizens falls
For the first time known to scientists, Antarctic sea ice extent has been unable to substantially recover over the winter. / ABC News "It should be obvious by now that fossil fuel companies have no real plans to change in response to the climate crisis." / The Los Angeles Times
Russia's defense ministry says it downed two drones—which it claims were Ukrainian—over Moscow. / The Guardian According to a new study, watching a one-minute gun-safety video can influence whether children pull the trigger after finding a firearm. / The Washington Post Why pedestrian deaths are on the rise
The UN warns of food shortages and price increases from Russia's continued assault on Ukraine's grain exports. / Reuters Alabama's new congressional map, now approved by the governor, flouts a court order requiring two majority-Black districts. / CNN Country music's political chasm widens as
A federal judge rules Florida has been unlawfully institutionalizing disabled children who should have been eligible for state-provided home care. / The Washington Post Videos of school board incidents reveal patterns around how the tension escalates, and that instigators are nearly always white. / ProPublica More than 9,000 authors sign an
New York City plans to distribute fliers at the United States' southern border telling migrants it has run out of room. / BBC News For many seniors in Europe, heat has become the new Covid. / The New York Times Unrelated: Photographs of skyscrapers on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. / designboom A
Phoenix breaks a 1974 heat record with 19 days of temperatures at 110 degrees or higher. / The Guardian Sophie Benson: What do global sustainability summits actually achieve? "Excitement, cynicism, and hope." / Dazed How doctors are preparing for a future of extreme heat: charity clinics, (lifesaving) body bags, "
Jane Birkin's name was misspelled in yesterday's newsletter. Nous sommes désolés pour l'erreur. 340,000 UPS workers are poised to start the largest single-employer strike in United States history over protections from extreme heat. / LAist Pennsylvania train manufacturing workers go on strike for greener
Russia says there's no connection between an attack on the bridge to Crimea and its about-face on allowing Ukraine to ship grain out of the Black Sea. / BBC News "The total number of Americans dying each day—from any cause—is no longer historically abnormal." Covid
How is Tommy Tuberville single-handedly able to shut down confirmations for military leaders? Because of the Senate's arcane unanimous consent rules. / NPR Three artists are suing Shein, accusing the fast-fashion brand of using AI to spot trendy designs and then steal them. / Hyperallergic From lawsuits to sabotage, a
The heat dome over the Southwest US is expected to continue through the weekend, with record-setting temperatures expected on Sunday. / SFGATE Even in Laredo, where locals are used to hot weather, heat-related deaths are climbing. / The New York Times Heat off the Florida coast reaches unprecedented highs, due to a
Nearly 90 million Americans face heat alerts while Republican Senators complain about climate measures in President Biden's proposed 2024 budget. / The Guardian Scientists at Purdue create a white paint that can reduce the surface temperature on a roof and cool the building beneath it. / The New York Times
Inflation continues to cool in the United States, where consumer prices rose three percent in the year through June. / The Hill A new report says Europe may see heat-related deaths increase to more than 100,000 per summer by midcentury. / Nature Amazon delivery drivers go on strike in Southern California
The "Achilles heel of Finnish defense" against Russia is a demilitarized group of islands in the Baltic Sea. / Der Spiegel Related: Why NATO is growing, but not to include Ukraine (for the moment). / Wake Up to Politics A study finds drinking water from nearly half of faucets in
Abortion bans in the US are expected to break an already strained foster system, with up to 11% more children in Texas's foster care by 2040. / Vox Fossil records provide evidence that Earth is now at its hottest—not just in recorded history, but in the past 100,
"The larger threat to Putin's regime may not have been Prigozhin's mutiny itself but the reaction of the military and the security services to that mutiny." / Foreign Affairs Russians rely on Telegram for uncensored news about the war in Ukraine—yet without platform oversight,
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen starts her first day of meetings in China by criticizing the country's "unfair economic practices." / Reuters Syracuse, NY, is about to become an economic test of whether aggressive policies—and $100 billion—can rebuild the United States' manufacturing prowess. / MIT Technology
According to officials, the US intends to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, which can endanger civilians by spreading unexploded bomblets. / NPR Russian jets harassed US military drones that were carrying out an operation against the Islamic State in Syria. / CBS News How grassroots movements near and (often very) far have
A new database finds more than 1,500 lobbyists working on behalf of fossil-fuel companies while also representing environmental groups. / The Guardian The Earth experienced the hottest day ever recorded on July 3. / Quartz July has already seen 11 mass shootings in the United States. / NPR Israel ends its attack
We're headed out for the holiday weekend and will see you on Wednesday. A detailed explanation and history of the Supreme Court's big decision on affirmative action in colleges. / Vox From Ketanji Brown Jackson's dissent: "Deeming race irrelevant in law does not make
Riots spread across France overnight in response to the shooting of a teenager by police. / Reuters Wagner mercenaries apparently will no longer fight in Ukraine after the mercenary group's leader refuses to sign contracts with the Kremlin. / The Guardian Remember that Chinese spy balloon? The spying tech on-board
The Supreme Court dismantles a legal theory that would have upended how elections are conducted—and sets up a power grab down the line. / Slate Amia Srinivasan: To hear that your views aren't worth engaging with isn't trampling on your free speech; it might simply be
Rising corporate profits account for almost half the increase in Europe's inflation over the past two years. / IMF Two-thirds of North America may suffer blackouts this summer due to extreme heat. / CNN Related: The MittiCool is a small refrigerator that works without electricity or greenhouse gas refrigerants. / The
Millions of Muslims arrive in Mecca to start the Hajj pilgrimage, expected to be the largest in the event's history. / Al Jazeera Regarding the weekend's events in Russia: "This was a preview of how the war in Ukraine ends." / Thinking about… A list of
The head of the Wagner Group has mounted an insurgency against Russia; troops captured a southern city overnight and are now headed to Moscow. / Reuters Is it a coup? Not yet, as there has been no attempt to seize power from the government. / BBC News "If EVs are the
In 2022, 34,600 migrants crossed the Mediterranean by the end of May. In the first five months of 2023, 65,000 made the journey. / The Economist The search for the privately owned submersible exploring the Titanic ends after evidence is found of an implosion with no survivors. / The Associated
As concerns mount over Alito's vacations with a billionaire who later had cases before the Supreme Court, the justice claims innocence in an op-ed. / ProPublica, the Wall Street Journal Even as many Americans may want to believe political norms still exist, their political parties simply don't
During a fundraiser, President Joe Biden equates Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, to a "dictator." / The Economist China introduces a $72.3 billion package of tax breaks over four years for electric vehicles. / Reuters See also: An account of recovering and restoring missing Orient Express train cars. / Messy
Hunter Biden will plead guilty to failure to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018 and enters an agreement over a firearm charge, ending a lengthy criminal investigation. / The Washington Post "The red lines are long gone for Putin." In 2020, Russia attempted to assassinate a CIA informant on
Happy Saturday, everyone! We'll be off on Monday for Juneteenth, and will see you again on Tuesday. Putin says Russia has begun moving tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus for use "in case there is a danger to Russian statehood." / BBC News In a horrific attack on
Following a two-year probe, the Justice Dept. finds Minneapolis police have systematically discriminated against Black and Native American people. / AP The personal information of more than 6.5 million residents of Louisiana and Oregon has been exposed in a massive cyberattack targeting government agencies. / Ars Technica "The government believes
An investigation finds over half of the pills at Mexican pharmacies are counterfeit—meth is sold as Adderall, and many painkillers test positive for fentanyl. / Los Angeles Times A group that counts most House GOP among its members proposes cutting Social Security by raising the retirement age—and turning Medicare
The wars in Ukraine and Sudan have resulted in the largest annual increase in displaced people in decades. / The Guardian What happens now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Voting Rights Act? Election maps in the Deep South will likely be redrawn, which could flip House seats. / ProPublica Lydia
Investigating the effects of noise on health, reporters measure sounds in rural Mississippi, New York City, and suburban California and New Jersey. / The New York Times A real-time view of the subreddits now dark or read-only in protest of Reddit's decision to implement new API charges that would
Among the classified material Trump allegedly sought to hide: information on "potential vulnerabilities" for attacks on the US and allies. / The New Republic "Making a public case is part of what's going on here." Why the Trump indictment is unavoidably political. / The New York
The Trump indictment has been unsealed, revealing 37 felony counts, including violating the Espionage Act and attempting to obstruct the investigation. / POLITICO Related: The indictment document, annotated. / The New York Times The Trump-appointed judge assigned to the case ruled last year to grant Trump's request for a special
The Justice Dept. plans to charge Trump over mishandling of classified documents—and possibly in South Florida, which could curtail potential legal challenges. / The Washington Post Parroting claims of voter fraud, right-wing groups in the US have targeted a system that actually helps identify cross-state voter fraud. / NPR Facing a
Smoke from Canadian wildfires causes New York to become the world's most polluted city. / Quartz An investigation finds Texas companies releasing 1.1 billion pounds of pollution beyond their permit limits since 2002. / Grist See also: "Mussel poop may help clear oceans of microplastics." / Science A
A dam in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine gets blown up, unleashing torrents of water across the region. / The Economist A schedule for when European airports and trains are set to strike this summer. / The Points Guy French public television replaces traditional weather forecasts with weather-and-climate reports. / Covering Climate Now
The NYPD has been experimenting with letting neighborhoods—not police—respond to low-level street crime. / The New York Times Sulking is unique in its role as an indirect communication device, the purpose of which is either a plea for help or a tool of manipulation. / Aeon An illustrated guide to
Hi, everybody. We forgot to mention on Saturday, we're taking the week off for some rest. We'll see you again on Monday, June 5. We wish you the very best! Rosecrans + Andrew 🏜️ TMN is desert without generous, awesome readers. Become a Sustaining Member today or support
Debt-ceiling talks are causing a pileup of DC lawmakers' other priorities, including spending bills. / Politico Reviewing the week in other Washington policy news. / Wake Up to Politics See also: "A Day in the Life of a Woke Third-Grade Teacher, as Imagined by a Far-Right Politician." / McSweeney'
Ukraine says it shot down 10 missiles and more than 20 drones launched by Russia at Kyiv. / Reuters An investigation finds previously unreported attacks that killed or wounded hundreds of Cambodian civilians during Henry Kissinger's reign in the White House. / The Intercept See also: "Henry Kissinger at
Florida Governor Ron Desantis's presidential campaign does not get a smooth launch on Elon Musk's Twitter. / The New York Times Even without any glitches, "launching the campaign on a Twitter Space would have been bizarre." / Vox Some notes on how ProPublica broke the Clarence
Russia's prime minister says relations with China are "at an unprecedented high level." / Reuters Since the pandemic, no American governors have visited China, though four have visited Taiwan since the start of last year. / Politico An investigation finds Chevron's efforts to offset its enormous
An astonishing story of Afghans seeking refuge in the United States after crossing the Darién Gap. / The New York Times A Ukranian refugee moves back to Kyiv because living in Ohio is worse. / Talking Points Memo A fake image showing an explosion near the Pentagon goes viral on Twitter after
President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy return to negotiations over a debt ceiling deal. / Wake Up to Politics China calls the recent G7 summit, hosted by Japan, an "anti-China workshop." / Al Jazeera "The infantry hasn't changed since the First World War." Luke Mogelson joins
Visualizing all the ways your personal information has been leaked in major data breaches. / ABC It's not just emails and passwords: By collecting trace amounts of human DNA lingering in the air, water—anywhere, really—your privacy could be compromised. / The New York Times In a test to
Our apologies for yesterday's interruption in service. The day job couldn't be tamed. Fair use and transformative works just took a big hit with the Supreme Court's ruling against Warhol, who used photographer Lynn Goldsmith's work in a set of screen prints.
In the next five years, global temperatures are expected to rise—temporarily, but more frequently—above the critical 1.5-degree threshold. / The Guardian As flooding increases in Jakarta, where 40% of the city lies below sea level—Indonesia's president plans to relocate the capital to Borneo, 800 miles
In Florida, DeSantis signs a series of bills to limit diversity initiatives in education beyond what's required by accreditors. / Miami Herald Related: Texas Gov. Abbott tells state agencies and public universities it's illegal to consider diversity when making hiring decisions. / The Texas Tribune See also: What
Voters in Thailand overwhelmingly cast ballots in favor of opposition parties that want to curtail the military. / Reuters The World Health Organization ends the global health emergency for mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. / STAT Responses from residents of Kibera, Africa's largest urban slum, to the end of the
A year after the invasion, Ukraine is in full de-Russification mode, erasing remnants of Russia, as well as the Russian language, from public life. / The Washington Post Palantir says it's seeing "unprecedented" demand for its AI platform for militaries. / Fortune "Face to face with a
Sudan's warring factions fail to agree to a ceasefire and continue fighting, despite vowing to protect civilians. / Reuters Alex de Waal: The fighting in Khartoum is a war of choice; allowing it to happen was a failure of international diplomacy. / The London Review of Books At campaign rallies
Climate disasters and war displaced a record 71.1 million people worldwide last year. / Reuters Title 42 expires tonight, ending a rule that made it easier for the US to send migrants back to Mexico. Officials believe attempted border crossings are poised to skyrocket. / BBC News Related: Anticipating an influx
A federal jury finds former President Donald Trump liable for battery and defamation in a lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. / NPR The monetary outcome of the trial is only "a minor facet of her victory." / Slate Alex Tabarrok: The Food and Drug Administration shows once again
The Biden administration plans to introduce regulations requiring airlines compensate passengers for cancellations and delays. / Associated Press "There are no fixed borders between a pandemic...and the ensuing endemic phase." Does the end of Covid emergency declarations mean the pandemic is over? / STAT See also: "Any headline
Russia launches a new wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities, just one day ahead of Moscow's planned Victory Day celebrations. / CNBC Ukrainian prosecutors have opened more than 80,000 war-crimes cases since the invasion. / The Economist Nobody wants a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024, yet each man's
American employers added 253,000 jobs in April, exceeding forecasts. / The Economist Bernie Sanders doesn't know the difference between equality and equity—and apparently neither does anybody else. / Vox Unrelated: Adidas faces a $772 million loss if it can't sell its surplus of shoes designed by
Today, the World Health Organization officially ended its Covid-19 Health Emergency—but also reasserted that the pandemic is not over. / STAT Russia sends drone attacks to Kyiv, and now claims the US was behind the drone that exploded above the Kremlin. / Reuters The leader of the Wagner Group threatens to
Shell is accused of a "profiteering bonanza" after posting record first-quarter profits of more than $9.6 billion. / The Guardian France's finance minister explains to his critics why he's published five novels in the last four years: "It's a need."
Russia accuses Ukraine of sending a drone that exploded over the Kremlin—a claim Ukraine says is an excuse for "a large-scale terrorist attack." / Al Jazeera At this point, geopolitics have wholly infected space exploration—but maybe nations can work together to start picking up their space trash.
China is increasingly barring people, including foreign executives, from leaving the country. / The Guardian Young Chinese people have been migrating to Sweden in record numbers, only to discover it's less than ideal. / Sixth Tone A Palestinian militant dies in an Israeli jail after three months of hunger strike—
For May Day, workers demonstrate in cities across Asia and Europe—including in France, where unions continue rallying against increasing the retirement age. / Associated Press Actually related: Searching for the best croissant in Paris. / YouTube "You have a completely different experience of transparency when you are the subject."
Florida changes its laws to allow DeSantis to run for president without first resigning as governor. / POLITICO Brazil's da Silva grants federal recognition of Indigenous lands, though progress may be slow with Bolsonaro allies controlling most of the Amazon states. / Associated Press Putin signs a decree allowing those
Diplomats in Sudan worry the longer the conflict rages, the more room for malign outside actors to fan the flames. / The Guardian An annual survey finds South Africans fed up with their prospects and their democracy. / The Conversation A consortium of scientific and public health experts chronicle the failures of
The UK blocks Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, citing concerns it would harm competition in cloud gaming. / Reuters How British American Tobacco circumvented sanctions in order to sell cigarettes to North Korea—a scheme that ended in a $635 million fine. / Financial Times Why the demise
President Joe Biden wants four more years in office "to finish the job." Here's a report card on some key pledges. / The Economist, Politico Some 14% of Biden's 2020 voters now prefer to support Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. / Wake Up to Politics This month,
China's ambassador to France questions the sovereignty of former Soviet states, a comment China afterward deemed "totally unacceptable." / The Guardian North Dakota becomes the latest state to ban abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies in the first six weeks. / Associated Press An analysis
Long lines of United Nations vehicles and buses are seen leaving Sudan's Khartoum as thousands flee the fighting. / BBC News "The night before street warfare broke out, I was at a cultural center listening to a panel of feminist speakers." / 1843 Magazine Russian mercenaries The Wagner
The United States Supreme Court maintains access to the abortion pill mifepristone pending litigation. / Politico In the US, the risk of death at every age is now higher for boys and men than for girls and women. / The Washington Post Derek Thompson: The average American my age is roughly six
In his first visit to Kyiv since the invasion, NATO's chief states his support for Ukraine's membership—though there's no clear roadmap for when it might happen. / CNN A Russian warplane accidentally bombed Belgorod, a Russian city 25 miles from the Ukrainian border. / BBC
In the United States, people ages 65 and older and those who are immunocompromised can receive an additional dose of Covid-19 vaccine this spring. / STAT A new low-cost Covid vaccine that doesn't require refrigeration provided immunity in rhesus monkeys for one year. / Stanford Medicine The case for universal
An investigation into the "black box" of website content that's been used to train the most popular AI chatbots. / The Washington Post Related: To scrape back money from the AI companies that have scraped its content, Reddit will begin charging companies for API access. / Engadget Multiple
No matter any doomsday scenarios discussed, there appears to be little urgency in Washington around the debt ceiling. / Wake Up to Politics The United States' astonishing economic record would be reassuring if not for our poisonous politics. / The Economist Related: A leaked cache of emails from 2019 and 2020
A new study finds that in countries with higher numbers of Black primary care physicians, Black patients have longer life expectancies. / STAT Four people were killed on Saturday night and up to 20 injured in a shooting at a 16th birthday party in Alabama. / AL.com In Kansas City, a
Alito extends the hold to lift mifepristone restrictions as the Supreme Court considers whether to allow a federal judge's decision to take effect. / CNN At a campaign event today in Japan, PM Kishida was evacuated when someone threw an explosive device at him, nine months after former PM
The FBI arrests an Air Force guardsman who was part of a gun-loving Discord group that hosted leaked American intelligence files. / CNN See also: "From Discord to 4chan—the improbable journey of a US intelligence leak." / Bellingcat A tech consultant is arrested in the recent San Francisco murder
The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals partially blocks the decision overturning FDA approval of mifepristone—the medication will remain available, but cannot be mailed. / NBC News Arcturus is the new omicron subvariant; while no more deadly than its kin, it may be 1.2 times more infectious than the
The UN says almost 8,500 civilians have been killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with many thousands more unverified deaths feared. / Reuters According to the recent leak of US intelligence, a number of countries have military special forces operating inside Ukraine. / BBC News Author Dave Eggers sends
"They are propping up our fossil fuel industry, and that's exactly what we want." An investigation into US bitcoin miners' emissions. / The New York Times Related: Bitcoin mining is expected to cause Texas's electricity costs to increase by nearly 5% this year. / Quartz
China begins a third day of military exercises around Taiwan after Taiwan's president returns from meeting with American lawmakers. / NBC News Stuart Lau: Beijing wants to use France as a wedge between European and American strategies on China. / Politico Analysis of the US intelligence documents circulating on social
A grand jury votes to indict Donald Trump, making him the first president in United States history to face criminal charges. / CNN Trump anticipates the media attention may help him win support and sympathy. / Politico Only eight percent of government employees are under the age of 30. / The Washington Post
In an effort to return war powers to Congress, the Senate votes to repeal the 2002 resolution that led to the invasion of Iraq as well as the 1991 Gulf War authorization. / Associated Press How much would it cost to pay the Russian Army to defect? About $20 billion. / Model
As of yesterday, in the 87 days of 2023, there have been 131 mass shootings in the United States. / Wake Up to Politics Related: 3D animations show the destructive power of an AR-15 on a human body. / The Washington Post President Biden again asks Republicans to ban assault weapons. Evidence
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Russia of "radiation blackmail" for holding a nuclear power station "hostage." / Al Jazeera An official in the Ukrainian frontline city Avdiivka says the town "is being wiped off the face of the Earth" by Russian shelling. / The Guardian
NATO criticizes Vladimir Putin's plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. / Reuters Daniel Ellsberg (famous for leaking the Pentagon Papers): President Biden should fulfill his promise to declare a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. / The New York Times Thousands of demonstrators hit the streets
Canada and the United States agree to new rules governing asylum-seekers crossing their shared border. / NPR Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the two countries must "double down" on their shared values to face China. / Politico American intelligence officials expect a slew of new assets due to the
Fake photos of Donald Trump being arrested garner five million views, especially after Trump shares one himself. / Quartz A rundown of the ongoing criminal investigations faced by Trump. / NPR Russia gifts fertilizer to Malawi, hoping for support of its attack on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Uganda passes some of Africa's
Shou Zi Chew, head of TikTok, faces a grilling before the House of Representatives, amid much talk about a ban. / MarketWatch, Wake Up to Politics Recalling a headline from January: "Air Force general predicts war with China in 2025." / NBC News Employees at 100 different Starbucks stores plan
A bipartisan group of lawmakers seeks to claw back the White House's war powers. / Wake Up to Politics Related: 2,500 American troops remain in Iraq. / The Economist Texas's new anti-abortion law is causing doctors and nurses to leave the state—a drain felt most acutely
A United Nations report says the world needs a "quantum leap" in climate ambition to stave off devastating consequences. / Grist A truly eco-friendly golf course in Burkina Faso is played on "browns." / France24 Unrelated/related: A profile of one of America's only airplane repo
Slovakia saysit will send fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming weeks, joining fellow NATO member Poland. / NPR Vladimir Putin visits the Ukrainian port city Mariupol. / BBC News The Federal Reserve and the central banks of Britain, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and the EU announce co-ordinated measures to "ease strains
The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes. / The Associated Press The Ukrainian government says 16,221 children have been forcibly taken to Russia. / BBC News Another spot shaken by the Silicon Valley Bank collapse: construction of affordable housing in California.
Tropical cyclone Freddy has now killed more than 400 people in Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar. / Reuters By mid-century, storm damage in the northeastern United States is anticipated to rise 87%. / Bloomberg Some $229 billion has been wiped off the market value of America's banks so far this month.
Ukrainian prosecutors use a chart to track war crimes, mapping hundreds of Russian soldiers all the way up to Vladimir Putin. / The Guardian An argument against Israel's proposed judicial reform and an argument for it. / The Free Press Eric Garcetti is confirmed as the ambassador to India after
Honduras planstoestablish diplomatic ties with China and sever them with Taiwan. / NPR Argentina's annual inflation rate hits 102.5%, its highest level since hyperinflation in the 1990s. / The Buenos Aires Herald A list of banks that have failed since 2000. / FDIC A guide to issues dividing the prospective
Despite pledging no more drilling on federal land, President Joe Biden approves a sprawling oil project in Alaska. / The Associated Press Elizabeth Warren: Silicon Valley Bank is gone. It's critical that those responsible not be rewarded. / The New York Times The United States' "drunk shopping habit&
Silicon Valley Bank reportedly paid out annual bonuses to eligible US employees on Friday, just hours before the bank was seized by the US government. / Axios Noah Smith: This was a very normal bank run on a very unusual bank. / Noahpinion SVB is the largest lender to fail since Washington
Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to re-establish diplomatic ties, a move facilitated by China. / Reuters Singapore rates its Covid performance: several big calls right, several big mistakes. / The Straits Times Zeynep Tufekci: Actually, the science is quite clear that Covid masks work. / The New York Times Congress came together this
Xi Jinping secures a precedent-breaking third term as China's president after his re-appointment is unanimously rubber-stamped. / Reuters A primer on President Xi and how he'll potentially rule China for life. / The Economist Chinese lingerie companies dress male models in their sexiest products to avoid disturbing online
Protesters in Israel begin a "day of resistance to dictatorship," following weeks of demonstrations against the government's plans to overhaul the judiciary. / TIME Staff working for a United States Senator decide to unionize. / Quartz A researcher appears to have tracked the location of a former top
Four former bank executives are charged with helping a cellist launder funds suspected of belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin. / BBC News Alice Su: Taiwan's fate ultimately will be decided by the battle-readiness of its people. / The Economist The most polluted places to live in the United States:
Ukraine is using the eastern city of Bakhmut as "a kill box" to "grind down" newly mobilized Russian soldiers. / The Week An interview with a Ukrainian colonel touches on the importance of civilians' "wedding drones" early in the war. / War Translated Several hundred
Eric Topol: It's an inconvenient truth that Covid-19 is associated with an excess of heart attacks and strokes beyond the first month of infection. / Ground Truths A loss of social capital, as well as opioids, explains rising middle-aged mortality. / The Economist By cutting insulin prices, Eli Lilly avoids
"Altasia" is a portmanteau referring to Asian countries that could lure manufacturing away from China. / The Economist Hong Kong convicts three organizers of vigils commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre under its national security law. / The Guardian A longtime Chinese diplomat says the window to stabilize relations between Beijing
Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan, and the United States say Russia's nuclear threats are "unacceptable." / NBC News A cruise ship becomes a shelter for more than a thousand Turkish earthquake survivors. / The Washington Post Regarding the recent study that reignited a debate over wearing masks
Protests and strikes in Greece after a railway accident kills at least 42 people. / CNN The recent train disaster in Ohio represents "the tip of a chemical iceberg that supports many of our lives." / Material World See also: Ohio's archaeological heritage can be traced by finding
China starts a propaganda campaign to rewrite the public's memory of its handling of the pandemic. / The New York Times A study finds people are less likely to wear masks to prevent Covid if they perceive themselves as good-looking. / NPR FBI director Christopher Wray endorses the lab-leak theory.
Communitiesin coal country are eager to be staging grounds for dozens of small, "modular" nuclear plants. / The Washington Post Semiconductor manufacturers who want part of the $40 billion in new federal subsidies need to ensure affordable child care for their workers. / Quartz In Montana, an investigation finds the
The United States Energy Department concludes—with "low confidence"—that an accidental laboratory leak in China likely caused the coronavirus pandemic. / The Star Tribune National security adviser Jake Sullivan: "There is not a definitive answer that has emerged from the intelligence community on this question." / CNN
Volodymyr Zelensky says he is open to meeting Xi Jinping to talk through a peace plan released by China on Friday. / BBC News, CNN What the war in Ukraine has done to Europe's economy: an energy crisis, low growth, and stubborn inflation. / The Economist South Korea breaks its
Approximately 200,000 Russian troops and 100,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded in one year of war. / Grid A tracker shows vast differences in different countries' support for Kyiv this year. / Kiel Institute for the World Economy A "volunteer ecosystem" of foreign visitors—mercenaries,
Vladimir Putin hails "new frontiers" achieved in Russia's relationship with China. / The Straits Times The United States says Beijing is considering supplying "lethal support" to Russia, allegations which China denies. / BBC News Everything you need to know before this weekend's general election
One year later, Russia's war seems to be making Ukraine into a more Western country. / The Economist American fossil fuel companies have locked in 45 long-term contracts and contract expansions since the war's start. / The Guardian The White House proposes making migrants ineligible for asylum if
President Biden makes an unannounced visit to Ukraine prior to the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion. / The Associated Press Vladimir Putin says Russia will suspend its participation in New START, its last remaining nuclear arms control agreement with the United States. / Reuters Turkey gets hit by two
The United Nations head calls for "a total rethink" of how the financial system works so it can benefit Africa. / BBC News Reporting on non-African powers in the Sahel betrays a Western-centric bias in international news coverage. / Africa Is a Country Unrelated/related: "It Is Journalism'
Sorry for the repeated subject line yesterday. Unfortunate human error, not a Bing/Sydney lovebomb mistake! Another billionaire banker goes missing in China, likely disappeared in the government's anti-corruption campaign. / Quartz Portugal ends its "golden visas" scheme for foreign property buyers, to address the country'
Thousands of Chinese retirees take to the streets of Wuhan and Dalian, to protest against cuts to their health benefits. / Al Jazeera French unions stage yet another day of strikes in protest of a plan to raise the retirement age. / Bloomberg Residents of the Ohio village upended by a train
Rough estimates suggest between 1 and 1.5 million people have died since China ended "zero Covid." / The New York Times A new understanding of spillover viruses may help scientists prevent the next pandemic. / NPR At least 6,000 children from Ukraine have been sent to Russian "
The energy crunch caused by the war in Ukraine may have fast-tracked the green transition by five to 10 years. / The Economist Africa will be responsible for over 11% of all gas supplies by 2050, double its share now. / Quartz Inflation cooled very slightly on an annual basis for a
Russian soldiers are dying in greater numbers in Ukraine than at any time since the invasion's first week, according to Ukrainian data. / BBC News In Saudi Arabia, 37% of women have a job or are looking for one. In 2017 it was 17%. / The Economist Why so many
President Biden recently taunted Republicans with a phrase he's been using for 25 years that no one understands. / NPR See also: "Joe Biden Won an Otherwise Very Foolish Week." / Slate Vincent Lloyd recounts teaching an anti-racism seminar that turned into a cult. / Compact A moving essay
Pressure mounts on the UN to provide support to northwestern Syria, which is yet to receive meaningful aid due to the ongoing war. / NBC News The Turkish government blocks Twitter, citing technical problems. Typically, "problems" coincide with "periods of intense criticism of the government." / rest of
United States officials say China's balloon was part of a surveillance fleet spanning five continents. / Al Jazeera The Australian government plans to remove 900 Chinese-made surveillance cameras from more than 250 of its facilities. / VICE Assessing what's known publicly about the jurors who will face the
Six takeaways from President Biden's State of the Union address. / Wake Up to Politics A look back at 10 years of the "worst job in politics"—delivering official responses to State of the Union addresses. / Washingtonian Turkey's earthquake death toll passes 11,000. Experts
President Joe Biden plans to touthis efforts to make healthcare more affordable as part of tonight's State of the Union address. / Politico Private companies have committed $4.2 billion to Central America as part of an effort to reduce migration by targeting economic development. / Reuters Meanwhile, monthly crossing
Two large earthquakes strike southern Turkey and Syria killing at least 2,000 people. / The Guardian Earthquakes can't be predicted, but machine learning may soon change that. / The Economist Europe begins its ban on Russian diesel fuel and other refined oil products. / PBS NewsHour What is hybrid warfare?
The Pentagon reports a second suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over Latin America. / The Guardian Residents in North Carolina are asked not to take potshots at the first balloon. / Twitter On the China-Russia border, locals explain why Putin isn't a pariah to them. / The Economist Esteban Almiron (from
The United States unemployment rate is at its lowest level in more than 50 years. / CBS News Lackluster earnings reports from Amazon and Alphabet suggest Big Tech's golden age is fading. / The Washington Post Or, another way to look at it: "It's fair to say
In Ukraine, Moscow's forces are becoming more capable before a critical spring period as the war drags on. / The Guardian Russia's export system has gotten less reliant on Western infrastructure, "and has therefore escaped the scope of sanctions." / The Economist A mess of global
Oil giants Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, and TotalEnergies record a combined $190 billion in profits for 2022. / Quartz Chevron's big stock buyback—rewarding wealthy executives and shareholders, rather than investing in energy projects—is another way of saying "screw the optics." / CNN After suffering decades of
President Biden tells Congress he's ending the dual states of emergency that were declared to address the pandemic. / Deadline From earlierthis month: What Democrats achieved—and didn't—in two years of controlling Congress. / The Guardian The death toll from yesterday's suicide bombing at a
A new study finds a simple nasal swab can provide early warning of emerging viruses. / YaleNews Related: Nine diseases "that keep epidemiologists up at night." / Goats and Soda A field guide to House Republicans' various investigations, all set to begin this week. / Politico Residents of suburban Atlanta&
A night of protests around the United States after video is released showing police officers killing Tyre Nichols. / NPR See also: Video of Nichols skateboarding, "living his best life." / Twitter A look at what all three branches of government did this week. / Wake Up to Politics A Republican
Despite growing faster than expected in the fourth quarter, the US economy is under threat from reduced demand by consumers—who are trying to save rather than spend. / Reuters "It's still difficult to fight the feeling that CEOs are willing this recession into existence to create a
The world spent $1.1 trillion transitioning to clean power in 2022, the same as the amount spent producing gas and oil. / Bloomberg The United States' switch to electric vehicles may require three times as much lithium as is currently produced for the entire world. / The Guardian Alissa Walker:
The United States and Germany agree to send tanks to Ukraine's front lines. / Al Jazeera Germany's Leopard 2 tanks: What are they and why does Ukraine want them? Basically, to shift the balance of the war. / The Guardian See also: "If you want a negotiated
There have been more mass shootings in the United States in 2023 than there have been days in January. I.e., "tragedy upon tragedy." / Gun Violence Archive, The New York Times A gunman kills seven people in California's second mass shooting in three days. / The Los
Statistics, anecdotal evidence, and "unconventional indicators" suggest Covid-19 may have swept through large parts of China. / The Economist Helen Branswell: Do you need to keep up with Omicron's ever-expanding offspring? Not really. / STAT Twelve people are responsible for 65% of disinformation about Covid vaccines on social
Why this debt ceiling crisis is different: After the McCarthy tug of war, right-wing diehards now hold sway in the House and are willing to hold the economy hostage. / NPR Related: The White House's stance of not conceding to Republican holdouts makes a showdown over the debt limit
After an eight-month investigation, the US Supreme Court has been unable to identify who leaked its ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. / Reuters It turns out the reason thousands of flights were grounded in the US last week was that FAA contractors mistakenly deleted files from a critical system. / NPR More
New Zealand's esteemed prime minister resigns at 42, saying she ran out of energy. / Quartz The White House press corps is nearly in open revolt—over obfuscation, basically—against press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. / Reliable Sources The Treasury Department prepares to use "extraordinary measures" when the United
This week's World Economic Forum in Davos is catnip for online conspiracy theorists. / The Associated Press McKinsey executives at Davos say Gen Z workers are more comfortable than millennials at working for corporations. / Business Insider The head of the United Nations accuses fossil fuel companies of refusing to
China sees its population shrink for the first time in more than 60 years. / CNN Municipal authorities begin offering financial incentives to couples, but critics say the subsidies are far from sufficient. / The South China Morning Post Restaurant workers in the United States unwittingly pay—via mandatory safety classes—for
We're off on Monday and will see you again on Tuesday. A House panel led by Jim Jordan is opening an investigation into the classified documents found at Biden's Delaware home and former Washington office. / NBC News See also: Here's what we know about
Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to review the classified material found at Biden's Delaware home. / NBC News A timeline of the Biden documents case. / The New York Times Before drawing too many parallels between Biden and Trump's document handling, remember the latter resisted official
Uganda declares the end of its latest Ebola epidemic after four months and dozens of people killed. / Reuters Some trends that will shape urban Africa in 2023: Gentrification, increased focus on emerging cities, confronting flooding. / This Week in Africa Venice's lagoon contains an estimated 2,000 abandoned vessels.
California storm costs may add up to the United States' first billion-dollar disaster of 2023. / Yahoo! News The entire community of Planada, a town of about 4,000 people, was evacuated amid rising waters from a breached levee. / The Los Angeles Times Some notes on military-funded TikTok girl warfare,
Earth's last eight years were the hottest on record. The poles continue to see "worrisome changes as well." / Axios, MarketWatch A study finds the earth's ozone layer on track to repair itself in four decades. / NPR What Kevin McCarthy's deal with ultraconservatives
Thousands of supporters of Jair Bolsonaro mount an insurrection in Brazil. / The Guardian Questions will be asked about whose side the police were on. More obvious, it seems, were Donald Trump's allies. / The Economist, BBC News Analysis of Xi Jinping's bookshelf from the background of his
It took all week, but late last night—following a historical, debasing 15th ballot—Kevin McCarthy became House speaker, crediting Trump for getting the final votes. / Associated Press Here's video from last night of Rep. Mike Rogers being restrained after he appears to go after Rep. Matt Gaetz,
Twelve experts offer thoughts on how to avoid war with China over Taiwan, or anywhere else. / Foreign Policy Related: What we know on day 317 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. / The Guardian An online black market for Covid-19 drugs is said to be thriving in China. / rest of
Retail pharmacies will now be able to distribute abortion pills, no longer requiring patients to receive the drugs directly from their medical provider or a mail-order pharmacy. / STAT However, a federal judge who openly opposed Roe v. Wade might freeze the FDA's approval of one of the drugs
Twenty-three experts tell Helen Branswell what surprised them the most about the pandemic. / STAT China is now proclaimed "the center of Covid." A professor at Yale Law School gives China-related predictions for 2023. / The Guardian, Twitter Temperatures for January reach an all-time high in a number of nations
China lashes out at a dozen nations placing "discriminatory" restrictions on its travelers. Meanwhile, the year's biggest economic event gets going. / Forbes, The Economist California prepares for a third atmospheric river as much of the rest of the country prepares for consequences from the second one.
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2022, and what were the least?
TMN is going on a long winter's nap and will resume publishing on January 3, 2023. Until then, here are some groups our friends and family like to support. Survival International fights for Indigenous cultural and land rights worldwide, including uncontacted tribes. / Survival International Bangkok Community Help works
In a visit to DC, Zelenskyy requests more US support through aid and weapons. / Politico See also: Possible explanations for how Zelenskyy even traveled to the US. / BBC News US life expectancy falls for a second straight year—to its shortest since 1996—due to Covid deaths and drug overdoses.
The House Ways and Means Committee votes to release former President Trump's tax returns in the next couple days. / NPR Details on the government funding package expected to pass this week. / Wake Up to Politics Wells Fargo will pay a record $3.7 billion to settle claims of
Russia's war in Ukraine and Iran's protests limited their respective abilities to interfere in America's midterm elections, according to a US military official. / Associated Press The big takeaway from the final Jan. committee hearing: Though Trump and others will be referred to the DoJ
A Chinese health official says his country faces three waves of Covid infections this winter. / BBC News Helen Branswell: Early flu season in the US may be peaking early. / STAT Research shows doctors and their families are less likely to follow guidelines about medicine. / MIT News Which countries performed best
The US pledges $55 billion to the African continent over the next three years, playing catch-up to China's investments. / Reuters, South China Morning Post Elections across Africa are becoming increasingly competitive. / The Economist Ukrainian commanders say Russia may be planning a new attack on Kyiv early next year.
The Senate passes $858 billion defense legislation that includes funding for Ukraine and Taiwan and rescinds the military's vaccine mandate. / CNN EU leaders agree on more sanctions for Russia and €18 billion in financing for Ukraine. / Reuters The Senate has also approved a short-term funding bill to avoid
The Federal Reserve raises its benchmark interest rate to the highest level in 15 years, indicating no reductions until 2024. / CNBC Eight social media influencers are charged in a $100 million stock manipulation scheme. / Business Insider A study from the CDC says US deaths tied to long Covid exceed 3,
Biden signs legislation requiring same-sex and interracial marriages to be recognized across state lines. / NPR Because it also provides concessions to nonprofit religious groups, the Respect for Marriage Act opens the door for further discrimination against same-sex couples. / The New Yorker From 2014: After moving to a state that doesn&
US scientists produce a nuclear fusion reaction resulting in a net energy gain—a very, very small version of what powers the sun. / CNN Fusion looks unlikely to play a major role in power production before the 2060s or '70s. / NPR Maps show households in denser neighborhoods to be
Arizona's outgoing governor is pressing forward with a scheme to erect hundreds of shipping containers topped with razor wire along the state's border with Mexico. / Associated Press US legal experts on how free speech can be modified to punish lying—or at the very least curtail
Please forgive today's delayed appearance in your inbox. People are getting sick out here! The White House says Russia and Iran's relationship has warmed to a fully fledged defense partnership. / Al Jazeera Interviews with a self-appointed king living inside Germany, a state he doesn't
The BBC's list of 100 influential women this year includes Olena Zelenska, Billie Eilish, and Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi. / BBC News Iranian medics say security forces are targeting women's faces, breasts, and genitals. / The Guardian Since 2013, Nigeria's military has run a secret mass
China eases its harsher coronavirus policies amid mounting public pressure. / Quartz Social media suggests a growing number of Chinese people know someone who has Covid, a month prior to millions celebrating the lunar new year. / The Economist See also: "Based on what we have seen in Hong Kong, this
In the week ending November 26, more than 34,000 positive flu tests were reported in the US, the most in a single week during any flu season on record. / Vox Avian influenza has led to the deaths of over 52 million birds in this year in the United States.
More drone strikes attack Russia. Ukraine doesn't claim responsibility, but a presidential advisor taunts the Kremlin on Twitter. / USA Today, Twitter An explainer why sanctions against Russia will cause long-term damage, but presently aren't working. / NPR For today's Senate runoff in Georgia, five key
A senior official in Iran suggests the morality police have been disbanded, but local media say his remarks have been "misinterpreted." / BBC News Supposedly, a decision will be made in December on whether to abolish Iran's mandatory hijab altogether. / The Economist France bans short domestic flights
Russia says it "will not accept" the G7's $60-a-barrel price cap on its oil exports. / Reuters Internal documents show the US Army planned to sponsor Call of Duty streamers to attract Gen Z recruits. / Motherboard "It is easy to see Metallica as an instigating force—
China plans to announce an easing of its Covid quarantine protocols and a reduction in mass testing. / Reuters Hong Kong's zero Covid policy, in the face of Omicron, led to half the population getting infected within two months. / STAT Unrelated: A Buddhist temple in Thailand goes empty after
France becomes the first major western power to support trying Russian officials over the war in Ukraine. / The Guardian Millions of people in Ukraine are said to be without power as winter nears. / BBC News Christopher Blatterman: Peace gets tricky when both sides of a war find the idea of
The United States Senate passes legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriage. Meanwhile, a court in Japan upholds a ban. / CNN, Reuters The White House asks Congress to avert a rail strike, which could cost the American economy as much as $2 billion per day. / Voice of America Jay Caspian
China announces a new social credit law, attempting to codify past experiments. / MIT Technology Review To understand China's zero-covid policy, it's helpful to think of it "as a steampunk pandemic response." / The Economist Unrelated: Cities where "vision zero," regarding traffic deaths, is
In China, protests over Covid lockdown restrictions intensify across multiple cities and universities. / BuzzFeed News Related: With its anti-propaganda team now decimated, Twitter is being overwhelmed by spam in attempts to drown out coverage of the protests. / The Washington Post Iran wants the US suspended from the World Cup over
TMN is going on holiday for a couple days. See you Monday. As 2023 begins, the world's most important climate system remains locked in La Niña. / The Economist Iranian security forces use ambulances against protesters. They also use sexual assault. / The New York Times, CNN Workers at Foxconn&
More than 50 million people are traveling this weekend, reaching 98% of pre-pandemic Thanksgiving travel. / MarketWatch A reporter is detained for wearing a rainbow T-shirt to the World Cup. / Fútbol with Grant Wahl See also: "'It feels,' says one journalist, 'like a country that's
An earthquake shakes Indonesia's main island of Java, killing at least 46 people. / BBC News A 22-year-old gunman opens fire inside a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people before he's subdued by patrons. / NPR Helen Branswell: How infectious disease experts are responding to Covid
A group of conspiracy theorists have convinced Arizona officials to delay certifying last week's election results, claiming voting machines weren't certified. / Associated Press As the threat of the Supreme Court overturning Obergefell looms, here's what in Congress's new bill to protect same-sex
Fiji's "unprecedented" progress in relocating people threatened by climate change previews challenges to come. / The Guardian While the climate crisis reduces avian populations, an Indigenous-led effort is underway to ensure tribes don't lose access to feathers they need for ceremonies. / Atmos Four dams on
An interactive explanation of how Ukraine blew up the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea. / The New York Times "Everybody's a Joe Manchin." By only the slimmest of margins, Republicans have won the House of Representatives. Expect turmoil. / Politico After two decades of leading House
Poland says the missile strike on its land appears to be an accident by Ukraine. / NPR On the day FTX declared insolvency, El Salvador, suffering the Bitcoin crash, announced a free trade agreement with China. / The Guardian A South Korean regional leader's dislike of a new Legoland park
Republicans are one seat away from taking back the House of Representatives. / Politico Former President Trump is expected to announce a third run for presidency tonight. Meanwhile, former Vice President Pence is denouncing him on book tour. / CNN, Reliable Sources Michele Obama says Trump's victory in 2016 still
The planet's population is expected to reach eight billion tomorrow. "Whether this constitutes a threat to civilization is not so clear." / The Economist Demand for lithium may grow more than 40 times its current levels if the world wants to meet its Paris goals. / BBC Future
Why the FBI is so far behind on cybercrime—the bureau's culture prizes agents who can do "any job, anywhere," which pushes out specialists. / The New York Times "The emergency gyno shook her head... 'Whoever did this to you ought to be shot in
Ukraine's armed forces reach the center of Kherson, a key port city, as Russian forces retreat. / The Guardian Imagining peace in Ukraine: How a stable and successful country could emerge from the trauma of Russia's invasion. / The Economist Winnipeg's police chief explains why his
New York passes a $4 billion environmental bond act with a plan to disburse benefits to communities most impacted by the climate crisis. / The Guardian France plans to require all large parking lots to be covered by solar panels. Japan seeks to turn down private air conditioners remotely. / Electrek, Japan
As of this morning, the US Senate is still up for grabs with Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin in play. / Politico Republicans are expected to retake control of the House, even if a "red wave" or "red tsunami" isn't getting them there. / Wake Up
Election day arrives in the United States "shadowed by inflation, abortion, and threats to democracy." / NPR Robert Reich: Please don't say inflation is at a 40-year high without also mentioning that corporate profits are at a 70-year high. / Twitter Unrelated: How can you walk by $3
For the first time in modern US history, most white Americans don't live in predominantly white neighborhoods. / The Washington Post This week's contest for US Senate control is said to be a "toss up," while the House of Representatives is going "likely Republican.
America was fighting domestic terrorism before Sept. 11—when intelligence resources shifted to the war on terror, far-right extremism grew in the shadows. / Foreign Affairs Fears of nuclear war were replaced by fears of climate change—which makes it all the more strange now that the former has again reared
"Roughly five million Americans would be willing to kill someone to achieve a political purpose, according to a new UC Davis study." / Los Angeles Times Qatar has been preparing for the World Cup for over a decade, in which time thousands of migrants working on the project have
According to the United Nations, more than 14 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February. / PBS A gay Russian journalist relates a very compelling, horrifying story about participating in conversion therapy. / GQ See also: "'Restoring Beds, or Wombs,' and
Russia says it will resume participating in an agreement allowing Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea. / Reuters Eastern Europe's largest bat rescue and research facility keeps the lights on despite accusations of spreading bioweapons. / Undark In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be on the verge of
Some experts say Russia's recent mixed nuclear rhetoric is an attempt to pressure the West into forcing Ukraine to reach a peace settlement. / Vox Masha Gessen: The more the Kremlin signals its readiness to go nuclear, the more the world seeks a reason to believe that it will
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wins a third term in Brazil after beating Jair Bolsonaro. / The Economist The Disney resort in Shanghai shuts down and prevents guests from leaving unless they test negative for Covid-19. / Reuters Workers break out of Apple's largest iPhone assembly factory in China after
A new UN report says Russian forces have committed an array of war crimes against Ukrainian civilians. (Content warning.) / CNBC Members of Florida's two medical boards approve language for the state's standard of care that would ban children from gender-affirming care. / Politico "What I found
Protests continue in Iran, with outrage spreading beyond the middle class. / The Economist Same-sex marriage goes legal nationwide in Mexico. / Al Jazeera An index measures countries' contributions outside their borders. / Good Country Index Ballot measures to watch across the country this November: abortion, slavery, referenda on referenda. / Wake Up
The world's three main greenhouse gasses hit record high levels last year in the atmosphere. / The Associated Press New York City wants to use sunken basketball courts to soak up tomorrow's extreme rain. / Grist Meanwhile, the "shed insurgency" of New York City dining, where
Following a Russian court's denial of her appeal, Brittney Griner could now be sent to a penal colony for the next eight years. / CNBC Here's what you should read by and about "author and activist, radical hero, and family man" Mike Davis, who died
The Kremlin is said to be weighing how to respond to yet another anticipated battlefield defeat in Ukraine. / The Guardian Related: The three fundamentals that guide Putin's decision-making. / Just Security Ukrainian officials complain that Russia is once more weaponizing water. / Reuters Refugees share pictures and stories of things
Kjetil Tronvoll: The world´s largest ongoing armed conflict isn't Russia's attack on Ukraine, but Ethiopia and Eritrea´s massive offensives on Tigray. / Twitter Nigeria's extensive flooding this year has killed more than 300 people. / The Republic Europe seems to be ready for winter
Canada's legislation to "freeze" all sales and purchases of handguns took effect yesterday. The measure was introduced after the mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo. / CBC, NPR Jamelle Bouie: "To wait to rectify the sins of the present—to sidestep justice in favor of comfort—
The White House says Iranian military experts are on the ground in Crimea, helping Russia launch drone attacks on Ukraine. / BBC News Liz Truss entered the role of PM amid economic uncertainty—now her resignation has compounded the challenges facing Britain. / The New York Times Related: Among the possible candidates
The current protests in Iran, which have spread to more than 100 cities, suggest "the grandchildren are devouring the revolution." / Foreign Affairs A jubilant crowd in Tehran meets the Iranian climber who competed without wearing a hijab. / BBC News Related: An Iranian woman describes her first day at
Since 2015, more than 500 retired US military personnel—including generals and admirals—have worked for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses. / The Washington Post In the past year, people in more than 90 countries have protested over fuel prices. / BBC News Vladimir Putin declares martial
From Connecticut to South Dakota, a roundup of close political contests to watch next month. / Wake Up to Politics Racist appeals from the GOP appear to be receiving less pushback from Republicans than in previous election cycles. / The Washington Post Francis Fukuyama finds yet more evidence that we really are
About half of American voters aged 19 to 29 say they're absolutely certain to vote next month, much less than their older counterparts. / MSNBC A new poll finds Republicans leading by three points nationally. / The New York Times The current government in the United Kingdom is "a
Visualizing the scale of Russia's attacks this week on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. / The Washington Post See also: Fearing nuclear exposure stemming from the war in Ukraine, some European countries are stockpiling iodine tablets. / Associated Press "It is far more possible than most outside observers realize.
Representatives drawn from 46 national parliaments across Europe call for Putin's Russia to be declared a "terrorist" regime. / CNN Iranian protesters explain why, four weeks later, they're still in the streets. / Intelligencer Background info on the Basij, the volunteers leading the crackdown on Iran&
In its strongest support for Ukraine since the invasion, the UN General Assembly votes to demand Russia reverse its annexation ploy. / PBS NewsHour Since Florida's ban, enacted in July, at least two children who were the victims of incest have been denied abortions. / BuzzFeed News Social Security is
Protests in Iran continue despite the crackdown by security forces that one human rights group says has killed at least 201 people. / BBC News The midsummer polling "tick" in Democrats' favor "has duly been answered by a Republican 'tock' this autumn." / The Economist
Art Laboe, a radio DJ who helped desegregate American music—and who broadcast his final show on Sunday after 79 years on the air—has died at 97. / NBC News The story of Shervin Hajipour's "Baraye," the song that's become the anthem of the
Russian missiles hit civilian targets around Ukraine after an explosion disrupts Crimea's only bridge to Russia. / BBC News The UN opens debate on a resolution condemning Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions. / The Times of Israel Related/unrelated: How many days since specific types of incidents.
We'll be away next week and will return on Monday, Oct. 10—see you then! Surrounded by Ukrainian forces, Russian troops abandon Lyman in Donetsk, a day after Putin declared the annexation of the region. / Reuters "Amid the bluster and veiled threats, [Putin] made three distinct points
After a turbulent week for UK markets, some see British Prime Minister Liz Truss causing a political earthquake. / The Guardian Unrelated/related: What's up with Truss's signature necklace and its potential ties to BDSM culture? / Gawker Preliminary analysis suggests the monkeypox vaccine is reducing the risk
Hear intercepted calls from Russian soldiers describing battlefield disasters and war crimes. (Content warning.) / The New York Times Claiming occupied areas of Ukraine voted in favor of the move, Russia says it will annex the regions—repeating the process it used to take over the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. / NPR
Floods along Nigeria's borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon kill hundreds and leave tens of thousands homeless. / Foreign Policy Iranian women abroad are watching the ongoing protests "with pride and fear." / BuzzFeed News Patricia Cohen: The dollar being strong is good for the US but bad
Areas in Cuba are evacuating and Florida prepares as Hurricane Ian gains strength. / NBC News According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan will cost $400 billion over 30 years. / CNBC A school shooting in central Russia leaves 17 dead, including 11 children.
Global banks seek to manage exposures in China, considering tensions over Taiwan. / Bloomberg, USA Today Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni claims victory in Italy, on course to become the country's first female prime minister. / The Economist Denmark and Germany are building the world's longest immersed tunnel. / CNN
The White House is sending private warnings to Moscow against using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. / The Washington Post In 2020 and 2021, 109 soldiers assigned to Fort Bragg lost their lives, almost entirely stateside. Eleven soldiers were murdered or charged with murder. / Rolling Stone Thousands of oral histories from
Protests in Iran over the death of a young woman in police custody spread to more than a dozen cities, as shutdowns take effect to disrupt mobile internet and social media access. / Associated Press, The Guardian "This is unprecedented. We haven't seen this level of fury and
Security forces in Russia detain more than 1,300 people at protests denouncing Putin's mobilization. / The Guardian Russian men explain how they're trying to resist Putin's call-up of soldiers. / BBC News Protests spread in Iran after a 22-year-old woman is killed by the morality
One-way flights out of Russia sell out as Putin mobilizes 300,000 reservists. / Reuters In what Ukraine and Western leaders are calling a sham referendum, Russian-controlled regions in Ukraine are voting on whether to become part of Russia. / Associated Press Ranking states based on where it's easiest (Oregon)
President Biden says the pandemic is over. Whether or not his comment's a gaffe, his health advisors would like to clarify. / Politico Helen Branswell: Reaching the end of a pandemic is not like driving out of one county into the next. / STAT Recalling the recent investigation by the
Citing concerns over authoritarianism and money mismanagement, the EU's executive branch recommends suspending funding to Hungary. / ABC News Russia looks to tighten its "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" with China. / Associated Press See also: "How the war in Ukraine turned Moscow into Beijing's
A Venezuelan migrant says he was paid $200 to recruit people in San Antonio to go to Florida, where they were then flown to Martha's Vineyard. / San Antonio Report Abbott and DeSantis's transporting of migrants echos the 1962 Reverse Freedom Rides concocted by white southern segregationists.
The weather phenomenon La Niña has formed for the third consecutive year in the Pacific. / BBC News What La Niña is, how it forms, and why it poses a $1 trillion problem for homes and businesses. / Bloomberg The White House wants to develop 15 gigawatts of new floating offshore wind
Railroads and union representatives reach a tentative labor agreement, averting a rail strike that could have sent the US economy into a tailspin. / The New York Times, Associated Press Photos and videos of the military equipment Russian troops left behind while fleeing Izyum. / The Washington Post Patagonia's owners
Ed Yong: Brain fog, one of Long Covid's worst symptoms, leaves people struggling with minds "that are less nimble than before." / The Atlantic China's zero-Covid policy is stressful for students, but perhaps much worse for their teachers. / Sixth Tone Europe follows the US, kinda,
The Justice Dept. approves one of Trump's special master candidates—and escalates its Jan. 6 investigation, issuing around 40 subpoenas in the past week. / The Washington Post, NBC News "In Texas, oncologists say they now wait for pregnant women with cancer to get sicker before they treat
"They asked, in Ukrainian, 'is anyone alive?'" New momentum in the biggest war in Europe since WWII. / BBC News A new report says an estimated 50 million people are victims of forced marriage and forced labor. / CNN China emerges as an IMF competitor by doling out
Luke Mogelson reviews how MAGA Republicans have leaped from "backing the blue" to attacking law-enforcement officials. / The New Yorker What your leaders in Washington worked on this week. / Wake Up to Politics How newspaper covers in Britain and around the world are covering Queen Elizabeth's death.
CIA director on Putin's war: "There is going to be long-term damage done to the Russian economy and to generations of Russians." / The Guardian An elected county official has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Las Vegas journalist who was in the midst
Ukraine's president says his troops have recaptured several settlements from Russian forces. / Radio Free Europe France's dearth of Dijon mustard isn't about the war in Ukraine so much as Burgundian farmers and their crop yields. / BBC News By the end of 2022, China will
Among the materials seized from Mar-a-Lago were documents so highly classified that they required authorized clearance on a need-to-know basis. / The Washington Post For the first time, a judge has referred to Jan. 6 as an "insurrection," in a decision to remove a county commissioner from office for
Liz Truss becomes the UK's prime minister with plans, or so it seems, to spend $116 billion to freeze household energy bills. / Reuters Related: Russia's weaponization of energy supplies is testing Europe's financial resources. / The Economist Unrelated: An unofficial guide to London's
We'll be off for Labor Day on Monday, and will see you again on Tuesday! Dictators have long used various methods to manipulate public opinion, and AI may become their most promising tool yet. / Foreign Affairs See also: The number of electoral autocracies is growing, resulting in more
The UN's outgoing human rights commissioner says China may have committed crimes against humanity by abusing Uyghur Muslims. / BBC News The US imposes new restrictions on sales of some sophisticated computer chips to China and Russia. / Reuters French tax authorities use AI to spot thousands of undeclared swimming
In its steepest decline in almost a century, US life expectancy has dropped sharply over the past two years. / STAT The latest national test results among American schoolchildren show the pandemic has reversed two decades of math and reading progress. / The New York Times As US bases reduced pandemic restrictions,
A study from England finds Black and Asian people waiting longer than white people for a cancer diagnosis, with some forced to wait an extra six weeks. / The Guardian Congress's first Gen Z member is likely to be a Black anti-gun activist from central Florida. / The Root Unrelated/
In a "monster monsoon," a third of Pakistan is now underwater. / NBC News Related: Before-and-after satellite photos of the destruction in Pakistan. / Axios The Greenland ice sheet is losing ice at a rate that will add nearly a foot to sea levels—and there's no turning
NASA cancels today's "mega-moon" rocket launch due to an engine problem. / NPR The project's conception and execution are said to be "a near-perfect example of pork-barrel politics." / The Economist Related: How to eat desert like an Apollo 11 astronaut. / Atlas Obscura Scientists
Russia blocks adoption of The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty over a Ukraine mention. / BBC News Remembering a forgotten Navy catastrophe that helped force the US military to desegregate. / Smithsonian Magazine State and federal authorities investigate the killing of a Yellowstone wolf by a veteran Park Service employee. / The Intercept An endangered
Moderna is suing Pfizer and BioNTech, alleging they infringed on patents for the mRNA technology behind the Covid vaccines. / NBC News Following the fall of Roe, trigger laws took effect yesterday in Idaho, Tennessee, and Texas, banning abortion in those states. / CNN Unaccompanied immigrant children who are in US custody
Are sanctions on Russia working? Yes, but they're not a knockout blow, and other autocracies are watching. / The Economist Suketu Mehta: It is crucial that India remains a democracy for all its citizens. / Scroll.in The White House says it will cancel up to $20,000 of student
Six months after Russia's invasion, Ukraine today marks 31 years of independence, forgoing large celebrations over worries of "brutal strikes." / Associated Press See also: "We cannot stop, and we cannot move into a boring, low-intensity war. We need to think how we can squeeze them
The costs of grains and oils have returned to levels last seen before Russia invaded Ukraine. / The Economist French supermarkets and gas stations freeze prices for the next few months. / CNN See also: A bull rampages through a bank in Israel. / The Times of Israel In the UK, heatwaves and
Russia claims Ukraine is responsible for the car-bombing death near Moscow of Darya Dugina, daughter of Putin ally and invasion proponent Alexander Dugin. / BBC News Visualizing data from American mass killings—when four or more people are murdered—underscores how most of the deaths aren't those that generate
TMN is going on a week's vacation. See you Monday, August 22. The White House unveils a new Africa strategy that seeks to avoid "painting African countries as geopolitical pawns." / Foreign Policy Kenya's presidential election remains too close to call, not to mention a
In the raid on Mar-a-Lago, the FBI was searching for classified documents, including some concerning nuclear weapons. / The Washington Post With an estimated 95% of Americans over 16 having some level of Covid immunity, the CDC relaxes its guidelines on quarantining, social distancing, and school testing. / Associated Press Johnson &
A large fire near the French city of Bordeaux forces 10,000 residents to flee. / BBC News It's unclear if the fossil fuel industry will use Joe Manchin's provisions on the senator's terms. / Grist Ahead of last weekend's big vote, Senate Democrats
Biden signs a bill to invest more than $200 billion in American semiconductors in an effort to loosen dependence on overseas manufacturing. / CNN See also: Western chipsets have continued flowing to Russia, even after the invasion. And that same technology is turning up in weapons used to strike Ukraine. / Reuters
The FBI searches Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents. / Politico Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book reports that White House staff periodically found wads of paper clogging a toilet—and there are photos. / Axios Tucker Carlson is said to be
The $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act—nearly $375 billion of which is dedicated to fighting climate change—passed in the Senate along party lines. / Associated Press How does the Inflation Reduction Act ease the inflation we're feeling right now? It doesn't, but it will curtail persistent
Yesterday, Indiana became the first state to pass a near-total abortion ban since Roe was overturned. / CNN Predicting how other states would vote if they had a Kansas-style abortion referendum. / The New York Times Ineffectual government guidance and Covid vaccine disinformation led to countless stillbirths that didn't have
Russia indicates it's ready to talk about a prisoner swap, a day after it convicts Brittney Griner of drug smuggling. / CNN What we know on day 163 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. / The Guardian Europe's Baltic ferries may not seem like the most pressing
The Senate voted almost unanimously for the US to approve Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO. / Politico Biden signs an executive order that would use Medicaid to protect interstate travel for abortion access. / Associated Press "If any feminist progress is going to prompt outrage and resistance from
Speaker of the House Pelosi leaves behind a "full-on lovefest" after her visit to Taiwan. Details on six ways China may respond. / BBC News, Bloomberg Companies are moving operations out of China in the interest of "friendshoring"—looking for places where they won't be
In the first Jan. 6 case to go to trial, a Texas man who brought a gun and zip ties to the Capitol has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison. / NBC News See also: A right-wing influencer cooperated with the FBI's Jan. 6 investigation, and
The world's nuclear stockpile is set to expand again, "and in many cases is being modernized." / The Economist Inflation continues while the US economy slows, but workers still see their wages rise. / Quartz Millennials gained $4.8 trillion of wealth in the past two years. Generation
Some key provisions in the climate bill that Democrats hope to get past Republicans, provided Kyrsten Sinema goes along. / The New York Times, The New Republic With the US Senate the oldest it's ever been, how are old people hanging on so long? / The Diff An interesting roundtable
What's in the surprise Manchin-Schumer legislation, "one of the most consequential pieces of economic policy in recent US history." / The Washington Post In a call yesterday, Jinping warned Biden against "playing with fire" regarding Taiwan. / The Guardian See also: As the likelihood grows that
A melting glacier shifts the border between Switzerland and Italy. A mountain lodge says it's not changing its menu or wine list. / Euronews.green Gen-Z eco-activists on New York City's Upper East Side deflate tires on SUVs. / The Guardian Saudi Arabia wants to build a roadless,
As Russia continues to put the squeeze on Europe's natural gas supplies, EU governments strike an agreement to reduce their consumption by 15%. / Associated Press Russia says it will leave the International Space Station after its partnership with the US expires in 2024. Both Roscosmos and NASA are
The United States resurrects the green-energy loan program that put Tesla on the map. / The Verge A brief history of the devastating '90s PR campaign that persuaded reporters that climate change wasn't real. / BBC News Anecdotal theories as to why some people still haven't gotten
As of this weekend, the World Health Organization has three declared public health emergencies right now: monkeypox, Covid, and polio. / BuzzFeed News The WHO warns against assuming monkeypox will remain concentrated among gay and bisexual communities, and that it could turn into a wider outbreak. / CNBC In the first three
Russia launches missile strikes on the Ukrainian port of Odesa a day after agreeing Ukraine could resume grain exports. / CNN Zelenskyy: Unless Russia returns occupied areas, a ceasefire will only prolong the conflict. / The Jerusalem Post "In their adherence to invisible rules, Putin and Biden have recaptured an important
The Jan. 6 committee's "season finale" makes Trump's complicity clear. Four takeaways on his actions and inaction. / Slate, The Washington Post An unvaccinated young adult from New York contracts polio, the first US case in nearly a decade. / The Associated Press Amazon, "still
A bipartisan group of senators have finalized legislation to update the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which Trump and his allies exploited to try and pressure Pence to overturn the election. / POLITICO The Secret Service has been ignoring requests for Jan. 6 records since at least October of last year, according
Europe's infrastructure struggles with extreme temperatures—roads buckling and train tracks bending. / Vox Extinction Rebellion protesters smash windows at Rupert Murdoch's media company for treating Britain's heatwave as an upbeat story. / The Guardian Emily Atkin: We've been pushing news outlets for years
The UK is now the hottest it's ever been, as record highs continue to blast much of Europe. / AccuWeather Wildfires have forced thousands to flee in Europe, and heat-related causes have killed more than 1,100 in Spain and Portugal. / BBC News, Axios See also: The dangers of
Extreme heat batters the United States and other nations, while Democratic Senators in DC are in a frenzy to pass anything. / Punchbowl News The head meteorologist for the UK's national weather service says heatwaves caused by the climate crisis are likely to become regular things. / The Guardian People
Biden pledges executive action on climate change following Manchin's choice to sink the administration's environmental legislation. / Associated Press The fossil-fuel industry is doubling down on plastic. A major player is Saudi Arabia, though the costs are being felt in Texas. / Public Health Watch How record-breaking temperatures
Shortly after officials requested the Secret Service's texts from Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021, the messages were deleted as part of a "device-replacement program." / The Intercept See also: A DC police officer has corroborated details from Cassidy Hutchinson's secondhand account that Trump argued
The FDA authorizes a Novavax Covid vaccine, in hopes the shot will convince holdouts who fear mNRA technology to get inoculated. / STAT For two months of intense lockdown, a network of volunteers delivered necessities to Shanghai's vulnerable. Then the bureaucracy shut it down. / 1843 Magazine A Los Angeles
Disturbing footage from the Uvalde school shooting shows the infuriating inaction by law enforcement, who loitered in the hallway as children were murdered. (Discretion advised.) / Austin American-Statesman Globally, banning abortion tends not to reduce (by much) the number of abortions. But it makes every pregnancy more dangerous. / The Economist A
The White House says hospitals must provide abortion services in "emergency situations" to save the life or health of the patient, citing a federal law that supersedes state bans. / BuzzFeed News Related: Such emergency conditions include "ectopic pregnancy, complications of pregnancy loss, or emergent hypertensive disorders, such
The world's population will reach eight billion in November, with India likely to surpass China in 2023 as the world's most populous nation. / Quartz A round-up of significant events that happened in China last week. / Twitter The US census is flawed. One answer? Expand the House
Biden signs a mostly noncommittal executive order on abortion access, and tells women it's up to them to vote for representatives who will protect abortion rights. / The 19th Ana Marie Cox on why it's time to make Democratic leadership fear voters. / The New York Times In
Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe is assassinated while campaigning. He was killed reportedly with a homemade gun. / NPR, The Guardian There were 10 shooting incidents in Japan last year, leaving one person dead and four wounded. / Bloomberg Around 2,000 migrants in Morocco attempt to cross into
Following mass resignations by his party, Boris Johnson finally announces he'll resign as prime minister—but wants to stay on until a successor is chosen. / Vox See also: A laundry list of the major scandals from Boris Johnson's three-year premiership. / Reuters Here are the most likely
Millions battle flooding and overflowing sewers in Mumbai as monsoon rains, exacerbated by climate change, lash the city. / BBC News More than 60 million people in central states and the Southwest are under heat alerts. / The Washington Post See also: Political topics to watch for in the news in the
Six people were murdered and two dozen more were injured in a mass shooting at yesterday's Highland Park Independence Day parade. / Chicago Tribune The specter of civil war has long been used in American politics to stoke fear and avoid addressing citizens' grievances. / The New Statesman "
TMN will be off for the Fourth of July, and we'll see you again on Tuesday. Despite the Supreme Court decision limiting the EPA on greenhouse gasses, officials still have ways to address climate change—that may spawn more lawsuits. / The New York Times The Supreme Court'
The Department of Health and Human Services plans to release 296,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine in the coming weeks. / NPR A roundup of data on the rise and spread of the BA.5 Covid subvariant—what we know, where it's gaining, and how to defend against it.
A federal court allows Tennessee's six-week abortion ban to go into effect, as challenges to post-Roe restrictions reach courthouses in multiple US states. / Associated Press Related: A Texas judge has blocked the state's abortion ban enacted last year, allowing many clinics to resume services ahead of
Brittney Griner will stand trial Friday on cannabis possession charges, more than four months after her Moscow arrest. / The Associated Press What we know on day 124 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. / The Guardian At least 46 people are found dead inside of a semi-truck in San Antonio.
Are LGBT rights and contraception next in the Supreme Court's crosshairs? Perhaps, but more likely targets are affirmative action, election laws, and business regulation. / The New York Times "Somebody who doesn't even know me took my options away from me, and it makes me furious.
This morning, Biden signed the gun-safety bill into law—the first major gun legislation in 30 years. Here's what's included in the bill. / NPR, CNN An annotated version of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, the case that overturned Roe v. Wade
As the US Senate passes a gun control bill, the Supreme Court says Americans don't need a license to carry guns in public. / NPR, The Los Angeles Times Meanwhile, war fatigue in the West may doom Ukraine to "slow strangulation." / The Guardian The UN's
The Supreme Court just struck down New York's law requiring people have "proper cause" to carry a concealed weapon. / Axios Checking the "good guy with a gun" theory: In 22 of 433 shooting attacks, a bystander shot the perpetrator. / The New York Times "
An earthquake in Afghanistan, the deadliest in decades, kills at least a thousand people. / The Associated Press Border-crossing data show a steady flow of Ukrainian refugees returning to their country. / The Economist Interview with a Ukrainian software engineer about what it's like to live with air raid sirens,
The Kremlin says the Geneva Conventions would not apply to the two Americans thought to have been captured while fighting for Ukraine. / CBS News A heartbreaking, infuriating examination of the footage showing Uvalde law enforcement's inaction on May 24 at Robb Elementary. / The Texas Tribune Related: Families of
TMN will resume publishing on Tuesday. Have a good weekend. Susan B. Glasser summarizes what we've learned so far about Trump, Pence, and the January 6th mob. / The New Yorker A summary of what happened in the Russia-Ukraine war this week. / The Guardian Interesting breakdown of the sophisticated
New research findings show people infected with the omicron variant, compared to those who caught delta, are around half as likely to develop long Covid. / NPR See also: Long-term Covid infections give the virus more time for recombination—which it can use to spawn new variants. / Nature Following yesterday'
The Federal Reserve raises its benchmark interest rate by 0.75%, the biggest increase since 1994. Five things to know about how it will affect you. / CNBC, The Conversation Consumer sentiment has declined by 14% since May, continuing a downward trend over the last year. / Surveys of Consumers GiveDirectly is
According to a new study, more than 338,000 lives could have been saved from Covid if America had universal health care. / Scientific American For a glimpse of post-Roe life, look to Poland—abortions have been banned for 29 years and doctors still don't know the rules. / The
What we know on day 111 of Russia's invasion: Zelenskiy calls the fighting in Sievierodonetsk "one of the most violent battles in Europe." / The Guardian Ukraine still has a chance of winning, although the scope of its victory "would most likely be limited." / Foreign
Senators announced a promising new bipartisan gun law yesterday. Red-flag laws and the "boyfriend loophole" are included, but expanded background checks are not. / CNN Several members of Patriot Front from around the US descended on Coeur d'Alene this weekend with a drawn-up plan for disrupting a
Inflation increased 8.6% last month, the highest since 1981, and shelter costs reached their fastest 12-month gain since 1991. / CNBC Related: Average gas prices in the US have also now reached $5 for the first time. / NPR See also: "OPEC is a price-fixing conspiracy by 13 oil-producing countries.
For the first time, microplastics have been found in freshly fallen Antarctic snow. / BBC News The number of African migrants trying to make it to the US southern border may soon hit a record high. (By 2050, 86 million Africans will be displaced because of climate events.) / Bloomberg Six takeaways
The House of Representatives committee investigating January 6 holds its first first public hearing tonight. / The Associated Press A former president of ABC News is producing tonight's hearing "as if it were a blockbuster investigative special." (Unrelated: Newspapers can be woven into art.) / Axios, Colossal The
In yesterday's primaries, San Francisco voted to oust its progressive DA, Chesa Boudin, just over halfway through his four-year term. / San Francisco Chronicle Elsewhere, Republicans who voted to create the Jan. 6 Committee survived their primaries—a possible signal of Trump's waning influence over the party.
Boris Johnson remains the United Kingdom's Prime Minister despite 148 of his MPs voting to oust him. / The Guardian Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky says the country has lost too many to "simply cede our territory." / BBC News Tick-tock reporting of the 2021 attack on Mozambique&
Russia has restarted its attacks on Kyiv, launching missles into the city for the first time in more than a month. / Reuters According to US officials, Russia is trying to sell up to a half-million tons of grain it stole in Ukraine—possibly to countries facing possible famine. / The New
This week in the Russia-Ukraine war: assessing 100 days of an invasion that is reshaping Europe. / The Guardian A recession in 2024 looks likely for the United States, and likely to be mild, but it will expose "glaring fragilities" around the world. / The Economist Microsoft says it will
A batch of Associated Press photographs, many harrowing, depict the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the 100-day mark. / The Associated Press President Biden urges Congress to work on gun control. Minutes later: another shooting. / Al Jazeera The US adds 390,000 jobs in May in another month of strong growth.
Beijing orders a $120 billion infrastructure push while China's economy slows. / China Macro Economy The White House forges closer ties to Taiwan through trade and supply chains. / MarketWatch A summary of recent progress on gun control that has—and hasn't—been made at various levels of
Shanghai eases its two-month Covid-19 lockdown for 25 million residents. / BBC News Americans who catch Covid abroad are using a backdoor to get home: flying to Canada or Mexico, then crossing a land border. / The New York Times Helen Branswell interviews a WHO official on the challenges of responding to
"The science is clear: Gun control saves lives." / Scientific American This week, the cruel irony of Texas Republicans' chant that they're "protecting children" has never been so grotesque. / Texas Monthly More from the hypocrisy desk: "If these leaders were truly worried about
Texas Governor Abbott cancels his appearance at today's NRA meeting in Houston. / CNN More than a quarter of a million people died in Somalia's 2011 famine, most of them children. This year is looking to be the same. / Reuters The Supreme Court blocks a request from
"Layla, 10, liked dancing to TikToks, won six races at the school's field day, and loved to swim." These are the victims of the Uvalde school shooting. / BuzzFeed News The Uvalde school district had recently doubled its security budget, which included enhanced safety protocols, new monitoring
On day 91 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Putin's military campaign enters its most active phase. / The Guardian The European Union bends to Putin's demands and gives companies permission to buy gas in rubles. / Al Jazeera Five takeaways from yesterday's primaries
Hacked files from Xinjiang reveal new evidence of abuse of Uyghurs at detention camps, including a shoot-to-kill policy for escapees. / Bloomberg From 1825 to the present day, France and the US have bilked Haiti's economy out of billions of dollars. / The New York Times According to a study,
A Ukrainian photographer documented the siege of the Azovstal steel works. Before his capture by Russia, he put his pictures online to be shared. / The Guardian Russia bans 963 Americans, including President Biden and Mark Zuckerberg, though not Obama or Trump. / USA Today Biden says he'll defend Taiwan
Pennsylvania's Republican primary for Senate is likely headed to a statewide recount. / The Associated Press An interactive record of proposed redistricting maps shows whether they'll benefit Democrats or Republicans in the midterms. / FiveThirtyEight A roundup of recent bills that passed (or failed) in the House or
Stunning video by a Ukrainian medic who recorded her time in Maripol—before she was captured by Russian troops. / Associated Press See also: A visual investigation of video evidence shows a group of Ukrainian men were in the custody of Russian soldiers before being executed. / The New York Times Related:
Here is one possible future for Covid-19: some people get reinfected many times, and a few experience symptoms for months or years. / The New York Times When we discuss long Covid, we need to include medicine's uncertainty about it. / STAT Related: A comic about health data and the
A 10-year project finds, compared to those who received care, women denied abortions suffer more economically and mentally. / NPR Awareness of abortion medication remains dangerously low—and as recently as 2017, most people trying to end pregnancies on their own did so without pills. / The 19th A Michigan judge has
David Leonhardt: The American political right has a violence problem with no equivalent on the left. / The New York Times Exploring domestic extremist-related killings by perpetrator affiliation, 2012-2021. / The Anti-Defamation League Seven things to watch in today's primaries in Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. / Politico Unrelated:
"A hero in our eyes." These are the people who were murdered at a Buffalo supermarket on Saturday. / The Buffalo News The shooting suspect wrote a document invoking the "great replacement theory," the once-fringe, now-popular racist refrain in conservative media. / The Washington Post See also: A
Ukraine says Russian troops are retreating from Kharkiv. / The Guardian With more than three million refugees to inform, a Polish news agency is now reporting and publishing in Ukrainian. / Nieman Journalism Lab "This ... reaffirms the stories we all grew up with." In an investigation into US Indian boarding
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterates his offer to hold direct talks with Vladimir Putin. / The Guardian Why does Russia fear Sweden and Finland joining NATO? For one thing, it would mean "tightening the strategic Nordic grip" on the Baltic Sea. / The Associated Press The global scramble for metals—
In its first war-crimes trial, Ukraine will try a captured Russian soldier accused of killing a civilian. / NPR Finland's leaders are in favor of dropping the nation's neutral status, and apply for NATO membership "without delay." / Associated Press "She left her cellphone behind
Fossil fuel companies are quietly planning multiple projects that function as multibillion-dollar bets "against humanity halting global heating." / The Guardian Republican states like Utah and South Carolina pass clean energy bills in the name of freedom and economics. / Grist Five indicators suggest Anglophone countries are suffering the most
A look at how much of Ukraine is now held by Russia, and where the conflict now stands. / The New York Times The UN says Ukraine's civilian deaths may be far higher than the official toll of 3,381. / The Guardian Ukraine's volunteer IT Army has
New leaks at the Supreme Court say the five jurists opposing Roe are holding steady, despite Chief Justice Roberts trying to pull them away. / The Washington Post NPR's Nina Totenberg says the most likely source of the original leak is a conservative clerk who's afraid of
Two months into the invasion, no one knows how many Ukrainian civilians have died, mainly due to the ferocity of Russia's attack. / New Lines Millions of Russians are using VPNs to communicate with the outside world. / Yahoo! News Newly released documents shed fresh light on NATO's
"Mailed pills are hard to police. That has not stopped [states] from trying." If Roe falls, abortion pills are the next target. / The Washington Post Even though Louisiana has a trigger law to criminalize abortion if Roe is overturned, lawmakers are pursuing a bill to make abortion a
The Federal Reserve approves a rare half-percentage-point interest rate increase to fight inflation. / CNBC To manage pandemic economic fallout, Sri Lanka switched to organic farming. The result is "ongoing catastrophe." / Foreign Policy For your weekly soothe, a 24-hour time-lapse video filmed at a polar station in northern Norway.
"In the US, the rights of many marginalized groups are tied to the legal precedents established in the fight for abortion rights." Alito's plan to repeal the 20th century. / The Atlantic In fact, leaks do frequently emerge from the modern Supreme Court, including for the original
The Supreme Court plans to strike down Roe v. Wade according to a draft of the decision—the first draft to be leaked in the modern era while a case is still pending. / Politico If the decision holds this summer, more than a dozen states plan to immediately outlaw abortion.
Long lines and rationing at gas stations in Ukraine may signal the start of a fuel crisis. / The New York Times Russian troops have stolen nearly $5 million in farm equipment and sent it to Chechnya—where it was learned all the machinery had been locked remotely. / CNN Over the
Charts explain why, for the first time since early 2020, the US economy shrank. / The Washington Post Who's to blame for the recent uptick in robocalls? Ajit Pai didn't help the situation, but the true culprits are the carriers. / Slate The FDA proposes banning menthol tobacco
Moscow confirms it carried out an airstrike on Kyiv during a visit by the UN secretary general. / The Guardian Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the country has faced an unprecedented barrage of hacking. / WIRED President Biden asks Congress to authorize $33 billion to support Ukraine. / BBC News Bernie Sanders wants Democrats
Fauci says even though the pandemic is still active, we may now have entered a "transition phase" that may hopefully lead to fewer disruptions. / CNN Moderna has asked the FDA to authorize the first Covid vaccine manufactured for children under the age of six. / NPR Russia halts gas
Helen Branswell: Vaccine experts are worried the US is sleepwalking into annual Covid-19 boosters without evidence they're needed. / STAT As of the end of February, nearly 60 percent of Americans have been infected with the coronavirus, including three out of four children. / Poynter Reports from the Coachella Valley
In the first clemency grants of his presidency, Biden pardons three and commutes sentences for 75 serving sentences for non-violent drug offenses. / Axios New reports show more countries are now working on anti-satellite and other "counter-space" weaponry. / WIRED "If enforcing abortion bans is hard, that might encourage
Defense Secretary Austin says he wants to see Russia weakened to a point of being unable to invade its neighbors. / BBC News The US plans to reopen its embassy in Kyiv. / Haaretz Why doesn't the world stand united against Russia? Rising food prices and a history of Western
More than a million children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have received at least one dose of the first anti-malaria vaccine. / France24 Turkey makes a broad push into Africa in search of markets, resources, and diplomatic influence. / The Economist Recent floods that ravaged South Africa made for one of the
Satellite photos near Mariupol show what appear to be mass graves that Ukrainians say may hold 9,000 bodies. / Associated Press Relatives of crewmen missing after the sinking of Russia's flagship have come forward publicly to demand answers from the government. / The New York Times According to the
Vladimir Putin claims victory in the port city of Mariupol, declaring it "liberated" after nearly two months of siege. / Reuters David Herszenhorn: Western allies' extra help for Ukraine may be too little, too late. / Politico Europe Mystery clouds the case of Brittney Griner in Moscow, "easily
Kreminna, in eastern Ukraine, is the first city in the Donbas region that appears to have been captured by Russian forces. / Al Jazeera Claims of tanks' obsolescence have circulated since WWI, yet—except in the hands of Russia—they can still dominate battlefields. / VICE "I bet Russian satellites
The story of a wedding between two Ukrainian soldiers: "We had a night off but returned to the site we guard." / New York Magazine What we know on day 55 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. / The Guardian A Ukrainian man tracks the redeployment of Russian troops
Three mass shootings in the US over the holiday weekend left two dead and at least 31 wounded. / Associated Press Infowars and two other companies owned by Alex Jones have filed for bankruptcy, after several defamation lawsuits. / CBS News Florida rejected 41%—a state record—of math textbooks for its
Ukraine is using facial recognition on dead Russians to contact their families—some experts deem it "classic psychological warfare" and worry it could backfire. / The Washington Post Taiwan is top of mind when we talk about US-China relations now, yet those discussions elude easy Cold War metaphors. / Dissent
Russia formally warns the United States of "unpredictable consequences" if Washington continues to arm Ukraine. / Reuters In France's presidential contest, Marine Le Pen is said to find her strongest support in places that embrace middlebrow Americana / UnHerd A proposal in London would send migrants seeking asylum
Maps show the Russian military has entered the center of Mariupol, after a siege that's lasted more than 40 days. / The New York Times This week, Kentucky lawmakers overrode the governor's veto of a bill that effectively ends abortion access, and Oklahoma's governor signed
The world passes half a billion known cases of the novel coronavirus, but it's most likely an undercount. / Axios According to Merriam-Webster, "Covid-19" is the fastest term ever to be accepted in the dictionary. / The Los Angeles Review of Books Millions of people in Shanghai are
Putin's war in Ukraine has spurred Finland and Sweden to push for NATO membership. / The Washington Post Experts say there's little evidence—so far, at least—to show Russia used chemical weapons in Mariupol. / The Guardian "I never understood how people got so moved by
The White House is worried over Marine Le Pen, a Putin sympathizer, possibly winning France's presidential election. / POLITICO See also: Macron and Le Pen have advanced in the first round of voting in France, and will enter an April 24 runoff for the presidency. / CBS News British prime
With today's conclusion of the 2022 Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes, your TMN editors really need to take a nap. This newsletter will resume publishing on Monday, April 11. Declassified intelligence says Russia's Vladimir Putin is being given less than truthful information from his
We had a link error yesterday regarding the story about Covid-19 deaths in different states. Here's the proper link. Residents in Shanghai brace for the second phase of a citywide lockdown. / The Guardian Three-quarters of children worldwide who experienced the death of a parent during the pandemic lost
Russia says it will "fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv" prior to peace talks in Turkey. / The Guardian G7 countriesagree to ignore Moscow's demand to pay for Russian natural gas in rubles. / PBS Headline of the week (darkly): "Holocaust
Ukraine and Russian officials prepare to meet in Turkey this week for peace talks. / Reuters Meanwhile, Ukraine says it won't open humanitarian corridors from its cities due to warnings of Russian "provocations" on routes. / BBC News Vladimir Putin's cult of war is a mix
US President Biden holds a meeting in Warsaw with Ukrainian foreign and defense ministers. Meanwhile, Russia scales back its war goals. / BBC News, Reuters Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, a Ukrainian rock star, is performing in bomb shelters and stations filled with refugees. / The Guardian Ideally, the war in Ukraine unleashes demand for
The United States and the European Union announce a landmark gas deal, in an attempt to cut Europe's reliance on Russian energy. / BBC News US volunteers are spotted fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine. / The Guardian See also: "Inside Ukraine's army of misfits, veterans, and
The latest version of the coronavirus, BA.2, accounts for as much as 70 percent of new infections in many parts of the United States. / Kaiser Health News New Covid-19trial results may point toward quicker, cheaper ways to study medicines. / STAT Alex Tabarrok: Operation Warp Speed was a huge success,
Russia's combat power in Ukraine is said (by the United States) to have declined below 90% of its pre-invasion levels. / The Guardian Joel Simon: For journalists, Ukraine is all about Whats App, Signal, and Telegram. / The Columbia Journalism Review A Russian philosopher asks what everyday Russians are responsible
Russian advances in Ukraine grind to a halt in some areas, with Ukrainian forces holding out in several cities. / BBC News Gay Ukranian soldiers discuss fighting in part from a fear of "Russian repression." / Openly "If plan A doesn't work, and it hasn't,
Ukrainian officials reject a Russian demand to abandon the besieged port city of Mariupol, where "death is everywhere." / The Associated Press Zelenskiy: Russia's destruction of Mariupol is a terror that will be "remembered for centuries to come." / Reuters The last journalists in Mariupol explain
President Joe Biden's tense call on Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen as a pivot point in the two countries' relationship. / CNN Since 2012, Jinping has been gradually dismantling China's collective leadership system. Ukraine may unravel all of that. / Nikkei Asia Unrelated/related:
A trio of drone incidents amplifies concerns that Russia's war may spill over into NATO countries, if unintentionally. / CNN Russia's attacks on Ukraine's hospitals are part of "a terrible wartime tradition." / Goats and Soda In countries friendly toward Putin, some people think
Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia appear to be progressing. Meanwhile, Russia bombs a theater. / Reuters, The Associated Press Dave Pell: "You gotta love the members who stood behind Trump when he blackmailed Zelensky on the topic of Ukraine defense weapons and who are standing for Zelensky and democracy
A list of companies, updated daily, that have left Russia, and those that continue to operate undeterred. / Yale School of Management Ukraine pays $215 to all workers who have lost their jobs due to the attack. / The Economist What we know on day 21 of Russia's invasion of
The leaders of Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic visit Kyiv to show support for the country. / The Associated Press The Kremlin urges state-friendly media outlets to use more Tucker Carlson clips. / Mother Jones Jane Ferguson: This war is incredibly tough to cover as a field reporter. / Twitter A 69-year-old
United States officials say Russia is running out of weaponry and has asked China for help. The US says, "We will not allow that to go forward." / Axios, The Associated Press Russia hits a military base in Ukraine about 15 miles from the Polish border. / Reuters Keith Gessen
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants foreign volunteers to fight against Ukrainian forces. / BBC News Moscow stalls the Iran nuclear deal, seeking to shield itself from the full effect of Western sanctions. / Foreign Policy Murtala Abdullahi explains the risks facing Nigeria from Russia's war. / HumAngle Natalia Datskevych: Russia'
An oral history of March 11, 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic "seemed to crystallize in the national consciousness." / WIRED Only two percent of Americans now live in counties with high Covid-19 levels. / Reuters Moscow wants to seize assets from businesses that have stopped operating in Russia. Its foreign
Foreign ministers from Ukraine and Russia meet but can't reach an agreement on a cease-fire. / The Guardian Russia strikes a maternity and children's hospital. In the same city, people bury their dead in a large communal grave. / BBC News, The Associated Press While Russian artists fear
The US bans Russian oil imports in response to the Ukraine invasion. Most Americans say they're willing to pay more for gas. / Quartz Farida Rustamova: How Russian officials and parliament members really feel about what's happening. / Faridaily McDonald's, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola suspend operations in
The United Nations' refugee agency says more than 1.7 million Ukrainians have so far crossed into Central Europe. / RadioFreeEurope Some humanitarian corridors are open, some are closed due to Russian shelling. / Deutsche Welle An illustrated explanation of the letter "Z" being embraced by Russians and others
Ukraine says Russia's proposed evacuation routes for civilians—to Belarus or Russia—are immoral. / BBC News Perhaps sanctions targeting oligarchs are too broad and we should start seizing yachts, everybody's yachts. / VICE A sanctions scholar says Russia's economic isolation will have dramatic repercussions for
Headline of the week? "In the nation's darkest hours, Ukrainians look out for each other." / The Kyiv Independent A Russian in Ukraine is unable to convince her parents back home that she's being shelled. / BBC News Related: "It's surreal to be
A pair of legal developments suggest the Jan. 6 investigation is closing in on former President Trump's inner circle. / The Washington Post Former US Attorney General Bill Barr says he told Trump that his claims about election fraud were "bullshit." / The Hill Related: Merrick Garland'
Eight experts in public health discuss whether the pandemic is behind us. "For many in the United States: Probably." / Vox Rachel Cohrs: Ending the pandemic is going to be a big headache for the entire health care system. / STAT Russian attacks besiege key cities around Ukraine as war
Russia attacks key cities in Ukraine as the invasion intensifies in its seventh day. / BBC News In Khakiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, "devastated buildings, failing electricity, and constant fear." / The New York Times The city of Lviv, previously a hub for tourism, is now a hub for
A summary of what's known on day six of the invasion of Ukraine. Much of the focus is on a Russian military column outside Kyiv that's 40 miles long. / The Guardian, CNN Some analysis from a Russia expert on how the invasion's first 96
The Russian military issues little in the way of reporting on the Ukraine war, suggesting things are not going as planned. / The Washington Post Did Russian state media accidentally publish an essay describing its fantasy of a Kyiv victory? / Twitter Masha Gessen spends a night in Moscow's last
Russian troops pour into Ukraine and launch missile strikes on major cities. Tracking the attack with maps. / The Guardian, BBC News Matthew C. Klein explains why Europe is at greater risk from Russian pressure than the other way around. / The Overshoot From 2012: "Putin is a Soviet person who
The Biden administration is investigating ways to train Ukrainian forces remotely, should the country fall to Russia—though it may not be legal, and may make the US a co-combatant. / Axios, Foregin Policy "My internet went down, and I felt fear crawling in my guts. I had never felt
The head of NATO: "We now have war in Europe on a scale and of a type we thought belonged to history." / Axios Ukranians flee their country for neighboring Poland. / Reuters Europe now faces risks to Ukrainian gas-transport infrastructure. / The Wall Street Journal China denies backing the attack
Biden enacts sanctions against Russia in response to Putin sending troops into eastern Ukraine. / BuzzFeed News "Although the day would end with advancing columns of Russian armor in eastern Ukraine, it began almost normally for the fourth graders of Avdiivka's School Number 7." / Foreign Policy See
Russian President Vladimir Putin orders troops into two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, after recognizing them as independent states. / CNN Opinions differ on whether it's an "invasion" of the country. / The Washington Post As the EU prepares to unveil the scale of sanctions to be imposed,
Average daily Covid cases continue to fall in the US, with total infections hovering near 100,000—down from more than 800,000 a day five weeks ago. / Associated Press US officials have informed the UN that Moscow has lists of Ukrainians "to be killed or sent to camps
Ikea claims the majority of its timber is sustainably harvested, yet it's the largest landowner in Romania, where illegal cutting is rampant. / The New Republic The National Archives has confirmed Trump took classified documents to Mar-a-Lago and that White House staff did not properly keep social media records.
Japan plans to relax its border control measures after two years of lockdown, though not for tourists. / The Guardian Hong Kong, sticking to its "zero Covid-19" ambitions, identifies more than 20,000 hotel rooms for quarantine accommodation. / US News & World Report Some evolutionary scenarios for the future
Putin says Russia doesn't want war, but now there's a genocide he needs to address. The White House says this is the fake crisis we told you about. / US News & World Report, The State Department Critical Russian military units continue to move toward Ukraine, not
Sandy Hook families have settled with Remington in the first case of a gun manufacturer being held liable for a mass shooting in the US. / ABC News An Army lawyer says Russian strategy relies on "infolawfare"—high-stakes diplomatic and legal challenges combined with propaganda. / Lawfare This is good:
Russia plans to withdraw some troops from the border with Ukraine in a possible threat de-escalation. / The Guardian Canada invokes rarely-used special measures to end protests that have shut some border crossings and paralyzed Ottawa. / Reuters Canada plans to bring in more than a million newcomers to support its post-pandemic
A UK minister says Europe is closer to war than at any point over the past 70 years. / The Guardian See also: Russia is engaged in the largest military build-up in Europe since the cold war. / The Economist The US warns that Russia may create a surprise pretext for an
Pfizer and the FDA pull back from a plan to expedite the review of a Covid-19 vaccine in young children. / STAT Coups and Covid-19 loom large at an African Union summit. / France24 For all of NATO's primacy, it cannot solve the Russia problem, especially without the US. "
What we know about the fast-spreading variant of the Omicron variant that's already circulating in 69 countries, including the US. / Vox New York City is set to fire 3,000 unvaccinated employees today. / The Hill Police shot and killed at least 1,055 people in the US last
Ford and Toyota stop some production as anti-coronavirus mandate protesters block US-Canada border crossings. / Reuters One problem facing Ottawa: towing a big truck without driver cooperation is virtually impossible. / CBC News See also: Fifteen things not to do when using a rapid antigen test. / The Conversation Russia's force
Ford and Toyota stop some production as anti-coronavirus mandate protesters block US-Canada border crossings. / Reuters One problem facing Ottawa: towing a big truck without driver cooperation is virtually impossible. / CBC News See also: Fifteen things not to do when using a rapid antigen test. / The Conversation Russia's force
Total worldwide Covid cases reach 400 million, just over a month after hitting 300 million. / Reuters Johnson & Johnson has halted—for now—production of its single-dose Covid vaccine. / CBS News An AstraZeneca vaccine scientist says politicians and other scientists harmed its vaccine's reputation and "probably killed
Governors in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and Oregon announce the end of their statewide school mask mandates. / CNN Anya Kamenetz: A post-masking consensus may be closer than it appears. / NPR A thrifty billionaire, who's only making more money in order to give it away, feels misunderstood. / The Washington
In the US, there have been more school shootings in the 2021-22 school year so far than at any point in the past decade. / Reuters A 2012 Supreme Court decision that blocked patent protections for diagnostic tests is one of the reasons why Americans can't get Covid tests.
"Viral fragments with novel patterns of mutations appeared repeatedly." NYC sewage hints at Covid's future. / The New York Times Newly filed tax records show one of the best-funded anti-vax groups in the US saw a 60% bump in revenue in 2020. / NBC News Why have our
The US added 467,000 jobs in January despite the omicron variant surge. / The Washington Post Shares of Facebook parent company Meta plunge in the biggest one-day decline for a stock in US history. / CNBC Explainer: How Apple's push for privacy on the iPhone cost Meta $10 billion.
Biden revives the "cancer moonshot" program he led as vice president, and this time aims to cut death rates by more than half over the next 25 years. / The New York Times A decade after receiving CAR T-cell therapy, two cancer patients still show no signs of their
Assailants attacked Guinea-Bissau's government palace for hours on Tuesday, but the coup was thwarted. / The Associated Press What local power tells us about national politics in South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, and Nigeria. / This Week in Africa President Biden plans to deploy more troops in Germany, Poland, and Romania,
The US State Dept. has ordered embassy family members to depart Belarus after a Russian troop buildup on the country's border with Ukraine. / CNN According to new accounts, Trump was a lot more involved than previously thought in efforts to seize voting machines after the 2020 election. / The
World leaders apply diplomatic pressure to Russia ahead of a series of United Nations meetings over the Ukraine crisis. / The Washington Post Even relatively friendly countries in Eastern Europe "mistrust Russian expansionism." / The Economist Portugal's ruling Socialist Party wins parliamentary election, returning it to power. / TIME
A Nor'easter slams the United States' East Coast with extreme snow and wind. / The Washington Post Jane Mayer's big read for the weekend: Is Ginni Thomas, Justice Clarence Thomas's wife, a threat to the Supreme Court? / The New Yorker There's a
Though officials won't "get into the specifics," the US says if Ukraine is invaded it may halt the opening of a Russian pipeline into Western Europe. / BBC A new Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in Asia and Europe, and has now reached the US. Early evidence
The cost of visiting Hong Kong during Omicron can include being sent to the city's government quarantine camp. / CNN Helen Branswell: Hong Kong may become a living laboratory in search for Covid-19 answers. / STAT Headlines of the week? "At Beijing Games, hugs discouraged but condoms available."
As pressures build around a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, the cracks within NATO are showing. / The Washington Post "Trump has succeeded at one of his foreign-policy goals: creating distance between the US and at least some parts of NATO." How Trumpism looms over the West's
Burkina Faso's President Roch Kaboré sees his government dissolved in a military coup. / CNN The ousting of Kaboré is the fourth coup in West Africa in the last 17 months. / BBC News See also: Five Trends that will shape urban Africa in 2022. / This Week in Africa How
NATO is sending more ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe in response to Russia's military build-up in and around Ukraine. / Axios After ordering embassy family members to leave Kyiv, the US recommends all Americans in Ukraine depart immediately. The UK is also withdrawing staff from its Ukraine
How Jan. 22, 1973, changed American history: Kissinger flew to Paris to end the Vietnam War, the Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade, and LBJ died. / The Washington Post "There was a couple in the farmhouse. They laid me down on a table and gave me a mask.
Ukranians wait for news while Western diplomats face off against their Russian counterparts. / BBC News The UN makes a deal for 11 countries to produce a low-cost version of Merck's Covid-19 pill. / The South China Morning Post Unrelated: Reflections on what a vow of poverty means when you
The Senate failed to change the filibuster, further stalling voting-rights legislation and sending the fight back to statehouses. / BuzzFeed News, CNN See also: "Tonight the president—and his party—learned the true definition of the phrase 'slim majority.'" / The Atlantic The Supreme Court denies Trump'
Secretary of State Antony Blinken flies to Europe in an effort to defuse tensions over Ukraine. / The Associated Press Sudanese security forces kill seven and injure at least 100 ahead of a visit by senior American diplomats. / The New York Times Democrats are attempting to change Senate rules today to
Moderna and Pfizer predict their boosters will become annual shots for the next few years. / Ars Technica "If it's purely left to be a commercial decision, I'm not so sure that decision will necessarily be the best one." The WHO wants science—not vaccine
The Morning News will not publish on Monday. See you Tuesday. Tsunami waves caused by a giant underwater volcanic eruption hit the Pacific country of Tonga. / BBC News Six months after anti-government demonstrations, Cuban courts begin imposing draconian sentences on protesters. / The Guardian Uganda illegally detains novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija for
The Supreme Court has blocked the Biden administration's Covid requirements for large businesses, but will allow a vaccine mandate for health workers to proceed. / Associated Press Jan. 6 prosecutors have filed the rarely used charge of seditious conspiracy against the leader of the Oath Keepers. / Associated Press The
China cancels a growing number of flights from the United States because of passengers who later test positive for Covid-19. / Reuters One woman in a locked-down China city is locked in with a blind date. / BBC News Kazakhstan's protests in six objects, from a Birkin bag to bitcoin.
The latest lockdowns in China are throttling factories and ports, further disrupting supply chains for companies like Samsung, Volkswagen, and Nike. / Sky News Australia Pfizer's Omicron-specific vaccine will be ready by March—though that's likely too late, given the current speed of infections. / CNBC A new
A World Health Organization official says the Omicron variant will infect more than half of Europe in the next two months. / CNN Hundreds of thousands of students in Los Angeles return to school from winter break. Chicago schools reopen tomorrow. / The Los Angeles Times, ABC7 Related: In case you missed
The US is now averaging 700,000 new Covid cases per day. / USA Today A malfunctioning space heater caused a fire in a Bronx apartment building that killed 19 people, including nine children. / News 12 Brooklyn With Omicron, pediatric hospitalizations—while still the lowest compared to other groups—have hit
The three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison. / NBC News Kazakhstan's former anti-terror chief has been arrested on charges of attempting to overthrow the government following the recent violent protests. / Associated Press Texas claims 246 people died in the 2021 winter power-grid
Kazakhstan orders security forces to "fire without warning" amid a crackdown on anti-government protests. / BBC News The situation presents Russia with yet another opportunity to reassert influence in its former Soviet domain. / The New York Times When Putin issues demands down the barrel of a gun, "it
Garland has told Justice Dept. employees that prosecutors remain "committed to holding all Jan. 6 perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law." / Associated Press One year after Jan. 6, here are the numbers on where the legal efforts stand. / BuzzFeed News In unrest sparked by rising gas prices
One month before the Olympics, China puts a second city into total lockdown after just three asymptomatic Covid-19 cases are detected. / BBC News In Hong Kong, one of the few places still pursuing a zero-Covid policy, testing positive means lockdown for nearly a month, symptoms or not. / CNN French President
Driven by the Omicron variant, new Covid infections in the US shatter prior coronavirus records, with more than a million cases reported yesterday. / USA Today As schools across the US open today—or try to, anyway—the FDA authorizes Pfizer boosters for 12-to-15-year-olds. / NBC News, NPR Some people with compromised
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2021, and what were the least?
TMN is going on holiday break. Below you'll find some of our favorite groups to support at this time of year (or, frankly, year-round). We'll return January 4, 2022. Stay safe yall. Give Directly facilitates direct cash transfers and lets people spend the money however they
Omicron now accounts for 73% of all new US Covid cases, and has surpassed delta as the most prominent variant in the country. / Associated Press So far, the onset of omicron looks different from previous variants; early symptoms resemble the common cold. / KTLA "After waiting about 35 minutes in
Moderna says its booster shot significantly raises the level of antibodies that can foil the Omicron coronavirus variant. / The Guardian Only one in six Americans has received a booster, worrying health officials. / The New York Times Scouring the web for info about the Omicron storm? Here are some deeper dives
Biden's vaccine mandate for large employers is once again a go, after an appeals court overruled a previous judge's decision. / Associated Press Eight charts that show how Covid vaccines shaped 2021. / Nature This week, the Biden administration finally reversed Trump's loosening of shower head
The CDC now recommends the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over J&J, citing blood-clotting concerns. / NBC News One reason omicron is spreading so much quicker than delta: It multiplies about 70 times faster inside the respiratory tract. / Goats and Soda [Correction] In 2020, due to the pandemic, the FDA
The CDC now recommends the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over J&J, citing blood-clotting concerns. / NBC News One reason omicron is spreading so much quicker than delta: It multiplies about 70 times faster inside the respiratory tract. / Goats and Soda In 2020, due to the pandemic, the FDA relaxed
Without vaccines, it's estimated the United States would have experienced approximately 1.1 million additional Covid-19 deaths. / The Commonwealth Fund New CDC data show where Covid deaths have been higher than publicly reported. / Muckrock An Omnicron surge in the US is likely, given the variant's rapid
In a massive journalistic effort that will change zero minds, a review of potential cases of 2020 voter fraud shows there wasn't enough to tip the election. / Associated Press Related: Three residents of the Villages in Florida face felony charges for casting more than one vote in the
North and South Korea agree to officially declare an end to the Korean war after nearly 70 years. / Forbes Germany warns Russia that any military action in Ukraine will jeopardize the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline. / Barrons In Brazil, sometimes political disputes are solved (not really) with an MMA fight. / The
Correction: We misrepresented a link in Saturday's newsletter about photos of Finland's Prime Minister that were edited to make her resemble a cat. The photos are the work of right-wing trolls, not the PM. Our sincere apologies for the error. As of Sunday, more than 800,
A series of devastating tornadoes hit Kentucky and other states last night, leaving at least 70 people dead. / NBC News Aerial footage of the aftermath in Mayfield, Ken. / Twitter Now that the Supreme Court has left Texas's abortion law in place, expect more states to pass similar laws.
The Supreme Court will allow Texas's six-week abortion ban to remain in place, but has ruled abortion providers can sue over the law. / NPR, the 19th See also: California releases a plan to become an abortion sanctuary should Roe be overturned. / Associated Press This week marks two years
The Pfizer-BioNTech shot loses power against the Omicron coronavirus variant, the manufacturer says, but a booster restores protection. / STAT See also: Some of the recent Omicron news explained by Sciencewhizliz. / Instagram Some high-profile Democrats are starting to oppose vaccine mandates, specifically applied to private business. / Politico Two years later, the
If net-zero goals are to be met, by 2050 the world needs no fewer than 200 million public charging points for electric vehicles. / The Economist Many unions representing workers affected by climate legislation have struck deals, but opposition persists from coal miners. / The New York Times See also: The top
Russia is said to be planning a massive military offensive against Ukraine involving 175,000 troops, seemingly in a bid to keep Ukraine out of NATO. / The Washington Post The US government plans to diplomatically boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. / Quartz More people died of malaria in 2020
Early indications suggest the omicron variant of the coronavirus may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations. / The Associated Press All private sector employers in New York City will be required to implement a Covid-19 vaccine mandate by December 27. / CNN Myanmar's
Russia appears to be planning an invasion of Ukraine, and has demanded the US guarantee Ukraine won't join NATO. / The Washington Post Ahead of Biden's "summit for democracy," China's Communist Party issues a statement saying the Western democratic model is "doomed
Some tips on how to interpret the coming flood of data about the Omicron Covid-19 variant. / STAT A survey of Omicron's best- and worst-Case scenarios. "If it ends up causing milder symptoms than Delta, there's a real upside." / The Atlantic Related: An atomic simulation
The European Commission president says the EU needs to consider mandatory vaccination in response to the Omicron Covid-19 variant. / The Guardian Germany's incoming chancellor wants vaccinations to be mandatory by February. / Politico Public health experts say mandates are unlikely to win over those with deep-rooted opposition. / TIME The
A good primer on today's abortion case at the Supreme Court. / Wake Up to Politics Brazil and Japan report cases of the omicron variant. Of the 11 European countries where omicron has appeared, all cases have been mild or asymptomatic. / Associated Press, Bloomberg The CDC says it plans
Unpublished documents link China's crackdown on Uyghur Muslims to the highest levels of the Chinese Communist party. / The Guardian Meanwhile, the party is trying to cleanse Chinese cyberspace of entertainment at odds with socialist values. / The Economist Regarding tennis pro Peng Shuai, Beijing seems to be relying on
After scientists in South Africa discovered the omicron Covid variant, which appears to have higher rates of reinfection, the country says it's being unjustly punished through travel bans. / BBC See also: If previous Covid mutations are any guide, travel bans likely won't help quell the spread
We're going to be off next week, and will return on Monday, Nov. 29. See you then! The House of Representatives approves the "Build Back Better" plan, with funding for social benefits and billions to address climate change. / The Washington Post Op-ed: The plan also includes
Belarus has relocated the refugees and migrants from its border with Poland. Of those who were stuck at the border, hundreds are Iraqis who have now flown home. / Al Jazeera, Associated Press The man who shot and killed Ahmaud Arbery admits Arbery did not threaten him, despite claiming he acted
Total deaths in the United States from Covid-19 could reach one million by spring as vaccination rates remain lower than 60%. / The Guardian Drug overdose deaths in the US top 100,000 for the first time. / NPR "The Daily" podcast has policies designed to prevent misinformation in its
Tensions escalate at the border of Belarus and Poland, with Polish forces now using tear gas and water cannons as migrants try to cross into the country. / BBC In what may be the second-ever case, a patient has naturally cleared HIV without antiviral treatments or a bone marrow transplant. / Gizmodo
China's Communist Party publishes a landmark document that sets up President Xi Jinping to potentially rule for life. / Bloomberg Presidents Joe Biden and Jinping pledge to avoid conflict and improve cooperation. / Reuters Russia blasts one of its own satellites out of orbit. The resulting debris forces crew on
Covid cases are rising in the US, with 23 states reporting increases, and Vermont setting a record case count. / USA Today Amid rising infections across Europe, Austria will restrict unvaccinated people to leaving their homes only for essential shopping and work. / Reuters Why do residents support Denmark's reintroduction
A panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the hold on the White House's vaccine mandate for companies with more than 100 employees. / Reuters Steve Bannon has been indicted by a federal grand jury on contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the
At the close of the COP26 climate summit, commitments to end the use of coal and other fuels are falling apart as countries race to reach a deal. / BBC News The Pacific island nation Tuvalu is looking at legal ways to be a state if it is submerged. / Reuters Unrelated/
In a surprise announcement at COP26, the US and China say they'll work together to achieve climate goals. / CNN "Packing up and moving is, if not impossible, then highly unlikely for the stateless." Those most vulnerable to climate change. / NPR More US cities are ramping up
A federal court pauses the new vaccinate-or-test rule for businesses with over 100 employees. / The Washington Post The partisan nature of US politics has gotten so extreme, public health groups hide news of emerging science for fear of backlash. / BuzzFeedNews See also: A new book from NextDraft's Dave
Fleeing Belarusian forces, migrants at a camp near the country's western border are trying to push their way into Poland. / Associated Press The European Commission accuses Belarus's authoritarian leader of creating the problem at the border by luring migrants with the promise of entry into the
President Biden scores passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Time to assess what comes next. / Wake Up to Politics The likelihood that Americans born in the 1980s will earn more than their parents: 50 percent. For those born in the 1940s? Ninety percent. / The Economist
Nine anti-government factions in Ethiopia say they've formed an alliance "amid growing fears they will attempt to overthrow the government." / The Guardian In Venezuela, a rum company offers gangsters a life outside of crime. In turn, they've helped the company thrive. / The New York
Why the theory that fears over critical race theory hurt Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey doesn't hold much water. / Vox More than a century after the Benin Bronzes were looted by the British Army, the Smithsonian has begun the process of repatriating them to Nigeria. / The New
On Wednesday night, the United States surpassed 750,000 deaths from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins data. / The Week Covid infections reach their highest level yet in England. / Bloomberg The World Health Organization's Europe director says all 53 countries in the region are facing "a real
The Taliban says ISIS-K is responsible for the attack on a Kabul hospital that has killed at least 19 people and wounded 50 more. / CBS News What does Youngkin's win in Virginia over McAuliffe mean? For Republicans, distancing themselves from Trump—without alienating his base—can mean a
Today is Election Day 2021. It may be an off-year, "but there are still some important races going on across the country." / Wake Up to Politics Tressie McMillan Cottom: To talk about what Kyrsten Sinema is wearing—denim vest et al—is to take her power and politics
In the days and weeks prior to the insurrection, the FBI and other law enforcement failed to act on numerous leads that signaled violence was on the horizon. / The Guardian Related: A timeline of what happened in the 187 minutes between the beginning of the Capitol attack and Trump reluctantly
This week in Congress, petroleum companies denied ever downplaying fossil fuels' role in climate change. Six decades of corporate documents show otherwise. / The Conversation See also: "In a three-degrees-warmer world, the coastlines of today will largely be gone, endlessly reduced over the coming centuries by rising seas."
Your unvaccinated friends and family are roughly 20 times more likely to give you Covid. / The Conversation Why does Puerto Rico lead the United States in vaccination and low coronavirus transmission rate? Because Covid-19's been politicized "in a different way." / NPR Unrelated: Why did Joe Biden
Less known than Facebook's danger to the West is how it allows the rest of the world to drown in misinformation and abuse. / Slate "My body—or bodies like mine—is used to help design military technology." The prosthetics industry and the military share a long
Sudan's military leader defends the takeover of the country, placing blame on political leaders. Meanwhile, soldiers try to abduct injured protesters inside hospitals. / The Guardian Jihadism, crime, and political violence have grown so intense in Nigeria that the country is said to be "sliding towards ungovernability."
The tug of war over spending bills has delayed Congressional action on securing the nation's pandemic infrastructure. / STAT The Biden administration says that after months of legal reviews, it doesn't have the authority to share Moderna's mRNA vaccine process. / The Washington Post Rather than
China struggles with new outbreaks of Covid-19's delta variant ahead of the Winter Olympics in February. / The Week A study says "funny or cute memes" made people feel more confident in their ability to face the global health crisis. / The Washington Post Substandard and falsified coronavirus
New research proves that Viking voyagers lived in Newfoundland as far back as 1021. / The Wall Street Journal The country of Westarctica has evolved from an internet stunt to a micronation, to a charity trying to affect climate change. / AFAR A bus company in Hong Kong launched a five-hour tour
"We do not know who has your ear, but it clearly isn't us or your constituents." Five members of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's advisory board quit. / CNN See also: "Under the actual ruling principles of the United States, Manchin is currently the most powerful
A leak finds Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Australia among countries asking the United Nations to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels. / BBC News One way to sequester carbon dioxide? Buy a coal mine (only $7.8 million) and shutter it. / Marginal Revolution West Virginia senator
When a leader in the field of scientific integrity pointed out errors in a hydroxychloroquine proponent's work, he went on the attack—and unleashed his followers. / BuzzFeed News San Francisco temporarily shut down its only In-N-Out Burger location for not properly checking patrons' vaccination status. / NPR Lockdown
The FDA plans to allow Americans to "mix and match," i.e., receive a different Covid-19 vaccine as a booster than the one they initially received. / US News & World Report The coronavirus is still mutating—how much does that matter? "I see nothing that suggests this
One of the people shot by Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha last year is suing the police, accusing them of coordinating with white nationalists. / BuzzFeed News Jury selection has begun in the trial for the three white men charged with shooting and killing Ahmaud Arbery while he was jogging. / The Atlanta
An FDA panel recommends those who received the J&J Covid vaccine should get a booster—essentially saying it requires two doses to be effective. / STAT Data visualizations explain how, at companies where institutional sexism exists, fewer women reach executive levels. / The New York Times The inequality of today&
Crucial UN climate talks next month are likely to fall short of the global target for cutting coal, gas, and oil emissions. / The Associated Press Nearly half of homes in the US use natural gas for heat, and this winter they may end up paying 30% more than a year
Why is America's upper middle class so unhappy? Too much work, and abject disbelief in a meritocracy. / Vox This week's white paper to wonder about says billionaires are better-looking than average for their age. / National Bureau of Economic Research Jessa Crispin: Most laptops provided to US
The International Monetary Fund says the persistence of the coronavirus and global supply chain crisis is weighing on economies. / Bloomberg The White House announces that the Port of Los Angeles will begin working "24/7" to ease supply chain woes. / NPR "Right now, everyone is blaming the
Helen Branswell compiles a primer on what's known about mixing and matching Covid-19 vaccines. / STAT Texas Governor Greg Abbott bans all organizations, including private companies, from enforcing vaccinations in his state. / BBC News Coronavirus question: Should I humor my friend's request for a pointless Covid precaution?
Severe flooding recently displaced more than 1.76 million people in Shanxi province in northern China, according to local media. / BBC News Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights this weekend, citing weather and air traffic controller problems. No other airlines seem to have been impacted. / CNN Related: An
Over the last five years, the top 100 law firms in the United States represented fossil fuel clients in 358 legal cases and transactions worth $1.36 trillion. / The Guardian China is ratcheting up military pressure on Taiwan. / The Economist Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's forces intensify airstrikes
Following this week's ruling from a federal judge, at least one Texas healthcare provider is again performing abortions past six weeks of pregnancy. / BuzzFeed News The estate of Henrietta Lacks is suing a pharmaceutical company for selling her cells, which were taken without her knowledge or consent by
The WHO is rolling out the first vaccine for malaria, a disease that kills hundreds of thousands every year, most of them under five years of age. / STAT Pfizer has officially requested the FDA provide Emergency Use Authorization for its Covid vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. / NPR Studies
How the Facebook outage affected the developing world, which depends on WhatsApp for health services and to shield communications from totalitarian governments. / NBC News, People Related: Telegram says it added 70 million new users while Facebook was down. / The Guardian The Facebook outage forced small business owners to realize that
In a brief glimmer of hope, Facebook and all of its services were down for nearly six hours yesterday. / Associated Press Facebook says the outage was caused by a configuration change, and here's a fascinating observation of how the services disappeared from the web. / The Verge, Cloudflare According
An explosive new report on the vast offshore systems used by the powerful—including 14 current country leaders—to hide billions of dollars. / The Washington Post Litigation over the opioid crisis now shifts to major pharmacy chains, which are accused of dispensing opioids while ignoring monitoring protocols. / NPR The whistleblower
The US death toll from Covid has now surpassed 700,000 people. / Associated Press "Each year, our moon moves distinctly, inexorably farther from Earth—just a tiny bit, about an inch and a half, a nearly imperceptible change." / The Atlantic The FCC wants to curtail SIM hijacking by
Despite telehealth's expansion in the past year and a half, it has largely failed to reach about 57 million people in rural parts of the United States. / STAT Covid-19 is killing rural Americans at twice the rate of people in urban areas. / NBC News Britain's government-funded
"Today's actions are already writing the opening chapters of the next pandemic's history." We're already not doing enough to prepare for whatever's next. / The Atlantic YouTube says it's extending its ban on Covid vaccine misinformation to cover many
Amid rising demand, oil prices climb above $80 a barrel, hitting their highest level in three years. / BBC News Britain's gas crisis is now being seen as a Brexit crisis. / CNN If the race to electric between Ford and General Motors is tight, "the longer-distance one to
The FBI says there was a record increase in murders—a nearly 30% jump—in the US last year. / USA Today See also: Originally stolen from a Wisconsin shop, a single handgun has been linked to 27 shootings in Chicago, including two homicides. / Chicago Tribune Using a technique called "
Germany is set for weeks or even months of coalition talks after the center-left Social Democrats claim victory. / BBC News See also: Who is Olaf Scholz, and what kind of Germany would he lead? / The Economist Arizona finishes its "audit" of the 2020 election—President Biden actually picked
China returns two Canadians in exchange for a Huawei executive, resolving a 1,030-day standoff with the United States. / The New York Times A good article from The Continent's archives on "the un-Hollywood fate of Paul Rusesabagina," who just received a 25-Year prison sentence in Rwanda.
China's massive Evergrande property developer misses its $83 million bond payment, and now has 30 days before it defaults. / CNBC After a series of moves to crack down on cryptocurrencies, today China banned all crypto transactions. / VICE The Maricopa County recount funded by "Stop the Steal"
The FDA approves a Pfizer booster for people who are 65 or older or at high risk of severe Covid-19, including from their jobs. / The Wall Street Journal Over the last 30 days, the world has vaccinated one billion people. / Marginal Revolution A memorial in DC honors the number of
Human Rights Watch calls the Biden administration's immigration policies with regard to Haitian migrants "abusive and racially discriminatory." / Human Rights Watch "An unexpected $500 cost is a serious problem for many." What it's like to try and get an abortion in Texas
Canadians give Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a win in Monday's parliamentary elections, but his gamble to win a majority of seats fails. / The Associated Press The US will lift its travel ban for vaccinated travelers come November. / Quartz More people died in Alabama during 2020 than were born,
Conditions are dire at a makeshift camp in Texas for the approximately 13,000 migrants, mostly from Haiti, who are hoping to enter the US. / BuzzFeed News Related: An on-the-ground report of a day at the migrant camp. / Twitter As of yesterday, the US began flying migrants back to Haiti,
Following Russia's accusations of election meddling, Apple and Google have removed Navalny's tactical voting app from their stores. / Reuters The Wall Street Journal's new series on Facebook finds no evidence of any sort of good the company brings to the world. / Recode Related: Cue
Helen Branswell live-blogs today's FDA advisory panel meeting on the Covid-19 booster shots. / STAT The debate over who deserves credit for pioneering mRNA technology is heating up. Hundreds of scientists have worked on it for decades. / Nature France suspends 3,000 health workers without pay for refusing a
A new law in Poland barring restitution for Holocaust survivors takes effect today, during Yom Kippur. / THINK An incredibly detailed tool for calculating Covid risk for various activities based on location, vaccination status, and more. / microCOVID Valley fever, a fungal infection that can turn deadly, is on the rise in
California Governor Newsom beats back the recall effort that dominated his third year in office. / The San Francisco Chronicle The list of politicians and activists excluded from Russia's upcoming elections reads like "a Who's Who of the Russian opposition." / BBC News A personal essay
A guide to today's California recall election—and yes, Trump and Republicans are already saying there's fraud. / Wake Up to Politics See also: Right now the polls look good for Newsom. But you know, polls. / FiveThirtyEight "Serial plaintiffs are protected to litigate each of their
The last known missile fired by the United States in its 20-year war in Afghanistan appears to have killed a longtime worker for a US aid group and seven children. / The New York Times On that note: "A US military robot ship has fired a large missile for the
Serge Schmemann: "I Wrote the Lead Times Article on 9/11. Here's What Still Grips Me." / The New York Times As Ethiopia confronts a new year, Tigrays are accused of pillaging towns and killing supposed enemies. / AFP, The Telegraph Military leaders deposed Guinea's president
What to know about Biden's new vaccine mandates, which will apply to more than 80 million Americans. / USA Today Labor unions are backing vaccine mandates from Tyson Foods and Disney World. / Quartz As of today, Denmark's high vaccination rates have allowed the country to lift all
The White House releases a plan showing how the US could produce almost half of its electricity from solar power by 2050. / CNBC Burning fossil fuels must decline almost immediately, a new study finds, for us to avoid more extreme disasters. / NPR The world's largest "direct air
The Texas abortion ban is the latest in a long history of state officials' efforts to thwart women's health care. / The New York Times "I was used as an expert voice against vaccines." What it's like when anti-vaxxers weaponize your words. / The Guardian
The US marks its 40 millionth Covid-19 case since the start of the pandemic, as delta continues to spread. / NBC News Helen Branswell covers the debate over vaccine boosters, what to call them, and whether they're needed. / STAT Advice for travelers reconsidering their upcoming trips in light of
We're headed out for the weekend. We'll see you on Tuesday! Despite Covid, India remains "very much on track" to achieve the world's fastest growth this year. / Bloomberg Who is to blame for Venezuela's vaccine crisis and black market? Mismanagement,
The final plane evacuating Americans from Afghanistan departs, ending the longest war in US history. / NBC News A timeline of America's involvement in Afghanistan from 1999 to the present. / Council on Foreign Relations "This is the least reported war since at least WWI." / Axios The Biden
The United States evacuated 1,200 people out of Afghanistan from early Sunday into early Monday, with the Aug. 31 deadline looming. / The Hill Anti-missile defences intercepted rockets fired at the Kabul airport this morning, as the US flew out its core diplomats. / Reuters Stephen Walt: Why are so many
The Pentagon says it killed the planner of the Kabul airport attack. President Biden has been warned that additional attacks are likely. / USA Today, CNN Several of the US soldiers killed at the airport were babies when we invaded Afghanistan in 2001. / The Guardian Lessons from Africa that apply to
Satellite images and diagrams of the Kabul airport show the danger and complexity of the evacuations. / USA Today The US Supreme Court has ended the moratorium on residential evictions. / Reuters According to a study, light pollution disrupts moths' nocturnal behavior, resulting in a decline in caterpillars' numbers. / BBC
Complex bomb attacks at the Kabul airport kill many. The White House had been worried that ISIS-K, a sworn enemy of the Taliban, planned to carry out multiple attacks. / BBC News, CNN The story of how an Afghan interpreter and his family escaped Kabul. / NPR The founder of Blackwater has
How the Trump administration's deal with the Taliban—"a concession without any clear precedent in US history"—and Biden's adherence to it sabotaged the Afghanistan withdrawal. / Foreign Affairs In a vaguely worded decision, the Supreme Court upholds a Texas judge's demand that
Hawaii's governor tells tourists to stay away amid a surge in Covid-19 infections on the islands. / The Hill With approval expected for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines in a month, Dr. Fauci predicts the US will have Covid under control by Spring 2022. / Reuters Afghan filmmaker
Biden's approval rating has dropped below 50% for the first time in his presidency, due to rising Covid cases and the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. / NBC News Afghan evacuees may be housed at a Texas border facility previously used to hold migrant children, and that has already been deemed
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine could receive full FDA approval as soon as Monday, a move some US corporations have cited as necessary for mandates. / CNBC For the first time in recorded history, rather than snowing, it rained at Greenland's summit. / CNN By thinking of Earth as just another
The Taliban are carrying out a door-to-door hunt for people who collaborated with the US and Western allies. / BBC News High-profile sportswomen in Afghanistan have been urged to wipe their social media and burn their uniforms. / The Guardian Sarah Zhang: The coronavirus is here forever. Here is how we live
Statistically, the difference between states with 30% and 70% Covid vaccination rates is a nearly 40-fold increase in weekly cases. / Ars Technica The pandemic has changed abortion access, shifting from in-person visits to telemedicine—and legal challenges may lie ahead. / The New York Times As water shortages loom, towns across
Regional powers Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan express their interest in working with Afghanistan's new leaders. / Newsweek An all-girls Afghan robotics team inspired the world. "Now they're trapped, waiting to be rescued." / The Washington Post Remembering the civilian planes that airlifted refugees out of
US health officials are likely to recommend Covid vaccine boosters eight months after recipients' second doses. / Associated Press Health officials are convincing skeptics to get vaccinated by telling them if they don't trust the government, they should talk with their doctor instead. / VICE A Chicago pharmacist has
Chaos and desperate crowds at Kabul airport. Five people have been killed as people try to flee the Taliban. / The Guardian, Reuters "To blame Afghans for not getting their act together in light of… history is just wrong." / The New Yorker Officials in Haiti say at least 1,
Helen Branswell: The FDA has authorized an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines for the immunocompromised. / STAT Good news from Chicago: Health officials say Lollapalooza doesn't appear to have been a superspreader event. / Slate "You have to live your best life. But be cautious.
"The models in late spring were pretty consistent that we were going to have a 'normal' summer." Yes, Delta changed everything. / The Atlantic According to 2020 Census data released yesterday, the number of white people in the US has fallen for the first time since 1790.
The delta variant is one of the most contagious respiratory viruses known. Is it as contagious as chicken pox? Not really. / NPR Parents in Japan are sending bags of rice that weigh the same as their newborn babies to relatives who are unable to visit. / The Guardian California will become
The White House prepares for Kabul to fall to the Taliban much sooner than feared. "They've got to fight for themselves," Biden said. / The Washington Post, BBC News Kathy Hochul will become New York's first female governor, following Andrew Cuomo's resignation for
The US Senate appears to be on track to give final approval to a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan. / The Associated Press The EU mounts one of its largest ever firefighting operations to tackle wildfires in Italy and Greece. / The Guardian Half of all invasive species in the ocean have
The Dixie Fire in Northern California is now estimated to be the second largest wildfire in state history. / NPR A new UN climate report cites recent extreme weather as further evidence of human-induced climate change—though swift action can still reverse some (but not all) effects. / BuzzFeed News See also:
Scientists are detecting signs that the Gulf Stream may be collapsing. / The Guardian The US has returned to winter levels of daily Covid infections, averaging around 100,000 new cases a day. / Associated Press Related: If last year is any guide, Covid might surge in the fall and winter. Or
Moderna says a booster shot of its vaccine will be necessary to contend with the Delta variant going into winter. / The New York Times Mattel releases a Barbie doll of vaccinologist Sarah Gilbert, the scientist who designed the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. / BBC News An argument for Project Bioshield as the most
Mexico is suing American gun manufacturers, accusing them of facilitating a "deadly flood" of military-grade weapons to cartels. / The New York Times A majority of New York State Assembly members say they support impeachment if Cuomo doesn't resign. / Associated Press Niall Reddy: What happened last week
Starting in September, New York City will require people to prove they've been vaccinated to eat indoors, visit gyms, or go to theaters. / Vox For the moment, New York Governor Cuomo defies calls, including from President Biden, to resign. / The New York Times The White House issues a
The rate of Covid vaccinations in the United States continues to climb, a positive sign amid rising cases and hospitalizations. / CNN As of last week, nine states have enacted 11 laws with prohibitions on vaccine mandates (two each for Arizona and Arkansas). / NPR A Florida school district drops its mask
Dozens of vaccinated staff at San Francisco hospitals developed Covid over the past six weeks. Good news? None have been so sick they need to be hospitalized. / The San Francisco Chronicle Everything you need to know about how the Delta variant works. / Nature An overview of last week's
The pace of US vaccinations is ticking upward as the delta variant drives up demand for shots. / CNBC Your weekend white paper: A study shows Ohio's Covid lottery preventing one infection for every six vaccinations the cash prizes successfully encouraged. / SSRN The mainstream media comes under fire for
According to the CDC, the Delta variant appears to spread as easily as measles and chickenpox. / CNN The life sciences sector is booming to the point that office space emptied by the pandemic is being converted into labs. / The New York Times "The BDSM industry is really big on
The bump in government aid prompted by the coronavirus will cut poverty nearly in half this year from prepandemic levels. / The New York Times Congressional Republicans want to move on from 2020, but Trump won't let his party shift gears. / Slate Norman Lear is a century old and
From 2051 to 2080, prolonged, record-breaking events are expected to become three to 21 times more probable. / The Verge Whether or not the human body can survive in our heat-riddled future comes down to humidity and wet-bulb temperatures. / Slate The fastest-growing places in the US are also some of the
California, New York City, and the Department of Veterans Affairs announce that employees must get vaccinated or face weekly testing. / Politico Meanwhile, a restaurant in Huntington Beach says patrons must show proof of being unvaccinated. / The Orange County Register France approves a law requiring special virus passes for all domestic
"All five influenza pandemics we have details about developed more virulent variants before settling down." A history of variants. / The Washington Post The very important differences between how vaccinated and unvaccinated bodies respond to Covid. / The Atlantic Now that Covid is endemic, like influenza, life expectancy in the
By tracking marsquakes, NASA's InSight mission has been able to create the first detailed map of the red planet's interior. / The New York Times "Broadcast TV morning shows spent nearly as much time on Jeff Bezos's space launch in one day than on
Photos and impressions from the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Opening Ceremony. / The Japan Times A Spanish swimmer wanted to nurse her baby in Tokyo, but the rules are so "drastic," she chose to leave him home. / The Washington Post Kurt Streeter: The Olympics rely on, but don&
Over the past two weeks, Covid cases in the US have nearly tripled. / Associated Press Success in driving down new Covid cases may have caused many Americans to forego vaccination. Unfortunately, it might take a new surge in deaths to make them reconsider. / The Atlantic "The FDA's
Will Hoenig: I think the reality of endemic Covid needs to be communicated to the world at this point. / Twitter If you're fully vaccinated, what's your risk of "long Covid" as the delta variant spreads? / The San Francisco Chronicle Helen Branswell: More than 200
Yesterday, the UK reopened with "freedom day," even as new Covid cases surged by 41%. / The Guardian, NPR Also yesterday: The US State Dept. and CDC told Americans they should avoid traveling to the UK due to Covid infections. / Reuters With new Covid cases spreading across the US,
Journalists from multiple news groups present evidence of industrial-scale spying that targets reporters, activists, politicians, and business executives around the world. / The Washington Post Here is an overview of the findings thus far. / PBS Oregon's Bootleg fire grew to more than 476 square miles over the weekend, an
The combination of more Delta and more unmasked, unvaccinated people means "your vaccine-induced immunity is challenged more often." / STAT Fewer than half of people in the US ages 18 to 24 are fully vaccinated. / NBC News Rescuers race to find survivors of floods that have killed more than
The US surgeon general has published an advisory warning that vaccine misinformation is a "serious threat to public health." / CNN As coronavirus cases surge, Los Angeles County once again will require masks to be worn indoors. / Los Angeles Times After allegedly destroying a "Back the Blue"
One week before the Olympics, Tokyo reports its highest number of new Covid cases in almost six months. / ABC News A record number of French people sign up for vaccinations after being told they'll need them to return to cafés. Restaurant workers aren't thrilled about doing
Canada and Thailand defend mixing Covid vaccines after the World Health Organization's chief scientist calls the strategy "chaotic." / The Washington Post Cannabis becomes the latest giveaway for vaccines in Long Beach. / The Long Beach Post Because they won't need to deal with Covid absences,
Vladimir Putin's United Russia party is loath to lock down ahead of fall elections, creating a Covid doom loop. / Foreign Policy David Wallace-Wells: Now is the time to rethink COVID safety protocols for children. / New York Magazine One couple's way of traveling (more) safely this summer:
Asthma attacks plummeted during the pandemic, and researchers are now reconsidering the most common triggers. / The Atlantic Crypto traders are running into a big problem in trying to sue Binance for losses during a service outage: The company has no headquarters. / The Verge With his Wimbledon win yesterday, Novak Djokovic
Thursday's dramatic flooding in New York City is a sign the city's infrastructure isn't prepared for future climate conditions. / The Guardian A tour of the "Anom" phone the FBI sold to unwitting criminals as part of a honeypot scheme. / VICE If the
Several Asian countries rush to implement tough new restrictions to fight variants of the coronavirus. / The Associated Press Five undervaccinated clusters, mostly in the South, put the entire United States at risk. / CNN BLK, the dating app for single Black people, has a new song encouraging users to "vax
Last month was the warmest June on record for North America. / The Boston Globe Scientists say last week's Pacific Northwest heat wave would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change. / BuzzFeed News Another effect of climate change: Wild animals are shrinking in body size. / Vox How
Helen Branswell runs through 12 lessons learned about developing vaccines during a pandemic. / STAT Heathrow airport is testing out fast-track lanes for fully-vaccinated arrivals. / BBC News ICU nurses in Appalachia who risked their lives during the pandemic feel like they fought a war that no one acknowledges. / The Washington Post
The world's poorest nations won't receive Covid vaccines for another two years. / Nature See also: How countries without adequate Covid vaccine access are simultaneously fighting the pandemic and negotiating for vaccines. / NPR "A 40-minute panoramic take on Jan. 6, the most complete visual depiction of
TMN is heading out early to beat the holiday traffic. See you Tuesday. Canada broke its temperature record for a third straight day on Tuesday, with dozens of heat-related fatalities. / BBC News The World Health Organization certifies that China is malaria-free. / Quartz The Delta variant is forcing public health officials
The UN calls for global action on reparations, citing institution racism against people of African descent in North America, Europe, and Latin America. / BBC In a victory for trans student rights, the Supreme Court declines to revisit a lower court's decision on a case that began seven years
As of Sunday night, 152 people are unaccounted for and 134 are accounted for in the collapse of Surfside's Champlain Towers. / CNN Surfside's chief building official told residents the condominium was "in very good shape" after reading a report that flagged major structural damage.
The Pentagon has released its long-awaited UFO report, detailing 143 sightings, most—but not all—of which are probably equipment malfunctions. / VICE X-Files creator Chris Carter says the government's new UFO report reveals more about who we are than whether aliens exist. / The New York Times Oklahoma City
Rescuers search for survivors trapped in the rubble of a collapsed 12-story residential building north of Miami. / Al Jazeera "It just doesn't happen. You don't see buildings falling down in America." / The Miami Herald More Americans quit their jobs in May than any other
The US intelligence community thinks Afghanistan's government may collapse as soon as six months after US troops withdraw. / The Hill Related: Ahead of US troops' departure, some members of Congress are urging the White House to evacuate Afghans who aided the US. / Associated Press The Saudi Royal
The Chinese government has quietly produced and spread thousands of videos in which citizens deny Beijing's abuses against their communities. / ProPublica Morgan Stanley plans to bar unvaccinated staff from its New York headquarters. / BBC News Junaid Nabi: Vaccine hesitancy and refusal in the US are a sign of
The Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the NCAA's limits on the ways schools compensate athletes violate antitrust laws. / BuzzFeed News A new report finds algorithmic bias in medicine is influencing nearly every aspect of how patients are treated. / STAT "I procured more than 60 inches worth of
A new poll shows a majority of Americans are open to a progressive police reform bill. / Vox Politicians around the world are borrowing Trump's "Stop the Steal" tactics. / The Atlantic The Barstool-ification of the GOP could reconfigure its cultural politics for a generation. / Politico Fareed Zakaria:
We're off tomorrow in observance of Juneteenth, and will return on Monday. The Delta variant is on the rise in the US, and could further cleave the nation by surging in areas with higher unvaccinated populations—but barely registering elsewhere. / BuzzFeed News How the pandemic is an example
Biden is now set to sign into law the bill that will make Juneteenth a federal holiday. / Associated Press How will teachers explain to students why they have the day off in states that are banning critical race theory in classrooms? / BuzzFeed News An Alabama lawmaker who wants to ban
An emboldened President Biden meets an unbothered Vladimir Putin. Both may find themselves craving some predictability. / The Washington Post Unrelated: A new simulation shows that an advanced civilization can colonize a galaxy in a modest amount of time. / Gizmodo At the height of the pandemic in the US, workers were
President Biden and European Union leaders reach a deal to end a 17-year-old trade dispute. / The Washington Post The uncrewed aerial vehicle business is booming thanks to regulators starting to relax laws that govern drones. / The Economist Reality Winner, a former intelligence contractor jailed for leaking classified information, has been
Covid cases are no longer falling in the US, due to a slowing vaccination rate as well as the more contagious and severe Delta variant. / The New York Times Related: US governors are assessing whether to keep emergency orders in place. / Associated Press "They were so close, they weren&
Between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, four shooting incidents killed at least two people and injured at least 34 in Austin, Dallas, Savannah, and Chicago. / CNN Trump's Dept. of Justice secretly subpoenaed Apple to hand over metadata on some members of the House Intelligence Committee. / The Verge See
A new outbreak of the coronavirus suggests that lockdown measures could be a part of Chinese life for some time to come. / The New York Times More children and teenagers are experiencing chronic symptoms after Covid even as the pandemic ebbs in the US. / STAT Researchers hope that work on
The number of undocumented migrants at the US-Mexico border has reached its highest number—180,034—since April 2000. / BBC These are the countries the State Dept. says vaccinated Americans can travel to—though there's no guarantee they'll be let in. / Quartz June appears to be
ProPublica publishes tax and income details of people like Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett to expose how the wealthy avoid income tax. / ProPublica As a result, internal and external investigations are beginning—to find out who leaked. / The Wall Street Journal Your weekly white paper: Less educated citizens in democracies
According to the NOAA, there was "no discernible" change in carbon emissions during the pandemic. / USA Today A sinking ship near Sri Lanka carried 78 metric tons of plastic pellets that now pose unimaginable environmental consequences. / NPR The Justice Dept. has recovered $2.3 million of the ransom
Major Indian states that were virus hotpots are easing restrictions as Covid numbers continue to fall. / BBC News A study of federal pandemic aid says the largest benefits went to the poorest households and those with children. / The New York Times One unexpected upside of the pandemic: The flu virus
As the vaccination rollout continues, many people have embraced group activities, while many others are entering a new phase of anxiety. / The New Yorker Related/unrelated: "'I took part in the psilocybin trial and it changed my life." / The Independent The Army Corps of Engineers recommends a
The NIH director says states with vaccination rates below 70% are at increased risk for future outbreaks. / CNN See also: Charts and maps show how Covid cases are declining across the US. / BuzzFeed News Say what you will—and many have—about the AstraZeneca vaccine, but it was instrumental in
The president of Tokyo 2020 says the Olympics will go ahead "100 percent," though perhaps without spectators. / BBC News American and Southwest Airlines won't resume serving alcohol until passengers stop attacking their flight attendants. / Food & Wine Movie theater chain AMC offers free popcorn to retail
Innovative shifts in manufacturing processes have resulted in huge profit windfalls—and now, massive supply shortages globally. / The New York Times A recruiter explains why restaurants really can't find enough staff. "Restaurants are just going to have to pay people more or have better benefits." / Washingtonian
We're taking a long weekend to rest and will resume publishing on Wednesday (the same day Camp ToB 2021 commences). See you then! Helen Branswell: As Covid dissipates in the US, cold and flu viruses may return with a vengeance. / STAT Millions of people registered with Dr. B
It's entirely possible that most Covid deaths could occur after there are enough vaccines to protect those most at risk globally. / The New York Times See also: "Coronavirus Variant Excited To Compete With World's Top Mutations In Tokyo This Summer." / The Onion "It
President Biden tells the US intelligence community to redouble its efforts in investigating the origins of Covid-19 and report back in 90 days. / CNN Daniel Engber: The shift in public thinking about the lab leak theory is "all the more remarkable for its lack of any major associated revelations.
The Wuhan "lab leak" theory suddenly goes mainstream, leading to renewed calls for a real investigation. / The Washington Post Jonathan Chait: Notice how the media originally dismissed the theory and smeared its supporters. / New York Magazine Maggie Haberman: The media was responding to Trump making it instantly political.
After being deployed on Jan. 6, the National Guard will fully depart the US Capitol grounds this week. / The Washington Post Texas Gov. Abbott is set to sign a bill that will allow Texans to carry handguns without a license. / The Texas Tribune "White tears hit different in a
Helen Branswell: Here's how the Covid pandemic in the United States reaches its end. / STAT Stores in the US start to give away their abundance of hand sanitizer. "It's worth more to us gone." / The Wall Street Journal Kaitlyn Tiffany: We've just
In 2020, more than twice as many folks were displaced within their own country by climate disaster as were forced out as refugees. / The Guardian "We think we're taught history. But we're really taught propaganda." Geography is the chessboard of history. / Uncharted Territories Israeli
Federal prosecutors say there was a "leadership meeting" among right-wing extremists in the days leading up to Jan. 6. / BuzzFeed News See also: "All your 1/6 Commission questions, answered." / Wake Up to Politics If you don't think Republicans can minimize the Jan. 6
As fighting winds down in a ruined Syria, Iran and Russia compete for influence and the spoils of war. / The Washington Post A senior official with Hamas says he expects a ceasefire with Israel "within a day or two." / BBC News Analysis of the Israeli leadership's
As US Covid cases reach their lowest levels in a year, India just set the new global record for daily coronavirus deaths. / CNN, Associated Press The five profiles that capture Americans' attitudes toward the Covid vaccine: the enthusiast, the watchful, the cost-anxious, the system distruster, and the Covid skeptic.
The US will release an additional 20 million doses of Covid vaccines, bringing the total being shipped out to 80 million. / Yahoo! News Generation Z showed improved mental health during the start of the pandemic. Why? Better sleep and more time with family. Meanwhile, veterinarians report feeling toasted. / The Wall
The CDC defends its latest mask guidance, and says the decision wasn't influenced by political pressure. / PBS Related: Scientists say you're going to want to hold onto your masks for when cold and flu season rolls around. / STAT Australia could reopen its international border by the
Today, after the Israeli military ordered the building evacuated, an airstrike destroyed the AP and Al Jazeera offices in Gaza City. / Associated Press As the Israeli-Palestinian violence continues to escalate, the White House hasn't taken a meaningful public stand. / NPR See also: How social media misinformation is further
The CDC says people vaccinated against Covid can participate in indoor and outdoor activities without a mask. Meanwhile, Singapore re-imposes Covid curbs. / STAT, Reuters "Is oral sex more Covid-safe than kissing?" And other questions to guide the horny summer. / The Guardian South Korean couples in their 20s and
Unlike in previous conflicts, Israeli politicians are blaming the incumbent government for the escalating crisis. / The New York Times See also: Last month, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing "crimes against humanity" in its treatment of Palestinians. / NPR Instagram removed content about one of Islam's
Dozens are killed—mostly Palestinians—as Hamas and Israel approach war. "We have not seen this kind of violence since October 2000." / The Economist, The Washington Post What led to the escalation? The forced expulsion of Palestinian families from an East Jerusalem neighborhood. / Al Jazeera Ezra Klein interviews
In an escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel, 24 people—including nine children—were killed, most in Israeli airstrikes. / Associated Press America's energy infrastructure is a patchwork of internet-connected and legacy equipment—creating vulnerabilities that can be exploited, as evidenced by the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack. / The Washington
India's coronavirus infections and deaths hold close to record daily highs, increasing calls for a nationwide lockdown. / Reuters The Lancet blasts the Indian government for ignoring warnings of a second wave and failing to be transparent on Covid data. / Lancet See also: What it's like to
President Biden's separation from past Democratic presidents reflects an evolution in economists' thinking and "a bet that boldness may be a better political strategy than moderation." / The Atlantic Making the case for a new Reconstruction Finance Corporation—to become "a new bulwark for states
Together, Florida and Texas represent 70 Electoral College votes. This week, Republicans in both states have passed—or are ready to pass—new voting restrictions. / The New York Times Related: A breakout of the limits included in each state's bill. / Wake Up to Politics A postmortem on Bernie
The White House backs a World Trade Organization proposal to waive intellectual property protections for Covid vaccines. / NPR Alex Tabarrok says patents are not the problem! Helen Branswell says it's more of a symbolic milestone anyway. / Marginal Revolution, STAT Canada is the first to authorize Pfizer's
The number of US births has fallen to its lowest level since 1979. / CBS News What's changing Covid vaccine skeptics' minds: loved ones, trusted figures, and not thinking about Will Smith's I Am Legend. / The Washington Post Related: A demographic breakout of the three kinds
The FDA plans to authorize the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 15 by early next week. / Ars Technica A plan to waive patents to enable other countries to make generic vaccines wins some backers in the Biden administration. It might just be in our best interest.
Arundhati Roy: "[India's] government has failed. Perhaps 'failed' is an inaccurate word, because what we are witnessing is not criminal negligence, but an outright crime against humanity." / The Guardian See also: What's happening in India is what happens when rich people do
Starting Tuesday, Biden will restrict travel from India, as the country deals with a second wave of Covid infections. / NBC News "Knowing something is safe and feeling safe are very different things." On post-vax anxiety. / The Atlantic Advertised as a way to keep your vaccination details handy, fake
President Biden is on track for the strongest stock market performance during a new president's first 100 days since John F. Kennedy in 1961. / CNN John Harris: Biden's address to Congress was the most ambitious ideological statement made by any Democratic president in decades. / Politico Rammesh
The FBI seized phones and computers yesterday from Giuliani's apartment, as part of an investigation into his dealings in Ukraine. / The New York Times The Justice Dept. has brought federal hate crimes charges against the three men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery while he was jogging in February 2020.
President Biden will announce a $1.8 trillion spending proposal tonight aimed at assisting American families and lifting millions out of poverty. / The Washington Post "If secondhand cars are getting cheaper and rentals are easy to book, then the US is making progress." / Bloomberg Related: In Hawaii, a
According to the new Census report, over the past decade the US population grew at its second slowest rate since 1790, due to less immigration and a declining birthrate. / The New York Times The numbers are also in on redistricting, and California and New York are among the states that
President Biden will mark his 100th day in office on Friday. Some brief analysis of how he compares to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who set the (arbitrary) benchmark. / Wake Up to Politics Health officials around the country resume offering Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine. / The Wall Street Journal A
US health officials reinstate the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will now have a warning label about the rare risk of blood clots. / The Washington Post The Biden administration says healthcare workers no longer need to ration N95 masks, and should return to a one-mask-per-patient policy. / Associated Press If you
Following two days of daily global records of new Covid cases, India now faces a devastating oxygen shortage, with some hospitals hours away from depletion. / The Guardian Four possible pandemic endings, from the best (vaccines restore normality) to the worst (variants revive the pandemic). / BuzzFeed News See also: New research
Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd. / Star Tribune The conviction is exceedingly rare. For the sake of comparison, police officers are prosecuted for murder in less than 2% of fatal shootings. / Vox See also: The Chauvin verdict isn't justice. But
Deaths from Covid-19 are accelerating globally. "It took nine months to reach 1 million deaths, four months to reach 2 million and three months to reach 3 million deaths." / Vox, CNN Rising cases push German hospitals to the limit. Meanwhile, English beer gardens have never been so busy.
The closing arguments are happening right now in the Derek Chauvin trial for the killing of George Floyd. / CNN "Since testimony in Derek Chauvin's trial began on March 29, more than three people a day have died at the hands of law enforcement." / The New York
Three million people worldwide have now died of Covid-19. / Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Current vaccination rates show states that had larger shares of Trump voters in 2020 are likely to have more vaccine-hesitant adults. / The New York Times "Man accidentally gets one Moderna and one Pfizer COVID vaccine.
Eight people were killed in a shooting late Thursday at a FedEx facility. A list of recent mass shootings in the United States. / The Associated Press Toure: "We interrupt our coverage of the protests of the police murder of Daunte Wright which interrupted the trial of the police murder
A US health panel has requested more data before deciding how and whether to resume use of Johnson & Johnson's Covid vaccine. / Reuters The CDC has found that keeping the middle seats open on airlines could limit passengers' Covid exposure by a third. / BuzzFeed News Health investigators
The United States, European Union, and South Africa pause the Johnson & Johnson rollout—a relatively common event in the world of vaccines. / ABC News, Quartz Joan Walsh: Anyone worried that the pause may sow vaccine hesitancy should be more concerned about how ignoring medical issues provides grist for the
Federal authorities recommend states pause use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine while investigators try to find out what caused clotting problems. / STAT Biden has yet to make good on his plan to raise the annual refugee cap above Trump's historically low 15,000. / The Washington Post
India produces most of the world's vaccine doses but its own vaccination drive appears to be struggling. / BBC News Covid-19 is fueling a "Zoom-boom" in face-lifts and lip-plumping. Meanwhile, beauty filters are said to be changing the way that young girls see themselves. / The Economist, MIT
Parts of the United States may be close to meeting demand for the coronavirus vaccine—well before the country has reached herd immunity. / Axios Countries around the world hit new records for virus cases and deaths. / The Associated Press Scientists work toward an elusive dream: a simple pill to treat
In March, US authorities took 172,331 migrants into custody at the Mexico border—the most people in nearly two decades, including a record number of unaccompanied minors. / The Washington Post Biden announces steps to curb gun violence, including regulations on untraceable guns and allowing law enforcement to remove guns
Scientists and researchers call for a new investigation—with or without China's participation—into the origins of Covid-19. / US World & News Report Six months after being diagnosed with Covid, one in three patients experiences a psychiatric or neurological illness. / STAT See also: Your Nespresso pods can be
Biden moves up the deadline for states to open Covid vaccinations for all adults, to April 19. / CNBC A new "double mutant" strain of Covid that may be behind a surge of cases in India has now been detected in the US. / The Hill In the US, "
More than four million people in the United States received a coronavirus vaccine on Saturday amid a rising caseload and increase in hospitalizations. / The Washington Post At the same time, more than six million people have taken flights since Thursday, many of them spring breakers. "America appears to be
The CDC says fully vaccinated people can safely travel at "low risk to themselves." / BuzzFeed News It's unclear whether the US is now entering a fourth Covid wave, or simply another pandemic upswing. / The Washington Post Scientists worry the UK's new Covid-risk traffic-light plan
President Biden will announce a $2 trillion package of infrastructure spending to be paid for by a substantial increase in corporate taxes. / The New York Times Why isn't the Federal Reserve more worried about inflation? Because even if the economy booms again, it's still in bad
Deborah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator under President Trump, says most deaths in the US could have been prevented. / The Washington Post The CDC director warns of "impending doom" as Covid cases tick upward in the United States. / The Week Senate Minority Leader McConnell urges Republican men to
The trial of Derek Chauvin begins this week with the whole world watching. / The Guardian After violent crime plummeted during the pandemic, Baltimore decides to continue to decline prosecution of drug possession, prostitution, minor traffic, and misdemeanor cases. / The Washington Post Juvenile incarceration is down generally, but many young people
Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News. / Associated Press Biden on Georgia's new voting restrictions: "This is Jim Crow in the 21st century. It must end. We have a moral and constitutional obligation to act." / The Washington Post The
The coronavirus's psychological grip on the US is said to have weakened thanks to pandemic fatigue, warmer weather, and the surge in vaccinations. / The Washington Post What to make of the AstraZeneca vaccine data—and the surrounding controversy. / STAT New analysis finds that fear-mongering articles connecting vaccines and
A new study asserts the US national news coverage of Covid-19 has been "much more negative" than coverage by scientific journals, major international publications, and regional media. / The New York Times See also: Every state's vaccine website measured for accessibility and privacy protections. / The Markup Behind
The EU finalizes new rules that will likely cut vaccine exports to Britain and other countries to ease supply shortages at home. / The New York Times Germany announces an intensified coronavirus lockdown going into Easter. "We are now basically in a new pandemic." / NPR Some 60% of Americans
In less than a week, the news media is again reporting on a mass shooting. This time, the scene is in Colorado. / The New York Times, The Associated Press "I've been a reporter in Colorado for 11 years (including four in college) and this is at least
The outer fencing erected around the Capitol was removed this weekend. Still, the legislative branch remains "toxic and unsettled." / CNN, The Associated Press Charges against officers in the Capitol riot fuel concerns about extremists working in law enforcement. / USA Today A new video shows how Capitol police tried
Another of Cuomo's current aides has come forward with claims of sexual harassment by the governor. / The New York Times See also: The surprise isn't that Cuomo is embroiled in scandals, but that he's finally being held to account for the toxicity he'
The United States plans to send millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Mexico and Canada. Meanwhile, Europe resumes its use. / The Wall Street Journal, CNBC Did the EU's halt on AstraZeneca increase vaccine hesitancy? / Marginal Revolution "It's really hard to go back on
The UN Conference on Trade and Development revises its global growth forecast from 4.3% to 4.7% for this year. / Reuters Two recent studies quantify the consequences of flooding hospitals with Covid patients. / NPR Post-pandemic advertising is coming up fast, but brands are wary of celebrating prematurely. / Vox Related:
Shootings killed eight people at three massage parlors in Atlanta. Six of the victims were Asian American women. / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNN In early January, a scramble took place inside the White House: political appointees trying to crash the vaccination list. / Vanity Fair Six reasons why the Covid-19 vaccines were
A cascading number of European countries have halted distributing the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine over concerns about blood clotting. / The Associated Press More than 17 million people have received the AZ vaccine. As of March 8, only 37 people subsequently developed blood clots. / Quartz The EU's medicine regulator
The White House is about to unveil a billion-dollar PR campaign aimed at convincing every American to get vaccinated. / STAT A large Facebook study on users' doubt in vaccines finds a small group appearing to play a big role in pushing skepticism. / The Washington Post Congress has its own
The Justice Dept. says its Capitol attack investigation "will likely be one of the largest in American history, both in terms of the number of defendants prosecuted and the nature and volume of the evidence." / NPR New York congressional Democrats, now including Schumer and Gillibrand, are calling on
Dexter Filkins assesses the state of negotiations in Afghanistan amid an ongoing assassination campaign (possibly from both sides). / The New Yorker Statistics reveal that the police in South Africa are substantially more violent than those in the US. / Africa Is a Country In France, the Redouane case represents the futility
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the coronavirus taking hold in the United States. An oral history of where people were, from the Oval Office to the Utah Jazz locker room. / WIRED, BuzzFeed News Readers share the final picture they took before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic. / NBC News
White House officials prepare a campaign designed to draw attention to the benefits of President Biden's Covid-relief package, being voted on today by the House. / Politico, CNN "Many Republican politicians and conservative commentators had other priorities in recent days." / The Associated Press Both administrations deserve credit
The Centers for Disease Control grants fully vaccinated Americans more freedom to socialize and engage in routine daily activities. / The Washington Post In the last week, an average of 2.17 million doses per day were administered. / Bloomberg A new Pew Research survey finds public intent to get vaccinated is
It was around this week last year that CNN began to use the term "pandemic" to describe the outbreak. / CNN Comments from Fox's Sean Hannity from around that time. / Twitter To travel backward a bit further, here's Ed Yong in 2018: "The Next
The Senate has passed Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill. / CNBC Details on the legislation: Lower caps on who receives checks, no minimum wage hike. / Vox Biden is currently polling around 10 points higher than Trump ever did. / The New York Times A lack of presidential landslides,
The Senate moves towards passage of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. / The Washington Post Action was delayed after Sen. Ron Johnson called for a reading of the 628-page bill. / Vox What a "vote-a-rama" is and what it means for Biden's
The House of Representatives is closed today out of concern that QAnon believers—who believe Trump is to be restored to power on March 4—may attempt to storm the Capitol. / BBC, the Week An intelligence bulletin discusses extremists' plans to "take control of the US Capitol...on
Gov. Greg Abbott says it's time to "open Texas 100%" and end the statewide mask order. / Austin American-Statesman Companies like General Motors, Toyota, Target, and Macy's say their Texas employees will keep their masks on, thank you very much. / Reuters Meanwhile: Houston is the
The Biden administration will allow families separated at the border under Trump to reunite and settle in the US. / POLITICO Reporters Without Borders accuses Crown Prince Mohammed of crimes against humanity in connection with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the prosecution of other journalists. / The Hill A third person
A steady decline in new coronavirus cases in the United States appears to have stalled. / The Washington Post Zeynep Tufekci lays out five key fallacies and pitfalls that have affected public-health messaging. / The Atlantic Vaccine refusal is actually a portfolio of issues—dissent, deliberation, distrust—requiring a portfolio of strategies.
US intelligence concludes Prince Mohammed approved the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, but the Biden administration says penalizing him would risk American interests. / The New York Times This morning, the House passed the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package. The bill now heads to the Senate, where debate is expected to
The House of Representatives votes on the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill today. The bill already lost its minimum wage provision. / CNBC, NPR Anne Helen Petersen: The future of the middle class depends on student loan forgiveness. / Vox Related: The inhumanity of America's minimum wage, as told by
US regulators find the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to be safe and effective, paving the way for it to be authorized within days. / BBC News A sweeping new Covid-19 data platform offers access to more than 5 million anonymized records from 160 countries. / STAT Helen Lewis: The scarcity
A federal judge has banned Biden's 100-day moratorium on deportations, but did not require them to resume at their previous pace. / Associated Press The Biden administration has reopened a Trump-era facility in Texas to hold migrant teens. / The Washington Post Related: "Biden unveils cool teen migrant detainment
The United States' Covid-19 death toll passes half a million people. Mourners share stories of their loved ones on an Instagram post from the White House. / BBC News, Instagram Unrelated: Four years of stories from employees at DC's Trump Hotel, where directions for pouring the former president&
In February 2011, frigid temperatures took down part of Texas's power infrastructure. Officials ignored the warnings, setting the state up for last week's disaster. / BuzzFeed News After the 2011 freeze, El Paso—which isn't on the same grid as most of Texas—prepared its
Dozens of Texans died during this week's winter storm, but the true death toll won't be known for weeks or months. / The Texas Tribune Last year, Texas utility regulators cut ties with a group that had been hired to monitor and enforce reliability standards—including weatherization
The Biden administration pledges $4 billion to a coronavirus vaccination program for poorer countries. Boris Johnson pledges to donate most of the UK's surplus supply. / Reuters, BBC A 90-year-old woman walks six miles through the snow to get her vaccine. / The New York Times A "vaccine passport&
Millions in Texas are now under a boil-water notice. / NPR This morning, Texas's energy authority announced all controlled outages have ended, and local utility companies may now begin restoring power as they see fit. / KXAN Republicans are trying to blame Texas's power grid failure on wind
Millions in Texas are still without power, while more snow and ice are expected to sweep across the South and East in the coming days. / The New York Times "It's worse than a hurricane. I think we are going to be more days without light, that is
Amid record low temperatures in Texas, more than four million people remain without power. / NBC News "It limped along on underinvestment and neglect until it finally broke under predictable circumstances." What broke the Texas power grid? / Houston Chronicle See also: Why does Texas have its own power grid,
Two days before Presidents Day, the Senate acquits former President Trump of inciting an insurrection (no matter Sen. McConnell's condemnation afterward). / POLITICO, Vox The vast majority of Republicans standing by Trump is "a clear indication of the firm—if slightly weakened—grip that he retains on the
Republican senators face a historic choice after both sides in the impeachment trial of former President Trump rest their case. / The Hill A desire to "overwhelm the problem" has become the mantra for President Biden's Covid team. / The Associated Press Fwiw: Inadequate healthcare killed 461,000
Biden says the US will have enough doses by July to inoculate 300 million Americans. / Associated Press Fauci: In April, "virtually everybody and anybody, in any category, could start to get vaccinated." / People About 40% of America's coronavirus deaths could have been prevented, says a new
Today’s newsletter was delayed by a technical glitch. Sorry about that! The Biden administration is considering whether to impose domestic travel restrictions to contain coronavirus mutations. / The Miami Herald The UK government defends its threat of a 10-year jail term for anyone found to have falsified their recent travel
The Senate voted 56 to 44 to proceed with Trump's impeachment trial, rejecting the argument that the trial is unconstitutional. / The Washington Post Takeaways from the first day of Trump's trial, which included a shocking video montage of what happened on Jan. 6. (Warning: graphic content)
A team of WHO scientists in China says the coronavirus likely first spread to humans through an animal. / The Guardian A new study finds that people with dementia are at significantly greater risk of contracting Covid-19 and suffering its worst outcomes. / The New York Times. Texas Republican Ron Wright becomes
The WHO says Ebola has returned in an area of Congo that was one of the epicenters of the second-largest outbreak. / Bloomberg Biden refuses to lift economic sanctions on Iran unless it complies with the 2015 nuclear deal. Khamenei says sanctions must be eased first. / BBC Demand remains lower, but
"This is the definition of defamation." Legal experts weigh in on voting software company Smartmatic's $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News. / CNN Following the Smartmatic lawsuit, Fox News cancels Lou Dobbs Tonight, its highest-rated show and a promoter of Trump's election fraud claims.
Ed Yong: How Covid-19 has changed science this past year—and offered the industry an opportunity for self-correction. / The Atlantic Scientists have been overwhelmed by media attention lately. Some advice (for anybody, really) on how to engage. / Science Helen Branswell: Don't believe everything you hear about the AstraZeneca
Israel becomes the first country where vaccinations are beginning to drive down Covid numbers. / BuzzFeed News The side effects of the Covid vaccine's second dose are a feature, not a bug. / The Atlantic Anti-vaxxers are using a long-standing database of vaccine side effects to spread misinformation about Covid
Why rich countries should foot the bill for the world’s vaccination: to save several trillion dollars. / The New Yorker Now trending: Criminals selling forged negative Covid-19 test results to people looking to bypass travel restrictions. / CNBC Dr. Fauci urges Americans to “lay low” and not hold Super Bowl parties
Following the deadliest month of the pandemic so far, US cases and hospitalizations are plummeting. / Associated Press Also: "More Americans have now received at least one dose [of the vaccine] than have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began." / Bloomberg An interactive simulation shows when America
David Leonhardt: The news about the vaccines continues to be excellent—and public discussion of it continues to be more negative than the facts warrant. / The New York Times On Saturday, anti-vax protesters disrupted operations at Dodger Stadium’s mass vaccination site. / The Los Angeles Times See also: A Chick-fil-A
Video shows the suspect believed to have planted pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters the night before the Capitol insurrection. / The Washington Post A reporter's terrifying, minute-by-minute account of being in the Senate during the Jan. 6 attacks. / Poynter The CDC mandates that masks will be
Johnson & Johnson's Covid vaccine is only 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe illness, but appears to be 100% effective at preventing hospitalization or death. / STAT Covid can trigger antibodies that attack a patient's own tissues—rather than the virus—in a condition that can
The world surpasses 100 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, a figure almost unimaginable 12 months ago. / CNN Virus-related hospitalizations in the US have been declining since Jan. 12. / The Wall Street Journal A day in the life, in photos, at Dodger Stadium’s mass vaccination site. Unfortunately, a different
Battle lines form in President Biden’s effort to address the climate crisis: unlikely allies in corporate America, opposition from senators in fossil-fuel states. / The New York Times The government’s fleet of 600,000-plus vehicles is about to go all-American, all-electric. / Jalopnik Unrelated: A picture of a 1954 Swallow
President Biden says he’s hopeful that the US soon can ramp up its capacity to administer 1.5 million vaccine shots daily. / POLITICO In just a month, Israel has vaccinated over a quarter of its 9.2 million people. / The Associated Press One Israeli healthcare group reports a 60
The US reaches 25 million cases of Covid-19. Now it's a race between vaccines and variants. / CNN The White House restricts entry of non-US citizens from the UK, South Africa, and Brazil, where new Covid strains have emerged. / CNBC Why scientists are more worried about the Covid variant
The Justice Dept. has learned one of its lawyers devised a plan with Trump to replace the attorney general with a loyalist who would force Georgia to overturn its presidential election results. / The New York Times "Healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability."
President Biden signs 10 executive orders directed at ramping up vaccinations, including by invocation of the Defense Production Act. / The Wall Street Journal See also: Biden’s new national plan to fight Covid-19, explained. / Vox If the pace of vaccination only reaches one million doses a day, the virus won’
From reentering the Paris climate agreement to repealing Trump's travel bans, here are details on the 17 executive orders Biden signed yesterday. / The New York Times "Getting Americans to mask up will be critical during the early months of Biden's tenure." The nine biggest
President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in today as the United States’ 46th president at an inauguration like no other. / Vox Kamala Harris makes history as the first female vice president in the nation's history, also the first Black vice president and first female vice president of South
Online caches show Trump campaign members played key roles in the rally that happened before the insurrection, and have attempted to erase posts connecting them to the event. / Associated Press "What is striking about the videos, though, is how often this entitlement is laced with insecurity." Important moments
The speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. find particular resonance “amid a year of sickness and death, Black Lives Matter protests, and the storming of the Capitol.” / The New York Times Washington DC will host 25,000 members of the National Guard to help provide security at this week'
"Our current state of affairs is a paradox." Balancing the need to talk about 1/6 with the worry of inspiring other wrongdoers. / Bloomberg Darren Walker: The ideal of democracy is the greatest threat to the ideology of white supremacy. / Ford Foundation for Social Justice A vivid report
Biden introduces a $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue plan that includes more checks, unemployment benefits, and healthcare measures. / BuzzFeed News Because of security concerns, Biden's inauguration rehearsal has been postponed. / POLITICO In a court filing, federal prosecutors say Capitol insurrectionists intended "to capture and assassinate elected officials.
Donald Trump becomes the first American president to be impeached twice. Any trial in the Senate likely won’t begin before he leaves office. / Vox, CNN Macaulay Culkin joins calls to get Donald Trump’s cameo removed from Home Alone 2. / The Guardian Washington DC locks down a week before
The House of Representatives is currently engaged in debate over impeaching Trump for inciting insurrection. / The Guardian In yesterday's House vote to request Pence invoke the 25th Amendment, all but one Republican voted against it. / BuzzFeed News McConnell reportedly approves of impeachment, hoping it will make it easier
According to a new study, Covid-19 immunity likely lasts for years after someone is vaccinated or recovers from infection. / MIT Technology Review For one couple, a cancer diagnosis during the pandemic led them to move into a contemporary commune, to have more “OSOs” (Other Significant Others). / The New York Times
Pelosi tells Democrats that the House will begin impeachment proceedings "with urgency." / The Guardian The House releases its Articles of Impeachment, charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection." / CNN "The key issue is this: One of the three branches of the federal government has just incited
Twitter permanently suspends Donald Trump "due to the risk of further incitement of violence." / Twitter "Can a disgraced president addicted to outrage and innately governed by the same forces as the attention economy survive without his primary outlet?" / The New York Times Trump has been trying
More officials resign in protest as President Trump reluctantly concedes defeat without giving up his lies about election fraud. / The New York Times Online researchers race to identify raid participants. / The Verge Some of the wanted rioters: Holocaust deniers, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and six Republican lawmakers. / The Independent Interviews
"On Jan. 6, at the president’s direction, the constitutionally scheduled process for the transfer of power was interrupted by violence." / Slate Watch: This report from ITV shows the moment Trump's mob breached the US Capitol. / YouTube Accounts of what it was like inside the Capitol
Today’s joint session of the House and Senate may be the last attempt by the president and his allies to overturn the election results. Here’s what to expect. / POLITICO, CNN Protests in DC are feared to turn ugly, egged on by the president’s Twitter feed. / The Washington
To combat the new, more infectious Covid variant, Boris Johnson announces a national lockdown for England until at least mid-February. / ABC News California, Colorado, and Florida have confirmed cases of the new, more infectious Covid variant. / CNBC Battling a Covid surge, Los Angeles County ambulance crews have been told not
In leaked recordings of a one-hour phone call, President Trump urges Georgia’s secretary of state to “find” enough votes to overturn his defeat. / The Washington Post Carl Bernstein: This is far worse than what occurred in the Watergate scandal. / Huffpost All 10 living former defense secretaries say that involving
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2020, and what were the least?
TMN will be offline through the holidays, and the newsletter will return on Monday, Jan. 4. Until then, here's our annual round-up of some of the places we like to give money. Advice on how to give to charity if you're not wealthy. The Human Restoration
Pfizer and BioNTech will provide the US with an additional 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine by mid-summer. / The Guardian The Chilean army reports 36 cases of the coronavirus at its research station on the Antarctic Peninsula. / BBC News Why are Americans so numb to the coronavirus death toll? Blame
Nine months after the CARES act, Congress has passed a second stimulus bill that’s half the size of its predecessor. / The New York Times In addition to direct payments to Americans and more unemployment benefits, the stimulus extends tax breaks for film and TV production companies and includes funding
US lawmakers agree to issue stimulus payments of $600 and distribute a federal unemployment benefit of $300 for 11 weeks. / The New York Times, The Washington Post Moderna’s Covid vaccine begins rolling out. / Reuters The CDC says that adults 75 and older, as well as frontline essential workers, be
The World Health Organization says its Covid-19 vaccine program has secured 2 billion doses. / STAT Moderna’s vaccine becomes the second to receive emergency use authorization. / Reuters The coronavirus vaccines, developed and tested at record speed, are the breakthrough of the year. / Science Magazine Dhruv Khullar: The vaccine will make
Research suggests July was the deadliest month in modern American history for people between the ages 25 and 44. / The New York Times ICU capacity in Southern California has dropped to 0% based on available beds and the ratio of Covid patients. / NBC Southern California “I saw a guy with
Congress closes in on a $900 billion coronavirus relief deal, lacking the Democrats’ aid to states and cities or the Republicans’ liability protections for companies. / The Washington PostMacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, lists the 384 organizations she found to give away more than $4 billion this year. / Medium Unrelated:
Citing Monday's Electoral College votes, Mitch McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden as president-elect. McConnell also urged against disputing the Electoral College tally on Jan. 6, as it would result in Republicans voting against Trump. / CNN, Associated Press Why sowing election doubt helps Republicans post-Trump: It's fuel for
The Food and Drug Administration supports authorizing Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. / NPR Helen Branswell: A guide to who can safely get the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. / STAT Videos of vaccine deliveries are making people burst into tears. / The Washington Post Related: Each day is a small room
This morning, an ICU nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center became the first person in the US to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as part of Operation Warp Speed. / Reuters Right now, the Electoral College is meeting to cast its votes for president. / CNN Why the Electoral College doesn'
The Supreme Court rejected the Texas lawsuit intended to overturn election outcomes in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. / CNN US officials say Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine will start arriving in states on Monday morning. / Associated Press Tracking coronavirus vaccine distribution, state by state. / The Washington Post Russian health officials
The FDA says it will rapidly work toward approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine now that federal advisers have endorsed it. / Science The timeline for vaccine distribution keeps slipping. Experts say it will change again. / STAT Emily Oster on how the pandemic will end: slowly, in drips, with a whimper.
On Wednesday, 3,054 people died from the coronavirus in the US—the highest daily death toll in the pandemic so far. / NPR We posted a link to an article yesterday stating that Biden wants "100 million Americans vaccinated in his first 100 days." The president-elect's
More than a third of Americans live in areas where hospitals are running critically short of intensive care beds. / The New York Times Another Trump lawyer tests positive for the coronavirus, stirring fears of an additional White House superspreader event after she attended a party without a mask. / Axios More
The UK begins the first Pfizer Covid-19 immunization rollout. A grandmother who turns 91 next week was the first person to receive the vaccine as part of the program. / BBC An exhaustive look back at how we got to the vaccines—and the distribution challenges yet to come. / The New
Most of California goes back under lockdown, with the latest stay-at-home order to remain in place through December. / BBC News A Korean study shows how a person can (and did) infect another person 21 feet away indoors in only five minutes. / Insight Media coverage of the pandemic continues to overlook
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges “universal mask use” anywhere outside people’s homes. / The Washington Post To visit Iowa right now is to go back to the pandemic's early days, "when the horror was fresh and the sirens never stopped." / The Atlantic Related:
With ICUs around the state filling up, California will issue its strictest stay-at-home order since the beginning of the pandemic. / The Guardian Despite locals' entreaties, tourists continue flocking to West Texas—a virus hot spot that's running out of hospital beds. / The Texas Tribune While US air
Helen Branswell: The Covid-19 vaccines are a marvel of science. Here’s how we can make the best use of them. / STAT A factory in New York is racing to make enough glass vials to deliver more than 100 million vaccine doses by January. / The New Yorker On Wednesday, the
The CDC voted in favor of a Covid-19 vaccine schedule that prioritizes health care workers and elderly people living in long-term care facilities. / Science Related: A broad timeline of when various groups in the US can get vaccinated, based on risk. / CNN The new recommended Covid-19 quarantine period from the
Moderna says that if its vaccine is approved for emergency use, Americans could get injections as soon as December 21. / The Associated Press Centers for Disease Control advisers will vote today on who should get the vaccines first. / CNN The number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 in the US reached
An in-depth look at the past 20 incredibly stupid days of Trump's attempt to overturn the election. / The Washington Post The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has thrown out US Rep. Mike Kelly's election challenge, which would have invalidated millions of mail-in votes. / NBC News "And now
Trump's demand for a recount in Wisconsin's two largest counties has so far resulted in a net gain of 132 votes for Biden. / The Guardian What was behind Michigan’s fake voter fraud scandal? Endangered Republicans vying to prove their loyalty to Trump. / POLITICO Following a
We will resume publishing on Saturday. We wish our American readers a very safe, very small, happy holiday. Thanksgiving is seen as a test that will make or break the United States’ coronavirus response. / The Associated Press The share of Americans who plan to eat Thanksgiving dinner with people outside
Michigan has certified Biden's win, ending Trump's fight to delay the election results in the state. / BuzzFeed News Following Michigan's vote to certify, the General Services Administration officially recognized President-elect Biden, and has started the transition process. / Associated Press Biden's cabinet picks
US approval for distributing a Covid vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech may come as soon as Dec. 11. / Reuters British company AstraZeneca says its new vaccine is up to 90% effective. / The Associated Press How Americans can make the best of a small holiday this week.
A poll of more than 2,000 Americans finds that 38 percent intend to gather with 10 or more people during the holiday season. / Vox California institutes a limited stay-at-home order that will last through December. / The Associated Press Rachel Maddow was off for most of the past two weeks
At current rates, the US could reach 2,000 daily coronavirus deaths within a month—the highest toll since the spring. / The Atlantic "This is a strong recommendation." The CDC is asking people not to travel for Thanksgiving. / BuzzFeed News Losing her mother to cancer during the pandemic,
More than three million people in the US are estimated to be contagious with the coronavirus. Over 250,000 people have died. And yet little changes. / The Washington Post More than 900 Mayo Clinic staff have contracted Covid-19 in the past two weeks. New York City shuts down its schools.
It's now been one year since the first known case of COVID-19 was identified. / Futurism Pfizer and BioNTech announce their COVID-19 vaccine has 95% efficacy. / STAT See also: A million-dollar donation from Dolly Parton helped fund the Moderna vaccine. / The Guardian Blood samples from those who've
Governors issue new restrictions in Iowa, North Dakota, West Virginia, and other states as the coronavirus surges. / The New York Times Despite having no federal mandates to follow, more US airlines and airports are offering preflight coronavirus testing. / The Washington Post New Zealand's Chatham Islands are experiencing overtourism
Last week, the US added one million new cases of the coronavirus, bringing its total to more than 11 million confirmed infections. / Reuters North Dakota alters course, issuing a statewide mask mandate, as New Mexico and Oregon enter partial lockdowns. / NBC News "Even transmission from surfaces may pose a
As Biden calls for the current administration to take urgent action against the coronavirus, Trump says the White House won't go into lockdown. / The Hill The last few weeks of Trump rallies are linked to more than 130 Secret Service agents becoming infected with COVID-19 or quarantining. / The
Eight days after the US hit 100,000 cases in a day for the first time, the number topped 160,000 on Thursday. / The New York Times US Civil War combat deaths per day: 449. US combat deaths per day during World War II: 297. US deaths per day from
The coronavirus is spreading wildly across the US: "Any number of cities and states might now be considered the worst off, depending on the measurement used." / The New York Times In just one week, new daily coronavirus infections in the US have shot up from 104,000 to
The US hits another one-day record, logging more than 135,000 new coronavirus cases. There are now 40 percent more people hospitalized with Covid-19 than there were two weeks ago. / The Washington Post, The Atlantic US hospitalizations overall have nearly doubled since September. Experts fear multiple epicenters where hospitals are
Coronavirus cases in the US and Europe are surging as global infections approach 50 million. / The New York Times Early results from Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial show the drug is strongly effective and exceeded expectations. / STAT In response to the vaccine news, the Dow and S&P
Joe Biden is declared President-elect of the United States, becoming the first person since 1992 to oust a sitting president. / The News & Observer Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman and woman of color as Vice President. That said, this is nothing new for the rest of the
Four days after the election, the US presidential race hovers in suspended animation. Three storylines to watch over the weekend. / POLITICO Meanwhile, the president’s chief of staff and several employees of the White House and Trump’s campaign team test positive for the coronavirus. / The Associated Press Joe Biden
The US continues to break daily coronavirus records, with more than 121,000 new cases on Thursday. / The New York Times "At this point, I didn't really give a shit." The Americans who are traveling internationally, and don't care. / The Cut Trump voters turned
Joe Biden wins Michigan and Wisconsin, leaving him one battleground state away from victory. / The Associated Press The Trump campaign launches a flurry of lawsuits. Meanwhile, Biden maintains narrow leads in Arizona and Nevada. / The Washington Post, The New York Times As long as Biden retains his edge in Arizona,
The US presidential election is still too close to call. However, early this morning Trump made good on his plan to declare victory anyway, claim fraud, and call for votes to stop being counted. / AP, The Washington Post Democrats will maintain control of the House, but it's looking
A politics wonk in DC explains how to properly “enjoy” today’s elections, broken down by segments of the day. / Five Points by Matt Glassman Voting in person is roughly as safe as going to the grocery store. / Vox Reuters is equipping its reporters with protective gear. Retailers prepare for
Trump's alleged plan to win reelection: Prematurely claim victory on election night so remaining vote counting appears fraudulent. / Axios "Competent criminals rarely announce their crimes in advance." The Trump's campaign's "illegitimate and stupid plan" to win the election. / The Message
On Friday the US had more than 99,000 new coronavirus infections—the highest single-day figure for any country since the start of the pandemic. / The Washington Post Taiwan reaches a record 200 days without any domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19. / The Guardian Your weekly white paper: COVID-19 trends in
The United States, which reported its first known coronavirus case in Washington 282 days ago, surpasses nine million total infections. / The New York Times Helen Branswell: It may be time to reset expectations on when we’ll get a Covid-19 vaccine. Fauci says he doesn’t expect “semblances of normality”
In the US, more than 71,000 people a day are testing positive on average, up from 51,000 two weeks ago. / The Associated Press Related: “A room, a bar, and a classroom: how the coronavirus is spread through the air.” / El País Cases of the coronavirus grew at a
As of Monday, more than 42,000 people are hospitalized in the United States with Covid-19. / The Washington Post A Scottish bishop asks for a Christmas truce—a one-day break from Covid restrictions—as if the virus was a German army. / BBC News France is Europe’s epicenter of the
The third wave of the novel coronavirus in the United States is officially worse than the last two. / TIME "If we took aggressive steps right now, we could potentially forestall the worst of it, but we're not going to do that." The US is close to
The US average of new daily cases is now at its highest point of the entire pandemic. / CNN After five aides to Vice President Pence test positive for Covid-19, the White House admits it can’t control what’s happening. / CNBC In Italy, gyms, swimming pools, cinemas, and theatres are
The US sets a daily record of over 85,000 new cases on Friday while the resurgent virus attacks the heartland. / The New York Times As cases spike across Europe, Italy imposes lockdowns on its three largest cities: Rome, Milan, and Naples. / The Associated Press Curfews across England and France,
In their final debate, Joe Biden and Donald Trump clash over how to tame the coronavirus. Pundits credit the quality of the debate to “muted mic deterrence.” / The Associated Press, The New York Times, Twitter Nate Silver projects total turnout in the presidential race to be 154 million, with an
Some good news to start: A pair of peer-reviewed studies show a sharp drop in mortality among hospitalized Covid-19 patients. / NPR The only two residents of a remote Italian village both wear masks when they meet for coffee. "It's a matter of principle." / CNN The Department
The United States is averaging 59,000 new cases a day of the novel coronavirus—on pace to record the most new daily cases of the entire pandemic in the coming days. / The New York Times Argentina becomes the fifth country to surpass 1 million Covid-19 cases, after the US,
As Covid infections soar, President Trump attacks Dr. Fauci, dismissing his scientific advisers as “these idiots.” / The New York Times A report from inside the White House task force as the coronavirus surges. / The Washington Post The president attacking a top doctor amid a global pandemic “would normally make for
The United States surpassed eight million known Covid cases last week, and reported more than 70,000 new infections on Friday, the most in a single day since July. / The New York Times Some senior living facilities are quietly using automated tracking systems to guide contact tracing. / The Verge “How
Health experts offer advice on how to plan for a safe Thanksgiving during the Covid period. / STAT In Switzerland, yodelers and the fans who love them created a superspreader event in late September. / The Daily Beast Five reasons why Covid-19 has been less deadly in Africa than elsewhere. / BBC News
What happened when the United States’ emergency aid money ran out: eight million people entered poverty. / The New York Times Public health officers across the country rush to plan for the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine. / NPR How the CDC was felled by a virus, the president, and “the capitulation
A proposal to speed up herd immunity to the coronavirus gets White House attention “but appalls top scientists.” / The Washington Post Related: Which states have had the best pandemic response. / POLITICO Paris and other French cities enter a curfew to curb the virus’s rapid spread. / BBC News Helen Branswell:
How can we keep this autumn Covid surge from becoming a winter catastrophe? "Empiricism and imperfection." / CNN, The Atlantic In the UK, the resurgence is blamed on lax social distancing and the prime minister’s public health directives. / Vox The Czech Republic has Europe’s highest rate of
An otherwise healthy 25-year-old man from Nevada was reinfected with Covid-19, and the second bout was worse than the first. / BBC News Johnson & Johnson pauses its Covid vaccine study due to an unexplained illness in a participant. / STAT Sean Penn has created the United States’ largest coronavirus testing program.
A new wave of COVID-19 cases is building across the United States, a harbinger of difficult winter months ahead. / Vox President Trump will hold a rally today in Florida, though he won’t say whether he has tested negative yet for the coronavirus. / The Washington Post “Taking Page From Authoritarians,
Spain imposes a state of emergency on Madrid to bring down COVID-19 infection rates. Cases are inching up in New England. The WHO sets a new daily record. / BBC News, The New York Times, The Associated Press Wearing masks doesn’t harm your health, but the idea has lived on
The Nobel Peace Prize goes to the UN’s World Food Program for its efforts to combat a surge in global hunger amid the coronavirus pandemic. / The New York Times An overview of how other pandemics came to an end. / BBC News Some 171 countries are teaming up for a
The New England Journal of Medicine condemns the White House’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and calls for Trump to be voted out of office. / The New England Journal of Medicine Dexamethasone, the steroid being administered to the president as part of his kitchen-sink treatment for COVID-19, makes musicians
Washington, DC, records its highest number of daily coronavirus cases in more than four months. / WAMU Several members of the Pentagon's senior leadership are quarantining after a top Coast Guard official tests positive. / CNN President Trump says he won’t negotiate a new fiscal stimulus package, then reverses.
The US has reported more than 97,000 new cases of COVID-19 since the news of President Trump’s positive test. / Vox Meanwhile, the White House is doing almost nothing to investigate its outbreak. / The New York Times The White House blocks new FDA guidelines on bringing potential vaccines to
Yesterday, Trump took a brief motorcade with two Secret Service members to wave to supporters outside Walter Reed hospital. / BuzzFeed News A Walter Reed attending physician: "Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might
Please note: We chose to delay yesterday's newsletter until today, now that it appears the news regarding Trump's condition has slowed a bit. Trump’s medical team says the president has had two concerning drops in oxygen levels, but may be discharged from Walter Reed as
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have contracted the novel coronavirus. / Vox The news arrives just hours after reports surfaced that Hope Hicks, one of Trump’s closest aides, tested positive for the virus as well. / CNBC A list of other world leaders who have contracted the virus.
Democrats had a fundraising spike following Biden's debate with Trump, receiving close to $8 million between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. / CNBC On Wednesday, Fox & Friends hosts and guests offered pointers to Trump for the next debate—probably since there was a good chance the
Biden and Trump’s first debate is a fiasco, where Trump, “nothing short of a horror show,” stood by white supremacists and sowed doubt about election integrity. / USA Today, The Washington Post, The New York Times Not to forget: Trump emphasized his hunger for a rushed, election-eve vaccine approval. / STAT
More than one million people worldwide have now died from COVID-19, and many regions are still reporting surges of new infections. / BBC Of the one million deaths, one in five victims was an American. / The Washington Post See also: Based on an average over the past month, more than 5,
Every president since the mid-1970s has made his tax information public. Trump’s returns, recently leaked, show chronic losses and years of tax avoidance. / The New York Times Related: “I Paid More in Taxes than Donald Trump” stickers. / Twitter A brief profile of the registered Democrat who runs the “decision
The White House is expected to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to fill fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. / The Washington Post Operation Warp Speed is the White House's best attempt at fighting coronavirus. Trump can't seem to help
Senate Republicans, including McConnell, dismiss Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses. The Senate also passed a resolution reaffirming its support for such a transition. / NBC News, The Hill Letters from presidents to their successors show what a peaceful transfer of power
We were unable to publish the newsletter yesterday due to, you know, life. Today’s edition includes extra links. Thanks for understanding. A large genetic study shows the coronavirus mutating and potentially evolving amid its rapid spread in the United States. / The Washington Post Johnson & Johnson says it hopes
France and Spain, currently Europe’s hardest-hit countries, are tracking a rise in coronavirus cases even worse than their springtime peaks. / Vox Over the weekend, multiple states including Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Utah experienced a record number of new daily cases. / Esquire Charting the pandemic over the next 12 months.
The CDC has now reverted its guidance on COVID-19, removing language added on Friday stating the virus can spread through the air. / CNN What we've learned over the past six months of the pandemic: You don't need to disinfect your groceries, but you do need to
Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died at 87. / The Washington Post Ginsburg in 2004: "My heritage as a Jew and my occupation as a judge fit together symmetrically. The demand for justice runs through the entirety of Jewish history and Jewish tradition." / The Washington Post Ginsburg
A new allegation accuses the President of the United States of sexual assault, increasing the tally to at least two dozen. / The Guardian Trump's former lawyer says Trump hit on his 15-year-old daughter in front of him. The daughter told her version to CNN earlier this week. / The
The US National Hurricane Center says the flooding caused by Hurricane Sally on the Alabama-Florida coastline is "historic and catastrophic." / The Guardian Following the CDC director's Senate testimony in which he said a coronavirus vaccine wouldn't be widely available until at least mid-2021, Trump
The last 10 years have broken fire records in California, and 2020 tops them all. / The Los Angeles Times Photos from a month of wildfires in Brazil, Greece, and Argentina, during what may go down as the hottest year yet recorded. / Heated Can you slap an HVAC filter on a
Phosphine, a gas produced by bacteria, has been detected in the atmosphere of Venus. On Earth, phosphine hints at the presence of life. / CNN The air quality in Portland, Ore., currently ranks as the worst among the world's cities. / NPR Smoke from the fires on the West Coast
Firefighters across the American West brace for strong winds that may fan uncontrolled blazes. / The New York Times A large chunk breaks away from the Arctic's biggest remaining ice shelf. / BBC News A food critic gathers three weeks of packaging from ordering takeout to understand his role in
Links between wildfires and the climate crisis are straightforward, and effects to come likely will be larger than any we've seen. / The New York Times With nearly five million acres burned, Oregon prepares for a “mass fatality incident.” Photographs of Oregon’s deadly fires. / The East Oregonian, NPR
A federal court has blocked Trump's attempt to exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted in the census for apportionment, calling the move "unlawful." / The Washington Post Senate Republicans were unable to advance their coronavirus stimulus plan, marking the fifth failed congressional aid package. / CNBC Microsoft has
In February, Trump told Bob Woodward he knew exactly how deadly the virus was, and in March, admitted he kept that knowledge from the public. / Vox Related: Unfiltered moments from Woodward’s new book. / CNN For Joe Biden, the revelation is "life-and-death betrayal.” Carl Bernstein, Woodward’s former reporting
The Justice Dept. has moved to take over the defense of E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit from Trump’s lawyers, arguing the president’s remarks were made while performing his official duties. / NPR Georgia Republicans disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of voters, claiming residents changed addresses—two thirds had
California sets a grim record of more than two million acres burned, with several weeks remaining in the middle of fire season. / USA Today One backpacking party’s frightening story of escaping the Creek Fire. / Twitter In Los Angeles, a pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party started
Russian “malign influence actors” have targeted the absentee voting process by spreading disinformation since at least March. / ABC News The former Assistant Secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention at Homeland Security says President Trump’s encouragement of white-supremacist terrorism is a significant threat. / The New York Times A new book
Major European drug companies GSK and Sanofi say they're starting clinical trials of their coronavirus vaccine. / BBC News How a fast vaccine approval might play out, if all goes well—and some warning signs that a science-based process is being skipped. / STAT Since the start of the pandemic&
Spain enters a second wave of the coronavirus—spreading at eight times the rate in Italy, 10 times the pace in Germany. / The New York Times The White House says it won’t join a global vaccine effort in part because the WHO is involved. / The Washington Post Scientists maintain
Around 145,000 fewer Americans would have died if the US had done an average job of fighting COVID-19. / The New York Times See also: Sorting the COVID-19 death data to try and ascertain how many people have died as a result of the outbreak. / Nature According to post-mortem analysis,
The Justice Department secretly took steps in 2017 to keep investigators from completing an examination of President Trump’s personal and business ties to Russia. / The New York Times A man was killed in Portland on Saturday after clashes between a caravan of Trump supporters and counterprotesters. / The Associated Press
Interviews with unemployed Americans going without federal funds find rage toward Trump and the Republicans for the lapse. / The Washington Post Reporter Kevin Roose put together a Twitter feed that tracks each day’s 10 top-performing posts by Facebook pages in the United States. All of them are alt-right or
Making landfall early yesterday morning, Hurricane Laura pummeled parts of Louisiana, leaving six people dead. / CNN Japan's Shinzo Abe, the country's longest serving prime minister, is resigning due to poor health. / Reuters Trump's speech last night at the Republican National Convention echoed the speech
Half a million residents have been told to leave parts of Texas and Louisiana as Hurricane Laura made landfall overnight. / BBC News New Covid-19 testing guidelines, crafted at the White House, alarm public health experts. / STAT Usain Bolt tests positive just days after a party where he danced with dozens
The first documented COVID-19 reinfection has been reported. The patient had a new immune response, but was asymptomatic. / Science Nigeria becomes the last African country to be declared free from wild polio. / BBC News Medical experts say the FDA "grossly misrepresented" its stat that blood plasma reduces COVID-19
Even in the context of recent years, the size and scope of Northern California’s fires are historically unprecedented. / Weather West See also: Useful fire and smoke maps for people living in the Western US: one and two. / AirNow, The Los Angeles Times To study disease-carrying mosquitoes, scientists let them
The Republican National Convention begins today, and Trump will make an appearance every single night. / NPR, CNN The Republican National Committee won't present a party platform at the convention, and will instead "enthusiastically support the president’s America-first agenda." / MarketWatch See also: What happens when a
In the past week, the wildfires in California have now engulfed 918,000 acres, prompting requests for out-of-state firefighting assistance. / Los Angeles Times It's now been more than five months since Breonna Taylor was murdered, and calls for the officers' arrests are intensifying. / The Washington Post As
Joe Biden’s big speech at an all-virtual DNC is “rousting, emotional, surprisingly effective,” proving he’s still an American romantic. / The New Yorker Close watchers of Elizabeth Warren’s speech noticed several Easter Eggs in the background. / The Morning News The Postal Service, run by a staunch Trump supporter,
Russian opposition leader and staunch Putin critic Alexei Navalny is in serious condition after being poisoned this morning. / BuzzFeed News Steve Bannon has been arrested and charged with defrauding donors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of the "We Build the Wall" crowdfunding campaign. / Axios
Night two of the Democrats’ convention offers moments of confusion, but also some unexpected joy. / Vox “The program’s very existence was a kind of political argument: If this doesn’t look normal, it’s because none of this is normal right now.” / The New York Times Why are networks
More than a dozen US states may sue the Trump administration over postal service cuts. / Reuters Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will testify before a senate panel on Friday over concerns about mail delays ahead of the election. / The Hill A history of how the US Postal Service has been repeatedly
The Democratic Convention begins as a television production combining live feeds, taped segments, and a telethon. / The New York Times “At a regular convention, audience reaction is a huge part of the speeches. We needed a way to do that technologically and virtually.” / The Washington Post See also: The all-virtual
The Postal Service warns states it may not be able to meet deadlines for delivering last-minute mail-in ballots. / The New York Times Thanks to the social media panic, though, it pledges to quit removing mailboxes (for now). / The Washington Post Considering the Republican Party’s attacks on voting by mail,
The US Senate has now adjourned for a month—a sign that there won't be a coronavirus relief package passed this summer. / BuzzFeed News In a deal brokered by the White House, Israel and the United Arab Emirates agree to establish full diplomatic relations. / Associated Press The number
A new study isolates live virus from aerosols at a distance of seven to 16 feet from patients hospitalized with COVID-19. / The New York Times Charts and maps help to explain the spread of COVID-19 in the United States. In the country’s largest county, 1 in 8 have likely
Joe Biden picks Senator Kamala Harris for vice president, making Harris the first woman of color to be nominated for vice president by a major political party. / The Washington Post, NPR “When Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks,
The world reaches 20 million confirmed coronavirus cases and is edging closer to 750,000 deaths globally. / CNN The United States’ fumbling response to the pandemic is making it one of the chief risks to a global rebound. / The Associated Press According to different indices, the American passport is fast
Executive actions Trump signed on Saturday may not hold water, crossing the line into congressional tax and spending powers. / The Washington Post TikTok is planning to sue the Trump administration over the president's executive order banning the service from the US. / NPR Police in Hong Kong have arrested
Congressional Democrats call for an investigation of the postmaster general over cost-cutting measures that have delayed delivery of mail-in ballots. / The Washington Post The postmaster general refutes accusations that he's beholden to Trump. / The News & Record See also: What Democrats must do to save the USPS in
The White House and Democrats seem resigned to the likelihood that Congress can't reach a stimulus deal amid the economic crisis. / The Washington Post Note: Congress can’t even agree on the kind of thermometer to use to test lawmakers for coronavirus symptoms. / The Washington Post Incidentally, the
Following the massive blast in Beirut that killed 135 people and injured thousands, people are accusing the government of negligence over the storage of ammonium nitrate. / Associated Press Related: Mapping the damage from the Beirut explosion. / The New York Times Defense Secretary Mark Esper refutes Trump's claim that
A massive explosion in Beirut kills at least 100 people and injures more than 4,000. Photos show a city in tatters. / BBC News, Al Jazeera A study finds Americans feel overwhelmed by the volume and speed of news they see online. / Knight Foundation How to evaluate COVID-19 news? Find
The chief adviser to the Trump administration's accelerated vaccine program says media scrutiny into his pharma stock ownership could delay a vaccine. / BuzzFeed News How the pandemic defeated America: chronically underfunded public health and an unhealthy population. / The Atlantic See also: Trump has signed an executive order to
Six months into a respiratory pandemic, people are still doing surprisingly little to mitigate airborne transmission. / The Atlantic A school that opened in Indiana this week had to quarantine students within hours. / The New York Times A school superintendent in Arizona: “I’m worried. I’m worried about everything.” / The
The World Health Organization reports a record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 292,527. / The Guardian Russia plans a mass vaccination campaign against the coronavirus in October, the health minister says. / BBC News Dr. Fauci says the United States’ lack of a unified federal plan
In a tweet yesterday, Trump suggested delaying the election. Though he doesn't have the legal authority to change that date, his point was really to cast doubt on mail-in ballots and the election results. / CNN A co-founder of the Federalist Society: "This latest tweet is fascistic and
Russia continues to run operations against the US, and the president continues to be unwilling to confront the Kremlin about it. / The Washington Post Trump confirms he never has raised the bounty issue with Putin. / Politico China's incarceration of its Uighur population is the largest mass internment of
Arkansas, California, Florida, Montana, Oregon, and Texas report record spikes in coronavirus fatalities on Tuesday, while cases in Texas pass the 400,000 mark. / Reuters The head of the Republican party attacks the government’s top infectious disease official, alleging a scheme to spread COVID-19. / The Wall Street Journal The
Details on what’s inside the Republicans’ delayed $1 trillion stimulus bill as they enter negotiations with Democrats, who prefer the $3 trillion plan they passed back in May. / NPR To make Trump care more about the coronavirus, advisors present him with maps showing spikes in cases among “our people.
Coronavirus deaths in the US are at their highest level in two months, topping 1,000 for four consecutive days. / The Washington Post One way South Korea has been able to quash the coronavirus: Contract tracers working in a society willing to sacrifice privacy for the greater good. / Bloomberg North
Over the past week, nearly 40 countries had record single-day increases in confirmed COVID-19 infections. 1/22 | Reuters Fauci: A coronavirus vaccine likely won't be widely available until deeper into 2021. 2/22 | CNBC With just two drugs shown effective against COVID-19, the NIH will begin a "
Some additional technical difficulties prevented yesterday’s newsletter from going out (sigh), so here’s an extra-large batch. Have a safe, good weekend. With 1 million new cases in the past 15 days, the US has now passed 4 million total coronavirus cases, with hospitalizations reaching a record high. 1/
Coronavirus infections in the US are much higher than confirmed, but far below what’s required for widespread immunity. 1/23 | NPR In light of expiring CARES Act benefits, how state jobless benefits stack up against workers’ wages. 2/23 | CBS News Republican arguments about unemployment insurance de-incentivizing people to
Trump doubles down on sending federal law enforcement to cities with protests—and says of the cities he's considering, all are "run by very liberal Democrats." 1/21 | The Washington Post The Portland, Ore., vet in a viral video says he was struck after asking unmarked
The US has been incapable of controlling the pandemic, and now the government resists addressing the resulting economic reality. 1/17 | Vox The source of our inability goes back to mid-April, when Trump embraced "overly rosy projections to proclaim victory and move on." 2/17 | The New York
Please note: We ran into some technical difficulties yesterday and were unable to send out the newsletter. So here's a double edition of Headlines—enjoy! The US hit a new record high in new coronavirus infections this week, with more than 77,000 cases reported on Thursday. Florida,
The number of deaths from the coronavirus in Latin America for the first time exceeds the figure for North America. Meanwhile, a second death surge is coming for the United States. 1/25 | Reuters, The Atlantic Governors and mayors scramble to issue new mask orders and limit the size of
In what's thought to be the first case, a baby contracted COVID-19 while still in the womb (and has made a full recovery). 1/22 | VICE Echocardiograms of COVID-19 patients show heart damage in 55% of scans. One in seven have "severe abnormalities." 2/22 | The
As of last week, the President of the United States has made over 20,000 false or misleading claims. 1/22 | The Washington Post A 30-year-old Texan dies after attending “a COVID party,” saying he thought the disease was a hoax. 2/22 | KSAT Dr. Fauci, now frequently derided by
On Saturday, Florida reported at least 15,299 new COVID-19 cases, a new record for the most new cases in a single day in any state. 1/19 | CNN Now with no active coronavirus cases, New Zealand lifts most restrictions, though its borders remain closed to foreigners. 2/19 | BBC
Trump has commuted the prison sentence for Roger Stone, who had reportedly been "praying" for Trump to do so. 1/21 | POLITICO, The Hill After months of decline, America's death rate from coronavirus has risen sharply, with death tolls increasing by more than 100% in Texas,
The Supreme Court says Trump doesn’t enjoy absolute immunity from a state prosecutor’s criminal investigation. It also says he enjoys special rules. 1/27 | Vox In a 5-to-4 decision invoking the country’s long history of mistreating Native Americans, the Court rules that much of eastern Oklahoma remains
The Supreme Court has ruled Trump isn't immune from the Manhattan DA's request to obtain the president's tax returns. 1/21 | NBC News Civil rights groups are concerned by potential fallout from the Supreme Court ruling in favor of employers who want to deny
Secretary of State Pompeo says the US may follow India and ban TikTok for security concerns. The FBI says it’s opening a new China-related counterintelligence case “approximately every ten hours.” 1/24 | CNBC, Axios Canada's Trudeau turns down a White House invitation to visit. Were he to
The US is now approaching three million COVID-19 cases, and hospitals in many states are reporting unprecedented levels of hospitalizations. 1/25 | US News & World Report After weeks of controlling coronavirus outbreaks, California is becoming a new hot spot, with cases up 90% over the past two weeks. 2/
TMN is taking a few days off. We’ll see you on Monday. About 45 million Americans have lost their jobs during the pandemic. At the same time, US billionaires made $584 billion. 1/22 | ABC News Seattle clears the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. 2/22 | The Seattle Times Russia
Fauci says at the current pace, US coronavirus infections could top 100,000 new cases a day. 1/21 | STAT The CDC calls American Airlines' decision to resume full flight capacity a "substantial disappointment." 2/21 | CNBC The EU announces it will now allow travel from certain
China formally adopts a controversial security law, giving it new powers over Hong Kong. In anticipation, the US begins eliminating Hong Kong’s special status. 1/25 | BBC News, CNBC The CDC says the coronavirus is spreading too rapidly and broadly for the US to get it under control. 2/
As of yesterday, there have now been 500,000 confirmed deaths worldwide and 10 million cases of COVID-19—and record-breaking daily new infections. 1/19 | The Associated Press Public health experts dispute Pence and Azar's claims that increased testing, not reopening, is the cause for the uptick in
The White House renews trying to kill off the Affordable Care Act in a brief filed with the Supreme Court. Democrats see the effort playing in their favor. 1/22 | NPR, Politico The House of Representatives votes to make Washington DC the 51st state; the Senate is not expected to
The US has had more than 1 million jobless claims a week for 14 straight weeks. Millions face an “income cliff” if their CARES Act support ends in July. 1/18 | NBC News, CNBC Across the United States, 39,327 new coronavirus infections were reported Thursday, topping the previous single-day
We added a new feature where we name our sources under each headline. Reply and let us know if you spot any bugs. Thanks! The US experienced its highest single day of new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with more than 45,500, breaking the April record. 1/22 | NBC News
Dr Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, warns of "a disturbing surge of infection" and "increased community spread" in many southern and western states. 1/24 The CDC’s director says Covid-19 has "brought this nation to its knees." 2/24 The
State and city leaders in the US respond to a surge in coronavirus cases by implementing new rules, scaling back on reopening plans. 1/21 In many areas, Latinos comprise a dramatically higher percentage of positive COVID-19 tests. 2/21 The director of the Harvard Global Health Institute says more
The WHO reports the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases, more than 183,000 new cases in the latest 24 hours. 1/19 A dozen states have seen record highs of new COVID-19 cases since Friday. One expert likens the spread to a “forest fire.” 2/19 The era of
"Being Black Is not a Crime," says a full-page ad in the Oklahoma Eagle, meant to be turned into a protest poster. 1/23 From the Tulsa World’s editorial on Monday: “We don’t know why he chose Tulsa, but we can’t see any way that
The Supreme Court has blocked Trump's plan to end DACA, concluding the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act by not taking into account the interests of the 700,000 DREAMers. 1/24 Why all Americans should celebrate Juneteenth: it helps us see all the ways that slavery still
The new book from John Bolton accuses Donald Trump of “obstruction of justice as a way of life.” For example, asking China to help him win reelection. 1/26 “The thing is, there's not a Republican in the Senate who didn't know all this already. They
In its deadliest clash in 45 years, a disputed Himalayan border sees 20 Indian soldiers die in a fight with Chinese forces. Here’s the India-China border explained in 400 words. 1/21 Another explainer: “Why North Korea just blew up its de facto embassy with South Korea.” 2/21
Six months into the pandemic, Donald G. McNeil Jr., science and health reporter for the New York Times, tells Michael Barbaro where we’re at. 1/22 The Vice President blatantly lies to reporters about the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma, ahead of Saturday’s Trump rally. 2/22
Protests are happening in Atlanta after police killed Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, shooting him in the back as he ran away during a traffic stop. 1/20 In a preview of Republicans' police reform bill, a major difference with Democrats' legislation is that qualified immunity remains
The Trump administration has rolled back Obama-era health and insurance nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. 1/18 In its coverage of Seattle protests, Fox News digitally altered photos to include a gunman. 2/18 A legal analysis of whether a government drone flying over protests in Minneapolis was a violation
Two months after the International Criminal Court approved an investigation into potential war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan, the White House imposes sanctions against court officials. 1/24 A court-appointed adviser says the attempt to undo Michael Flynn's conviction is “a gross abuse of prosecutorial power.” 2/
A second wave of COVID-19 cases is occurring in parts of the US, as the confirmed total number of infections tops two million. But the White House remains silent on the coronavirus. 1/25 Though their coronavirus cases are still rising, India, Mexico, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan are ending lockdowns
On Tuesday, all eyes were on Houston as George Floyd was honored before being laid to rest next to his mother. 1/22 A timeline uses video and other records to document the clearing of protesters outside the White House before Trump’s photo-op. 2/22 A New York City
Thousands turned out in Houston for George Floyd's public visitation yesterday. 1/26 Photos of demonstrations around the US show how massive the protests are. 2/26 Related: In Los Angeles, a hundred black horse riders came out for the Compton Cowboys Peace Ride. 3/26 A Google
From big cities to small towns, to foreign capitals around the world, this weekend’s protests against police brutality were massive. They may continue through November. 1/23 “On Monday, they were forcibly removed from the street by law enforcement. On Saturday, they danced.” 2/23 Washington DC’s mayor
Earth just had the hottest May on record, with 2020 on track to be one of the top 10 warmest years, alarming climate scientists. 1/23 Restoring summer tourism isn’t just an economic necessity for Europe, but also a cultural one. 2/23 A large group of infectious disease
Buffalo police claimed an elderly protestor "tripped and fell" until a viral video proved they were lying. 1/27 Related: "That awful video in which a white person is getting their skull cracked by a cop? That happens to black people ALL THE TIME." 2/27
Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin now faces second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd. Three other officers at the scene are charged with aiding and abetting. 1/20 In the United States, there were only 27 days in 2019 where the police did not kill someone. 2/20 In
Police brutality prompted this week’s protests. In some cities and towns, the police response has only proved the protesters' point. 1/24 Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter is working: the number of black people killed by the police has gone down since 2014. 2/24 A bipartisan group of
Peaceful protesters near the White House were gassed and shot so the President of the United States could have a photo op in a church after threatening to rain down military force on his own citizens. 1/20 The New York Times takes widespread heat for treating the moment blithely
Yesterday, peaceful demonstrations over the murder of George Floyd continued across the US—while some protests are being overshadowed by people looting and rioting. 1/21 Scenes of police brutality have been on display during the protests. 2/21 See also: "Police erupt in violence nationwide." 3/21
Last night and this morning, protests—some turning violent—have continued across the US in response to the murder of George Floyd. 1/25 Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis officer who killed Floyd, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. 2/25 For a higher murder
Minneapolis enters a fourth day of unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. 1/20 Photos capture the stark contrast in police response to the Floyd protests and the anti-lockdown protests. 2/20 Twitter hides a tweet from President Trump—"When the looting starts, the shooting starts&
More than 100,000 people in the US have now died of the coronavirus. 1/29 Public health experts say the CDC's new COVID-19 death rate estimates are too low, and accuse the agency of bowing to political pressure to minimize the deadliness of the coronavirus. 2/29
Latin America is now the center of the global pandemic, with cases surging in Brazil. Meanwhile, India begins loosening restrictions. In Russia, statistics show signs of fraud. 1/24 A live-tracking map shows where the coronavirus outbreak is growing in the United States, and where it’s slowing down. 2/
Please note: We'll be off through the holiday weekend, and will return on Wednesday morning. See you then! Beijing will impose new security legislation for Hong Kong. It's China's most aggressive move to curtail civil liberties for Hong Kong residents since the city'
State officials in Florida, Arizona, and Georgia get caught censoring scientists and/or providing questionable COVID-19 case data. 1/21 Florida's top data scientist says she was ousted for refusing to manually change data "to drum up support for the plan to reopen." 2/21 Brazil
As of today, all 50 US states have begun easing coronavirus restrictions. 1/23 States are facing accusations of manipulating COVID-19 data in order to support reopening plans. 2/23 "They've already been vetted. But they need to be put on the screens." GOP advisors want
The UK announces a new post-Brexit tariff regime to replace the European Union’s external tariff. 1/23 A Federalist approach to reopening the United States by July 4 would require color-coded zones across the country and testing, testing, testing. 2/23 With the pandemic still spreading fast, the US
Nearly 90,000 people in the US have now died of COVID-19. 1/17 The White House introduces a plan to develop and manufacture hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of the year. 2/17 Brazil now has the fourth-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases—after
Graphs show which US states are seeing COVID-19 cases increasing or decreasing. 1/18 See also: Where coronavirus hospitalizations are rising and falling. 2/18 This week the Senate came within one vote of upending part of the Patriot Act's warrantless browser spying. 3/18 With work-based health
Russia now has the second-highest number of reported coronavirus cases in the world, behind the US. 1/24 Mexico is said to be severely undercounting its virus deaths. Meanwhile, New Zealand is reopening businesses and schools after three straight days of no new cases. 2/24 Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia
Wisconsin's Supreme Court overturns the state's stay-at-home orders and limits the governor's powers to implement future restrictions. 1/20 The FBI has seized Sen. Burr's phone in a federal probe into his stock sales during the early weeks of the pandemic. 2/
Over 80,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus. Millions are out of work. And the president is busy constructing a separate reality to keep fans distracted. 1/22 A list of Mr. Trump's favorite coronavirus talking points (i.e., lies) that Fauci's Senate testimony debunked.
More than 200 people were arrested during anti-government protests in Hong Kong on Sunday, as authorities seek to prevent a revival of last year’s massive demonstrations. 1/20 Wuhan will test 11 million citizens for the coronavirus after six new cases emerge. 2/20 Governors are winning bipartisan support
As the White House faces its own virus outbreak, the Vice President self-isolates while Dr. Fauci is under quarantine. 1/17 On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear three cases over Trump’s financial records. 2/17 Boris Johnson unveils a "conditional plan" to reopen British society with
Researchers say the coronavirus outbreak in New York City became the primary source of infections around the United States. 1/19 Plane travel was already rife with small indignities. An anecdotal report finds it’s even worse right now. 2/19 A fundraiser to help Native Americans fight the outbreak
European leaders hold muted commemorations to mark the end of World War II on the continent. 1/22 France (though not Paris) begins reopening next week, Australia likely soon after. 2/22 Many governors across the US are disregarding or “creatively interpreting” White House guidelines for safely easing restrictions. 3/
A day after announcing the end of the coronavirus task force, Trump says it will now continue "indefinitely." 1/24 Trump is urging the Supreme Court to overturn Obamacare, apparently ignoring Barr's argument that parts of the law should remain in place during the pandemic. 2/
The US lost another vital month in responding to COVID-19, pretty much plateauing in its number of daily coronavirus tests. 1/26 The White House says its coronavirus task force will wrap up around the end of this month. 2/26 A series of interactive simulations to explain how epidemics
The US plans to borrow $3 trillion in the second quarter to finance stimulus efforts, more than five times what it borrowed in a single quarter during 2008. 1/18 The US and UK begin talks for a post-Brexit trade agreement. 2/18 For the third time in two weeks,
Europe's longest coronavirus lockdown ends in Italy today, as four million people return to work. 1/17 South Korea says it traded gunfire at the DMZ with North Korea, and reports no casualties. 2/17 Pompeo says there is "enormous evidence" the coronavirus pandemic began in
The FDA has authorized the use of remdesivir in patients who are severely ill with suspected or diagnosed COVID-19. 1/21 Canada's Trudeau: "Effective immediately, it is no longer permitted to buy, sell, transport, import or use military-grade assault weapons in this country." 2/21 Citing
Half of American adults say they find it difficult to sift through what’s true and what’s false right now. Part of that is likely due to the pandemic’s scale and pace, but part is our own fault as humans. 1/23 Related: A simple method for spotting
"What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus." A clinical trial of remdesivir shows promising results—though an earlier trial in China found no "significant clinical benefits." 1/28 "If the first results from antibody surveys in the US are anything
The United States passed 1 million confirmed Covid-19 cases on Tuesday. 1/19 Frontline officials from other countries explain what the US needs to do to re-open. 2/19 About rebuilding: “The notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past.” 3/19
A state-by-state breakdown of COVID-19 testing shows many fall short of the levels needed for a safe reopening. 1/29 See also: A new model shows contact reduction is tied to how sharply the death toll rises in each US state. 2/29 Texas will allow certain businesses and facilities
Vietnam begins easing its aggressive containment campaign after few infections and no deaths. 1/20 China says all coronavirus patients in Wuhan have now been discharged. 2/20 Another bright spot: During a pandemic, the odds of a war between major powers seem to go down, not up. Also, we’
In the past week, the African continent has seen a more than 40 percent rise in Covid-19 cases. 1/20 In Kenya and in other countries, a tragic question for some communities: to eat or to heal? 2/20 "Governance failures, economic inequalities, societal resilience." A range of
A new model estimates that instead of the 23 cases confirmed in five major US cities on March 1, there were actually 28,000. 1/23 See also: Antibody tests show one in five New Yorkers may have had COVID-19. 2/23 In LA County, the coronavirus is now killing
For Earth Day 2020, the side effects of the pandemic offered a glimpse of an alternative future. 1/22 "What the original Earth Day showed is that, when Americans are mobilized, remarkable things are possible.” 2/22 Advice from an emergency planner, a mosquito hunter, a survivalist, and more
The Senate passes a $484 billion coronavirus relief plan that expands testing and provides aid to small businesses and hospitals. The House hopes to approve the legislation today. 1/20 "If 9/11 and 2008 wore out trust in the old political establishment, 2020 should kill off the idea
The American president wants to suspend all immigration to protect the country from an “invisible enemy.” 1/21 Another way to put it: "Trump, who says the country is ready to begin reopening, says the crisis is so bad that he is signing an order 'temporarily suspend immigration
The US coronavirus death toll from COVID-19 has topped 40,000 people, among more than 750,000 cases. 1/21 A live, state-by-state measure of Rt, an important value for how fast COVID-19 is growing. 2/21 In Nova Scotia, a gunman murdered at least 16 people over the course
Health experts say coronavirus testing needs to double or triple before the US can safely reopen. 1/25 "It's the paradox of public health: When you do it right, nothing happens." Why America is not overreacting to the coronavirus. 2/25 Florida reopens some of its
A study finds severe Covid-19 patients who take the antiviral medicine remdesivir experience rapid recoveries, with nearly all patients discharged in less than a week from a Chicago hospital. 1/24 In case you missed it: TMN’s Rosecrans Baldwin profiles the scientist who figured out remdesivir’s capabilities. 2/
This week brings the total number of people in the US who've filed for unemployment benefits to 22 million. 1/21 The unemployment rate is about to appear artificially low, because the number of people who want work but have been discouraged from looking is exceptionally high—a
Think your job has gotten strange in the past month? Imagine being tasked with rescuing humanity from a pandemic. 1/25 See also: How Anthony Fauci became America’s doctor. 2/25 The UN and Bill Gates criticize President Trump’s decision to withdraw funding for the World Health Organization.
After governors on the East and West coasts formed coalitions to decide when their states will reopen, Trump breaks with the Constitution, claiming his "authority is total" in ordering when to lift restrictions. 1/26 In a joint livestream, Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden, and asked his supporters
Tornadoes in Mississippi and Louisiana caused "catastrophic" damage after touching down Sunday. 1/21 The US overtakes Italy with nearly 22,000 fatalities from Covid-19, the most in the world. 2/21 There have been at least 3,620 deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, up
In the absence of federal direction, states and America’s top experts forge the path ahead. 1/23 A guide to the stimulus checks being sent to a large majority of American adults. 2/23 Worries about liquidity in the mortgage finance system have been building for years. 3/23
New York state now has more cases of the coronavirus than any other country in the world. 1/27 Boris Johnson has left intensive care, but remains under observation. 2/27 The US unemployment rate is currently 13%, the highest since the Great Depression. 3/27 A landlord trade organization
A coronavirus surge in Singapore raises fears of post-lockdown breakouts, perhaps a glimpse of what the US will face. 1/25 The Chinese government has been "hugely successful" in convincing China that the US Army brought the coronavirus to Wuhan. 2/25 Unlike the United States and other
Scientists in China say some people who've recovered from COVID-19 are showing low or no antibody levels, which could mean there's potential for reinfection. 1/25 People crowded into China's parks and public spaces over the weekend after quarantine regulations were lifted. 2/25
China reports no Covid-19 deaths for the first time since January. In Italy, a feeling grows that the worst has passed. Meanwhile, a state of emergency settles in Japan. 1/21 The UK’s Boris Johnson spent the night in intensive care receiving oxygen support. 2/21 Ireland’s prime
Yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci prepared Americans: "We've got to get through this week that's coming up, because it is going to be a bad week." 1/22 "If things collapse, and cases start to go up substantially, then you need to go back
3M responds to Trump's order that the company should stop exporting N95 respirators to Canada and Latin America: "There are...significant humanitarian implications." 1/29 Along with pledging to send 1,000 ventilators, China "shipped 12 million gloves, 130,000 N95 masks, 1.7 million
The White House invokes the Defense Production Act for ventilator manufacturing. 1/21 Google will start releasing user location data in 131 countries, “aggregated and anonymized,” to assess the effectiveness of social distancing rules. 2/21 The Earth is moving less, thanks to the coronavirus. 3/21 Unrelated: Mars may
In a report, US intelligence concludes China intentionally underreported its COVID-19 cases and deaths. 1/21 The number of people filing for unemployment benefits in the US reaches a new high, with an additional 6.6 million claims this week—bringing the total to around 10 million over the past
The last thing America needs right now is partisan squabbling. “But when we’re back on our feet, the country needs to know what went wrong.” 1/23 On pretense of pandemic, Hungary's Orban is granted sweeping new powers, becoming the dictator of his dreams. 2/23 Turkmenistan
"12 million gloves, 130,000 N95 masks, 1.7 million surgical masks." America is massively airlifting in medical supplies. 1/24 Here are some pictures of field hospitals treating patients. 2/24 John Krasinski, best known for The Office, offers good news from around the world. 3/24
With businesses closed, streets quiet and neighborhood walks becoming a national pastime, it’s a great time to get into bird-watching. 1/17 From bats to humans, how a coronavirus evolves. 2/17 Researchers in New York City begin collecting blood from COVID-19 survivors, with the hope that their immunity
The White House orders General Motors to manufacture ventilators to help handle the surge of coronavirus patients. 1/22 The $2 trillion relief package passed by Congress is meant to flush the economy with cash, but much of the money will take weeks to arrive. 2/22 The governor of
The United States overtakes China to have the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world. 1/20 China will no longer accept most foreign citizens into the country. In Nepal, hundreds of trekkers are stranded on high-altitude mountain trails. 2/20 See also: Virtual reconstructions of Europe’s
"We will survive. This is a time to overprotect but not overreact." That discomfort we’re all feeling just might be grief. 1/20 A chart about St. Louis's response to the 1918 flu pandemic shows how ending social distancing now will only make things worse.
Nobel-winning economist Paul Romer: If we screen the public on a weekly basis and boost protective equipment, we can save the economy. 1/21 One Harvard economist’s proposal for social insurance: monthly payments that last the entire pandemic. 2/21 The White House and Senate lawmakers reached a $2-trillion
Authorities are planning to lift the mass quarantine on Wuhan, where the global coronavirus outbreak began. 1/20 The UK becomes the latest country to go into lockdown. Meanwhile, Sweden continues its “laissez-faire” model. 2/20 Trump says he may soon push businesses to reopen, defying the advice of coronavirus
The latest updates on the coronavirus from Pro Publica, Slate, and Politico. 1/19 In the absence of meaningful national leadership, the public’s response to the coronavirus “will stand as a remarkable moment of national mobilization.” 2/19 Regarding leadership: "Mr. Trump is no stranger to crisis. He
The latest updates on the coronavirus from the Hong Kong Free Press, the Sydney Morning Herald, and African Arguments. 1/25 Related: An excellent round-up of links and news (COVID and other) from the past week in Africa. 2/25 A nice comic by Laura Gao, "The Wuhan I
The latest updates on the coronavirus from Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera. 1/18 California's governor says citizens should stay at home indefinitely. Los Angeles goes one step further and orders its citizens to stay home. 2/18 Why to strive for physical rather than social distancing:
The latest updates on the coronavirus from the Guardian, the Boston Globe, Buzzfeed News. 1/22 A ray of hope: For the first time since the pandemic began, China announces no new locally transmitted infections. 2/22 Financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin spent the week talking to people behind other
For news round-ups on the coronavirus, try the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, or the BBC. We also like updates from Andy Slavitt. 1/18 Internet providers such as AT&T and Verizon are on high alert for dramatic changes in home internet consumption. 2/18 Scientists warn
Olympic Games organizers meet via teleconference today to discuss the coronavirus’s impact on the 2020 Tokyo Games. 1/22 How to play tennis in a time of cholera. 2/22 Norway’s leader holds a press conference just for children to reassure them. Also: A nice example of a
Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter suggested we're switching to full-time Covid coverage. Not so! With all that's happening, we're simply switching to six days of newsletters, not five—to give you all the news and not-news we're known for. Today&
For the foreseeable future, this newsletter will run six days a week and emphasize the best stories we find around the coronavirus outbreak. Feel free to tip us to great stories, and share with others if you like! There are now more reported cases of the coronavirus outside than inside
The House passes a coronavirus economic relief package that includes paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, free testing, and money for food stamps. 1/27 As to what’s next in the Senate: More legislating. 2/27 Some Covid-19 resources: Statistics updated live; envelope calculations by a virus expert; Johns Hopkins
Correction: The story we included in an earlier edition of this newsletter about the actor Tom Hanks was a spoof. (D'oh!) This is no time for misinformation, and we'll do better over the coming days to scrutinize our links. Our apologies.—ed. “No one alive has
“No one alive has ever experienced what the next two months will be like around the world, but here we are.” 1/24 In South Korea, the number of new cases now is less than the number of patients who recovered. 2/24 Italy has over 10,000 cases of
The coronavirus is now officially a pandemic. President Trump orders a month-long travel ban to the US from Europe. Americans snap to attention as big events get cancelled. 1/25 Congress's in-house doctor tells Capitol Hill staffers that he expects 70-150 million people in the US to contract
Biden closes in on the Democratic nomination with primary wins in Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho. 1/19 Coronavirus cases pass 115,000 worldwide, including at least 1,000 in the US. 2/19 "In most cases, symptoms are mild, and young people are at very low risk."
Last week Trump told aides he's afraid that journalists will try to purposefully contract coronavirus to give it to him on Air Force One. 1/20 “None of us want to be Chicken Little, but there is too much consistent data to not begin to rattle the cage
China’s cases of Covid-19 are finally declining, which suggests the virus may have peaked there (for now). 1/22 An editor at CNBC Business News suggests giving every American the coronavirus—meaning about 11 million deaths—to calm the markets. 2/22 What the fight against Ebola can teach
Donald Trump has a plan for nothing. So why did voters reject the candidate who has a plan for everything? 1/20 “I was told when I first got into this, there are two lanes,” Warren said. “I thought it was possible that wasn’t the case, and there was
Just days after the US and Taliban announce a peace deal, “Afghanistan is once more embroiled in deadly violence.” 1/19 Iran has fuel for a bomb again, though evidence suggests it’s mainly to pressure Trump and Europe. 2/19 California declares a coronavirus state of emergency. 3/19
In the biggest day of voting in the primary season, Joe Biden posts victories in nine states, maybe 10, in a rout that has no comparison in the history of party primaries. 1/22 Mike Bloomberg, who spent $500 million in advertising, only won in American Samoa. 2/22 Alexandra
Four more people in the Seattle area have died after contracting the coronavirus, bringing the total of US deaths associated with COVID-19 to six. 1/26 A World Health Organization expert explains why China's COVID-19 cases are now declining: "The faster you can find the cases, isolate
Around 84,000 people in at least 56 countries have now been infected with the coronavirus, and about 2,900 have died, suggesting a global pandemic is inevitable. 1/22 Whether or not the global economy tips into a recession depends on the coronavirus’s spread, and how governments manage
A whistleblower says the Dept. of Health and Human Services sent more than a dozen workers—without protective gear or proper training—to receive American evacuees from Wuhan. 1/20 "It's clear that the virus is spreading undetected in the United States—but how broadly it'
US health authorities say they’ve identified the first case of coronavirus that doesn’t have known ties to an existing outbreak. 1/22 Saudi Arabia halts travel to the holiest sites in Islam just months ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. 2/22 Amid the Covid-19 lockdown, Chinese social
"It's not a question of if this will happen but when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illnesses." The CDC expects the COVID-19 coronavirus to spread in the US and warns that disruptions to daily life could be "
After five days of deliberation, a jury in New York finds Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape and a felony sex crime. 1/22 Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, who first broke the Weinstein story, explain what the jurors were asked to do and what it means that they did it.
In addition to trying to help President Trump, a new report says Moscow has been attempting to mess with the Democratic primaries to aid Senator Sanders. 1/19 Trump appears more concerned with the politics of Russian meddling than the ongoing attack itself. 2/19 The Nevada caucuses, occurring today,
A hundred new coronavirus cases are reported in South Korea, bringing the country’s total to 204. According to a Chinese expert, patients who think they’re fully recovered may still be infectious. 1/20 Last week, intelligence officials warned House lawmakers that Russia is meddling to re-elect Trump... 2/
Roger Stone is currently being sentenced. Despite Trump's complaints, the initial recommendation of seven to nine years "has not been withdrawn." 1/20 Related: Trump's interference in the Stone case may be unwise, but the Constitution assigns the president the power to do exactly
Democracies die in two ways: gradually, then suddenly. If Donald Trump represents top-down oligarchy, Mike Bloomberg is the bottom-up version. 1/20 Want to eat and drink well for free? Attend a Bloomberg event. 2/20 John Oliver kicks off the latest season of his talk show by analyzing the
We apologize for the late delivery of today's newsletter. We should be back to our normal schedule tomorrow. The White House report on the drone strike that killed Soleimani contradicts the original justification the administration provided. 1/19 A national association of federal judges called an emergency meeting
Attorney General Barr boosts worries of political interference in the Justice Dept. by installing an outside prosecutor to reexamine the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. 1/21 Trump ignores Barr’s request to stop tweeting about the DOJ. 2/21 Before he died, Daniel arap Moi was
The US House voted to remove the 1982 deadline on the Equal Rights Amendment. During the debate, Republicans against the ERA argued it would mean abortion couldn't be restricted. 1/18 According to newly available data, the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill were "larger than
“This year, the race looks like no other Democratic primary in modern history, an increasingly muddled mix of ideologies, backgrounds and theories on what has unfolded." 1/19 To win the primary, Sanders needs to broaden his appeal. He might start with his “normie” contemporaries. 2/19 Bloomberg receives
Six takeaways from the New Hampshire primary, which Bernie Sanders won, trailed closely by Buttigieg and Klobuchar. 1/17 See also: Five takeaways, 10 takeaways, four takeaways, a bunch of takeaways... 2/17 The opinions: Mainstream Democrats should not be afraid of Sanders, vs. mainstream Democrats should pray for Bloomberg.
The daily death toll from coronavirus tops 100 for the first time, pushing the total above 1,000. The disease now also has a name: "COVID-19." 1/22 "To our delight, Princess gave us free internet and added many new movies." A couple blogs while quarantined
A new political theory says there is no swing voter, only pro- and anti-Trumpers. For either side to win, fear of America’s future must be stoked. 1/22 ICYMI: Internet trolls and Trump supporters clogged Iowa caucus hotlines for reporting results. 2/22 Going into Tuesday’s primary, the
To curtail the spread of coronavirus in China—where infections are doubling every four days—officials have ordered house-to-house searches in Wuhan, moving the sick to massive quarantine centers. 1/20 Chinese authorities appear to be trying to censor the news that the doctor who alerted the medical community about
Trump’s acquittal gives him a moment of triumph and a shot of momentum, but not the finality he craves. 1/24 Trump quickly makes a mockery of comments by Republican senators Collins, Alexander, and Portman, who thought he might behave better going forward. 2/24 Related/unrelated: New paintings
Partial results from the Iowa caucuses—the outcome of which is now unlikely to change—show Buttigieg and Sanders in the lead, followed by Warren, Biden, Klobuchar, and Yang. 1/15 Today, senators will almost certainly vote to acquit Trump and bring an end to the impeachment trial. 2/15
The Iowa Democratic Party blames a "coding issue" in its reporting app for the delay in last night's presidential caucus results, but says the data recorded by the app is accurate. 1/17 With no actual outcome in place in Iowa, each of the Democratic candidates
By not wanting to hear witnesses, Lamar Alexander has done us all a favor: the trial that wasn’t really a trial will soon be over, “and we will no longer have to listen to it.” 1/25 Republican lawmakers feel trapped by Trump in Washington and by his “cult”
Republican senators appear likely to vote down a motion to call witnesses, which likely means the end of the impeachment trial. 1/18 As of midnight in Brussels, Britain will no longer part part of the EU. Here's what happens next in trade and other negotiations. 2/18
The World Health Organization meets again to consider whether coronavirus—170 dead, 7,000 infected—is a global health emergency. 1/26 Related: Questions about the virus that scientists are struggling to answer. 2/26 Infectious disease mortality rates were declining long before vaccines or antibiotics, thanks to cleaning up
McConnell says he doesn't have the votes to block witnesses at the impeachment trial. 1/20 "By 2016, the nation's political map corresponded neatly to the distribution of prosperity." Explaining the GOP's identity shift. 2/20 As panic over coronavirus spreads, it&
The White House works to contain potential damage from allegations in John Bolton’s forthcoming book. 1/25 How long can Republicans really play dumb about Bolton? 2/25 Here’s a view we don’t endorse, but do appreciate: Your vote doesn’t matter, also you’re likely to
Please note that we'll be off next week, and the newsletter will return on Jan. 28. See you then! How far has US election security come since 2016? It's improved, but so have the hackers. 1/16 "Sure, that might lead to a dystopian future
Impeachment proceedings officially started yesterday in the Senate, with the trial set to begin next week. 1/19 The Government Accountability Office has concluded that the White House broke the law when it withheld aid to Ukraine. 2/19 This week, Virginia became the final state necessary to ratify the
New material shows Trump’s team offering yet another quid pro quo in Ukraine, as well as surveilling the US ambassador there. 1/21 Lessons from a former Obama speechwriter who recently conducted focus groups in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Miami. 2/21 What political reporters forget: Twitter stories and
Takeaways from the final Democratic debate before voting begins in the Iowa caucuses. 1/17 The New York Public Library waited 25 years to carry Goodnight Moon, finding the book "unbearably sentimental." 2/17 Related: The New York Public Library's 10 most checked-out books of all
The US delists China as a currency manipulator. China commits to spend $200 billion on US agricultural products. 1/20 Evan Osnos interviews a range of key figures to predict the future of the United States’ contest with China. 2/20 Demand in China for ginseng is so great, illicit
Iran says its military unintentionally shot down the Ukrainian airline, blaming "human error" for the incident. 1/18 Three weeks ahead of Caucus Day in Iowa, a new poll shows Sanders is now leading the Democratic presidential contenders. 2/18 Pelosi announces that articles of impeachment against Trump
That Ukraine International Airlines flight in Tehran appears to have been downed by an Iranian missile, possibly fired by mistake. Iran’s civil aviation chief disagrees. 1/21 After severe earthquakes damage Puerto Rico, hundreds of thousands are without water. 2/21 Australians prepare for another weekend of fire. 3/
Pelosi says the House will vote to limit Trump's war powers—though any legislation isn't likely to pass the Senate. 1/20 "You may be giving up your children, but by advocating for war, I'm risking my reputation." The case for war,
Iran launches missile attacks against Iraqi bases hosting US troops, though in a manner to avoid casualties. Iraq was warned ahead of time. 1/19 “The US military was anticipating an attack and personnel had taken cover. Iran can claim it took revenge. Feels more like an escalation to deescalate.
Iran's supreme leader: Any retaliation against American interests for the death of Soleimani must be direct and proportional, and carried out by Iranian forces, rather than proxies. 1/20 The Pentagon says the letter claiming the US would withdraw from Iraq was "poorly worded," and that
Trump insisted that Obama would start a war with Iran to get re-elected. Will fighting a war now be an extension of his domestic politics? 1/16 Two US presidents before Trump rejected plans to kill Gen. Soleimani, fearing the risks of wider war. 2/16 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promises
Amid escalating US-Iran tensions, Trump ordered an airstrike in Baghdad that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds force. 1/22 "The targeted strike, and any retaliation by Iran, could ignite a conflict that engulfs the whole region, endangering US troops in Iraq, Syria,
Following US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran-backed militias, hundreds of protestors storm the US embassy in Baghdad, chanting "Death to America" and slogans in support of the militias. 1/19 See also: Photos from the embassy attack. 2/19 The Chinese scientist who created the first
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2019, and what were the least? 1/17 This week, New York City's transit quagmire made it cheaper for Uber riders to take a helicopter than a car. 2/17 Graphing
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2019, and what were the least?
TMN will be offline through the holidays, but the newsletter will return on Friday, Dec. 27. Until then, our annual round-up of some of the places we like to give money. A round-up of six of the most high-impact, cost-effective, evidence-based organizations fighting the climate crisis. 1/17 In case
Trump signs two spending packages totaling $1.4 trillion that include funding for the federal government, the border wall, and Space Force. 1/22 Boris Johnson's Brexit bill passes a House of Commons vote, setting up the UK for a Jan. 31 departure from the EU. 2/22
Pelosi refuses to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate until more information is released about how the trial will be conducted. 1/16 Christianity Today calls for Trump's removal from office, deeming the president's Ukraine actions "profoundly immoral," and encouraging evangelicals to
“This will only strengthen him,” a bartender at the president’s hotel said as he prepared another round of cocktails. “Right?” 1/19 For his conduct toward Ukraine and his refusal to cooperate with an inquiry, Donald Trump is the third president in US history to be impeached. 2/19
What to watch for as the House of Representatives prepares to vote on two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. 1/17 Boeing says it will suspend production of its flawed 737 Max jetliner in January. 2/17 The $50 billion merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot will create the
The Supreme Court delivers a victory to homeless advocates and deals a setback to Western cities in the US trying to regulate encampments. 1/22 A side-by-side comparison, with lots of video, of a homeless camp in Oakland and one in Mexico City. 2/22 UN climate negotiations end in
Next week, the full House of Representatives will vote on the articles of impeachment against Trump. Here is how their votes are shaping up so far. 1/22 The Supreme Court will hear three cases related to the release of Trump's financial records in March, which could delay
Boris Johnson’s Conservative party wins a big majority, its largest since Margaret Thatcher’s 1987 landslide. 1/19 The Scottish National Party wins 48 out of 59 seats north of the border, strengthening the possibility of another independence referendum. 2/19 A popular tradition in Britain: taking pets to
Jersey City officials say the shootings at a Jewish kosher deli on Tuesday were a "targeted attack." 1/20 Trump signs an executive order prohibiting federal funding for colleges and universities that allow anti-Semitism. Opponents of the order say it would "have a chilling effect on free
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2019 is "they." Top contenders included "crawdad," "egregious," and "tergiversation." 1/19 For your final commutes or coffee breaks of 2019: every top article from Longreads' weekly "Top 5" emails. 2/19
Democrats unveil two articles of impeachment against Trump this morning, one charging him with abuse of power, the other with obstruction of Congress. 1/19 Through three presidents, US officials knew they were lying about a war they couldn't win. These are the "Afghanistan Papers." 2/
Justice Ginsburg orders a temporary stay on the release of Trump's financial records, as the Supreme Court considers whether to grant additional time for Trump's legal team to formally appeal. 1/19 "New York drivers called, texted, or swiped through apps about 22% of the
According to Uber's first-ever safety report, there were 3,045 sexual assaults and nine murders during Uber rides last year. 1/17 China's version of 23andMe includes longevity, skincare advice, and—though the company isn't clear if it's shared—Uighur ancestry. 2/
The House of Representatives begins drafting impeachment articles against President Trump. 1/26 A new Trump rule may lead to hundreds of thousands of people losing their food stamps. 2/26 Oddly enough, under Trump the US pays more to NATO and dedicates more troops to Europe. 3/26 Lisa
The House Intelligence Committee voted to send its impeachment report to the House Judiciary Committee, which will determine whether the findings constitute high crimes or misdemeanors. 1/23 Kamala Harris ends her presidential campaign, citing a lack of financial resources. 2/23 ICE contracted with McKinsey to find "detention
The Washington Post makes the Mueller Report available as a six-part illustrated series drawn by Jan Feindt. 1/22 The Democrats prepare their impeachment report while Republicans insist Trump did nothing wrong. 2/22 What does chaos look like for Democrats this winter? Iowa to Buttigieg, New Hampshire to Warren,
Akin to a Starr Report, here is a synthesized narrative of the Ukraine affair based on what we know so far. 1/23 "Effective disinformation is embedded in an account you agree with." How Russian trolls are breaching America's political divide in 2019. 2/23 Ohio&
Please note TMN will be offline tomorrow and Friday. This newsletter will resume Saturday morning. A new UN report finds the world further off course than ever from averting climate catastrophe. 1/22 Mass protests in Iran leave 731 banks and 140 government sites torched. Protesters in Iraq block roads
The House Intelligence Committee says it has the evidence necessary to advance the impeachment inquiry to the next phase: determining whether to draw up articles of impeachment. 1/23 A federal court rules former Trump White House attorney Don McGahn must comply with a House subpoena: "The primary takeaway
Not surprisingly, Donald Trump doubles-down on his debunked Ukraine conspiracy theory, and finds new ways to attack former Ambassador Yovanovitch. 1/20 That conspiracy theory Trump loves? It’s a yearslong operation run by the Kremlin. 2/20 A forthcoming Justice Dept. report is expected to find that political bias
At yesterday's impeachment hearings, Trump's former lead adviser on Russia, Fiona Hill, testified that the GOP's theory that Ukraine—and not Russia—meddled in US elections "is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves."
Gordon Sondland, US Ambassador to the European Union, says there was a quid pro quo with Ukraine and “everyone was in the loop.” 1/22 Fiona Hill, Trump's former Russia aide, plans to warn Republican lawmakers to not push politically driven falsehoods “that so clearly advance Russian interests.
In his testimony to Congress today, Ambassador Gordon Sondland confirmed Trump ordered US support to Ukraine be withheld in exchange for investigating Biden and the 2016 election. "Everyone was in the loop." 1/17 See also: Takeaways from yesterday's impeachment hearings. 2/17 With Evo'
Leaked documents show how China is carrying out the mass detentions of ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. 1/17 Iranian intelligence cables find Tehran deeply embedded in Baghdad's affairs, but struggling to maintain its hegemony. 2/17 Stories from three journalists travelling through every mainland country in
In her testimony at yesterday's impeachment hearings, former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch described the smear campaign against her by Trump and his allies. 1/22 Trump attacked Yovanovitch on Twitter during her testimony, amounting to what Schiff called "witness intimidation in real time" and
The latest in impeachment news: Giuliani has “insurance,” Pelosi sees “bribery,” and Marie Yovanovitch returns. 1/19 Giuliani may soon be indicted on campaign finance violations and/or a failure to register as a foreign agent. 2/19 Can Republicans afford to be pro-immigrant? Only if they make peace with
Key takeaways from the first day of public impeachment hearings, which included Ambassador Taylor's testimony that a member of his staff overheard Trump ask Sondland about "the investigations." 1/25 The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin called that moment in the hearing "a bombshell,
The House impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump enters its public phase. A guide to who will testify and how the questioning will work. 1/23 Related: Key people, facts and documents in the inquiry. 2/23 The Republicans and the Democrats signal how they plan to present radically different interpretations
After being removed from office in what many are describing as a coup, former Bolivian president Evo Morales has been granted asylum in Mexico. 1/21 Six brief notes on how to interpret Latin American coups, from historian of empire Greg Grandin. 2/21 An American libertarian who moved to
After a week of transcripts, a quid pro quo in Ukraine seems locked, if only from Giuliani's hand. Bolton's lawyer says the former National Security Adviser has info that hasn't been disclosed. 1/20 A New York judge rules that Donald Trump must pay
In testimony to the impeachment inquiry, a senior State Dept. official said Trump "wanted nothing less than President Zelensky to go to a microphone and say investigations, Biden, and Clinton." 1/22 Also at the inquiry, a Pence aide on the Ukraine call testifies she found the conversation
In late September, Trump wanted the Attorney General to hold a press conference clearing him of wrongdoing on Ukraine. Barr declined. 1/21 A good summary: “Impeachment transcripts reveal a consistent, damaging narrative for Trump.” 2/21 Confirmation of two judges this week will mean Trump has seated a quarter
This week, the US ambassador to the EU backtracked his impeachment inquiry testimony, acknowledging Trump and Giuliani pushed for a quid pro quo with Ukraine. 1/31 In last night's elections, Virginia flipped both houses of the General Assembly, putting it on track to become the 38th and
It’s election day in California, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, with races that may lead to major shifts in political power. Get out, have fun, go vote! 1/21 Today in impeachment news: One of Giuliani’s Ukrainian-American
Smugglers are sawing through sections of Trump's border wall using relatively inexpensive power tools. 1/23 Beto O'Rourke ends his presidential campaign, telling supporters he won't run for office next year—and that includes a Senate bid. 2/23 "People dismiss 15-year-old girls,
The House of Representatives approves its first resolution related to an impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump: an explainer. 1/26 Another Trump aide confirms that military aid to Ukraine was linked to an investigation of Trump’s political rivals. 2/26 “We think we’re ready.” Democrats near the end
After hearing the White House's top Ukraine adviser's concerns about Trump's Ukraine call, the national security legal adviser broke protocol by moving the transcript to a highly classified server. 1/29 Responding to an invitation to voluntarily testify at the House impeachment inquiry, Bolton&
Lebanon's prime minister submits his resignation after nearly two weeks of anti-government protests. 1/22 Hariri’s ouster was sparked by a proposed tax on the first WhatsApp call users make each day. 2/22 Officials fear that Turkey-backish militias are killing civilians in US-abandoned areas, using weapons
"We are taking this step to eliminate any doubt as to whether the Trump Administration may withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives." The House will vote to formalize its impeachment inquiry. 1/22 The National Security's
In a victory for the impeachment inquiry, a federal judge ruled the Justice Dept. must supply Mueller's grand jury materials to the House Judiciary Committee. 1/18 The US government's annual budget deficit widened to $984 billion—its largest since 2012 and the first time since
Thousands have been evacuated in Southern California as four separate wildfires burn. 1/24 The Justice Dept.'s review of the probe into Russian election interference is reportedly now a criminal investigation. 2/24 "Nothing kills a global political scandal like debate about process, and that's
Despite Russia’s “peace plan,” Kurdish forces say a new Turkish land offensive has forced thousands to flee. Turkey doesn’t deny it. 1/22 Trump’s betrayal of Kurdish allies for Russia and Iran worries (some of) his evangelical supporters. 2/22 Approval of the impeachment inquiry reaches its
In a shocking testimony, a top US diplomat has testified that Trump was indeed engaging in a quid pro quo arrangement with Ukraine, holding back military aid in exchange for investigating Democrats and the Biden family. 1/20 Hong Kong has withdrawn the bill that would have allowed extraditions to
With nine days to go until Britain's scheduled EU departure, Boris Johnson will try and gain support for his Brexit deal and push it through Parliament. If unsuccessful, Johnson says he'll call for a general election. 1/24 Trudeau wins reelection in Canada, though without the
In a Saturday session to vote on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, the UK parliament instead passed an amendment requiring Johnson to write the EU and request a Brexit delay. 1/16 Chile's president declares a state of emergency after days of violent protests in Santiago and
Due to technical issues, some subscribers didn’t receive yesterday’s newsletter. We apologize. You can still find that issue here. White House chief of staff Mulvaney says Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine to pressure an investigation of his political rival, “absolutely.” 1/23 Hours later, “after Mr. Trump
“Don’t be a tough guy!” The White House leaks a letter that Trump wrote to Erdoğan. It reads like something written by a third-grader. Erdoğan threw the letter in the trash. 1/21 Related: The musical anatomy of “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish. 2/21 More from our president:
Haiti enters a fifth week of being locked down by protests, with some protesters vowing to paralyze the country until President Moïse steps down. 1/21 Edwidge Danticat: Protesters in Haiti want Haitian-led solutions. "They want an end to impunity." 2/21 A report explains the failed promise
Russia says its units are patrolling between Turkish and Syrian forces following Trump’s pullout of US troops. 1/18 An investigation by the New York Times finds Russia has repeatedly bombed hospitals in Syria “to crush the last pockets of resistance to President Bashar al-Assad.” 2/18 Kurdish forces
The former ambassador to Ukraine defied orders from the State Department and testified before Congress. 1/20 Ambassador Yovanovitch, despite doing “nothing wrong,” was recalled from Ukraine because Trump wanted her out, she told investigators. 2/20 In a stunning day of setbacks, five federal courts dealt blows to the
Our apologies, but technical difficulties prevented us from sending out today's newsletter this morning. Two men who had been helping Giuliani investigate Biden were arrested—as they were attempting to flee the US—on charges that they were funneling foreign money to American politicians. 1/23 Capitulating to
Pacific Gas & Electric cuts power to 800,000 customers in California to avoid wildfires caused by winds damaging power equipment. 1/24 The utility has long warned it would make such a cut, but critics are still furious. SoCal may get cuts next as Santa Ana winds roll in.
In a scathing letter, the White House says it refuses to participate in the House impeachment inquiry, a move Pelosi calls "further evidence of obstruction." 1/23 A GOP-led Senate committee calls for congressional action to ensure social media isn't used to interfere in the 2020
The White House blocks Gordon Sondland, hotelier-turned-US Ambassador to the EU (and Ukraine fixer), from appearing for deposition. 1/18 Why Trump fears Sondland’s testimony: it could show the president directing a cover-up. 2/18 Here’s all the evidence collected so far in the Trump impeachment inquiry. 3/
The Trump administration announces it will deny visas to immigrants who cannot prove they have health insurance or cover their own medical expenses. 1/19 A second intelligence official more directly tied to Trump's involvement with Ukraine may file a whistleblower complaint. 2/19 "The Guardian traced
President Trump openly encourages China and Ukraine to investigate his political rival while his impeachment defense is under siege. 1/22 Text messages show that Ukraine-US relations depended on Ukraine’s new president investigating Biden and discrediting Robert Mueller's Russia probe. 2/22 A private pilot explains what
The Trump administration wants to reverse a 2010 regulation and extend the collection of DNA samples of undocumented immigrants to those who are not detained on criminal charges or who are awaiting deportation. 1/22 After experiencing chest discomfort on Tuesday, Bernie Sanders received two stents to ease a blocked
Hong Kong reels after an 18-year-old protester is shot in the chest with a live bullet, one of six live rounds fired by police. 1/20 In March, President Trump suggested any migrants trying to reach the United States on foot should be shot in the legs. 2/20 When
Trump and Barr have been asking foreign governments to help in a Justice Dept. inquiry to discredit the Mueller investigation. 1/21 The State Dept. has now been tied to the Ukraine quagmire, with reports that Pompeo was also on the Trump call. 2/21 Three House committees have subpoenaed
Please note: We'll be off next week for a short break, and will be back on Tuesday, Oct. 1—see you then! As seen at yesterday's climate strike, teens and children are making their voices heard. 1/20 Twenty-three states are suing the Trump administration for
The whistleblower complaint about Trump made by an intelligence official would appear to involve Ukraine. 1/17 On CNN, Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani denies asking Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, then admits he did just that. 2/17 "These are remarkable stances to take, and they should be viewed
"This is the moment in history we need to be wide awake." Climate activist Greta Thunburg addresses Congress. 1/18 Trump says the US will pursue sanctions against Iran in retaliation for the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil installations. 2/18 Alleging Trump made a "
The White House plans to revoke California’s authority to set the country’s strictest automobile emissions standards. 1/17 On a visit to the state, Trump’s comments about the housing/homelessness problem sound similar to those of California’s most liberal politicians. 2/17 See also: A look
Officials say Iranian weapons were used in the attack on Saudi oil installations that removed 5% of the world's oil output. 1/24 As part of its investigation into hush money payments, the New York County DA's office has subpoenaed eight years of Trump's
Actress Felicity Huffman gets two weeks in prison for paying to rig her daughter’s university entrance exams. 1/17 “I don’t wish this for anyone, but a sentence of 14 days for actual serious fraud just shows how unfair my sentence is.” A response from Crystal Mason, the
The third Democratic presidential primary debate's winners and losers, according to the New York Times opinion desk. 1/16 The US government's budget deficit has broken the $1 trillion mark for the first time in seven years. 2/16 California passes a bill banning for-profit prisons
The top 10 Democratic presidential candidates debate tonight, with the three frontrunners facing off for the first time. 1/19 Biden is expected to attack Warren, his new top competitor, with accusations of hypocrisy, and for having too many solutions. 2/19 Meanwhile, in the White House: President Trump postpones
John Bolton has left the Trump administration, after either resigning or being fired. Trump is expected to announce the fourth national security advisor of his presidency next week. 1/16 Ahead of an appeal that will be heard by the UK's Supreme Court next week, Scotland's
In 2017, the US extracted a top spy from Russia, worrying that Trump’s cavalier handling of intelligence information might expose them. 1/19 David Leonhardt: If Democrats insist on ending private health insurance and decriminalizing border crossings, they’re playing into Trump’s hands. 2/19 Some Democrats see
The death toll from Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas is currently at 43, and expected to rise drastically. 1/20 Many buildings are underwater and hundreds of residents are stranded on an island in North Carolina's Outer Banks, after Dorian moved up the coast. 2/20 "A
Hurricane Dorian picks up speed, loses strength, on its way to North Carolina, where more than 200,000 have lost power. 1/19 In the Bahamas, the horror of the hurricane’s destruction continues to unfold. 2/19 Other consequences of Hurricane Dorian: bricks of cocaine floating up on Florida
Photos of the Bahamas before and after the devastation of Hurricane Dorian. 1/23 Dorian has strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane, and is now projected to move "dangerously close" to the Carolinas' coast today. 2/23 Visualizing the number and scale of fires that burned in
The Pentagon will divert $3.6 billion in military construction funds to build President Trump's proposed border wall. 1/16 The Justice Department drafts legislation to address recent incidents of gun violence—with faster executions. 2/16 Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas brace for Dorian—"the greatest
The latest maps on where and how hard Hurricane Dorian is expected to affect Florida and the east coast of the US. 1/17 Trying to force rebel Tory MPs to back his government and abandon blocking a no-deal Brexit, Boris Johnson has threatened a snap general election. 2/17
We will be off this weekend for Labor Day—see you on Tuesday. All of Florida is under a state of emergency with Hurricane Dorian potentially arriving as a Category 4 storm on Monday. 1/19 We read hurricane maps as predictions, but they're really averages—a misinterpretation
The Trump administration significantly loosens restrictions on methane emissions. Even major oil and gas companies oppose the move. 1/22 Russia and China move to exploit the Arctic as the climate crisis opens up “a whole new ocean.” 2/22 Nicholas Kristof: Seattle did an outstanding job halting the war
Boris Johnson asks England’s Queen to suspend Parliament to stop lawmakers from blocking a no-deal Brexit. 1/14 From the Fed to China to Obama, a rundown of those Trump will most likely blame in case of recession. 2/14 "The next recession—this year, next year, whenever
Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $572 million in the first ruling in the US holding a drugmaker accountable for helping fuel the opioid epidemic. 1/16 As a final gesture of the G7 summit, leaders offer a $20 million aid package to Brazil to fight wildfires. Brazil refuses. 2/
Yesterday, China announced $75 billion in tariffs on US goods, Trump answered with increased tariffs on Chinese goods and "ordering" US companies to cut ties with China, and the Dow ended the day by dropping 600 points. 1/22 Related: Exemptions to Trump's China tariffs read
South Korea will scrap its intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. The move, benefiting North Korea and China, shows the weakness of this White House. 1/15 For a 12th weekend of protests, Hong Kong plans for a 33-kilometer human chain of some 100,000 people holding hands. 2/15 Putin critic
The Trump administration wants to remove limits on how long undocumented families can be detained, arguing the regulation incentivizes migration. 1/15 The Congressional Budget Office forecasts the federal deficit will reach nearly $1 trillion this year. The deficit's share of the economy in the next decade will
Boris Johnson visits Berlin in an attempt to negotiate a new deal, with only two months before the Brexit deadline. 1/19 The Danish legal system is being roiled because of errors in phone tracking data offered as evidence. 2/19 “Bemusement has turned to fury in Denmark” after Donald
Five years after choking Eric Garner to death, NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo has been fired. 1/23 Planned Parenthood withdraws from federal funding, citing the Trump administration's rule barring abortion referrals. 2/23 Related: You can donate to Planned Parenthood at its website. 3/23 For the first
If Trump gets his way, we may soon have a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, to end America’s longest war. 1/18 “He’s actually worse than a racist. He is so narcissistic, he doesn’t see people as people. He sees them as objects in his field of vision.
A new Trump proposal would allow federally contracted businesses to use religious objections as a means of discriminating against workers based on nearly anything. 1/19 Following reports that Trump repeatedly asked his staff about buying Greenland from Denmark, Greenland responds that it's "not for sale."
Global markets continue to slide, with the 30-year US government bond yield dropping to its lowest level on record. 1/17 People who buy expensive bunkers—a booming business currently—feel that global forces have left society increasingly vulnerable. 2/17 A large survey of voting machine security finds a
At least six men have been arrested since El Paso in separate threats to undertake copycat murders. 1/15 A lack of diversity in media is found in the short shrift given to the targeted nature of the El Paso attack. 2/15 A comparison of right-wing media and the
For yet another day, protesters practically shut down Hong Kong’s airport. Hong Kong’s chief executive refuses to offer a political solution to the crisis. 1/18 “What we have is racist harmony.” Singapore’s government likes to think it's unprejudiced. Furor over a "brownface"
Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found dead by apparent suicide in his jail cell this morning. 1/18 Critical US voting systems remain vulnerable, with many still accessible online, despite officials' assurances to the contrary. 2/18 With 8chan's shutdown, far-right users head to messaging platforms,
The annual Hajj pilgrimage begins today. In 2018, 2.37 million Muslims made the journey to Mecca. 1/15 Russians plan protests tomorrow in Moscow and 40 other cities for another weekend of civil unrest. 2/15 Domino's spent $8.5 million stockpiling ingredients to prepare for a
In raids on seven food-processing plants in Mississippi, 680 undocumented workers were arrested, in some cases leaving children with no one to pick them up from school. 1/16 Swept up in Trump's immigration enforcement, a 41-year-old Detroit man was deported to Iraq, where he died on Tuesday
The President visits Dayton and El Paso. Dayton’s mayor says Trump’s comments on guns are “unhelpful.” Leaders in El Paso wish Trump would stay away. 1/14 Venezuela and Uruguay issue a travel warning about the US, warning visitors about violence and hate crimes. 2/14 For 24
Two more people have died from this weekend's mass shooting in El Paso, bringing the death toll to 22 victims. 1/23 How the Trump campaign has used Facebook advertising to promote the use of the term "invasion" in the context of immigration. 2/23 "
The US officially quits the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces agreement, so maybe we’ll have a new arms race with Russia. 1/19 Trump lets it be known he doesn’t believe Mueller’s warnings about Russian election-hacking. 2/19 More than 110 US towns and cities can claim that a
No one knows who will become Puerto Rico's governor after Rosselló steps down at 5 p.m. today. 1/21 In a memo, the FBI has identified fringe conspiracy theories—specifically naming QAnon and Pizzagate—as a domestic terrorist threat. 2/21 Today the US formally withdraws from
The winner of Wednesday’s debate? Universal healthcare. The theme of the debate? Joe Biden is too far behind the Democrats’ shift to the left. 1/20 The Republicans’ real nightmare: Among black Americans, the most common age is 27, same for nonwhite Americans overall. The most common age among
Winners from night one of the second Democratic debate: Warren, Delaney, and “Republican talking point.” 1/19 For tonight’s round two, expect to see Harris and Biden square off again. Here’s a guide to where 2020 Democrats stand on various policies. 2/19 "Race and politics is
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders face off tonight alongside eight other candidates in another round of Democratic debates. 1/22 How to approach the Democratic presidential candidates like Marie Kondo. 2/22 Hundreds of residents mourn the three people shot and killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. 3/22 The
Three University of Mississippi students are under investigation for posing with guns in front of a bullet-riddled sign honoring Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African American who was tortured and murdered in 1955. 1/22 Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration can use money from the Dept. of Defense
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands all broke high-temperature records yesterday. Europe's hottest summers for the last 500 years have come in the past 17. 1/18 There's a strong likelihood that July will end up being the warmest month ever measured on Earth.
In Mueller's Congressional testimony yesterday, Republicans claimed bias, Democrats claimed obstruction, and no one paid attention to the former special counsel's repeated warning that Russia and other nations are actively working to undermine the 2020 election. 1/18 Following days of protests, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo
Members of the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, voted unanimously Tuesday to impeach President Trump. 1/15 Former special counsel Robert Mueller testifies today before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. 2/15 To elect Boris Johnson prime minister, only 160,000 members of
After winning the Tory leadership, Boris Johnson will succeed Theresa May as Britain's next prime minister. 1/20 Amid Gov. Rosselló's refusal to resign, hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans protested in the streets of San Juan yesterday. 2/20 The ICE raids that targeted thousands
A slip of the tongue may best explain Trump's collective foreign policy: to align the United States with white nations. 1/16 Secretary of State Pompeo calls China's large-scale detention of Muslims and other minorities the human rights "stain of the century." 2/16
Trump says the Navy shot down an Iranian drone that came within 1,000 yards of a US warship, a claim Iran denies, saying none of its drones have been lost, and that the US may have downed one of its own drones. 1/18 The EPA has rejected a
The White House’s immigration policies follow a model pioneered by the European Union and Australia. 1/19 What the US-China trade war is really about: Huawei's communications technologies and the future of Taiwan. 2/19 “Send her back” joins “build that wall” as the latest Trump rally
Federal prosecutors won’t bring criminal charges against the New York City cop who choked Eric Garner to death. 1/21 "Trump appeared in a live-action remake of racial comments," and other handy euphemisms for white supremacists. 2/21 Snopes stops saying "fake news," as the
The White House projects the deficit to surpass $1 trillion for the first time in US history. 1/20 A new Trump rule kills asylum protections for most migrants at our southern border. 2/20 Democrats will censure the president for doubling down on remarks that four of its members
Now 40 miles off the coast of Lafayette, La., Hurricane Barry is currently a Category 1, and is expected to make landfall sometime today. 1/20 A Palantir user manual shows how the secretive company, which manages information for ICE and other government agencies, uses data to identify and track
Tropical Storm Barry presents New Orleans with an unprecedented problem: a Mississippi river cresting at 19 feet. 1/18 Secretary of Labor Acosta steps down amid criticism of the Jeffrey Epstein plea deal. 2/18 See also: R. Kelly arrested on a 13-count federal indictment of child pornography and sex
The ICE raids that were postponed a few weeks ago are now scheduled to begin on Sunday. 1/18 Today's White House social media summit won't include anyone from Facebook or Twitter, but will have invitees from a site once popular with neo-nazis. 2/18 Photos
Migrant arrests at the US-Mexico border fell 28% in June after reaching a 13-year high in May. 1/15 Mexico's finance minister quit abruptly, saying the current administration's policymaking was not "based on evidence." 2/15 The Affordable Care Act is being challenged in
Billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein has been charged with running a sex-trafficking operation involving underage girls as young as 14. 1/23 How Russian intelligence helped start and spread the Seth Rich conspiracy theory that eventually made its way to primetime Fox News. 2/23 Homeland Security plans to hold mass
Another major earthquake rocks buildings and baseball stadiums across Southern California. 1/20 The 7.1 magnitude quake, the second big tremblor in two days, causes damage, rockslides, and power outages around Ridgecrest. 2/20 For our West Coast readers (looking at you, Seattle): how to plan, what to do,
One day following news that the 2020 US census was being printed without a citizenship question—adhering to the Supreme Court ruling against adding the question—Trump instructs the Justice Dept. to find a way to include it. 1/18 "The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence,
Please note: The newsletter will be off tomorrow, July 4, and will return on Friday. The total taxpayer cost for Trump's Fourth of July extravaganza in DC tomorrow is unknown, but it's going to be expensive—and $2.5 million of the bill will be covered
This month marks the longest US economic expansion on record, and the longest stretch of monthly job gains. 1/15 Most of those jobs are in the service sector, doing little to lift communities suffering lost manufacturing work. 2/15 A good headline to summarize the weekend in diplomacy: “Trump
Following a meeting with Xi at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Trump announces trade negotiations with China are "back on track." 1/17 Trump tweets an invitation to Kim Jong-un to meet up and shake hands at the DMZ tomorrow. 2/17 Obama birthers are going after Kamala
Trump is still so bothered about the legitimacy of his election, Russian hacking is now a joke he makes with Putin. 1/19 Your weekly white paper: How Saudi Arabia is introducing "a new form of obedience" that replaces the old social contract. 2/19 An Economist reporter
Among the takeaways from the first night of Democratic debates: Castro had a breakout evening, Warren stayed the course, and de Blasio surprised. Here's what to watch for in tonight's debate. 1/19 In a pair of rulings, the Supreme Court blocks adding a citizenship question
Democrats pass a $4.5 billion emergency border aid bill tied to efforts to oppose Trump's broader immigration agenda. 1/15 Republicans in the Senate have a different plan in mind—a comparison of the two. 2/15 Robert Mueller will testify before Congress on July 17. 3/
Hundreds of migrant children are being moved from a Border Patrol station in Texas after lawyers visited last week and discovered the squalid conditions, where detainees aren't provided with adequate soap, toothpaste, and other essentials. 1/18 "For God's sake, they're kids, man.
Tomorrow's ICE raids in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco are intended to detain up to 2,000 families, targeting people "who have received final orders of deportation." 1/23 "We've never had anything
Trump tweets that he called off a retaliatory strike on Iran with 10 minutes to go after learning it could kill 150 people, which he said wouldn't be "proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone." 1/17 "It was unclear why Mr. Trump would have
It’s World Refugee Day. Here’s the story of a baby separated from his father while both of them tried to apply for asylum in the United States. 1/18 The number of people displaced worldwide by war, persecution, and violence in 2018 would amount to the world’s
The most important news today: On its very first mission, Boaty McBoatface, the submarine named by the internet, uncovers a link between Antarctic winds and warming seas. 1/22 Boris Johnson widens his lead to become the UK’s next prime minister, but his most vocal Tory critic is still
Trump officially launches his reelection bid and quickly fires several pollsters after numbers leak showing the President trailing Democratic candidates in key states. 1/19 Trump says ICE will make mass arrests of “millions” of undocumented immigrants starting “next week.” 2/19 In El Paso, Border Patrol is detaining migrants
In a victory for trans rights, the 9th Circuit vacated a lower court's precarious decision that Trump's trans military ban is unconstitutional, and has ruled the ban discriminates against transgender people. 1/21 "The past few weeks have witnessed a nasty internecine fight among religious
A British court decides if Julian Assange will be extradited to the US where he faces charges under the Espionage Act. 1/18 France bans the publication of statistical information about judges’ decisions, punishable by up to five years in prison. 2/18 The sound of crying children in detention
Two oil tankers, one owned by Japan and the other owned by Norway, have been attacked in the Gulf of Oman, as PM Abe was wrapping up talks in Tehran. 1/23 Between 2012 and 2017, ICE placed detainees in solitary confinement in over 8,000 instances. 2/23 Some
Protesters face off against riot police in Hong Kong. Sunday saw the territory's largest protest ever, opposing a controversial bill to make extraditions to China easier. 1/18 Thanks to the climate crisis, we can look forward to a significant expansion of dengue fever. 2/18 See also:
A helicopter crashed on top of a midtown Manhattan building yesterday, killing the pilot. Officials say there's no indication of a terror threat. 1/19 Mexico's foreign minister says there is no secret immigration deal, despite what Trump has claimed. 2/19 Photos of tens of
Trump calls off tariffs on Mexican goods following news that the US and Mexico have negotiated an agreement on immigration enforcement, details of which have yet to be announced. 1/19 Photos from yesterday's second line for Dr. John in New Orleans. 2/19 "Any criticism can
Ahead of Trump's Monday tariff deadline, Mexico has arrested two caravan organizers and will send 6,000 national guard troops to its southern border in order to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants. 1/23 Additionally, Mexico and the US are discussing changes to asylum rules, including a
Future scenarios based on existing research say the climate crisis may pose a doomsday scenario as soon as 2050. 1/18 Related: How many Americans will die in major cities as a result of the climate crisis and in what fashion. 2/18 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is the world’s most
Today’s newsletter is a little light and a little late as we prepare to escort everyone to their cabins at Camp ToB. (Check the homepage if you want to join us!) Thanks for understanding. At least 60 people are dead after troops attacked pro-democracy protesters in Sudan's
It’s been 30 years since the massacre in Tiananmen Square. Hong Kong maintains its annual vigil. 1/17 In a rare acknowledgement from the Chinese government, a minister actually defends the murder of hundreds or perhaps thousands of unarmed protesters. 2/17 Answers from inside Venezuela to uncomfortable questions
A Virginia Beach city employee shot and killed 12 at a municipal center. It's the deadliest US attack since the November 2018 shooting in Thousand Oaks, Calif. 1/20 Federal prosecutors have disregarded a judge's order to make public transcripts of conversations between Michael Flynn and
Trump says he’ll impose tariffs on all Mexican imports—an old, favorite threat—unless Mexico prevents migrants from reaching the US border. 1/20 In West Texas, the folks crossing the border illegally are Americans, returning from doctor appointments. 2/20 Markets display fears of a global recession as
Speaking publicly about the Russia investigation, Robert Mueller states the special counsel's report did not exonerate Trump: "If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so." 1/23 Joining Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri, Louisiana
In the Midwest, government weather forecasters have logged reports of more than 500 tornadoes in 30 days. 1/18 Weeks of heavy rain result in historic flooding that’s swamping Oklahoma and Arkansas. 2/18 Meanwhile: An overview of the White House's new plans to undermine the National
Election, elections, elections: Europe goes to the polls, Modi wins in India, Britain enters chaos post-May, and South Africa’s results reflect widespread disillusion. 1/17 Nevada may become the 15th state seeking to break from the Electoral College in favor of a popular vote. 2/17 “If POTUS stopped
Theresa May announces she will step down as Conservative Party leader on June 7, and will remain as PM until a new leader is in place, likely by the end of July. 1/21 The US Justice Dept. indicts Julian Assange under the Espionage Act, the first time a publisher
The Pentagon presents plans to the White House to send up to 10,000 more troops to the Middle East. 1/20 For the third time in barely six months, the president blew up a meeting with Nancy Pelosi, his nemesis. 2/20 Perhaps Trump is just trying out that
Contradicting Mnuchin, a confidential IRS memo says Trump's tax returns must be handed over to Congress, unless the president invokes executive privilege. 1/16 In more than 500 demonstrations, thousands marched yesterday in the US as part of #StopTheBans. Here are photos from the protests. 2/16 In
President Trump’s former counsel will skip his hearing today with the House Judiciary Committee, at the White House’s instruction. 1/17 House Democratic leaders spar with Pelosi and her allies over beginning an impeachment inquiry. 2/17 The White House loses a lawsuit challenging a House subpoena for
Of the 24 Democrats currently running for president, only 10 mention reproductive rights on their websites. 1/15 In border wall planning, Trump prefers sharp, injury-prone spikes rather than field-tested anti-climbing surfaces. 2/15 Trump's "Tech Bias Reporting Tool" is almost certainly a ruse to lure
Trump says he doesn’t want war with Iran, while his senior diplomats look for ways to defuse tensions. 1/19 Iran says the White House's approach to resuming talks is like “holding a gun at someone and asking for friendship.” 2/19 Analysis: Any student of international
After Alabama and Georgia, Missouri is the next state preparing to pass a near-total abortion ban. 1/21 "The best time to get angry is earlier, when the local advocates and organizers who do the hard work of securing freedoms in red states day in and day out could
Carbon dioxide hit its highest levels in human history this weekend. Also, it was 84 degrees near the Arctic Ocean. 1/22 Thirty-seven years ago, Exxon scientists described all the horrors we’re facing now thanks to rising emissions. 2/22 A retired naval officer just made the deepest dive
Following last week's tariff increase on Chinese imports, China retaliates with tariffs on nearly $60 billion of US goods that would go into effect on June 1. According to one retail industry representative: "Americans' entire shopping cart will get more expensive." 1/20 The Trump
South Africa's corruption-riddled African National Congress (ANC) returns to office after winning parliamentary election once again. 1/16 Alabama postpones a vote on what would be the country's most restrictive abortion ban. 2/16 “It’s work porn. It’s exhilarating work porn.” A study of
As the trade negotiation deadline passes, Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods jump from 10% to 25%, and economists think it's likely China will miss its growth targets as a result of the tariffs, and will enact stimulus measures. 1/21 In an op-ed, Facebook co-founder Chris
The White House on Wednesday asserted executive privilege over special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report, further escalating its conflict with Democrats. 1/20 A few reactions: "We are now in a constitutional crisis" (Jerrold Nadler). 2/20 “I think it’s a constitutional confrontation. I don’t
One student is dead and eight are injured in a shooting at a Colorado school. 1/24 "'I heard a gunshot,' said Makai Dixon, 8, a second grader who had been training for this moment, with active shooter drills and lockdowns, since he was in kindergarten. '
A massive new UN report finds that nature is collapsing around us, "with devastating implications for human survival." 1/22 A 25-foot fiberglass shark crashing through a roof in Oxford, England, has oddly become a source of civic pride. 2/22 Queen Elizabeth I of England drank from
In a phone call yesterday, Trump and Putin agreed "there was no collusion." Asked afterward whether they talked about election meddling or if he warned Putin not to do it again, Trump said, "Really, we didn't discuss it." 1/22 "They feel no
Your heavy-think read for the commute: Americans need to consider if our foreign policy is actually an insidious form of empire. 1/21 In the poorest countries as well as the richest, mental disorders are "the greatest thief of productive life." 2/21 See also: Burger King introduces
In a senate hearing that played out along party lines, Attorney General Barr faced scrutiny over his handling of the Russia investigation findings. 1/23 Following the release of Mueller's letter questioning Barr's portrayal of the special counsel's report, some senators pointed out Barr
In Venezuela, anti-government demonstrators clash with forces loyal to the president. 1/18 France deploys a massive police presence, bracing for a repeat of last year's May 1 violence. 2/18 Twenty-seven years ago, L.A. burned after four cops were acquitted for the savage beating of Rodney
Thousands of schoolchildren in Puerto Rico have developed symptoms of PTSD due to the stresses of Hurricane Maria. 1/14 Trump has instructed officials to issue new regulations that would speed up immigration cases in court and impose an application fee for asylum seekers. 2/14 Donald Trump and three
"This greatly encourages us and gives us hope." Brief interviews with members of the global climate strike movement. 1/18 France’s Macron promises reforms to the yellow vest movement, but many see Macron as the problem. 2/18 Since 1989, 2,425 wrongfully convicted people in the
Estimates show immigration can lower the Social Security deficit by offsetting record numbers of retiring boomers. 1/20 Trump flip-flopped in his definition of a "great job" on border arrests; though by either measure, Bush and Obama outpaced him. 2/20 UCLA and Cal State LA quarantined hundreds
Greenland's ice is melting six times faster than it did in the 1980s. The ice losses are likely to get worse. 1/19 More than 600 million Indians face acute water shortages. Climate change will be a "force multiplier" for the crisis. 2/19 Los Angeles
Sri Lanka has detained 18 more suspects in its hunt for the bombers who killed more than 350 people on Sunday. 1/18 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin delays a decision on whether to release Trump's tax returns to Congress, saying he needs until May 6, "after receiving
Sri Lanka holds a national day of mourning as the Easter attacks’ death toll rises to 310. 1/22 Meet the five Africans on TIME's annual list of the 100 most influential people globally. 2/22 From photographer Marta Moreiras, portraits of Senegalese fathers carrying their babies on
Two teenagers have been arrested in journalist Lyra McKee's murder, which Northern Ireland police deem a "terrorist incident." 1/20 From carbon taxation to nuclear energy, the 18 Democrats seeking the presidency state their positions on climate policies. 2/20 Not built to withstand flooding, many
So, the (redacted) Mueller report. Read it for yourself, try a summary of greatest hits, or just dip into the report’s executive summaries. 1/18 Or try it with annotations! Or study the redactions! Or listen to a group of legal experts. 2/18 What most people don’t
Prior to sending the redacted Mueller report to Congress today, Attorney General Barr is holding a news conference this morning. Here's what to watch for during and after Barr's conference and the document's release. 1/19 Based on what Barr previously told Congress, this
President Trump vetoes a resolution that would have stopped US support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. 1/22 “This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities.” As always, it’s all about him. 2/22 The five US counties with the highest IRS audit
A fire consumed the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, destroying two thirds of its roof and bringing down its spire in what investigators believe is an accident. 1/23 After a nine-hour operation that involved nearly 400 firefighters, the Paris fire department announced this morning that "the entire fire
Trump reportedly told Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan he'd pardon him if he disregarded US law and blocked asylum seekers. 1/20 Trump confirms the report that the White House wanted to send detained immigrants to sanctuary cities, and claims he's still considering the
Thousands fill the streets in Los Angeles for Nipsey Hussle's funeral procession. 1/22 After four months of protests, Sudan's President al-Bashir has finally been arrested, only to be replaced by his defense minister, who is accused of carrying out war crimes in Darfur. 2/22
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is arrested after Ecuador withdraws its asylum after seven years. 1/23 “From his alleged interference in other countries’ affairs to accusing his hosts of spying, the WikiLeaks founder finally has to face life outside.” 2/23 See also: How the Trump administration stepped up its
"We have seen what we thought was unseeable." Scientists have released the first-ever photo of a black hole. 1/15 Appearing before a House subcommittee, Barr defends his four-page summary of the Mueller report, telling lawmakers they don't have the authority to view the full report,
“They are decapitating the entire department.” The White House dismantles the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. 1/23 Why? For months, Trump has demanded they reinstate his policy of separating migrant families at the border. 2/23 Here’s a master list of departures since Trump took office,
In the past two weeks, three historically black churches have burned in a single Louisiana parish. 1/16 Brexit news is now so erratic that machine-driven trading systems can't forecast the price of the pound. 2/16 Prediction markets work pretty well at guessing the future, but surveying
In the US-supported, Saudi/UAE-led bombing campaign in Yemen, there have been 17,729 civilian casualties. 1/21 Congress invokes never-before-used powers to demand that Trump withdraw support from the war in Yemen. (Trump will veto.) 2/21 A poem to relate: "No Explosions," by Naomi Shihab Nye.
Investigators from Mueller's team say the findings from their report are worse for Trump than Barr portrayed. 1/18 The House Democrat-controlled Ways and Means Committee has formally requested the Treasury provide the past six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns, as well as
House Democrats will subpoena the full Mueller report today “without redactions” and “without delay,” a move that will likely end up in court. 1/22 A related headline: "Trump Aides Fear He Is Overselling His 'Exoneration.'" 2/22 Whether it’s health care or closing the
If Trump closes any portion of the US-Mexico border, as he's threatening to do, it would cost US businesses billions, and would be, according to El Paso's mayor, "a critical killer to us, frankly." 1/20 Brexit remains in disarray after Parliament voted on
End the madness: Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut sees paying college athletes as a civil rights issue. 1/17 Researchers fall in one of two camps about homework: those that support the "10-minute rule," and those that absolutely do not. 2/17 The visible-butt revolution has not ruined
Please note: TMN's headlines will be less great through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. A federal district court judge blocks another Trump administration effort to undermine Obamacare. 1/12 The FDA calls for the release of what could be millions of
Please note: TMN's headlines will be less great through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. The Brexit process “remains in deadlock” after the British Parliament fails to find a majority for any of Wednesday's eight different options. 1/21 The
Please note: TMN's headlines will be less great through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. The Affordable Care Act remade the US health insurance system. Unfortunately, the White House has no plan for what comes next if courts decide to overturn it.
Please note: TMN's headlines will be less great through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. As you know by now, Mueller found that Trump didn’t collude with Russia, and Barr concluded that he didn’t obstruct justice. 1/21 A legal
Please note: TMN's headlines will be less great through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III concludes his nearly two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 1/13 In a different letter, the House Committee
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Hundreds of thousands are expected to turn out tomorrow for a march in London demanding another vote on Brexit. 1/14 If May’s latest deal fails, the
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Extreme precipitation and flooding may be the new normal in the Great Lakes region due to climate change. 1/15 Along the Missouri River, one man controls a
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Robert Mueller's team would appear to be winding down its investigation. At the same time, it appears to be quite busy. 1/15 See also: “New
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Dismayed by political barriers to popular policies, 2020 Dems look at structural reforms to the judiciary, filibuster, and more. 1/13 The question before the United States and
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. In the wake of New Zealand’s mass shooting, Trump finds ways to downplay the threat of white nationalism. 1/17 Students around the world skipped school on
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. At least 49 people were killed and 20 seriously injured in mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand. 1/18 A 17-minute video of a portion of
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Beto O’Rourke becomes the eleventh current or former elected official to enter the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. 1/15 Andrew Sullivan on what happened when Britain'
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. A growing number of countries are grounding or banning Boeing 737 Max 8 plans, but the FAA stands firm on their safety. 1/26 Trump and Boeing’s
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Singapore and Australia ban Boeing 737 Max aircraft after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing Max 8 crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people on board. 1/19 Airlines, passenger advocates,
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. The European Union announces that American travelers will need a visa to visit from now on (post-Trump). 1/19 The latest action heroes in Gotham: female building inspectors
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort gets 47 months in jail for tax and bank fraud. More sentencing awaits. 1/19 Even without knowing what’s in the
Please note: TMN will operate at a slower rate through March while we host The 2019 Tournament of Books. Thanks for understanding. The number of migrants intercepted at the US southern border reaches an 11-year high—“a border security and a humanitarian crisis.” 1/18 When the New York Times
House Democrats postpone voting to condemn anti-Semitism after "an array of progressive groups" call for solidarity with Rep. Ilhan Omar. 1/20 See also: Making tone-deaf remarks isn’t as bad as supporting de facto apartheid. 2/20 A self-described neoliberal describes why the Democrats need to accept
The House Judiciary Committee launches a sweeping investigation into whether Trump and his team have engaged in obstruction of justice, corruption, and abuse of power. 1/20 FYI: The next several months will be a doozy. 2/20 McConnell says there are enough disapproving votes in the Senate to block
Massage parlors are a $3 billion-a-year industry with thousands of women “ensnared in a form of modern indentured servitude.” 1/16 Teenagers who struggle to stay safe in their neighborhoods annotate a crime article to offer tips for journalists covering murder. 2/16 The Pew Research Center moves its polling
After the Trump-Kim summit fell apart over disagreements as to who would give up what, don’t be surprised if Kim responds by accelerating production on his nuclear arsenal. 1/16 Yes, pedophiles are using YouTube to spread child pornography and yes, there are videos on YouTube telling children to
The president’s former lawyer tells Congress that the president manipulates financial records, pays to cover up extramarital affairs, and says racist crap, among other things. 1/21 Basically: “My loyalty to Mr Trump has cost me everything.” 2/21 To prove that Trump is not racist, a Republican Senator
Michael Cohen is set to publicly testify today before the House Oversight Committee. 1/18 Among the many assertions in Cohen’s opening statement for today’s testimony is that he heard Trump take a call from Stone about the planned Wikileaks dump—and that Trump never wanted to win,
The president’s former lawyer will detail to Congress this week how he witnessed "lies, racism and cheating" during a decade with Trump. 1/20 US House members will vote today on a measure to undo Trump’s “national emergency.” The measure will probably also clear the GOP-controlled
The US Dept. of Health and Human Services releases a draft of its Title X revisions, which would effectively defund Planned Parenthood. 1/18 A state-by-state comparison of Trump’s current net approval against his 2016 margin of victory shows he’s doing better in some states he won, but
Venezuelans need help, but the international community agrees that the US should stay out; its motive is provocation, not aid. 1/21 House Democrats will file a resolution today seeking to block President Trump's emergency declaration. 2/21 A wide-ranging disinformation campaign aimed at Democratic 2020 candidates is
A US Coast Guard lieutenant and self-proclaimed white nationalist has been arrested for illegally stockpiling weapons with the intent of launching a terrorist attack targeting media figures and Democratic politicians. 1/21 The Supreme Court has ruled there are constitutional limits on civil forfeiture, in which states seize cash and
A sweeping report on Donald Trump’s two-year war on the investigations encircling the White House. 1/21 Sen. Bernie Sanders raised more than $4 million in 12 hours after announcing his 2020 presidential campaign. (Harris raised $1.5 million in the first 24 hours.) 2/21 A scientist says
California, joined by 15 others states, is suing the Trump administration for using emergency powers to divert taxpayer funds "lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states." Additionally, three Texas landowners, along with an environmental group, have filed suit, claiming Trump's order violates
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to essentially shutter the state’s high-speed rail project is disappointing to supporters of the Green New Deal. 1/16 “The United States is overdue for high-speed rail: it represents the standard we are trailing.” 2/16 Another day in America: An employee opened
Trump is expected to sign the new funding bill today—avoiding another government shutdown—as well as declare a national emergency in order to pay for his wall. 1/21 The presidential power to declare a national emergency is provided under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, which—in Trump’
Since the Parkland massacre one year ago, there's basically been another Parkland every five days. 1/23 "Most gun stores face no legal requirements to secure the weapons they sell." How to rob gun stores: an illustrated journey. 2/23 A federal judge rules that Paul
Another partial government shutdown will be triggered Friday if Trump doesn’t approve the new funding bill currently making its way through Congress. In addition to falling well short of Trump’s $5.7 billion demand for the wall, the bill specifies the barrier cannot be built with concrete. 1/
Congressional negotiators reach a tentative deal to keep the government open with much less wall funding than Trump wants. 1/23 Eight-one percent of American adults believe Robert Mueller’s report should be released, including 79 percent of Republicans. 2/23 About 34% of Americans say putting on blackface for
Since the beginning of Trump’s Bedminster golf club in 2004, dozens of undocumented workers from Costa Rica—with management’s knowledge—have worked there. Some even helped build it. 1/17 Washington told itself a comforting story that minimized the importance of this outbreak of kleptomania: These were criminal
The United Kingdom begins to recruit civilians to work in an emergency crisis center in the aftermath of a potential no-deal Brexit. 1/19 One London radio host has become famous for trying to convert Brexiteers every day on his show. 2/19 British teenagers explain why they love to
After Virginia’s attorney general admits he worse blackface at a party, the state’s Democratic leadership appears in peril, and Republicans look to capturing a state Trump lost in 2016. 1/16 A county-by-county census map shows how slavery spread in the US between 1790 and 1860. 2/16
President Donald Trump used his second State of the Union address to make repeated calls for bipartisanship, much to Democrats’ puzzlement. 1/23 Last week the president called bipartisan negotiations a "waste of time." 2/23 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi trends on Twitter after she “invented this weird
In violation of US agreements, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have given American-made weapons to al Qaeda, Iran-backed rebels, Salafi militias, and other factions waging war in Yemen. 1/21 Federal prosecutors have ordered Trump’s inaugural committee to hand over financial documents, potentially to investigate money laundering or election
Trump pulls the plug on a decades-old nuclear arms treaty with Russia, saying Moscow’s been violating it “with impunity.” 1/20 "At least we have a secretary-general who is listening." The UN takes baby steps toward becoming a feminist organization. 2/20 See also: Girls can now
The US has suspended a nuclear arms treaty with Russia that’s been in effect since 1987, accusing the Kremlin of violating the terms of the agreement. 1/21 At least 21 people have died so far in the polar vortex, many due to cold-related injuries. 2/21 A US
From Chicago to Australia, more greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere increase the chances of abnormal temperatures. 1/20 See also: “Yes, fire is used to keep Chicago trains running in the cold.” 2/20 Pictures of Australia's recent heat wave, which follows the warmest December on record.
An explanation of the polar vortex that’s making Chicago colder than the Arctic right now. 1/21 New polls find most Americans are worried about climate change, but few would pay more than a dollar a month to fix it. 2/21 The goal was to address the global
Trump's shutdown cost the US economy $6 billion—more than the $5.7 billion ransom he demanded for his wall. 1/18 Some federal contractors lost their health insurance during the shutdown, and fear losing it again if a second shutdown happens. 2/18 Why more Americans will
During the 2016 presidential campaign and transition, Donald J. Trump and at least 17 campaign officials and advisers had contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks, or their intermediaries. 1/20 Trump ends his hostage negotiations, signing a stopgap spending bill that will reopen the government for the next three weeks,
The FBI arrests longtime Trump aide and confidant Roger Stone after being indicted for allegations he lied to and obstructed the House Intelligence Committee's investigation. 1/23 A US District Judge revokes Paul Manafort’s bail to prevent him from contacting witnesses. 2/23 Here’s everyone who’
Amid economic turmoil in Venezuela, protestors are calling for President Nicolás Maduro to step down. The leader of the country’s legislative body, Juan Guaidó, who has argued last year’s elections were rigged by Maduro, has publicly assumed the presidency, and has now been backed by the Trump administration.
The US Army concludes that Iran was the only winner of our eight-year war in Iraq. 1/18 Official photos of the president are retouched occasionally for social media to make his face thinner, his fingers longer. 2/18 See also: Photographs of balloons on the verge of popping. 3/
Kamala Harris announced yesterday that she’s running for president, becoming the third senator expected to enter the 2020 race, alongside Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren. 1/14 The problem isn’t that Harris was an especially bad prosecutor. She made positive contributions as well—encouraging education and reentry programs
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office says the Buzzfeed story about Cohen and Trump is inaccurate. 1/23 Ironically, Trump relied on his nemesis, Mueller, to advance his critique of BuzzFeed and the press on Friday night. 2/23 Interview with the author of a mash note to Mueller, her
In a bombshell new revelation, federal law enforcement officers say Trump directed Cohen to lie under oath to Congress about ongoing negotiations for a Moscow Trump Tower—even as Trump told the public he had no business dealings in Russia. The House Intelligence committee says it will investigate. 1/17
House Speaker Pelosi asks President Trump to postpone his State of the Union address, currently slated for January 29. 1/18 Aides want Trump to use the speech to move public opinion to his side. Privately, Trump’s expressing frustration. 2/18 A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State
Yesterday, Theresa May’s Brexit deal lost by a 230-vote margin—the worst defeat in the history of the House of Commons—sparking a no-confidence vote against May today. If she loses, it could mean another general election. 1/18 In his senate confirmation hearing, Trump’s attorney general pick
Last year, President Trump repeatedly suggested a move equal to destroying NATO: the withdrawal of the United States. 1/21 “Even discussing the idea of leaving NATO—let alone actually doing so—would be the gift of the century for Putin.” 2/21 Eighteen other reasons the President of the
The shutdown is now our government’s longest. Around 800,000 federal employees missed their first paycheck. 1/19 About 40 percent of Americans have said in surveys that they can't handle a surprise $400 expense. 2/19 Trump's national emergency gambit, an "obvious face-saving
Trump is considering using funds set aside for disaster relief projects in Puerto Rico, California, and Texas to pay for his border wall. 1/17 “Siphoning funding from real disasters to pay for a crisis manufactured by the president is wholly unacceptable and the American people won’t fall for
Compared to 2017, fewer nations last year experienced a decline in democracy—and 48 countries even improved. 1/14 "You respect our president, and you pray for our president." Inside a firearms training program for teachers. 2/14 The President visits the southern border in Texas today accompanied
Back in November, Mueller’s office accused Manafort of lying to investigators after agreeing to a plea deal, and now it’s known what he allegedly lied about: sharing public and private polling data related to the 2016 election with Russia. 1/16 This new information was revealed to the
In a televised address tonight, Trump will make his case to Americans that a wall is necessary to combat a border crisis. (Or will he? Who even knows. There’s a lot of Fox News between now and then.) 1/20 In 2014, the major networks refused to air an
The federal government shutdown continues, which President Trump has taken to calling “a strike.” 1/14 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is floating a 70 percent top tax rate. Some studies indicate she’s aiming too low. 2/14 The men who run college football's biggest bowl games make millions of
In one of its first actions, the new House passed a bill to reopen the government—without funding the wall. Although the Senate passed similar legislation last month, McConnell says he won’t bring the new bill to a vote. 1/16 Senate Republicans up for reelection are calling for
The 116th US Congress begins today, with record numbers of women being sworn in, and Democrats taking control of the House, bringing with them an agenda that covers everything from infrastructure to voting rights to prescription drug prices to the ACA. 1/21 Incoming House speaker Nancy Pelosi breaks with
We asked more than two dozen of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2018, and what were the least?
TMN will resume publishing on January 2, 2019. As per custom, we like to share some of our favorite nonprofits and charities before we dim the lights. See you in the new year! CAST provides life-saving services to hundreds of human trafficking survivors each year. Border Angels fights for humane
Bowing to Trump's threats of a government shutdown if his wall isn't funded, the House passes a stopgap measure that includes $5 billion for the wall. Right now the House bill is at the Senate, where it's expected to fail, triggering a government shutdown.
Trump stuns the rest of the government by declaring victory over ISIS and ordering a complete withdrawal from Syria. 1/17 Such a move offers “a prime opportunity” for the Islamic State, Iran, and Russia. 2/17 “Donald is right.” Putin backs Trump in somewhat intimate terms during a press
In a bipartisan vote of 87-12, the Senate passed landmark criminal justice legislation, already endorsed by Trump, that will reform “three strikes” sentences, mandatory minimums, and early release options. 1/18 Michael Flynn’s sentencing has been postponed after yesterday’s hearing went into unanticipated territory, in which the judge
A new report finds Russian disinformation teams targeting Robert Mueller with sweeping campaigns to discredit the special counsel’s investigation. 1/20 One tactic employed by the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency: an anti-masturbation hotline. 2/20 Russian meddling found big wins on Instagram, with more than twice the audience engagement
The White House defends the Border Patrol in the exhaustion and dehydration death of a seven-year-old Guatemalan girl, placing blame on the child's father. 1/24 Related: “US Border Patrol systematically destroyed water supplies left for migrants in desert.” 2/24 At the current pace, the amount of
The Senate votes 56 to 41 to revoke—symbolically, mostly—American military support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. 1/21 The United States suffered 94 school shooting incidents in 2018, a near 60% increase on the previous high set in 2006. 2/21 Meanwhile, US death row
Michael Cohen is sentenced to three years in prison for his role in committing crimes at Trump’s direction and on Trump’s behalf. 1/23 Law experts say a tabloid publisher’s admission yesterday that it paid off Playboy model Karen McDougal in order to influence the election is
During an impromptu debate in the White House, Trump interrupts Nancy Pelosi 15 times (and still leaves angry over losing). 1/22 Meanwhile Vice President Pence said nothing, prompting the best jokes. 2/22 A new category of falsehood—“the Bottomless Pinocchio”—is created to accommodate Trump’s compulsive lying.
Responding to the yellow vest protests, Macron promises a minimum wage increase and other concessions, but many protestors view his speech as a charade. 1/23 Ending days of assurance that a Brexit vote would happen today, Theresa May calls off the vote, and will try and negotiate a new
Yesterday’s filings in the Russia investigation show that Trump directed Cohen to break campaign finance laws by making hush payments to Stormy Daniels and others, and that Mueller’s office has evidence Manafort lied when he said he didn’t facilitate connections between Russia and the Trump campaign. 1/
With the race for California's 21st District now called for TJ Cox, Democrats secure a net gain of 40 House seats. 1/19 Another midterm race yet to be called: North Carolina's Ninth District, where allegations of fraud may require a new election. 2/19 Biden,
In what's being viewed as a significant escalation of the US-China trade war, Canada has arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou—who is also the daughter of the company's founder—at the request of the US, though no charges have been made public. 1/19 New clues
Robert Mueller recommends that Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, not get jail time because of his “substantial assistance.” 1/19 Anticipation builds for Mueller's document dump on Friday, with news outlets trying to connect the dots in a bigger narrative. 2/19 Why did Michael
The French government suspends a planned fuel tax increase in an effort to appease the yellow vests. 1/22 A quick explainer on who are France’s yellow vest protesters, what they want, and why they pose a threat to Macron. 2/22 A Republican says bye-bye to Paul Ryan—
Former US President George H.W. Bush has died at 94. 1/21 Often known for presiding over the end of the Cold War, Bush also began America's large-scale military involvement in Iraq, with Operation Desert Shield in 1990, which led to Operation Desert Storm the following year.
Cohen’s guilty plea yesterday makes him number 33—and arguably the most significant person Mueller has charged. 1/21 Worth noting? Mueller’s “witch hunt” is starting to cross a red line Trump once warned could prompt his firing: by probing his business empire. 2/21 The number of
In an unexpected hearing, former Trump fixer Michael Cohen pled guilty this morning to lying to Congress about Trump's business dealings in Moscow. 1/20 Due to suicide and drug overdoses, American life expectancy continues to drop. It's the longest period of life expectancy decline in
From airlines to beer to high-speed Internet access, competition is dying in American capitalism. 1/18 Joe Kennedy III sounds a lot like his grandfather Bobby in a speech responding to GM’s decision to cut 14,000 jobs. 2/18 As of August, Democrats have a more positive image
What had happened to so many of these working dads and moms, that they could see a girl freezing in a concrete room and laugh? How could these regular Americans tell a boy his fingers would be severed if he disobeyed? Where some seek to help, others are fine with
Jim Baker, once the top FBI lawyer, draws parallels between the Watergate road map and Trump's attempts to control the Russia investigation. 1/19 A former White House counsel says Trump's voting fraud lies undermine voting rights and the Constitution—an impeachable offense. 2/19 After
Thanksgiving week starts with four deadly shootings across the United States, killing 10 people in a matter of hours. 1/22 A late Monday ruling requires the White House to allow migrants to seek asylum even if they enter the US between official crossings, i.e. illegally. 2/22 San
In California, the Camp Fire has now killed at least 71 people and left more than 1,000 missing—and many residents say all the signs were there that something like this could happen. 1/19 The CIA has concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Jamal Khashoggi'
US prosecutors inadvertently reveal in a recently unsealed court filing that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been charged. 1/17 A new food truck in Washington, sponsored by MoveOn, is serving free ice cream with Mueller-related themes. 2/17 A growing number of Conservative MPs submit letters expressing no confidence
Saudi Arabia claims an intelligence officer, not Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ordered Jamal Khashoggi's murder, and has charged 11 individuals. 1/20 What the bipartisan prison reform bill, which Trump says he will support, would do for current and future inmates. 2/20 In an effort to
A close reading of court filings and some snooping suggest that Mueller may have already subpoenaed the President. 1/17 The only thing that motivates Donald Trump is more Donald Trump. 2/17 The midterm elections that still haven't been decided, explained. 3/17 By exaggerating and lying
As the death toll reaches 42 people, the Camp Fire in Northern California is now the deadliest fire in state history. 1/18 Before and after photos from a block in Malibu that was destroyed by the Woolsey fire. 2/18 A study finds that climate change has doubled the
A late season wildfire swept through and destroyed Paradise, Calif., while 30,000 people fled for their lives. 1/18 In 2016, California voted to outlaw high-capacity magazines, such as the one used in Thousand Oaks. A federal court said no. 2/18 Black female politicians who won in 2018
Some inside the Thousand Oaks, Calif., country bar attacked by a shooter were also at last year's Harvest music festival in Las Vegas. 1/18 With the midterms over, the media is no longer breathlessly covering Republicans' racial-anxiety-stoking story of the migrant caravan, which has now arrived
Jeff Sessions, ousted as Attorney General, is expected to be only the first Trump Cabinet member to go in a post-midterm shuffle. 1/18 Hundreds of protests planned across the US “to demand Acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker recuse himself.” 2/18 Some animations help answer the big question:
In yesterday's midterm elections in the US, Democrats took control of the House of Representatives, flipping many Republican-held districts that Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Among other victories, Democrats will now be able to prevent a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. 1/31 Essential to recognize in
It’s election day in the United States. A quick guide to your voting rights in case you’re turned away at the polls. 1/23 “Accountability” and “the will of the majority” are things that elections can't do. Vote anyway. 2/23 Bad weather will greet many
On Thursday, Trump directed troops deployed to the US-Mexico border to shoot if someone throws rocks at them, which former military officers confirmed is "an unlawful order." 1/18 Here’s what Trump originally said: “They want to throw rocks at our military, our military fights back. We’
The US will allow eight countries, including several Asian partners, to keep buying oil from Iran after it reimposes sanctions. 1/16 The national security adviser says he looks forward to watching the governments fail in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. 2/16 One of the Koch brothers joins "a
Google employees around the world are staging a walkout today, protesting the company's handling of executives accused of sexual misconduct. See photos from the walkouts. 1/21 The White House claims ISIS has been defeated, but an intelligence service in Iraq says the terror group has launched dozens
Thousands of Venezuelans make for Peru, fleeing their crashing nation, with hopes of acquiring residency before a deadline. 1/24 How the president's “birthright” idea went from the fringes of conservative thinking to the Oval Office. 2/24 A company seemingly run by a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist offered
In an interview, Trump says he intends to sign an executive order to change how the 14th Amendment is applied and end birthright citizenship. Expect the courts to decide whether this is unconstitutional. 1/29 With the announcement it will deploy troops to the US-Mexico border, the US military will
An incomplete list of the far-right attackers Trump has inspired since 2015. 1/17 A survey of bombing suspect Cesar Sayoc's tweets answers many of the questions raised by the stickers on his van. 2/17 The recent market tumble isn’t a crash: "It’s a
The manhunt for the sender(s) of bombs to Trump critics focuses on South Florida. 1/20 Meanwhile the FBI confirms an 11th package was addressed to Senator Booker. 2/20 The good news about Trump using an iPhone that's actively being tapped by China: he's
More critics of President Trump receive explosive devices in the mail. 1/18 Despite his penchant for celebrating and inciting violence against his enemies, Trump presents himself as healer-in-chief and blames the media. 2/18 Trump insists on using an unprotected iPhone to call friends. China and Russia have been
Two days after a suspected explosive device was found near George Soros's home, other potential devices that appear related have been sent to the homes of the Clintons and Obamas and CNN's New York offices. This story is developing. 1/23 A seventh child has died
Turkey’s Erdogan says Khashoggi’s murder was a premeditated, meticulously planned political operation by Saudi Arabia. 1/23 A brief explanation of “post-Salafi,” an emerging, amorphous category of Muslim thought derived partly from Wahhabism. 2/23 President Trump and the Republicans settle on fear and falsehoods for their midterm-winning
The Saudi government now claims journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in a fistfight at the consulate in Istanbul. Five of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's officials have been fired, and 18 other Saudis have been arrested. 1/20 Strong judge of character and probing thinker Donald Trump says
The CDC is warning against AFM, acute flaccid myelitis, a polio-like illness that's appeared in children in 22 states this year. 1/23 A caravan of about 2,000 migrants from Central America is making its way to the US despite threats from Trump. Mexico has sent police
US intelligence has more and more reason to believe Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 1/21 The Post held off publishing it because we hoped Jamal would come back to us so that he and I could edit
Thirteen million people in Yemen face starvation, what the UN says could become "the worst famine in the world in 100 years." 1/24 Zimbabwe plunges into its worst economic crisis in a decade, complete with price spikes and product shortages. 2/24 Canada becomes the second country
Sources claim the Saudis are preparing a report admitting Jamal Khashoggi was killed, and that his death happened during an interrogation. 1/20 Cherokee Nation official responds to the Trump-Warren squabble over DNA results: "It really undermines tribal interest, frankly." 2/20 “I had an encounter with a
Climate change is the only issue that matters. But as the American midterms loom, candidates are failing to devise solutions. 1/18 Trump's poison pills for China may not lead to a recession (for the US). However, "there sure are lots of poison pills out there!"
Hurricane Michael has killed 12 people and left a path of destruction from Florida to Virginia. 1/22 Georgia's Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, is under fire for delaying registrations for 53,000 voters—most of whom are African-American. The move reeks of voter suppression, as the Republican
Hurricane Michael, with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, is close to a Category 5 storm, the most severe on the scale. 1/23 "This is the worst storm the Florida Panhandle has seen in more than 100 years," said Florida Gov. Rick Scott. 2/23
In an unexpected move, Nikki Haley announces she will step down as US ambassador to the UN by the end of the year, and quells rumors of a presidential run. 1/17 Set to make landfall today, Hurricane Michael could be the strongest-ever hurricane to reach the Florida panhandle. 2/
A very good, awful, lucid list of facts from the last 10 days in Trump’s America, from pig manure to Canadian crabs. 1/17 Christine Blasey Ford can't go home for quite some time, says her lawyer, due to "unending" death threats. 2/17 "
With Sens. Collins and Manchin saying they'll vote "yes," the Senate is expected to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court today. 1/25 Kavanaugh...will be the first justice nominated by someone who lost the popular vote to earn his seat on the bench with support
The Senate, still “plowing ahead,†is scheduled to hold a procedural vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh today. 1/21 Among those who oppose Kavanaugh, you can count retired Justice John Paul Stevens, same for a trio of Kavanaugh’s drinking buddies at Yale. 2/21 Supporters of Kavanaugh
With the FBI report on Kavanaugh now in senators' hands, Grassley says there's "no hint of misconduct"; Schumer disagrees. Ongoing updates here. 1/30 The investigation's credibility is in question, mainly due to its extremely limited scope and timeline—and because the FBI
With three days left in the FBI investigation into allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford say she still hasn't been contacted. 1/20 A deep investigation into Trump’s fortune finds plenty of dubious tax schemes and "outright fraud." And now the New
Texts between Kavanaugh and former classmates in the days before Deborah Ramirez's allegations went public in the New Yorker suggest he was lying when he testified the first he'd heard of her accusations was when the article was published. 1/23 Here's the full
Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation gets delayed by a week so the FBI can investigate sexual assault allegations. Meaning Trump has to eat his words. 1/25 Among the figures that pressed pause on Kavanaugh was his alma mater, Yale Law School. 2/25 A striking chart shows every time
The Senate Judiciary Committee votes at 1:30 pm. ET on Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination. If it passes, a full Senate vote could happen early next week. 1/27 "Look at me and tell me that it doesn't matter." Sexual assault survivors this morning
Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Ford testify today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Multiple news outlets are streaming it live online. 1/23 The split between views of Democrats and Republicans on Kavanaugh’s nomination is even wider than the gulf on Trump’s border wall. 2/23 Today, he needs
Republican senators have chosen Rachel Mitchell, chief of the special victims division of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, to question Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh in tomorrow's Senate hearing. 1/23 The move allows the 11 Republicans on the committee—all white men—to avoid
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his wife go on television to protest his innocence, using a peculiar virginity defense. 1/25 One alarming aspect of Kavanaugh’s appearance was how much it diverged “in tone and substance†from a letter he sent the same day to the Senate
There have been 262 mass shootings in America in the first 263 days of 2018. 1/23 Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley says Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has until 2:30 p.m. ET today to decide whether to testify before Congress, or the vote to confirm Kavanaugh will proceed
The New York TImes publishes a timeline of Russia's hacking of the 2016 election and Trump's insistence that it's all a hoax. 1/20 An excerpt from The Apprentice, a narrative history of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. 2/20 Lawyers for
At 2:18 p.m. Eastern Time today, American cell phone users will receive their first emergency "Presidential Alert" text message. And no, you can't opt out. 1/23 Hurricane Trump headed to the Carolinas to wreak additional havoc on people's intelligence, including asking
Dr. Ford, accuser of Judge Kavanaugh, wants him investigated by the FBI before she testifies. Republicans refuse. 1/23 Ford’s lawyers say she’s received death threats, her private email has been hacked, and she’s being impersonated online. 2/23 “This has been a drive-by shooting when
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday to hear testimony from Christine Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on allegations of sexual assault. The Senate vote on Kavanaugh, which was scheduled for Thursday, has now been put on hold. 1/22 Lawyers say the delays
At least five people have died, and nearly a million people are without power in the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence made landfall yesterday. 1/15 Only seven of the 27 US counties where midterm toss-up races are occurring have confirmed they've implemented two-factor authentication on their election offices&
Hurricane Florence makes landfall in North Carolina. Despite slowing winds, the threat of storm surges has not diminished. 1/22 North Carolina may now be forced to reconsider a law that banned using sea level rise to forecast coastal planning. 2/22 Track rising water in North Carolina with a
Massive damage in the Carolinas is expected as Hurricane Florence makes landfall today through tomorrow. 1/18 Just because Florence has been downgraded to a Category 2 doesn't make it any less dangerous. Wind speed doesn't matter as much as the size of the wind field.
Hurricane Florence, still a Category 4, is expected to slow down at the coast of the Carolinas through at least Saturday, increasing the likelihood of dangerous flooding. 1/18 This seems unnecessary, but: a fact-check of Trump's claim that "Puerto Rico was an incredible, unsung success."
Bracing for an increasingly dangerous Hurricane Florence, more than a million people may face mandatory evacuation in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. 1/22 If public housing is the physical manifestation of a hope for social progress, that hope has its own historical twist in the United States. Nine
Please note: We’re taking next week off, and we’ll back on Monday, Sept. 10. See you then! Half a million people have been killed in Syria's seven-year war. Signs suggest a massive final battle is coming. 1/14 Immigration officials say that birth certificates aren'
Canada and the US inch closer to a NAFTA 2.0 deal for Trump’s Friday deadline. 1/19 For what it’s worth, the Friday deadline isn’t actually real. 2/19 Thanks to Trump, teenagers appear to be more interested in current events, but also more skeptical of
Bipartisan members of Congress encourage the president to impose sanctions on Beijing for incarcerating millions of Uyghur Muslims in “training centers.†1/24 The White House has reportedly created a secret task force to sabotage public support for marijuana. 2/24 More evidence that Trump possibly obstructed justice:
California’s Assembly passes a bill requiring 100% of the state’s electricity to come from carbon-free sources by 2045. 1/24 A federal court rules that North Carolina Republicans illegally gerrymandered their congressional districts. 2/24 Southern senators resist renaming a federal building for McCain that currently honors a
Trump and Mexico reach a deal on NAFTA, re-dubbed the US Mexico Trade Agreement, putting pressure on Canada. 1/22 Voters head to the polls in Florida, Arizona, and Oklahoma to pick general election candidates. 2/22 Taiwan, oddly enough, has become a pioneer in digital democracy with a crowdsourcing
Across North America, prisoners are striking over treatment and forced labor that amounts to modern slavery. 1/22 Since 2010, at least 404 people with mental illness have died in US jails—which are now "default treatment centers." 2/22 The US Dept. of Education is considering exploiting
Hurricane Lane has weakened, but it’s still expected to be hazardous in Hawaii over the next couple of days. 1/18 A week of chaos continues in Australia’s government. It’s nothing new: The past decade has been marked “by a series of leadership coups.†2/
Trump's tweet about the murder of South African farmers—which are at a 20-year low—and land expropriation is a popular conspiracy theory among white nationalists who want to push the threat of "white genocide." 1/18 The close of trading in New York yesterday officially
In a dizzying day of news, Manafort is found guilty, Michael Cohen implicates the President, and the White House says there’s nothing to see here. 1/22 The President, Donald Trump: “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain
Last night, protesters on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tore down the "Silent Sam" Confederate statue. In 2017, UNC spent $390,000 on the monument's security. 1/19 Microsoft announces the capture of six websites created by Russian cyberattackers. The
Torrential flooding in the southern Indian state of Kerala kills more than 320 people. More rains are predicted. 1/18 Yet another problem caused by climate change: “border water.†2/18 The White House intends to make it much easier to let the coal industry set its own
“When that lady sits down at the piano and gets her body and soul all over some righteous song, she’ll scare the shit out of you. And you’ll know—you’ll swear—that she’s still the best fuckin’ singer this fucked-up country has ever produced.â€
More than 70 people overdosed in New Haven, CT, on K2, a synthetic cannabinoid that may have been laced with fentanyl. 1/21 More than 72,000 Americans died last year from drug overdoses, a 10% increase over 2016. 2/21 America has a physician shortage. One solution: let students
“For many of us, those earlier stories happened someplace else, someplace away. Now we know the truth: It happened everywhere.†The grand jury on the sexual abuse investigation of six Pennsylvania dioceses delivers a horrifying report. 1/23 Thirty-nine people died yesterday when a highway bridge in Genoa,
Vanguard says the chances of a recession by late 2020 have risen to between 30 and 40 percent. 1/29 White House aides often tell President Trump not to call foreign leaders at odd hours due to time zone differences. 2/29 Donald Trump hires the worst people, according to
Horror at Charlottesville did not temper the president’s enthusiasm for demonizing religious and ethnic minorities that characterized his 2016 campaign, and has not dampened his administration’s efforts to turn those convictions into policy. Charlottesville proved that white nationalists are winning within the Republican Party. 1/20 Twitter suspends
Washington, D.C., prepares for a rally tomorrow of Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other alt-right-ers. 1/22 American and Confederate flags are permitted at the rally. Nazi flags, unlike last year, are not. 2/22 John Bolton and other senior US national-security officials worked behind Trump’s back to shield
In a 38-31 vote, Argentina's senate rejects a bill to legalize abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. 1/20 Behind the scenes on Rep. Chris Collins and Innate Immunotherapeutics, and how he roped in his family and colleagues to invest and, according to prosecutors, engage in
Tuesday night ended with Republican Troy Balderson narrowly ahead in an Ohio district that Trump previously won by 11 points. 1/23 CNN says it’s time for Republicans to panic about the House. 2/23 The Democrats’ most liberal candidates fared poorly in almost every closely watched race across
Today's special election in Ohio's 12th District is the final Democrat challenge to a Republican stronghold ahead of the midterms. And in today's Democratic primaries across four states, progressive candidates will test how far left some Democrats are ready to go. 1/17 "
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson may have lost his job because he fought too hard to prevent Saudi Arabia from invading Qatar. 1/21 Looking at Zimbabwe's election, Mnangagwa has one clear backer: China. He likely admires Xi Jinping's grip on power. 2/21 Hong Kong
It’s time other newsrooms learn to spot these hateful campaigns for what they are. In a message of support for writer Sarah Jeong, The Verge calls on publications to stand up to trolls who seek only to "waste our time by debating their malicious agenda." 1/15
The Manafort trial sees much talk of expensive cars, clothes, and furnishings, none of Manafort’s work running Trump’s campaign. 1/21 Day three is likely to be another day “heavy on documents and details.†2/21 After the President tells the Attorney General to shut down
The 2020 electoral map is looking markedly different than in prior races—states rarely in play suddenly are. 1/26 Depending on your 2016 electoral map visualization, you can argue America's heading left, right, or nowhere. 2/26 Jokes about a House candidate's Bigfoot erotica proclivity
The first trial of Mueller’s Russia investigation begins today with former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. 1/24 It’s widely believed, including by the judge, that Mueller is pressuring Manafort to flip on Trump. 2/24 The difference between “collusion†and “conspiracy†is mostly semantics—and
Twelve legal experts on whether Trump obstructed justice, in light of Cohen's claims the president knew about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting: If true, it's likely obstruction. 1/16 The GOP tax cuts have lowered corporate taxes so much, and so quickly, that the federal budget
On Friday night, much of the world will see a blood moon during the 21st century’s longest lunar eclipse. 1/22 Facing pressure from China, US airlines like American, Delta, and United no longer say Taiwan. 2/22 Portugal may not be an anti-austerity story, but it shows that
Today's Headlines edition is sponsored by Jamf Now. CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins was banned from a White House press conference yesterday, claiming she asked Trump inappropriate questions—about Cohen and the tapes—at a photo op earlier in the day. Journalists who were there say the questions were
CNN obtains the tape where Trump and Cohen discuss a payoff for Karen McDougal. 1/19 One of the big unanswered questions about the tape: What is “the Charleston thing?†2/19 Trump pulls an Obi-Wan, tells a rally in Kansas City, "What you are seeing and
Satellite images show North Korea has begun dismantling its main missile launch test sites, though probably not due to negotiations with the US. According to one analyst: "This is consistent with North Korea's public line, which is that its successful test program is now transitioning to mass
None of the various hypotheses for Trump being a Russian pawn quite pan out—which still leaves collusion as a possibility. 1/22 It's not inconceivable Russia would aid Democrats in 2018—in order to give Trump a reelection punching bag. 2/22 Republicans are actively eroding public
Ethiopia and Eritrea declare an end to 20 years of conflict after "an impressive combined effort by the international community." 1/18 The Director of National Intelligence expresses mild surprise at news that Putin is coming to America just in time for this year’s midterms. The White
Thousands of Amazon employees across Europe commemorated Prime Day by going on strike to protest grueling working conditions. 1/15 This summer's heatwave is revealing forgotten landscapes in the UK normally kept hidden by grass and crops. 2/15 Absent serious reductions in global emissions, the most extreme,
Trump backtracks on his presser with Putin, says he meant to say the opposite of what he said with regard to whether he believes Russia interfered with the 2016 election. 1/21 To better understand what Trump really said or actually meant, below is our annotated version of the transcript.
President Trump backed the Kremlin on the subject of hacking US elections. Many people expressed alarm. 1/22 Even Newt Gingrich said Trump siding with Russia against his own government was “the most serious mistake of his presidency.†2/22 Dictionary.com trolled Trump with a "traitor&
As if asking foreign agents to hack his political opponent—which in fact happened that very same day—wasn't bad enough, a royal etiquette expert (and former royal butler) confirms the internet's fears that yes, Trump broke protocol by standing in front of the Queen. 1/
I truly believe that today’s hearing is just another victory notch in Putin’s belt and another milestone in our enemies’ campaign to tear America apart. From FBI agent Peter Strzok’s statement before Congress. The meeting quickly degenerated. 1/17 Brett Kavanaugh will face tough questions in the
A thorough, 17-day timeline of the trapped Thai soccer team's ordeal. 1/16 US Embassy warns Americans in London to "keep a low profile" during Trump's visit—it's standard protocol, but still. 2/16 NFL Players Association files a grievance over the
Torrential rain storms have killed at least 176 in Japan. More than 50 people are still unaccounted for. 1/21 Three reasons why the US is vulnerable to big disasters: coastal populations; problematic access to cash; troubled supply chains. 2/21 As President Trump’s trade war rolls on, Japan
All 12 members of the Wild Boar soccer team and their coach have been rescued from the cave in Thailand. 1/20 Overnight, Theresa May hired a new cabinet after Boris Johnson and David Davis quit over May’s plan for a soft Brexit—and the discord in her party
After two days of talks in Pyongyang, Pompeo deemed them "productive"; North Korea, on the other hand, called the meetings "regrettable." 1/14 Interactive tools show which companies in each US state are profiting from ICE. 2/14 The fourth step in thinking of zero—that
Secretary of State Pompeo visits North Korea to talk denuclearization. Kim Jong Un’s program is still going strong. 1/19 Mueller begins to outsource his widening investigation, with surprising court fights tying up resources. 2/19 Alan Dershowitz likens party chatter around Martha's Vineyard this summer to
A New York Times reporter tracked the payments made (and iPhone apps used) on a migrant’s journey from El Salvador to the United States. 1/21 Photographs of items taken from migrants crossing the US border with Mexico. 2/21 Merkel saves her government with an immigration deal, compromising
Tomorrow, Mexico votes for a new president. All four candidates are strongly anti-Trump—and the frontrunner, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is a leftist populist. 1/17 Inside one of the fake news operations—of which hundreds apparently exist—trying to swing Mexico's elections. 2/17 To
About 575 people, mostly women, were arrested in Washington D.C. while protesting Trump’s immigration policy. 1/20 In the run-up to his new summit with Putin, Trump says once again Russia probably didn’t hack our election in his favor. 2/20 Ten reasons why this is the
Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Court's swing vote, plans to retire, enabling Trump to establish a conservative court. 1/14 Kennedy has long been considered "the most powerful man in America.†Multiple experts explain why. 2/14 An America after Anthony Kennedy looks significantly different from
President Trump's third version of a travel ban survived the Supreme Court, limiting citizens of eight nations from entering the US. 1/27 One good thing about that: The Supreme Court’s ruling took a very powerful gun—Korematsu—out of Donald Trump’s hands. 2/27 Mitch
US border patrol pauses criminal prosecution referrals—and therefore family separation—for those illegally entering the US with children. 1/16 You know Auschwitz isn't going to be for you. Filipino author Rin Chupeco's Twitter thread on calls for civility amid Marcos's rise to
President Trump issued an executive order to end his policy of separating families, but the government still has no plan for returning the children it has already taken. 1/18 The Guardian printed the names of 34,361 refugees who died trying to make the journey to Europe. 2/18
This week Trump repealed Obama's executive order that protected oceans and the Great Lakes, opening the door to industry and drilling. 1/21 Health and Human Services asks the Pentagon to ready three military bases to house up to 20,000 migrant children. 2/21 It's
President Trump abandoned his policy of removing migrant children from their parents’ care. 1/22 The White House changed its story no fewer than 14 times before ending its border policy. 2/22 “If kids don’t eat in peace, you don’t eat in peace.†Protesters confronted
Perhaps you've already heard it, but here are the sounds of crying migrant children as they're separated from their families at the US-Mexico border. Right now, my six-year-old is excited to see what the tooth fairy will leave him for one of his bottom front teeth
The US Supreme Court delays making a decision on gerrymandering. 1/24 Free speech advocates cheer a judge’s ruling to allow a white nationalist to sue Twitter. 2/24 The head of an asylum nonprofit in Houston relates what she’s seeing in border detention facilities. 3/24 Inside
A trade war between the US and China looms once again. Following a brief truce in May, the White House launches new tariffs on Chinese goods, and Beijing responds with more retaliatory tariffs. 1/19 While many US consumers likely won't feel the effects of the tariffs, American
Battles in eastern Yemen may endanger up to 250,000 civilians. Here’s the Yemen conflict explained in 400 words. 1/23 According to the Inspector General, former FBI Director Comey was “insubordinate†in handling the Clinton probe, but not biased. Look for Trump to exploit the report on
Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, has separated from his lawyers and may be ready to cooperate with federal investigators. 1/19 Anticipating Cohen's possible flip, Trump's team has already begun rolling out a smear campaign against him. 2/19 It's Donald
Trump showed Kim a movie trailer made by the White House for their Singapore meeting, presenting them as two heroes on the verge of changing world history. 1/20 North Korea claims the US committed to lifting sanctions. That’s not what Trump said. 2/20 An economist’s take
At the end of yesterday's summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un, the two leaders signed a vague document with loophole-friendly agreements—e.g., "the DPRK commits to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." 1/20 In a post-summit press conference, Trump announced
Trump’s tariffs are pushing away some of his most loyal Congressional allies and Republican backers. 1/19 Macron asks other G7 countries to confront Trump on trade, climate change, and the Iran nuclear deal. And then there’s that handshake. 2/19 A doofus's unpredictability and narcissism
In an apparent second high-profile suicide this week, Anthony Bourdain has died at age 61 in France. 1/21 In a new CDC report, suicide rates in the US have increased dramatically since 1999, especially among those with no known mental health conditions. 2/21 If you or someone you
Democrats aren’t sick of voting yet, and neither are Republicans: Lessons learned from this week’s elections. 1/22 California may be the heart of the Trump resistance, but it's largely apathetic about voting in primaries. 2/22 Paul Ryan joins Trey Gowdy in dismissing Trump’s
A play-by-play of Trump’s surreal “Celebration of America†event yesterday, thrown together after the president nixed the Philadelphia Eagles' visit, for which only one player was confirmed to attend. 1/17 Everyone's claiming victory in the Supreme Court gay wedding cake decision, and no one
Fifteen legal experts discuss whether President Trump has the power to pardon himself, as he claims. 1/28 Etiquette-ing a Trump-Kim summit: Who sits where, who enters when, and who picks up the check. 2/28 Barring an act of Congress, the Secret Service will protect a former president or
The US unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest since 2000; however, by tweeting this morning about the jobs report ahead of its release, Trump broke federal regulations that are in place to avoid influencing markets. 1/18 After Trump allowed their tariff exemptions to expire, Canada, Mexico, and the
The number of excess deaths related to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico is 4,645, more than 70 times the official estimate of 64 people. 1/17 Donald Trump is a liar—and that fact remains weirdly poorly integrated into ongoing coverage of the White House. 2/17 The story
Secretary of State Pompeo to meet with “North Korean regime insider†Kim Yong-chol in New York to discuss the lingering possibility of a June summit. 1/29 Trump to meet Kim Kardashian after months of talks between her and Jared Kushner over a pardon for a one-time drug offender.
President Trump cancels the summit with North Korea after the Vice President was called an idiot. As of last night, the summit's commemorative coin was still for sale from the White House gift shop. Unfortunately, as a discounted "deal of the day," it crashed the server.
A longtime North Korean diplomat calls Mike Pence “stupid,†and says any comparisons to Libya are “ignorant.†1/27 At the same time, North Korea dismantles its main nuclear-weapons test site. 2/27 Another American consular employee falls ill after a mysterious sonic attack, this time
After winning Georgia's Democratic nomination yesterday, Stacey Abrams could now become America's first black woman governor in November. 1/25 See also: More key election takeaways from Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas. 2/25 Multiple McDonald's and Walmart employees take up sexual harassment lawsuits
The Justice Department expands its internal investigation into the FBI's Russia probe after FBI and Justice officials met yesterday with President Trump. The question is, who blinked? 1/23 A thoughtful Twitter thread to help you understand Trump’s latest tweeting about the Justice Department. 2/23 Trump
Three months after Parkland, America grieves yet another massacre of children by a young man with guns. 1/20 This year has seen an average of slightly more than one school shooting per week in the United States—a country where over 33,000 people die from guns each year.
A new White House proposal would prevent Planned Parenthood and other organizations from receiving federal money while providing abortions, even if those services use private funding. 1/18 After one death and more than 170 known incidents of illness, the CDC says romaine lettuce is now safe to eat. 2/
“Gaza buries its dead as death toll from protests at fence with Israel rises to at least 60.†Are we to assume that the protests—and not the Israeli military—killed these people? American media avoids saying who it was that killed more than 60 Palestinians on Monday.
Yesterday, North Korea seemed to take an abrupt about-face, canceling a meeting with South Korea and threatening to call off the Trump-Kim summit—possibly over US-South Korea military drills or diplomatic disrespect around its nuclear program. 1/23 The Senate votes today to repeal the net neutrality changes that assign
Funerals begin in Gaza after 58 Palestinians were killed and 2,700 were injured in conflict with Israeli forces during the controversial inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem. 1/17 Israel and the White House pin the violence on Hamas, and refuse to bear responsibility for an outcome that
By maligning McCain, the Trump White House reached a new low for political debasement this week. 1/23 Worth remembering with all this talk of torture: Christopher Hitchens got waterboarded so you’d know what it’s like. 2/23 Liuba Grechen Shirley is the first female candidate to get
Senator John McCain, recently mocked by a White House official, not to mention grossly insulted by a Fox News analyst, is fighting Trump with his dying breaths. 1/20 Europe’s biggest economies take steps to protect their commercial and political interests in Iran. 2/20 Here are five scenarios
President Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for releasing three Americans detained in North Korea. Here's how it happened and what it means. 1/20 Michael Cohen made more than $2 million "working as a Trump whisperer." He's not the only one. 2/20 A
Normally silent about the doings of the current White House, Obama responds to Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran deal. 1/23 Trump’s plan to abandon the deal, with no alternative policy in place, puts “US diplomacy on a collision course with some of Washington&
European diplomats, despite recent talks, expect Trump to say he intends to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal this afternoon. 1/23 If Trump moves to re-impose sanctions, look for a brief preservation of the deal between Iran and Europe, possibly a resumption of nuclear work. 2/23 A
“Every little thing that we eat has been bred for very specific characteristics. People have fought about the breeding of apples the same way people think about building new technology.†The fight to protect “clean†meat may already be lost; by now, all food has been altered
The White House’s trade delegation in China wants a bilateral trade imbalance slashed immediately, and for China to stop subsidizing tech. 1/20 Netanyahu’s case against the Iran deal—which is basically Trump’s case, too—leaves many nuclear analysts “fuming with outrage.†2/20 Among
A month after Trump claimed he didn't know about the $130,000 Michael Cohen gave Stormy Daniels, new Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani says Trump reimbursed Cohen $35,000 a month for a year after the election, and Trump confirmed the reimbursement this morning. 1/15 Giuliani claims it&
In early March, Mueller told Trump’s legal team he could issue a subpoena for the president to appear before a grand jury. They weren’t happy to hear it. 1/21 Not only does Robert Mueller know more than we think, he likely know how all of this ends.
What did you mean when you told Russian diplomats on May 10, 2017, that firing Mr. Comey had taken the pressure off? An analysis of the questions Robert Mueller supposedly wants to ask President Trump. 1/26 How did Mueller’s questions reach the media? Trump calls it a â€
Three lessons the White House could learn after the fall of yet another Trump administration nomination. 1/21 President Trump's live interview with his favorite TV show is already causing legal problems for President Trump. 2/21 A new law in China bans any questioning of the folklore
In a historic meeting, North Korea's Kim Jong-un and South Korea's Moon Jae-in meet at the border, pledging to remove nuclear weapons from the peninsula and end the Korean War that began 68 years ago. 1/16 With Mike Pompeo’s confirmation as Secretary of State,
Dr. Ronny Jackson withdraws his nomination to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, but remains on the job as the president’s physician. 1/25 The White House press corps has never had it so bad and so good at the same time. 2/25 Thousands of Germans don yarmulkes and
Federal judge rules DACA must be reopened, calling the White House's maneuvers to end it "arbitrary and capricious," while allowing the Dept. of Homeland Security 90 days to provide an adequate argument for why the program should be illegal. 1/17 The thousands-strong caravan of Central
The manhunt ends for the suspected shooter who killed four people at a Waffle House in Tennessee. 1/26 James Shaw Jr., who wrestled away the suspect’s AR-15, has since raised thousands of dollars for the victims’ families. 2/26 More than half of the world's wealthy
The Comey memos, composed after the FBI Director's meetings with President Trump, have gone public. 1/17 In one of the memos, the President suggests jailing journalists to prevent stories from getting out of his leaking White House. 2/17 No one's talking about the new
Before Facebook, before Cambridge Analytica, Peter Thiel's Palantir began mining your data, and it's never stopped. 1/19 Online echo chambers aren't real. Research shows social media exposes us to more perspectives, not fewer. 2/19 A nascent social network, Minds, represents a post-Facebook
As potential grows for direct talks between Trump and Kim Jong Un, Trump gives himself an escape hatch: "If we don't think it's going to be successful, we won't have it. If the meeting when I'm there isn't fruitful,
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a secret visit to North Korea recently, becoming the most senior US official ever to meet with Kim Jong Un. 1/16 Barbara Bush dies at 92, one of only two women in American history (her and Abigail Adams) to be both wife and
Following last week's FBI raid on Trump fixer Michael Cohen's home, office, and hotel that resulted in the seizure of multiple documents and devices, yesterday a Manhattan judge blocked Cohen and Trump's request to review all documents before prosecutors. 1/19 During the Cohen
France, Britain, and the United States launch coordinated bombing strikes against Syria. Trump quickly says, echoing W., “Mission accomplished!†1/22 Members of Congress insist the White House needed to consult with them first. 2/22 Russia claims the strikes were ineffective, saying most of the missiles were
After exiting the Trans Pacific Partnership soon after entering office, Trump now wants back in—if he gets a better deal than Obama. It might not be so easy, though, since the other countries have already renegotiated a plan that doesn't include the US. 1/20 Rummaging for
Steve Bannon is back, or he’s trying to be: pitching White House aides and Trump allies on a plan to kill the Mueller probe. 1/16 Worth noting: Trump's recent tweets on Russia mirrored the conversation and storylines, in near real-time, from an episode of Fox &
Russia and the US rattle sabers over Syria, with military maneuvers by both nations—as well as a pair of Trump tweets that travel from aggressive to conciliatory within an hour of each other. 1/19 The midterms just got bleaker for Republicans, as House Speaker Paul Ryan tells colleagues
The FBI raids the office, home, and hotel room of the President's longtime lawyer, prompting an “extraordinary scene†at the White House. 1/24 The fact that the raid was handled by a US attorney’s office suggests Trump’s efforts to co-opt the Justice Department â€
A brief edition today as we take the rest of the week off to recover from the 2018 Tournament of Books. To all who followed along with this year’s ToB: Thank you, and we hope you enjoyed what turned out to be one of our wildest, topsy-turviest years yet.
Ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy will face trial for corruption and influence peddling. 1/16 Eighteen percent of Poles don't accept Jewish people as Polish citizens. Twice as many feel the same way about Muslims. 2/16 Japan makes it known that it, too, would like a summit with
All 22 female Senators from both parties sign a letter protesting the Senate's inaction on sexual harassment. 1/14 American special forces are in more than twice as many countries as US ambassadors. 2/14 In case you missed it: Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens calls
A liberal reporter hits the road with his 93-year-old, Trump-loving cousin to ask people how to fix America. 1/10 Anyone bothered by teenagers protesting America's gun problem with memes is desperately out of touch. 2/10 R.I.P., Linda Brown Thompson, the girl at the center
The March for our Lives movement could succeed where others have failed because of "issue intensity." 1/13 White people don’t frame Trump’s vast negligence as racial, but they should. 2/13 It seems that federal arts funding actually will go up under Trump’s administrationâ€
Trump names John R. Bolton to be his security advisor. With Pompeo nominated for State, he’s got “the most radically aggressive foreign policy team… in modern memory.†1/16 Homeland Security and the FBI say Russia hacked the US power grid and continues to attack our infrastructure.
The White House plans to announce tariffs to punish China for intellectual property theft. 1/16 France’s Macron trumps other European leaders in bro-ship with Mr. Trump by using “man’s man†language and flattery. 2/16 Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince brags about having the First Son-in-Law,
Trump’s telephone call to congratulate Putin—despite notes saying “DO NOT CONGRATULATE†in all caps—should lower expectations for his upcoming summit with Kim Jong Un. 1/10 Incidentally, the White House is furious that a senior staffer leaked the all-caps advice. 2/10 Trump doesn't
A bomb destined for Austin, Texas, explodes at a FedEx facility in San Antonio, injuring one. Austin police say it’s likely connected to the recent string of attacks. 1/13 French police arrest former President Nicolas Sarkozy over alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 election campaign. 2/13 President
The Attorney General fires ex-FBI deputy Andrew McCabe two days shy of his retirement. 1/12 McCabe says it’s an attack on the FBI and the Special Counsel investigation. Trump says it’s a great day for America. 2/12 If you're not keen on this White
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster is expected to depart the White House within weeks. 1/18 Other Trump advisors continue to compete for his approval. How? By telling big whoppers, or answering sensitive questions with offensive remarks. 2/18 India and Pakistan are literally ding-dong-ditching one another’s diplomats.
On a day of student protests against gun violence, a gunman shot two hospital employees at a University of Alabama hospital. 1/12 Fleeing ICE and, presumably, deportation, two die in a car crash in California. 2/12 Electricity demand in the US is flat, thanks to efficiency and outsourcing.
Stephen Hawking dies at the age of 76. An obituary, a list of quotes, a tribute to his place in pop culture. 1/14 Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirms that Russia probably poisoned a spy in London. Hours later, Trump fires him. (“Rex, eat the salad.â€) 2/
Secretary of Defense Mattis makes an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, says the Taliban is interested in talks to end the more than 16-year-old war. 1/18 Trump visits California—not his favorite place, judging by his tweets. Too bad he’s looking at his silly wall, not a real border
Kim Jong-un invites the President to chat about North Korea’s nuclear program. In a “breathtaking†gamble, Trump spontaneously agrees to meet by May. 1/13 The analysis is only just getting started: where did this come from and what does it mean? Is Trump walking into a trap?
In a major new JAMA study, patients on opioids do no better than those taking alternatives. 1/10 The White House sues California to invalidate three of its immigration laws, using a ruling that sided with Obama. California Gov. Brown calls it a "stunt." 2/10 Governors in
Today in Trump-ville: Kushner goes to Mexico, economic adviser Cohn has left the building, and Stormy Daniels sues the president, alleging that he never signed their nondisclosure agreement. 1/16 The President seems prepared to blame Parkland on the gaming industry—catching gamers by surprise. 2/16 Only 13 Delta
GOP strategists say Trump's threat of a trade war appears to be in part timed to Pennsylvania's March 13 special election. 1/13 An economic analysis of Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariffs shows that for every US job they would create, five would
Trump's threats of a steel and aluminum trade war erupted without any prior review by officials—and may well be added to his heap of other random policy changes that come out of nowhere, and then go nowhere. 1/17 Interior Department emails show that Trump's
Italy votes for a new parliament this weekend and Berlusconi is back. At the same time, Germany expects to get another four years of the "grand coalition." 1/23 Ireland is shut down and at least 55 people have died amid sub-zero temperatures across Europe. 2/23 A
President Trump shocks a room full of Republicans by endorsing nearly every gun-control measure sought by Democrats. Both sides think he’ll bend with the wind. 1/21 FYI: Compared to the rest of the world, Americans tend to bend over in a way that makes us look like cashews.
Jared Kushner’s security clearance gets downgraded after a report says foreign powers tried to seek leverage over him. 1/23 Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner...by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties, and lack of foreign
The President says he would’ve attacked the gunman at Parkland even if he was unarmed. We know this is a lie given every other time Trump has encountered danger. 1/22 Trump calls Parkland a “setback†from being able to talk about the economy. Once again, the real
Ten Colorado hospitals successfully reduced patient opioid usage through alternate pain management methods and meds. 1/13 It's not just rate of fire: AR-15 ammo travels three times faster than a handgun's—victims and doctors are helpless. 2/13 School shootings are only the most public
Another mass shooting, more outpouring of outrage, and some very impressive, grieving teenagers—and still the outcome looks to be the same. 1/23 President Trump adds his own twist to the NRA’s talking points: teachers should carry guns, but with a pay raise for their trouble. 2/23
From a White House "listening session" to Marjory Stoneman Douglas students speaking at the Florida State House to a televised town hall with the students confronting Marco Rubio and the NRA's Dana Loesch, yesterday was a dramatic day in the pursuit of American gun reform. 1/
Syrian government airstrikes have killed at least 200 civilians over the past four days on the outskirts of Damascus. 1/25 Sixty-two percent of Americans fault Trump for not doing more to prevent mass shootings; sixty-six percent now support stronger gun laws. 2/25 Trump’s talk about regulating bump
Hostilities escalate outside Damascus; yesterday was the deadliest day in the area in three years. 1/15 A sentiment analysis of every one of Trump's 2,551 tweets during his first year in office—a third are negative. 2/15 Facebook plans to send physical postcards with verification
The Justice Department charged 13 Russians and three companies with a vast campaign to subvert the 2016 election and support Trump. 1/21 Here’s a breakdown of what the indictment says, and an example of what that subversion looks like. 2/21 The Boston Globe dedicates its front page
Yesterday the Senate voted down four different bills that would have saved DACA. The only option that stood much of a chance—but still couldn't pass—came up short on the White House's additional requirements for a Dreamer bill, which include border security, limiting family reunification
A teenager killed 17 of his classmates and wounded 15 more at a South Florida school. Students documented the shooting as it happened. 1/19 Just seven weeks into 2018, this is America’s eighth school shooting to result in injury or death. Since 2013, we average one per week.
US intelligence officials say Russia is actively meddling in this year's midterm elections. Tactics currently include bots spreading disinformation over social media—no hacking efforts have been disclosed. 1/22 Now Facebook was the place where publications could connect with their readers—and also where Macedonian teenagers could
Jacob Zuma defies an ultimatum from South Africa’s ruling ANC party to resign within 48 hours. 1/22 A bout of politics breaks out in Germany, revolting against the “Merkel method.†2/22 The Senate's immigration debate, currently underway, will test the willingness of conservative
Trump blocks declassification of Democrats' rebuttal to the Republican memo, asks the Justice Dept. to work with lawmakers to revise their statement. 1/15 Dozens of White House staff still don't have permanent security clearances—if accelerated, it takes up to six weeks. 2/15 Desalination could
The 2018 Winter Olympics have begun. Here’s a story about the unified flag marched under by North and South Korea. 1/16 The US government briefly shut down again last night after Kentucky’s junior senator drew attention to the GOP’s hypocrisy on deficit spending—but the deal
To avoid another government shutdown, Congress must pass a short-term spending bill by midnight tonight. The Senate is expected to approve a bipartisan deal today that includes military budget increases and an additional CHIP funding extension—but, notably, no DACA protections. 1/23 The bipartisan bill’s passage is less
Senate leaders say they’re close to brokering a two-year budget deal. Meanwhile, the President tells the Defense Department he wants a military parade. 1/19 About 4,000 former Trump University students should begin to receive payments from a $25 million settlement. 2/19 The President's advisors
Markets were choppy this morning after the past two days of declines on Wall Street and abroad. One very good (or awful, depending) reason: The global economy is strong, so banks don't need to stimulate growth, which means interest rates are likely to increase (including for corporations), as
John Kelly was less enthusiastic than Mr. Trump about the Nunes memo, possibly because the last paragraph undermines the Right’s Trump-Russia conspiracy theory. Here's an annotated version. 1/21 Former Director of the FBI Comey on the memo: “That’s it?†2/21 Being in
This morning at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Phil the groundhog saw his shadow, prognosticating six more weeks of winter. 1/19 Punxsutawney Phil is less accurate than a coin flip in predicting the end of winter. 2/19 Every Feb. 2, Woodstock, Ill., where Groundhog Day was
If we’re being honest, the month of January felt like an entire year of news in 31 days. So rather than bring you this morning’s dump of headlines about the GOP/FBI memo, here are three of our favorite thought-provoking articles about the bigger story: 1) “Trump&
FEMA blindsides Puerto Rico by announcing that, as of today, its food and water shipments to the island will cease, citing the recovery of the commercial supply chain. 1/27 At current rates of depletion, Cape Town will turn off water taps in April—exacerbating socioeconomic divides. 2/27 The
Republicans vote to release a secret memo drafted by Republicans—though not a secret memo drafted by Democrats—no matter the Justice Department's opinion that such a release would be "extraordinarily reckless." 1/18 Here’s what we know so far about Trump’s first State
This year's flu is the worst since 2009—and hospitalizations just jumped, which likely means deaths will increase. 1/17 Scientists now posit Earth's first eon, the Hadean—thought to be "dark and hellish"—may still have supported life. 2/17 To aid
President Trump ordered special counsel Robert Mueller fired back in June, but he backpedaled after White House counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign. 1/15 Here are five takeaways from the Mueller-firing news and lots of Beltway Twitter chatter. 2/15 “There are good reasons to be critical of
Trump sends mixed signals to the nearly 700,000 Dreamers, saying he would be open to citizenship after "10 to 12 years," just days after killing a bipartisan plan—in his "shithole" meeting—that offered a path to citizenship. 1/21 Dara Lind on Twitter: "
The government shutdown only broke because Senators had to wait their turn to hold Susan Collins's "talking stick." 1/17 Democrats fail at Republican tactics—like government shutdowns—because they don't hate the government sufficiently. 2/17 Illinois’s Sen. Duckworth says she’s
The government shutdown ends (for the next three weeks, anyway) and the big question is: Who won? Democrats or Republicans? This question represents everything wrong with our current politics, in which we've become preoccupied with rooting for one side and lambasting the other, to the point that actual
The Republicans have become the first party in American history to control the White House and both houses of Congress and manage to shutter the government. 1/13 Here is what’s open, what’s not. And here’s a handy list of Hill reporters to follow on Twitter for
To avoid a government shutdown, the House has passed a stopgap spending bill. Now the Senate must approve the measure by midnight tonight—which looks unlikely. 1/19 Even as the GOP tries to pin the shutdown on Democrats, three Republican senators say they won't approve the measure.
In the world's coldest town—Oymyakon, Russia—a bonfire must be lit to warm the ground before burying any dead bodies. 1/20 About 2,000 people live in a Paris replica in China, many of them working in a nearby France-themed amusement park. 2/20 The US
After a federal judge revived most of the DACA protections on Jan. 9, Sessions announced yesterday that the DoJ would sidestep the US Court of Appeals and take the case directly to the Supreme Court. 1/15 Hoping to avoid a government shutdown, and with immigration at an impasse, Congressional
Steve Bannon meets behind closed doors with the House panel on Russia. Mr. Trump sends a preemptive tweet, “The Russian Collusion Hoax is dead.†1/15 African immigrants who come to the US are generally the continent's best and brightest, with superior educations. 2/15 Photographs
Whether New Yorkers recover from opioids at home or must travel to a clinic correlates with race and income. 1/15 “It’s the prescription thing that’s really severely scary to me. It’s the scariest. I had to go to the street to get it. We were
Trump denies calling Haiti, El Salvador, and all of Africa “shithole countriesâ€â€”a comment even the White House hasn’t tried to claw back. 1/22 “This is CNN Tonight, I’m Don Lemon. The president of the United States is racist. A lot of us already
Last fall, a crowdsourced spreadsheet titled “Shitty Media Men†began privately circulating among women in media. A new variation on a whisper network, it named powerful men in media who were known by female colleagues to have engaged in inappropriate—sometimes criminal—sexual behavior. As the spreadsheet grew longer
At least 13 are dead from mudslides in Southern California, the region’s “worst-case scenario†after the recent fires. 1/18 Canyon dwellers in California defend their way of life—offline and tightly knit—no matter what the weather brings. 2/18 Among recent extreme weather events, here is
The Trump administration says the 200,000-plus Salvadorans living in the US under temporary protection for the past 17 years must leave by September 2019. 1/18 Some US-born children of Salvadorans ordered to depart may choose to remain in the US, though many will leave for a country they&
The White House wants $33 billion over the next decade to start building Trump’s border wall, and GOP senators want an inquiry into the author of the Trump dossier. 1/12 To defend himself from this week’s furious fire, Trump calls himself a "genius.... and a very
The winter "bomb cyclone" currently battering the Northeast is expected to make life miserable—and for many, life-threatening—over the next few days. 1/15 Photos of the treacherous conditions, including lots of people who should be inside. 2/15 Ordering food delivery during dangerous weather is unethicalâ€
“They’re going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.†In a new book by Michael Wolff, Steve Bannon says the 2016 meeting between Trump’s son and the Russians was “treasonous,†“unpatriotic,†“bad shit.†1/20 Trump’s
North Korea reopens its border telephone line with the South—a dramatic reversal of relations and probably a clever strategic move to thwart the White House. 1/16 If you thought Trump couldn’t make himself look any more pathetic: after Kim Jong Un mentioned a nuclear button on his
Yes, 2017 went off the rails. But what pushed it? We asked 29 of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of the past 12 months, and what were the least?
Each year, we ask our editors for their favorite charities to support. You’ll find them below. And if you haven’t become a TMN Supporting Member yet, please join us. We’re grateful for your support. Research shows that when you give cash directly to the extreme poor, they
Yesterday at the UN, four of the five largest recipients of US financial aid defied Trump's threat to cut their benefits, and voted against recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 1/14 Compared to last year, the total number of ACA signups was down by just 4%
The United Nations General Assembly holds a rare emergency special session to vote on a resolution calling for Trump’s Jerusalem declaration to be withdrawn. Trump wants it known that he’s taking it personally. 1/15 It's that jolly time of year when China jails free-speech activists
Early this morning, the Senate passed the GOP tax bill, which now has a clear path to Trump's desk before Christmas. Because it's a gift. But not for you. 1/20 How Republicans passed their deeply unpopular tax reform: Fueled by the ACA repeal defeat, they
The GOP tax bill advances to the House floor for a vote. On average, the cuts for highest earners go way beyond those of people making less. 1/16 Analysis of 27 extreme weather events from 2016 found that human-caused climate change was a “significant driver†for 21 of
After last-minute changes to appease Rubio and Corker, the Senate GOP's tax bill now appears to have the votes to pass next week. Here's what's in the final (for now) bill. 1/15 US executions continue to remain at a 25-year low, as does
The Kremlin feels like it got a nice return on the half-million spent on defeating Putin's enemy: Hillary Clinton. 1/14 “Sharp power†is how authoritarian regimes like China “coerce and manipulate opinion abroad.†2/14 China's vast surveillance network only needs seven
Starting at 10:30 a.m. ET today, the FCC will meet to vote and—most likely—kill net neutrality. Here's where to watch, and here's a thread on what you can do to make your voice heard before and after the vote. 1/15 As
The contest to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Senate is finally over, and the Democrat won. Here's a tally of the contest's winners and losers. 1/17 The president says the loss in Alabama, despite his endorsement, is no big deal; after all, he
Ahead of today's special Senate election in Alabama between Roy Moore and Doug Jones, Alabama's Supreme Court has stayed a judge's order that all ballots, which Alabama typically destroys after an election, must be preserved for at least six months. 1/19 As news
The five-day fire siege of Southern California is beginning to come into focus, with more than 500 structures burned. A Los Angeles Times photographer explains how to shoot wildfires. 1/16 Human rights activists in Singapore explain what it’s like to work in a country where conversations can be
Congress passed a two-week spending measure to keep the government open. The next shutdown deadline is the Friday before Christmas, when lawmakers will be leave for home, placing additional pressure on solving the partisan budget impasse. 1/19 In a rare outcome, a white police officer who killed a black
The world condemns Trump’s Jerusalem announcement. Protests break out in Gaza and the West Bank. 1/19 Thanks to Trump, people are spending more on newspapers, social advocacy groups, and civil and social organizations. 2/19 What the Republicans have learned from Trump: You can say anything you want;
Rohingya refugees, hurricane debris, the President getting the finger: here are the top 25 news photos of 2017. 1/16 Wind-driven wildfires burn out of control around Los Angeles; officials predict a tough battle for the rest of the week. 2/16 “The President stole your land.†Fleece-maker
Deutsche Bank, Mr. Trump’s biggest lender, hands some of Trump's private banking information over to Mueller. 1/14 Alas, none of Trump’s tweets this year made Twitter’s list of most retweeted, though three of Obama’s did. 2/14 “The Mormons came into this
Early this morning, Senate Republicans passed their tax bill, much to the joy of plutocrats and those who believe they're just a lottery ticket away from becoming one. 1/14 A pair of economists, one from each side of the aisle, discuss the finer points of the GOP
Using dynamic scoring, the Joint Committee on Taxation says the GOP’s tax bill will cost America about a trillion dollars. Some Republicans consider that a bit of a snag. 1/15 The Irish Stock Exchange was sold for $163 million—about the same as what some top bankers were
White House officials say they're planning to replace Tillerson with Pompeo, whose role as CIA head would be filled by Tom Cotton. 1/13 Among our endangered English words: “proditomania,†the feeling that everyone around you is a traitor. 2/13 In other news today, Trump
North Korea’s latest missile test, demonstrating that Washington D.C. is now technically within reach, puts new strain on US-China relations. 1/18 A Russian television show in Syria shows grateful Syrians naming their babies after Vladimir Putin. 2/18 A woman approached the Washington Post with a fake
An explanation of the legal tug of war that's left the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with two acting directors, one newly appointed by Trump and the other tapped by the departing director. 1/22 Three years ago, Trump's CFPB appointee referred to the Bureau—which is
ISIS has yet to claim responsibility for the attack on a Sufi mosque in Egypt that killed 305. 1/17 TIME says it didn’t offer “Man of the Year†to Mr. Trump, as Mr. Trump claims. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is worth over $100 billion, thanks to Black Friday.
Your Headlines newsletter will be off for the next two days, and will return on Saturday, stuffed with dressing and deeply discounted smart TVs. After Zimbabwe's government had already begun the impeachment process, Robert Mugabe announced he would resign as president, ending 37 years of rule. 1/20
Putin hugs Assad during a rare meeting at a resort on the Black Sea. He promised to call Trump to let him know how it went. 1/16 Justice Department takes “a surprisingly tough stance†in its attempt to stop AT&T Inc.’s takeover of Time
US-led airstrikes in Iraq have killed many more civilians than we hear about—31 times more, in fact. Here’s the story of one man who found out why his family was targeted. 1/16 Cards Against Humanity buys land on the US-Mexico border, hoping to thwart Mr. Trump'
House Republicans passed their tax overhaul yesterday; the Senate will reconvene after Thanksgiving to vote on its own package. 1/23 Under the new GOP plan, the only clear winners are businesses. While many Americans will receive tax cuts, about 13 million middle-class households will pay more. And by eliminating
More women say Roy Moore made unwanted overtures when they were young. He pulled one of them out of trigonometry class to ask her on a date. 1/17 Republicans who believe the women accusing Moore still won't talk about the women who accuse Mr. Trump. (They just
In an apparent coup, Zimbabwe's military has taken custody of President Robert Mugabe, the country's only leader since its independence in 1980. The takeover seems to be in response to Mugabe's removal of the vice president, a move that elevated his wife, Grace Mugabe,
Bob Corker convenes a Senate hearing to examine Trump's authority to deploy nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Sessions may investigate his boss's list of "conservative concerns"—what some call "a fog machine." 1/20 The Kremlin turns its disinformation machine to Catalonia'
A five-year study of online news chatter confirms that people’s opinions can shift to fit news outlets' ideologies. 1/17 All those "Trump country" articles won't predict election outcomes; they only reflect our current political state. 2/17 “Look even further into the
White House says Trump and Putin won’t meet officially in Vietnam. Putin’s staff says they’ll meet “on the sidelines.†1/20 Profiles of six new stars in the Democratic party, who were inspired by Mr. Trump to run for office and won big this week.
Today Senate Republicans are likely to reveal their tax plan, which is expected to eliminate deduction of state and local taxes and partially remove the estate tax. 1/21 The new House GOP tax plan violates the Byrd Rule, which prohibits massive deficit increases over the next 10 years. 2/
Democrat Ralph Northam won the Virginia’s governor race last night amid a broad sweep for Democrats. 1/20 Interesting stories from the elections: Maine expanded Medicaid by ballot initiative; Danica Roem of Virginia became America’s first openly transgender state legislator, defeating an avowed homophobe; Vi Lyles is Charlotteâ€
Despite the Trump administration's attempts to cripple ACA awareness, signups doubled on the first day of open enrollment, compared to 2016. 1/21 In a reversal of Bush and Obama policies, the Dept. of Homeland Security says in 2019 it will end the temporary protected status of Nicaraguans
Lost amidst all of this week's Facebook news was its admission that it now has around 270 million fake accounts. In 2012, when Facebook hit one billion users, many noted that if it were a country, it would be the third largest in the world. Now its fraudulent
The GOP’s new tax bill is both a “sensible framework†and a “deficit-exploding tax cut†for corporations and the wealthy. Here’s what it means for different income brackets. 1/19 Democrats have been spreading lies about the tax plan on social media, when most families making
Trump's call to execute the terrorist behind this week's attack in New York may compromise the court case, since defense attorneys could argue it prevents the defendant from receiving a fair trial. 1/22 ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the New York attack—its standard
The investigation into yesterday's attack in New York expands overseas. Officials caution against talk of a bigger plot. Of minor interest: What happens when reporters on the street encounter an eyewitness. 1/19 Defiant New Yorkers enjoyed Halloween anyway. So did the Dodgers, forcing a deciding game seven
The biggest news in yesterday's big news out of the Mueller investigation was that George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign adviser, actively tried to court a relationship between his candidate and the Russians. 1/21 Also entangled in the Manafort indictment is Tony Podesta—brother of Clinton campaign manager
New aerial photos of North Korea show its network of prisons and labor camps, which Pyongyang says don't exist. 1/22 The China Post commissions five commemorative stamps to celebrate the country's most important technologies. Completely unrelated: ongoing revelations around who commissioned the Trump dossier. 2/
Elections in western Kenya postponed after protests prevent voting. Turnout is generally lower across the country. 1/22 A list of highlights from an impromptu press conference shows, if nothing else, how much Trump truly loves the media. 2/22 Related: A new bot can detect whether that's
The Senate voted to kill the fine print that opens banks and credit card companies to class-action lawsuits, instead forcing consumers to seek arbitration to resolve financial disputes. 1/17 Chinese President Xi Jinping, elevated to Mao status with the enshrinement of his words in the Communist Party of China&
Trump's executive order temporarily banning refugees expires today, as the White House preps stricter refugee admission procedures. 1/21 The Pentagon provides a loose, detail-free timeline of the events in Niger, while local sources say US troops were almost certainly set up. 2/21 As the caliphate dissolves
In dealing with drug laws and lobbyists, Congress is way out of its league, and the result is legislation that's stripping law enforcement of its power to protect Americans from prescription drug abuse. 1/17 Puerto Rico faced a pollution crisis even before Maria struck. Now with an
Senate passes a budget resolution protecting a planned $1.5 trillion tax cut—that's been crafted behind closed doors—from Democratic filibuster. 1/23 In addition, the budget resolution passage leaves Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge open to oil exploration. 2/23 New research finds that
ISIS may be losing physical ground, but its roots in recruiting jihadists from afar are still intact, as shown by the months-long standoff, now quelled, in the Philippines. 1/15 Spain says it will rule Catalonia directly from Madrid, further blocking the region's independence. 2/15 The stock
If passed, the bipartisan Senate deal would continue funding the ACA insurer subsidies and advertising outreach Trump wants to kill. 1/17 US-backed forces have captured Raqqa, the "capital" of ISIS, which in the past three months has lost two of its three most important strongholds. 2/17
In Iraq, the government seized Kirkuk's resources to help starve moves for a separate Kurdish state. 1/22 Part of the power of "me too" is it confirms ordinary people harass other ordinary people every single day. 2/22 With the discovery of a wi-fi security
Crowdsourced maps are proving vital to aiding recovery teams in natural disasters, as conditions are ever-changing. 1/12 Scientists develop a method to trap carbon dioxide emissions in basalt rock—before they can escape into the atmosphere. 2/12 As participation in high school football continues to decline, many schools
The outcomes of Trump's executive order opening the door to healthcare deregulation aren't clear yet, since it all depends on how the new rules are formed. 1/12 For a glimpse at what might happen, the "skimpy" plans Trump will approve are allowed in
NBC says Trump wanted America's nukes to be increased tenfold, prompting Tillerson to call him “a moron.†Military advisors thankfully convinced Mr. Trump otherwise. 1/18 The White House responds to NBC’s scoop by threatening to yank NBC’s license. Fortunately, NBC doesn’t have
New allegations against Harvey Weinstein, including several accounts of rape, are coming fast and furious. Many of Weinstein’s male allies remain silent, thought it doesn’t look like Ben Affleck’s going to escape unscathed. 1/13 Completely unrelated: Travel around the world in paper cutouts. (Because not everything
Fires in Northern California’s wine country kill at least 10, destroy at least 1,500 buildings. 1/16 A family films their way out while evacuating a wildfire in Sonoma County. 2/16 The Las Vegas massacre marked the 273rd mass shooting in the United States in 2017. 3/
“This is a very weak president in danger of complete failed presidency.†Mister Trump has yet another terrible week. 1/15 In case you missed it: Mattis, Mnuchin, and Tillerson have a "suicide pact" in case Trump tries to remove one of them. 2/15 Here
The Nobel Peace Prize goes to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). 1/20 “I think Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Mattis and Chief of Staff Kelly are those people that help separate our country from chaos.†Getting in his dings on his way out the door, Tennessee
Kazuo Ishiguro, master of memory, is your Nobel Laureate for Literature for 2017. 1/12 Fascinating stuff: How Kazuo Ishiguro wrote The Remains of the Day, with a little help from Tom Waits, in four weeks of extreme seclusion. 2/12 Without offering any specifics, Trump says his administration will
The girlfriend of the gunman in the Las Vegas shooting was met last night by authorities at Los Angeles International Airport. 1/20 After the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Democrats occupied the House floor for a full day. After Vegas, with midterm elections coming up, they're setting
Equifax's former CEO heads to congressional hearings as news emerges that an additional 2.5 million Americans were included in its data breach. 1/21 The other side of gun control: Amid slumping gun sales under Trump, the White House may loosen gun export laws, and gun-maker stock
Police shut down more than half of the 2,315 schools in Catalonia designated as polling stations. Tens of thousands are expected to vote in a referendum that’s already been blocked by Spain’s constitutional court. 1/20 Polar bears converge in the hundreds on a bowhead whale carcass
The situation in Puerto Rico is spiraling into a full-blown health crisis. Nearly half of the population has no drinking water, many have no food, and communication remains spotty. 1/20 With much of Puerto Rico's power grid still offline, the island’s health disaster compounds as medicines
Florida governor Rick Scott heads to Puerto Rico to coordinate recovery efforts. A "vast" migration of Puerto Ricans to Florida is expected in the months ahead. 1/22 Warned that Puerto Rico may become his Katrina, Trump temporarily waives the Jones Act. 2/22 Hugh Hefner dies at
Before-and-after aerial photos of Puerto Rico offer a glimpse at the extent of devastation. On the ground, the health situation is dire—only 20 hospitals are operational and 911 is offline. 1/23 The Republican runoff to fill Jeff Sessions' Senate seat in Alabama became a proxy battle of
The cost of damage in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria may reach as much as $20 billion. 1/16 Just 40 percent of islanders in Puerto Rico currently have potable water. 2/16 Federal aid starts to flow, but Trump doesn’t much care for humanitarian crises offshore. 3/16
Maria downed communication lines to half the island, as Puerto Rico tries to evacuate 70,000 residents downstream of a failing dam. 1/12 “Consider the amount of standard daily doses of opioids consumed in Japan. And then double it. And then double it again. And then double it
With Merkel poised to win a fourth term as chancellor, much of her appeal is that she advances successful systems over political agendas. 1/19 Merkel's popularity is strongest among young voters, who view her handling of the refugee crisis as proof of her authenticity. 2/19 A
Hurricane Maria knocked out power on all of Puerto Rico, and it could take up to six months to restore service. Here’s how you can help the island's relief efforts. 1/16 Photos from Maria's path of destruction across the Caribbean. 2/16 Ways to
Maps and photos of the devastation from yesterday's 7.1-magnitude earthquake south of Mexico City. 1/19 More than 200 people have now died in the earthquake, which occurred on the anniversary of the 1985 quake that killed 20,000 and resulted in Mexico upgrading its building codes
Addressing the UN this morning, Trump says if Pyongyang continues its nuclear threats, the US "will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." 1/18 No one yet knows what it means that the US wiretapped Manafort before and after the election or that federal agents
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the London Tube bombing. 1/15 "He doesn't so much act as much as he merely behaves on camera." This video retrospective shows why Harry Dean Stanton, who died on Friday at the age of 91, is the
Twenty-two were hospitalized after an IED was detonated at a tube station in Southwest London. No leads yet on who's behind the terror attack, but details are developing here. 1/14 Theresa May and London police rebuke Trump for his morning terror tweets after the bombing. 2/14
Pelosi and Schumer say Trump has agreed to protect DREAMers, separate from his fantasies of a southern wall. 1/15 "We send a report every morning to ICE—all the names of everybody that comes in." Some Motel 6 locations in Phoenix appear to be working directly with
While considering appeals, the Supreme Court temporarily blocks US entry to some 24,000 refugees and puts a hold on Texas redistricting. 1/19 A new tactic for ICE: going after relatives who let undocumented kids stay with them after entering the US. 2/19 The Gates Foundation says the
UN official accuses Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims, driving hundreds of thousands from their homes following an attack by Rohingya militants. 1/16 Bangladesh has opened its doors to the Rohingya, but its camps are now overwhelmed and conditions are quickly deteriorating. 2/16 "It&
After making landfall in Cuba last night and slowing on its way to Florida, Hurricane Irma is back to a Category 5, and its outer bands are now reaching Miami-Dade County. 1/27 Highway, airline, and marine maps show the sheer scale of Florida's mass evacuation—the largest
After leaving more than 60% of Puerto Rico without power, Hurricane Irma slows to a Category 4, and is on a path to reach the Florida Keys on Saturday and Miami on Sunday. 1/20 "As soon as I went outside, I realized how panicked people were." Florida&
After killing eight on St. Martin and leaving Barbuda "barely habitable," Hurricane Irma is now hitting Puerto Rico, and will likely reach Florida on Sunday and may reach Georgia and South Carolina on Monday. 1/21 Aerial photos of St. Martin show the massive destruction left in Irma&
Welcome to our new daily Headlines newsletter. (tl;dr: The map quiz will return!) You may have originally signed up when this was a Friday-only newsletter. If you’d prefer to continue receiving this newsletter only once a week (or if you’d like to tell us what you think
The past year has been bad—but what made it bad, more or less? To find out, we asked a group of writers and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2016, and what were the least?
* By pairing up with Bannon, Trump abandons centrists to focus on winning over those who already supported him. * The RNC can't pull funding from Trump without risking low turnout and losses down the ballot. * Paul Manafort further tied to facilitating secret lobbying by Ukrainian pro-Russian parties. * Squatter sells
* Polls favor Clinton in the presidential election, but Wikileaks and unknown geopolitical events still threaten. * If Mr. Trump could make progress in reunifying Republicans, Mrs. Clinton would quickly find herself in a tighter race. * Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau discovers millions earmarked for Trump's campaign chief. * Diary of
* Clinton team prepares for the first general election debate, anticipating Trump's Lewinsky attack. * Contrary to what the Clintons want to hear, there is no concrete evidence that discredits Broaddricks rape claims against the former President. * Once and for all: Donald Trump isnt winning because of factory
* Hackers appear to have accessed the NSA's hacking tools, which the agency uses to hack into foreign governments. * "When Zillow starts warning about sea level rise, it may be time to start worrying about sea level rise." * Baltimore PD consistently applies sexual violence to coercive ends,
* State Dept. says $400m payment to Iran wasn't ransom, but was delayed to create "leverage" in hostage return. * Before and after views of Southern Louisiana, devastated this week by historic flooding. * Worried by Trumputin, Congress wants to obstruct removing Russian sanctionsenergy companies have already started.
* Filipino president links over a hundred government officials to the drug trade, encourages their extrajudicial murder. * Nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri hanged in Iran for spying for the US. * Russian athletes banned from competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympics following the country's doping scandal. * Weightlifting lost its integrity as
* Former CIA chief endorses Clinton, calls Trump a threat to national security. * Sturm Ruger CEO links Clintons perceived opposition to gun rights to a spike in sales. * How a top GOP lawyer guided a Chinese-owned company into influencing US presidential politics. * Missouri public defender, fed up with a funding
* Senator Collins of Maine says she won't vote for Trump over "his constant stream of cruel comments." * Fifty former national security officials say Trump would be "the most reckless President in American history." * Nine beliefs of the neo-liberal. * How Paul Krugman made Trump possible:
* Trump suggests "second amendment people" should shoot Clinton if she becomes president. * Reminder: Trump hasn't spent a dime on TV advertising. * Momentum grows for boycotting the Dominican Republic, where racist immigration policy is deporting Haitians en masse. * Democrats in Congress break from Obama to condemn Brazil
* Away from Rio, Brazil's Senate begins impeachment against Rousseff. * Philippines presidents latest bad idea: calling the US ambassador a gay son of a whore on TV. * There's always a bit of truth to a dangerous punch line, especially when it's joking about taking
* Trump cant win if he loses Florida, but he only has one field office and no visible footprint in the state. * Right-wing commentators cycle through baseless theories about Clintons dire health. * Despite his former insistence, Trump now says he was being sarcastic when he said Obama founded ISIS.
* Trump racks up $64 million in small donations during biggest fundraising period yet. * Citizens United turns the legal wall against foreign money in US elections into something more like a sieve. * Clinton could defeat Trump with capitalism, simply by pledging to grow the economy. * European-style welfare found to provide middle-class
* Since Philippines president Duterte took office last month, over 400 alleged drug traffickers have been killed. * Pivotal election in South Africa may wrest power away from the ANC. * Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega picks his wife to run as his vice presidential candidate. * Trump refuses to back Ryan or McCain'
* Philippines files landmark human rights case against 47 major carbon polluters. * International court orders former Chadian dictator Hissèn Habré to pay his 4700 victims up to $34,000 each. * Polls show that Turks are suspicious of every country that isn’t Turkey, but "levels of anti-Americanism are particularly high.
* Locals will be left with a still-toxic water supply after the Río Olympics. * The "Movement" is a vast Olympics bureaucracy that rewards higher-ups and treats athletes "like replaceable cogs." * Olympians complain about Río's lack of Pokémon Go. * Russia hosts the "Military Olympics,"
* How the Clinton campaign quelled an insurgency: with graciousness. * It took Trump to reveal that "the US electoral system is weak enough for the Russians to be able to influence it." * The Russian practice of “kompromat,” using information to smear politicians, is alive and well. * Government interference with
* Obama nearly steals Clinton's thunder at the DNC, and Joe Biden is ever his Biden-y self. * Hillary Clinton’s husband wore a fetching pantsuit at the DNC. * Trump encourages Russia to hack Clinton's emails, and contemplates endorsing its seizure of Crimea. * Later, Trump says he was
* Five takeaways from the night that Hillary became the first female major-party nominee in US history. * Confirming the FLOTUS's speech: Historians have long acknowledged the role of slaves in building the White House. * The joke that Sarah Silverman didn't use at the DNC: "This past
* Michele Obama wows in Philadelphia—the best person to credibly give a children-centered speech. * Brief history of glass ceilings broken in politics. * The Democrats aren't in disarray—it's Bernie's dead-enders who are in a snit. * Sixteen years ago, William F. Buckley cautioned the conservative
* Democrats open their convention in chaos over emails that show dirty dealings toward Sanders. * Clinton campaign manager says emails were leaked by Russian hackers "for the purpose of helping Donald Trump." * Following leak of emails, DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigns. * White House hires hackers to handle relatively
* In Trump's big speech, he conjures up chaos, promises overnight solutions, and portrays himself as a messiah prepared to rescue the country. * Judging by Trump's global views, Clinton is now running against Putin. * The median age of a primetime Fox News viewer is 68, according to
* American airstrike in Syria kills scores of civilians mistaken for ISIS troops. * The Philippines sees wave of extrajudicial killings—but addicted victims elicit little sympathy. * Erdogan uses coup as excuse to clean up civil service, with a travel ban for academics thrown in for good measure. * Cruz's onstage
* Plagiarism blamed on Melania Trump herself, plus a ballet dancing ghostwriter who was an English major. * It's hard to call any political speech plagiarized—they’re all the same anyway. * For Trump to win the general election, it'll require "the most absent-minded political revolution in
* Cleveland's GOP convention begins, and Melania Trump lifts a key passage from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech. * RNC invites multi-level marketing pyramid schemer to speak. * “Never Trump” Republicans seethe after close call at the start of the convention. * Turkey's latest coup makes no sense:
* Republicans roll into Cleveland for the RNC, with Monday's theme focused on law and order. * Alleged gunman who killed three Baton Rouge police officers yesterday identified as a former marine. * Twenty-six cops have been killed so far in 2016, up 44% from 2015. * FWIW: Hate-ridden Orlando killer was
* Bastille Day attack in Nice leaves France reeling, with at least 80 dead after truck drives through crowd. * First-person account from local journalist on the scene. * Project to make fun of ISIS takes laughter seriously. * Your Friday white paper: Rich people favor military rule more than poor people do, and
* New British PM appoints Boris Johnson foreign secretary, for "glorified trade promotion and PR." * Reminder: When British governments change, the Queen is briefly in charge. * France's presidential hairdresser gets $10,958 a month, a third less than Hollande, who's partially bald. * Related: What really
* Sports organizations are increasingly comfortable with players promoting causes like #BlackLivesMatter. * Member of a Canadian singing quartet holds up an "All Lives Matter" sign during baseball's 87th All-Star Game. * Black employee quits Yale after smashing stained glass depicting slaves picking cotton. * Black lives matter in Nigeria—
* With Cameron out of the way, Theresa May may be the UK's prime minister by midweek. * Real output per person in central London is nearly four times the average in the European Union. * Thanks to Brexit and the pound's slide, Serena Williams missed out on $382,
* Last night, police in Baton Rouge charged at a peaceful assembly and arrested people for following orders. * Thousands of protesters shut down freeways in Oakland Saturday night. * Intentional attacks on police officers are at historically low levels under Obama. * Because America can't respond effectively to mass shootings, "
* Snipers kill five police officers and wound six after a peaceful protest in Dallas. * Police say suspect was upset about the latest recent police shootings, wanted to kill white officers. * Obama: "Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices [that police officers] make for us." * Thanks to videos
* Minnesota man dies in second shooting this week of a black man by police officers. * Department of Justice opens civil rights investigation into police killing of Alton Sterling. * Latest Washington Post poll map shows the presidential race as Clinton's to lose. * House Republicans call FBI Director Comey to
* Clinton is no longer under investigation, but the FBI director's indictment is a ready-made attack ad. * Some 2,000 of Hillary Clinton’s emails were “up-classified” by the FBI. * Republican foreign policy elites say they'll vote for Clinton. * George Saunders crisscrosses the country, attending Trump rallies.
* Suicide bombers attack sites in Saudi Arabia, adding to violence in Baghdad, Istanbul, and Dhaka. * Rio de Janeiro police officers stand outside airport with a sign saying "Welcome to Hell." * Lengthy report on the state and history of Chinese restaurants in small Canadian towns. * Conservative MPs begin to
* Happy Canada Day: Unlike almost every country on the planet, Canada is welcoming Syrian refugees. * Police in Turkey have now detained 24 suspects in connection with the Istanbul airport attack. * Inside a hospital in Afghanistan's most violent province. * If Brexit happens, London will be replaced as the world&
* Senate passes Puerto Rico debt relief bill that will restructure payments and install oversight measures. * Jeremy Corbyn says he won't step down as Labour leader. * Turkey has "served as a rear base, transit hub and shopping bazaar" for ISIS—which may have protected the country from
* EU members met in Brussels today for the first time without Britain. * Nicola Sturgeon is in Brussels to begin talks for Scotland to remain in the EU. * The Istanbul airport assault is the 14th major terrorist attack in Turkey over the past year. * Bernie Sanders: Like Britons, Americans are angry,
* Yesterday's SCOTUS abortion decision goes beyond Texas: It expands the right established in Roe. * Texas governor lets slip that abortion restrictions were about stopping abortions, not women's health. * Citing Brexit fears, South Korea cuts GDP growth forecast and readies stimulus. * EU leaders want the UK to
* Brexit leaders renege on promises. * Fact-checking Boris Johnson's first post-Brexit article—he claims Scotland doesn't want another referendum. * After poor Brexit showing, UK Labour Party wants to oust Jeremy Corbyn, who says he's not going anywhere. * Post-financial crash, local governments outsourced emergency services to
* UK votes to leave EU, Cameron plans to resign, and EU wants Britain out as soon as possible. * British voters under 50 wanted to stay; those over 65 were loudest voices for “Leave.” * Brexit reactions on Twitter. * Scotland voted to remain in the EU, but was dragged out by England.
* The pound hits a six-month high as investors expect Britain to vote to remain in the EU. * UK's electoral commission estimates a final result "around breakfast time" on Friday. * On Tuesday and Wednesday alone, the Brexit vote attracted bets worth more than $4.4 million. * Improving
* Brexit campaigners crisscross the UK for a final day of arguments. * Latest polls find Britain (barely) inclined to remain in the EU. * Recent stumbles by Trump encourage GOP critics to pursue a bid to block his nomination. * Views of Chinese women on Clinton. * Wall Street donors say they’ll cut
* Senators say no to strengthening background checks and preventing suspected terrorists from purchasing guns. * On the gun vote: only 11 senators' votes were up for grabs. * Gun control point and counterpoint: Leah Finnegan annotates an AR-15 owner’s apologia. * Every time a bomb goes off somewhere, every time there’
* US Senate to vote on four gun control bills today; none are expected to pass. * Summer solstice arrives tonight with a rare "strawberry moon." * The Sahel, the world’s largest interconnecting crisis area, is on the verge of collapse. * First country-to-country ride-hail service takes people from Singapore to
* "Secret" memo sees dozens of US diplomats urging Obama to attack Assad, in response to more than 400,000 dead. * The vast majority of mass shooters use handguns, not assault rifles, in their attacks. * See also: FBI crime data shows murder victims by weapon, 2010–2014. * Brexit campaign
* Democratic Senator's filibuster leads to a "path forward" in the Senate on two gun control measures. * Since the gun lobby has long suppressed research, basic questions remain about how policy can lead to prevention. * Trump sees two civilizations at conflict; for Obama, they are one. * To
* Neither Clinton nor Trump have articulated why more airstrikes in Syria are the right response to an attack ISIS didn't coordinate. * Clinton wins the final primary in DC and meets with Sanders, who will address his supporters on Thursday. * If Trump wins, he'll be the oldest
* Photos of worldwide memorials to Orlando—including in places where it's illegal to be gay. * Orlando shooter was enough of a regular at Pulse to have been kicked out before. * Clinton backs assault weapon ban. * A timeline of the NRA and gun makers' wildly successful manipulation of
* American Omar Mateen kills 49 at a gay nightclub in Orlando—America's deadliest mass shooting. * With a history of violence and appearances on FBI radar, Mateen also had two legal licenses for his guns. * Whether Mateen was working for ISIS, or just seeking publicity, the Islamic State doesn&
* Tens of thousands prepare to say goodbye to Muhammad Ali in his home city of Louisville. * Photographs from Ali's storied career. * Former Pablo Escobar enforcer finds fame on YouTube. * Bangladeshi police make breakthroughs in the case of who is killing all of the secular bloggers and activists. * Stunning
* Dispatch from a small, mostly peaceful Muslim Chinese town accused of being “China’s Islamic State.” * Flock of over 1,000 sheep invades Spanish city after its shepherd falls asleep. * The "Nordic paradox"—despite being the world's most gender-equal nations, Nordic countries have a high rate
* Clinton wins majority of pledged delegates, majority of states that have held primaries, and the popular vote. * It's complicated. It isn't just "a woman." It's the right woman at the right time. * "Sanders Vows to Keep Fighting for Nomination Even if
* Car bomb attack kills 11 in central Istanbul, the city's fourth major attack this year. * Islamic State kills nearly 40 of its own on a spy hunt. * Trump orders surrogates to attack judges and journalists in a fascinating-sounding phone call. * AP says Clinton has the pledged delegates and
* Swiss voters overwhelmingly reject proposal to give citizens a guaranteed income. * Wall Street lends Uber $1 billion to fund its subprime auto leasing scheme. * Twenty percent of Title I funding—meant to help poorer school districts—ends up in rich districts. * Over Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, 64 people were
* Massive rescue underway after a migrant boat carrying hundreds capsizes in the Mediterranean. * Conference in Paris gathers the Middle East Quartet, the Arab League, the UN—but not Israelis or Palestinians. * Flooding in Paris forces the Louvre and Orsay museums to move precious art. * From 1910: "Grim fear has
* Clinton to attack Trump's foreign policy prescriptions, hoping to reach moderate Republicans. * Trump loses a golf tournament to Mexico because his name's bad for business. * With an unlikely alliance settled with the US, Iran effectively controls Iraq. * Republicans see conspiracy in secret meetings to justify the
* Former Trump University “professors” say their jobs were to scam people. * How Citizens United killed a little-known public bank account that helped elect both Carter and Reagan. * Most of Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson’s campaign spending has gone to outside consultants. * Views on the US election from the "developing&
* Mafia expert says London's financiers make the UK the world's most corrupted country. * Summers: No wonder Americans don't trust the government—it can't even fix a bridge. * The Mexican Army kills eight enemies for every one it wounds. * Former attorney general Holder
* Round-up of errors and hype about the “nightmare” “superbug” that's circulating in the news right now. * The "folk theory" of democracy says Sanders supporters vote for his policies—a fallacy the media can't resist. * Stanford economist surveys the relationship between newspapers, ads, bias, and
* Two years into the US-led air war against the Islamic State, we're only now hitting significant targets. * NASA calls off today's plan to inflate the International Space Station's new experimental habitat module. * France's 19 nuclear plants go on strike. * Across government, ancient
* Obama aims to transfer a quarter of the remaining Guantánamo detainees to other countries by the end of his term. * The world often forgets Nagasaki. Based on his itinerary, so did Obama. * The media stopped covering racial justice, favoring presidential campaigns—because journalism is overwhelmingly white. * Libertarians have a Trump-sized
* The GOP has a beef with the IRS, and now Congress is considering impeaching the agency head. * "Of all the things that Congress could be truculent about, fighting an epidemic is the worst." * Campaign finance reform that strips away recent rulings would still have to deal with entrenched
* Bayer wants to buy Monsanto and create world's largest GMO supplier. * Obama ends military weapons embargo of Vietnam—possibly as leverage against an encroaching China. * Until last week, the term "Oriental" still appeared in federal law—now it will be replaced by "Asian American."
* Oklahoma's legislation to outlaw abortions is so "blatantly unconstitutional" that it's hardly enforceable. * McDonald's reports that higher pay and better benefits have boosted their bottom line. * Verizon strike faces challenges indicative of labor's larger struggles. * Colonialism is alive in Western
* EgyptAir flight crashes over the Mediterranean; "terrorism more likely than technical failure." * Labor Relations Board rules that companies aren’t allowed to pressure workers to be relentlessly positive. * Restaurants ditch the no-tipping movement. * Whatever destroyed Venezuela's economy, the result is "one of the most severe
* 1954 or 2016? Court orders Mississippi schools to desegregate. * Oklahoma's dedication to tax cuts for oil producers ended up gutting the state's school system. * This tool shows how the gender pay gap varies across US industries. * McConnell wants women to register for Selective Service, where, if
* April is the seventh month in a row to break temperature records. * German electrical grid nearly overburdened with all the renewable energy being produced. * Fifty years after the Cultural Revolution, China is torn between a promise of progress and a tether to Mao. * The Cultural Revolution—hell for millions—still
* The Economist on why democracy fails in the Middle East: fear of Islamist parties; the diversity of Arab peoples. * America needs the government to reclaim its role as an employer to complete the recovery. * "Americans Don’t Miss Manufacturing—They Miss Unions." * Could an American “baby lull” presage
* White House directs all US public schools to accommodate trans students' gender identities. * Seven months after promising to relocate 10,000 Syrian refugees, America has settled under 2,000. * Global urban air pollution is worsening, and most cities in developing countries fall far shy of WHO air quality standards.
* US missile shield in Europe goes live today to protect NATO from Iranian rockets. * Hollande's Socialist government to resign en masse if it loses today's confidence vote in France. * Study finds that mandatory voting in Austria doesn't affect electoral outcomes. * Turkish troops shoot and
* UK's Cameron calls Nigeria "fantastically corrupt"—and Nigerian president Buhari agrees. * How Uganda came to be the world’s foremost exporter of mercenaries. * Gessen: Considering Russia's tone-deaf positions, it's no wonder a motorcycle club can shape its foreign policy. * Three points to
* Sanders likely to win West Virginia today, but Clinton’s overall delegate lead looks insurmountable. * Fictional political pundit out-guesses Nate Silver, 538, Vox, and other "science"-based poll predictions. * Republican senators meet with and praise Supreme Court nominee Garland—and continue to block his fate. * Obama to become
* White House aide harangued for telling the NYTimes the Iran nuclear deal was sold on fiction. * North Carolina to defy federal deadline on bathroom law, risking $4.8 billion in federal funding. * "Rockstar" Democratic fundraiser Elizabeth Warren may find a Trump presidential run playing right into her hands.
* After repeatedly saying he'd support the Republican nominee, Paul Ryan says he can't back Trump. * Profile of Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke, a black Fox News talking head and Trump's favorite lawman. * Dispatch from a business-casual white supremacist conference. * On the campaign trail with John
* Justice Department warns North Carolina that its transphobic bathroom law violates civil rights laws. * The US wasted over a billion dollars trying to fight AIDS in Africa by promoting abstinence. * Europe to cease issuing the €500 bill; $1 million worth weighs five pounds and fits in a small bag. * Quick
* Trump locks in the GOP nomination, Cruz quits the race, Bernie wins Indiana to little avail. * GOP faithful switch to supporting Hillary. * Trump supporters attack GQ writer, who wrote a profile of Trump's wife she didn't like, with lurid antisemitism. * Tennessee governor signs law allowing university
* Andrew Sullivan: The rise of Trump marks the extinction of our democracy. * Opposition to Vietnamese refugees in the '70s was higher than today's opposition to Syrians. * Collection of once-embargoed photos of “enemy” Japanese Bay Area citizens being rounded up. * Neither free-market policy nor individual behavior is responsible
* US and Russia possibly to draw up map of "safe zones" in Aleppo, hoping Russia can convince Syria's Assad to obey. * Photographs and brief interviews from inside Aleppo, where over 250 were killed by airstrikes last week. * Twenty years after Australia enacted strict gun control, the
* Anticipating this weekend's White House Correspondents Dinner, a list of jokes told by every president. * Boehner calls Ted Cruz “Lucifer in the flesh,” “the most miserable son of a bitch in my life.” * Don’t underestimate Trump’s top advisor, who made “a booming business working with dictators.
* Prince was the rare rock star who took his female collaborators and bandmates seriously. * Google knows who you'll vote for. What if we let them? * Flourishing natural habitat at Chernobyl mirrors modern understanding of radiation's therapeutic upsides. * "In the Republican presidential frontrunner's telling,
* US destroys $800m of the Islamic State's cash reserves with air strikes. * Big strike at UK's National Health Service results from a plan to make doctors work Saturdays without extra pay. * Lucid, entertaining John Lanchester piece on what money is exactly and what it will become
* Turkey arrests another European journalist for insulting Erdogan, second time in recent weeks. * In a free speech showdown, Egypt doesn't just deny it murdered a student—it’s investigating a Reuters journalist over the very suggestion. * Audio from a news report about Kim Jong-un's birthday applied
* Obama meets with EU leaders to address unity problems, nixes the idea of a UK-US trade agreement. * Cruz and Kasich join forces, each to bow out in certain states to let the other go alone against Trump. * America should embrace Europe's "right to roam" laws, where
* Seven-time Grammy winner and "consummate showman" Prince dies at home in Minnesota at 57. * Prince’s autopsy is today, six days after he held a Paisley Park dance party to show everyone he was fine. * Collection of the most ridiculous stories about Prince—who didn’t believe in
* Japanese officials raid Mitsubishi after the company admits cheating on fuel-economy tests. * Divestment tactics are still polarizing, but public opinion is now against the fossil fuel industry. * Latin American countries, besieged with drug violence, were rebuffed by prohibitionists at a special UN summit. * Obama visits London to lunch with the
* After Clinton and Trump win New York, the media praises Trump’s new “presidential” tone. * Scholars and political junkies wonder if The Donald could be impeached as soon as he takes office. * Indiana becomes Cruz’s top priority: a chance to end Trump's hopes of entering Cleveland with
* If Trump or Clinton lose today's New York primary, it will be "the biggest upset in recent polling history." * Homeless New Yorkers explain how they manage to live in the city's airports, bus terminals, and train stations. * Airbnb is trying to partner with SEIU,
* Supreme Court to decide if Obama overstepped by granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. * Supreme Court opinions in Citizens United prefigured the Sanders-vs-Clinton dynamic. * There is no Bernie movement. * Manitoba offers voters a "none of the above" option if they don't like any of the
* UK begins its official campaign over an EU exit, preparing for the "Brexit" referendum on June 23. * The average "democracy score" of 29 formerly Communist countries in Eurasia has declined every year since 2004. * Czech Republic may change its name to Czechia (CHECK-iya), which even its
* Six months after the government told people in Flint to use bottled water, the tap water's still not drinkable. * ISIS appears to be losing in Iraq, but liberated areas aren't being stabilized. * Ever since Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 girls, thousands more have been taken, many
* Syria peace talks resume in Geneva, with the fate of Assad still a stumbling block. * America's ongoing air wars in the Middle East have depleted our stock of bombs. * Human Rights Watch issues startling report warning of the dangers of “killer robots.” * For poor Americans, geography greatly affects
* Following the Panama Papers, EU to require multinational firms to disclose more tax information. * The Panama Papers counterintuitive conspiracy theory: Putin is the mole. * So many Detroiters are seeking concealed pistol permits, classes are booked for two months out. * Analysts say NPR is signing its own death warrant by ignoring
* Government surveillance planes routinely circle over major American cities, but don't fly much on weekends. * The CIA's venture capital arm—who knew?—invests in a skincare start-up that collects users' DNA. * UK spy agency helps prevent leak of the latest Harry Potter. * David Cameron faces
* There was a 50% uptick in executions worldwide between 2014 and 2015. * Al Qaeda is winning a PR war over ISIS in Yemen by providing social services. * Boko Haram has used women and girls in more than 100 terrorist attacks since 2014. * There are some 4,000 internally displaced people
* Global military spending is on the rise—36% is the US alone, at $596B. * The trials of women and children refugees, who now make up over half the refugee population in Europe. * Report finds "unprecedented" levels of violence and threats against abortion providers in 2015. * Obama's
* Mossack Fonseca, the firm at the center of the Panama Papers, provided financial services to Bashar al-Assad's cousin and financier, whom America has sanctioned. * Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with his brother-in-law and other top officials, linked to Mossack Fonseca. * All mentions of the Panama Papers have been
* Guide to the Panama Papers, exposing the financial workings of Putin and other world leaders and their families. * Anonymous leaker: “I want to make these crimes public.” * Related: How to wrap your head around the size of 2.6 terabytes worth of leaked material. * Cruz confident in winning Wisconsin tonight—
* “Panama Papers” document links Putin, Xi Jinping, other leaders and family to shady tax evasion firm Mossack Fonseca. * One immediate consequence of the leak: Icelandic PM hit with calls for a snap election. * Inside Iceland’s Kviabryggja Prison, which holds the only bank chiefs convicted in the wake of the
* Aung San Suu Kyi to get a PM type role, bypassing Myanmar's ban on her becoming president. * Brussels airport likely to reopen tonight. * Researchers use terrorist-tracking technique to prove that Tyrion Lannister is the hero of Game of Thrones. * Obama has no right to lecture the press while
* Terrifying Ebola update: Nearly half of survivors may go blind—possibly incubating the virus in their eyes. * Head of Libyan unity government sails into Tripoli in brave, possibly doomed gesture. * Obama hosts his fourth and final nuclear summit; Putin boycotts. * We have only a year or so to stop investing
* British man posed for selfie with EgyptAir hijacker mid-flight to get a better look at his suicide belt. * The end of the Cold War left a painful ideological vacuum in Europe. * Twelve questions for Niall Ferguson regarding his "medicore" Kissinger biography. * Unbearable uncertainty for refugees stuck in Greece.
* Long before Brussels, ISIS sent agents into Europe, and officials failed to notice ties to the nascent group. * Big companies like General Mills, Mars, and Kellogg to label GMOs—thanks to little Vermont. * Self-declared prophet—on crusade for minimum wage—shot in US Capitol after pulling a gun. * Governor Brown
* Suicide bomber kills 70 on Easter Sunday at Lahore amusement park, injuring 300 others. * Why the US keeps killing ISIS's second-in-command: because there are so many of them. * Between the CIA and the Pentagon, America funds both sides of a firefight in Syria. * US cities lower murder rates
* Sixty percent of Republicans say the party should look elsewhere if Trump merely finishes with a plurality. * List of possible scenarios if the GOP has a brokered convention. * Misogyny isn't an incidental part of Donald Trump. It's who he is. * See also: Jimmy Kimmel mansplains to
* US intelligence officials grumble over Belgium's handling of its worsening Islamic militant threat. * Chart of victims of terrorist attacks In western Europe since 1970. * American injured in Brussels airport also survived the Boston marathon attack. * Tyler Cowen's favorite Belgian things. * South Sudan’s president, accused by
* Search continues for missing Brussels suspect, one of three men believed responsible for yesterday's attacks. * World Trade Center's tribute to Brussels was far more red, white, and blue than black, yellow, and red. * What Europe lacks: a cross-national security agency with the power to carry out
* Terrorists kill 34 or more in attacks at the Brussels international airport and a city metro station. * Eyewitness accounts from Belgium. * Cameron knocks the UK Independence Party for immediately linking the attacks to immigration. * Rebecca Solnit on the officer-involved shooting that symbolizes San Francisco’s gentrification. * Raul Castro becomes latest
* George Packer on how Tunisia, post-Arab Spring, became the Middle East's leading exporter of jihadis. * Twenty-five percent of Puerto Rico will probably get Zika within a year; 80% or more may become infected. * Only 37% of Americans have the savings to cover a $500 car repair or a
* North Korea launches ballistic missiles test, following Obama's new round of sanctions. * Latest Chinese social-media skinny craze finds women trying to hide waists behind single sheets of paper. * The Chinese nickname for Facebook—“must die” or “doomed”—makes sense when Zuckerberg jogs in smog. * Related: Chinese citizens grow
* America’s first climate refugees, a Native American tribe in Louisiana, receives $48 million to relocate. * The story of Oyotunji, a West African village in South Carolina. * Kurdish-controlled area in Syria to declare autonomy. * Putin: If need be, Russia can re-up its armed forces in Syria to previous levels "
* Myanmar elects Aung San Suu Kyi’s chosen president, ending decades of military control. * Profile of two Chinese sisters who, after years in Boston’s Chinatown, are awash in gentrification struggles. * Clinton and Trump win big in Tuesday's primaries, see path to nomination. * All of the Republican campaigns
* Putin pulls Russia out of Syria, either because Assad’s rule is secure again, or he no longer cares. * War in Syria has made refugees of some 2.4 million children. * Four Egyptian children charged with blasphemy for mocking ISIS. * Summary of issues at stake for Democrats today in Florida,
* Death toll from Turkey's car bombing in Ankara rises to 37; officials blame the PKK. * Obama’s SCOTUS shortlist reportedly shrinks to three nominees. * Less than nine months after Charleston, the move to remove Confederate symbols slows or stops. * White voters hope Trump will restore the racial hierarchy
* Merkel’s refugee policies to be tested this weekend in Germany's regional elections. * Carson endorses Trump, calling him a "leader with an outsider's perspective." * White Trump supporter who punched a black protester in North Carolina: "Next time, we might have to kill him.
* Top State Department drugs official encourages other countries to decriminalize narcotics. * Some nine million Americans have private wells with dangerously high levels of lead, according to Virginia Tech projections. * Bus of journalists attacked, set on fire, during a press tour organized by the Committee Against Torture. * The unethical practice of
* Slovenia and Croatia shut their borders to migrants to shut off migrants' "Balkan route." * Populism wins at the polls, with big victories by Trump, surprising win by Sanders. * Shocked by the Sanders coup in Michigan, pollsters reexamine numbers for other Midwestern states with open primaries. * Trump'
* Voters go to the polls in four states, with Michigan the biggest prize for both parties. * Clinton voters like Obama more than Sanders supporters do, and other divisions. * Related: Clinton shilled for worldwide fracking as Secretary of State on behalf of industry interests. * If the GOP does split, it may
* Afghanistan, America’s longest war, is being almost entirely ignored during this election cycle. * Takeaways from the Democrats' debate: Sanders got personal; Clinton scored on guns. * Sixty-eight percent of Sanders supporters don’t watch cable news. * Potential upside of Trump’s destroying the political norm: the end of big-money
* Energy Department scientists say they’ve reached the “holy grail” that may remake the electrical grid. * Obama sent five men on a mission to find out if the NSA should collect metadata; their answer is no. * To summarize the state of Republican politics: The front-runner assured America that his penis
* Study finds Islamic countries have significantly lower homicide, suicide, and overall lethal violence rates than non-Islamic countries * When CNN commenters clash over the K.K.K. in 2016, it's both terrifying and deadly serious. * Map of European place names with the word "Saint" in them. * The
* Super Tuesday sees Democrats solidify around Clinton, Republicans vent rage via Trump. * The GOP faces two endgames: Donald Trump for president or a contested convention. * The best article we've seen to explain Trump's success: Amanda Taub's "The rise of American authoritarianism." * However:
* As Super Tuesday states head to the polls, Politico predicts Clinton and Trump to all but bury their rivals. * "Super Guides" from 538 to Super Tuesday, Republican and Democratic editions. * In case you missed it: John Oliver focuses his show on Trump, or Drumpf. * Consultants, friends, and Super
* Yesterday's Islamic State suicide bombings kill 70 in Baghdad's deadliest attack this year. * Former governor of the Bank of England says the Eurozone is doomed. * Cases for and against the $100 bill. * Rock, probably as well as anyone could, held the industry to account on its
* High turnout as Iranians vote in first elections since the nuclear agreement. * Latest Republican debate turns into "screamfest," with Rubio on attack. * Trump continues to be a heat-seeking missile in the GOP, blowing up every obstacle in his way. * In 1992, Parents Magazine asked women if Donald Trump
* After protesters are banned from marching in Seoul, "ghost" holograms take their place. * Dominatrices offer Wall Streeters 15 minutes of spankings for $27, with proceeds going to Bernie Sanders. * In case you missed it: Leather-clad Ted Cruz greets voters at Reno-area fetish club. * One should be cautious about
* Obama makes final push to close Guantanamo, move prisoners to the States, and save a bunch of money. * Ethiopia’s precarious development threatened by another famine; food may run out in May. * People in KKK robes showed up at one caucus site to support Nevada’s winner: Donald Trump. * For
* Oceans are rising faster than at any point in the last 28 centuries and humans are to blame, scientists say. * Oil prices have dropped so low, even pirates aren't interested. * Oil sellers “may be forced by bankruptcy conditions to relent and accept whatever price they can achieve.” * On
* Saudi Arabia’s weapons imports for 2011-15 increased by 275% compared with 2006–10. * Amidst alleged murder spree, Kalamazoo man continued his job as an Uber driver. * Students were armed during America's first school shooting and it didn't help much. * Sanders unlikely to be pleased that
* Ankara was bombed Thursday; Turkey blames Kurdish groups allied with United States against ISIS. * Myth of the “black vote” breaks down in Harlem, where some think Clinton will do more for blacks than Obama. * Clinton built a primary "firewall" in Nevada then left it alone, and now Sanders
* Supreme court justices are passionate politicians, not oracles on a Jedi Council. * To deny Obama a third Supreme Court, Republicans invoke Chuck Schumer. * Money hasn’t won votes so far this primary season. * New website sells fancy hotel rooms by the hour, pleasing lovers as well as hotels trying to
* GOP race may come down to that “white whale of politics,” a contested national party convention. * See also: Animated war gifs by the great Christoph Niemann. * Twitter users respond to Jeb's photo of his gun with pictures of tea cups, light sabers, bigger guns. * Somehow, a boiling river
* Now is the time to check the Supreme Court's powers, not pay deference to them. * Scalia abhorred the “exalted conception” of the Court, but his death puts it front and center. * In his decisions, Scalia said the court—”a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine”—needed to
* McConnell commits to unprecedented stand against the Presidency's authority to nominate Supreme Court Justices. * Hillary commits to "single-issue" critique of Sanders—she even unveiled a call-and-response cheer that breaking up banks won't end racism. * In 1990, Trump lost millions to a Japanese gambler, so
* Takeaways from the sixth Democratic debate: Clinton is specific, perhaps nobly; Sanders is all coffeehouse rage. * Kanye West’s sneakers are currently a better investment than almost any other asset class. * "Pharma bro" Martin Shkreli and Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah feud with videos. * See also: The
* After negotiations are broadcast live on YouTube, remaining Oregon militia members agree to surrender. * On Hillary and Bill's first date, they crossed a picket line to see a Mark Rothko exhibit. * Milbank: A new Jeb Bush has been sighted on the trail and on TV, and this one
* After Trump triumphs in New Hampshire, GOP envisions a long, bruising fight to secure a palatable competitor. * Sanders’s youth movement powered by revived energy in the new campus left. * Gloria Steinem's comment—that young women are supporting Sanders to meet boys—shows the rift between imperial and
* FOP is the world's largest association of police unions. A third of its contracts with US cities require the eventual destruction of misconduct complaints. * Chicago's FOP shapes often-false narratives around victims of fatal police shootings. * How a law unique to Florida, allowing juries to reach the
* Amid accusations North Korea fired a missile over Japan, the rocket entered space and dropped an object into orbit. * French police have been using the government's state of emergency to target Muslims. * Europe does not have a refugee crisis; the top refugee-accepting countries per capita are in the
* Obama pressed by top military advisers to attack the Islamic State in Libya. * Sanders gets credit for last night's debate performance, but still is expected to lose massively if he's the nominee. * Jeb's request for applause is the latest sign he's giving
* UN panel says Julian Assange is being arbitrarily held by the UK under threat of arrest. * Trump says Cruz stole Iowa with voter fraud and wants his win disqualified. * Iowa doesn’t decide the nominee. But it does send a clear signal about the direction a party’s taking. * Elif
* Rand Paul joins O'Malley and Huckabee in dropping out of the presidential race. * Sanders viewed as goofy father figure, Clinton perceived as disciplinarian mom. * An all-caps reaction to the liberal backlash against Hillary Clinton. * Kool & the Gang backs out of GOP Convention gig. * Kanye walks back greatness
* Cruz wins in Iowa, a result that will likely leave the GOP in an even more frustrated state than if he'd lost. * Clinton grabs very narrow victory in Iowa. * See also: Why a tie for Bernie is actually a win for Clinton. * Trump took 39% of Iowans who
* Polls point to Trump and Clinton winning Iowa's caucuses, though Iowa is notoriously difficult to poll. * Iowa parties and Microsoft to launch an app tonight to replace a keypad system for reporting caucus results. * FAQ for the Iowa caucuses—"a lot of debating and moving around."
* White House to require companies to report what they pay employees by race, gender and ethnicity. * In Norway, a barrel of oil now costs less than a single salmon. * Tennessee teenagers dead possibly from drinking "Dewshine," a mix of Mountain Dew and racing fuel. * GOP candidates pledge to
* Officials from the WHO say the Zika virus is “spreading explosively” in the Americas. * Iran's Hassan Rouhani makes his first official visit to France and gets straight to business, post-sanctions. * See also: Normalizing relations with Iran is far from naive—it's a proven tactic for peace.
* French justice minister steps down, protesting plan to strip convicted terrorists of their citizenship. * Standoff in Oregon ends with both Bundys arrested after brief shootout. * Dead Oregon militaman told NBC he’d rather die than go to prison. * Trump to boycott Fox News' Republican debate, calling host Megyn Kelly
* In dramatic reversal, grand jury indicts creators of Planned Parenthood sting videos. * Why Republicans are backing Trump over Cruz. * The biggest problem with Cruz isn't his hypocrisy—it's his all-out attack on mainstream Republican voters. * Cruz at 18: "I’d like to take over the
* Syria peace discussions begin today in Geneva, starting with "proximity talks," where groups meet separately. * Winter Storm Jonas—the second-biggest snowstorm in New York City history—shuts down government offices in Washington, D.C. * Despite the travel ban in New York, some used the blizzard as a chance
* More than 500 flights cancelled ahead of the East Coast's dreaded weekend storm. * Washington Post shuts down its column on "what was fake on the internet this week." * Haiti's opposition presidential candidate calls the planned run-off a farce with only one candidate. * Probably no
* Report finds Putin "probably" approved the poisoning of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinetko. * "As he lay dying, he traced the lethal substance to a former comrade in the Russian secret service." * Inside a Russian attempt to engineer unending daylight. * Two scientists indicted for emailing confidential GlaxoSmithKline
* In 21 states during 2014, gun deaths outnumbered car deaths. [pdf] * Drug overdoses are the cause of a recent spike in deaths among young, white people. * California has the most death row inmates in the US, hasn't executed anyone in a decade, but won't end the
* "Republicans tweet out flowery statements on MLK Day and even insist that King was one of them." * A cross-country trip to photograph the streets named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. * A little more than a third of US employees receive MLK Day as a paid holiday. * Nearly
* A day after the WHO announced the west Africa Ebola epidemic over, a new case surfaces in Sierra Leone. * For the second year in a row, the Oscars are lilywhite. * The Academy's nominations show it values women more as subjects of violence than desire. * How the 2016 Oscar
* After two years and 11,000 deaths, the Ebola epidemic in west Africa is now over. * "If Clinton keeps falling in NH and Iowa polls instead of rising, the establishment may not be able to bail her out." * Picking an SEO-in-Chief. * Al Jazeera America failed by misunderstanding the
* Obama tries to counter the GOP's glass-is-half-empty conversation. * Minute-by-minute takeaways from the State of the Union. * In case you missed it: CNN previewed the State of the Union in the style of a Wes Anderson movie. * Obama spotlights criminal justice reform as an avenue for progress even in
* Bernie Sanders makes his point. * "The US had 43 presidents before Obama, but only five stood before Congress as Obama will this Tuesday night." * Ted Cruz's constitutional law professor says Cruz is eligible for the presidency—the Founders probably wouldn't agree. * Physicists spent a
* Sean Penn's renegade interview helped Mexico pin down escaped cocaine boss Guzman. * Conclusions from a new book on how isolated, commiserating extremists band together online. * French crackdown after Charlie Hebdo exposes a double standard when it comes to defending free speech. * Obama will campaign for the Democratic nominee,
* American drone strikes in Pakistan, as well as the number of people they killed, dropped significantly in 2015. * Almost 4,000 Pakistanis have been killed by American drones since 2004. * A staggeringly high amount of people killed by drones under Obama have not been military targets. * He may have wanted
* "More people will get into more trucks. Most of them will get where they're going. But a few of them will die." * Turkish police raid business making fake life vests—that actually sink—for refugees. * Hundreds of thousands of indigenous Peruvians were sterilized under a nefarious
* Hundreds of "drunk and aggressive" men molested women in a New Year's attack in Germany, stirring tension over refugees. * Susan Sarandon reports on the refugee crisis. * How each presidential candidate must perform in the early states in order to win their nominations. * Navigating the personal, legal,
* With five months left to do anything, Obama is pushing nearly 4,000 new regulations through bureaucracy. * Obama's executive actions on guns will expand federal background checks. * See also: How federal background checks work. * The process of buying a gun in California, which has some of the harshest
* Hate won 2015. * DHS is preparing to deport "hundreds" of Central American families who fled violence this month. * At least 83 people deported by the Obama administration to Central America in 2014 were murdered. * Obama will soon announce executive actions on gun control. * Executions in Saudi Arabia reach
* The Coalfield Development Corporation brings affordable housing, employment, and mentoring to Appalachia. * People for Bikes lobbies for a five-fold increase in biking in America by 2025. * Five-step checklist for maximizing your year-end donations. * See also: Charity Navigator's guide to great gift-giving. * GiveDirectly lets you send money directly to
* Failures of Obama—and Bush before him—have created, for the first time, an unabashedly liberal Democratic Party. * Democrats reluctant to embrace millennial black voters don’t understand the numbers behind the movement. * "Starting Saturday, tribes can claim jurisdiction over non-Native men who commit crimes of domestic violence."
* Grand jury decides not to indict anyone in the case of Sandra Bland. * CBS edits debate focus-group footage to exclude Muslim-American commentary critical of American militarism. * Are Shkreli’s antics—not far from Big Pharma’s usual practices—enough to bring the industry to heel? * T-shirts already available to celebrate
* New Star Wars film has biggest opening in movie history despite not opening in China yet. * In Spain, Podemos party surges as two formerly dominant parties both lose votes for the first time in Spanish democracy. * How Israel is trying to restore domestic safety—steps the Palestinians call vindictive and
* Writers, editors, and thinkers reflect on things that were and were not important in 2015. * Encyclopedia for much of what was discussed this past year in the District of Columbia. * Election to head of government is associated with a substantial increase in mortality risk. * DNC suspends Sanders campaign's
* The GOP's foreign policy divide comes down to whom Republicans blame—George W. Bush or Barack Obama—for the rise of ISIS. * Spending bill to lean left, tax bill to tilt right: how Congressional sausage gets made. * GOP uses bills to gut online privacy, which Dems considered “small
We asked writers and thinkers to tell us: What were the most important events of 2015—and what were the least?
* A fact-check of last night's Republican debate. * History shows a mainstream Republican beats Trump. There are no mainstream Republicans in the race. * "Yellen wants borrowing costs to return to pre-recession norms so we can finally declare an end to the Great Recession era." * The death penalty
* Acceding to party pressure, Merkel cites limits to multiculturalism, says Germany will soon stop accepting immigrants. * "The top Google search in California with the word 'Muslims' in it was 'kill Muslims.'" * Federal probes of police departments don’t always result in change, but Obama
* How the DHS's shoddy beginnings begat pointless oversight and rampant fraud, smuggling, and sexual abuse. * More than 33,000 people who built America's nuclear arsenal have died from health issues sustained in their work. * Suburban office parks are becoming "obsolete." * Investigation into corrections officer-on-inmate
* Jury finds white Oklahoma City cop Daniel Holtzclaw guilty of 18 counts of rape and sexual assault, all against black women. * The full testimonies of the 13 women who accused Holtzclaw of rape and sexual assault. * Holtzclaw's mistake that got him caught: assuming all black women in Oklahoma
* Use of federal watchlists has dramatically increased under Obama; half of those being watched have no known ties to terrorist organizations. * Obama continues his push to ban those on the no-fly list from buying guns. * How Chicago's black police officers handle their department's legacy of brutal
* Not that it matters, but Donald Trump's anti-Muslim policy proposal would be impossible to implement. * J.K. Rowling says Donald Trump is worse than Lord Voldemort. * Pop star Zayn Malik's soft, subtle revolution against Islamophobia and the fear of Muslim men. * Study confirms that text messages
* Trump's bid to bar all Muslims from entering the US shouldn't be a surprise—he's the candidate we deserve. * Election history shows that even during a normal year, Iowan voters rarely settle on a decision until the last moment. * Academics say most violence in
* France's far-right National Front party makes historic gains in Sunday's elections, securing at least six regions. * Five takeaways from France’s regional elections. * Clinton on reining in Wall Street: Strengthen the Volcker Rule, reward whistleblowers, extend the statute of limitations for major crimes to 10 years.
* Obama will veto, but the Senate just killed the ACA, defunded Planned Parenthood, and voted against denying terror suspects firearms. * A bill filed in Missouri requires those seeking firearms to face the same scrutiny as those seeking abortions. * The Massachusetts medical examiner takes an average of 242 days to find
* On a state-by-state basis, mass shootings like in San Bernardino do little to change gun control laws. * Rahm Emanuel threatened to withhold Chicago resources from black communities if the Laquan McDonald protests turned violent. * GOP's Senate campaign branch warns those up for reelection to stay away from the
* Much of the $260M in nonlethal military gear—e.g., Humvees—the US supplied to Eastern Ukraine rebels is falling apart. * Profile of ex-Chicago PD superintendent from summer 2012, as the city's murder rates were rising quickly. * Kern County, Calif., is home to America's deadliest police
* New cases of diabetes in the US decline—we either reversed course or simply peaked. * Why black Americans with diabetes are more likely to receive amputations than white patients. * Shopping as a black woman at a gun show in rural Indiana. * In-state college football rivalries are class warfare, because America
* French police teargas crowds and arrest more than 200 ahead of the Paris Climate Conference, which begins today. * UN climate conferences are soap operas. * Elizabeth Kolbert profiles Christina Figueres, who is facilitating the Paris climate conference. * "In terms of the [Paris] negotiations, they're largely a sham."
* Finally, the Pentagon admits the cause of the Kunduz bombing: "human error." * Businesses against Black Friday are principled—but also practical. * Son turns in his financier father as Petrobras scandal envelops three more of Brazil's most powerful people. * Giving people free money is the best solution
* "The lack of sound, and the cold way the officers moved...made a horrifying act seem almost mundane." * The final stop for north-bound refugees is an arctic town as alien to newcomers as they are are to the villagers. * "What does ISIS want," behavioral economics version.
* Corporations salivate at Republican shutdown over Syrian refugees to pass raft of business-friendly legislation. * Foreign-policy experts keep their heads in the sand and their fingers on the trigger. * A poet remembers his chemotherapy, when he thought all drugs would be as harmless and effective as his mother's coffee
* While France seeks a US-Russia coalition against ISIS, the US is training Ukraine to fight Russia. * "Political correctness keeps us from talking honestly about the refugees." * Canada's Syrian refugee plan: only women, children, and families. No unaccompanied men. * Anonymous's latest PsyOps internet offensive: rickrolling
* Obama orders inquiry on whether intelligence was doctored into a sunny view of the military campaign against ISIS. * Damascus-area hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders bombed by unknown partisans. * "The attacks in Paris don't reflect a clash of civilisations but rather the fact that we really do
* The Paris attacks were planned over the past 11 months. A January raid in Verviers galvanized Abaaoud's resolve. * Belgium’s system of local government, ruled by clientelistic interests, left huge cracks for ISIS to exploit. * ISIS’s first female suicide bomber in Europe grew up in Paris. Her
* "Russian airstrikes hit medical facilities at least 10 times during their first month of bombing in Syria." * As long as there's war, there will be famine. * Finding the connections between the Paris terrorists and their locations before and during the attacks. * "U2 had the opportunity
* Paris police raid apartment believed to house the chief planner behind Friday's attacks. * "Western leaders and public policy intellectuals [tell] you what they will do about Muslims, talking at Muslims." * Islamic State's online "help desk" makes it easier for a wide network
* This is "precisely what ISIS intended." To win, France must recognize the feelings terrorists inspire in recruits. * Unlike the Charlie Hebdo attacks, France's mood isn't solidarity, but suspicion and hostility. * "When they come in they may not be extremists. But the way the
* The Islamic State's grand strategy is to throw areas into chaos before stepping in to fill the void. * "Unfortunately, elements of European society are reacting as the Islamic State desires." * IS operates out of a surprisingly tidy lower-middle-class neighborhood in Brussels. * Friday's attacks follow
* US airstrikes intend to shut down two-thirds of the oil production controlled by IS. * Police arrest 16 in Italy, Britain, and Norway who were planning to kidnap European diplomats. * Donald Trump wants his poll numbers back, compares Ben Carson to a child molester. * The long, bitter relationship between Obama and
* "Everyone here, it seems, has an angle to work, scrambling to fill the void left by the collapse of the Syrian state." * A real caliphate would clean up the mess called IS. * Congress passes bill establishing legal rights for citizens and businesses to own resources in outer space.
* The VA is sequencing the DNA of one million veterans to better understand PTSD. * Ten percent of death row prisoners are veterans, most with PTSD. * America's H1-B program is a lottery—now it's a sham because large outsourcers are flooding the pool. * None of the Republican
* "In the past century or so of European history there have been many more examples of disintegration than integration." * Cameron's demands for Britain to stay in the EU: a bigger voice, pound protection, limited refugee welfare. * A language barrier and poor government communication has left 400,
* Severe budget cuts hit state AIDS units in India, which provide free condoms to sex workers. * Justice Dept. chooses 10 of 567 recognized Native American tribes with whom to share access to criminal data. * October's jobs report broke records, and statistically speaking, it shows the past two months
* Exxon Mobil investigated over possible climate change deception—like tobacco, it could result in years of litigation. * Since deregulation in 1978, the US airline industry has never been profitable for more than six years. * Internal TSA report finds that the TSA is terrible at its job. * "Jeb Bush could
* Inside the two billion miles refugees traveled to possible—but by no means guaranteed—asylum in 2015. * Why it's so dangerous to fly in Russia: aviacannibalism. * Romania's government collapsed after a devastating nightclub fire. * "Policy journalism in Washington is thriving. It's just not
* Houston landslide vote makes whoever produced the pro-discrimination bathroom ad a hot 2016 commodity. * Around the US, voters kicked liberal causes to the curb. * Ahmed Chalabi, who pushed the US into the Iraq War for his own gain, dies of a heart attack. * The Manipulator: Jane Mayer's 2004
* Keystone XL pipeline company requests a delay for its government review—Obama still plans to veto anyway. * Antarctica is gaining more ice than it's losing; the bad news is there's a sea-level rise, and now we don't know why. * "It's the
* Russian and Egyptian officials dispute IS's claim it brought down the airliner that crashed Saturday. * Proposed bill would bar prosecutors from reading emails between prisoners and their lawyers. * Last year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives inspected 7% of licensed gun stores. * The next time you
* One-child policy raised the cost of raising a kid, making it too expensive for most families to have more than one. * To fight climate change, billionaires should buy up coal and never mine it. * "Elon Musk can keep on making $100,000 cars, but he should make some Teslas
* Weeks before the raid on Osama bin Laden, White House lawyers created legal rationales for every possible outcome. * Today marks 18,967 days since a US president died in office—a new record. * DNA testing shows two-thirds of "wild-caught" restaurant salmon is actually farmed. * Federal funding is scarce
* Deposing Saddam caused brutally destabilizing aftershocks. * Data breaches motivating corporations to hand over more and more responsibility—and sensitive information—to the feds. * George Washington's wealth was almost Trumpish. * US students' math scores fall—Common Core may be why, since it doesn't teach some of
* If last night's debt ceiling deal happens, it's good for Obama's legacy, Ryan's cotillion, and Boehner's barn. * South Carolina campus cop tosses desk-bound student to the floor. * A lack of sleep can undermine all areas of health—and blacks are
* WHO deems processed meats carcinogenic—less than two slices of bacon a day increases bowel cancer risk by 18%. * Meat lobbyists use inside influence to keep environmental impact outside scope of dietary regulations. * A history of the WHO's carcinogen findings and what "definitely," "probably,"
* Up to 25 states are ready to sue the federal government over yet-to-be-announced climate change laws. * Syrian refugees blaze a new path into Europe: bicycling across the Arctic Circle. * Giant hurricane headed for Puerto Vallarta. * Amex is finding itself in a precarious position familiar to companies who relied on reputation
* "Technology has helped make today’s struggle feel both different from and continuous with the civil rights era." * With nowhere to escape, rural bullying victims suffer more—online bullying is just as inescapable. * Endorsements are the best predictor of campaign success. And Biden had too few. * “In 10
* Putin greets Assad in Moscow, to Washington's chagrin. * Paul Ryan offers Freedom Caucus his terms for GOP speakership, which they have until Friday to accept. * An episode from Bernie's Burlington days offers an answer to whether Bernie is a radical or a Democrat. * “The public is
* The Democrats are set to win the White House—and lose just about everything else. * Washington Post accidentally publishes Biden announcement "shell story." * A brief history of Trump quitting before he could be fired. * Harper out, Trudeau in as PM. Atlantic Canada showed notable shift in support away
* Leaked drone papers warrant a Congressional investigation—Democrats must decide whether they'll take on Obama. * For a yearlong period, drone strikes in northeastern Afghanistan killed 200 people, only 35 of whom were targeted. * Drone pilot tells how his crew nearly blew up a man for smoking a cigarette.
* Even if Russia is in Syria to further prop up Assad, so far it hasn't achieved much toward that goal. * US special ops analysts knew the hospital in Kunduz was a hospital. * Homeland is TV's most Islamophobic show. * Homeland graffiti artist: "This kind of stereotyping.
* Obama to halt Afghanistan withdrawal, where troops have now been deployed for 14 years. * Obama sends 300 troops to Cameroon to aid the fight against Boko Haram. * Russian hackers attribute their NATO server attacks to Islamic militants—they didn't reckon on getting caught. * Russian strikes in Syria give
* The stabbing attacks perpetrated by Palestinians are spurred by social media, without any recognized leader. * The Turkish "deep state's" role in the recent bombing of a peace rally. * Photos of the hospital the US blew up in Kunduz, Afghanistan. * Lessig explains his presidential platform. * "Murdoch
* Iran's parliament passes nuclear deal; dismantling of facilities will begin next week. * Iran tries to get a prisoner swap with the US for jailed Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. * Stabbing attacks in Israel continue, as two people are killed and 16 wounded on a bus in Jerusalem. * Nearly
* Double bombing targets pro-Kurdish peace rally in Turkey, killing 97. * "Europe has seen nothing like this for 70 years—the visible expression of a world where order is collapsing." * Iran's long-range ballistic missile test may have just violated the terms of the July nuclear deal. * More
* "If current rates of smoking in China continue...2 million people in China will die per year in 2030." * The House's best move to replace Boehner is simply not to vote, so he remains Speaker. * As the debt ceiling deadline looms, Boehner's departure threatens
* Senate Democrats will block all legislation until new gun-control bill is heard—and then of course killed. * San Francisco's last gun shop closes up for good. * The NRA's gun museum is as awful as it sounds. * The last time Russia involved itself in Syria, it was
* NATO doesn't buy Russia's apology for violating Turkish airspace. * "The release will be one of the largest discharges of inmates from federal prisons in American history." * When inmates blow the whistle on abuse in solitary confinement, they are tortured by guards. * In Kentucky, when
* EU spikes agreement that gave US companies access to Europeans' data for the past 15 years. * Ex-Santa Cruz sheriff may cross ethics line by promoting his smart-gun startup to former department. * Hedge fund manager that solicited Wall Street donations for Scott Walker's campaign: "I'm
* Round-up of the big questions facing the Supreme Court's new term that begins today. * California police arrest four high-school students after uncovering a shooting plot. * Gun advocates have yet to explain how something in the American psychology, rather than our high volume of firearms, explains our homicide rate.
* "Sandy Hook marked the end of the US gun control debate. Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over." * President Obama makes the speech he wishes he didn't have to. * Obama: Chart gun deaths against terrorism deaths and tell me this isn't
* The one way Syria could get more complicated: Russian airstrikes. And that just happened. * Anyone who says Russia and America are on the same page right now would be lying. * Most Russians oppose military intervention in Syria—Putin is gambling with his popularity. * Afghan government says it's retaken
* Germany is relaxing housing standards to a questionable degree to absorb wave of migrants. * Super PACs openly skirt campaign law by filming ad footage in advance or releasing it for free. * Trump's deficit-inflating, bourgeoisie-friendly tax plan is everything he said it wouldn't be—and par for
* The US should welcome Russia's entrance into the fight against IS, even if it means America gets upstaged. * Taliban took Kunduz at dawn. If defended, it will be the first provincial capital to fall since invasion. * Robert Mugabe shouted “We are not gays” at the UN yesterday, and
* Catalonians have voted for independence. Spain will have to decide whether to let them have it. * By 2055, Asian-Americans are predicted to be the largest source of the 18% of Americans who are foreign-born. * Since you seem to like the internet, you should know Jeb Bush is the anti-internet candidate.
* Major climate diplomacy: China to launch the world’s largest carbon market through a cap-and-trade system. * Egyptian president pardons journalists imprisoned for years—without evidence—as Muslim Brotherhood members. * Tragedy strikes Mecca: More than 700 dead in nightmare stampede at precarious pilgrimage site. * "Boehner is trying to avoid a
* "VW has become a bigger downside risk for the German economy than the Greek debt crisis." * The VW scandal is ill-timed for Germany, which is chastening others over debt and refugees—and touting its low carbon footprint. * Related: "Schadenfreude does not square with America’s national obsession
* Hillary Clinton says she's against Keystone XL, days after a college student interrupted her, demanding its rejection. * China's president pledges to help the US fight cybercrime, says it's a victim, not a perpetrator. * A US-China "cyber arms agreement" is a good start,
* The Burkina Faso presidential guard attempted a coup—the rest of the army wasn't as enthusiastic. * Shkreli's pharma profiteering is hardly unique, but it sheds light on an odious—and dangerous—practice. * Scientists think they've isolated dengue's virulence to a single protein—
* Tsiprias calls re-election a clear mandate; Greece's fifth election in six years had record low turnout. * US military directed its soldiers to ignore Afghan commanders' sexual abuse of boys. * "They were novices, with higher voices than mine, and they didn’t know where to find an
* Initially saying asylum seekers could pass through freely, Croatia closes borders after 11,000 migrants pour in. * Trump doesn't correct questioner who says Obama is a Muslim. * Trump has shown us that if 2012 was the first internet election, 2016 is the first viral election. * Why aliens abduct
* For Putin, helping restore peace in Syria could mean an end to Western sanctions over Ukraine. * When pressed on the issues, Trump withers—here's a guide to what he stands for, as best as one can figure. * People are finally talking about Trump's anti-vaccine position. * Joe
* Hungary declares state of emergency as migrants continue to enter the country. * As Hungary tightens borders, migrants seek alternate routes; Croatian PM says they can pass through, but can't stay. * Putin promises continued military support of Assad. * Orbán is playing to Hungarian xenophobia—he may win the political
* "They leave behind increasingly empty neighborhoods—from the Damascus suburbs to the northern city of Aleppo—that testify to the scale of their exodus." * EU struggles to get member nations to accept refugees, as Hungary imposes new laws to deter migrants from staying put. * Today's Syrian
* Dept. of Energy suffered over 150 successful cyber-attacks between 2010 and 2014; 19 targeted nuclear weapons. * Reminder: US government information systems are routinely hacked. * MIT researchers: Government networks are antiquated, vulnerable because of a lack of research funding. * Richard Glossip scheduled for lethal injection this week; however, Oklahoma's
* Chicago police are focusing more on seizing firearms than arresting low-level drug offenders. * Chicago's South Side, where much of the city's violence takes place, to get long-overdue Level 1 trauma center. * US officials block documents detailing the Gitmo torture of Abu Zubaydah, who lost an eye
* Oregon may be the driest state in the country, with 70% of the state in extreme drought. * California is currently experiencing its largest forest fire, which has burned through 160 square miles of the San Joaquin Valley. * Six brush fires alone were sparked by lightning in LA County yesterday. * EU
* Freddie Gray's family to receive a $6.4 million wrongful-death settlement from the city of Baltimore. * The Freddie Gray settlement is more than the $5.7 million Baltimore paid in total from 2011 to 2014 in police brutality lawsuits. * Some experts believe taking misconduct settlements out of policing
* Following the entry of 20,000 migrants into Germany, Merkel implores EU to accept its fair share of asylum seekers. * The child of a "guest worker" in Germany in the '90s knows how short-lived the goodwill can be. * As Europe struggles with one of its largest humanitarian
* Families are stranded in a Budapest train station as Europe and Hungary accuse each other of a humanitarian crisis. * The dangerous symbiosis between smugglers, migrants, and saviors plays out in the drama of a rescue on the Mediterranean. * Hungary: This is "not a European problem. This is a German
* Barbara Mikulski's support pushed Obama's Iran deal over the top, the culminating step in a well-laid plan. * Republicans are eyeing how to delay implementation of the Iran Deal, or use it as a wedge issue against Democrats in 2016. * China celebrates Japan's WWII defeat
* Dennis Hale from "The Gales of November" died today—nearly 49 years after surviving the next-to-last Great Lakes shipwreck. * The migrant crisis: Germany welcomes with water and documentation; Budapest overwhelmed, closes train station. * Which European nations are letting in refugees. * Unpaid political ads—e.g., Trump's
* To catch up to Russia in the Arctic, Obama proposes Coast Guard icebreakers to operate year-round. * An interview with Goosebumps creator RL Stine. * After years of decline, murders are up in US cities; cited reasons include rivalries, more guns, and unaggressive policing. * Doctors rebuke police after patient is shot seeking
* Concerned it might break anti-terrorism laws, the British Library passes on Taliban documents. * French court orders disability allowance for electromagnetism sufferer whose symptoms are blamed on gadgets. * Seeking parole, jailed New York fortunetellers say the psychic industry is a scam. * Obama officially changes the name of America's highest
* Sixty years ago today, two white men killed Emmett Till—and the Civil Rights Movement began. * "They used to say that the little LA (Louisiana) had a direct line to the big LA (Los Angeles)." * Two extra days in jail is all it takes to turn a petty
* China is investigating 23 people it says are responsible for the Tianjin explosions. * To save New Orleans, the Mississippi River mouth must be abandoned, say engineering and design teams. * New in German vernacular: "Merkeln," which means "to do nothing, make no decisions, issue no statements." * To
* Pentagon investigates whether its ISIS intelligence skewed too optimistic. * Police get new high-tech toys, including unregulated phone-hacking Stingrays ("spy first, ask judges later"). * Freddie Gray's life was testament to another bulwark of racism: poisonous lead paint and the scams that preyed on its black victims. * Trump&
* Tensions ease between Koreas—North "regrets" land-mine maimings; South to switch off loudspeakers. * Every time the stock market loses this much this quickly, a rebound follows. * A young investor in China: "I have no confidence with regards to the future of our capitalist market." * "What
* Russia blocks all of Wikipedia over a page that explains how to make hashish. * Literary magazines for socialists funded by the CIA, ranked. * Twitter kills Politwoops, which monitored worldwide politicians' deleted tweets. * "Racism won't really get addressed in this country 'til people stop looking for
* Science: "Why so many humans are disgusting, heartbreaking, cheating scumbags." * The secret to a happy relationship could come down to science—if only it was so straightforward. * How couples will break up in 2115. * "I can tell you about the moment I heard Pimp C was dead.
* The Bernie Bunch is the problem. * Increased longevity means Japan can no longer afford to gift 100-year-olds with a silver sake dish. * Around 15,000 government email addresses were exposed in the Ashley Madison hack. * Latino children are scared of Trump. * UN will let Iran inspect its own alleged nuclear
* German Parliament approves third Greek bailout, as Merkel faces conservative revolt. * Some 2,000 migrants are now arriving daily on the Greek island of Lesbos. * New Orleans, 10 years after Katrina: Officials tout recovery, while 100,000 black residents still haven't returned—and likely won't. * Hillary
* "President Obama declared a bank holiday, to the chagrin of President-Elect Trump." * Footage shows the prime suspect in the Bangkok bombings that killed 20 on Monday. * The IRS breach of more than 300,000 taxpayers' records fits the pattern of being worse than initially believed. * States move
* The NSA's decades-long partnership with AT&T was essential to the agency's surveillance program. * How ProPublica determined the NSA's unnamed telecommunications partner was AT&T. * The Iowa State Fair is hell on a candidate's campaign-trail diet. * Trump wins Iowa Fair
* US has "credible information" ISIS used chemical weapons on Kurdish forces in Iraq. * Over the past year, ISIS has developed a horrific, systematic market of sex slavery. * On the anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender, Abe expresses remorse, but—significantly—doesn't apologize. * Explained: Why Japan&
* "The heroin epidemic of the 21st century is largely a white person's scourge." * Connecticut Supreme Court rules death penalty unconstitutional. * Children of incarcerated parents suffer from depression and PTSD—which should be no surprise. * Workers' children are those most affected by unpredictable work schedules. * To
* "Data on use of force by police across US proves almost useless." * Pragmatically, a sixth New York borough will never happen. But what if? * Mapping how bohemian New York's boroughs are along an inverse relationship between income and education. * Clinton Correctional Facility inmates claim beatings and
* Video of the Day, Ash Koosha, "I Feel That." * Robots are learning to play jazz—which is great—so they can improvise on the battlefield. Which is, well. * Robert Gagno is Canada's pinball champion. He also has autism. * Ferguson declares state of emergency after police shoot
* Maura Johnston and Billy Joel close down the Nassau Coliseum. * "If you want to know why executive pay is skyrocketing...it's because of this change in the tax code." * Researchers are divided over whether there's a single property that links all languages. * Why jails
* Republicans took center stage in Cleveland last night—and Cleveland is taking center stage in their strategy. * He got huge cheers for saying exactly what he thinks throughout the debate, never tempering his now-signature style. * The Donald wins with campaign finance reform: Don't blame me for the way
* Kerry sees everybody winning in the Iran deal—if Congress can keep its finger off the trigger. * What Trump would do as president. * The CIA said it was getting out of the torture business, but Panetta's correspondence suggests otherwise. * David Graeber: To overcome the circle of violence, we
* China outsources to South Carolina, where wages are offset by subsidized cotton, tax breaks, and cheaper energy. * The biggest corporate donors are supporting two candidates: Bush and Clinton. * Jeb's latest "misspeak" about overfunding for women's health suggests a troubling problem with debates looming. * Nine
* Republican candidates gather in New Hampshire without Trump and make bombastic statements of their own. * Stupidity in politics is old, going back to "bunkum" (1820s) and earlier; at least today we don't have duels. * Nearly 50,000 people have given to Ben Carson's campaign,
* Obama to unveil tough environmental regulations, attempting to stake out an uncompromising position. * Monday's Clean Power Plan announcement is one step, not a giant leap, for climate action. * In the new age of espionage, old-style human spying proves useful against advanced cryptography. * Profile of Darren Wilson, who shot
* College Board sugarcoats US racial history after conservatives threaten to drop AP courses. * Photo series shows how, in 250 years, the Mason-Dixon Line never really faded. * A painter scours Iowa for remnants of the Underground Railroad. * Jewish settlers set fire to two houses in the West Bank, killing a Palestinian
* Cameron vows to protect British holidaymakers and secure UK borders. * Planned space missions include asteroid redirection and Martian archeology. * Your app is probably lying when it shows Uber drivers near your location. * Trophy hunters like Walter Palmer are a big reason why we still have lions at all. * How an
* Barney Frank: Progressives shouldn't support Bernie. * Trump would rather end his campaign than face scrutiny—and then cash in on his new brand. * A 2004 profile of Donald Trump, PR genius. * White House curtails expectations of a Snowden pardon. * Critique and database of publicly disclosed information on what
* Inside a cat circus. * Americans are downsizing their calories, ending decades of food-gorging and weight gain. * NATO holds a rare emergency meeting to address the threat ISIS poses to Turkey. * Boston spurns Olympics—and precedent—by citing costs prohibitive to hosting 2024 Summer Games. * An open letter from Musk, Hawking,
* Former finance minister hacked Greece's tax records in the event of a return to the drachma. * The black dust caking Chicago's Southeast Side. * Flint residents can't afford water—and what they get is chlorinated beyond safe limits. * How to give away a home in
* Life sentence recommended for exec who caused deadly salmonella outbreak. * As the threat of inquiry looms, State Dept. is overwhelmed with Clinton private email controversy. * Autopsy of Sandra Bland concludes no foul play. Family to seek independent autopsy. * Nearly six in 10 Americans, white and black, think race relations are
* For the third "straight" year, most Americans accept our gay reality. * New study: Glaciers melting 10x faster than expected; ocean to rise 10 feet in 50 years. * Trump has around 515 jobs and whether he's worth $50 million is anyone's guess. * Oncologists stand with
* From Twain to Strayed, an exhaustive map of American literary road trips. * Texas officials deny doctoring footage of Sandra Bland arrest. * Who said it: Donald Trump or Frank Reynolds? * A list of the world's uncontacted peoples. * In 1998 Al Gore dreamed of a satellite that photographs Earth daily—
* Humans are bad. Even the ones who made this spectacular video for Azel Phara. * Reporter asks hackers to commandeer his car to prove they could kill him. * Donald Trump's McCain comments show he doesn't know what he doesn't know about war. * Hot chicken was
* Greek banks reopen, and first debt payments are made. * For now, Greek merchants say they'll absorb higher VAT, rather than punish customers. * Texas violates the 14th Amendment by denying birth certificates to undocumented immigrants' newborns. * The Austin American-Statesman ends in-house printing with a luscious web tribute. * Survey:
* The Chattanooga shooter's blog had two posts, both about religious reasoning. * A year after MH17's downing, and we're months away from an official report. * Commandeering smart cars—and other ways hackers could kill you. * A roundup of essential reading about China's hacking
* There's no precedent to rescind a Medal of Freedom—Cosby should be the first. * It's 2015, and US immigration still hasn't switched from paper to computers. * After 145 years in New York City, FAO Schwartz shutters. * "In every Pixar film, the protagonist’s
* IMF will only support Greek bailout plan if debt relief is in the package. * UN: 15,000 civilians have died in Iraq over the past 16 months. * Pyongyang invites every member of Congress to its anthrax-free facilities. * Israel, Saudi Arabia, and neocons hate the Iran deal—it means no war.
* Iran nuke deal goes to Congress—Obama will veto any obstruction. * New York settles Eric Garner wrongful death suit for $5.9 million. * Military to end ban on transgender service members. * Obama commutes sentences of 46 people convicted on drug charges. * Most of the 46 commuted sentences were for cocaine
* EU's harsh Greek bailout terms are because of the nation's "no" vote. * Brief explainer of what you need to know about Puerto Rico's debt crisis. * Mexican cartel kingpin El Chapo escapes prison for the second time. * Serbian PM attacked at commemoration of
* US is OK with Malaysia's appalling trafficking record, because trade deals. * The story of the tiny team that saved healthcare.gov from itself. * China likely behind breach that leaked Social Security data on 19.7 million background checks. * Antisemitism undercuts French protests. * FDA changes ibuprofen warning to cover
* Wimbledon court attire rules—all white, not even cream—are being enforced like never before. * Every single word spoke by a person of color in [FILM TITLE]. * Today you are less likely to be bitten by a shark because there are more people in the water to bite besides you.
* "For most of the early decades of its existence, the extension of EU integration coincided with strong economic growth." * Star stock Alibaba takes brunt of Chinese economic downturn, hits lowest price since IPO. * Hackers for FBI are hacked, showing they're also retained by repressive regimes targeting
* "Black hole awakens, erupts after 26 years"—suddenly, 8,000 light years doesn't sound far enough away. * South Carolina measure to remove the Confederate flag heads to the House, where anything could happen. * Congress's rewrite of No Child Left Behind will become a debate
* Today South Carolina lawmakers will start deciding the fate of the State House's Confederate flag. * Reminder: The US Capitol is still full of statues of Confederates. * NASCAR fans at Daytona proudly display Confederate flags that have "absolutely nothing to do with slavery." * "You never really
* A play-by-play on the controversy that's shutting down Reddit right now. * Episcopal Church votes to divest from fossil fuels. * Bernie isn't too radical—Gallup says 49% of Americans would accept a socialist president. * Clinton emails display telling responsiveness to Wall Street requests. * Jim Webb's
* BP to pay Gulf states $18.7 billion in oil spill settlement. * Cuba pioneers protocol to eliminate HIV and syphilis transmission from mother to baby. * HIV vaccine researcher goes to prison for faking results and taking more than $7 million in grants. * After decades of diminished crime, shooting and murder
* Greece to receive paperwork and side-eye for IMF default, which sounds more serious than it is. * Greek PM appears to soften on anti-austerity, and could remain in office. * Another historically black church was hit by arson last night, in South Carolina. * With no accelerant evidence, FBI suspects lightning, not arsonists,
* Ebola-free for more than a month, Liberia reports a new case of the virus. * Greek PM promises to resign if nation votes for austerity. * Everything you need to know about the Greek debt crisis. * New US pay rule would restore purchasing power for overtime workers to 1975 levels. * Utrecht takes
* SCOTUS takes a Monday victory lap with three final cases. * Arsonists have targeted at least six black churches in the South over the past week. * White supremacy, undercover. * Lessons learned by @afamhistfail after six years of teaching plantation tours. * Following ACA decision, investors bet on insurance market consolidation. * Texas to
* Bree Newsome scaled the South Carolina State House flagpole and removed the Confederate flag. * Supreme Court rules against same-sex marriage bans. * Andrew Sullivan: "It is accomplished." * "A ban on discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity still eludes us." * Neither Texas&
* Supreme Court says Obamacare can keep tax subsidies. * Alabama governor removes Confederate flags from Capitol. * Democrat Jim Webb is the only 2016 hopeful who thinks maybe the Confederate flag should stay. * Bombing victim: Tsarnaev's apology was hollow and insincere. * Middle-class black families tend to live in lower-class neighborhoods
* NSA spied on French presidents from 2006 to 2012, according to Wikileaks. * UN Peacekeepers accused of sexually abusing children in the Central African Republic. * "Colleagues say they are witnessing a more human side of Obama than they have seen before." * Secret World War II mustard gas experiments grouped
* Amazon and eBay are still selling the Confederate flag items you can no longer buy at Walmart. * "People are starting to acknowledge the evil and pain we see when we see that flying at our state Capitol." * A tour of a white supremacy subreddit: "a demagogic turd
* "If we were seen as living, we would not be dying simply because whites don’t like us." * FBI director says Charleston shooting isn't terrorism because the shooter lacked political motivation. * Hundreds of worshippers filled Emanuel AME Church yesterday. * Harlem church congregations swelled on Sunday, showing
* White Americans need to have an honest discussion about white culture. Because that isn't happening. * Today was the 14th time President Obama has given a speech following a mass shooting. * Lindsay Graham says the Confederate flag "works" in South Carolina—the shootings disprove that. * Dylann Roof
* Police identify Charleston church shooting suspect as 21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof. * There would be no Dolezal story without the stories of Kalief Browder, Tamir Rice, and Renisha McBride. * How the Dominican Republic stripped 210,000 Haitian descendants of their citizenship. * We've overstressed our worker honeybees, and that'
* If the court cripples Obamacare, happy Republicans will face millions of unhappy, uninsured Americans. * Artificial trans fats to be phased out of US food supply over the next three years. * French ecology head says Nutella's use of palm oil contributes to deforestation. * Inside the dirty tactics of last
* US drone strike kills al Qaeda leader who refused to join ranks with ISIS. * Nearly 27 years after his father was elected president, Jeb Bush officially announces his campaign. * Source code of Jeb's website contained several paragraphs summarizing the Die Hard films. * South Korean government requires smartphone users
* With the transfer of six inmates to Oman, Guantánamo holds 116 remaining prisoners. * Hong Kong radicals arrested with explosives ahead of political reform legislation. * Greek state TV network back on the air two years after being closed for austerity. * Iowa Supreme Court rules people have a right to be drunk
* Ahead of UN investigation on Gaza War beach deaths, Israeli military says no laws were broken. * When cops kill people, "excited delirium" is often listed as cause of death— doctors say it's not real. * "I’m tired of explaining I’m capable of complex, rational
* History shows if IS wins, we'll first contain it then begrudgingly accept it. * Paul Ford explains code. * Visual politics of the Israeli occupation, where social media documents one side or the other—but never both. * Diane Rehm asks Bernie Sanders if he's an Israeli citizen because
* US to send 400 military trainers to Iraq to battle IS, and hopefully stay out of combat. * Cushy capitalist gigs await ex-Obama staffers on other side of revolving door. * McKinney cop who pulled gun on teens resigns after investigation finds his actions were "out of control." * Albert Woodfox
* Patient zero in Seoul's MERS outbreak "coughed and wheezed his way through four hospitals." * Pools have a long history as a racist suburban site of urban ghettoization. * Summer: "the season of hyper-surveillance and even more aggressive policing of young people of color." * A mother
* Kalief Browder, who received national attention after his torture at Rikers, commits suicide. * Suicide rate in black teenagers has doubled since the '90s, even as the white rate has fallen. * Turkish ruling party loss could open door to left-wing, pro-Kurd coalition—or extreme nationalists. * The HDP say they can
* Hackers expose US government employee data—that's three federal data breaches in the past year. * Officials believe China is behind the latest federal data attack, and that it was state-sponsored. * Yesterday marked the 26th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest. * "It's not just that Curry
* South Korea closes more than 700 schools as a third person dies of MERS. * Two drugs already on pharmacy shelves are discovered to help treat Ebola. * The Red Cross raised a half-billion dollars for Haiti and built six homes. * Las Vegas, the youngest of the Southwest's water-sucking cities,
* "The Senate has been riven into a strange mix of groups united by their ideas about surveillance and security." * The morals of Russia's secret army of misinformation operators don't always match those of the trolls they portray. * California's constant new crisis. * Never
* India's "mytho-nationalist" worldview. * How a University of Arizona professor precipitated media's transformed coverage of Caitlyn Jenner. * Sort through The Counted: the people who've been killed by police in the US so far this year. * China's strategic investments in infrastructure abroad
* The Patriot Act is only mostly dead—the USA Freedom Act is mostly the same, without bulk telecom surveillance. * Rand Paul was ready for his closeup in last night's congressional tussle over spying. * In a smartphone-connected world, hurdling corporate and cultural roadblocks in the fight for the blind.
* Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert indicted for hiding payments made to alleged blackmailer. * Investigation into who owns London's most expensive mansion. * If you’re recovering a body in an apartment building, ask every tenant to make coffee—it covers the smell. * For the first time in
* The silence of FIFA's sponsors shows that the big business of global soccer still outweighs bad press. * Piers Morgan: Thank you, America, for bringing down one of the world's most "disgraced and disreputable" organizations. * The only way self-government can re-emerge in Libya, Iraq, Yemen,
* More than 1,100 dead from heat wave in India, where temperatures in some areas have hit 117 degrees. * "[Texas's] population and building booms are far outpacing efforts to reduce exposure to flood dangers." * FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges in Zurich to be extradited to
* Cleveland protests after police acquittal of cop who fired at least 15 rounds inside car of unarmed black couple. * In a $1 billion pay dispute, fuel retailers cut supply to Nigeria, shutting down businesses and transport. * Former Israeli PM Olmert sentenced to eight months in prison on fraud charges. * "
* All six Baltimore police officers indicted in Freddie Gray's death. * US military flyover of Chinese artificial islands is either "entirely appropriate" or "provocative." * Today, Ireland could be the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. * A close read of banks' admission
* New video of Freddie Gray arrest contradicts Baltimore Police report. * Photos of the ancient site of Palmyra, Syria, whose antiquities are now under threat by ISIS. * Crude oil spill along California coast threatens rare ecosystem that's one of only five in the world. * Europe's seal pelt
* Los Angeles passes $15 minimum wage increase, to be implemented by 2020. * On Iraq, candidates flub with "Given what we know now." * FIFA president proposes Israel-Palestine "peace match" to settle soccer dispute. * Thinking of history by generations is reductive, inaccurate, and always demeans the young. * Boomers
* White House bans transfers of certain types of military-grade weaponry to local police departments. * While Obama has retracted Bush's most creative unilateralism, the surveillance state remains off-limits. * Historian argues the American presidency has always been an elected monarchy—we just don't call it that. * State Dept.
* US and China may ratchet up sanctions on North Korea, whose nuclear program shows no sign of abating. * A shootout between police, biker gangs in Waco, Texas, leaves nine dead, nearly 200 arrested. * Former Egyptian President Morsi sentenced to death for prison outbreak during Mubarak's last days. * For
* China's on track to finish 2015 with the biggest reduction in both coal use and CO2 ever recorded by a single country. * In summary, Jeb Bush had a very bad week trying to talk about Iraq and his brother. * Coup fails against Burundi's president; coup leaders
* By flouting term limits, Burundi's president may have angered neighboring countries enough to support a coup. * US argues TPP will help agriculture exports—it will also export our awful reliance on processed foods. * After convincing—and even paying—chess grandmasters to play for the US, America is a
* Amtrak derails in Philadelphia, killing six passengers and wounding dozens more—still no cause determined. * On-the-scene photos and videos from the Amtrak derailment. * Brooklyn landlord's racist shortcuts illuminate the ugly mechanics of gentrification. * The plight of an NYC location scout is that the gritty city of yore has
* Another earthquake hits Nepal: With a magnitude of 7.3 and two weeks after a 7.8 quake killed more than 8,000. * Jan Morris, who covered Edmund Hillary's 1953 climb, says it's time to end our unhealthy obsession with Mt. Everest. * See also: An interactive
* Official alleges the public story of bin Laden's death is false—and that Pakistan knew he was in Abbotabad. * It's time to remake UK politics. * No one accurately predicted the UK election outcome because the polls didn't work, and that may not change. * FiveThirtyEight
* David Cameron to return as Prime Minister; Conservatives take UK election after months of favorable polling for Labour. * Twenty-year-old student, youngest MP in centuries, rides wave of support for Scottish National Party. * GOP field to remain big and crazy for a while. * Because of Republicans' troubles with Hispanics, it&
* Cameron's Conservatives likely to win the most seats in today's UK election, but may not form the next government. * Senate Republicans expect to best more conservative Republicans in passing Iran bill without controversial amendment. * Tornadoes in Oklahoma City wreak havoc, cause severe flooding, release bears. * Carroll
* Baltimore residents notice strange planes that turn out to be providing surveillance support from FBI to police. * Doonesbury's Garry Trudeau: Great satire doesn't demean disenfranchised minorities, it attacks the powerful. * Iranian-Americans confounded by census race questions that code them as white despite generations of exclusion. * Harry
* Vengeful Jalisco cartel shoots down a Mexican military helicopter, accedes to power vacuum created by feds targeting top cartels. * "The swiftness with which the movement now acts has turned every police killing into a national referendum on the value of black lives." * Some US police departments look to
* Last night at an anti-Muslim event near Dallas, two gunmen were killed after shooting a security guard. * Elite patronage drives art-world delusion: "That by looking at political art we are somehow engaged in a deeply political act." * Texas's new governor capitulates to conspiracy theorists, deploys State
* Second man in police van with Freddie Gray disputes allegations that he was trying to injure himself. * Bipartisan bills in the House and Senate would reform the Patriot Act, prohibiting bulk collection. * Gap in life expectancy between the rich and the poor is widening, and social services aren't
* American Psychological Association accused of secretly partnering with the Bush White House to help justify torture post-9/11. * Hillary Clinton gives first big policy speech—on police and prison reform. * Multiple eyewitnesses claim Baltimore's Monday riots began when cops wouldn't allow after-school crowd of students to
* History weighs heavily on justices in the Supreme Court's first day of oral arguments on same-sex marriage. * Pilot Viruet, "Black Exhaustion." * While the city protested, Baltimore County celebrated its annual Hunt Cup with underage drinking, pastels, and no second thoughts. * Police unions may be the biggest
* In wake of protests, Baltimore governor declares state of emergency, deploys National Guard. * When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse. * Orioles' COO: "An American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from
* Death toll in Nepal earthquake rises above 3,000. * Piecing together the first 45 minutes of Freddie Gray's police encounter. * In the past four years, more than 100 people have won judgements or settlements related to Baltimore police brutality. * US preparing to issue hacking-related sanctions against foreign entities
* When Americans have been killed, the Obama administration has found it necessary to...eventually acknowledge the deaths. * Kosovo—forever fond of the Clintons—has a clothing store dedicated exclusively to Hillary's sartorial taste. * Number of death row prisoners has steadily declined since its 2000 peak—along with public
* In politics and business, families still hold power; a Clinton or Bush has been on the ticket in seven of the past nine races. * Outline of five factors putting Republican control of the Senate at risk next year. * Jindal: Defending freedom means protecting people who denounce gay marriage. * For a
* Overthrown Egyptian President Morsi gets 20 years for ordering arrest and torture of protesters. * White House recognizes 1915 Armenian genocide without calling it genocide, despite Obama's pledge. * In the case of Dr. Oz's "magical" treatments, or Henry Gates selling out to suit Ben Affleck,
* North Carolina man died last week, and his family "respectfully asks that you do not vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016." * North Carolina bill will prohibit doctors from learning how to perform abortions. * Secretive division of the USDA killed over two million wild animals last year. * Small narcotics
* EU leaders call for emergency talks regarding immigration policy after 700 more migrants are feared dead at sea. * Migrant accidents at sea en route to Europe are 30 times deadlier than this time last year—2014 was a record itself. * Inside the strong-arm tactics the White House is employing in
* Of the five Democrats who may run for president, three will be over 70 on Inauguration Day 2017. * The distinction between public officials and people with influence can be vague in some countries, including this one. * Italy pleads for EU assistance in dealing with influx of North African migrants after
* Con men swindle South Indian migrants who come to the Gulf for the promised land and find only cruel employment. * Four hundred feared drowned as another boat capsizes with North African immigrants heading to Italy. * Shell Gulf spill ate away mangroves that held an island ecosystem together, so it doesn&
* Obama grudgingly concedes to Congressional bill demanding authority in negotiations with Iran. * Despite her ties to Wall Street aristocracy, Clinton emphasizes her commitment to campaign finance reform. * A fierce primary would strengthen Hillary—so she needs Martin O'Malley to step up. * Ignore all the bad punditry about Clinton&
* The UAE gave more than a million dollars to New York police—the paper trail goes mysteriously cold after that. * Police are rarely charged for fatal shootings in the line of duty because the burden of proof is so high. * Putin reframes WWII anniversary to consolidate Russian nationalism and prepare
* It's a flag—it's a Tinder profile—it's a street sign—no, it's Hillary Clinton's campaign logo. * Because the US is now largely Democratic, Hillary Clinton will probably win—unless the economy tanks. * The checkbox to donate to public financing
* Obama likely to remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. * ISIS hackers take control of French television station, prompting emergency meetings of European media. * Hillary Clinton to announce her presidential campaign on Twitter this weekend. * Facebook users who don't realize their news feed is
* White House backs state-level plan to end LGBT “conversion therapy.” * Critics accuse California of Ferguson's crimes: extracting big revenue from minor traffic violations. * Malawi police told to shoot anyone attacking albinos, whose body parts are prized by witch doctors. * Tens of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent may
* US secretly tracked billions of calls nearly a decade before Sept. 11. * Kissinger: Rather than enabling American disengagement from the Middle East, a nuclear deal with Iran will deepen our involvement there. * The problem with saying “no one wants war” is that some people do want war. * Republicans keep wooing,
* The difference between "immediate" and "gradual" lifting of Iran sanctions is millions of barrels of oil suddenly flooding the market. * The climate has changed: Earth hasn't experienced a below average surface temperature since 1985. * After centuries of decline, the Native Hawaiian population is surging,
* Flamboyant foreign jihadists star for ISIS—but muscle, discipline, and strategy comes from Saddam's old network. * From Garissa to 1962, when Kenya refused to let northeast corner of the country join Somalia. * Iranians joke about the nuclear deal. * Weeks after Gov. Brownback signed education cutback, some Kansas schools
* Half a million children are suffering the psychological damage of growing up in war-torn Ukraine. * Jeb Bush vacillates on Indiana RFRA only two outrage-filled days after he supported it. * Most of our water footprints are spent making the food we consume—one liter of coffee takes 1,120 liters of
* Arkansas governor to reject legislation modeled on Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. * See also: Connecticut's women's basketball team is on a collision course with Indiana's RFRA. * McDonald's to raise wages and offer paid vacation to workers at non-franchise restaurants, or
* Assessment of mortal threats currently faced by nearly every significant initiative of the Obama Presidency. * Governor, Indiana is in a state of crisis. It is worse than you seem to understand. * Douthat: There's no reason to think we’ve reached a stopping point once the florists and bakers
* Negotiators meet in Switzerland this week to hammer out a framework for an accord over Iran’s nuclear program. * Results expected tomorrow from Nigeria's presidential election, widely lauded as a success. * This year there will be 14 or 15 presidential elections in Africa—two most likely free, eight
* Despite Netanyahu's denials, NSA documents show evidence that Israel spies on the US. * In private, Scott Walker backs what he can't say publicly: path to citizenship for immigrants already in the country. * Chief fanboy of The Wire President Obama interviews show's creator David Simon.
* Genome sequencing data from Icelanders shows that our oldest human ancestor lived about 239,000 years ago. * Humans are the only animal to suffer from schizophrenia, thanks to our big, complex brains. * Returned US soldier Bowe Bergdahl charged with desertion. * With US forces gone, Yemen quickly becoming a model of
* Nearly a third of the $1.6 billion Fukushima cleanup budget has been wasted through expensive and ineffective technology. * Obama pushes back Afghanistan troop withdrawal until after 2015. * Congress looks to add a permanent slush fund to the budget for war. * From yesterday's Tournament of Books decision, where
* The Senate's treatment of Loretta Lynch confirms its anti-Obama pathology. * Cities clamoring to host sports franchises siphon off millions of public dollars, but an Obama budget provision would make incentives illegal. * Related: Sports world imagined without jingoism, racism, sexism, or owners. * What Ted Cruz would need to do
* Lee Kuan Yew, founder of modern Singapore, father of the “Singapore model,” dies at 91. * Chinese Communist Party demands the Dalai Lama to reincarnate on its terms. * Man sees an argument with his parents, recorded in 1985, turned into a cartoon. * Profile of an amnesiac illustrator who can't
* With an eye toward legacy, Obama emerges as a leading architect of an emerging global climate treaty. * Survey of Federal Reserve transcripts shows officials laughed most just before 2008's crash, and Greenspan landed the most jokes. * Chicago police commander resigns following "black site" revelations and civil
* Obama tells seventh grader he wishes he'd ordered Gitmo closed when he still had the chance. * It's time for everyone, including Dick Cheney, to stop playing "the race card" card. * Trend alert: Wealthy women are putting their babies in Hermès Birkin bags, thanks to
* Netanyahu reelected Prime Minister with 72 percent of Israeli citizens voting. * Haiti's president Martelly now runs the country without any checks and balances from parliament. * Presbyterian Church amends constitution to allow gay weddings. * Druckerman: To succeed at French dinner parties, “you must be a little bit mean but
* "Surging rhetoric" against Iran and the Palestinians from Netanyahu before today's election in Israel. * US Army opens investigations into Iraqi detainee abuse allegations from 2003. * What to expect on the first few days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. * See also: One-third of the wrestlers
* Robert Durst, subject of HBO doc The Jinx, arrested in murder charges after accidentally admiting his guilt on camera. * Putin re-appears after a 10-day sabbatical from public life, refusing to explain his disappearance. * Putin’s carefully cultivated image rests on never showing weakness, which is crucial in hypercompetitive Russia. * Patricia
* Giuliani says Obama is to blame for the latest shootings in Ferguson, calls Brown's death “a justifiable homicide." * Protests in Ferguson—or fear thereof—drove huge spike in Missouri gun sales. * NASA launches four spacecraft to study the give-and-take of the Earth and sun's magnetic
* Two officers shot outside the Ferguson Police Department during night of protest. * White millennials appear to be no less prejudiced than the rest of the white population. * Critics who say Empire uses the worst of black stereotypes forget that black characters are free to be flawed. * Republicans startled by PR
* Towelette that washed up in Western Australia being tested to see if it came from lost flight MH370. * Utah reinstates firing squad as backup to lethal injection. * Lebanese TV host pulls the plug on a sexist Islamic scholar after he tells her to "shut up." * Review of the
* US calls Venezuela a national security threat and sanctions top officials. * Isaac Herzog emerging as genuine threat to Netanyahu in Israel's March 17 elections. * Bill Clinton's portraitist reveals that he worked some of Lewinsky’s stained dress into the official portrait. * See also: George W. Bush&
* Obama tells a crowd in Selma, "We know the march is not yet over." * Selma today is a place expected to carry perhaps more symbolic weight than any small city can bear. * Senator Lindsay Graham reveals he has never sent an email. * For media geeks: War stories from
* White supremacy is the machinery of Galactus which allows for the potential devouring of everything you own. * Federal agencies, especially DOJ, launch quiet resistance against FOIA reform. * Ballooning campaign contributions to judges fly under the radar, despite growing attention to money in politics. * Oil company won't let youth
* Justice Dept. investigation finds endemic civil rights abuses in Ferguson PD. * Related: For evidence of racial bias in Ferguson PD, look to an impartial judge: radar guns. * Fellow opposition leader Navalny blames Russian government for Nemtsov murder. * Russia accuses the US of stoking mass protests and financing opposition movements within
* Amid steelworker negotiations, Shell announces plan to deploy scabs at refineries nationwide by summer. * An al Qaeda founder-turned-spy tells how he indoctrinated new Islamist recruits and how theology drove him to leave. * Air pollution concerns spur talk of a "Silent Spring" in China—but the air is just
* Hillary Clinton used only personal email to conduct government business during her Secretary of State tenure. * Kurdish Workers Party attracts Western volunteers in ISIS fight—some are loath to accept its leftism. * Forty percent of Syriza condemn austerity deal; many in Greece believe the Euro is worth saving. * Cuba remains
* Jewish Democrats are stuck in the middle. * Arizona conservatives petition US Supreme Court to strike down independent review of redistricting. * A chronological visualization of all 1,175 people killed by police in the US in 2014. * Reneging on promises, France has yet to provide reparations to Algerians affected by nuclear
* German lawmakers expected to pass a four-month extension of Greece’s bailout plan. * Ski resorts experiment with variable pricing, rewarding customers for committing early. * Environment committee chairman and noted climate-change denier throws snowball on the Senate floor to make a point. * "Rich white boy" New Orleans lawyer builds
* Clinton Foundation accepted millions from seven foreign governments while Hillary was Secretary of State. * Two ISIS fighters explain why they joined. * ISIS lays waste to Mosul's cultural heritage, including UNESCO sites and rare books. * Americans are approaching a consensus on immigration, and in a very different place than
* Chicago's incumbent mayor Emanuel fails to win more than 50% of the vote despite big advantages. * Chicago police found to be operating a "domestic black site," where detainees are abused in secret. * Perhaps predictably, David Brooks thinks Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton at the Public Theater is
* Obama to veto legislation today, without "a lot of drama or fanfare," that would approve the Keystone XL pipeline. * Fifteen former students of for-profit Corinthian Colleges go on debt strike. * No end in sight for Venezuela's condom shortage. * Two-day uprising at Texas immigrant detention center only
* Syriza buckles, will accede to four-month extension of austerity in Greece. * Steelworkers expand strike, the largest since 1980, to Port Arthur; Shell refuses to budge on safety demands. * Forceful demonstration flares in Texas private prison; inmates were protesting medical neglect. * See also: Cadre of architects question ethics of prison design.
* Before working at Gitmo, a Chicago detective may have tortured and wrongfully convicted people of color for years. * Louisiana refuses to compensate Glenn Ford for the 30 years he spent on death row for a murder he didn't commit. * NSA and GCHQ hacked one of the world'
* Justice Dept. prepared to sue Ferguson PD over racial discrimination if it doesn't make recommended changes. * Football in general, and football fans in particular, can't persuade a racist not to be a racist. * MLK was a Trekkie, and in 1969 he convinced star Nichelle Nichols (Uhura)
* Aggressive form of HIV discovered in Cuba; the strain progresses into AIDS three times faster. * Stronger marijuana may pose higher risk of psychotic disorders. * Rome officials panic as ISIS makes its way into Libya, just across the Mediterranean from Italy. * Young Chinese, attracted by Jon Stewart's transparency message,
* West Virginia declares state of emergency after a train crashes, leaking Bakken crude oil into the Kanawha River. * Boston's contract prohibits non-union workers; it's instead paying prisoner pennies to shovel record snowfall. * Citing State Dept. guidelines, UMass is not accepting Iranian students for programs in science
* Everything ISIS does is calibrated to bring apocalyptic prophecy to fruition; that prophecy says Jordan has to be next. * In long-secular Turkey, parents confront a new reality: Islamic education. * The recent, odd history of USB dead drops—in Iran, they've been used for weed purchasing tips. * Silk Road
* Chelsea Manning to be first Army veteran provided transgender therapy. * Including the financial world. * FBI director discusses unconscious racial biases, believing America hasn't tackled race after Ferguson. * New York City goes a record 10 days without a murder, and criminologists can't say why exactly. * Forecasters warn
* Leaders of Ukraine and Russia agree to tentative truce to begin this weekend. * See also: Ukraine borders porous enough to allow 30 billion cigarettes to sneak through. * If Obama gets the nod to fight the Islamic State, it'll be a ringing endorsement of unlimited presidential war making. * "
* An estimated 20,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join IS, including 150 from the US. * Obama to withdraw most troops from West Africa and declare the five-month Ebola effort a success. * Trumpeting supremacy clause Obama confident Supreme Court will raise LGBT rights to a federal
* Controversy reignites over Italy's end of search and rescue after 29 migrants die aboard a coast guard boat. * Bulging with immigrants and without jobs for the young, Eastern Europe's economies need to make up ground. * Since 2006 a North Carolina state agency—the only of its
* Defying federal law, Alabama Chief Justice orders judges not to award marriage licenses to same-sex couples. * Leaders will convene in Minsk to iron out differences driving Ukraine conflict; solution could include a DMZ. * In "Grexit" drama, internal opposition girds Greece's finance minister against easy answers to
* Rebels, Ukrainian authorities agree to allow civilian evacuation from the current fighting in eastern Ukraine. * The first pope to address Congress, Francis will wield authority over the core of modern American political debate. * MLK's mother was also assassinated—like other black women leaders she's left out
* According to a former Al Qaeda operative, US partner Saudi Arabia had a strong alliance with the terrorist group prior to 9/11. * Ukraine’s war enters its deadliest period since September's nominal ceasefire. * Netanyahu and Boehner's decision to cook up a speech to Congress behind
* Murdered Argentinian prosecutor had drafted an arrest order for President Kirchner, but hadn't yet delivered it. * Uber says it's helping to reduce drunk driving, but there's little evidence to support that claim. * Jordanian pilot killed by ISIS may have died a month ago—making
* White House: Officials will delete private information collected on Americans that has no intelligence purpose. * The case for Obama's library on Chicago's South Side raises questions about U of C's role there. * One of the spaces in Rep. Aaron Schock's new DC
* Mitt Romney declines to run in 2016; contenders Christie and Bush jockey for support of Romney's donors. * Obama submits annual budget to Congress, proposes tax on overseas earnings to finance infrastructure investments. * Al-Jazeera journalists freed after 400 days in Egyptian prison. * Following the murder of two citizens by
* Poverty determines who lives and dies—medicine must find equitable ways to finance healthcare. * Rand Paul moves with progressive Democrats—albeit uneasily—on criminal justice reform. * Bobby Jindal is a hypocrite: He thinks Muslims should be secular, but has no such expectation of Christians. * Oklahoma's new seismic activity
* The Ebola virus is mutating; scientists fear it could become less deadly, but more contagious. * The West is outraged over the police killing of a protester, while the Egyptian government is outraged over the outrage. * Oil is a big motivator for third parties getting involved in wars, according to new
* Koch brothers to spend $889 million in 2016 election, $166 million more than Democratic and Republican parties spent in 2012. * For all the hype, Warren won't be the Democrat pushing Clinton to the left—it'll be Obama. * Earth's temperature in 2014 was the highest
* Kurdish forces retake Kobane from ISIS, though US resists declaring victory yet. * Related: For world's biggest nation without a state, Kurdish statehood finally within reach. * Auschwitz was liberated 70 years ago today; six survivors return to the site to tell their stories. * Former CIA officer found guilty of
* Far-left Syriza party wins election in Greece, signaling trouble for the country's international creditors. * An attack by separatist militants leaves 80% of Pakistan without power. * Same-sex marriage may be legal in socially conservative Oklahoma, but it's far from simple. * Nuer refugees fled South Sudan, and converged
* An initial 300 vials of the experimental Ebola vaccine will arrive in Liberia tonight. * King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia dies, spurring questions about succession at a critical time. * The Obama Administration has quietly tabled its proposal to reform the NSA's collection of telephone metadata. * Liberal disenchantment with NAFTA
* Justice Department prosecutors to recommend no charges for Ferguson officer Darren Wilson. * Spanish "translation" of Republican response to the State of the Union includes immigration reform—but the original English version did not. * Colorado's late start gives its weed businesses an edge on Californian rivals. * "
* Prior to the speech, the White House posted the State of the Union online in the name of political participation. * HealthCare.gov shares user information with dozens of third parties, allegedly to improve customer experience. * State Department calls a coup in Yemen anything but a coup in Yemen. * Mayor of
* Tonight's State of the Union, expected to address income inequality, is a final chance to set the agenda before the next campaign. * See also: Transcripts and, where possible, video of every State of the Union address. * Even when black Americans make it to the middle class, their children
* When the measure to create MLK Day passed in 1983, 112 members of Congress opposed it; six are still office. * Like the tactics of MLK, the Black Lives Matter movement embraces direct action and discomfort—not just nonviolence. * A father brings his daughter to a civil rights protest and wonders
* Police raids in five towns around Paris net 12 suspects in connection with last week's terror attacks. * An anthropologist explains the Paris attacks. * In Belgium, terrorists killed in firefight with police; they were suspected of planning attacks on Jewish schools in Antwerp and Brussels. * France is seeing a
* Charges filed against Iguala mayor in the October kidnapping and disappearance of 43 students. * Reelected after pleading guilty to sex with a minor, Virginia State senator spends half his day in office and half in jail. * Defending pot legalization, 2Chainz lays out a conservative philosophy. * See also: Transcription errors lead
* What to expect in the new Charlie Hebdo: crude sexual cartoons, and one lampooning Je Suis Charlie T-shirts. * Reckoning with Charlie Hebdo requires confronting France's racist, unexorcised past. * In the wake of last week's terrorist attacks, David Cameron vows to crack down on "safe spaces&
* Central Command hackers claimed to be ISIS, but were mere pranksters, Pentagon says. * Just because Centcom's Twitter account has been hacked doesn't automatically mean that Centcom itself has been hacked. * Excellent Human Rights Watch report on the crisis in the Central African Republic, where the UN
* Several million people spill into Paris streets for anti-terrorism rally, the country's largest in history. * Kerry deflects criticism that no high-ranking White House officials marched in Paris, says he'll drop in on Thursday. * Terrorists behind France attacks collaborated while claiming allegiance to rival factions in ISIS
* Hostage situations in Paris related to the Charlie Hebdo attack and yesterday's murder of a police officer. * Dozens of Charlie Hebdo front pages from around the world. * Police officer Ahmed Merabet died protecting a magazine that ridiculed his faith. * US officials believe al Qaeda may be behind the
* Police officer shot dead south of Paris; one man is arrested, one is on the run—no known link to the Charlie Hebdo attack. * A rundown of what's currently known about the three suspected Charlie Hebdo attackers. * Former Onion editor: The saddest, most profoundly ironic thing about it
* NYPD echoes 1981 Milwaukee, where police walked out after a black alderman gave voice to minorities' fear of police. * Whites controlled black employment in Tchula, Miss., for as long as they could, then left and took all the jobs with them. * Like pretty much all the shortcut solutions Silicon
* The 114th Congress opens today; members are more diverse, but still 80% white, 80% male, and 92% Christian. * A former rep reflects on 14 years in Congress. * Decline in New York arrests foreshadows looming tension between proactive Bratton and a reticent force. * Gender violence is so accepted in Mexico that
* Global intersections of language and information reveal the elite's continuing reliance on European languages. * For second funeral in a row, hundreds of NYPD officers turn their back on DeBlasio. * See also: Backwards-facing seats on airplanes are 10 times safer, but riders don't want them. * Twenty-four of
* Donate to the PEN American Center and help promote literature and defend freedom of expression. * Tips for holiday giving. * DMI produces radio and television broadcasts in developing countries that encourage people to adopt improved health practices. * The WFF provides free, comprehensive obstetric fistula repair surgery and services to women and
* Experts examining the Sony case call North Korea's guilt into question, pointing to signs that hackers were English-speaking insiders. * National Geographic's "People" photo of the year: a woman on her smartphone. * Bilingual people may make more rational decisions when communicating in their second language.
* Sony Pictures pivots, with attorney saying The Interview will be released in some format. * Hollywood should let the world know "we prize our goofy movies, along with the important ones, and the freedoms that they represent." * For smaller nations, cyber warfare proves to be a better investment than
* Justice Dept. to sue Rikers Island, where harsh treatment of teen prisoners by guards has raised concerns. * Sanctioning Venezuela won't help human rights—it only showcases America's hypocritical approach toward Latin America. * BBC finds evidence of Apple labor breaches, including the possibility it buys tin from
* Officials connect North Korea to the Sony hack, but are reluctant to pursue further in the face of other negotiations. * With screenings cancelled and no plans for video, killing The Interview could cost Sony $100 million. * Sony should sell The Interview to Netflix and become a hero in the face
* Pakistani city of Peshawar buries its dead after a Taliban attack at a school killed at least 140 children and staff. * Putin should look to Britain's Black Wednesday from the '90s to keep his ruble from falling too far. * Slipped inside the recent federal spending bill was
* Taliban attacks an army-run school in northwestern Pakistan, killing more than 120 children. * Despite state charges and Muslim skepticism, Sydney attacker professed himself an advocate of peace and a spiritual healer. * The New Yorker's archival photos of MLK's Selma march. * Inside the Ferguson movement, young people
* ISIS began in 2004 at an American-run prison in Iraq—a golden opportunity for future terrorists. * Senate passes spending bill, but not without another shutdown scare from Ted Cruz. * Following the dismantling of Hong Kong's final Occupy site, protesters urge people to refuse to pay taxes in "
* Senate to begin debate on a $1.1 trillion spending bill that narrowly passed last night, avoiding a government shutdown. * Related: Cromnibus spending bill passes over objection of liberal lights Warren, Pelosi. * See also: National Democrats consistently use liberal DC policies as bartering chips in federal disputes with Republicans. * Nurse
* Psychologists who developed the CIA's torture methods based their work on a study of inducing helplessness in dogs. * Navy debuts laser on Persian Gulf ship, too lethal to be used on humans. * US government infiltrates Cuba's hip-hop scene to turn rappers against their government. * Detroit'
* Terrific, terrifying interactive guide to 20 key findings learned from the Senate's torture report. * CIA's torture methods found to be unreliable and inefficient, compared to other methods of obtaining information. * Former Polish president reverses denials, says the country agreed to secret prisons but not torture. * George
* Marines placed on high alert, anticipating a backlash from today's Senate torture report on the Bush era. * Bush, former CIA officials condemn the torture report. * Related: The report is too little, too late for Obama's record; key aides muddled the approach from the get-go. * ACLU director:
* Republican attorneys general in at least a dozen states form secret alliance with Big Energy to fight environmental regulations. * The strange thing about Tony Blair's Christmas card is how the teeth seem to follow you round the room. * Nations track their citizens with third-party surveillance tools, to the
* Loretta Lynch to lead inquiry into Eric Garner's death while Republican Senators vet her for attorney general. * Two weeks after the death of Tamir Rice, Justice Department finds pattern of excessive force by Cleveland Police. * De Blasio announces three-day retraining course for 22,000 New York City cops.
* Records of deaths by officers from local police departments are routinely higher than those reported by the FBI. * Following the decision not to indict, Eric Holder announces federal investigation into Eric Garner's chokehold death. * Man who shot the Eric Garner video claims police have been harassing him ever
* Contrary to popular belief, the US divorce rate has been declining over the last 20 years. * A poor Moroccan kid in France is much more likely to move into the middle class than a child born into a poor family in Mississippi. * Britons joining Amazon Anonymous— pledging to enjoy an
* Obama announces federal funding for police body cameras and tighter guidelines on military weapons for law enforcement. * Yesterday thousands joined #HandsUpWalkOut to mark the hour Michael Brown was murdered. * Evidence ISIS has peaked: new losses in battles accompany dissension and infighting among the group's various factions. * Dr. Nadeem
* Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong enter their third month, and clashes with police are becoming more violent. * Online and in-store purchases over Thanksgiving dropped 11%—Americans could be waiting to spend today, or not at all. * On Black Friday, capitalism cannibalizes culture. * China may miss its economic growth target for
* Nights of protests over Ferguson continue around the country, even overseas. * Toobin: Prosecutor McCulloch gave Wilson’s case special treatment, which summarizes the real shame of his approach. * Ferguson prosecutor inveighs against the Twitterverse. * This is America: You're supposed to play by the broken rules until you can
* How Darren Wilson avoided indictment: The struggle with Michael Brown shifted between homicide and self defense. * Examine for yourself the evidence available to the grand jury in Ferguson. * A point-by-point explanation of how the law protects police officers who kill unarmed citizens. * Why Darren Wilson was never going to be
* Unable to reach an agreement in Iran nuclear talks, negotiators push deadline to March 1, 2015. * US air strikes in Syria are encouraging anti-regime fighters to forge alliances with or even defect to ISIS. * After serving six years of a 19-year sentence, the Iranian blogger movement founder has been pardoned.
* Darren Wilson decision could come today—law enforcement has 48 hours to prep before a public announcement. * After Obama's aggressive defense of immigrants, GOP must keep Latino electorate in mind—or risk losing the demographic. * Japan is in a depression, driven primarily by its quickly shrinking population. * Politicians
* Obama to protect up to four million undocumented immigrants from deportation. * Days ahead of the Miss World pageant, Honduras's contestant and her sister found murdered. * Three wounded by gunman at FSU in latest shooting at a US university. * UK denies visa to misogynist "pick-up artist." * Hunger
* Bill to force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline fails one vote short of Senate passage. * Senate fails to pass NSA restrictions—some felt reining in the program would undermine the case for eliminating it. * Counting members of Congress among its fans, Uber might be beyond the rules for good.
* Since the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico on Sept. 26, police have found many mass graves—but not the right one. * Tackling Obamacare's false narratives. * The US government will profit $5 billion from renewable energy loans, which include failures (Solyndra) and successes (Tesla). * India has little recourse
* State Dept. shuts down entire unclassified email system in response to possible security hack. * Japan unexpectedly falls into recession as its GDP shrank in the third quarter—rather than grew, as predicted. * Corruption in the US military, where the low-paid manage large budgets, isn't so different from any
* As unmarked troops and tanks arrive in Ukraine, Moscow and Kiev trade accusations of breaking the ceasefire. * Increasingly advanced counter-surveillance helps ISIS leader elude US strike. * Obama's immigration overhaul could allow millions of currently undocumented adults to legally work and reside in the US. * As in many parts
* House and Senate to vote on Keystone XL pipeline, with pols on both sides lining up to endorse it. * The Valerie Jarrett profile everyone in DC is reading. * Doctors Without Borders to host experimental Ebola treatments in West Africa. * China fails to trumpet the big climate change deal, possibly because
* Today at 11 am ET, ESA mission control will webcast its attempt of the first-ever probe landing on a comet. * US and China—who together emit 40% of the world's greenhouse gases—make a deal to reduce carbon emissions. * Five banks, including Citigroup and JPMorgan, to pay $3.
* An estimated 120,000 Americans in prison are innocent, many thanks to the plea-bargain system. * FBI says rates of violent crime are lower than at any point since the '70s. * Firm that predicted the 2008 financial crisis sees 65% chance of recession in 2015. * In 2009, 42% of African-born
* Protesters set Mexican President Nieto's palace on fire as anger over 43 missing students shows no sign of abating. * Unencrypted federal government websites providing AIDS-related resources have been leaking sensitive user information for years. * YouTube’s video blogging community...can sometimes enable an alarmingly specific type of predator.
A decade ago, and then again five years later, we gathered a set of music bloggers who pioneered online music discovery—often to the chagrin of record labels. Now we reconvene to discuss the current state of listening to and reading about music online.
* Homeland Security says malware sponsored by Russia has been inserted into critical US infrastructure. * Putin says there was nothing wrong with the Soviet Union's pact with Nazi Germany, which secretly carved up Poland * Synthetic drug Spice rips across Russia, spread by kids and anonymous networks. * A year after
* Republicans want to define themselves affirmatively rather than by opposition; they should look to Friedrich Hayek. * Related: Birds found using human musical scales for the first time. * State judge overturns Missouri's constitutional ban on gay marriage. * Beheadings, massacres, and wholesale killings aren't limited to Islamic State
* Yesterday's GOP victory began months ago, when Republicans realized they had to quell the extremism within their party. * How the GOP did it. * The Senate now has enough votes to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. * Penal reform passes in California, downgrading some nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors, and potentially
* Winning the Senate might be GOP's worst nightmare: pressures of governing could tear obstructionist element asunder. * Non-Republicans will be watching elections across the country for polling place irregularities—i.e., voter ID problems. * See also: A reading of US newspaper opinion sections shows the misinformation at the heart
* Latest UN climate change report predicts if emissions ceased, climate change effects will "continue for centuries." * Why scientists know humans cause climate change: The rate carbon dioxide absorbs heat doesn't match our temperature increase. * Cory Gardner might win Colorado by embracing birth control, college loans, and
It's time once again for our annual Halloween ritual, where we dust off a classic urban legend and reanimate it with a few new endings.
* Police find accused sniper Eric Frein in a Poconos airplane hangar after a 48-day manhunt. * With Frein captured, Halloween officially resumes in Barrett Township. * Ebola threatens to derail the legacy of Liberia's Sirleaf, Nobel Peace Prize winner and the first woman elected president of an African country. * Chevy
* In the past five years, since the financial crisis, the world's number of billionaires has more than doubled. * Goldberg: Netanyahu's "chickenshit" behavior undermines US-Israel alignment at the highest levels. * Until mid-century, hundreds of thousands of Swiss kids were taken from home and forced to
* Unmanned rocket explodes over Virginia in first accident since NASA began outsourcing to private contractors. * Stunning highlights from the 45,000 photos astronaut Chris Hadfield took while on the International Space Station. * The FBI created a fake online news story in a Seattle newspaper to hack a suspect in 2007.
* In a rare, school-specific survey, 17% of female MIT students and 5% of male students report being sexually assaulted. * Ebola vaccines must be tested, but administering frontline workers a placebo could be unethical. * In distancing themselves from an unpopular president, midterm candidates have succeeded only in disowning their own legacy.
* For the first time in the history of independent Ukraine, the pro-Russian Communist Party failed to win the votes needed to enter parliament. * Latin America has the highest concentration of compulsory-voting states—a policy suppressed elsewhere for fear of union power. * Following controversial Ebola quarantine of health worker in New
* New York City has an Ebola patient; officials tracing every contact he made, including while bowling in Williamsburg. * Health workers in Texas use Tabasco during training for its tingling properties, to say if they've been contaminated. * Confessions of an Ebola thrillist. * Some US hospitals considering whether to withhold
* Shooter in Ottawa kills a soldier in what the PM calls a "terrorist" act—the suspect was recently designated a "high-risk traveler." * Canada's CBC News covered the shootings in a way US news no longer can: with respect and care for the facts. * Mexican
* ISIS claims to have received a US weapons drop meant for Kurdish fighters. * Reports indicate ISIS struggles to meet basic needs of residents, who are kept in line by fear of reprisals. * Political scientists fail to understand why countries sign human rights treaties they have no intention of following. * After
* Ebola would be more dangerous if it were less deadly—it kills its host too quickly to be effectively contagious. * "Nurse Being Treated for Ebola Impressed With Health Workers' New Gear." * Putin's land grab may be part of his vision of Novorossiya, a new Russia
* Officials declare dozens of people who had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan are now no longer at risk of Ebola. * High school dropouts with wealthy backgrounds tend to earn as much as college grads with poorer backgrounds. * Many, if not most, individual American households possess next to nothing. * PBS debuts
* Obama possibly to name a "czar" to manage the government’s response to Ebola, which has so far infected three people in the US. * Dallas worker who handled the Ebola patient's lab samples is on a Caribbean cruise—now quarantined and not showing any signs. * Infectious
* Dallas County Commissioners set to declare a "state of disaster" after two cases of Ebola. * America's most dire threat at present is a "hugely overhyped fear" of Ebola and the Islamic State. * ISIS loots important historical sites, including some from the Bronze Age, in
* World Health Organization warns that West Africa could see 10,000 Ebola cases per week by the end of the year. * Second health care worker in Texas has Ebola; nurses accuse hospital of sloppy protocols. * Spain has the world's highest concentration of elevators, thanks to the Spanish Civil
* How Ebola spreads: It's droplet-borne, not airborne, so it's not easy—but not especially hard—to get. * NBC medical correspondent sneaks out of Ebola quarantine to get restaurant takeout in New Jersey. * Nigeria's successful fight against Ebola is due to both medical infrastructure—and
* Hundreds of thousands have evacuated their homes, and Japan watches for flash floods and landslides as typhoon reaches land. * Authorities don't know why radiation levels in the water around Fukushima increased 10-fold after a weekend of typhoon-related rain. * In Hong Kong, hundreds of Anti-Occupy protestors descend upon the
* As hostilities break out between the countries, Pakistani teenager and Indian children's rights activist receive the Nobel peace prize. * Airline cabin cleaners strike at LaGuardia Wednesday night over fears about Ebola. * Following an ease on travel restrictions, more than 22,000 Cubans emigrated to the US in the
* St. Louis police officer shoots and kills teenager whom witnesses claim was unarmed. * There's little evidence airport fever screenings can prevent Ebola's spread—passengers may not show symptoms during travel. * Actually, America does negotiate with terrorists, and the FBI—or a proxy foreign government—will help
* Hourly Amazon workers, who spend up to 25 unpaid minutes being screened for stolen goods—head to the Supreme Court. * Walmart cuts benefits for its 30,000 part-time employees—and didn't even blame Obamacare. * Following Monday's Supreme Court ruling, Ninth Circuit strikes down gay marriage bans—
* Soldier from Wisconsin explains why (anger) and how (plane ticket) he joined Kurdish fighters in Syria to battle ISIS. * Sketches from Raqqa, Syria, a city that's completely under ISIS control. * Obama's "latte salute" notwithstanding, the pejorative term "latte liberal" has lost its
* Roberts Supreme Court faces history-making docket. * California ballot initiative could overturn the state's mandatory sentencing laws, the harshest in the country. * From December 2013 to today, a timeline of Ebola's spread throughout West Africa. * Like Thomas Eric Duncan in Dallas, nine others who came in contact
* Dallas Ebola cleanup hampered due to the difficulty in finding people to clean up a contaminated apartment. * Freelance NBC cameraman in Liberia tests positive for Ebola. * Former Chicago police commander, jailed for perjury over torturing 118 black men, released after four years. * On the Secret Service’s failures. * Most "
* Ebola races across Sierra Leone, where the government appears to seriously undercount victims. * Man diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas visited the ER last week, only to be sent home. * America's secret weapon against Ebola: Obamacare. * Grand jury convened over Ferguson investigated for misconduct following tweets of "leakage.
* Ebola containment in Nigeria and Senegal appears successful; no new cases have been reported in Nigeria since Aug. 31. * Elon Musk on Mars colonization: "to safeguard the existence of humanity in the event that something catastrophic were to happen." * Life in Liberia, before and after the Ebola outbreak,
* US bankruptcy judge has allowed Detroit to continue shutting off water for some of its residents. * Although the Sixth Amendment guarantees "the right to a speedy and public trial," in the Bronx the concept of speedy justice barely exists. * Seventy-five percent of all worldwide migrant deaths in the
* Thousands of pro-democracy protesters take to Hong Kong's streets, leading the city to deploy tear gas for the first time in years. * What Hong Kong's protests and Beijing's response share: They could force the public to choose whether to accept China's influence.
* FBI identifies ISIS militant in beheading videos of James Foley and Steven J. Sotloff. * In addition to attacks in Iraq and Syria, the US should go after the Islamic State's true safe haven: social media. * ISIS tortures and executes Iraqi women's rights lawyer, Sameera Salih Ali
* In Syria, a big risk remains that Assad will benefit the most from the American-led air campaign. * Related: Syrian perspectives on ISIS and the US intervention. * Obama's shift toward realpolitik can be traced in the evolution of his rhetoric. * Cameron to apologize to the Queen for saying she
* Officials say that despite claims of a broad coalition, the US is carrying out the vast majority of strikes against ISIS. * The US has now bombed both sides in Syria's civil war, threatening mission creep and a third front in its campaign in the region. * Western nations should
* China and India—two of the top three carbon dioxide emitters—won't attend this week's UN climate change summit. * The case for a global carbon tax comes down to redistribution of carbon wealth. * Following Scotland's vote against secession, other regions around the world that
* Climate change protest attended by 400,000 in New York City over the weekend. * Fleeing the Islamic State, 100,000 Syrians have crossed into Turkey since last Thursday. * Authorities find 130 new cases of Ebola during a "successful" lockdown of Sierra Leone. * Under pressure from the US, Mexico
* Scotland votes to remain part of the United Kingdom—just the beginning of a long constitutional wrangle. * Britains pollsters, showing volatility, would be wise to learn from prediction markets, i.e., bookies. * Irish economy grows at its fastest rate in seven years, with the government hoping to avoid "the
* Live blog of voting results as Scotland completes its day of voting 'yes' or 'no' to independence. * Wording of the Scottish referendum was revised to emphasize independence, a gain, rather than severance, a loss. * Headlines to anticipate should Scotland secede. * In Africa, Scottish independence is a
* The US government threatened to prosecute James Foley's family if they attempted to negotiate with ISIS. * Federal agents are saving America $1 billion annually by eradicating cattle ticks, a deadly pest that can kill a cow in a week. * Utah initiative that gives the chronically homeless housing, regardless
* US military to boost Ebola efforts by sending as many as 3,000 to West Africa and constructing 17 treatment centers in Liberia. * First responders in Aleppo. * The Indian state of Chhattisgarh has at least 300 child police officers, some as young as five. * The FBI's controversial new
* Nearly 70% of Americans doubt that the US will effectively defeat ISIS. * Syrians in Jordanian refugee camps have been pushing daughters to marry at younger ages, ostensibly to protect them. * Ten years after Russian forces' botched hostage rescue at a school left hundreds dead, an official investigation has yet
* Ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is mostly holding, with prisoners being exchanged—a short-term victory for Russia. * The fact that Russian soldiers have died in a war in which they officially have no involvement is a problem in Russia. * Related: Keith Gessen reports from Donetsk. * With less than a week before
* The Islamic State raises most of its money domestically in Iraq and Syria by smuggling oil. * Iran reminds its citizens that the Islamic State, like Al Qaeda and the Taliban, was devised by the CIA as a counterweight to Iran. * Things found on an Islamic State laptop: Celine Dion and
* Obama to explain tonight his action plan against ISIS, likely to include more wide-ranging air strikes. * America spends $33 billion more on defense than the eight top spenders combined. * The moment a man enlists in the US armed forces, his chances of being sexually assaulted increase by a factor of
* America's missile shield appears doomed. * The world is under-reacting to Ebola—WHO says it will take a "massive" response to stop the crisis within nine months. * Eating junk food creates fewer greenhouse gases than a healthy diet—but removing meat is best of all. * Louisiana'
* The production values of ISIS beheading videos—good cameras, lapel mics—underscore the group's carefully crafted message. * A group of young women recruit for ISIS on Twitter, posting about marrying jihadis and raising more. * A new Ebola vaccine shows a 100% success rate in monkey trials—researchers will
* Despite talks about a peace plan, fighting continues between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels. * Former Virginia governor and wife convicted on 11 counts of bribery, conspiracy, and extortion. * Islands around the Caribbean seek to end the jury system, often because enough good jurors can't be found. * Boy in
* In a video address, ISIS threatens Putin and Russia with war in the North Caucasus. * Abbas reportedly told Netanyahu he'd cede control of the West Bank to Israel if current border talks fail. * Whites support tougher criminal laws at least partly because they overestimate black and Hispanic crime
* On the senselessness of ISIS executions. * Meant to mark the end of combat in Afghanistan, NATO's summit has new relevance in the midst of Russian aggression. * The Ebola outbreak has infected more than 3,000. * A Columbia student will carry around her dorm mattress until her rapist leaves
* Before Labor Day was all beach selfies and the death of white jeans, it was about the social advancement of common people. * Chinese government creates full-court anti-Japan press, going so far as to create angry national holidays. * Employing history of early Islam and the original caliphs, Islamic State thrills denizens
* Happy Labor Day: Hourly wages have flatlined over the past five years. * Sweden becomes the first Nordic country with a case of suspected Ebola—UPDATE: It's been ruled out. * About half of the Syrian population has been displaced by the nation's civil war. * South Africa attempts
* Obama takes flak for wearing a tan suit, but taupe need not be sad, nay can be sexy, shows Ryan Gosling. * The recent, relentless waves of bad news lead people to overestimate the world’s awfulness. * Russian bank offers two-hour cat loans to customers taking out a mortgage. * Tennessee cop
* Pro-Israel group may be losing support in Congress. * Interviews and satellite imagery show the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq is still stranded on a mountain. * The Islamic State appears committed to the destruction of cultural heritage, archaeological finds, and, in fact, Aramaic. * Since 1997, 1,400 girls were sexually exploited
* Ceasefire appears to hold in Israel and Hamas's war of attritition—"an opportunity, not a certainty." * Russia and Ukraine to restart stalled gas talks, pleasing Europeans. * Endgame for Putin. * Analysis of Mein Kampf reviewers on Amazon finds many admirers with praise for Hitler. * Study finds users
* As a second strain of ebola breaks out, Japan announces it has an experimental flu drug that could treat Ebola. * After receiving ZMapp treatment and showing signs of recovery, a Liberian doctor dies of Ebola. * Ferguson's largely young, black, male protesters. * Following two high-profile tragedies, many Malaysia Airlines
* Excellent Nathan Thrall analysis of how Israel and Hamas reached their current, undesired war. * Venezuela soon to begin fingerprinting customers at grocery stores. * Four men develop a nail polish to detect date-rape drugs. * Catalog of weapons used against Ferguson protestors. * Black Ferguson experiences post-Michael Brown political awakening. * Since 1970, the
* Russia rolls back some of its self-imposed bans on Western food—including vitamins, supplements, and lactose-free dairy products. * Because of Missouri's self-defense laws, convicting Darren Wilson is an unlikely outcome. * The Royal Canadian Mounted Police acquires military-grade vehicles, assures citizens they're only for emergencies. * Congressional staffer
* Surowiecki: "The lack of an Ebola treatment is disturbing. But, given the way drug development is funded, it's also predictable." * How America's no-ransom policy contributed to James Foley's death, and why a new policy could be in order. * Related: Al Qaeda received
* American journalist James Foley, kidnapped in Syria in 2012, beheaded on camera by the Islamic State. * See also: The story of Foley’s kidnapping along with Austin Bennett Tice. * The Islamic State are "extreme sadists with a conventional army and nation-building aspirations." * LAPD cop asks that we extend
* Ferguson PD—95% white in a city that's two-thirds black—needs more black officers and fewer heavy weapons. * Ta-Nehisi Coates on America's history of total police control over black bodies. * No longer Invisible Man: Jordan Casteel's paintings of black men. * UV light reveals otherwise
The Morning News is seeking Fall/Winter editorial fellows. As a fellow you’ll work closely with the founding editors to learn the ins and outs of an online magazine. You will also contribute to the magazine’s daily maintenance, find new writers, and have the opportunity to pick up
* Following Sunday's violence between police and protestors in Ferguson, Missouri governor calls in the National Guard. * Last night, Ferguson police ordered the media to "get the fuck out of here," and threatened to shoot them. * Ferguson's divisions, like those of Missouri, began during the
* "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" rallies took place in 90+ cities last night over the shooting of Missouri's Michael Brown. * Transcript of Michael Brown's friend recounting what happened when the teen was killed. * Related: Reddit's live updates of police-scanner reports and
* Today’s crossword puzzles riddled with sexism, and the gender gap in crossword creators is growing. * Tea Party challengers in the south resemble nothing more than the racist, fiery populists of recent history. * In 2013, black residents were over 13 times more likely to get arrested in Ferguson, Mo. * Checking
* The Israel-Hamas ceasefire ends this afternoon, and neither side appears ready to end their military campaigns. * For a few hours yesterday, the FAA restricted air travel above Ferguson, Mo., following the riots over Michael Brown's death. * Following the chokehold homicide of Eric Garner, NYPD is urged to mandate
* Supplies of the experimental US ebola drug ZMapp are depleted after being donated to an unnamed West African country. * An algorithm predicted the ebola outbreak, nine days before the WHO issued its first statement on the epidemic. * Collection of Robin Williams's greatest movie scenes. * Robin Williams's
* The Islamic State begins ethnically cleansing Iraq's Yazidi religious minority. * Primer on the Yazidis, who many Muslims consider devil worshippers. * The current Ebola outbreak has been traced to a two-year-old boy in Guinea. * Medical examiner rules last week's death of James Brady—who was shot 33
* At the end of a three-day truce in Gaza, Israel resumes airstrikes following Palestinian rocket attacks. * Russia announces one-year ban on all meat, fruit, and vegetables from the US, EU, Canada, Australia, and Norway. * Russia, and the world, without Putin. * Dispatch from VICE reporter embedded with ISIS. * Three weeks later,
* Minority Yazidi Iraqis are dying of thirst, stranded on a mountaintop. * Related: the amount of ISIS-controlled land in Iraq and Syria is now bigger than England. * Profile of Moner Mohammad Abusalha, first American suicide bomber in Syria. * Over two million people still pay monthly for access to AOL. * The average
* Hamas as a political actor. * A primer on Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas's military wing. * Britain's Foreign Office minister resigns, protesting government silence on Gaza violence, and posts her resignation letter on Twitter. * Young people brought into the US illegally by their parents confront the
* Up to this point the experimental drug that appears to have saved an American ebola patient had only been tested on monkeys. * San Diego pharma company that produces the experimental ebola treatment says it's increasing production. * The paranoid hypochondriac's guide to the ebola outbreak. * Jimmy Carter:
* Israel bombards the Gaza town of Rafah, killing 100 people in 24 hours. * Israel declares a seven-hour ceasefire—a "humanitarian window"—for most of Gaza. * How the ICC can determine war crimes. * The conflict may be deescalating: Israel is pulling troops out of Gaza and stationing some troops
* Aspiring British parliamentarians discouraged by masters in angelic reiki. * India’s Parliament hiring men with a gift for mimicry to frighten away monkeys. * Humans have kept elephants longer than we’ve domesticated chickens—yet Behemoth's crying comes as a shock. * "Cafe Putin" to open next week,
* Federal authorities at US international airports are watching for passengers displaying Ebola symptoms. * UN officials accuse Israel of serious international rights violations after it bombed a UN-designated shelter. * In an interview with a Guardian reporter, Ukrainian rebel commander nicknamed "the Demon" threatens to kill him. * The housing crisis
* Bloomberg correspondent captured by Ukrainian rebels in Donetsk. * Journalists in Russia's Far East nominate Putin for "Hero of Russia" title for his annexation of Crimea. * The misogyny within Israel's Gaza attacks: rape threats and slut-shaming Palestine supporters. * Two Austin women go topless to draw
* During an authorized protest, ISIS marches in the Hague, calling for “Death to the Jews.” * In the downing of flight MH17, the share of the Netherlands’ population killed was greater than America’s loss in 9/11. * Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and the US agree on stiffer sanctions against Putin
* During an uncertain Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire, Israeli official says the IDF is only attacking if fired upon. * Texan ranchers near the Mexican border band together to track down illegal immigrants and send them back. * Long after the demise of the sanitarium, doctors have begun prescribing nature walks. * First large-scale study on
* Fossils from a newly discovered dinosaur species suggest nearly all dinosaurs were feathered. * Walmart ice-cream sandwiches don't melt in the sun because they're full of so much gum. * Just before the troops went into Gaza, I went to a protest in Jerusalem. I went because I
* US-backed Afghan militias murder and rape their way through Afghanistan. * Kerry says he doesn't want to return home without securing a ceasefire. * America lifts ban on flights to Israel. * By "mowing the grass," Israel hopes to exhaust Hamas through attrition, with modest gains and acceptable casualty
* Classified images support the likelihood a surface-to-air missile fired from rebel-held Ukraine brought down MH17. * Today two Ukrainian fighter jets were shot down by pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine. * One child has been killed in Gaza every hour for the past two days. * Palestinder publishes screenshots of how the Israeli-Palestinian
* With Israel and Hamas each dedicated to the other's destruction, a two-state solution is very far away. * Three takeaways from the demise of Kerry’s attempt to broker an agreement between Israel and the PA. * Hamas tells the Palestinians a simple truth: freedom comes at the cost of
* Amid shelling and carnage in Ukraine, Dutch forensics experts reach the MH17 passengers' remains. * Malaysia Airlines' flight path was considered safe and legal and was well-traversed by other airlines earlier that week. * Russian media ambushes accusations its missile downed MH17, offers a platform for experts' conspiracy theories.
* Washington believes Moscow's behind the downing of a plane over eastern Ukraine; EU powers say wait and see. * Ukraine releases audio from what it says are phone calls between rebels and Russian officers. * Palestinians killed since start of invasion now stands at 28, with some 150 targets hit
* Federal judge rules that California’s death penalty violates the constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. * Almond milk is not only bad for California's drought; it's a waste of precious almonds. * Profile data analyzed from America’s most popular hate website. * Charles Darwin’s
* After 350 posts and 40,000 deaths, a Times blogger reflects on what she learned cataloging American gun violence. * A map of gun incidents in New York City thus far in 2014 correlates with the city's race and class lines. * An exposé of the NYPD's "
* Israel accepts Egyptian-brokered proposal for an immediate end to fighting in the Gaza Strip. * Germany splits up sausage cartel for fixing wurst prices as far back as 2003. * Pack of legal joints to more likely cost 50 cents than $50, but that's assuming a "Smoke Local"
* One year from today, mankind will make its first contact with Pluto via a spacecraft the size of a baby grand piano. * America's great pot experiment: Legalization in certain states has been more treacherous than others, and could end after Obama. * Berkeley City Council votes to give free
* Interviews with the border children. * The story of the largest slave auction in America, in Georgia on March 2-3, 1859, known as the Weeping Time. * How Patti Hammond Shaw, who was jailed with men who allegedly abused her, changed how police treat transgender people. * Laverne Cox is nominated for an
* Three years ago the Arab Spring brought hope, now replaced by ruin—outsiders, no matter their intention, can't restore that future. * Female Syrian refugees face constant sexual harassment. * Dubai has unveiled its first state-sponsored construction project since the pre-crash bubble: an indoor city with hotels, shops, and trams.
* Israel calls up reservists to replace those on duty in the West Bank, to free them for a possible ground invasion of Gaza. * Hamas fires long-range missiles into Israel, with dozens more in store. * San Francisco hates techies, techies hate being despised, and the war rages on between public process
* To celebrate its 125th anniversary, the Wall Street Journal shows how today's team would cover events of 1889. * See also: History of the paper's design. * BBC Trust orders its producers to stop adding "false balance" when reporting on climate change. * London's Oxford
* Over 60 women and girls escape from Boko Haram in Nigeria; more than 200 girls remain kidnapped. * Russia’s minister of culture urges Russians to shun other languages and study Russian more. * Some Russians experience buyers’ remorse after being asked to personally subsidize Crimea. * Frozen soundtrack is on course to
* Blaming Iran for financing a bus bombing that killed his daughter, a New Jersey father helped uncover an international terror banking scheme. * The behind-the-scenes story of how a hacker uncovers Russia's secret money transfers to Syria's government. * Syrian TV reports on the assassination of Archduke Franz
* Blackwater’s Iraq ops chief threatened to kill a State Dept. official in charge of investigating the heavily criticized security provider. * Sunni group leading insurgency in Iraq declares a new caliphate stretching from Iraq's Diyala province to Syria's Aleppo. * Disturbing new footage shows the violence that
* White House asks Congress for $500m to train and equip "moderate" Syrian rebels. * Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova tiptoe away from Russia with new EU pact. * Henry Louis Gates on black slave owners—a variety of black "masters," with a variety of motivations. * Inside a physician-assisted suicide. * Much
* Detroit water authority turns off water at 3,000 households; residents ask the UN to intervene. * The traditional medicines of human rights activism—exposés, media attention, and pressure...are falling short. * More than 100 cities and counties have refused to honor the ICE's requests to detain undocumented immigrants.
* Many Turks now blame the Turkish government for enabling the rise of ISIS and other extremists in Syria. * British Airways sued by man who was sent to Grenada, not Granada—and it's happened before. * None of the jobs on Forbes' list of "best 12 jobs for
* Tens of thousands of Iraqis form military ¨Peace Brigades¨ to assist the government. * Map of the US shows where guns outnumber libraries and museums. * See also: Profile of the first blind man to acquire a concealed-carry permit. * Twenty emergency responders required to extract an American foreign-exchange student from a stone
* A quarter of India's land is turning to desert, threatening food security in the world's second most populous country. * Related: If there were a World Cup for climate change diversion, Switzerland would win. * The shared history of soccer, rugby, and football is why Americans differ in
* The Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs are taking steps to provide some recognition of same-sex couples. * South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has declined to veto penalties for college assigning "gay-themed" books in the 2014 state budget. * Concerned for female students' future in the workplace, UK principal
* Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists "locked in fierce fighting" in the east of Ukraine. * Before Cheney's allowed to criticize Obama for blunders in Iraq, a preface is due to explain his contribution. * See also: Celebrity confessions strung together to create an Übersinner. * Jamelle Bouie on the
* Iraqi Kurds, who have long wanted their own state, may finally have their chance as Iraq tears itself apart. * Late historian Cherie Woodworth tackles the question of Yiddish’s origins. * If Scotland votes for its independence in an upcoming referendum, its best choice of currency would be Norway’s krone.
* While you weren't paying attention: Four Russians toilet-paper the US embassy in Moscow. * Primer on Russia's proxy war in Ukraine. * Somali-linked Islamist militants kill at least 15 in second night of attacks on Kenya's coast. * Austin is America's 10th-most segregated metro area
* Their only protection was a sheet, painted with the words “children, children, children,” that was taped around the minivan. * The crisis in Iraq has brought about unprecedented levels of post-1979 US-Iran cooperation. * Palestinian woman plants flowers in tear gas grenades. * On the life of Haruki Murakami. * Some pig: Heading to
* Sunni fighters captured two more Iraqi towns overnight in a "lightning sweep" towards Baghdad. * Sixty-five-year-old woman stayed in her house for two years because of the violence in Homs, Syria. * Newsweek journalist finds inanity in George Will's archive. * Brief history of the fiasco that is Entertainment
* Mass shootings in the US aren't on the rise—media coverage of mass shootings is. * Last month, the Iraqi government fruitlessly asked US to airstrike militants. * Related: Dexter Filkins on Iraq. * After more than 50 years of boots-on-the-ground intervention, the US should reconsider its military-first status. * An Israeli
* To stock cheap shrimp at Walmart and Costco, Asian "ghost ships" use slave labor. * Why Cantor lost his primary to the Tea Party: Maybe immigration, likely his DC insider status, possibly Obama. * There have been at least 74 school shootings in the US since Sandy Hook. * You can
Here comes summer, when the yoke of responsibility loosens. We all have our past indiscretions, but they’re too sordid to sign our names to—so we’ve removed the names and rearranged the text to protect the guilty.
* Democrats say broad acceptance of the need to fight climate change makes a carbon plan a winning issue. * President Obama just did something he hasn’t done in years: speak frankly and passionately about his views on climate change. * More than one-quarter of Israelis want to get rid of the
* Armed gunmen storm Pakistan's busiest airport, throwing grenades and shooting government security forces. * Online bookseller for the Middle East to open a banned books section. * New season of Orange Is the New Black sparks "Humanity Is the New Black" campaign to improve conditions at the show&
* On the 60th anniversary of D-Day, photographs of sites then and now. * German exports rise, its industrial output increases, and its growth forecast gets a boost. * Many laundry-solving tech startups are, like many other tech startups, competitive, self-deluding, and douchey. * Inside the world of New York City's impoverished
* China bulldozes mountains to create new business zones, wreaking environmental havoc. * Related: By staying silent over Tiananmen Square, China has assured the event's place in history. * All but 60 of Israel’s 273 original collective farms have abandoned socialism to become serious businesses. * Britain's main streets
* The Hubble telescope has captured the most comprehensive image of the universe, and it looks like a jewel box. * Germany remains the most positively viewed country, while Russia trails Israel, Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea in negative perceptions. * Tiananmen Square through the years. * Some lucky government employees in Sweden are
* Seven weeks after the kidnapping, Nigerian police ban peaceful "Bring Back Our Girls" protests in the capital. * Astronomers discover two new exoplanets, raising new hopes in the search for extraterrestrial life. * Obama's decision to exchange five Guantànamo prisoners for Bowe Bergdahl marks slight progress in his
* Obama moves to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants by 30% by 2030. * Nearly 800 Iraqis were killed in May, making it 2014's deadliest month yet, reflecting a surge in sectarian violence. * Dozens arrested in China to keep from commemorating this week’s 25th anniversary of the
* BBC tracks public sentiment and key political events as Scotland prepares to vote on independence. * Mexican newspaper Más Por Más prints news stories on towels in bathrooms to drive traffic to its website. * St. Mary's Church found to be the most ambiguous term on Wikipedia, followed by Communist
* There was nothing in Rodger's background that would have prevented him from being able to buy a gun. * In the wake of the Santa Barbara shootings, women create a website aggregating articles showing what happens "When Women Refuse." * One reason men were surprised by the #YesAllWomen
* Following the Elliot Rodger shootings, American women organize "Yes All Women" movement to expose harassment and mistreatment. * Short French film reimagines life in a society dominated by women who act like contemporary men. * Customers at the 9/11 museum gift shop explain what their purchases mean to them.
* Why US junk-food brands should stop targeting young people of color: disproportionate rates of diet-related disease. * Non-whites are more likely to breathe foul air than whites, even after correcting for income, according to a recent study. * A Syrian children's magazine publishes stories about "anger management, anxiety, sadness,
* Weeks after slaughtering hundreds and kidnapping more than 300 girls, Boko Haram receives UN sanctions. * Turkish women launch online campaign to shame men for hogging space on public transportation. * Violent, angry grandmothers defend Ukraine's pro-Russia breakaway Donestk People's Republic. * US military has troops on the ground,
* Friendship blooms on Twitter between the nationalist leaders of India and Japan ever since Modi won. * Anyone born in violation of China's one-child-per-couple policy does not exist legally. * See also: Ta-Nehisi Coates on the case for reparations to African-Americans. * Beth Israel gives patients access to therapists’ notes. * Good,
* Retired NFL players allege they were illegally administered dangerous narcotics to keep them playing through the pain. * Most of the world's newborn deaths...enter and leave the world without a piece of paper to record their existence. * How developmental disorganization—where organs and tissues evolve at different rates—
* Thailand’s Army declares martial law, but hasn't picked sides between the pro- and anti-government protesters. * Camille Lepage, inspiring 26-year-old French photojournalist, killed while covering the Central African Republic. * Everyone should have a museum dedicated to the worst day of their life and be forced to attend it
* Severe flooding in the Balkans has displaced at least 24,300 people and dislodged some of the 100,000 landmines in the region. * Eighty years after two scientists first theorized how light turns into matter, three physicists devise an experiment to prove it. * California has released thousands of Pakistani wasps
* The BJP, India's Hindu-nationalist party, looks to sweep the elections, making Narendra Modi the likely Prime Minister. * GOP gubernatorial primary debate in Idaho hijacked by unlikely candidates, including a biker with "a direct line to God." * After weeks of solitary confinement and police interrogations in the
* The NSA reform bill only limits the surface of the agency's spying. * EU ruling gives people the right to ask Google to remove information about them. * Among those asking Google to remove links: a disgraced ex-politician, a convicted pedophile, a doctor with negative patient feedback. * FCC meets with
* Turkish mining disaster kills more than 200, with 200-plus others thought to be still underground. * US planes start flying missions to find the more than 200 Nigerian teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram almost a month ago. * Eight days ago, Boko Haram destroyed the small Nigerian town of Gamburo, killing
* Scientists say the melting of the West Antarctica ice sheet, now underway, will begin an "unstoppable" chain reaction of rising sea levels. * India, the world's largest democracy, goes to the polls. * Iran claims to have replicated an American drone. * Underwater explorer might have discovered Christopher Columbus&
* With 104 billionaires in the UK, Britain now has more billionaires per capita than any other country. * Day in the life of a billionaire's butler. * London restaurant imposes fine on customers who don't finish what they picked up from the lunch buffet. * Putin suspiciously scores six
* Out of all US citizens, men in Portland are most likely to ride a bike to work. * In 39 states (but not New York), Brooklyn is now the most common female baby name beginning with B. * Iowa’s never elected a woman to Congress, but that may change, with many
* Mexico's biggest financial institution thinks migration to the US is on the rise for the first time since the Great Recession hit. * New York's Chinese community mourns the loss of human smuggler—aka "snakehead"—Cheng Chui Ping. * Financial ignorance is widespread even as the
* Mexican farmers stop planting marijuana—thanks to decriminalization in the US—and turn to poppies for heroin. * Zuma and the ANC to win today's election in South Africa despite widely felt shame and disenchantment. * Somali Islamists blamed for two days of attacks in Kenya that killed at least
* National Climate Change Assessment says climate change has moved from the distant future to the immediate now. * Credit Suisse to pay a $1.6 billion penalty for helping wealthy Americans evade US taxes. * Central African Republic's bloody battleground makes the Darfur conflict look like "a model of
* At least 43 people died in Ukraine on Friday—the bloodiest day there in three months. * Hawking, other researchers warn against over-trust in AI. * As the first "rewilding" experiments mature, we're about to learn if reintroducing large animals to habitats can restore ecosystems. * Scientists announce age
* Ukraine launches assault on pro-Russian rebels, leading to two helicopters being shot down. * Russia celebrates the annexation of Crimea with a May Day parade, observed for the first time since the Soviet era. * A third of international air passengers' passports aren't screened against Interpol's database.
* Media outlet wonders why Hillary Clinton hates the media. * Nicholas Kristof’s cheerleading isn’t helpful to Ukraine or Moldova. * Politicians and executives alike embrace the walking meeting. * Scientists discover the Egyptians built pyramids by sliding their stones across wet sand. * Hawaii raised the state's hourly minimum wage
* Nigeria's 200+ kidnapped girls said to have been sold as brides to Boko Haram militants. * Untested drug cocktail leads to botched execution in Oklahoma, killing inmate 43 minutes later from a heart attack. * With NBA owners now on the hook for Sterling's future, other owners'
* The great majority of innocent defendants convicted of capital murder in the US are neither executed nor exonerated. * Cities in Arkansas and Kansas, caught in the tornadoes' paths. * America's nuclear missile silos still use eight-inch floppy disks—outdated technology that's offline and unhackable. * The hackers
* Japan's government pressures those evacuated in the 2010 nuclear meltdown to return home, where radiation is triple pre-accident levels. * Despite support from dozens of health groups, efforts to kill bacteria with radiation slow to catch on in the US. * Stop lying to yourselves, and to your children. Stop
* [The end of net neutrality] threatens to make the internet...unequal in a way that deeply threatens our long-term prosperity. * Genetic analysis of blood and tissue from a 115-year-old woman indicates our cells' finite ability to divide might limit our life span. * Pastor running in South Carolina primary: "
* Today the FCC ends the era of net neutrality, and will allow broadband suppliers to give preference to deep-pocketed companies. * Toxic West Virginia water will be pumped under Ohio, which may result in earthquakes. * Ineffective on climate change thus far, Obama has retooled his cabinet and restrategized new ways to
* Rwanda's president gets a free pass on human rights abuses because of Western guilt over genocide. * The case for firing nearly the entire New York Times columnist pool: sloppy and tired to the point of making Gail Collins look good. * Divorce rate for piping plovers is 67%; flamingos
* FDA approval of the first powdered alcohol, Palcohol, might have been made in error. * Putin signed recently two bills: one making it harder for non-Russian speakers to gain citizenship and the other expediting the process for Russian speakers. * LeBron James, the NFL, quarterbacks, and the Yankees: the most popular athlete,
* Columbine, 15 years later. * Three of the 10 US metro areas where residents feel the least safe have violent crime rates below the national rate. * Almost 100 people were killed in the last five years by members of the white supremacist forum Stormfront. * UK's soaring melanoma rates linked
* Planet Kepler 186f, made of iron, rock, ice, and liquid water, is "potentially the most Earth-like planet we’ve yet found." * Of the 2,028 days in Beijing between April 2008 and March 2014, only 25 had air considered “good” by US standards. * Turkey's Ottoman Disneyland:
* Ukrainian citizens on the ground, as of last month, found to be divided, cynical, and angry. * Primer on what's happening where in Ukraine. * Thousands of zoo animals starving in Ukraine, though it's barely a worsening of their situation, long affected by corruption. * Pakistan Taliban ends its
* The UN/African Union mission purposefully misled the public about the worsening situation in Darfur. * Prominent female Republican argues increasing men's job prospects is the best way to ensure women's economic—and marital—happiness. * The landscape of hate groups and hate crimes in the US. * India
* Tension high in Ukraine as authorities announce an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Russian separatists. * If you live in Russia and you think Crimea now belongs to the motherland, this map tells you that you're right. * California contract killer "Mano Negra" busted after a "sloppy&
* According to the UN's climate change report, for Earth to remain habitable we must cut carbon emissions to "near zero" by 2100. * The global economic crisis of 2007 and 2008 temporarily reduced emissions but didn't change the trend, the report says. * UN suggests fracking
* Seymour Hersh on Obama's secret "rat line," funneling weapons from Turkey to the Syrian opposition, including some jihadists. * Related: Photographer finds art in a parking lot of retired B-52 bombers. * The fewer babies Americans give birth to, the more small dogs they appear to buy. * In
* Pro-Russia citizens of Eastern Ukraine take over buildings and wait for Russia, feeling exposed. * Helpful, relatively brief primer on the recent saga of Ukraine, Putin, and the West's culpability. * American history told through first pitches thrown by Presidents, from Taft to FDR. * Alabama’s athletic revenues last year—
* One in six Americans can find Ukraine on a map; the farther away people guessed, the more likely they were to support intervention. * At least 20 students stabbed in a Pittsburgh area high school. * Low-income housing in Los Angeles has evolved from dull, ugly buildings to some of the city&
* Today President Obama will sign an executive action requiring federal contractors to report salary data broken down by gender and race. * Lies, omissions, and a nefarious Polish general: a day in the life of Russian state TV. * The less people know about where Ukraine is located on a map, the
* Analysis of India's demographics, as the country prepares to vote, finds more than half the population under 24. * Amtrak's rules in big cities are bizarre, ignoring 150 years of accumulated wisdom about boarding trains; they are also easily avoidable. * The longer we wait to impose a
* Note: TMN is on vacation until Monday, April 7, 2014. See you then. * Profit model of American drug manufacturing leads to shortages of basic medicines, like IV fluid. * Future for energy is renewables + "clean coal." * New Mexico's arid climate is bad for most crops but good
* In 2013, as executions rose 15%, people were killed for adultery, blasphemy, and watching banned videos. * Economists fear recession in Russia as investors yank out their money and growth evaporates. * Six million of the seven million people killed by air pollution in 2012 lived in Asia. * In remote areas of
* Fourteen dead and 176 still missing in the Washington state mudslide. * Gender divides the Supreme Court in Hobby Lobby case regarding contraception coverage in corporate health plans. * Writer boils Michelle Obama's virtues down to five essential traits of a good first lady. * Crimea and its battlefields helped make
* Ukrainian women launch campaign to withhold sex from Russian men. * Federal employees forbidden from smoking marijuana even in states where it’s legal. * Girl scout breaks national record, selling 18,107 boxes of cookies on Sunday night. * Quote about New Orleans lacking kale causes much consternation and many op-eds. * One-third
* Egypt court sentences 529 Morsi supporters to death; 700 more to go on trial tomorrow. * Numbers guru Nate Silver predicts Republicans will take control of the Senate in fall elections. * Ebola outbreak in Guinea doesn't deserve panic: the virus kills people too fast for them to pass it
* Moscow responds to Obama’s sanctions by banning nine American leaders from visiting, including Boehner. * The “acceptance” of Putin’s actions among the Western community appears to be on the rise. * Rate of melting ice in Greenland indicates sea levels will rise faster than projected. * Narcissus loved his reflection before
* Kiev will withdraw Ukrainian troops from Crimea and appeal to the UN to declare Crimea a de-militarised zone. * AP adapts its Crimean datelines, handing sovereignty neither to Ukraine nor Russia. * China has tripled its arms exports in the past five years and imports 11% of its weapons from Ukraine. * Child
* Tensions over Crimea may not cause a new Cold War, but instead a long period of confrontation. * Ukraine may be able write off $5 billion in debt to Russia. * Reported death of the "Russian bin Laden" cannot yet be confirmed. * Experiment shows fewer people performed tasks they didn&
* Ripples in space further corroborate that the universe expanded tremendously after the Big Bang, a theory known as inflation. * Russia has the same surface area of Pluto, and 16 other non-Crimea-related facts about the nation. * Murder of an indefatigable Ugandan MP fits a pattern of corruption and intricate coverups. * Dispatch
* Identical studies of the "five-second rule" reach opposite conclusions—both agree moist foods are more bacteria-prone. * Skin-tight astronaut suits mimic the effect of gravity and could prevent the brutal spinal damage caused by weightlessness. * More than 80 large passenger aircrafts have disappeared since 1948. * New study suggests ADHD
* When asked what would happen on the eve of Russia's intervention in Ukraine, most international relations scholars got it wrong. * If Russia annexed Crimea, Ukraine would be stronger and Russia would be poor. * Novelist writing book set in Crimea looks on despairingly as current events spoil his plot.
* Pentagon spent around $300,000 to study Putin's body movements for clues to his intentions. * The Kremlin has proved that it has the means, and the media, to gin up support for Putin’s folly—but that won’t last indefinitely. * Richard Branson is the mirror image of
* Feinstein accuses the CIA of illegal, unconstitutional actions: pillaging her committee's computers and intimidating staff. * Dueling anticipates the senator's looming report, expected to torch the spies over torture methods. * In case you missed it: Obama asks to see Zach Galifianakis's birth certificate. * Three years
* New Pew survey shows millennials to be the most racially diverse, areligious generation in American history. * Pictures from Sochi's Winter Paralympics. * Africa doesn't need your wifi. * From online dating to online making-up: Couples use therapy apps to figure out why they're fighting. * Anti-Semitic comic
* The week in world news: Serbia holds an election, Michelle Bachelet becomes president of Chile, and Slovaks go to the polls. * When passenger jets mysteriously disappear, conspiracy theories abound. * Cartoons on the Ukraine crisis. * Survey of modern Ukrainian literature provides context for recent weeks. * Drunk Canadian tourists, "covered in
* Army's chief prosecutor for sexual assault suspended for alleged assault at sexual assault legal conference. * Sixteenth-century artillery manual suggests strapping bombs to cats and doves. * Mr. Obama has fixed ideas about how best to pursue peace in the Middle East, and a far less solicitous style than his
* Statistics show the ACT is gaining popularity among high school students; the SAT is remodeling itself to imitate it. * College women more likely to adopt eating disorders, dislike their bodies after using Facebook. * Graphic designer crowd-sources funding to produce an "average Barbie." * Sex after rape: Survivors of sexual
* French scientists revive a huge—but harmless—virus after 30,000 years in the Siberian permafrost. * Related: The ancient virus sets the record for the longest a virus has remained alive. * World's oldest woman, 116, shares her secret to longevity: "Eat a good meal and relax."
* Kerry arrives in Kiev and offers $1 billion in loan guarantees, with sanctions to punish Russia coming later this week. * Mounting tension between Russia and Ukraine, in pictures. * John Oliver's satirical news podcast "The Bugle" blocked by China. * Views on gay marriage reveal new distinction between
* Ukraine is the latest example of Putin's top priority as president: To expand Russia's influence in Eurasia. * See also: how Ukraine lost its definite article. * By storing Russia's money, Europe has disabled its ability to stand up to Putin. * Special Economist report on democracy&
* UN reports 300,000 Nigerians uprooted and displaced as a result of Boko Harem violence. * Unlike Standard Oil and Carnegie Steel, Facebook and Google are everywhere and nowhere, making today's image of "the worker" similarly invisible. * President Abe reconsiders Japan's official apology to "
* January storms leave 21,341 sea birds dead off the coast of France, the country's worst bird "slaughter" since 1900. * Surge in U.S. teenagers with head lice blamed on group selfies. * Selfies from five cities compared for regional differences—gender, expressions, ages, even head tilt.
* Obesity rates in children two to five years old dropped 43% in the past decade. * Ukrainian journalists launch YanukovychLeaks from documents found at the Mezhyhirya compound. * Study of cursing on Twitter finds that Friday, Saturday, Sunday are consistently the least sweary days of the week. * Bitcoin investors greatly disappointed by
* Georgia is considering a bill nearly identical to the legislation that allowed Arizona businesses to deny service to homosexuals. * Within the past year in California, more than a dozen children have developed a polio-like syndrome causing paralysis. * Harsh winter weather shaves half a percentage point from gross domestic product, but
* Ukraine's acting leadership—whom Russia claims "seized power"—to meet with EU for economic assistance. * The Russian media continually make the claim that the Ukrainians who protest are Nazis. * In China, anti-vice campaign threatens Dongguan's economic stability, which depends almost entirely on sex tourism.
* Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders sign a deal. * Wrenching photographs of the protests in Kiev from the last 24 hours. * New Jersey has run out of road salt, and a 90-year-old maritime law prevents it from acquiring more. * Fukushima plant stores runoff in tanks to prevent spillage—340,
* North Korea threatens to cancel, then permits reunions between its citizens and South Korean relatives. * U.S. Dept. of the Interior is spoon-feeding bad information to reporters—we now know 50,000+ wild horses live in atrocious conditions. * Whether to go "-gate" or "-ghazi": Toward a
* Explainer on the Ukraine protests, violence, and possible EU intervention. * The Kiev protests are Putin's worst nightmare. * The most hazardous countries in the world for drivers are also the countries with the least number of cancer-related deaths. * Dancing animals offer clues into how music has evolved in humans
* UN investigators release 372-page report accusing North Korea of crimes evoking Nazi-era atrocities. * Infrastructures—access to firearms, prescription drugs—may overshadow mental illness in climbing suicide rates. * Neknomination, disastrous online drinking game in which a person takes shots and challenges others, is sweeping the globe. * Why the U.S. should
* Right now Florida is the only state in the U.S. completely free of snow. * Indonesian volcano erupts; 200,000 evacuated while airports as far as Australia cancel flights due to ash. * Hungary strengthens ties with Russia. * In the U.S., 40% of children are born to single mothers—indirectly
* To explain how many medals a nation will win...the authors considered a nation's population and per-capita income. * Every time a freeze sets in, global warming skeptics crow—a brief explanation of why they're wrong. * Terrifying space footage of England, where wind gusts from 80-100 mph
* Traffickers and local police have colluded to keep Eritrean refugees in torture camps in Egypt and Sudan for the past decade. * Audience attendance at Sochi is abysmally low—at times 50% less than stadium capacity—seats are now offered to volunteers. * American bars are too loud and cafes too quiet
* Following years of the Taliban obstructing vaccinations, a Kabul girl is the first to be diagnosed with polio since 2001. * In Iraq, accidental detonation during training kills 22 would-be suicide bombers. * Stigmatizing smokers has gone too far. * North Carolina hospital informs patients they may have been exposed to a neurological
* U.S. government to expand same-sex marriage rights "to the greatest extent possible under the law." * Behind the scenes of how the NFL prospect about to become the league's first openly gay player came out. * According to a former U.S. military drone operator, targets are
* Journalists' gleeful schadenfreude about personal inconveniences in Sochi is the hallmark of entitlement. * Post Cold War America and Russia have switched places—America was conservative and nationalistic while Russia was revolutionary. * Chanel No. 5 changed the perfume industry by incorporating musk; after WWII, animal secretions were de rigueur. * Alaska
* Scientists discover entirely new way to reprogram animal cells into stem cells, with no genetic manipulation. * CVS to stop selling tobacco in 2015—an important move, though 75% of all cigarettes are purchased in convenience stores. * In France, hamburgers overtake baguette sandwiches in popularity; the French are also the second
* Afghanistan parliament passes law enabling men to beat their wives and children without fear of prosecution. * When a gang can't afford rent in its neighborhood anymore, "it becomes a weekend gang." * See also: With street lamps switched to LED lighting, Los Angeles will never look the
* WHO says there will be 22 million new cases of cancer each year within two decades. * Alaska has the highest rate of reported rape in America, three times the national average. * South Koreans consume around 14 shots of liquor a week; Russians consume 6 and Americans consume 3. * History of
* This is a particularly tragic death as Hoffman, 46, was very much still going strong. * Junod on Hoffman: “The great character actors are now the actors whose work has the element of ritual sacrifice.” * New abortion restrictions in Texas haven’t stopped women from seeking terminations—now they go to
* Russia's life expectancy correlates directly to vodka consumption; a quarter of all Russian men die before 55. * Pew research shows 52% of Americans are disappointed with the outcomes of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. * From Schwarzkopf's boots to traffic cones, the U.S. government's
The Morning News seeks an intern for Spring 2014. You’ll learn how a daily online magazine is produced and have opportunities to create content and contribute to the editorial quality of the publication. * Geographic location is unimportant. Internet, baby. * The daily work for this position is unpaid, but you
* Ahead of Sunday's game, Times Square becomes Super Bowl Boulevard, with of course a 60-foot toboggan ride. * NFL may abandon Roman numerals for Super Bowls—a poll reveals just 5% of Americans can decipher "XLVIII." * NFL cheerleading is a scam. * The NFL has long been supported
* Obama delivers modest State of the Union address, vowing solo action for remainder of his term. * Fact-checking the State of the Union. * The GOP's replacement plan for Obamacare is actually the party's first step away from the idea that it's going to repeal the
* Out of 3 billion airplane passengers last year, only 244 died—significantly fewer than the 2,900 deaths triggered by hippos. * "No, an Abandoned Ship Full of Diseased Rats Is Not Floating Towards Britain." * Anti-Corruption Foundation honors Sochi's five most distinguished money siphoners profiting off the
* This is Danny Pearl's final story. * Tunisia approves new constitution after bloody Arab Spring revolt three years ago. * Sixty-nine percent of olive oil for sale is doctored, with most "Italian" olive oils originating in Spain or Tunisia. * Stunning photo of ship stranded in Antarctica, surrounded by
* FBI arrests revenge-porn site operator for paying a hacker to steal hundreds of nude photos from people's email accounts. * Morocco repeals law that exonerates rapist if they marry their victims, but marital rape is still legal. * Series of storms in the Atlantic tosses abandoned cruise ship of cannibal
* European Union proposes to end binding national targets for renewable energy production. * Sulphate pollution from China results in U.S. smog. * Multiple studies show that gentrification may be a boon to longtime residents, who likely don't leave the neighborhood. * Data based on disease models predicts Facebook will lose
* Interesting account of actor Jeffrey Wright's attempts to develop a gold mine in Sierra Leone. * Times of India's disturbing front-page headline. * Photos of Bombay's slum-surrounded residential skyscrapers titled after their ad slogans. * See also: Sketches of architecture and street life in Paris from the
* Two arrested at Texas-Mexico border with more than 100 fraudulent credit cards exploiting stolen Target data. * Korea Credit Bureau engineer arrested for stealing nearly half the South Korean population's credit cards. * Check to see if your email address or username has been compromised in a data breach. * A
* Egypt hires American PR firm to improve its image, then arrests its film crew within hours of setting foot in Cairo. * Times editor discovers a new relationship with her father when her dad discovers the joy of texting about the news. * Threats from Western countries to withdraw aid have slowed
* Four years after he went missing, video surfaces of the only U.S. soldier held captive by the Taliban. * Thorough explainer of what you need to know about this week's net neutrality decision. * What's it like to live as a gay family in Russia today? "
* The NSA can use radio waves to snoop on computers that aren't connected to the internet. * Federal judge strikes down Oklahoma's ban on gay marriage, calling it "arbitrary" and "irrational." * Ezra Klein on what liberals get wrong about single payer. * Bill Keller
* NBC defends how it plans to broadcast the Olympics alongside Russia's "anti-gay propaganda" law. * Terrorism case analysis finds NSA's phone record collection “has had no discernible impact on preventing acts of terrorism.” * Mexico to deploy federal forces in western state where narcos and vigilantes
* China's steel manufacturing industry produces roughly a quarter of the world's steel—and is on the verge of collapse. * Researchers find MTV's 16 and Pregnant has led to a drastic decrease in teen pregnancy rate. * Ink-jet technology that prints retinal cells could help treat
* Rachel Maddow speculates: Christie wasn't targeting Fort Lee mayor with bridge closures, but NJ Senator Loretta Weinberg. * India firearms company launches exclusive revolver for women. * Until 1912, visitors to Niagara Falls could walk on the ice bridge—it's refrozen, but not to that point yet. * See
* Mounting evidence Christie is a bully. * I've never known a governor without a long list of local opponents, enemies, and plain chuckleheads. * Missing its deadline to elect new Olympic officials, India's athletes will compete as independents at Sochi. * UN to stop updating Syria's death
* The first consignment of Syrian chemical weapons has departed by ship, to be destroyed in international waters. * Indeed, al Qaeda appears to control more territory in the Arab world than it has done at any time in its history. * Following the Snowden leaks, how Google, Facebook, and Microsoft nearly became
* [Snowden] went too far to be considered just a whistleblower. * The coldest temperature recorded in the Midwest on Monday was -36°—enough for antifreeze to freeze. * More than 22 million tons of salt are scattered on U.S. roads annually—about 137 pounds of salt for every American. * Why women
* Most areas of the U.S. are the coldest in nearly 20 years—some cities are 30 to 50 degrees below average. * Not that you'll need it today, but: A guide to where you should put your sunglasses when you head inside. * Mountains in areas without glaciers get
* Indonesian miners' use of mercury to expedite gold production takes a devastating environmental, human toll. * Cocaine trafficking has claimed more lives than the Spanish Inquisition—ongoing deaths are equal to Nazi Germany. * Developing countries' obesity rates far exceed industrial nations'; China and Mexico's figures have
* In China, one in five children—about 61 million kids—live in rural villages without their parents. * Wal-Mart China's latest scandal. * Photos document the new identities of buildings that used to be Pizza Huts. * Twenty years after the Zapatista rebellion, indigenous Mexican tribes still denied entry or service
We gathered writers and thinkers to consider everything that happened over the past 12 months and asked them: What were the most important events of 2013—and what were the least?
* Charity Navigator offers a holiday giving guide and tools to evaluate charities' ethics and effectiveness. * The Equal Justice Initiative believes the opposite of poverty is not wealth—it's justice. * Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles works everyday to fight the affordable housing crisis. * GiveDirectly will, as its
* Marks & Spencer prompts outrage after allowing Muslim employees to refuse selling customers pork and alcohol. * Following the Target breach, Chase would rather limit cardholders' purchases than invest in real security. * Why Snapchat matters: Because an erasable internet is a comfort that's the polar opposite of Facebook.
* Obama stays home and instead sends three openly gay athletes as part of his Olympic delegation to Sochi. * Billboard in Coimbatore, India commemorates Morgan Freeman instead of Nelson Mandela. * Lapham: "All jokes are inside jokes and the butts of them are us, the only animal that laughs, but also
* Obama's panel says the NSA shouldn't collect phone data, but critics see a path to continue untargeted spying. * Drone strike kills a dozen and injures more at a wedding in Yemen—the kind of strike that fuels rather than diminishes al Qaeda. * Patriarch of Duck Dynasty
* This November was the warmest one since 1880; in fact, the 10 warmest Novembers on record have happened in the past 15 years. * Map of mishaps that have occurred so far during the 2014 Sochi Olympic torch relay. * Unsuccessfully marketed as an American patriot, Snowden has now rebranded himself as
* Federal district judge says the NSA's program of tracking all Americans’ phone calls most likely violates the Constitution. * The Pentagon's JROTC program recruits future soldiers from high schools in struggling neighborhoods. * Detroit-area high school is nation's first entirely "flipped" school. * U.S.
* Kim Jong Un's uncle was the first in a series of expected executions in North Korea—the youth are killing off their elders. * DPRK: "Despicable human scum Jang, who was worse than a dog, perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery." * Why Uncle Jang's death matters
* Masquerading sign-language interpreter at Mandela memorial tells interviewers he's schizophrenic. * Movie sets circa 1940 used white-coated cornflakes for snow; the cracking was so loud that dialogue had to be overdubbed. * Aviation schools offer advanced programs in drone piloting. * Google's top execs used tax-subsidized gas from NASA
* Women between 15 and 44 are more likely to be injured or die from male violence than from traffic accidents, cancer, malaria, and the effects of war combined. * Who is the next Mandela? * Australia overturns federal same-sex marriage law, declaring all unions that took place under it invalid. * Russian state
* Putin amps up Russia's military presence in the Arctic, a "Cold War-like" response to Canada's interest in the North Pole. * The coldest place on earth is an Antarctic plateau measuring -93.2 °C (-135.76 °F). * Winter cold is no impediment to New York&
* Canada pushes against Russia and Denmark to claim the North Pole, but still must prove its continental shaft connects. * Chinese state media issues a list of the five "surprising benefits" of smog. * The U.S. poverty rate has reduced dramatically since 1967, but has stayed the same—15%
* Ukraine sends interior troops into Kiev, where protesters still block entrances to some government buildings. * A trip through the periodic table partially explains why we value gold over almost everything else. * Nadine Gordimer: "What is missing in the general view of Mandela is his wit, his quick humor."
* Nelson Mandela, dead at 95 from a lung infection, "was, quite simply, a wonderful man." * Zakes Mda: Mandela was a man of contradictions, and his followers are trampling on his legacy. * Past and present Africa correspondents from the New York Times reflect on Mandela. * Prince William and the
* Majority of Americans believes the country should “mind its own business internationally.” * New research finds women's and men's brains are wired differently—women for socialization and memory, men for perception and coordinated action. * If you still have room in your mind for a Snowden profile: Janet
* Politico believes Chris Christie's "Rubensesque" girth is his best asset, helping him relate to working-class voters. * Ukraine's desire to be affiliated with the EU is more symbolic than practical. * Editor of the Guardian describes pressures and precautions after coming into contact with the Snowden
* Along with workers and money, the U.S. plains oil rush has meant a boom in cartel, drug, and other criminal activity. * Corruption watchdog says the world perceives Australia as declining alongside Syria and Libya. * How Thailand reached its current insanity. * Texting has rendered the humble period surly and aggressive;
* For consumers, healthcare.gov now appears operational, but there's no assurance it's working on the back end—for insurers. * Though homicides have dropped, Mexico's president hasn't yet delivered on promises to improve the economy and reduce crime. * Facing speculation he'd
* Rwanda to be the first country to perform non-surgical mass circumcision to curb AIDS. * New information emerges that the CIA at Gitmo turned al Qaeda suspects into double agents. * Greenwald: NSA is monitoring suspected radicalizers' online porn activity to ruin their reputation among denizens. * How the DEA took down
* China explains why it didn't respond when American and Japanese jets flew through its new air defense zone over the East China Sea. * Putin usually makes guests wait 30 minutes to see him, but the Pope waited nearly an hour. * New Snowden document says the NSA has been
* Consumers turn to private insurance-market websites to buy coverage while healthcare.gov remains troubled. * Private company purchases 150 acres of Detroit, with plans to turn the derelict East Side into farmland and orchards. * Though its strategies have proven ineffectual, no one can blame the USPS for trying to save itself
* D.C. Republicans increasingly furious at the Heritage Foundation, notably its 31-year-old "revolutionary." * Iran and America's top diplomats are selling the landmark nuclear agreement very differently at home. * Primer on the Iran nuclear agreement. * "A Guide to Eating Very Particular Feelings." * The champagne of
* Last year there were 223 cases of polio; to reach zero, we need to spend billions and fight the Taliban. * Health authorities struggle to convince America that there's a post-antibiotics crisis coming soon. * See also: the "happy-hour virus," for when your computer needs to be temporarily
* Possible nor'easter predicted to ruin Thanksgiving travel plans on the East Coast this Wednesday. * In the next 50 years the island of Kiribati will sink into the Pacific; its government needs to relocate 103,000 citizens. * Six-month deal reached to keep the Iranian nuclear program in check, but
* From 1964, a JFK eulogy. * From Annie Hall to Slacker, finding humor in JFK assassination conspiracies. * I was in my gym class...Someone came in and said the president had been shot, and people cheered. * Alabama state parole board posthumously pardons nine black teenagers falsely accused of rape in 1931.
* Quotations and reports pulled from New York Times articles that ran in the four days following JFK's death. * Illustrated guide and plausibility reports for every JFK conspiracy. * Related: Time-lapse map of every nuclear explosion that's ever taken place on Earth. * Ezra Klein on the big filibuster
* White paper finds worldwide income inequality falling consistently over four decades, especially in the last decade. * Ballet dancers now think of themselves as brands, causing havoc among companies. * First people to hear Joy Womack's allegations about the Bolshoi Ballet were seated in a small Virginia library. * Study of
* By intervening in Mali, France may have saved other African nations from civil war, which often spills across borders. * Kenya's sex workers choose antiretroviral drugs over condoms. * For most Texans, the closest clinic to offer abortions after 20 weeks will stay open—it's in Albuquerque. * Exiled
* If Walmart wanted workers to have a living wage, it could end stock buybacks that don't improve the bottom line. * Oil companies try to stay hush on spills—it almost worked in Mayflower, Ark., until people started getting sick. * Scientists unearth ancient seawater, which they discover has twice
* In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds Texas's brutal abortion restrictions. * Four in five have updated their social media privacy in the past six months. * Dutch officials pay alcoholics in tobacco and beer to be less disruptive and clean parks. * Africa is often portrayed as
* U.S.-Israel ties strained over Iran accord. * Where the United States does stand out is in the level of inequality after taxes and transfers. * The eruptions of Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano, now active after 400 years of dormancy. * French newspaper goes image-less in support of photographers, who
* George Zimmerman's history of violence against women, like OJ Simpson's, should have been a red flag for murder. * So was the America of 1947–1974...the great exception in the nation's economic history? * Walmart blames Obamacare for poor financials, but given its workforce and
* Five decades ago, JFK faced the same quagmire as Obama regarding Medicaid and socializing medicine. * Novelist and Nobel winner Doris Lessing, who wrote The Golden Notebook, dies at 94. * Atwood: "If there were a Mount Rushmore of 20th-century authors, Doris Lessing would most certainly be carved upon it."
* The worst job in DC: Obama cabinet member. * Science may find cures for rare childhood diseases—but for parents, eventually isn't soon enough. * Why do we ban cigarettes to minors [when] it’s OK to have 12-year-olds getting nicotine poisoning in the fields? * China is ending its one
* Neuroscientists say creativity and mental illness share a similar degree of vulnerability, called "cognitive disinhibition." * Argentina's central bank is losing more than $1B a month, with a reserve less than those of Romania, Nigeria, Angola, or Lebanon. * "China's cake millionaire at home in
* Aid goes unseen in many parts of the Philippines; officials post death toll of 4,000 in Tacloban alone. * Police commander in the Philippines fired for his estimate of 10,000 dead from the typhoon. * In the midst of a "robbery epidemic," rich neighborhoods in Oakland, Calif., hire
* When gun ownership decreases other methods of suicide increase. * Healthcare.gov's numbers prove little. * White House analysis disproves Healthcare.gov's claim that 50% of young adults are eligible for deep discounts. * So far the Rolling Jubilee has purchased and abolished $15M of Americans' personal debt.
* Poverty and political conservatism move out of America's cities and into its suburbs. * How to use math and game theory to win at nearly every game on The Price Is Right—except Plinko. * Britain to try outfitting staircases at three public buildings with signs stating calorie-burn counts. * More
* Death panels institute new cholesterol guidelines that will require all Americans to ingest statins. * Jobs in photojournalism have reduced 43% in the past decade—at three times the rate of editorial staff layoffs. * Scientists find that reindeers' eyes change from gold to blue in the course of a year
* Merger of American Airlines and US Airways approved after the airlines yield slots at major airports. * Small-scale British drug dealers launder their dirty money through gambling machines in pubs. * Micro bubbles in America's real-estate market, coupled with low mortgage rates, create windfalls for a few, instability for most.
* Analysis of Kerry's bet, and opposing views, that lining up a nuclear deal with Iran is still the smart play. * U.S. veterans return to Vietnam, some for closure, some to foster reconciliation between the two countries. * Cracking down on U.S.-waged "economic war," Venezuela&
* Whenever Mother Nature wants to send an urgent message to humankind, it sends it via the Philippines. * Tom Scocca takes apart a psychotherapist's argument against Obamacare and explains how insurance actually works. * Retailers are clamoring for same-day delivery, and it may be enough to save the U.S.
* The situation in the typhoon-stricken Philipines continues to worsen; officials estimate 10,000 have died. * Well aware of the genocide that created Bangladesh, the post-Watergate U.S. chose to ignore it. * Presidential elections repel the well-adjusted...then they strip those oddballs of what is left of their self-respect. * Unconventional history
* Over the past decade lung cancer cases in Beijing have jumped by more than 50%—officials blame smoking and air pollution. * China's pollution is damaging sperm, exacerbating a shortage at sperm banks that's driven black-market prices up to $5,000. * California wine seller charged with creating
* Typhoon Haiyan, pummeling the Philippines, may be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit land anywhere in recorded history. * Africans protest sanctions against Zimbabwe after African observers declared Mugabe's recent election valid. * Ex-cop on not getting arrested. * Mugshots of criminals in Newcastle correctional facility from 1871-1873, many of them
* Poll finds only 35% of Germans consider the U.S. government trustworthy, and 60% consider Snowden a hero. * See also: As of October, only 19% of Americans trust the government; in 1958, that number was 73%. * Snowden may have tricked up to 25 co-workers to reveal their passwords for his
* U.S. economy grows in the third quarter contrary to economists' expectations. * Report card says America's students have made incremental improvements in math and reading since 2011. * Only a million of Puerto Rico’s 3.6 million people are employed; the population shrank four percent in the
* Inspectors have verified 22 chemical weapons production sites in Syria. * CIA declines to confirm that it's paying AT&T more than $10 million a year to assist with overseas counterterrorism operations. * You can avoid being mugged by walking in a way that appears less vulnerable. * As we
* Dutch activists posing as an avatar named "Sweetie" identify 1000 pedophiles soliciting webcam displays. * The United States is second behind China in the consumption of illegal animal products like ivory, rhinoceros horn, tiger blood. * "New Documentary Reveals SeaWorld Forced Orca Whales To Perform Nude." * Photo of
* Democrats win races in Virginia, New York City, Atlanta, and Boston, but not New Jersey. * Among the takeaways from Election Night 2013: Republicans have an un-married people problem. * See also: Election-day oddities include 16- and 17-year-olds voting and Coloradans rejecting a bid for secession. * Obamacare subsides [sic] are designed to
* More areas where women in the U.S. earn more than men: nearly all part-time jobs. * Radiolab finds a disturbing possibility for why Kenyans dominate long-distance running: genital mutilation. * Google employees tell all. * Every night in Memphis, around 150 cargo jets land and take off again, transporting the world'
* John Kerry is a terrible Secretary of State. * For many whose coverage was cancelled under Obamacare, it's because those were insurance plans that began as a scam. * Since 2007 more than 580 deaths—mostly among dogs—have resulted from eating jerky treats, but no one yet knows why.
* Very quickly, the matter of disbursing these funds became something else, a proxy fight over how to evaluate grief. * America shouldn't stop spying, even on allies, but it must do a better job of not getting caught. * "The 24 Hours Barack Obama Almost Threw His Reelection Away&
* Germany's move to let intersex babies' gender remain unregistered is a first in Europe—parents aren't forced into deciding. * Kenya's president launches a website for citizens to report government corruption and bribery directly to him. * The world's 18 strangest airports. * U.
* Appeals court reinstates most of Texas's abortion restrictions, which will remain in effect until January. * Unfortunately not related: A sinister history of Halloween pranks, from riots to bigotry. * Whatever Obamaism really is, it has run its course. * Profile of John Ramsey, one of the Libertarian kids who are
* Syria wants to turn its chemical weapons factories into civilian chemical facilities, alarming inspectors. * Columnist detained in Saudi Arabia for writing about women drivers. * Greenwald on leaving The Guardian: "Reporting the NSA story has never been easy." * The Pacific Ocean has warmed 15 times faster in the last
* Mother explains why you shouldn't spy on your children, despite the myriad ways technology now allows you to track them. * Petraeus: How we won the surge in Iraq. * Potential HIV treatment completely wipes out virus from lab monkeys; effects may not apply to humans. * Architectural profile of the
* Google and Yahoo outraged yesterday at reports the NSA can collect information "at will" from hundreds of millions of user accounts. * Dick Cheney re-emerges in order to support the Tea Party and his daughter's campaign for Senate. * Boston wins the World Series at home for the
* The portions of the Texas abortion law that remain still make it burdensome for women to get abortions. * To win a seat in Congress, it helps to have a family member who's been in Congress. * Woes continue for healthcare.gov, with news that hacking into people's
* Spy chiefs say listening to foreign leaders is par for the course—and that Europeans would spy on Obama if it wasn't for his badass Blackberry. * Former Greek foreign minister admits to eavesdropping on American diplomats. * Haiku generator makes poetry out of NSA-flagged words. * Our security services'
* China does its best to scrub away evidence—both physically and online—of yesterday's car crash in Tiananmen Square, but images get free. * ABC scrubs clip and apologizes after child on Jimmy Kimmel Live! suggests killing everyone in China. * Related: Excellent remembrance of "Tank Man" and
* White House poised to ban spying on heads of allied countries; former intelligence director tells leaders to get off cell phones. * Obama didn't know before the Snowden leaks that the NSA was targeting as many as 35 world leaders. * Brief introduction to the "five eyes" club,
* According to Spiegel research, the NSA and CIA have used the American Embassy in Berlin as a listening station. * The largest business in death care in North America expects by early 2014 to ingest the next-largest chain. * Related: America’s funeral parlors mostly rely on one man to provide their
* Nineteen Syrian rebel groups reject participation in peace talks, demand end of the al-Assad government. * No matter what you read in the news, bullying is not on the rise and it does not lead to suicide. * Relatively large, never-seen-before asteroid very likely will not strike Earth on August 26, 2032.
* Acela passenger spies on former NSA head, live-tweets overheard phone call. * Europeans gather in a London gentlemen's club to discuss the U.S.'s aggressive spying techniques. * Countries that suffer the highest burden of malaria tend to be the least motivated to do much of anything about
* Ten countries have three-quarters of the world’s 30 million slaves; Mauritania comes out worst, with an estimated 4% of the population enslaved. * Nearly half of America's middle-class workers say they're not confident that they will be able to retire comfortably. * Iceland is the #1 country
* It will be the first time that American legislators hear direct testimony from civilian victims of a drone strike. * Because Obama's proposed clean-air rules will only apply to new power plants, the effect will be minimal. * The world's worst cities for outdoor air pollution—Bakersfield smells
* Hubble finds galaxy 1.3 billion light years away—the most distant cluster of celestial bodies discovered yet. * German Foreign Minister summons the American ambassador to Berlin over allegations the U.S. tapped Chancellor Merkel's cell phone. * Der Spiegel says the NSA and British GCHQ worked jointly to
* Kerry trying to charm back the Saudis over their disappointment that the U.S. strike on Syria didn't materialize. * Fewer than one in 200 Americans has a law licence, but lawyers include a third of the House and more than half the seats in the Senate. * Gallup finds
* The face of aid in Africa is Angelina Jolie and doctors in lab coats, but it should be the minimally trained community health workers. * Malcom Gladwell had his prefrontal cortex disabled to research ADD. * Brunei to implement amputation for theft, stoning for adultery; criticism of policies is virtually nonexistent. * In
* When President Obama says that the deficit has been cut in half, he is substantially understating what has happened. * U.S. jobs report shows a smaller rise in employment than is expected for this stage of economic recovery. * Mexico condemns U.S. spying after Snowden data showed the NSA read
* Drone strikes do more than end civilian life—they destroy it by grounding local troops and fostering corruption. * If the Obama administration has its way there won't be an end to the counterterrorism war in Afghanistan for years to come. * Northern China is awash with smog; small particle
* Tyler Cowen's evil twin explains why the shutdown and debt crisis were all part of a brilliant GOP plan. * In 2012, Mexico produced more than 3 million vehicles, compared with 10.8 million in the United States. * Of the $60 billion global art market, Chinese art accounts for
* Violin believed to have been played by the Titanic's bandmaster as the ship sank sells at auction for £900,000. * A growing number of young Japanese adults are uninterested in sex—their parents worry about "celibacy syndrome." * In the awful Virginia gubernatorial race, the Richmond Times-Dispatch
* Snowden says he didn't bring any NSA secrets to Russia—he left all classified documents with journalists in Hong Kong. * MTA says this year's projected record number of track deaths doesn't signal a trend. * Whenever you hear a quote about Obamacare, it's
* Native Americans' under-noticed role in the Civil War: Seward once told fighter Ely S. Parker, "Go home, cultivate your farm." * Europe's human rights chief warns Britain it cannot cherry-pick its rules and must give prisoners the right to vote. * Human Rights Watch accuses Ethiopian officials
* Collected from the shutdown: Guess the political grimace. * Biden welcomes EPA workers with muffins and hugs. * Also for your afternoon break: The National Zoo animal cams are back. * The "best" moments from the shutdown. * The craft beer craze hits Paris—enough to coin a new term, bièrologues, aka
* Two years later, American governance is behaving as though it deserves to be downgraded. * What the GOP in Congress would look like as clowns, which, well. * During last night's House vote, a stenographer lost her composure and was removed from the floor. * America is governed by entitlements because
* Liveblogging the debt negotiations as tomorrow morning's default deadline looms. * Nations with a history of default weigh in on America's debacle. * Every day the NSA collects an estimated half-million address lists from live-chat services and web-based email. * The government has kept using Windows XP and Server
* A brief history of lust intercepting foreign policy. * The journey to Mecca is not what it was 100 years ago; hotels dot the landscape, one so grand it towers over the Kaaba. * Snorkeler finds carcass of 18-foot-long oarfish, a creature that normally roams 3,000 feet under the ocean surface.
* White House rejects House Republicans' counterproposal that tacks on more changes to Obamacare. * After the Balkans and before the war on terror, a military guide to PsyOps. * When a woman kisses a man, she might be subconsciously detecting and scrutinizing his chemical signals. * Doctors worry a new wave of
* The deal to end the shutdown, and how it could still go wrong. * The shutdown halts NIH's ability to approve new treatment in drug trials for 200 people a week, many of them fatally ill children. * Since the shutdown began, the White House's vegetable garden has
* Columbus Day does not commemorate discovery, but, rather, the ambiguous "landing." * Vent your shutdown frustrations: Take a drink, enter your number, and drunk dial Congress. * While you sleep, your brain moves memories from short-term to long-term storage. * In a very short period Mozambique saw colonialism, post-colonialism, communism, civil
* More Snowden fallout as all major internet organizations unanimously move to end U.S. online dominance. * Buzzfeed is going global by crowdsourcing the translation of its content to foreign-language speakers learning English. * A new report finds only a third of the global population between 15 and 24 are true "
* A new Gallup poll finds most Americans feel dysfunctional government is the top problem America faces. * Nations' internet populations juxtaposed with the size of their actual populations. * Mexican drug cartel kidnaps Spanish band Delorean for 30 hours; John Talabot and Pional cancel tours over safety concerns. * See also: Talabot
* Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons wins Nobel Peace Prize as inspectors begin arriving in Syria. * See also: Photographic visits to the offices of Nobel Laureates. * Credit accorded to the Nobel Academy and Alice Munro for finally rewarding "a genuinely popular" writer. * China's top whistleblowers
* Single chart shows the Republicans' shifting demands before they refund the federal government. * See also: Cartoon explains the purpose and colorful history of the debt ceiling. * The government shutdown is basically the best news ever for money launderers. * Just because you don’t want to pay for health insurance
* Scenario of what a default could look like, especially if John Boehner gets into a car accident on October 16. * Yay, let's end the U.S. government and move back to the old worlds from which the majority of us came. * Janet Yellen, nominated to lead the Federal
* A government shutdown worst-case scenario is happening as a Salmonella outbreak reaches 18 states. * Especially at a time of war, any threat to the Treasury's financing is a threat to national security. * See also: Everything you need to know—in cartoon form—about debt-ceiling fiascos, from McKinley’s
* Main NSA data center in Utah, which uses enough energy to power 33,000 houses, experiences electrical issues. * MI5 agent defends British surveillance. * See also: Apology notes from the NSA to private citizens. * Kuwait claims it has the technology to detect homosexuals—an actual gaydar—and will use it to
* Q&A with Assad. * See also: Pictures from 2012-2013 by a photojournalist embedded with a Free Syrian Army militia in Aleppo. * Banksy parodies Syrian rebel videos as part of his monthlong New York residency. * Related: Banksy converts a New York delivery truck into a mobile garden—complete with fluttering
* Pro-shutdown House Republicans are holed up in a conservative narrative that isn't entirely crazy—but it's close enough. * Surowiecki: For small businesses and entrepreneurs, the benefits of Obamacare are enormous. * Area family putting a little money away to one day blow on single health scare. * Ironic
* An uninsured physician's assistant faces a health crisis. * In response to a grassroots movement, Swiss government to vote whether to introduce an unconditional income for all adults. * During the 1950s, the average French person worked 300 more hours a year more than the average American. * Inside the exclusion
* U.S. credits Assad for eliminating Syria's chemical weapons. * Hallway, bathroom, and other informal talks between Congress members offer hope for an end to the government shutdown. * We won't actually know if the Tripoli raid counts as any sort of a triumph either until we see.
* Coders ridicule Heathcare.gov. * What is your most cherished Christmas memory? Knitted jumpers, overcooked Brussels sprouts, family arguments? Time to try Christmas in North Korea! * By next June, Pyongyang will have Carmen Electra. * Once the elixir of British kings, mead experiences a surge of popularity in the U.S.—it
* Editors of the National Review offer Republicans three strategies for ending the shutdown without losing too much face. * Far-right Republicans are deeply angry because America's political reality really does seem to have a liberal bias. * There have been at least five shootings and bombings on the Capitol grounds
* Maybe our leaders, who seem so quick to threaten violence or shut down the government, should spend some time with dairy cows. * The Congressmen who drove the shutdown come from overwhelmingly white, gerrymandered districts—and represent 18% of the population. * A study correlates conspiracy theorists with those who distrust scientists
* People tell Jimmy Kimmel whether they prefer the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. * Many Americans think their politicians spout childish nonsense, but rarely have they actually revelled in doing so. * FBI arrests alleged Dread Pirate Roberts, man behind Silk Road, the online drug bazaar. * Corruption takes on "mind-bending new
* International inspectors head to Syria to begin chemical weapon dismantling. * In terms of military cooperation and trade investments, China-U.S. relations are improving, though still tense. * A Q&A on the policy substance behind the shutdown. * See also: In October 1975 the New York Daily News published a legendary
* Fox News: "It's more of a slimdown than a shutdown." * Veterans break down barricades at WWII Memorial, plan more shutdown disobedience. * Which government employees are required to take unpaid leave and which ones have to stay, in one tidy graph. * The reason Congress members get paid—
* Many parallels found between the last 48 hours in D.C. and a traditional Hollywood Western. * Additional "really top-notch commies" added to Washington Post's list of America's top communists. * Behind-the-scenes report from the sale of the Washington Post to Amazon.com's Jeff
* With all the attention on Syria and Iran, Egypt has slipped under Washington's radar. * Government shutdown bewilders other countries. * The government has "shut down" 17 times since 1976—we should stop calling it a "shutdown." * What the shutdown means for you: "Any attempt
* Kentucky governor tells Republicans to "get over" Obamacare. * Parsing the doublespeak around the government shutdown uncovers triple negations and results in headaches. * With the shutdown edging nearer, Republicans lay the groundwork for avoiding blame. * The Heritage Foundation's 1980 Mandate for Leadership proposed universal health care and
* Gun ownership among women has doubled in the past year; advocacy groups teach defense-based target practice and firearm safety. * See also: A childhood ban on toy guns didn’t erase death from a group of friends, but it changed their view of mortality. * Running away to China to learn kung
* George Will on Republicans' lame attempt to defund Obamacare: "Those people who are best at deceiving others first deceive themselves." * Related: Man who understands 8% of Obamacare vigorously defends it from man who understands 5%. * An estimated 12 workers will die every week during Qatar's
* Al-Qaeda now controls more territory and can call on more fighters than at any time since bin Laden created the organization. * Interactive guide shows what today's report about climate change means for temperature rises in your lifetime. * Black Friday as we know it is a moribund tradition, more
* Yesterday in diplomacy: Iran's new president acknowledged the Holocaust did occur. * Small but growing business emerges for $120,000 “designer” American babies provided by surrogates to China’s elite. * Banner Poison Control Center in Arizona reports two cases of flesh-rotting drug’s use, believed to be the first
* Key rebel groups in Syria abandon the opposition’s political leaders, and sign up with an affiliate of Al Qaeda. * Stories from survivors of the Westgate mall attack in Nairobi. * FBI releases footage of the Navy Yard shooter, photos of his weapon, timeline of the attack. * Pussy Riot protester explains
* A complete history of U.S. government shutdowns and why they happened. * Powerful earthquake in Pakistan kills 45 and causes a new island to rise in the Arabian sea. * Beirut activists fight to preserve 2,000-year-old Roman hippodrome after government approves replacing it with luxury homes. * Aerial photographs of Mexico
* Obama dedicates the rest of his term to better relations with Iran and a solution for Palestinians. * "Republicans Warn Iranian President Against Shaking Obama's Hand." * Among the victims of the siege at the Westgate mall is the credibility of Kenyan authorities. * So far, metadata has mostly
* One of the final poems of Kofi Awoonor, who died in the Kenyan mall attack. * Protecting his mother and sister during the Nairobi attack, a four-year-old shamed a gunman into sparing them. * Don't blame America's mass shootings on movies and video games—violence as entertainment is
* Public defender says criminal statutes would be instantly overhauled if middle-class Americans were policed like working-class people. * Cruise ships wreck havoc on Venice's visitors and vistas. * California passes first law against "revenge porn," but stigma still blames women for taking nude photos of themselves. * Bird'
* The U.S government seems to be taking the terrorist Twitter account seriously. * Why you should visit Iran. * Considering whether America's gun problem warrants outside intervention—it's so bad it could be considered a humanitarian crisis. * Neuroscience looks beyond pharma, devises ways we can alter neural
* Survival stories from the Nairobi mall attack. * Essential: A backgrounder on al-Shabab's war with Kenya. * Death toll in Pakistani church bombing climbs to 78; Taliban says violence will continue until U.S. drone attacks end. * A month-by-month timeline of U.S.-attributed civilian deaths in Afghanistan from 2001
* Inside an Afghanistan juvenile center for young militants caught attempting suicide attacks. * Slideshow: American teenagers chronicle their hometowns. * About 150 Americans die a year by accidentally taking too much acetaminophen. * The Russian gunfight over Kant is only the latest in a series of arguments over the philosopher. * See also: "
* A district-by-district breakdown of which Americans would have lost benefits had the anti-food stamp bill passed in 2011. * Panera CEO tries to live on a $4.50 daily budget for food, discovers he cannot afford Panera. * Puerto Rico's poverty rate is 44.9%—double the amount of poor
* Since 1990, Australians "have enjoyed the longest period of economic expansion unbroken by recession of any developed country ever." * The difficulties of representing the sea on stage in Early Modern England. * British people use ["bloody"] quite a lot less than Americans think they do and a
* India has left it to America to crown the first Indian beauty queen who looks...well, Indian. * France advances on banning beauty pageants for children under 16; organizers could face jail time. * On Pickering's Harem, the forgotten female research assistants who pushed astronomy forward. * Now that Facebook likes
* American Journal of Medicine fast-tracks publication of study proving high gun ownership makes the U.S. less safe. * The next mass shooting will take place on February 12, 2014, in Spokane, Wash., by a 38-year-old white man at a place he used to work. * Related: "It’s not enough
* Washington's awful politics are exactly what we should expect "in a country where a successful economic model has broken down." * In the House, Democrats voted with Mr. Obama 90% of the time in 2009 but 77% last year. * I think we’d have a better justice
* Big photos of Colorado's historic flooding. * On average, drivers who search for a "good" parking spot end up no closer to their destination than those who park immediately. * Most universities lose money on sports; they make up the difference through tuition and state tax hikes. * A
* CDC issues report on the top antibiotic-resistant infection threats. * Actually, John McCain won't be published in the print Pravda, but Pravda.ru, which split from the the Communist organ years ago. * In Russia, an argument over Kant ends in a shooting. * Studies show Facebook makes us sad and
* Multiple fatalities at a shooting in a naval office building not far from Capitol Hill. * By the end of this century, scientists predict, seas may be 150 percent more acidic than they were in the 18th century. * Franzen: "Real anger, anger as a way of life, was foreign to
* Syrian National Coalition says, if you're going to ban chemical weapons, could you please also ban aerial bombing, too. * Pravda agrees to publish column by John McCain attacking Putin's leadership. * State-sponsored Voice of Russia proposes transferring Obama's Nobel prize to Putin. * Aerial footage of
* National Guard sent to rescue the 2,000 residents of flood-besieged Lyons, Colo. * The more we fixate on chemical weapons as "bad" warfare, the more we make conventional weapons seem like "good" warfare. * Japan to file formal complaint over French newspaper's inappropriate jokes about
* In case you were wondering: How exactly that Putin op-ed made its way to the New York Times. * Related: Putin's op-ed annotated and fact-checked. * Violence in Syria foments a new tradition of and interest in poetry. * Egyptian Army soldiers superimposed on idyllic postcards. * The "traditional American family&
* Ken Layne interviews Satan 12 years after 9/11 and reviews what has occurred as a result. * Putin says Americans aren't exceptional; Senator Menendez says that makes him want to vomit. * "Trader Joe’s Is Dropping Coverage For Some Part-Time Workers—And That Means Obamacare Is Working.
* Putin, overtaking Obama as leader of the world's Syria agenda, said to be "relishing" his role as statesman. * Putin in the Times: It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. * Maureen Orth's 2000 Putin profile for Vanity
* The richest Americans earned the highest share of the nation's income in the past 100 years. * Here's the awkward thing for Labour: the economy is slowly picking up steam. * Citizen militias fighting drug gangs in the hills of central Mexico are becoming better armed and more
* Obama delays Syria military vote he was certain to lose in favor of exploring Russia's proposal for international monitors. * The lessons of Weiner and Spitzer. * From 2009, Tom Junod's haunting essay about the photo of the man plummeting from the World Trade Center. * Poems by Auden,
* Following days of violent protests, Indian court finds four guilty of raping and murdering a student on a bus in December. * The war in Syria: what it looks like when six million people are displaced. * Desperate to make the case for military action in Syria, the White House invokes the
* Even within the extremely elite confines of [Harvard Business School], the ultrawealthy are segregating themselves. * Linguists: It's "syllabuses," not "syllabi." * Related: How to make syllabub. * For the past 40 years, the daughter of the man who designed and built Auschwitz has lived in Northern
* Haunting photos from Syrian refugee city in Jordan comprised entirely of tents that 144,000 now call home. * Spiegel reports the NSA can tap into personal data on nearly every smartphone. * How Pat Robertson used a charity mission in war-torn Rwanda as a front to further his diamond mine interests.
* Brief rundown of Syria's many rebel groups, majority of which are under the nominal control of the Supreme Military Council. * Statistical overview of prison suicides. * Interactive visualizations of stop-and-frisk policing based on NYPD data. * For teenagers, e-cigarettes could be a gateway to tobacco addiction rather than an escape.
* Obama directs Pentagon to expand its list of potential Syrian air-strike targets. * The latest House whip count on authorizing force in Syria: 217 say or lean no, 44 say yes. * Iran orders attack on American interests in Baghdad if the U.S. commits to striking Syria. * Iran’s new foreign
* Germany—which has Europe's highest electricity prices—is about to get a 20% rate hike for going all in on wind and solar. * When the correct answer to a math problem goes against one's political beliefs, it becomes unsolvable. * Spanish helpline reports rise in suicidal callers
* Putin tells leaders at the G20 summit that Syria is a topic best left to dinner discussion. * Assessing the Assads' Instagram account. * Profiles of scientists responsible for the world's chemical weapons. * Latest Snowden leak shows Al-Qaeda’s leadership asking engineers to find ways to shoot down, jam,
* Emergency-room doctor writes about treating victims of an incendiary-bomb attack in Syria. * Supporters of military intervention argue we should think of U.S. bombing runs in Bosnia in 1995, not Iraq in 2003. * Round-up of Syria-related conspiracy theories. * Every angle considered in case you, too, were suspicious about all the
* Nevada launches a website that lets you fantasy-shop for Obamacare—before you do it for real on Oct. 1. * Giving some credence to the Facebook post allegedly from Assad's 11-year-old son: The Assad administration's kids liked it. * A look at the data shows that yes, the
* Radiocarbon analysis reveals Ancient Egyptian civilization began 1,400 years later than our current estimation. * Female doctors and health professionals are paid 25% less than their male coworkers—25 years ago it was 20%. * The paucity in philosophy of women and people of color is often blamed on [women and
* For the past six years, the DEA has had access to AT&T phone records dating back to 1987. * With new variations emerging daily, synthetic drugs stay ahead of law enforcement, though not the ER. * Serial killing is down and the peer-to-peer economy is booming: Once again, Americans trust
* Ten months after "civil unrest" began, Britain OK'd sales of nerve gas chemicals to Syria. * Syria's first lady spends while her country burns. * This very lexicon...that found its way into Heaney’s most public poetry is the same one we are speaking regarding
* They may just be the first YouTube videos to start a war. * Paleontologists announce the most complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in British Columbia, expect their dig will produce more. * Researchers say thinking about money problems clouds your faculties, makes it harder to solve other problems. * Why NFL helmets will
* Washington Post obtains the NSA's "black budget" from Snowden, showing precisely how the "espionage empire" spends its money. * Everyone forgets that the "March on Washington" was the "March for Jobs and Freedom." * White House and Congress work to end "
* American and British lawmakers try to slow their countries' increasingly fast march toward a strike on Syria. * From the Onion, "Syria Conflict Intensifies As Bears Enter War." * South Korean paper reports Kim Jong Un's ex-girlfriend has been executed for violating North Korea's pornography
* UN weapons inspectors will leave Syria on Saturday, one day ahead of schedule. * White paper: Military interventions in favor of the rebel faction tend to increase government killings of civilians by about 40%. * Group proposes naming storms after lawmakers who deny climate change. * In South Africa, synthetic drugs with ingredients
* At the front lines of the chemical attacks in Syria. * Another look at the "red line": When chemical weapons are worse than conventional killing. * An internal debate over bombing Syria. * The pro-Assad Syrian Electronic Army takes down the New York Times, attacks Twitter and HuffPo in the UK.
* Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson credited for encouraging King to speak about his dream. * Related: Jackson sings "Closer Walk With Thee" at the Newport Jazz Festival, 1970. * California rim fire that threatens to disrupt Yosemite and San Francisco water supply can be seen from outer space. * In Thailand, "
* "While unceasingly observing and witnessing the heartbreaking bloodshed," Syrian Comment explains why intervention isn't viable. * One of America's most respected bankruptcy lawyers moonlights as a new-age healer, claiming his "energy hand" works. * If you are what you do, what are you when
* UK draws up contingency plans for military action in Syria; Russia warns of "catastrophic consequences." * Kerry's speech marked the harshest American condemnation of the slaughter in Syria to date; it didn't mean we're going to war. * Assad's use of chemical
* The Guardian will grant the New York Times access to some of its trove of Snowden documents. * Der Spiegel releases Snowden documents that show the NSA hacked into foreign nations' videoconferences at the UN. * At a planned Upper West Side luxury tower, rich and poor occupants will have separate
* Documents show the Reagan administration knew of, but never disclosed, Saddam's widespread use of chemical weapons. * This was the birth of the Black Chamber, the NSA's earliest predecessor, and it would be hidden in the nondescript brownstone. * Coptic Christians in Egypt face an uncertain future. * Related:
* Despite warnings, when doctors prescribe antibiotics, they usually prescribe big—and often shouldn't prescribe at all. * Dentist buys one of John Lennon's teeth at auction, hopes to clone the late Beatle. * Regarding Manziel, in defense of NCAA rules: Most of the athletes actually want an education.
* Assessing the media's trouble with pronouns after Bradley Manning became Chelsea Manning. * Chelsea Manning's statement on day of sentencing. * American photographer tells of torture and seven months' imprisonment with jihadi rebel fighters in Syria. * Photojournalist gang-raped in Mumbai. * No one is going to put money
* Bradley Manning: "As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning." * After Sandy Hook, Dick's Sporting Goods halted assault rifle sales; now they've reintroduced them at a new chain. * See also:
* White House and the NSA struggle to stop getting lapped by the Snowden-related news cycle. * If forced to choose between Bush and Obama, more Louisiana Republicans blame Obama for Bush's mistakes during Hurricane Katrina. * France warns Syria of forceful response over chemical-weapons allegations. * Reporter hijacks Kremlin-funded news program
* Astronaut recruits asked to compose a haiku, limerick, or Twitter post as part of their NASA application. * French language purists should note the first article of the 1789 Declaration of Human and Civic Rights is the perfect length for a tweet. * Roundtable debate over e-cigarettes—e.g., do they simply
* Study finds intelligence officers more prone to irrationality than students when choosing between risky options. * In the back of an Egyptian police van, 36 protesters suffocated; elsewhere, 25 police officers executed. * The war between state power and those holding it to account needs constant refreshment. * British government, not quite understanding
* The National Review scolds anti-Common Core conservatives. * Elmore Leonard dies at 87—the author was at work on his 46th novel. * The result is something that one would not think possible: a nearly perfect book. * A UK tabloid art form, noun piling is rare in the U.S.—Sunday'
* With Lyme Disease diagnoses long underreported, the CDC's 10-fold estimated increase could return us to reality. * Black prosecutors: "What do we tell our sons about Trayvon Martin?" * Economics reporter/theater reviewer maps the gap between audiences' and critics' movie opinions. * How a 6.4-acre
* The NSA has violated privacy rules or overstepped its authority thousands of times every year since 2008, when its powers were broadened. * A report from the National Hobo Convention. * Next weekend in Asbury Park, a movie theater will screen classic noir and discuss its influence on Springsteen. * White Americans believe
* [PTSD] is not a barrier to being redeployed. Not when the Army needs its most experienced soldiers to wrap up the war. * The FCC's Mignon Clyburn on how cheaper prison phone calls will strengthen families and help legal representation. * From 1975, Warren Buffett makes the case against playing
* Presidents deserve their vacations, but it's too bad they're always taken behind the gates of wealthy friends. * When you consider the alternatives, you are led, as Obama was, to the logic of the drone. * Now that Title X has arrived in sports, student captains of high
* Army blocks entrances to Tahrir Square while Cairo prepares for Muslim Brotherhood's "march of anger." * The Egyptian military did what we explicitly told them not to do. How can we still pretend that this aid is giving us influence? * Round-up of the week in wacky right-wing
* Growing up with stop-and-frisk. * Future-minded Republicans avoid talking about global warming—but most of the party can't stop denying. * Since 2011, the cost of raising a child for 17 years has risen 2.6%, to $241,080. * After 22 years of service, Doctors Without Borders pulls out of
* Border dispute between India and China diffused with a peaceful exchange of beer and sugar dumplings. * Camel milk, long overshadowed by "Western" cow's milk, regains popularity in coffee shops and bars across the United Arab Emirates. * Muslim Brotherhood calls for new protests in Egypt after security
* Meet Kathy Hawken, pro-choice Republican. * North Carolina residents and national watches see doom for state's "middle way" of politics. * Poking holes in a TV show's explanation of sharks' sensitivity to electric fields. * Norwegian prime minister's "daring" political maneuver—posing
* Drones that can crawl inside sewer pipes could be used to provide emergency aid to disaster victims. * Columbine principal retires after honoring pledge to work until kindergardeners at the time of the 1999 tragedy graduated high school. * Police, armed burglars endure five-hour standoff after the latter failed to steal quiche
* As the globe warms, fossil beaches and coral reefs may hold clues as to how fast and by how much our sea levels will rise. * Western-style..."tasteless" foods will never catch on in Central Asia, but the opportunities for fusion and innovation are limitless. * At a beef industry
* Big pictures of war-torn Syria, now split into three regions. * Federal judges throws out discrimination claims against Paula Deen, but the sexual harassment component of the suit remains. * Report: Redskins' name only offensive if you think about what it means. * As the PED scandal threatens to destroy many players,
* Scientists recreate four-billion-year-old proteins—though there's no way of knowing how accurate they are. * Family farms aren't exactly disappearing—like industrial farms, they're just exploding in size. * A new paper posits a formula to determine whether a country's livestock antibiotic use is
* Idaho grocery chain WinCo called WalMart's "worst nightmare" because it provides health-care plans and pensions to most employees. * Economist challenges conventional wisdom about pregnancy. * Economists say with sad certainty that yes, first-born girls do cause divorce. * Photo essay from a week in the life of a
* China’s big airports have the worst delays in the world, with only 18% of flights from Beijing departing on time. * North Carolina has one of the U.S.'s highest unemployment rates, but its lawmakers are more worried about banning Sharia law. * Email service reportedly used by Snowden
* Poll shows 40% of white and 25% of non-white Americans only have friends within their own race. * Oprah Winfrey informed she can't afford Switzerland's more expensive handbags. * Business owners in Russia have a better chance of ending up in the penal colony system than common burglars
* Research around H5N1 was cloaked in secrecy, now scientists propose more transparent—and more dangerous—H7N9 studies. * Mention a foreigner under surveillance in an email or text and the NSA is going to be tracking you. * Gupta: "Why I changed my mind on weed." * As e-cigarettes catch on,
* Why the U.S. lost Yemen to al Qaeda: "Faulty assumptions and a mistaken focus paired with a resilient, adaptive enemy." * The current wave of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen could be creating more enemies than they're killing. * This is the greatest Craigslist Missed Connection
* Chinese scientists show bird flu has spread among people and is indeed contagious, "although only slightly." * Small-town police officer commended for insisting to call a child-on-child shooting "negligent," not "accidental." * Drill music brings fame to young rappers while Chicago becomes the murder capital; each
* Mugabe-appointed men charged with illegally lobbying to overturn U.S. economic sanctions against Zimbabwe. * Officials in Bahrain use fake Twitter accounts to track down IP addresses and punish critics of Hamad regime. * Finished dinner plates of India's growing elite. * Rahul Ghandi's alleged claim that "poverty
* In deeply red states like Missouri, looking for the new health insurance marketplaces "is like searching for a unicorn." * Beer's lead over wine in America has slipped by 20 percentage points since the early 1990s. * Ecologists using Hawaiian restaurant menus reconstruct long-term changes in local marine
* After al Qaeda threat leads to dozens of U.S. embassies being closed, officials explain fears of liquid bombs and "Frankenbombers." * New research finds deep cooperation between Hollywood studio bosses and Nazi officials. * I feel alienated by [Don Lemon's] comments because they translate into a form
* Sharia committee bans croissants for their shape, which has been said to celebrate European victory over Muslims. * Successful scientific PR is not necessarily antithetical to valid science, but there's good evidence of a negative correlation. * Why serial tardiness is ruining your life—and how to turn yourself around.
* Wendy Davis succeeded against endemic misogyny to make her voice heard in the male-dominated Texas Capitol. * Though women are represented at the state level, just one woman, sworn in on Friday, holds office in the entire LA government. * If we cannot face the root issue—that we let people die
* Beijing scalpers dominate Apple Genius Bar appointments, then sell appointments online. * Austerity be damned, most Europeans refuse to work through their plentiful, sacred holidays. * MetaFilter collects Queen Elizabeth's nuclear war speech and other undelivered speeches. * Because Breaking Bad is so probing about morality, the finale also raises the
* Putin has used Snowden's plight...to pose as a human rights defender and to cast the Obama administration as disingenuous. * A Soviet-era re-enactment bunker, the former home of Pablo Escobar, and other bizarre amusement parks. * Assad's Instagram provides a whitewashed, propagandized look inside Syria's
* Commerce Department’s gross domestic product revisions say the Great Recession wasn't so bad. * Assessment of the state of the male contraceptive pill: for both scientific and social reasons, there's no bright future ahead. * Winners from climate change include brain-eating parasites that flourish in America'
* Zimbabwe's prime minister Tsvangirai calls election a "huge farce," with elaborate vote-rigging by Mugabe. * Reporters struggle to describe bustling neighborhood completely destroyed by Assad in Syria's third-largest city, Homs. * Portraits of possessionless, religious nomads in India and Nepal. * Occupy-style protests, underwritten by the Service
* New Snowden documents show NSA program "XKeyscore" collects nearly everything people do on the internet, with "real-time" interception. * Round-up of journalists' and politicians' reactions to the Manning verdict. * Dos and don'ts of escalator etiquette, where "leisure"-oriented commuters steal time
* A fair election will find Mugabe pushed out of power; only Africa's other leaders can make that happen. * Assessment of what America would look like, based on internal documents and interviews with former aides, 200 days into Mitt Romney's first term. * Toyota donates efficiency in lieu
* There have been few openly gay ambassadors—and that's absolutely about to change. * For the past 10 weeks, oil has been leaking into Alberta—no one's saying how much and no one knows how to stop it. * "Medical marijuana advocates become unlikely opponents to pot
* Life after whistleblowing. * Our nation, divided in its Amazon reviews of Reza Aslan's Zealot: more than 100 five-star and one-star ratings. * See also: One-star Amazon reviews of the best modern novels. * Paris Chamber of Commerce launches "Do You Speak Touriste?" program to help French locals be
* The conviction of Manning, in other words, would also be a conviction of Assange. * The rape-pregnancy myth started as a mythical Nazi experiment. * To gather data in dangerous, hard-to-reach places—e.g., volcanoes—cheap, disposable drones are one answer. * As corporations snatch up new top-level domains, Chrysler assures Indians no
* Armed thief enters French Riviera hotel, makes off with an estimated $50 million in jewelry. * The biggest jewelry heists in the last 10 years. * The real story about Snowden's revelations is that you can't trust an American cloud. * Every mistake by a major news organization was
* Halliburton to plead guilty to destroying test results following the Deepwater disaster. * Global warming and overfishing are driving some lobsters to cannibalism. * Scientists discover dwindling bee populations are not necessarily due to insecticides, but a less solvable problem: fungicides. * Study finds a full moon negatively affects sleep quality. * The most
* Significant gender gaps found globally in public opinion about America's use of drones. * Security for the Pope's visit to Brazil said to cost the country $52 million. * Remembering New York's only black millionaire in the mid-19th century, Jeremiah G. Hamilton, now overlooked by historians.
* A brief history of England's King Georges. * Jane Austen to replace Charles Darwin on UK's £10 note. * Irish justice minister calls his country's refusal to permit abortions for rape, incest, and fetal abnormalities "unacceptable cruelty." * Anthony Weiner's letter to his
* Nearly 80% of previously arrested burglars, surveyed in 2011, said info drawn from social media helps thieves plan jobs. * Private U.S. companies invest nearly twice as much as those listed on the stock market. * Geneva offers extremely secure giant safe for wealthy art patrons' collections. * China says no
* Arctic forests are on fire now more than at any point in the past 10,000 years. * Dodger Stadium now serves beer with frozen foam that acts as an insulating lid. * From 2010, Sloane Crosley on sexting. * USC says college student was not raped because her alleged assailant did not
* White House defends NSA's data-collection programs prior to House's vote today on their legality. * Human rights organization launches poster campaign to find surviving Nazis in Germany. * Comprehensive list of Florida's other "stand your ground" cases. * Florida man, 99 years old, still working
* CNN on the royal baby: Kate is "brilliant" for having a boy and "really ticked all the boxes" in doing so. * London mayor: Stop fretting about Germany's reunification—instead, copy it. * Like Luke Skywalker was when I was seven, Brian Eno is a role
* Hundreds of inmates—including senior al Qaeda—escape Abu Ghraib during "military-style assault" against guards. * NSA general says reports of the agency's snooping has been greatly exaggerated and is causing sources to dry up. * Why I love writing code for journalism. * In 2011, 12,300 children
* UK now requires ISPs to automatically block pornography, unless subscribers request otherwise. * Tumblr bans more search terms to curb porn on its iPhone app. * Pakistan struggles with polio epidemic, but anger over drones hampers prevention efforts. * The race speech Obama didn't make: Detroit's bankruptcy is the
* A sixth college football player joins the lawsuit against using their likenesses in video games without compensation. * The Hudson River is filled with raw sewage and is teeming with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. * An oral history of Maxwell's. * Economists find former smokers earn more than smokers or those who have
* How the new league of Texas Democrats could return their party to power. * On behalf of New York, Louis Black gives Texas the middle finger. * An interactive guide to the big ideas and biggest blunders of New York's mob of mayoral candidates. * Joe Biden—who might be the
* Statistics show that for Syria's children, there is no school, no play, no family life—no childhood. * Arab League throws support behind Kerry's plan to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks—the first in two years. * Social-media powerhouse Skittles goes silent after George Zimmerman verdict. * Gawker and its
* Taliban official writes letter to Malala Yousafzai to apologize not for shooting her, but for not warning her of their plans. * A man with Asperger's who loves the MTA has been arrested 29 times for impersonating its employees. * Shyness is a part of being human. The world would
* Across the border from McAllen, Texas, Mexican authorities rescue 81 kidnapped migrants; last month, 165 were freed in a similar case. * Huong is among millions of Vietnamese who hold an estimated 300 tons to 400 tons of bullion...valued at as much as $19 billion at domestic prices. * An elastic,
* Neo-Nazi black-metal musician arrested in southwestern France on charges of plotting a massacre. * How the media is ignoring health complications and hyping the belief an abortion ban after 20 weeks is "reasonable." * Related: "It's a rare condition, even more rare to have made it to
* New video finds Pussy Riot claiming Putin and cronies have looted billions of dollars of Russia's oil wealth. * Cuba admits being behind a stash of weapons found on board a North Korean ship seized in the Panama Canal. * Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, in response to Zimmerman'
* What happens when we catch Snowden. * Making sense of China's GDP growth: Thanks to Wikileaks, we can guess the numbers are artificial. * Most fake negative reviews of products on the web are written by devoted customers who want to vent. * A catalog of natural and man-made sinkholes. * Anti-immigration
* George Zimmerman faces at least three more trials in the death of Trayvon Martin—but it's likely he won't lose any of them. * Abortion is unlike any other issue: Both sides have equal support and face their share of internal challenges * Let's abolish the
* Trials like this one can never...act as moral surrogates to resolve the national debates they trigger. * David Simon takes to his blog after the George Zimmerman verdict. * Must-read: Louis Menand on voting rights and the Southern way of life. * Vallejo, Calif., is the most diverse city in the U.
* Cord Jefferson on the Zimmerman trial. * The most damning element here is not that George Zimmerman was found not guilty: it’s the bitter knowledge that Trayvon Martin was found guilty. * As abortion laws tighten in Texas, the popularity of "abortion pills" from Mexico may increase. * From September,
* Why black colleges might sue the Obama administration: The rhetoric and the policies don't always match. * Toshi Seeger, who married Pete nearly 70 years ago, died this week at 91. * PBS's Off Book explores the question of what happens to human brains in a world of
* Russia's Federal Guard Service places large order for typewriters to steer clear of digital eavesdropping. * The Arab Spring will take decades to succeed; Egypt's coup is no death knell. * On Marie Colvin, the difficulty of reporting in Syria, and why Sebastian Junger quit the war-news beat.
* Muslim Brotherhood issues a statement pledging to continue its "peaceful" resistance to the army's removal of Morsi. * Paul Ryan makes the case for an “economic-based immigration system”—i.e., sensible immigration reform. * See also: "The re-emergence of George W. Bush." * Round-up of photos of
* Approximately 29,000 prisoners join hunger strike in California to protest system conditions. * The dream of eliminating infectious disease—e.g., MERS, SARS, AIDS—is dead. * Egypt's political cartoons increasingly stifled. * Police report shows there are now more elderly shoplifters than teenaged ones in Tokyo. * World's
* Egyptian photographer Ahmed Samir Assem films the gunman who ended his life. * Stop watching CNN. * Iceberg the size of Manhattan breaks from Antarctica's Pine Island glacier. * Cross-sections of bullets reveal the intricacies of modern munitions. * Nobody's managed to adequately remove the swastika-shaped tree formation planted in
* Japan's Prime Minister Abe endorses Fukishima-grown rice as a part of his "not particularly exciting" campaign. * At least 106 of 166 prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center now believed to be on hunger strike. * Mos Def's decision to be filmed while being nasally
* Lunar scientists believe Earth once had two moons that became one after a collision. * The area of the brain that helps you decide what to share on social media is called the "temporo-parietal junction." * As U.S. demographics shift, food manufacturers try and keep up with changing tastes.
* U.S. federal judge says force-feeding Gitmo protesters appear to be illegal, but she can't stop it. * In protest of force-feeding Gitmo prisoners, Mos Def volunteers to be force-fed. * S&P said that reasonable investors would know its assurances of independence were just marketing. * Gladwell: Defense analyst
* For schools that choose to arm their employees, insurance carriers are raising premiums or refusing to provide coverage. * From 2011 to four days ago, a timeline of Egypt's transition from Mubarak to Morsi. * There is a war on Wikipedia over naming Egypt's "coup," since
* France, too, has a PRISM that spies on all its citizens and stores their online data. * For Fred Perry, until yesterday the last Brit to win Wimbledon, it was a very different reception. * For years he was relegated to the fourth man: How Andy Murray became great. * Now it'
* Economist offers one-page solution to climate change: Tax fossil fuels in proportion to the amount of carbon they release. * Physics inquiry into whether or not Superman could punch someone into space. * PayPal determined to "help make universal space payments a reality." * Amazon reviews pay tribute to the shoes
* Senate approves contentious bipartisan effort to overhaul immigration laws, but the Republican-controlled House calls it bunk. * See also: Frontline documentary, Rape in the Fields, about rapes of immigrant women. * In case you were wondering: 210 reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire. * Biomechanical basis discovered for why humans can
* New York prosecutor, after lengthy re-investigation, says capturing the Friedmans was the right thing to do. * Praise for attorney and activist Mary Bonauto, mastermind of the legal strategy that eventually led to DOMA’s collapse. * Michelle Bachmann responds to DOMA in manner suggesting she endorses marriage between one man and
* Ex-Texas warden reflects after 140 executions. * Redskins receiver Donté Stallworth takes to Twitter to defend SCOTUS rulings against DOMA and Prop 8. * The reason you keep seeing more self-checkout lines is because that's how you're going to be buying things at stores now. * The new state
* The war in Afghanistan is now mostly concerned with hostility between India and Pakistan. * India performs 37% of the world's female sterilizations; patients are paid $10 and misinformed of risk. * Marvel combines chick-lit with comics and yields The She-Hulk Diaries, a diary-format tale of a super-strong, super-green heroine.
* Advocates say Republicans across the U.S., ignoring more pressing issues, have launched “a new war on women.” * Due to last-minute chaos, Republicans unable to pass a bill that would have closed nearly every abortion clinic in Texas. * Data shows Southern whites display "more racial antagonism and ideological conservatism&
* Coates: Why Paula Deen's accidental racism matters, and why her birthplace matters. * Q&A with the creator of the Kickstarter "seduction guide." * The IRS's inappropriate screening also included liberal groups. * Reviewing Mad Men's season finale, Paul Ford recalls his days as
* In the U.S. military, 53 percent of sexual assaults involve attacks on men, mostly by other men. * Among American voters, 56% say a bear would win in a fight between a bear and a shark. * Berlusconi, in court again, has faced 105 probes and trials, 2,500 court hearings,
* Humans can't compete with machines, and other reasons the quality of life has stagnated in Brazil and elsewhere. * Expect Miami to be underwater within the next century; before then, expect mayhem. * Monk responds to appearing on Time's Asia cover with the headline "The Face of
* Pyongyang: The U.S. National Security Agency's wanton violation of rights of Americans was disclosed. * Why metadata can be more damaging than our conversations: It reveals connections that we might prefer to hide. * You don't have to like Snowden. * U.S. seemingly unaware of irony in
* Brazilian president holds emergency cabinet meeting after more than a million people join nationwide protests. * Fun facts learned from Snowden. * California's booming marijuana business endangers redwood forests and ecosystems much like industrial logging. * Angela Merkel discovers the "new territory" of the internet, inspiring a meme. * German
* List of countries forbidding the wearing of masks—United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia—now includes Canada. * Obama establishes war cabinet in a spare office suite to secure passage of immigration reform. * U.S. charges two New Yorkers with building a death ray aimed at killing Israel's enemies.
* U.S. releases list of 46 "indefinite detainees" at Guantanamo, supposedly too dangerous to release. * Economics theory ties the Great Stagnation to two big results of World War II: industrial capacity, and a lot of dead men. * Researchers make quantum computing more stable; information that formerly lived for
* Diplomats scurry to mollify Karzai over U.S.-Taliban talks after the Taliban portrayed itself as a government in exile. * Report gives Russia lowest grade for failing to address human trafficking; government doesn't even investigate reported abuses. * Police stop 35,000 protesters from entering a stadium in Brazil,
* A step-by-step guide on how to use metadata to catch a terrorist. * "Priming" techniques can work, but imagining a professor doesn't mean you'll win at Trivial Pursuit. * An engineering breakthrough results in an elevator that raises twice as high as current models. * Explorers believe
* Journalist Michael Hastings, who ended Gen. McChrystal's career with a revelatory 2010 profile, dies at 33. * Missing Michael Hastings. * Advice from Hastings to young reporters: "When writing for a mass audience, put a fact in every sentence." * Collected articles by Michael Hastings. * A survey finds today&
* Owners of 7-Eleven franchises in New York and Virginia charged with running a "modern day plantation system." * See also: Photographs of prisons that have been converted into stylish hotels. * Tips for arming rebels. * Report from inside the world of very expensive, "black-ops" online reputation management. * Interesting
* After leaking more files, Snowden seems to have plenty more to give, and may continue pegging releases to news events. * Cosmopolitan magazine asks Snowden what message he'd like to leak to his girlfriend. * Seventy percent of America’s intelligence budget now goes to private contractors; half a million
* China calls speculation that Snowden spied for Beijing "completely groundless." * Russia says it won't allow no-fly zones over Syria, calls such sanctions a disrespect of international law. * The U.S. puts more children and teens in detention than any other developed nation—research shows it'
* Brief profiles of victims from this weekend's gun violence in Chicago, which left seven dead and 41 wounded. * More violent clashes in Istanbul; Erdogan talks of foreign conspiracy, blaming the BBC and CNN. * If you are Hawaiian, how do you seduce Barack Obama? Do you stroke his heart
* Crimes against women are more common in New Delhi than four of India's other metropolises combined. * Study suggests that, on an evolutionary level, menopause was caused by men's preference for younger women. * In a Father's Day protest, man defaces portrait of Queen Elizabeth in
* Supreme court rules 9-0 that human genes cannot be patented, but allows that DNA created in the lab may be protected under patent laws. * Profile of how Gen. Keith Alexander, militant about secrecy, has transformed the NSA into an aggressive power. * Nigeria has 1,042 deaths a year for every
* Post-Manning and mid-Snowden, the Pentagon looks for new methods to detect suspicious behavior within its ranks. * Terrific profile of KYAnonymous, aka Deric Lostutter, the Anonymous member who declared war on Steubenville. * North Korea begins live streaming of approved programming to its Facebook page. * From July 22, 1941, the only surviving
* Caffeine withdrawal now registered as a mental health disorder, though medical professionals argue over the classification. * Excellent study done of women turned away from abortion clinics. * Governor Sam Brownback has turned Kansas into "an ultraconservative utopia" for Tea-Party policies. * Also by Binelli: Michigan's "Crack Rock
* White House drops legal battle to keep age restrictions on the Plan B One-Step morning-after pill. * Ai Weiwei: NSA surveillance makes the U.S. resemble China, where a lack of privacy stifles creativity and individualism. * Nicaragua moves forward on a vague but seemingly decisive plan to build a canal holding
* Reuters poll finds most respondents are OK with the NSA's domestic spying tactics. * Friedersdorf: History shows that if we stop opposing a surveillance state, we'll live in one. * How Google uses secure FTP to provide user information—indirectly—to PRISM. * A web dump of everything about
* Assertive extremists have joined the rebel ranks in Syria, trapping many Syrians in a vise. * Blair: There is a problem within Islam, and we have to put it on the table and be honest about it. * Video footage shows the formation of a gigantic rotating supercell. * Heatmap of the areas
* In China, a man-on-the-street take on the NSA leak: "If you're not monitoring people, they can say whatever they want." * Why Snowden shouldn't have gone to Hong Kong: Unlike China, it has an extradition arrangement with the U.S. * Toobin: Snowden is a "
* It's too early to lionize Snowden. * He's in a better position than if he had committed murder, but [the legal strategy] is not necessarily a winner for him. * Tenants ousted from East Village building can purchase apartments for $10 in the high-rise that will take its
* All about Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower who expects never to see his $200K salary or house in Hawaii ever again. * An embattled British TV host took the photo used in the PRISM logo. * Andy Baio finds examples of all the ways state and federal government overuse the "PRISM&
* Anonymous leaks NSA documents, including Defense Dept.'s plan for "controlling the internet." * Today's jobs report contains mixed messages—a hint at the harm being done by sequestration. * Archaeologists unearth an escape tunnel at the Sobibor death camp in Poland. * A theory of airport security:
* NYT on Obama's terrorism justification: "The administration has now lost all credibility on this issue." * This is the second story in the past twenty-four hours with deeply troubling constitutional and privacy implications. * What's PalTalk? Since at least 2009, it's been the video-chatting
* White House defends phone snooping as "a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats." * Tumblr of the Day: "Laid Off From the Sun-Times." * Boston Marathon spectators file lawsuit against New York Post for portraying them as bombing suspects. * A new study shows that for
* Right now, the NSA is monitoring phone records of Verizon customers—"regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing." * After using the world of tomorrow to keep Americans hopeful during WWII, government and industry found ways to dash those dreams. * Researchers successfully guide a thought-controlled helicopter through
* Michelle Obama—unlike her husband—doesn't suffer hecklers kindly. * Social media is essential to contemporary civil unrest—in Turkey, Vine is the medium of choice. * According to a new poll, most black Americans feel that, over the past decade, their lives have improved. * Only two million of the
* Facing increasing numbers of protesters arrested on "Moral Mondays," North Carolina governor calls civil disobedience "unacceptable." * Ohio State University president retires after saying of Notre Dame, "You just can't trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or a Friday." * Lords offer 18
* If we stopped chopping down so many trees, we'd put a dent in one of our largest sources of greenhouse gases. * Supreme Court complicates Fourth Amendment rights by ruling police can collect DNA from individuals without convictions. * In search of "sacred music," John Davidson retraces his
* Black Americans were nearly four times as likely than whites to be arrested on charges of marijuana possession in 2010. * Despite last weekend's shooting surge in New York, the city is still experiencing a 23% drop in gun victims over this time last year. * New York City in
* The number of women senators has grown by 65% in the past decade, as has their influence—seven years ago, military sexual assault was ignored. * In Sweden, where college is free but little else is, students still rack up debt. * In World War II, German soldiers relied on meth to
* The divide between East and West Berlin is still visible from space—because of different lightbulbs. * By the end of 2012, American families had recouped less than half of what they lost in the economic crash. * The past 33 years of news, as told in CNN clips. * Southern Baptists plan
* NYU grad student creates API that enables the public to analyze drone-strike data from as far back as 2002. * A liberal infiltrates Fox News. * A group of archaeologists says Archaeopteryx should now be considered a bird, rather than a birdlike dinosaur. * To facilitate more efficient walking for biped robots, researchers
* New report suggests widespread use of human trafficking in Thailand's fishing industry, a major supplier for the U.S. * Unemployment rate in the eurozone reached new record high of 12.2% in April, with 19.38 million people out of work. * Children who accidentally digested medical marijuana begin
* Facebook cofounder, fed up with nonprofits, advocates for new system of giving cash directly to the poor. * Internet trends report shows 81% of users of the top 10 websites live outside the United States and share far more online. * Most of young doctors' working time is indirectly related to
* John McCain is pretty sure we can identify the "good guys" in the Syrian conflict after his secret visit to the country this week. * McCain's office says the senator was unaware he photo-opped with Syrian kidnappers and the story may have been planted by Assad supporters.
Try to figure out what the below map means using only clues contained within the map—the relationships between color-coded regions, say, or perhaps word clues. Anything you can detect, really, is fair game. If you’re stuck, here’s a clue. The answer is linked after the map. {image-1}
* Interviews with Syrians who say they've witnessed atrocities. * Solar industry faces quality concerns. * China is building a city in Belarus as a manufacturing gateway between Russia and the EU. * With North America set to dominate the world's energy production by 2020, Saudi Arabia must respond carefully
* After 70 years, U.S. recognizes army volunteers who fought in Alaska during World War II as veterans. * Carbon dating tests show mislabeled Torah in Bologna is actually 850 years old—possibly the world's oldest. * Disturbing treatise from 1543 reveals Martin Luther as an anti-Semite whose beliefs propagated
* Texas slashes student testing after parents revolt despite starting the movement 30 years ago. * Houston's Astrodome is dated and dusty, ugly to some eyes, but it is also irreplaceable. * Tumblr of great art in ugly rooms. * Archeologists in Mexico discover 4,926 cave paintings by nomadic peoples who
* Fifty years ago, a mob attacked students and teachers who were protesting a Mississippi Woolworth's whites-only lunch counter. * Sweden wracked by rioting, with some Stockholm neighborhoods shut down even to ambulances. * Mystery solved: Secretary of State John Kerry really ate a turkey shwarma in Ramallah. * Scientists say war
* NOAA predicts active hurricane season, with up to double the typical number of major storms. * Praise, disappointment over Boy Scouts' decision to admit openly gay Scouts. * Overexposure to fluoride carries health risks—but not due to it being an unnatural industrial chemical. * Suicide rates are rising, but there is
* There is no light at the end of the tunnel for drone strikes...and other counterterrorism operations after 12 years of a global war. * Anti-Islam backlash grows in Britain after Woolwich machete attack. * UCLA surgeons broadcast brain surgery over social media. * Doctors use 3D printing to create a new airway
* In 2011, the NYPD made more stops of young black men than the total number of young black men in New York City. * Data shows white people stopped by the NYPD are more likely than minorities to be carrying guns or drugs. * Scientific inaccuracies found in common idioms. * New Star
* Fema uses its own "Waffle House index" as an informal way of measuring the impact of a disaster. * Government experts warn tornado victims could face deadly fungal infections caused by airborne molds usually found in dirt and decaying wood. * John Cassidy's brief history of austerity in
* Q&A with a tornado chaser. * Riots break out in Stockholm suburbs over racism-fueled police brutality. * Conspiracy theories also seem to be more compelling to those with low self-worth, especially with regard to their sense of agency in the world. * As the world's population continues to grow
* In 2011, American households spent more on their pets annually than they spent on alcohol, landline phone bills, or men's and boys' clothing. * Stunning cellphone footage shows Oklahoma tornado beginning to form, starting to wreak havoc. * See also: Time-lapse video of the Moore tornado as seen from
* China’s new-home prices rose last month in 68 of 70 cities, with average annual wages for urban private company employees jumping 14 percent. * Japanese researchers figure out why babies respond to patting and being moved: to avoid existential threats. * On the comeback trail, hallucinogens are being tried recreationally by
* Fashion models are almost twice as likely as computer programmers to get visas to enter the U.S. * Era of private space travel begins within the year, with more than 800 people signed up to blast off from New Mexico. * America's collective sense of shock over Oklahoma'
* If we take the future at all seriously...then we need to leave a big percentage of the planet's coal and oil and natural gas in the ground. * Working-class white citizens in South Africa face levels of deprivation as bad as black South Africans faced under apartheid. * Denmark&
* After Tennessee Rep. Debra Maggart, a lifelong NRA member, voted against a pro-gun bill, her onetime allies destroyed her. * Vertical timeline of congressional leanings on gun control. * If you have a famous ancestor far enough back that finding out about them is a surprise, you share them with a small
* According to the Congressional Budget Office, the deficit crisis is solved for the next decade, and sequestration is dumb. * If you can't get a cast like that together, you can forget changing anything in a great big way. * Boston Marathon runners—two wheelchair-bound—return to cross the finish
* Russia ships sophisticated anti-ship missiles to Syria, fulfilling order placed in 2007. * Putin installs helipad at the Kremlin to appease Muscovites' fury over politicians skirting traffic laws. * Business booming in “Gun Valley,” aka "the swath of Western Massachusetts and Connecticut where industrial gun making in America began."
While it’s easy to think of the United States as either New York (urban) or Los Angeles (sprawl) with nothing but Mayberry in between, the truth is that there’s a lot of character to be found between the coasts of these United States. Exhibit No. 1: the Mark
* The New Orleans Mother's Day shooting should be a "national tragedy," except it isn't. * Activist protests Abercrombie CEO's opinion that his brand is not for "unattractive people" by donating its merchandise to the homeless. * Chuck Hagel orders retraining of military
* Dept. of Homeland Security seizes funds from the largest Bitcoin exchange. * Aaron Swartz was not yet a legend when, almost two years ago, I asked him to build an open-source, anonymous in-box. * Pneumatic tubes, and other reasons libraries will fail—from 1864. * The Kepler space telescope's greatest hits.
* Scientists announce $1 vaccine for rotavirus infections—which kill half a million children worldwide every year. * Politicians endlessly debate debts and deficits with little regard for the human costs of their decisions. * Reacting to Time's cover story, discerning whether it's even possible to measure narcissism. * Why
* Massacres and grisly killings in Syria, filmed for the world to see, show gap between diplomacy efforts and events on the ground. * Kofi Annan's "Africa Progress Report" says resource-rich countries must work together to make tax avoidance harder. * Ghyslain Raza, formerly known as "Star Wars
* I'd been struggling with whether to do it for nearly two years, ever since I learned I carry the BRCA1 genetic mutation. * In light of Gov. Christie's recent gastric bypass, recalling Taft's weight-loss regimen. * Over a two-and-a-half-year period, device and drug companies shelled out
* As the Bering Sea makes its way further inland, residents of Newtok, Alaska, could become America's first climate refugees. * Our best hope for the future is not to get people to think of all humanity as family—that's impossible. * Why did Jodon Romero kill himself on
* People close to Obama noticed two telltale signs he's been a little down—his low-energy April 30 news conference...and his demand for more campaign-style road trips. * Recent additions to the literary subgenre of Texas secessionist fantasy. * Regardless of how you look at it, at all levels, institutions
* IRS scandal grows from targeting not just "tea party"-branded groups, but also nonprofits critical of the government. * Astronaut Chris Hadfield says goodbye to the International Space Station with a cover of "Space Oddity." * Last week, atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide reached their highest level in
* Federal prosecutors indict eight people for stealing $45 million from thousands of ATMs in just a few hours. * For many, Twitter verification is badge of self-worth—but with good reason, others have rejected the offer. * Entomologists inject mosquitos with bacteria that could permanently rid the insects and their offspring of
* Republicans use Benghazi to attack Clinton's fitness to lead the country after Obama's term. * Klein: The Senate runs on norms rather than rules, and now that we've broken the norms, they're broken forever. * Fueled by a race-baiting, national marketing campaign and the
* The Indian government's new monitoring system can access all its citizens' phone calls, texts, emails, and social media exchanges. * Cholera victims in Haiti threaten to sue UN for negligence in allowing appointed peacekeepers to contaminate water supply. * Scientists invent microparticle that, when injected, can keep a person
* Wisconsin approves bill to require recipients of food stamps to spend at least two-thirds of monthly benefits on food that's not junk. * Photographs of Chinese farmers', engineers', and businessmen's do-it-yourself projects. * See also: Jack Hitt's "Amateurs' Role in Grand Challenges.
* Nigerians morgues are flooded with evidence—in the form of corpses—of the military's war against Islamists. * Bristling at U.S. accusations of hacking, China claims Washington is the "real hacking empire." * To have a constructive conversation about drones, maybe don't call them "
* Critics of Keynes say because he was childless he didn't care about "the long run"—but they don't understand what he meant by "the long run." * The law student behind the world's first 3D-printable gun is a "principled"
* The black hole of North Korea intelligence gathering is getting blacker. * Related: An illustrated guide to the on-again, off-again romance between Pyongyang and the U.S. * Daniel C. Dennett tests a theory that "surely" signals a weak philosophical argument. * Long-tongued bat uses the hair on its tongue—which
* Investigators piece together what happened in West, Texas, where unverified amounts of volatile chemicals may have been housed. * One year after Obama affirmed his support of same-sex marriage, public opinion has followed suit. * For more than two years, a government lab has been running a quantum-sized internet. * Signs you'
* More than 30 years before Jason Collins, baseball's Glenn Burke was the first openly gay player in the majors. * Related: When Glenn Burke invented the high five. * Every conceivable piece of data transmitted or received by U.S. citizens is kept at the NSA's new facility
* NRA asks convention vendor to remove 3D "bleeding" target dummy resembling Obama. * Related: Shooting an Obama target is legal, just as it was legal for a Ben and Jerry's co-founder to burn a 12-foot-tall Bush effigy. * How to tell you're eating rat. * How Taco
* After six months of meetings, Halliburton and North Carolina set fracking rules. * Map shows the extent of Mexican drug cartels' reach in North America. * According to the CDC, more Americans now die of suicide than in car accidents. * Photos of children proudly displaying their "My First Rifle."
* Entire villages in Mexico's Costa Grande region have been abandoned in the cartel war. * After al-Qaida got involved around 10 years ago, we saw a massive increase in the quantities of cocaine involved. * In utero, the largest shark embryo will devour all its littermates—except its closest-related sibling.
* Economist decides Tennessee's Knoxville is America's most perfectly average place. * Fact-checking Obama's claim that 85-90 percent of Americans won't notice anything but better health care due to the Affordable Care Act. * Five conspiracy theories actually believed by Texas senator Ted Cruz, who
* American citizen sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea—possibly to entice an American president to come free him. * Roots of Buddhists killing Muslims in Burma and Sri Lanka traced back to "a Faustian pact with state power." * Chart weaves together economic growth in Africa
* Theories abound over why North Korea has gone quiet, though many point to China and John Kerry. * Chilly Gonzales discusses his experience of recording music with Daft Punk. * Computer historian names his holy grail: “the CompuServe backup tapes.” * British pharmacy quits labeling science toys as suitable for boys, not girls,
* Forty-two percent of Americans aren't sure if Obama's health care reform is still law. * Boston Marathon victims who lost limbs will be provided with (mostly) free prosthetics. * In light of the Boston Marathon bombers, prison interview with the Unabomber, whose younger brother/former acolyte put him
* Obama says Guantanamo Bay needs to be closed, orders review of operations, plans to "renew discussions with lawmakers" who want it open. * Boy Scouts leadership recommends banning gay leaders, but not gay scouts. * At the Nakizumo crying-baby festival in Tokyo, parents hand their babies over to sumo wrestlers.
New Yorkers don't fade away—they just move. But to where? From Miami to Austin to Berlin, detailed maps of nearly every other significant city's neighborhoods show ex-pats exactly where to emigrate.
* Government blames deadly explosion in Damascus on rebels; rebels blame a government seeking sympathy. * Syrian hackers have two purposes: to punish Western media for criticizing the new regime and to provide an "alternative narrative." * Best jokes corralled from Saturday's White House correspondents dinner, hosted by Conan
* In China, 87 percent of the population shares 100 names. * On the black market, a totoaba fish bladder demands $5,000 in the U.S.—and $10,000 in Asia. * The wild-pig population is exploding, destroying the planet and costing billions of dollars. * Why your supermarket only sells five kinds
* One hundred and two hours in pursuit of the Boston Marathon suspects. * Today I was able to meet "Misha," whose real name is Mikhail Allakhverdov. * Zubeidat Tsarnaeva contends her sons are innocent—Larry David knows why. * Though it's still unknown why Tamerlan Tsarnaev radicalized, it occurred
* With Tamerlan driving now, Danny in the passenger seat, and Dzhokhar behind Danny, they stopped in Watertown Center. * The origins of the #FreeJahar movement—when teen fandom turns conspiracy theorist. * Though Reddit's Boston bombing "investigation" was an unmitigated disaster, the internet can be surprisingly effective at
* Syria denies use of chemical weapons; UK and Turkey back U.S. concern; Israel urges military intervention. * Some members of Congress were told last week that the U.S. had evidence of Syrians killed by the chemical sarin. * Three important caveats on the Syria chemical weapons report and Obama'
* Round-up of senators who sided with the NRA's lobbying against gun-control legislation approved by the vast majority of Americans. * Czech Republic reaches out to support citizens of West, Texas—in particular those who require a new gym—following plant explosion. * Analysis of how Phoenix became the only famous
* Congressional lawmakers and aides from both parties have been working quietly for months to exempt themselves from new health care exchanges. * UK avoids triple-dip recession with better than expected GDP growth. * Spain's economic crisis evident in the declining quality of its ham sandwiches. * American overseas food aid mired
* For $250,000, guests at Las Vegas's Bellagio can press a button that sets fountain water to a tune of their choice. * In America, people on the terror watch list are still allowed to buy guns. * British man made millions selling fake bomb detectors to Iraq, with a
* Hundreds remain trapped after an eight-story building collapses in Bangladesh, killing at least 76. * In the case of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, "it may be impossible to disentangle the psychological demons from political motives." * List of "mystifying things" performed by the Tsarnaev brothers while killing three people and
* Obama given poor marks for lacking Lyndon Johnson's toughness during the gun-control fight; supporters say DC has changed since Johnson's era. * Related: "The Ghost of Gun Control." * K-Pop's "neon bubble" distances South Koreans from pre-separation history and Kim Jong-un'
* Law-enforcement officials say the FBI shouldn't have made much of Russia's 2011 tip-off about Tsarnaev. * Stories collected from runners and spectators found in an iconic Boston Marathon bombing picture. * Pictures of the Boston shootout taken by an eye witness who lived nearby. * Few Chechens live in
* Speculation about the Boston Marathon bombers immortalizes the attackers rather than the victims. * I got facials from Dzhokhar and Tamerlan's mother for years--in the living room of the family's home. * Czech ambassador confirms that the Czech Republic is not, in fact, Chechnya. * Analysis of obituaries suggests
* We should all listen to Uncle Ruslan. * One hundred years ago, the violent act of one Polish-American caused a country to treat all Polish-Americans with suspicion. * Study: Majority of Americans not informed enough to stereotype Chechens. * Nearly half of internet users don't know it's illegal to
* Stunning photos from the Boston manhunt currently underway. * From Monday to right now, an ongoing timeline of events in Boston. * Chechnya's president says the bombing suspects are more American than Chechen. * Nearly all of the senators who voted against the gun-control bill received campaign donations from the NRA.
* Eyewitness accounts from last night's manhunt for the Boston bombing suspects in Watertown, Mass. * A Boston victim who appeared in a now-iconic photo identified one of the suspects. * Eleven years into the war on terror, we should no longer expect we know what an "al Qaeda attack&
* This week, a marathon's first-aid tents and a high school football field became triage centers. * As horrific as it was, the Boston Marathon bombing may not qualify as a terrorist attack for the purposes of insurance coverage. * Following trips to Sandy victims and Newtown, therapy dogs arrive in
* Giffords: Senators who chose the NRA against the people should be ashamed, but are not. * Congressional reaction to the Senate's rejection of background checks. * Despite his fight, Obama knew before setting out that gun-control legislation never stood a chance in hell of surviving the NRA's money.
* Trauma surgeons at Boston faced the difficult decision of whether to amputate legs of those whose lives revolve around running. * What the New York Post got right. * Washington, Moscow, and Beijing are in a standstill over Iran, Syria, and North Korea—thankfully, everyone wants the same outcome. * Whether parents choose
Try and guess what it references. The answer is linked after the jump. {image-16} [Answer]
* "The Unfinished Race" by Hugh Eakin. * Murakami: "As far as my experience goes, Boston is the most appealing marathon." * Since 1970 there have been more than 1,430 terror attacks in America. * Why baseball makes for the best fights. * A new app helps prevent Icelanders from
* If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon. * About 30 seconds after running his first Boston Marathon, a surgeon became a medic. * Playing Tetris can help alleviate the psychological symptoms of PTSD. * The hell of American day care. * How a blogger set off a
* Three people killed, more than 130 injured by two bomb blasts, 12 seconds apart, at the Boston Marathon. * Interactive map of how the Boston Marathon bombings unfolded. * Sixteen acts of terrorism have occurred in Boston since 1970, though none since 1995. * After news broke about the explosions in Boston, conspiracy
* In case you haven't noticed, thanks to Republican politicians, North Carolina is currently going out of its mind. * In 2012, 20,000 Americans used guns to commit suicide. * Military translators in Afghanistan wait endlessly for visas to the United States while remaining targeted by the Taliban. * Details about
* On Sunday, while the world watched for signs of nuclear aggression, Pyongyang held a marathon with runners from 16 nations. * As a result, the overwhelming majority of chemicals in use today have never been independently tested for safety. * Animated gifs of infomercial disasters. * Among the diplomatic archives published by Wikileaks:
* Kim's biggest miscalculation may have been in assuming that Beijing and Moscow would indulge his rhetoric. * Former North Korean spy calls Kim Jong-un's nuclear program "a bargaining chip for aid." * In a satirical video, Syrian rebels announce they will protect the U.S. from
* The Senate's rejection of filibustering gun-control legislation is not a victory, only a continuation of the fight. * South Carolina congressman, opposed to background checks, likens national gun registry to the Rwandan genocide. * Actress loses lawsuit against IMDb for publishing her real age against her objections. * Finland apologizes for
* U.S. Navy to begin deploying anti-drone lasers aboard warships in 2014. * "All Servicepersons and People Will Become Human Bullets and Bombs," and other hit songs according to North Korean news. * Four charts depict the history of energy consumption in the U.S. * A study finds rice imported
* Intelligence reports reveal the CIA has been using drones in Pakistan to kill possible militants—not just al Qaeda leadership. * Iran denounces Google Earth as an intelligence-gathering ploy, announces plans for an "Islamic" version. * Silencer manufacturers claim otherwise, but their product isn't for hunting or home
* Iraq claims to be a "sovereign partner" of the U.S., but Iranian influence and an emerging autocracy signal otherwise. * Russell Brand on Margaret Thatcher—"an icon of individualism, not of feminism." * Femen: We are transforming female sexual subordination into aggression, and thereby starting the real
* China struggles to convince a population—skeptical for good reason—there's no connection between dead pigs and bird flu. * As North Korea shows signs of a new missile launch, China shows signs of a shift away from Pyongyang. * Don't worry, North Korea is bluffing; Kim Jong-un
* Syrian government refuses to allow UN chemical-weapons investigators permission to broaden their mission. * Ignatius: I was there and I'm here to tell you, Margaret Thatcher opened the door for modern Britain. * Remembering Thatcher's 1978 appearance on "Desert Island Discs." * One-fifth of Earth’s fresh
* Obama pleads with Congress to vote on gun control, criticizing Republicans who have threatened to filibuster. * Republican senators' staffers complain of new gun groups' harassment campaigns. * Britain debates whether it's OK to celebrate Thatcher's death, as many have done with champagne and public partying.
* Story of Nek Muhammad, enemy of Pakistan whom the CIA killed in exchange for access to Pakistan's airspace. * New science teaching standards in the U.S. will include extensive lessons on human-made climate change; not so in the UK. * Nicholas Lemann on the disappearance of America's
* Tour company experiences 400% increase in inquiries about trips to North Korea. * South Korea says the North may be planning to conduct another underground nuclear test. * NASA plans to use robotic spaceship to lasso asteroid and "park it near the moon." * Uganda may ban above-the-knee skirts and broadcasting
* Four teenagers attempt to end Georgia county's tradition of racially segregated proms. * Ice that took 1,600 years to form in the Andes in Peru has melted in the past 25. * Graham crackers and Corn Flakes were originally intended to curb sexual urges. * Roger Ebert remembers his favorite
* Since Newtown, more states have relaxed gun restrictions than have passed new gun-control laws. * A state-by-state breakdown of recent gun legislation. * Coplen plans to arm an entire unnamed Houston neighborhood as a case study on the effects of an armed population on crime. * Why do we laugh at North Korea
* Let's say that the North decides to fire its new mobile KN-08 intermediate-range ballistic missile. * Instead of Austin, a likelier North Korean target is nearby San Antonio, home to Air Force Cyber Command. * The greatest deterrent to North Korea's aggression is China, whose new president could
* When the presidency was "an unbroken string of white men," the GOP didn't bother asking Baltimore's Dr. Carson to wear a mask. * Thirty-six recent images of people wearing masks. * Hopi Indians of Arizona ask federal officials to stop a high-price Paris auction of 70
* NRA report on school security mixes up shootings, advises more guns, bulletproofing. * Satellite images of Burma reveal the devastation of the Muslim community at the hands of militant Buddhists. * Roger Ebert announces new cancer diagnosis, "leave of presence" to write more about anything and everything. * Obama's
* The federal government's sequestration continues, but Democrats and Republicans say Obama cried wolf about airline travel. * It would be easier to take conservatives seriously about gun control if they didn't support massive military spending. * The Netherlands, Berlin's staunch ally in pushing for budgetary discipline
* Women who stood shoulder to shoulder with men during the 2011 Tahrir Square protests...found their position in society undermined almost immediately. * Browse the components of the federal budget since 1965. * One of the largest farms in the U.S. converts livestock manure into natural gas to power its facilities
* China's mysterious duck, pig, and human deaths could point to a new pandemic on the horizon. * Sanitation workers, it turns out, have twice the fatality rates of police offers, and nearly seven times the fatality rates of firefighters. * A trans writer reports from both sides of the male
* A big-data analysis of white supremacists shows Republicans need to do more to counter extremist views in the U.S. * How Muslims suffer under NYPD profiling. * EPA to propose cutting sulphur content in gasoline to improve the effectiveness of catalytic converters. * Dried whiskey residue that resembles celestial bodies * For the
* Kim Jong Un approves plan to ready rockets to hit U.S. targets; Pentagon urges North Korea to "dial the temperature down." * Researchers say the French have been unhappy for decades, trained early to acquire “multidimensional dissatisfaction and depressiveness.” * British princess sister Pippa Middleton says the secret of
* Google Street View locates a ghost town in Fukushima's evacuation zone. * Historically religious town allows widows to celebrate "Holi"—India's festival of color—for the first time. * Richard III's descendants claim breach of rights, challenge the planned reburial in York Minster. * Kubrick&
* Annual military drill sends American B-2 Spirit bombers over South Korea amid "heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula." * Illustrated guide to American-North Korean relations since the cold war. * Bill and Melinda Gates say the world needs a better condom "that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order
* Crime plummets in Juarez—perhaps one cartel won over the other, maybe there's fewer young men to kill, or it could be better policing. * The trouble with being a snitch. * Brazilian doctor charged with killing seven patients now being investigated in nearly 300 other deaths. * The maker of
* Justices say it could be too early to consider same-sex marriage, and may dismiss the case to allow states to continue experimenting. * According to Tony Kushner's prophecy, capitalism can absorb equal rights for gays, but still encourage many horrible things. * North Korea turns volume of missile systems—and
* If I could snap my finger and get rid of all the guns, I would. I think they're evil. ... People are making money off them, and people are dying. * North Korea says missiles are targeting Hawaii, Guam, and the mainland U.S.—more of a message to its
* Ellen DeGeneres's career viewed as litmus test for understanding America's progress on gay rights since 1986. * Arizona store won't sell Mark Kelly an assault weapon after learning he didn't intend to use it. * More than 3,000 people killed by guns in
* Seven executed bodies posed on plastic chairs with cryptic warning found near traffic circle in Uruapan, Mexico. * Related: Dentist rehydrates corpses to identify victims and investigate murders in crime-ridden Ciudad Juárez. * The untold side of the immigration story: Well-off families escaping violence in Mexico must prove the origins of their
* One reason to expect some kind of victory for marriage equality in this week's Supreme Court hearings: Justice Kennedy. * Republicans see fundraising opportunities in New York, Florida, and California if they back gay marriage. * From November 2012, Alex Ross on the gay community’s political progress in his
* Number of dead pigs found in two Chinese rivers rises to 16,000; authorities still say Shanghai's water is safe to drink. * E-cigarette sales doubled last year, and are expected to double again in 2013; "vaping" seen as smoking's next step. * Ta-Nehisi Coates almost
* New data says the Universe is officially 13.82 billion years old, only 5% normal matter, and also a bit lopsided. * In Syria, the first suicide bombing to detonate in a mosque kills 42, including a prominent Sunni Muslim preacher. * Police in Moscow crack down on fake ambulances that carry
* Nor could I compare Obama favorably to Bush...most Iraqi Kurds prefer the muscle of a Republican in office. * Fifteen-year-old Nobel Peace Prize nominee returns to school after Taliban gunmen shot her in the head for supporting girls' education. * Reid: "The time for watered-down and effectively meaningless gun
* U.S. asks for Rwanda's help shipping war-crimes suspect to The Hague; suspect suspected of knowing Rwanda's secrets. * Obama's limousine refuses to start after someone fills it with gas, not diesel. * According to records, adverse psychological reactions to combat never even approached the physical
* This week marks the 21st anniversary of Hezbollah's 1992 Israeli embassy bombing; modern Europe should pay heed. * Hamas launches program to teach Hebrew in Gaza schools, with neither a strategic nor conciliatory agenda. * Study finds truck drivers who consume caffeine are 63% less likely to crash than drivers
* More than a dozen car bombs and suicide blasts kill nearly 60 around Iraq on the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion. * Five takes on whether America is better off now than it was when Saddam Hussein was in power. * Reed rejects Feinstein's assault-weapons ban after
* Does it destroy a teenager’s life to take him off the path of being an adult rapist? * Excerpts from the RNC's surprisingly frank election postmortem. * International sanctions are leaving Iran's hospitals without supplies—surgeons are resorting to "old drugs." * FBI says it knows
* Few statistics exist for Syria's uprising, but Assad's army is estimated to be half its size, certain of the loyalty of only 50,000 soldiers. * Blogger who helped bring the Steubenville rape case to national attention explains her investigative process. * Rape is that unique crime in
* U.S. must decide whether to break from policy and permit South Korea to go nuclear and deflect northern aggression. * Brandon Maxfield was shot when he was seven; now 26 and a quadriplegic, he's been a major force behind the end of cheap, unsafe guns. * Cypriots panic as
* Steubenville teenagers found guilty of rape, highlighting the increasing use of social media as evidence in court. * Investigation continues for people who may have failed to come forward—students, parents, coaches. * Obama will resist Israeli pressure to attack Iran, Israel won't commit to a peace process, and Syria
* To get pregnant, some Palestinian women are smuggling their husbands' sperm out of jail. * Why the new pope's chosen name could signal a renewed focus and global presence for the church. * Italy refuses to send marines accused of killing two fishermen back to India for trial. * Cofounder
* North Korea accuses U.S. and South Korea of cyber attack and staging preparations for war. * Point: In the "randy" CIA, spies and handlers screw around a lot, and we want them to, in order to be good at their jobs. * Counterpoint: Real spies are promiscuous, true, but
* One in seven mothers suffers from postpartum depression, but many feel too guilty to admit it. * Germany to allow women going through unwanted pregnancies to give birth in a hospital under a false name. * The twist-tie v. plastic clip battle is over a $10.6 million market. * Global survey of
* How cardinals discern divine will: more and more strategically over the course of the papal conclave. * Sweden's krona is the best performing currency over the past 12 months; Japan's yen is the worst. * Close reading of North Korea's sexist insults of female American secretaries
* Tehran wants to sue Hollywood for making films that "propagate fear of Iran throughout the world." * To protect against bioterrorism, U.S. buys two million doses of a new smallpox vaccine. * Google admits unauthorized data collection during Street View mapping, further fueling Google Glass privacy concerns. * Life as
* Top security chief says cyber-attacks pose the most dangerous immediate threat to the United States. * Republicans and Democrats' proposed budget plans aren't like apples and oranges; they're apples and bicycles. * Public defender who never stops working explains what it's like to carry 100
* Republicans tried to stop the U.S. military from buying renewable energy and going green; the military fought back. * Thousands of dead pigs found in Shanghai's main water source provides impetus for environmental reform in China. * Ai Weiwei to release heavy metal album with nine songs, some "
* U.S. issues new sanctions in response to North Korea's "scrapping" of the 1953 armistice. * Among the sabers that North Korea may still rattle: instability; nuclear swapping; terrorism. * Blogging proving popular in Vietnam—and so is an ugly and effective crackdown on political dissent. * Pictures from
* Inspired by Senator Paul's recent performance, an explanation of how filibusters work. * Wrigley introduces new caffeinated "chewable pellet" based on product it developed for the military. * CT scans of 137 mummies find atherosclerosis—"long before the arrival of junk food and flat-screen televisions." * Paintings
* Friday job numbers show spike in hiring, but economists warn the sequestration may wipe away that growth. * Thanks to the sequester, more cocaine will be showing up on our streets. * Physicist falls in love with bikini model he met online; model asks him to bring her a suitcase; physicist goes
* Highly sought al Qaeda militant—Osama bin Laden's son-in-law—detained in U.S. operation in Jordan. * Ahmadinejad: "I have no doubt that [Chávez] will return alongside Jesus Christ...to establish peace and justice in the world." * Pentagon required to find other methods of training Army medics
* Meticulous study of global temperatures finds current levels warmer than at any time in at least 4,000 years. * Rand's filibuster over drones yesterday may have been silly, but at least he had the guts to stand there and filibuster. * See also: Brief history of robot planes. * Forget
* Nora Ephron's son on her last days, final work, and feeling guilty about crying in the hospital when Hitchens had not. * The death of Hugo Chávez as told by front pages from Latin American newspapers. * Final moments of the Chebarkul meteor reconstructed in order to pin down its
* Berlusconi convicted over wiretap, meanwhile appealing another conviction and facing two additional verdicts. * Logic says the CIA didn't give Chávez cancer; its history of assassination ploys suggests it would have used a poisonous wetsuit. * North Korea threatens pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States and South Korea. * For
* Health care, housing, and other reasons to be optimistic about the U.S. economy. * Last year carbon emissions rose at their second highest rate since 1959, surpassing scientists' worst-case scenarios. * Timeline of memorable Chávez moments. * Chávez bequeaths a nation beset by crumbling infrastructure, unsustainable public spending, and underperforming industry.
* After Obama's win, partisans said the market would tank; now that it's way up, they're searching for political interpretations. * Hours after his book on immigration is published, Jeb Bush disagrees with its premise, following GOP party winds. * Jon Stewart to direct movie about reporter
* The overall political views of a district are less important for policymaking than the organized political groups in a district. * Indian woman on 12-year hunger strike against police brutality denies accusations of attempted suicide. * Palestinian workers riot over Israel's new segregated West Bank bus lines. * With nearly 100
* South Carolina's Mark Sanford is running for office again, having learned empathy—for other cheaters. * If Congress doesn't pass a "Continuing Resolution" by March 27, the government will likely shut down. * Anonymous sources say Pakistan is employing drone strikes against militants and blaming them
* Enormous turnout for Kenya's elections; process seen as smooth, though six police officers were killed. * Scientists believe girl born with HIV is the first child and only the second person known to have been cured. * India's Muslim population is steadily growing, and steadily falling behind the
* The sequester looks here to stay, and may possibly take several months to negotiate. * Study finds fewer people are “very concerned” about various environmental issues than at any point in the last 20 years. * Reported death of al-Qaeda leader Mohktar Belmohktar represents a major blow to terrorist operations in Mali.
* World Health Organization says people living near the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant have an increased risk of cancer. * In Bangladesh, street brawl over court decision to hang Islamic fundamentalist leader leaves 32 dead. * A poem for citizen Ratzinger, in the wake of the VatiLeaks scandal: "Everyone Popes." * Open
* Lawmakers head home feeling confident nothing will get done when Boehner visits Obama in the White House. * Tank brokers estimate there are several hundred to 1,000 private tank owners in the U.S. * North Korea uses its own method of scoring basketball—e.g., eight points for a basket
* Beppe Grillo, whose movement now holds the balance of power in Italy's parliament, rules out a coalition with the center-left. * Only half of Americans believe the U.S. is the no. 1 military power in the world. * South African paper The Daily Sun publishes amateur footage of police
* Dozens of U.S. companies, including Apple, Facebook, eBay, and Intel back same-sex marriage. * In addition to a photograph and fingerprinting, [should arrestees] be required to open up for an oral swab? * A beer monopoly may be imminent, and it's perfectly legal. * "Harlem Shake" reaches the
* Coastal Carolina University is on lockdown after a student was shot and killed this morning. * A harrowing, interactive chart of the more than 2,300 people who have been killed by guns in America since Newtown. * Kerry defends free speech to German press: "In America, you have a right
* For more than a year, [Democrats] subjected Koop to the kind of horrific nomination battle we have practically come to consider normal. * U.S. Dept. of Transportation orders shutdown of the East Coast Chinatown bus system. * An in-depth profile of Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathoner. * From 2003:
* Dozens of prominent Republicans...have signed a legal brief arguing that gay people have a constitutional right to marry. * What really happened to William Sparkman Jr., the census worker whose body was found hanged in a Kentucky cemetery in 2009. * With a local economy that continues to spiral downward, a
* In talking to Seth about his sense of humor, I asked him about his penchant for making fun of those not like him. * Iran slams Argo Oscar win, calling it an "advertisement for the CIA." * Nine years after a group of Brits tried to swing Ohio in his
* Obama's team formalizes its second-term fundraising and agenda-activating mission. * Despite their long history of doing bad things together, North Korea wouldn't have tested an Iranian nuke. * Thin snows foreshadow another summer of drought and wildfire. * To take ownership of a statuette, Oscar winners first must agree
* Medicine in the U.S. is big business—that should be our first clue when asking why our medical bills are so high. * Scientists discover how brain cells in the midst of a stroke protect themselves from damage. * How music helps children to deal with bereavement. * Defense Dept. finds drone
* Replacement ears are difficult to make—3D printing could perfect how they look. * Scientists get closer to understanding how babies become bilingual before learning grammar. * Why better prenatal testing does not mean more abortion. * How to interpret rejection letters. * See also: A writer rejects a rejection letter. * [The South is]
* Snows depart the Midwest for the Northeast, but also bring moisture to some drought-stricken areas. * Medical bills are simply too high, enriching labs, Big Pharma, device makers, and hospital administrators, and screwing over everybody else. * For foreign drug manufacturers, Japan's aging population and manufacturing provide the world'
* Human Rights Watch report finds Mexican security forces participated in 250 disappearances under President Calderon. * Google releases video to demonstrate life under its new product Glass—smartphone functionality embedded in a pair of eyeglasses. * Tableau portraits of London's bus stops. * Perhaps the only thing better than Girl Scout
* Reporters in Syria see no end in sight, only "bloody stalemates" in Damascus and Aleppo. * Pictures of DIY guns, vehicles, and explosives used by Syrian rebels. * Four grand ayatollahs issue fatwas against Iran's first 3G provider, cautioning against risks posed to family life by video calls.
* To turn Texas blue, Democrats will need a vision of Hispanic voters that goes beyond immigration reform. * America retains the right of nuclear first use—against nations who don't adhere to various nonproliferation strictures—and it should not. * Being able to handle life in Israel is one thing;
* Ahead of spending-cuts crisis, White House plans shame campaign to make the GOP's position indefensible. * Two weeks ago, as a result of Spielberg's Lincoln, Mississippi officially ratified the 13th amendment to ban slavery. * Greece to reach true primary surplus this year, taking in more revenue than
* The most important fact about the United States in this century is that middle-class incomes are stagnating. * How to buy recreational drugs online. * A new survey shows underage drinkers prefer beer, and especially Budweiser. * Program makes rhyming couplets from tweets unintentionally written in iambic pentameter. * Poem by William McGonagall, deemed
* Rather than mapping the brain, the Obama administration should solve the brain-behavior connection—the crux of neuroscience. * The opposite of President's Day: How the world's dictators and monarchs celebrate themselves. * Like the first laws limiting hours worked, [the minimum wage was] paternalistic in nature, and applied
* This is the first time that Americans are going to be relatively worse off than their parents or grandparents in old age. * Gallery: Brian Ulrich's photographs of abandoned malls and empty big-box stores. * Mindy McCready is the third person to die from her season of Celebrity Rehab. * France
* By endangering the public to protect itself, the LAPD's pursuit of Dorner shows the department hasn't progressed so much, after all. * Following Friday's close call, NASA discusses the other orbiting asteroids that threaten Earth. * Related: Interstellar Hard Drive. * New analysis of lunar rocks brought
* Iranian politicians shouldn't high-five in public. * Human migration is impossible to stop, and is growing exponentially—Obama would do well to take lessons from China. * Wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the makers of Jack3d; GNC puts its supply on markdown. * Actress in hip-hop video about recreational prescription drug use
* Tennessee congressman wasn't sending flirty tweets to a mistress, but to a secret, long-lost daughter. * The love story of Harry and Bess Truman began when they were five-year-olds in Sunday school. * To celebrate Valentine's Day, CDC announced yesterday the U.S. is home to 110 million
* American Airlines and US Airways confirm $11-billion merger, and will operate together under the American brand. * CBS footage of a gun battle from the final stage of the manhunt for Christopher Dorner. * Quest to end the miserable migraines. * Addiction to "ataya"—a hot, strong tea—becoming a threat
* Liberals support Obama's foreign policy for the same reason they backed George W. Bush—because they're interventionist. * "10 Food Documentaries to Stream on Netflix Tonight" includes the terrific Kings of Pastry. * See also: The complete Beatles songbook covered on ukelele. * Westminster Dog Show champion
* Interactive graphic of every State of the Union speech shows the language is getting dumber. * Research suggests cold weather makes us better decision makers in Alaska than in Florida. * Few, if any, hospitals know the cost of a new hip, and there appears to be no set market price. * List
* Beijing views North Korea's third nuclear test, held during a major Chinese holiday, as an insult. * The Chinese web reaction to the nuclear test: jokes about Kim Jong Un's posterior. * The size of the blast is one thing, but the exact nature of the device exploded
* A man...who capped his career by terminating bin Laden, has no landing pad in civilian life. * The popes who've resigned. * Odds that the next pope could be from Latin America, home to 40% of the world's Catholics. * Guilt is our inner police force, but if
* House members stake out aisle seats at the State of the Union for a chance to be seen on television by constituents. * Graphing the rhetoric of the last 12 State of the Union addresses. * Q&A with the editor of the Antarctic Sun. * UK officials blame "criminal activity&
* Jillian Becker, friend of Sylvia Plath's, remembers their last days together, 50 years ago. * Like most teenagers [I] had no problem identifying with a young woman who had everything going for her. * Millenials report the highest stress levels of any age group, and their doctors are worried. * The
* With NASA no longer sending humans into space, would-be astronauts turn their hopes to the private sector. * As the Bush email hack shows, breaking into a presidential account isn't the only way to access executive-level info. * It is startling how little [Bush] managed to move the rhetoric and
* Aviation experts believe Iran's stealth fighter is an elaborately constructed model. * Scientists identify the creature from which all placental mammals—including humans—descended. * "WTF, Evolution": Nature's weird selections. * Frozen meat lasagna from Sweden discovered to contain between 60 and 100 percent horsemeat. * From David
* Potentially historic winter storm follows Sandy's path into New England this afternoon. * "One for the record books," asteroid the size of an office building will miss Earth next week, though passing closer than some weather satellites. * Seven points about Iran and nukes that summarize everything we
* NYC exterminators know where the rats moved after Sandy: out of the subways and into apartment walls. * Scientology leader's niece on growing up, hauling rocks, making fake vitamin packets. * An oral history of YOLO, which dates back to the 19th century. * Californians look to brain retraining in hopes
* World Resources Institute offers tip for Obama on how to reduce U.S. emissions: Enact new standards for existing power plants. * U.S. Postal Service to end Saturday delivery as fix for its financial woes—which appears to be a legal solution, technically. * Most common job for American women is
* Picking apart the case for drones against Americans. * The presence of armed drones in Germany's arsenal would come in handy the next time a NATO ally requests backup. * How the Taliban is using promises of sex as a tool for recruitment. * Ted Cruz of Texas is now the
* French claim killing "hundreds" of Islamist militants in Mali ahead of next month's withdrawal. * Confidential memo says the U.S. can kill American citizens if they're believed to be senior members of al-Qaida or an “associated force.” * North Korea releases video showing nuclear destruction
* A proposed think tank, the Center for the Study of Existential Risk, would study scenarios that result in the end of humanity. * Sedentary lifestyles reduce sperm counts—as does running in tight clothing and too much time on a bike. * Qantas asks passenger to remove T-shirt bearing an Inigio Montoya
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* Ahmadinejad says he's ready to be the first human sent into orbit by Iran's space program. * Economist debuts interactive Big Mac Index, a tool "to make exchange-rate theory more digestible." * Tyler Cowen reads every word in a late December issue of India Today. * Celiac
* It was a lovely photograph, but there is a sense of privacy in a moment like that, and they didn't ask. * How the ancient Greeks viewed weapons. * Hemingway probably never wrote the six-word story "for sale, baby shoes, never worn." * British jails identify food distributor that
* Since President Obama took office, the U.S. has executed more than 300 covert drone attacks in Pakistan; now the drones are coming home. * Worth remembering: If Canada exploits its tar sands' oil, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate. * In New York, 65%
* Der Spiegel: Germany's continued failure to return Nazi-looted property is "a moral disaster." * After flubbing a Holocaust question on TV, Russian twins visit Auschwitz. * Author Teddy Wayne records a cover version of a song written by a character in his new novel. * National Review columnists discuss
* Fourteen-year-old student wounded in a shooting yesterday outside a middle school in Atlanta. * Fifteen-year-old honors student, shot and killed after school on Tuesday, previously starred in a video urging fellow students to avoid gangs. * Study: "Stand your ground" gun laws increase manslaughters and murders by eight percent. * Rolling
* Breakdown of recent arguments around a favorite conservative concept: the hidden prosperity of the poor. * Photos from Hillary Clinton's 956,733 miles traveled as secretary of state. * Chinese court finds two Tibetans guilty of urging self-immolation, sentences one to death, the other to prison for 10 years. * To
* While Giffords and the NRA's LaPierre addressed the Senate, another mass shooting took place in Arizona. * NRA admits it doesn't support the idea of extending background checks to gun shows. * As of 1998, for every time a woman used a handgun to kill in self-defense, 101
* Updated Google Maps of North Korea reveal gulags, nuclear complex. * Related: "North Korea Won't Be Liberated in a Day" by Mike Deri Smith. * More of 2012 best nonfiction in Conor Friedersdorf's annual journalism roundup. * Why Palestine should take Israel to the International Criminal Court
* Brief guide to players, groups, and motivating factors in Mali's political crisis. * Four issues about "securing the border" that won't figure in the debate—like increased drug trafficking not leading to "spillover" violence. * Brazil's nightclub tragedy—230 dead—has some
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* Since the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, 1,318 people killed by gun violence. * Israel admits it has been giving Ethiopian Jewish immigrants birth-control injections, often without their knowledge or consent. * Union membership is at a 97-year low in the United States: 11.3 percent. * Rapper Rick Ross, whose act
* Despite its military success, France's go-it-alone approach in Mali spells grim news for Europe's future. * City of Dijon sells off half its prized municipal wine cellar to help fund local social spending. * Uproar in France after Sarkozy's son gets law professor job at top
* Jobs go begging in Chinese factories when university graduates believe the labor is beneath them. * Paintings of daily life in Greece under austerity measures. * For doomsday preppers who will need to escape New York City, the contents of one well-packed "bug-out bag." * Related: Ralph Gamelli identifies the doomsayers
* Bipartisan gang of eight senators to present immigration-reform bill today. * TMN's Mike Deri Smith investigates fake consumer reviews online, outsourced to freelancers on an industrial scale. * Marine captain on "moral injury." * Obama sits down for the New Republic reboot, says he'd like the NCAA
* Because nobody wants to rock the boat, the RNC is sticking with the chairman who ruined 2012 for them. * Rarely seen outside North Korea, the stunningly synchronized Arirang mass games transform 50,000 teenagers into "living pixels." * Whether Beyoncé lip-synched is a scandal because it calls into question
* "Bitterly cold conditions" expected to continue across much of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. * Astonishing pictures of Chicago's freezing fire. * Everything you need to know about snowflake shapes comes from a scientist in Southern California. * Audio experts explain why it's clear that Beyoncé didn&
* GOP hatches plan to award electoral votes by Congressional district outcomes—which would have resulted in a Romney victory. * One of Obama's reelection engineers launches effort to turn Texas blue—which would effectively end the Republican Party. * A dispatch from the Disinaugural Ball. * Audio engineer says Beyoncé'
* Since Sandy Hook, there have been at least 1,173 gun deaths in America. * Pentagon to remove ban on female service members in combat roles, based on women’s valor in Iraq and Afghanistan. * Navies still having trouble on that front underwater—42 countries use submarines, but only six allow
* NIH to permanently retire almost all of its 451 research chimpanzees. * Scientists say oxytocin—not blood relation or sex—is behind cooperation among chimp populations. * Food detective find fake ingredients in grocery-store products. * Restaurants are asking diners to stop photographing their food. * Premier chefs agree that to eliminate hunger, teach
* Taliban says Prince Harry has "mental problems" for comparing his role in killing militants to playing video games. * Experiments that involve puppets suggest infants have an instinct to prefer good over evil. * The U.S. is only the 85th most diverse country in the world; Canada ranks first.
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* A young reporter who has covered only President Obama's first term has already witnessed several political epochs. * How conspiracy theorists heard the inaugural speech. * A timeline of Lupe Fiasco's obsession with conspiracy theories. * LED bulbs' durability threatens manufacturer profits: Long-lasting bulbs reduce the need to
* Obama's speech readies nation for February's state-of-the-union address by putting climate change center stage. * Studies to measure fracking's effects on public health are unavailable because pro-business state governments won't fund them. * "In Focus" selection of photographs from the second inauguration.
* Fifty percent of Americans are happy to see Obama sworn in, down from nearly 7 out of 10 in 2009. * The first and scariest inaugural address, John Winthrop's "city on a hill" speech, was actually about encouraging charity. * Brief history of inaugural poems. * Ezra Stoller'
* Obama to take the oath of office this morning for the second time—an honor granted only to 16 men before him. * Actually, Obama took the oath yesterday and didn't screw it up. * Fox News to shut down for routine maintenance at 11:30 a.m. and will
* Al Qaeda is alive and fairly well in Africa, but the U.S. must pick its battles in pursuit. * The Onion is publishing a Biden biography—The President of Vice—whether he wants one or not. * Stories longer than 2,000 words are down 86% at the LAT since 2003,
* Geographic location is unimportant; however, a reliable internet connection is essential to the job. * The daily work for this position is unpaid, but you will be compensated for any articles or other content you write. * Many interns are selected to join our editorial staff at the end of their internships.
* Poll finds wide support, even among gun owners, for several of Obama's specific gun-control measures. * Inventory of the clothes and equipment you throw on before going out to kill Osama bin Laden. * Round-up, with fact-checking, of Armstrong's confessions, plus online reactions from the cycling community. * He
* Oral history of Obama's first term. * On Friday, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah made history when he named 30 women to the kingdom's Shura Council. * More lethal than drones are drones that can make their own decisions—what we can expect when they reach the
* Lucid summary of the crisis in Mali, France's intervention, and neighbors' reactions. * Gun groups threaten to oust, "with both barrels," any Democratic senators who vote to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. * Prime minister explains how Australians banned assault weapons and dramatically improved their country.
* Obama announces gun control measures: assault weapons ban, high-capacity magazine limits, expanded background checks. * Sixteen years after former vagrant Steve Stockman was elected to Congress, he's back and bringing the crazy to the gun debate. * The Edge releases the answers to this year's annual question: "
* Religious leaders protest in Washington, saying politicians can't be relied upon to save us from climate change. * Survey of economists finds broad agreement that politicians can't be trusted with the debt ceiling. * Democrats and Republicans say there's virtually no chance they'll pass
* If January has been any indication, Biden is poised for a far more influential role in the administration's second term. * White House responds to secession petitions. * Clarence Thomas breaks seven-year silence to make fun of Yale Law School. * How they must bleed for us. In 2012, the world&
* Obama to announce comprehensive gun-control plan, with 19 separate actions he could take alone. * Since the Newtown massacre, 836 Americans have been killed by gun violence. * Round-up of national gun-control action—measures being considered, fights being fought, and issues up for debate. * Glickman: We must recognize that many Americans view
* How to fix India's male-superiority complex. * Photos find the link between India's textile and dance traditions. * Report from the beheading of a Sri Lankan maid in Saudi Arabia, where sexual abuse of domestic workers "seems not uncommon." * Llewellyn Hinkes-Jones, "Privatized Prisons: A Human
* France says its military intervention in Mali is "developing favorably," and it has no intention of "staying forever." * Footage of 340,000 who marched in Paris against gay marriage. * Norwegian Seafood Council ad campaign features performers who act out sushi recipes with dance. * Far-away photographs of
* How the UN created a cholera epidemic after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti—and then covered it up. * A week after leaving Haiti, Elizabeth Kiem felt the earthquake hit. * Every national anthem in the world played simultaneously. * Americans experience higher rates of disease and injury and die sooner than people
* Extreme weather events increasing in intensity as well as frequency around the world. * Pictures of play and rescue during recent wintry weather in the Middle East. * Iran pledges to produce its own version of Argo, "which lacks a proper view of historical events." * In case you missed it:
* In a rebuke of the steroid era, no one is elected to baseball's Hall of Fame—the second time in 43 years. * Kevin Guilfoile exposes the rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs among famous playwrights. * A new report finds as much as half of all the world's
* Profiles of five senators who will play key roles in determining the fate of any gun legislation * As the guns debate heats up, it's useful to remember Godwin's Law of Nazi Analogies. * Studies show the rise and fall in crime follows a rise and fall in
* Virginia's governor wants to remove the state's gas tax and begin taxing alternative-fuel cars. * The world's largest scale model of the solar system actually covers all of Sweden. * Map of the best and worst countries to be born into today. * Writer calls Richard Marx
* This past year was the hottest ever recorded in the U.S., and the second-worst on the Climate Extremes Index. * Australia's Bureau of Meteorology adds an extra color code at the top end of the temperature scale. * Tennis players protest being forced to play in Australia's
* Photojournalist captures images of modern slavery. * If emancipation did in fact begin long before...Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, what changed on that day? * Venezuelan police raid the home of a Twitter user suspected of spreading rumors about Chávez's health. * Kuwaiti court sentences man to two years in
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* White House photographer Pete Souza releases a year of pictures with the First Family. * Dozens of environmental and health groups urge Obama to finally and firmly address climate change. * Forced to resign by a financial scandal, Berlusconi is running for office again, this time for finance minister, or even prime
* The White House is plotting a surprisingly broad and aggressive gun control agenda. * A society that is relying on guys with guns to stop violence is a sign of a society where institutions have broken down. * How weapon technology like biometrics and grip detection could help prevent future massacres. * Math-based
* Obama to nominate counter-terrorism advisor John Brennan as next director of the CIA. * First CIA officer faces prison for a press leak—"one of an unprecedented string of six prosecutions under President Obama." * Ethical questions appear when patients with dementia find romance in nursing homes, and spouses outside
* As Sandy Hook students head back to class, school officials create a familiar, friendly environment. * Chris Ware on his latest New Yorker cover, inspired by Newtown and a sharp contrast to his back-to-school cover. * On Christmas Day 1945, five Fayetteville, W.Va., children went missing during a house fire—no
* Hard-line conservatives oppose or go mum during Boehner's reelection as House speaker. * Six Indian parliamentarians have charges of rape against them. * "There is no reason to think that India is destined to abuse women"—but the journey will be a long one. * Pakistani schoolgirl activist shot
* After nearly 30 years in the House, Rep. Gary L. Ackerman heads home. * Once thought to be eradicated, tuberculosis—now drug-resistant—is on a frighteningly sharp rise in the former Soviet bloc. * How free-market renegades fighting the "maple wars" stole six million pounds of maple syrup. * A city
* As fighting continues, new UN report says 60,000 have been killed in Syria's war. * Predictions for events in 2013. * Four hundred and nine people have been killed by guns in the U.S. since Newtown. * In case you heard about the LAPD buying back rocket launchers, it
* Gunshot wound survivors tell their stories on Reddit. * Over the winter break, schoolteachers learned how to shoot guns. * Home schooling in the U.S. is growing, and it's not just religious families who are doing it. * The divisive, conflicted history of the Montessori system in the U.S.
* House passes bill to avoid fiscal cliff, but faces debt-ceiling and sequester debates. * Just a few years ago, the tax deal pushed through Congress on Tuesday would have been a Republican fiscal fantasy. * Survey of highlights from the fight, including Boehner telling Reid, "Go fuck yourself." * French panel
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* Charity Navigator's top 10 lists of various charities' achievements and embarrassments. * See also: Best Practices of Savvy Donors. * Cunningham Children's Home offers healing to young people with serious emotional and behavioral disabilities. * The Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill, NC—a beacon of hope for
* Schwarzenegger bicycles Venice Beach just to inhale stray smoke, and other notes on weed in California. * Overview of "sea change" taking place globally toward gay marriage. * In case this applies to your late-December plans somehow: Is he cute or is he British? * French consumer trends of 2012. * Engineer
We gathered writers and thinkers to consider everything that happened over the past 12 months and asked them: What were the most important events of 2012—and what were the least?
* One in eight Americans believed the world would end today. * Portraits of people preparing for the Mayan doomsday, and/or the end of civilization. * Chart shows dates when the world was predicted to end by various prognosticators. * The Times goes big and interactive on the Stevens Pass avalanche at Tunnel
* North Korea assessed one year later, where the new Kim is thriving, though loose nukes loom. * In case you forgot: Photographs of the Syrian civil war. * Now that more and more Mexicans sport the label “middle class,” fashionistas are vying to clothe them. * List of trash humans have left behind
* Obama vows swift action on gun control; Republicans stick to NRA talking point, saying now is not the time. * Details about recent cases and lives lost to guns in Tennessee, Kansas, Nevada, Alabama, and Missouri. * The view from Germany: [Newtown] was no uncontrollable natural disaster. * Professor tweets about wanting NRA
* Obama is Time's person of the year, followed by a 15-year-old girl. * French psychologist convicted of manslaughter after her patient killed his grandmother. * Therapist explains what it's like to experience a midlife crisis—as a therapist. * Picture of the president composing his Newtown speech during his
* Obama to announce that Biden will lead the effort to reform gun laws. * NRA announces major press conference in DC for Friday. * First funerals in Newtown. * White House behavioral analysis as Obama chooses how to address Sandy, Latino turnout, and Newtown. * "Putin’s Arms Dealers Are Selling More Weapons
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* Boehner goes alone on "fiscal cliff" deal, introducing back-up plan. * [The Republican] party is a threat to democratic discourse and to fiscal sanity. Their ideological mania knows no prudential restraint at all. * Even in gun circles, Freedom Group's industry domination is a mystery. * Argument for using
* Mike Bloomberg's six steps for Obama and Congress to improve gun control. * Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management to begin selling its investment in gunmaker Freedom Group after Newtown shooting. * NRA goes silent on social media and appears to have yanked its Facebook page. * Alan Taylor's
* Newtown recently underwent a civic battle between traditional hunters and assault weapon enthusiasts. * Liberty entails precisely the freedom to offend. A gun in every pocket would stifle that. * The gun control that works: no guns. And that will never pass in America. * What happens when you're Facebook friends
* Obama: "Are we really prepared to say we are powerless in the face of such carnage?" * Bloomberg: "If [Obama] does nothing during his second term, something like 48,000 Americans will be killed with illegal guns." * Round-up of the best reporting on guns in America. * The
* In eight years the U.S. will be a major energy exporter. * Researchers believe Olympian lifespans—2.8 years longer on average—could be possible for mere mortals. * Abu Dhabi takes on its burgeoning obesity and diabetes epidemic. * What's wrong with the wheat you're eating: It&
* With more than 26,000 petitioners, White House will address a request for construction of a Death Star. * Acronym of the week: the FUKUS coalition—France, UK, and U.S. together recognizing Syrian rebels. * Next year should be one of great progress in the “steady, slow boring stuff” of anti-corruption
* Joe Lieberman's lonely departure. * A map of the probable range and accuracy of North Korea's missiles. * An informal network of astronomers tracks near-Earth asteroids—but nobody knows who's going to stop one from making impact. * Mike Deri Smith consults with disaster experts to find
* Russian government admits Syria may lose battle to rebel forces. * Sweden "coughs up" thousands of migrant workers for Norway, where they're widely mocked. * Poynter's annual list of the worst media errors of the year. * Chris Heath on one Greek politician attacking another on TV,
* How the U.S. let industry pollute its underground water supply. * Medical evidence continues to prove daily aspirin can help prevent cardiovascular disease and even cancer—why aren't more people taking it? * Study suggests women who are light smokers—smoking even one cigarette a day—double their chance
* White House recognizes Syrian rebels and seeks greater influence. * Homeland, Obama's show. * The idea that political views have a genetic component is now widely accepted, and has its own field: "genopolitics." * Philosopher goes anti-natalist, rebelling against notion that philosophers must be parents first. * Economist addresses whether
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* Spending earned political capital in a new way, Obama's "permacampaign" could change Washington from the outside. * The UN wants control of the internet to ensure member nations' security—but it's not possible. * Afghan design student creates wind-powered spheres that detonate land mines. * HSBC
* Cairo prepares for rival rallies ahead of a referendum ordered by President Morsi. * New Gazan cologne, M-75, named after Hamas' rockets, costs twice as much as other perfumes. * Genomic study confirms Europe's Roma came from a single group that left India "about 1,500 years ago.
* South Korean musician Psy apologizes for rapping about killing American torturers. * Psychologists try to use brain science to "cure" boredom. * The true meaning of Hanukkah—war, resilience, hope—is better for being complicated. * "Mysterious monkey in posh miniature winter coat found alone at Toronto Ikea." * From
* Researchers find biological parents are four times less at risk of premature death. * The death rate of many of the biggest and oldest trees around the world is increasing rapidly. * Drug makers are working like pathogens, sharing information in new efforts to stay ahead of antibiotic-resistant infections. * Still a long
* We should be more concerned about Assad's use of nerve agents than chemical weapons. * One year later, the story of a fire that killed three girls in a Stamford home on Christmas still haunts. * WNYC continues its profiles of children killed in 2012 by gunfire in New York
* New interactive tool lets you choose your own Israeli-Palestinian peace solution. * Blessed be the internet: International relations as depicted by cats. * Casino owner Adelson to double his $100 million investment in GOP causes by the next election. * Report on the shady business of "honey laundering"—global fraud running
* To China, the United States appears much as Great Britain did to Americans two centuries ago. * Obama's data director assures Americans he's not Big Brother. * AOL's history told through New York Times crossword clues. * Today in odd news: Apparently, Kim Jong-Il had a Palestinian
* Best photographs from 2012 as chosen by Alan Taylor's "In Focus" (part 1 of 3). * Washington state begins issuing same-sex marriage licenses today. * Lessons from Europe on how to create a healthy deficit reduction program. * Battles in Cairo when Morsi supporters attack protesters camped outside the
* Even the White House wanted tighter restrictions on drones, in case the program fell into the wrong hands: Romney's. * Russia's current political climate: "Everyone knows (and has evidence) that everyone else has been skimming money." * New York real estate developers continue to ignore risks,
* Death toll from southern Philippines typhoon passes 270. * Insourcing boom: General Electric and others begin returning manufacturing to the United States. * Republican leaders punish Tea Party loyalists and other back-benchers. * In case you needed another reason to hate Congressional Republicans: Meet the Sovereigntists. * Obama considering Vogue's Anna Wintour
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* In the years since Howard Dean's quick rise and quicker fall, the left has embraced a model of campaign that's fueled by data. * Roddick faces Murray in exhibition match. * The story so far: On the lam, John McAfee claims to be wearing disguises, maintaining sobriety, and
* Al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen crucifies, amputates, and tortures, and also provides public services. * Bahrain's embrace of a Kardashian is part of a larger effort to shift news coverage away from protest marches. * Facebook's Chris Hughes, now owner-editor of the New Republic, represents "a savior from
* Humanitarian adventure journalist David Oliver Relin, co-author of Three Cups of Tea, dies at 49. * Paul Ford on how the contemporary Authentocracy is ruling your happiness. * On unfinished novels: "The fatal flaw in all them was my abysmal plot-developing skills." * Two years ago, an LA man abandoned his
* Britain and France to protest Israel's decision to approve new homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. * Q&A with Guy Delisle on his fantastic travel comic Jerusalem: Chronicles From the Holy City. * Homeless man, famous for receiving boots from New York cop, is shoeless again
* China extends stop-and-board rights to most of the South China Sea—far from the mainland, the waters are already claimed by other nations. * Sandy evacuees housed in NYC hotels prepare to transfer to more permanent temporary arrangements. * The overall U.S. birth rate decreased by 8% between 2007-10, and by
* UN votes to recognize Palestine as a "non-member observer state," same as the Vatican. * John Kerry receives unqualified support for Secretary of State job, though from Republicans, not his own partymates. * Seal for the State Dept.'s Policy Planning Staff includes slogan, "Avoid Trivia." * Samuel
* Today Syria disconnected from the internet. * Another hardship for coastal residents in New York and New Jersey: mandatory flood insurance. * Climate change in the kitchen. * Tumblr of the day: Eating Carefully. * They're convinced that it just so happens that their self-interest coincides perfectly with the collective interest. * Doctors
* On Monday, New York City passed a day without a single report of a person being subject to violent crime. * Time-lapse movie of leaves changing color in Central Park. * Mitt Romney to eat lunch at the White House today. * Slightly awkward WikiHow guide to filling awkward silences. * Moscow court demands
* By the numbers: Hurricane Katrina versus post-tropical cyclone Sandy. * Sea levels rising faster than earlier projections. * Mapmakers delete an island that never existed and whose origins date to 1875. * If every U.S. state declared war against the others, which would win? * Painful memories surface while raising an Irgun Jewish
* Obama launches PR campaign to avoid the fiscal cliff, escalating an already tense negotiating atmosphere. * Anti-semitism of senior Hungarian politician viewed as "old school" compared to more contemporary hatred of Islam and immigrants. * Tales from the contemporary American West, where extreme weather is a killer. * Dog-sledding across Russia
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* Despite national losses, Republicans won supermajorities in statehouses across the South and Great Plains. * Don't believe Call of Duty: There won't be a cold war between China and the U.S. over rare earth minerals. * China's Communist Party newspaper congratulates Kim Jong-un on being
* U.S. fiscal cliff and eurozone debt crisis viewed as biggest risks to the global economy. * Afghanistan veteran learns how to use a prosthetic arm. * Israel Defense Forces' PR rep poses in blackface, calling it "Obama style." * Colbert on the biggest problem with Homeland: Everyone gets terrific
* Interactive: See which U.S. metro coastal areas may someday be underwater. * A result of fossil fuel burning, ocean acidification is withering the marine food chain. * British code breakers can't crack a handwritten message found on a WWII carrier pigeon. * The idea of a New York City mayoral
* Congo again slips into chaos and war, though ruthless rebels prove to be capable administrators. * Portraits of Sandy survivors in storm-ravaged Staten Island. * Whether in 50 or 100 or 200 years, there’s a good chance that New York City will sink beneath the sea. * Considering overpopulation and the end
* Rubio not so deftly dodges a creationism question—just like Sen. Barack Obama once did. * Obama campaign adviser explains our broken voting system and why you had to wait in line for eight hours. * As domestic U.S. flights are cut en masse, the best solution is more competition: Let
* "Middle East Conflict Intensifies As Blah Blah Blah, Etc. Etc." * History of the sounds of war, from air raid sirens to the whirring of drones. * How and why Obama's foreign policy passed the Benghazi test. * An epidemic of penis theft swept Nigeria between 1975 and 1977.
* Republicans aren't ready to forgive Chris Christie for his post-Sandy embrace of Obama. * Veterans with PTSD seek the help of a South Carolina couple who are finding success with MDMA treatment. * Thieves with power saws steal, deface ancient California cliff carvings. * Amid controversy over bias toward the oil
* Propaganda has been a part of every war; in Israel vs. Hamas, Instagram lets amateurs in on the action. * Egypt, Israel, Hamas close to reaching ceasefire deal. * Big pictures from a weekend of violent exchanges between Israel and Gaza. * Anderson Cooper is never too busy for a good burn on
* The data crunchers who won the 2012 election. * If you're so determined, how to hide email communication from prying eyes. * Related: Privacy Settings for Bigamists. * A challenge to Paris: Reclaim your sparkle. * Raymond Carver's OkCupid profile, edited by Gordon Lish. * Electronic tattoos, water purified with oil,
* Death toll climbs in Israel-Hamas fight, with 91 Palestinians killed. * Conservatives in Wyoming—America's least populous state, 86% white—stunned by Romney's loss. * In Germany, Putin defends jailing Pussy Riot with baseless charges of anti-Semitism. * Customers hard to find for BBC sex-criminal star's old
* Avoiding bankruptcy and defaulting twice in 2012, the U.S. Postal Service reports a $16 billion annual loss. * Twinkies maker Hostess files motion to liquidate assets and sell off its brands. * Some other second-tier industrial bakery will...continue producing the Ding-Dong, and the Wonder Bread, and other crap nobody wants.
* Egypt's leaders vow to support Gaza against Israeli attacks. * "Petraeus is only the beginning," says Obama, promising second term full of Homeland-like twists. * James Carter IV digs up Lee Atwater's strategy for winning racist votes without sounding racist. * Money may not determine the winner
* BP to pay $4.5 billion in Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement and plead guilty to 11 counts of felony misconduct. * Romney bookends his campaign with an apology to donors, blames the 47% for his loss. * Playboy talks with Stephen Colbert about staying alive and being funny, despite everything. * Kurt
* Chuck Klosterman explains why some people believe he accidentally forced the resignation of the head of the CIA. * Petraeus's mistress's email password hacked in 17 hours with publicly available tools. * Three Israelis killed by rocket-fire from Gaza, where 11 Palestinians have died in air strikes. * Israel
* In upcoming fiscal talks, President Obama reaffirms campaign promise that he'll fight for the middle class. * When your boss is Obama—who doesn't relinquish big decisions—it doesn't matter who the next secretary of state is. * RedState addresses its readers: "Too many people
* CIA publishes new informational brochure, “How to Tell if You’re Involved in the Petraeus Scandal.” * Handy flowchart guide to the Petraeus affair. * In Texas, 77,000 sign petition to secede from the union. * France's Hollande now bringing in a massive corporate tax rebate, warning the state will
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* U.S. to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world’s leading oil producer by about 2017. * Overview of what's happening at the BBC. * Newspaper reactions from 1909 when the English Channel was crossed in an aircraft for the very first time. * Berlusconi's latest showgirl gunning for
* Two weeks after Sandy, pockets of misery. * For those displaced by war, refugee camps are a recurring way of life—and worry for the young is constant. * What could save us from the fiscal cliff: Mitt Romney's plan to limit overall tax deductions. * Q&A with Al
* Fuel-efficiency rules and fracking will make the U.S. the world's largest oil exporter by 2020. * Horrific images from Syria in ruins—a reminder of how the civil war's brutality is worsening in places. * Another way to support Sandy victims: Donate your vacation time. * With dramatic
* During Sandy, 15 inmates escaped from a New Jersey halfway house when the power went down and the doors unlocked. * Ex-members of the Sri Lankan rebel army turn to garment factories for employment. * Large explosion damages 20 homes in Indianapolis neighborhood. * The saga of a man accused of murdering his
* The world can't have a Nate Silver. * Ready in case of a president-elect, Romney's full Secret Service detail quietly departed after his concession. * SEAL Team Six reprimanded for revealing classified information to video-game makers. * The man boycotting all Democrats listens to Oingo Boingo because they once
* Obama's reelection all but guarantees healthcare legislation will survive, but disinformation needs to be corrected. * How two brothers busted a brutish Philly union and shifted decades of power—thanks in part to few viral videos. * Foxconn considers opening U.S. factories owing to rising labor costs in China.
* Hours after winning reelection, the president phoned Congressional Republicans to begin the haul back from the fiscal cliff. * The fiscal cliff explained in three scenarios. * Fascinating: Why the first debate went so badly for Obama and how the campaign regained its footing. * Obama's mandate. * Also on the agenda
* Dem super-majority in California is a message to the GOP: What's broken will be fixed, demographics are changing. * Get to know the female senators and representatives. * Openly gay senator, Hindu in congress, demographic change in the Malia Generation aren't a problem, but an inevitability. * As handover
* The 1880s want their politics back. * With the reelection of President Obama, the U.S. will enjoy four more years of moderate Republicanism. * Mr. Obama will now have to govern the America he so relentlessly sought to divide. * Inside the Obama campaign's data-mining HQ. * Last night's
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* In case you didn't stay up: President Obama's victory speech. * Details of races and ballots state by state, including marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado. * Foreign correspondents explain what impact Obama's second term will have for the rest of the world. * On-the-ground reports of
* Can we at least agree...that when it comes to voting itself the election of 2012 is a national disgrace? * The next president must face up to global human rights abuses—as candidates, they've ignored the issue. * Ian Frazier: "In America, we know better than to tax
* Where voting no means voting yes to change: a survey of the most confusing ballots voters will face today. * To keep them accountable, a round-up of pundits' predictions. * Dear Young Conservative...I know what it is to be a young conservative. I was one. * An acid trip at a
* Watch: the grim situation in Staten Island. * The overall atmosphere was upbeat rather than depressing, but there was a very strong defiant air. * Donate from afar: an Amazon wish list for Staten Island Sandy relief supplies. * Photographer explains how he shot the half-illuminated New York cover. * Beautiful, long-exposure images from
* Whether Romney wins or not, the GOP faces an internal civil war over demographics and radicals. * Latest Christoph Niemann column explains the electoral college in M&Ms. * If 16-year-olds want to vote, they should move to Argentina, or possibly Indonesia. * Want to use your need for sexual connection to
* Consider giving to the American Red Cross to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. * Before Sandy unleashed its fury...there were people warning of this exact scenario, and they were only sometimes heard. * Federal budget cuts threaten the hurricane tracking capabilities that helped the East Coast prepare for Sandy. * Staten
* New issue of Bloomberg Businessweek gets it—"It's Global Warming, Stupid" means prepare for weather on steroids. * Related: The Bloomberg cover if you haven't seen it yet. * "Nation Suddenly Realizes This Just Going To Be A Thing That Happens From Now On."
* Flooding certainly killed a lot of New York City's rats, but the most dominant members survived on the surface. * Among Sandy's casualties: one of the nation's largest, most valuable collections of lab rats and mice. * Sloane Crosley: "Where is the line between becoming
* Curiosities of the American presidential race explained, like why Obama gestures with his thumb. * Holiday requested for our five worst presidents. * Wonkblog Tax Reform Calculator: Try and pay for Romney’s tax cuts by axing deductions and exemptions. * Bolivia asks Sean Penn, "militant for noble causes," to get
* Sandy exposed New York's inequalities. * As climate change progresses, bananas could replace potatoes. * America's drone war marks its 10th anniversary next week—and shows no sign of letting up. * For many in the UK, quality of life may stagnate over the next decade. * Some children struggle
* Recovery begins in New Jersey after "incalculable" loss; Christie says he'll reschedule Halloween. * Round-up of emergency gear. * Effects of Hurricane Sandy broken down by the numbers. * Scientists expect more storms and tidal surges of unprecedented intensity. * Various ways to volunteer and help victims of Sandy. * The
* No matter how the election turns out, everyone will have known it all along. * The proper balance calls for the care of a skilled surgeon, excising cysts from the [voter] rolls in an atmosphere of quiet calm. * How Hurricane Sandy could change the election: by forcing the candidates to discuss
* Summary of Hurricane Sandy's destruction so far, including multiple deaths, vast power outages, flooding, and blizzards. * Round-up of photographs of Sandy-swamped New York City. * See also: Large-scale Sandy photos. * Among the best blogs providing live Sandy coverage: CNN's "This Just In." * Con Ed official
* What you could buy with the money the candidates have raised so far. * The demands of a presidential campaigns require amazing stamina. * New York subway stations are empty, shut down in preparation for Hurricane Sandy. * Movies to watch on Netflix when you're on lockdown for Sandy. * Though Armstrong
* Connecticut governor says Sandy is "the largest threat to human life our state has experienced in anyone's lifetime." * Sandy has killed the presidential campaigns. * Times building points high-quality webcam at Sandy to update every minute. * Lindsay Lohan urges East Coasters to quit freaking out about a
* Why companies in the same industry tend to wind up in the vicinity of one another. * Interactive graphs show America's economic stagnation over the past decade. * Iraq and Afghanistan didn't achieve desired outcomes for the U.S., but its military still dominates all others. * John Warner
* By the election, the presidential candidates and their parties will each have raised more than $1 billion. * New Obama ad featuring Lena Dunham extolling her "first time" is the same as an old Vladimir Putin spot. * Political ads have "shockingly small" influence; the campaigns are spending
* The GOP is now so splintered that a Romney win could spell the end of the Reagan coalition. * For the first time since the Great Depression, median family income has fallen substantially over an entire decade. * Writer Vanessa Veselka remembers the time in 1985 that she hitched a ride with
* U.S. oil production on track to surpass Saudi Arabia's, and imports are falling. * Behold the coveted female swing voter of 2012: "Waitress mom." * Survey finds academics are drifting further to the left, with only 11% identifying as conservative. * Gluten-free food market expected to exceed $6.
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* More people around the world are at risk of getting sick from toxic pollution than malaria. * The foreign policy lies we believe. * McGovern to Obama: We tend, as lawmakers and as citizens, to drift along with the familiar ways of thinking. * The history of horses and bayonets in the army.
* Obama and Romney enter final two weeks; Obama publishes 3.5 million copies of a 20-page agenda pamphlet. * Republican Senate hopeful says pregnancies caused by rape are intended by God. * Broad survey of International reactions to America's presidential race. * In pictures: Fitness center opens in Pyongyang and Vice-Marshal
* Five ways the election could drag on for months. * Most of the girls said they would like to be president one day, but the boys did not. * FDA investigates five deaths associated with consuming Monster energy drinks. * Italian scientists charged with manslaughter for failing to warn about upcoming earthquake. * How
* Iran, China, and Israel win contest of most-named foreign countries during last night's debate. * Polls give Obama the win, though he's unlikely to get a big debate bounce. * Round-up of debate's fact-checks. * International poll finds half the world prefers Obama, 9% prefers Romney; only
* A guide for the rest of the world: How the outcome of the U.S. election will affect your country. * Is it legal for your boss to threaten to fire you if you don't vote for Romney? Yes. * Government does not create jobs. Except that it does, millions
* Consensus of surveys points to a large, perhaps historic gender gap in this year's election. * Nate Silver and Sam Wang explain why some political polls aren't worth tracking (e.g., Gallup). * See also: Why national polls continue to look so close. * Praise for Obama's
* The corner where Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan meet is a desolate, terrifying place. * By the time Saturday Night Live rolls around, the web and Jon Stewart have already claimed the week's political humor. * Campaigns want you to donate not for your money, but for your allegiance. * There were
* Four thousand extra police required to control protesters in Athens during national strike. * MorsiMeter releases infographic-heavy report on Egyptian president's first 100 days. * Chart compares various James Bonds in matters of drinking, killing, conquesting. * Jokes told last night by Obama and Romney. * Global intervention expected soon in Mali—
* To economists' surprise, housing is turning around fast: Home builders are ramping up and foreclosures are falling. * At a June conference call, Romney advised business owners to inform employees which candidate they should vote for. * The think tanks speak: Romney's deduction caps and proposed tax cuts won&
* Reality of war pervades daily life in Damascus with a sense of inevitability. * Apparently there's no limit to idiotic, would-be jihadis prepared to be fooled by FBI stings. * Presidential eating habits. * Pursuits of the idle: Bush makes pet portraits, Napoleon played chess. * Bloomberg starts super PAC to support
* Why coal matters this election. * Korea's top economic officer: "Gangnam style" is an example of the creativity Korea needs. * Police raid motorcycle gang's Brooklyn "clubhouse," confiscate guns, grenades, and a .50-caliber cannon. * Research shows routine medical exams don't result in
* Obama wins debate by seven points and triumphs in the likability race, but Romney tops on economic issues. * Fact-checking the debate's disputed claims and arguments. * Lovely chart shows the idiocy of blanket statements about presidential elections. * Binders Full of Women, the tumblr. * Movie trailer and story of the
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* Reading the tea leaves, Jeb Bush is unsure what his future holds. * Libertarian Gary Johnson could be a Romney spoiler—Republicans are doing everything they can to keep him off the ballots. * A Bronx man who looks like Obama was high-fived on the street after bin Laden was killed. * Why
* Clinton says she's ultimately responsible for the safety of U.S. diplomats—dumping further hay on the pile. * Color-coded guide to Angela Merkel's blazers. * Study finds you can judge 90% of a stranger's personal characteristics by looking at their shoes. * America's suits
* Six-year study of Britain's drug laws by cops, scientists, etc., recommends decriminalization. * Primer on the battle over whether soda actually makes us fat. * Pumpkin is the new bacon. * Philosopher argues for pain-free world, which may soon be possible with technology. * People with congenital analgesia—people who, in fact,
* German chancellor tries unsuccessfully to feel Greeks' pain during visit. * America faces the doom of Venice, where elites yanked up the ladders after they'd climbed to the top. * Round-up of nastiest Congressional races currently underway. * Senator Arlen Specter, "a Philadelphia institution," dies of cancer at
* Google says no monkey business involved when search for "completely wrong" yields Romney photos. * Letter to American liberals. * Popkey: The Vikings stink—OK, not this year, but it could be tough convincing their fans otherwise. * Math explained behind that last straw applied to the poor camel. * Understanding your
* Nobel Peace Prize bestowed on the European Union amid a "growing gulf" between its member nations. * During last night's debate, Biden took clear command at times, Ryan didn't screw up, and both parties got what they needed. * Round-up of bloggers' reactions to the
* Deep in the Republican South, a swath of voters are pro-Obama due in part to plankton. * "Philadelphians Wear More Sweatpants Than Anybody, Says Study." * Muslims in Java seeking their fortune embrace ritual that requires sex with strangers. * Despite Putin's aid, his cranes won't fly—
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* Brief, accessible guide to the vice-president and his rival in preparation for tonight's debate. * Related: Ryan's appeal and positions reduced to a children's poem. * Obama's confidence is intact, and as the meme says—which he knows about—"he's got
* "Romney frantically figuring out how tax plan could actually work after realizing he might win election." * The complex history of presidents trying to be funny. * A bad lip reading of the first 2012 presidential debate. * Old Economy Steven has it better than his parents—and his kids. * U.
* Pentagon task force sent to Jordan in case turmoil in Syria should expand into a wider conflict. * The pro-U.S. case for helping Iran save face. * Terrific article about the predetermined square dance that people do in elevators. * A tale of two lawyers: One wants to inject more money into
* How Lincoln became the third candidate in the election. * Taking apart Buzz Bissinger's Romney endorsement. * Lauren Bans travels to Patriot Camp in central Pennsylvania, where kids are being steeped in Tea Party teachings. * Bruni: Same-sex marriage probably has a better chance of prevailing by a voter referendum than
* Polls find Obama and Romney tied, but Romney voters say they're more likely to turn out and vote. * Notes for conservative thinkers should Romney lose. * Wealthy French want higher taxes, but not so high as 75% of their income. * Europeans depend on U.S. might for common defense,
* In Maine senate race, Republicans call into question Democratic challenger's World of Warcraft hobby. * NFL linemen don't like their new jerseys. * How Baby Boomers took everything that was handed to them, gobbled it up, and destroyed the economy. * Paglia on the history and future of capitalism-fueled
* Chávez wins reelection after 14 years in power; turnout among 19 million registered voters was record 80.4%. * Aaron Sorkin imagines dialogue between Obama and Jed Bartlett about the debate. * Although golf is a way for the President to disappear, Republicans attack his well known love for the game. * Educational
* Unemployment unexpectedly falls to 7.8% in September, the lowest number since Obama took office. * Jack Welch says White House rigged the employment number because Obama lost the debate. * In honor of Joe Biden, 10 words you literally didn't know you were using incorrectly. * Literally a Chris Traeger/
* Greek leader says the "cash box" will be empty in November. * Romney's shift to center may have infuriated Democrats, but it won him the first debate. * Romney reverses position and says he takes back the 47% comment. * As the Arctic ice cap melts and reveals riches,
* Man and woman fight unemployment blues by visiting Disneyland every single day. * Tapes on Books: Digital mixtapes become unofficial soundtracks for beloved texts. * Videos and songs from the '80s explained for those who may be too young to understand. * See also: The sonic textures of parenting. * Will Oldham on
* For the second straight day, Turkish military pound Syrian targets while politicians say they don't want war. * The best, and in many ways the intended, way to watch the presidential debates is with the sound off. * Factual examination of the debate's claims and counterclaims. * Carville: "
* Political scientists: Never mind the zingers, presidential debates don't change election outcomes. * Your 2012 presidential debate drinking game. * Obama is on track to becoming the first candidate to raise $1 billion. * Why 2012 could be a new "Year of the woman." * Experts say a military attack
* Chinese firm sues Obama over blocked wind-farm deal. * Reasons why Massachusetts dislikes Romney—for being detached, overly scripted, and unavailable—may doom his campaign. * Netanyahu to call for early elections partially out of fear of Obama's post-reelection revenge. * Study of the distinct species that is the libertarian: cold,
* The election is over, and it's time—finally—to start thinking about the future again. * At some point in every U.S. presidential election someone will deem it "the most important election in history." * America's super-rich feel aggrieved in part because they believe themselves
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* Now that conservative media is king, Republicans' media-bias argument no longer sells. * Democrats use "Tea Party" label to sink even moderate Republicans' chances. * Tally of world leaders who have endorsed a candidate—or hedged endorsement—in the American race. * Today, a good portion of Americans plan
* Yemen's president praises the accuracy of U.S. drone strikes. * Mondale's prep partner remembers the '84 debates. * How to tame your brain's emotions and make better decisions. * The mind suck of air travel. * Shteyngart to American: "Like the country whose name graces
* The allowance that Japanese wives give their salarymen husbands is at its lowest since 1979. * Iranian news agency republishes Onion story about rural whites liking Ahmadinejad over Obama. * The case against voting for Obama even if you think he's better than Romney. * Political candidates now wage foreign policy;
* Researchers find supporters of rival presidential candidates are able to empathize with each other. * I like to listen to right-wing podcasts and then call up the organizations that produce them to tell them about everything they got wrong. * Mike Love's recent firing of his fellow Beach Boys is
* Plane bound for Everest region crashes in Kathmandu, killing all 19 onboard. * In 2012, more soldiers died from suicide than combat; on average, one dies each day. * Graph shows the political skew and likely turnout rates of various beer drinkers. * Round-up of pretty much everything you'll want or
* Republicans aren't asking the other half of Reagan's question: "Do you feel safer than you did four years ago?" * Romney's apparent fear of flying is worth mention—just being president requires intense physical hardiness. * Related: Choire Sicha dons the Non-Expert blazer to
* Report finds people in areas targeted by Obama's drone campaign are being systematically terrorized. * Related: U.S. operators now attack rescuers, using Hamas's "double tap" tactic. * Bill Clinton could run for president in Ireland or France, but probably won't. * David Cameron fluffs
* Leading Republican strategist says voter-fraud hoopla is utter bull. * Medical error and/or overtreatment believed to cause 180,000 deaths per year. * Fighting fires is safer than fixing cars: America's 10 deadliest jobs. * Related: Giles Turnbull answers the world's oddest job interview questions. * Buyer's
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* Obama uses UN address to defend free speech in young democracies. * Eighteen months into the astonishing revolt in Syria, children are being tortured. * Collection of vivid dispatches from British correspondents in Syria. * Half a billion dollars changed hands over Monday night's controversial Seahawks-Packers game. * Thirty-two pictures of 32
* Sea levels are rising at an average of 3mm a year—though some areas are as fast as 12mm. * Global warming is turning southern England into a premier winemaking region. * Todd Levin explains how to select a wine. * How a physician who swallowed a can tab inspired the redesign of
* Assad's goal said to be restoration of "the old Syria" without any plan for reforms. * Russia's new treason law resembles a child's response to chores. * Jailhouse interview with Pussy Riot. * Conservative poets evaluated in case Romney wants for artful rhetoric. * Obama embraces
* Voter intimidation enters the information age. * Health officials identify a second person with a new, SARS-like respiratory virus. * Students who arrive unmedicated may be sent to the office to take their dose and wait till it kicks in before coming to class. * Lauren Daisley addresses the state of sleep-deprived students.
* U.S. ends 27-year Cold War with New Zealand, but New Zealand refuses to cave. * Surgeon offers five ways to improve hospitals. * Newborn loses faith in humanity in six days. * Nazi hunters say lack of political will—not age of prey—stymies capture of final targets. * Long account of JK
* Most everything Greece owns is now up for sale, including its diplomatic residences abroad. * Vast majority of Japanese firms are considered family businesses. * North Korea uses "Gangnam Style" to score a propaganda point. * Five ways Romney can still win. * "Study: Athletes Perform Better Under Pressure When They
* Violence in Kenya blamed on politicians stoking unrest ahead of elections. * Despite recent double murder of cops, British police "believe passionately" in staying unarmed. * America in 50 photos. * Profile of Found's Davy Rothbart and his 75-city, self-driven book tour. * Your Saturday morning reading: "99 Bottles
* News of Romney's 47% video makes the front pages of 41 swing-state newspapers. * Romney: Now that my campaign is over, I'd like to talk to you all about the Church of Latter-Day Saints. * The Mormons: our secret weapon in the war on terror. * The would-be real-life
* Of 20,000 service members raped or sexually assaulted yearly, victims often blamed, predators evade punishment. * Use of heavy weaponry against Syrian civilians is unmatched by any modern state fighting its own people. * Increase in insider attacks on U.S. army may be the weak link of shadow wars in
* The 47% statement is devastating—and a continuation of bizarre positions Romney's made on the fundraising trail. * The limitations of Romney's foreign policy beliefs are revealed in his thoughts on dirty bombs. * Noonan advises Romney on his options. * Upper East Side priest distances himself from a
* Romney's mockery of Jimmy Carter encouraged the former president's grandson to find and spread the 47% video. * Six charts analyze government benefits: Most flow to the middle class; a large chunk goes to the elderly and the disabled. * As Europe moves closer to economic federalism, 11
* Why we should be concerned about a maritime dispute between the world's second- and third-largest economies. * Who comprises the 47%: those who are subject to payroll tax, the retired and elderly, and the poor. * Americans who supposedly don't pay taxes live in states that mostly swung
* On the first anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, 150 are arrested as the latest stats show the rich have become richer. * Speaking at a private fundraiser, Romney claims 47% of Americans are government-dependent and don't pay taxes. * Instigated by police, anti-Japan protests are being used by the Chinese
* There are many reasons for the Muslim protests—since none are election talking points, we won't hear them. * More than 20 years of files reveal Boy Scout officials shielded troop leaders suspected of molestation. * Frank Rich spends a week embedded in conservative media. * From 2004, Oliver Griswold tests
* Amid safety concerns over new protests, U.S. withdraws nonessential embassy staff from Tunisia and Sudan. * China sends boats to disputed islands; on the mainland, protesters burn Japanese flags and target Japanese-made cars. * All four states holding same-sex marriage votes are, to varying degrees, fertile ground for gay-marriage campaigners. * How
* Few of the luxuries of business exist in foreign policy, where those who ignore your directives cannot be dismissed. * Comparing the candidates' views on the embassy crises—and how foreign policy differs from business. * Basketball hadn't appeared on the president's official schedule, and so we
* I've rarely been so self-conscious of the limits of my job trying to describe Aleppo. * Only John Kiriakou will be held as part of America's torture policy: for whistle-blowing. * Technology has enabled a couple of loonies to start a mini-war in the Muslim world. * Deaths of
* On the hunt for the director of Innocence of Muslims: He's not an Israeli Jew; he's a California felon using a pseudonym. * Trailer for the absurd Innocence of Muslims. * This is not simply a matter of "politicizing" tragedy; often, tragedy is political, and it
* Libya attacks were likely premeditated as retaliation for drone strikes—not a spontaneous reaction to a movie. * Protesters storm grounds of U.S. embassy in Yemen. * Income gap is the widest in 40 years: poverty rate at 20-year high, fewer uninsured, rich richer. * Obituary by friend of diplomat Sean Smith,
* Considering Romney in evolutionary terms, he's akin to a tribal chieftain—which may not be enough for today's voters. * Researchers discover snakes can have virgin births. * Q&A with the founder of the Ig Nobel prize on books, software, and research on dragging sheep across
* U.S. ambassador to Libya killed in rocket attack while escaping Benghazi consul. * Protests on U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya prompted by Muhammad film, drone strikes. * Israeli director of the $5 million anti-Muhammad film stands by his production. * When we make it harder for high-skilled immigrants to settle
* Romney's tax promises: risk-heavy and detail-free. * Comparing jobs lost and created since the Great Recession—mining, utilities, and hospitality have bounced back the most. * A photo gallery of former video store locations. * Gallery: Closed-down malls and abandoned big-box retail stores. * White terrorism, driven by racial supremacy and xenophobia,
* Andy Murray wins his first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, and makes all the grown male journalists cry. * Bloomberg and Cuomo reach a deal on who will pay for the 9/11 Museum. * London tube map rendered in radio circuit board. * Graphic shows who hasn't yet
* More and more, the FBI is becoming dependent on informants, who aren't subject to the same regulations as agents. * Opinions clash as Shell begins Alaska drilling. * Salman Rushdie on life under fatwa. * Chemist who invented the Pill talks about his new play and how he turned to lit
* Serena Williams wins U.S. Open; men to play final this afternoon. * In case you missed it, the Minnesota Viking's pro-gay marriage letter to a Maryland politician. * Most NFL players support gay marriage, says Ravens linebacker. * Lunch breaks should be mandatory, even if they require "libertarian paternalism&
* David Foster Wallace had considered becoming an Obama speechwriter. * Primer on how to decide which historical president would win in a mass knife fight. * Christians in Pakistan—less than 3 million people—search for tolerance. * Judge orders Fort Hood shooting suspect to shave off his beard before his trial. * A
* Obama's speech played it safe and traditional, and kept the audience in its chairs. * Clinton's speech nicely edited to show what he said versus what was written. * Whatever jobs number is released this morning, it won't capture our real unemployment problems. * Bin Laden received
* Depending on who he's standing in front of, Romney continues to shift his abortion stance. * Except for some minor exaggerations, the facts in Clinton's DNC speech check out. * How to commit blasphemy in Pakistan. * Federal appeals court rules cities cannot randomly seize and destroy the property
* Russian president wears a beak while flying a motorized hang glider to rescue a flock of endangered cranes. * U.S. accused of torturing Gadhafi's enemies before handing them over. * Fact checking lies and yarns (and Bill Clinton's startling truth) at the Democrats' convention. * Paul Ryan
* Questionable claims in the Democratic Party's foreign policy platform. * About that organics study: Nutrition aside, there are many reasons to be aware of what you're buying. * California's landmark 1970 environmental law has become a legislative barrier to today's green effort. * After cooperating
* Last night, the First Lady garnered nearly double the tweets-per-minute during her speech than Romney. * Shooting brings chaos to an election victory rally in Quebec province. * I’ve not heard a single person say it’s too bad that John Edwards is still not around. * Teens' natural bedtime is
* A guide to college football 2012. * TMN's Nicole Pasulka on surfing legend Eddie Aikau and reminders of Hawaii's complicated past. * Scientists discover that people can train themselves to forget memories. * Romney's muffin-eating habits will not endear him to Asian voters. * Focus group reveals disaffected
* More than 100,000 Syrians fled their country in August, highest amount since conflict began in March 2011. * Chinese demand for ivory causes epic elephant slaughter in Africa. * "Afghanistan" mentioned four times during Republican convention. * Now that Obama's beer recipe is set to be released, notes
* IAEA says Iran has doubled its uranium enrichment capacity at an underground facility south of Tehran. * A visit to the Nevada Test Site. * Pentagon considers legal action against former Seal, publisher for divulging classified information in Osama bin Laden book. * The fourth episode of TLC's Honey Boo Boo
* South African miners charged in murder of colleagues shot by police. * Trial of Bradley Manning to begin in February—three years after he was arrested. * This is the last time that any party will try to win an election with just the white vote. * Egyptian leader backs Syrian rebels at
* Bad jokes from the RNC. * Neil Bush, brother of George W., unexpectedly becomes a Chinese internet sensation. * The exact origin of @ is a mystery, but its first documented use was to denote jars of wine. * For centuries, whiskey distilleries have been home to a black fungus; now that it'
* Police bully young drug offenders into becoming informants with few legal protections, massive danger. * NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board is institutionally imbalanced, lets down people treated as customers. * Syrian émigrés in America fundraise for rebels, help provide intel to U.S. * Syria is at the point of no return, sitting
* Why the world's most popular blogger, a 29-year-old Chinese racecar driver, is practically unknown in the West. * Chicken Soup for the Soul publisher to start selling soup (not just chicken). * Yosemite National Park cleans, inspects cabins following recent deaths attributed to rare, rodent-borne hantavirus. * Reviews of "BIC
* Hurricane Isaac lacks Katrina's ferocity, but overruns a levee 95 miles from New Orleans. * Puerto Rican party functionary shouted down at RNC by nativist chanting. * Gay Marine beaten to bloody pulp to fire up RNC crowd. * Since 2009, 51 Tibetans have died in self-immolations protesting Chinese rule. * Canadian
* The RNC has a national debt clock familiar to New Yorkers, who may remember when it went in reverse under Clinton. * Mitt Romney could become Ronald Reagan. * Mitt Romney could become Richard Nixon. * NYPD admits targeting Urdu speakers as potential terrorists—a problem since 80,000 New Yorkers speak it.
* Army-linked militia planned to take over Fort Stewart, bomb dam, poison apples, assassinate Obama. * Jeffrey Johnson's mother seeks clues from his life as to why he killed a former coworker. * Israeli judge rules Rachel Corrie's death not Israel's fault—she was protecting terrorists. * Solitary
* Why Breivik's 21-year sentence doesn't seem like enough: It's a question of retributive vs. restorative justice. * Two members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have fled the country. * The Economist remembers Neil Armstrong, "The Ice Commander": equal parts reserve and shyness. * Anthony
* Up to 300 people executed in one of the deadliest raids by the Syrian army. * How one woman lost her career for thwarting plans to provoke war with Iran. * NSA whistleblower fears the NSA will soon be able to track and store a century's worth of the world&
* We're on summer vacation until Aug. 27. In the meantime, enjoy a selection of our summer longreads. * A report from North America's largest consumer craft fair, where the competition for puppet dollars is intense. * A two-week journey across the U.S.—passing through a handful of
* 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]
* South African police open fire on striking miners, killing at least 18. * Even after billions of dollars have been spent reconstructing Haiti, many refugees still don't have safe housing. * France's targeting of gypsy camps continues under Hollande, though with less opposition; as for the Roma, deportation
* AP Stylebook releases list of election cliches to avoid—WaPo provides commentary. * Hungary tries to quell "brain drain" by requiring state-sponsored grads to stay for 10 years—a possible violation of EU laws. * Mr. Ramirez thinks that around 0.5% of all bills in Peru, including dollars, are
* Europe lets Hezbollah operate openly as a political and social movement. * Prize-winning 1987 essay by Hilary Mantel on women's domestic life in Saudi Arabia. * Favorite new meme: "Ridiculously Photogenic Syrian Soldier." * NBA officials didn't think black players looked good in black until Jay-Z persuaded
* Rebuke to anti-algebra op-ed says algebra, like math itself, is for everyone. * I make even my most ardent pro-choice friends very uncomfortable when I explain why my mother should have aborted me. * Soledad O'Brien lucidly fact-checks GOP's $700+ billion Medicare cut claim. * New words added to
* In a dozen years, China will have more than 220 cities with over a million citizens each. * It is becoming increasingly clear that Europe’s leaders are now planning for a Greek exit from the euro. * State-by-state picture of America's battle with the bulge. * Interactive panorama of Curiosity’
* It is the recurring temptation of self-confident, insular elites to assume that the whole country loves what they love, hates what they hate and believes what they believe. * Paul Ryan: "Admit it, I scare the ever-loving shit out of you, don't I?" * Young environmentalists are scared,
* Supporters of the Syrian uprising may struggle to watch rebel fighters toss dead enemies off a roof. * The week in South Korean island-related political stunts. * Fascinating story of Argentine ants' violent domination of the planet. * Photographs of abandoned Chinese theme park Wonderland. * Saudi Arabia plans new city for women
* Under Paul Ryan's tax plan, Mitt Romney would have paid around 0.82% on his income of $21 million in 2010. * Ryan: The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand. * Insurers
* Iran earthquakes kill upward of 300, injure 2,600, and flatten villages. * Royal Dutch Shell, Nigeria’s biggest oil producer, estimates that 150,000 barrels a day are lost to theft. * Approximately 60,000 pets are abandoned in France every year during summer holidays. * Super strain of gonorrhea, spotted in
* Gore Vidal's Economist obit. * Images of Olympic defeat. * Explaining the 2012 Olympic oddities, including a probable reason for those blue tongues. * Our latest Weekender: Falling for sports you never knew existed. * The modern pentathlon: more Star Wars than Peloponnesian. * Luis Rios has been rounding the Prospect Park loop
* The Economist drafts Plan B for Merkel in case she wants to reconsider holding the Euro zone together. * Graphic history of money in American politics, from George Washington to Citizens United. * U.S. quickly catching up to Africa's emergence as cash power, voting bloc, security frontier. * Fresh Prince
* A team of 20 drivers can't wait for their chance to operate Curiosity. * Roundup of Curiosity camera pics and resources. * Study finds athletes who travel more than five timezones to compete double their chances of illness. * Earthquake clusters like the one that began Tuesday in Southern California aren&
* Aleppo becomes Syria's focal point and faces a crippling stalemate. * Shadow war between Israel and Iran sees return to "the black arts of the cold war." * On the recent demise of Tuscany's Siena. * Bob Hoskins to retire from acting after diagnosis of Parkinson'
* This election's critical "low-information voters": Romney supporters who must not know any better, according to Democrats. * Philanthropist to spend his last $1.5 billion by 2020, then shut down his foundation. * Reuters pulled into Syrian civil war, when its social media channels were hijacked by both
* NPR begins series visiting First and Main intersections in political-battleground states. * Porn stars' presidential endorsements. * Profile of transition within a Japanese firm that switched all communication to English. * Kremlin critic live-tweets discovering that his office is bugged. * Madonna defends punk band for staging anti-Putin stunt in Moscow’s main
* The space race is long over, but America still lags behind the Soviets in number of planets visited. * Where Russia meets Kazakhstan, space junk is prevalent—as are health problems associated with toxic rocket fuel. * Inside the mind of last week's Tennessee Democratic Senate primary winner. * Romney'
* Syria's prime minister defects; Iran pokes U.S. over hostages in a bus. * The entire case that Romney is putting before undecided voters is something he does not believe himself. * Panama Canal to soon accommodate mega-ships, causing highways and shipyards elsewhere to evolve. * Man deposits junk-mail check; bank
* Designer of the Curiosity lander became a rocket scientist when the rock 'n' roll thing didn't work out. * Global food prices are spiking upwards because of widespread drought in the U.S., the breadbasket of the world. * New York restaurants' secret language. * English-language TV networks
* NASA's rover Curiosity successfully lands on Mars via sky crane and supersonic parachute. * Curiosity's first transmitted images. * Photo should anyone doubt that people gathered in Times Square to watch a robot land on Mars. * Earth leading Mars in total medals won during Olympics. * Terrific video graphic
* This week, "a rogue algorithm" bought and sold million of shares on the stock market. * The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Fort Knox-like security measures for keeping the monthly jobs report under wraps until its release. * Obama signs secret order to support Syrian rebel forces. * If NYC'
* Syrian army is unprepared for civil war; attack helicopters are faltering, tanks are being commandeered. * Seeking to avoid repeat of Iraq failures, U.S. focuses on Syrian day-after strategy, future leaders. * War is not all trauma, but it's near-impossible to encourage soldiers to tease out fond moments. * Al
* Few can tell if a product is produced by slave labor—with 21 million slave workers worldwide, it's quite common. * Inequality began with horse ownership, which first separated the haves from the have-nots. * After underscoring his Palestinian view in the National Review, Romney is confusing "culture"
* U.S. scrambles to assuage Israel from moving first on Iran—officials say Israel is less confrontational in private. * Despite reforms, Burmese government waging campaign of violence against Rohingya minority. * Street children in India run their own banking co-op, acquiring life skills and a stake in their own future. * Bahrain
* Law providing American women with access to preventive health services goes into effect today. * Arizona's new abortion law could force mothers to birth stillborns and babies with fatal defects. * Late-term abortion legislation fails in DC. * Obama's newest campaign slogan attacked for an alleged punctuation error. * NYC&
* Gore Vidal dies at 86. * Vidal in conversation with his literary executor on influence, American education, Palin, the Bill of Rights. * Electricity and material benefits legitimizes dictatorship while Indian politicians ignore basic life needs. * Life for Syrians is little improved on entering refugee camps in Turkey's Siberia. * Scientists
* If you live in America, you are four times more likely to be murdered than if you live in Britain. * Obama's winning on messages, but Romney's talking points are Americans' hot-button issues, Gallup shows. * Jonah Lehrer’s deceptions. * The 2012 Olympics gold medals are mostly
* 600 million without power in India. * Daily life becomes a tale of survival as Aleppo fight continues in Syria, sparking a refugee crisis. * Syrian rebels explain why they left the Free Syrian Army to fight with al Qaeda against Assad. * Drone pilots talk about their day job. * Promises of free
* Photographers on shooting violence. * How primate behavior and socialization can explain gun violence. * The five most potentially habitable alien planets. * Q&A with a programmer who hopes to direct a movie before he loses his eyesight. * The healthiest fat in your body is in the back of your neck,
* President Romney will find it hard to cut spending; President Obama will struggle to increase it any further. * How to hide your money off-shore. * Life in the town of Wolfeboro, NH, where Romney vacations. * Growing up black in Jackson, Miss. * List of the most important American painters to emerge since
* The "nocebo effect"—being told a harmless substance is harmful—can be strong enough to kill. * On contemporary experiments in LSD, including "micro-dosing." * Jad Abrumad revisits Radiolab's origin story. * Geneticists say a cousin of the Neanderthals coexisted with modern humans and bred with them.
* London mayor chides Romney for suggesting Olympics may go sour. * Romney's book says Britain is a tiny island making things that nobody wants. * Related: Romney probably wouldn't like sculptures made from pencil lead. * Contenders for current practices that are destined for future condemnation. * Brief notes on
* U.S. Dept. of Agriculture expects food prices will jump next year due to Midwest drought. * As the U.S. faces the worst drought in 50 years, experts address how we can prevent another Dust Bowl. * New study of hunter-gatherer tribe elevates diet over exercise in fighting obesity. * Washington State&
* Obama calls for greater common sense in gun-control policies, but offers no details. * Former boy soldier calls for global treaty to regulate trade in arms. * New Fiat features an espresso machine that only brews when the car is stopped. * Pictures from a German's 23-year road trip in a
* Al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists doing their best to hijack the Syrian revolution. * Mexico has only one legal gun store; American gun-control policies look insane in comparison. * When its people sparked the Arab Spring, Tunisia had the lowest firearm ownership rate in the world. * "Nominalizations"—zombie nouns
* Anonymous Democratic legislative staffer explains the NRA's congressional grading system. * A zoomable online map of the AIDS quilt--now too large to fit on the National Mall. * Applying Romney's statement that a new president's first year doesn't count, Obama has created more than
* Fighter jets bomb areas of Syria's second city of Aleppo; Russia expects Syria not to use chemical weapons. * Man in goat suit seen living among goats in Utah mountains. * Serbia becomes global hub for sex-change surgery. * Writer looks for Fitzgerald's first love in Lake Forest, Ill.
* In light of Penn State's punishment, it's time to reread "The Shame of College Sports." * Physicists say you should run, not walk, to avoid the rain. * Sally Ride, first American woman to fly in space, dies at 61 from pancreatic cancer. * Brief report on
* Drug-resistant HIV in sub-Saharan Africa blamed on poor monitoring, lack of consistent treatment. * The end of the AIDS epidemic is in sight—worldwide infection rate has declined 20% since 2001. * With highly suggestible people becoming key to studies, hypnosis is making a comeback in scientific circles. * Bloomberg to Obama, Romney:
* Study suggests tax havens hide $21 trillion. * Iraqi insurgents declare new offensive—13 coordinated attacks kill 93 people. * U.S. expands drug war to Africa to prevent traffickers destabilizing small and weak states. * Secular and Islamic, Western and Eastern, a regional superpower, growing fast: Whatever Turkey's doing is
* Possible GOP veep candidate Rob Portman fights reputation as a dull, well-regarded wonk; does a mean imitation of a chicken, for example. * Why the fossil fuel industry is Public Enemy No. 1. * Spain is still investigating the baby-stealing phenomenon that resulted in 300,000 kids gone. * On average, 38 million
* At least 14 dead, 50 wounded at Colorado movie theater shooting, suspect in custody. * Yesterday was bloodiest day in Syrian conflict—government retook check-points, Damascus suburbs. * Number of phones will soon exceed world population, but a quarter of people still don't have one. * As an activist shareholder Bill
* How North Korea set the world on edge for an hour this week. * The Aegean island of Ikaria wants to quit Greece and join Austria—1,242 miles away. * New research supports theory of plants that suck carbon dioxide to the ocean floor and ease climate change. * Anthony Doerr on
* Clashes overnight with many killed across Syria after the death of three ministers. * Slideshow of photographs from Hamas's summer camp. * No new malls have been built in the United States since 2006. * U.S. does surprisingly well on list of countries measured for sedentary lifestyle—unlike Malta. * Man
* Bomb kills Syria's defense minister and other top officials. * Inside the opening of the aptly named First Somali Bank. * On the global trade in human corpses—terms like "harvesting," "buying," and "human sock puppets." * Michele Bachmann releases document outlining how the Muslim
* The heirs of Walmart have as much wealth as the bottom 40% of Americans combined. * Spanish royalty take a pay cut. * China, Brazil, Mexico send big increases of visitors to the States; Britain, Spain, Ireland sending less. * The remarkable contents of Steve Wozniak’s travel backpack. * Pretty pictures of the
* Former Syrian ambassador doesn't rule out the possibility of Assad using chemical weapons. * Ethiopia sentences top journalist to 18 years in prison for doing his job. * Indonesians are the world's most bullish consumers, beating Indians. * Remarkable round-up of links regarding the London Olympics. * Improv Everywhere'
* An overview of the rumors and reports of Assad's arsenal—from obsolete tanks to the latest in anti-aircraft. * FDA approves drug for prevention of HIV transmission for those at high risk of contracting the disease. * Brian Lam visits the last undersea research station. * How whales defend themselves from
* From Capitol Hill to the Treasury Department, interviews granted only with quote approval have become the default position. * Evidence surfaces of police surveillance on political campaigners at Glastonbury Festival. * "Occupy" is now a summer camp. * When carrying condoms becomes evidence of intent for sex workers. * In countries where
* Clinton drives through hail of tomatoes and shoes thrown by protesters yelling “Monica, Monica, Monica” in Egypt. * More than 1,000 counties in 26 states named natural-disaster areas due to drought. * Newsweek's cover story on internet-caused craziness relies on "a blog post, a quote, and a single
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about when the weather goes awry. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
* Innovative presentation of terrifying emails from the Penn State scandal. * First-hand account of running with the bulls in Spain. * Profile of Novak Djokovic's training regimen and the top tennis players' operating philosophies. * TMN's tennis commentator Nic Brown tracks the fates of America's next
* UN confirms Syria used heavy weaponry yesterday against Tremseh, killing more than 200. * America's economy rebuilds itself in the private sector, particularly energy. * Katie Couric's face on giant billboards in Baghdad to inspire hope that power outages will stop. * Penn State posts guard at Paterno statue
* BBC World Service bids goodbye to its long-time broadcasting home. * Air conditioning has helped spur economic growth, political development, and obesity. * Kentucky state officeholders must swear they've never fought in a duel. * Popular erotica localized for the USA. * We wear pants because our ancestors rode horses. * Vintage public-transportation
* "Physician dispensing"—where doctors make bundles by operating in-office pharmacies. * Old records are outselling new ones for the first time since 1991. * Since 1978, shelter in the U.S. rose four times in price, milk doubled, and gas more than quintupled. * Sanctions cause problems for Iran's
* Human rights activist jailed for three months for tweet criticizing Bahrain's Prime Minister. * Conspiracy theories are fun and games until someone thinks you're the Zodiac Killer. * Errol Morris would like to know if you're an optimist or a pessimist. * Glaxo faces $3bn fine for
* The dour Spanish economy explained with charts and numbers. * Kosovo told it can't join the Olympics until it gains admission to the United Nations. * Far-right extremism reaches dangerous levels in Greece. * The allure of combat is a trap, a ploy, an old, dirty game of deception in which
* Report shows that drillers' frack water can rise up from more than a mile underground. * Three months later, judge Cunningham explains why there was no fiction Pulitzer this year. * Correspondence between Fitzgerald and his editor over finishing The Great Gatsby. * New game: Was that a quote from Romney or
* Past year in the U.S. has been the hottest since modern record-keeping began in 1895. * Investigation into how Gallup and other polling groups conduct studies. * How America rates countries on their efforts to prevent human trafficking. * Called not black enough, Wayne Brady offers to happily slap Bill Maher in
* The New Yorker cover that would have run if the Affordable Health Care Act had been struck down. * How CNN and Fox screwed up the Supreme Court Obamacare decision. * Self-published science e-books are democratizing crackpottery; a review of Indivisible Earth: Consequences of Earth's Early Formation as a Jupiter-Like
* Thousands face internet loss today as the FBI shuts down servers used by thieves. * Five signs of the Chinese economic apocalypse. * Maps measure America's recent scorching temperatures. * Washington farmers hire helicopters to blow-dry their cherries. * Innovation is now devoted to smaller-scale, less far-reaching, less conspicuous advances. * Army to
* Job numbers fall short of expectations and barely improve over May. * Falling labor mobility in the U.S. may reflect a more efficient market. * Overhead photographs of Mexican workers carpooling. * Indian police are still administering illegal, dangerous "truth serum." * Inside the many conspiracy theories that say Arafat was
* Clinton says China and Russia must "pay a price" for blocking UN sanctions that could help topple Assad. * WSJ: In a stroke, Romney has contradicted Republicans across the country. * Romney raised $100m in June. * Global study finds Americans most likely to be anxious, followed by Colombians and New
* June 2009 Air France crash attributed to technical failure and human error. * Former teenage bomber remembers the Algerian fight for independence. * Inquiry says the Fukushima crisis was a preventable disaster resulting from collusion among regulators, the Japanese government, and the plant operator. * New Orleans now has the country's
* Nearly half of Americans don't know that the Supreme Court ruled on health care. * Iran mothballs its embargoed oil in a fleet of repainted tankers. * Ode to Rachel Maddow. * Tea Party rep says opponent should quit talking about her military service—she lost her legs in Iraq—because
* Emails show Paterno played a key role in Sandusky’s never being reported to authorities. * The Euro Cup proves you don't need good politics to host a global sporting event—no one cares. * Washington DC's Vietnamese restaurants rely on Hispanic cooks for survival. * Total biomass of
* The U.S. economy is pointing downward judging by office furniture and industrial chemicals. * Assad regrets downing Turkish jet. * The longer the euro area’s debt crisis drags on, the more it resembles a medieval rack of economic torture. * Garbage scavengers of Athens now seen as harbingers of Greece'
* NFL fans prefer watching games at home; NFL responds by offering free wifi and special apps. * Celebrate the iPhone's birthday by turning yours off. * Graphic explains how to operate a rotary telephone. * We mostly ignore wallpaper these days, but it has a long history of social mobility. * Hysteria
* PRI regains power in Mexico with Pena Nieto appearing to win the weekend's presidential election. * Afghans fear coup or civil war once America leaves. * Five African towns "that should be on every investor's radar." * Jon Ronson profiles the financial lives of six people, from
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories from the intersection of health, employment, insurance, and legislation. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
* More than 100 million Americans don’t go to the dentist because they can’t afford it. * Sixty percent of you would reach into a toilet bowl to retrieve your smartphone. * Mennonite urine is four times lower in BPAs than everyone else's. * This week's TMN Weekender:
* Public's confusion about healthcare reform is sad, especially when most people confront it daily. * Conflicting reporting on the big Supreme Court decision. * How the top Supreme Court blog prepared for yesterday. * Round-up of controversial big cases. * Every day for 14 years, John Wojnowski has stood outside the Vatican
* Chief Justice Roberts votes to uphold health-care reform, arguing the “individual mandate” is constitutional. * Majority of Americans cannot name the Supreme Court's chief justice. * Examples of countries that have implemented near-universal health care. * Interactive guide to the Affordable Care Act ruling's key portions. * Coloradoans fleeing wildfires
* The fight over the Affordable Care Act is a debate that's lasted since the Articles of Confederation. * In a program backed by the CDC, Walgreen's to begin offering free HIV tests at its walk-in clinics. * After finding little evidence it will produce tumors in humans, FDA
* Iranians boycott milk and bread to protest prices of basic goods rising daily. * Odds of war with Iran now at 36%. * Legal strategy behind Assange's cunning move into the Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition to the States. * Botanists still unsure of how exactly plants know which way is
* Civilian court strikes down military decree reimposing martial law in Egypt. * Article's headline says it all: "Hillary Clinton’s Last Tour as a Rock-Star Diplomat." * The world's first and only cake museum, housed in LA, is likely to be destroyed. * Growing evidence that injecting
* New web domains open another era of land grabs; ICANN earmarks $350 million to cover complaints. * A major drug arrest could have boosted Mexico's incumbent party's presidential candidate—if they'd nabbed the right guy. * New York vs. Los Angeles, from car culture to doorknobs.
* Idle summer vacations can result in the loss of up to three months' progress made during the school year. * Arthur Miller recalls an un-airconditioned New York summer. * A comparative history of Lacoste and Fred Perry tennis shirts. * Vatican hires Fox correspondent to help its communications strategy. * Brain-like computer created
* Fallows: By advancing party politics over legality, the John Roberts Supreme Court is reminiscent of Chinese courts. * What killed us, then and now: More people dying of cancer means we're living long enough to die of cancer. * On the hunt for disease, a man meticulously tracks all his
* Joy and despair after Mohamed Morsi was declared winner of Egypt’s first presidential election. * Parable for the economic recovery found in a story about co-op babysitting. * The future of city life is underground—for power plants and utilities, if not for people. * Title of world’s “biggest” currency goes
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories by those who endure—whether by choice or otherwise—the agony and ecstasy of basketball. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
* What you need to know about Fast and Furious and Eric Holder. * Looking to end the Syrian conflict, world leaders offer Assad a peaceful exile. * Excerpts from Castro's newspaper column. * Up to 95 million workers could be unemployed by 2020 because the current number of low-skill jobs will
* As U.S. politics tosses around immigration reform, high numbers of migrants are still dying while trying to cross the border. * In blackout-prone Baghdad, residents call on the "generator man" to deliver much-needed electricity. * Former KKK leader David Duke endorses anti-semitic former Black Panther for Brooklyn’s 8th
* Prosecutors in Norway call for mass killer Breivik to be deemed insane. * Supreme Court puts off deciding whether rock stars have a right to drop the F-bomb on TV. * Supremes' momentous healthcare decision could be announced today. Or not. * Belgian academic describes being tortured in Syria. * Horrible stories of
* Obama has a unique opportunity to rebuild a mutually beneficial alliance between Turkey and Israel. * World's largest ministry for gay Christians no longer trying to "cure" homosexuality. * Montana GOP ends efforts to make homosexual acts illegal, reinforces its opposition to gay marriage. * The latest wave of
* List of countries said to be treating slavery victims as criminals or ignoring them entirely. * Guatemalan vacation ruined by gang-bangers—how the War on Drugs sustains the drug problem. * Assange takes refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden. * Peruvian-made pisco attempting a comeback in
* In Pakistan, preference for boy babies has led to an alarmingly skewed gender ratio at birth and orphanages filled with girls. * Interactive timeline tracks Obama administration's drone death tolls, finds the claims don't add up. * Unlike previous fad intoxicants, the hysteria about bath salts seems well
* U.S. household net worth plummeted 35% from 2005 to 2010. * The economic history of the last 2,000 years in one graph. * Circulation drops at al-Qaeda's Inspire magazine. * Doctors quiet the war on bacteria, as we learn more about the 100 trillion microbes that have evolved inside
* EU commission president blames eurozone crisis on American banks and capitalism. * Researchers conclude that robbing banks is a terrible way to make money. * Greece's Sunday election means it now faces "the sweat of fiscal austerity," but that doesn't mean it's back to
* Hillary: I [understand] what people's political problems are, even in authoritarian regimes, because everybody's got politics. * Not only is food aid ineffective in helping nations in conflict, it can prolong the violence. * NYPL lunch exhibit to feature working Automat—though it will dispense recipes, not food.
* First relief, then skepticism as Greece votes for the pro-austerity New Democracy party. * Sunday elections give Socialists comfortable power seat for reshaping France. * Taglines sought for new Karl Marx Mastercard. * Explainer on why until recently Berlin rents have been so cheap. * Adam Gopnik on Americans' Olympic fervor. * Interviews with
* Interactive walkthrough to the impending Supreme Court decision on the 2010 Affordable Heath Care Act. * An open letter to the state of Pennsylvania. * How the hyphen disappeared from "Czecho-Slovakia." * Germany's North-South divide highlights cultural differences such as the preferred beer, sausage, and card game. * A Prague
* Netanyahu would rather America do the bombing, and he has much more confidence in Romney's belligerence than in Obama's. * Representative censored for saying "vagina" during abortion discussion. * Oregon man hospitalized with the plague—on average 11 cases of the disease are reported in the
In our latest TMN Weekender, a selection of stories from our archive by children of fathers (and fathers of children). Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
* Notes on the recent full-blown outbreak of UN Derangement Syndrome. * U.S. now running a spy network of small air bases around Africa—overseen by Special Operations forces, not the CIA. * Report on Spain's independent rock scene with sound clips and videos. * Voyager I probe, launched in 1977,
* How drones help al Qaeda. * U.S. troops in Afghanistan become attached to their robot companions, refuse replacement models. * America's role in the upcoming Afghan election: At least for now, there's support no matter who wins the race. * "There is a difference between a focus
* Bombings across Iraq kill 84, injure nearly 300 in the deadliest day since U.S. troops withdrew. * Hatching new methods to recycle valuable aluminum cans—it's not as easy as you may think. * Forget 2012: Mankind will seal its ecological doom in 2025 if it doesn't
* It's time to acknowledge Syria's conflict as a civil war. * World peace levels from 2007 to 2012. * Tree density, as observed with Google Earth, makes for a unique indicator of income inequality. * Relevant to Bloomberg's proposed soda ban: How the working class traded healthful
* UN report says Syrian troops have tortured children and used them as human shields on tanks. * Fascinating quick appraisal of working conditions of children in 1934. * Pictures of Burma/Myanmar in transition. * The Lower East Side, then and now. * How to get into and out of an economic crisis, with
* Jeb Bush: Reagan "would have a hard time" in today's GOP. * The evolution of America's political parties. * India, Pakistan battle over an icy wasteland where more soldiers die from the elements than from enemy fire. * Due to housing patterns, U.S. schools are more
* Talk of xenophobia accompanies TV ads in Egypt that link journalists and spies. * Hosni Mubarak defibrillated twice after his heart stopped on Monday. * Likely priorities for Obama if he wins a second term. * Spain to fall under international supervision after a bailout for its banks is agreed upon. * Q&
* In Mexico's presidential election, the candidates use the drug war to attack each other, issue sound bites. * Researcher discovers doctor's report of the Lincoln assassination. * People are 14% more likely to die on their birthdays, probably because of the "birthday blues." * Nadal wins record-breaking
Basically, if you’re the kind of person who stays in bed on Saturday mornings with a big mug of coffee and a sheaf of reading material, this is for you. If you’re the kind of person who dreams of being that kind of person once the kids are
* Dutch soccer players at Euro 2012 return from Auschwitz visit to be taunted with racist chants. * "Family, tradition, religion, brass bands, and social solidarity"—all that's holding together communities in Spain. * Travel guides' tips for visitors to the U.S. * Life expectancy of New Yorkers
* As Syria's primary arms supplier, Russia enjoys the spotlight that comes with being involved, but looks for a solution. * Putin's watch collection is worth more than his income. * A look at the Obama administration's on-again, off-again relationship with leaks. * Friedersdorf: Obama supporters know his
* Quick summary of 50 years in Caribbean politics' "centrifugal" power shifts. * The working class votes red not because of misinformation, but because of the right's strong vision. * Women in northern Iraq commit suicide to avoid arranged marriages with their cousins. * Design school is the new
* Nasdaq pledges $40 million to settle broker disputes in Facebook IPO. * Silicon Valley's next hot tech IPO. * Imagining life after a "total hack," where everything you've clicked can be seen by everyone else. * Chinese students stress over gao kao, notoriously difficult college entrance exams
* Party leaders, presidential candidates, and talking heads judged on truthiness. * Five ideas to manage a potential break-up of the eurozone. * Norwegian prison to hire friends to spend time with mass killer Breivik. * Most deadly attack in weeks kills 20 at Kandahar airport. * Study finds patients fear their doctors and believe
* Democrats picked a fight and lost, but it's no harbinger of Obama's fate. * NYC rescinds no-tolerance policy on possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. * Bloomberg's ban on sugary drinks has its critics, but he has evolutionary biology—and our predilection to coercion—
* The economic case for bribery. * Complete our 2012 Reader Survey, and you could win a TMN Prize Pack. * Happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discrete cluster of symptoms, is associated with a range of cognitive abnormalities. * Pretexting, baiting, and other social engineering techniques scammers use to exploit "bugs
* Western journalists, including Pulitzer-winning Peter Arnett, on what it's like to move to China to teach journalism. * Notes on the under-researched phenomenon that is drunk speech. * Roundtable with the creators of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Deadwood (aka The Milch Man) on the art of current TV. * Previews
* Wifi owners engage in amateur campaigning through network naming. * Google warns Chinese users when a search term is likely to get their internet disconnected. * Shanghai stock exchange falls 64.89 on the anniversary of Tiananmen Square—China blocks searches for news of today's market close. * Related: Jonathan Gourlay
* U.S. and Pakistan locked in negotiations while drone "blitz" continues. * Mick Jagger and Arcade Fire help Saturday Night Live say goodbye to Kristen Wiig. * Pop music is longer, slower, sadder—only 43.5% of recent hits are written in a major mode. * Round-up from the New York
* Architect Anish Kapoor assesses London's Olympic Tower. * A refreshingly old-fashioned spat between linguists and the New Yorker about the purpose of a dictionary. * Placement explains why Guinness bubbles sink instead of rise. * Clamshell packaging declared worse than NYC parking signs, pull handles on push doors. * Crab-tapping-at-my-window will probably
* Obama guns for the failures of "Romney economics" in Massachusetts. * Ladies, if you experience discrimination in an "open" or "wild" office, keep quiet and profit. * Elites in Egypt would like this election to be the revolution's end; Tahrir youth see further. * Aaron
* Let's back up a moment to explain why a revolution was even needed: before 1960, the province was basically run by the Catholic Church. * Fugitive porn star wanted by Interpol for mailing a severed foot to Canadian political party headquarters. * Cold War fears spurred the creation of Google
* Palestinian prisoners end mass hunger strike; Israel conditionally agrees not to renew detentions without charge. * "Old people smell" found to exist. * Syria pleads with journalists to ignore recent massacre and wait for its own report to be issued. * Founder of Russia's Facebook tosses $150 paper airplanes
* Scientists observe killer bees evolve to be more gentle than defensive if they live on an island. * Bluefin tuna off California have trace radiation from Fukushima—but it's not as scary as it sounds. * Reluctant suburbanite comes to terms with life outside the city line. * Hague gives Charles
* First self-immolations protesting Chinese rule occur in Lhasa. * Events worsen in Syria for both Assad and the opposition, and the UN is in a do-nothing bind. * Good Morning America headline: "Nicole Kidman Urinates On Zac Efron In The Paperboy." * Kids with active friends more likely to be active
* Desire to outshine the Soviets may have led to collaborations between the CIA and Paris Review. * Full account of quizzing Americans from Maine to Nevada about the French. * Tuesday poem: "The End and the Beginning," by Szymborska. * Everything that Americans should know before embracing Eurovision. * Related: In case
* Profile of Obama, former liberal law professor, as kill-master leader of the shadow war against al Qaeda. * In Peru, anti-mining protests lead to two deaths and a state of emergency. * Idiot's guide to Egypt's election. * Studies find everybody has the capacity to be dishonest, and almost
Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, when we weren’t squeezing every drop from air miles, from life, and from reading too much into the crime statistics, we were finding all
* New research shows Mars "has life's building blocks," though there's still no sign of fossilized SUVs. * The hidden costs of being a New York City cabbie. * After inadvertently transporting shellfish across the ocean, deep-sea scientists warn against removing organisms from their habitats. * Unlike private
* State Dept. human rights report turns the spotlight on China for deteriorating conditions. * Chinese citizens revolt over a $630 million plan to plant trees. * People who do not know the Bible well have been gulled into thinking it is a good guide to morality. * Solar plane takes off from Switzerland,
* Polls open on the second day of Egypt's first presidential election. * BBC live blog of Egypt's election. * Pakistani doctor who helped find Bin Laden sentenced to 33 years for spying. * White guy explains how to be hired by Chinese firms seeking white males to attend meetings.
* Proposed law would ban anonymous comments on New York-based sites. * Treating virtue as a commodity. * Neil Armstrong, whose father was an auditor, gives rare interview to Australian CPA group. * The photo of a boy touching Obama's hair is more than cute; it's become a deeply rooted
* Irony in Zimbabwe's gradual improvement: Mugabe is necessary for now. * Senior GOPers increasingly bullish about Romney, whom they winced over during the primaries. * Analysis finds most members of Congress speak like high school sophomores. * Egypt's election matters because "its winner will assume a crucial role&
* Syria proves countries with strong middle classes and diverse economies are worse at overthrowing dictators than those without. * Obama's spending binge never happened—federal spending is rising at its slowest pace since the end of the Korean War. * Author of the book on Romney's nightstand says
* Four confirmed dead in two days on Everest. * Eight hurt in shooting following NBA playoff game in Oklahoma City. * Deadspin finds Yahoo! Sports writes at a lower reading level than Sports Illustrated for Kids. * Specially made atlas to teach geography to the blind. * American speech grows more homogeneous as regional
* ANC goes to court to remove the satirical Zuma painting, thus ensuring painting's celebrity. * Putin shifts especially unpopular ministers over to the Kremlin. * IAEA chief says Iran nuclear inspections deal not far off. * According to The Atlantic's Iran War Dial, there's now a 37%
* The CIA is not considered governed by rule of law—an alarming situation that's been legitimized by Obama. * Internet erupts over song by Kitty Pryde; singer says it's just grilled cheese, not gourmet food. * If you find New York foodie feasting stupid, this link is for
* Notes on life in Egypt three days before voting begins in "the first competitive presidential election in the history of the Arab world." * Ladies, attention: Zuckerberg is off the marriage market. * Hormones, not video games, explain why teens stay up all night, and why school should start later.
* Argument for a two-state solution based on coordinated unilateral actions, without negotiation. * What if we could crowdfund militia? Meet Kickstriker. * Americans getting “more liberal” on gay marriage, “more conservative” on gun rights. * Controversial painting of South African president's penis reported sold. * Thom Steinbeck answers questions about receiving letters
* "Friending," as explained in 2004. * Looking back at the punk-like radicalism of Donna Summer, who died yesterday at 63. * A video timeline of Donna Summer's most memorable songs. * More than 100 DJ sets available for download from drum and bass legend LTJ Bukem. * Skechers to pay
* White births no longer a majority in America; "minorities" gain majority for the first time in U.S. history. * Quintessential American food: the taco. * Short study of Euro-fringe currencies—the British pound, the Bulgarian lev—and how they're absorbing anxiety. * Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's
* Italian blogger sketches outline of U.S. shadow war in Horn of Africa. * New York Senate passes a resolution honoring Adam Yauch. * A tribute from the Muppets to Jim Henson, who died 22 years ago yesterday. * In a recent poll, Americans think organ donors should be compensated. * Death is bad
* Groundbreaking Columbia law school investigation strongly suggests innocence of executed Texas man. * European leaders may boycott soccer tournament in Ukraine due to prison abuse of ex-opposition leader. * James Lipton gives Mitt Romney tips on how to act human. * A blind man explains his first lesson in echolocation, how he gained
* With 16 million Alzheimers sufferers projected by 2050, new treatments and a national strategy might beat the clock. * War crimes trial of Ratko Mladic begins, accused of crimes against humanity, deaths of 100,000 people. * Despite drug war's unimaginably gory crimes, Mexicans are apathetic, disturbed by their attitudes.
* Germany's growth helps the eurozone barely avoid returning to recession. * Hollande to dine with Merkel in Berlin on his swearing-in day. * Part two of "Our French Connection" heads to Kentucky's Paris and Versailles. * Related: New excerpt available from Paris, I Love You but You&
* Massachusetts, the most Sweden-like of states, is also one of the most successful in the country. * When you have a bank as big as JPMorgan...almost anything could count as "hedging." * From the mid-'70s to six years ago, Kodak operated a secret nuclear reactor beneath its
* Economists, scientists team up to find the gene that makes people good at business. * Fraudulent Stradivari dealer was so persuasive banks provided him with millions in return for photocopied appraisals. * Interview with a safecracker. * Related: "With Dicks in, all 6 WA congressional Democrats favor repeal of gay-marriage ban.” * Christian
* If Greece fails, global markets will plummet, and could take Obama's re-election hopes with them. * Europe slips in survey of the nations people admire most—China is on the rise. * Culture war in Israel imminent with plans to end military exemptions for full-time religious students. * Photojournalist Horst Faas,
* Brazil passes law returning booze sales to national stadiums in anticipation of 2014 World Cup. * Argentina passes world's most progressive transgender rights laws. * Trustees of tiny all-male Deep Springs College object to administration's plan to admit women. * Prince Charles appears as Scottish weather forecaster. * Hollande may
On Tuesday, Rosecrans and Paul Ford will read at New York City’s KGB Bar at 7 p.m.. Rosecrans and Paul have an unlikely friendship, but we’re pretty sure this will be an event that TMN fans will not want to miss. Plus, there’s a party afterward.
* How the week ends: Michele Bachmann is no longer Swiss. * Photos of the lost town of Kaixian before it was flooded by the Three Gorges Dam project. * Round-up of energy-related conflicts around the world. * Speech transcripts show Obama using the word "extraordinary" an extraordinary amount. * Hedge-funders now despise
* Ode to the secretary-spy who went to Saigon, and was the first American woman killed there. * Not-comic comic: Memories of being raised by an abusive mother. * Design-based solutions for water management in India. * Green-energy excitement of the day: Power from onion waste. * Philippe Starck designs gadget that makes you instantly
* Rush-hour car-bomb attacks kill 40 in Damascus, part of an "alarming upsurge." * Explosions are passé in Hollywood—we have entered the era of the implosion. * Obama endorses same-sex marriage, a position he backed in 1996. * I think of all the gay kids out there who now know they
* Dilemma for the Outer Banks: Preserving wild horses could threaten birds and nesting turtles. * State of the vaccine effort. * Journalism is being replaced. * Blogger uses the Journal to speak out after the Chronicle of Higher Education fires her for mocking Black Studies. * Brief, accessible piece on the state of nihilism—
* Greece's exit from the euro zone now looking increasingly likely. * Bomber given the advanced underwear device found to be a CIA and Saudi intelligence informant. * Economics lessons on how to negotiate with pirates. * Notes on why the "broccoli argument" is a rhetorical tour de force that
* America is "obscenely comfortable in conflating black with crime." * Responding to "Why Black Women Are Fat." * France's center-right party stares glumly at new paths in a post-Sarkozy future. * Part one of "Our French Connection"—figuring out what Americans think of the French
* Poll says North Carolina very likely to amend its constitution today to ban same-sex marriage. * Upgraded "underwear bomb" plot foiled before an AQAP (al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) bomber could reach an airport. * Ethiopia cracks down on international adoptions as reports of fraud surface. * Nuclear-free Japan looks to
* Trove of Lehman emails demonstrates Wall Street's arrogance. * In Brazil, a growing economy demands more energy, but environmental concerns fuel protests against hydroelectric projects. * American pegs hardcore frequent fliers, including those with lifetime passes, for millions in losses. * Communism = integral to capitalism. * WaPo investigation into DC's
* World markets tumble in reaction to this weekend's elections in Europe. * Greek and French voters rejected austerity, throwing Greece into political uncertainty. * Sarkozy was always more our man than theirs, but he changed how the French see the presidency. * Slate on Paris, I Love You but You'
Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, the opinion column’s wrath bled well beyond its confines with the headlines full of people calling others out, correcting them, and setting them straight.
* Schröder: Austerity is strangling Europe; a real political union is now required. * In America in 1968, like Europe today, austerity was the goal; it is not so in America now. * Law schools hire graduates to help them find jobs, and possibly to boost schools' grad-employment rates. * Story of the
* U.S. charges Yonas Fikre, an American who claims he was tortured, with conspiracy. * Video shows assailants who killed Cairo protesters were armed; Army denies the thugs were their own. * Romney's experiment with an openly gay campaign aide short-lived. * Love, Barry: Obama's romantic youth. * Charlie Sheen
* Personal genetics companies "don’t have any straightforward truths to offer users." * Details of a journey from Wall Street to Occupy Wall Street. * Remarkable art made from forsaken dollar bills. * Profile of Romney's wealthy Bain colleague, now author of what may become "the most hated
* New issues released from al Qaeda magazine, with a quiz and humor features along with killing advice. * Dubai is recovering thanks to the Arab Spring and The New Silk Road. * Americans call Pizza Hut's pizza-cheeseburger hybrid an abomination—but the target market is the Middle East. * Will Self
* Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi sworn in as Burmese parliamentarian. * Fifteen percent of the world's population convinced the end is near—and within their lifetime. * Pictures compared of New York's Union Square on May firsts, 1912 and 2012. * The state of our politics is at
* Nasher museum in Dallas, designed by Piano, besieged by the glare from a neighboring condo tower. * Related: Sarah Hepola on why so few people admit loving Dallas. * Round-up of cityscapes painted on cardboard. * Toni Morrison's real name is Chloe Wofford—Toni does the publicity, she says, but Chloe
* Open letter to NFL recruits encourages them to keep family near, and to stay far away from interior decorators. * If Obama isn't careful, his opponent could conceivably turn his in-jokes and dazzling hipness against him. * Brigid Sweeney on the fall of Sears, once America's mightiest retailer,
To celebrate the release of Rosecrans Baldwin’s Paris, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down, we’re giving away copies of the book to the creators of our favorite remixes of the Paris cover. For those of you addicted to creating internet memes, this contest is your
* Study finds Congress is more polarized than at any time since Reconstruction, and getting worse. * Photos of President Obama hoisting big sticks. * Gordimer: South Africa's proposed new secrecy measures stand only to conceal corruption and harm society. * Gingrich and Edwards were recently a few dozen miles apart—and
* Dozens wounded after suicide attacks in northwestern Syria. * One World Trade Center to become New York's tallest building at some point soon. * France likely to replace Sarkozy with a milky citizen king. * Report from the rust belt of France. * In India, solar energy is well on its way
* After a dramatic week of political history, the Dutch cobble together austerity measures. * Rodrik: National interests are slaves to economists' ideas and their influence on policymakers. * Billionaire says Titanic II should be ready to sail in 2016. * When you look at America, you have to concede that we have
Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. From the difficulties of dealing pot or having too much to read and learn, to being the biggest working comic without being famous, it’s never as
* Spanish unemployment hits new record high, and Spain gets its sovereign debt downgraded. * South Africa's Kulula airline offers deal for polygamists, “Fourth Wife Flies Free." * Research roundup on swearing—everyone knows how, but it still isn't becoming more frequent. * Nature loves biological weapons, and we
* Blind legal activist escapes house arrest in China, now hiding somewhere in Beijing. * Qiu Xiaolong: Bo Xilai never returned my favorite red Double Happiness Ping-Pong racket. * China's ruling Communist Party's People's Daily website debuts on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, surges 78% on its first
* Hague finds Charles Taylor guilty of aiding Sierra Leone war crimes. * Forty thousand Norwegians gather to sing children's song despised by Norwegian killer. * Then-and-now photo feature by the LA Weekly looks at the LA riots 20 years later. * Clean Air Act credited for 10-year low in air pollution.
* China expected to eat more than twice as much meat as America this year. * Food sources increasingly encourage carnivores—red foxes, coyotes—to trade natural habitats for urban areas. * Testing of nuclear-capable missiles continues, and now it's Pakistan's turn. * Atlantic story refuted: Facebook isn't
* Gingrich unofficially planning to officially announce end of campaign next Tuesday * Recent actions by former Haitian soldiers show why Haiti's better off without a standing army. * Ariely: America needs an agency akin to the FDA to monitor financial products. * Computational neuroscientists estimate the brain's storage capacity
* President Obama slow-jams the news with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots. * Now that Romney has won the primaries, his plan is to attack, attack, attack. * Notes from the "Mormon heart of Mexico," where Mitt Romney's father was born. * Map shows popularity of paying by mobile in
* New book by TMN's @Rosecrans, Paris, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down now available. * Guide to France's history of delightfully conquering people. * Interactive guide to Warren Buffett's thoughts about others. * Brief investigation into why Kevin Hart, the biggest comic working,
* One in two new college graduates in the U.S. are jobless or underemployed. * Weak economy, deportation threat reverses trend of Mexican immigration to the U.S. for the first time in four decades. * Rodney King, 20 years after the riots. * London accused of "social cleansing" over plan
* Why women are a foreign policy issue: This is a "full participation" age. * Two takes on recent pan-African development. * One hundred years of shipping summarized in a short video. * Two generations removed from the Holocaust, young Israelis begin to embrace Germany. * Report from inside Europe's only
* After losing to his socialist rival in the first round of France's presidential election, Sarkozy seeks far-right support. * How Paula Reid, who handled the Secret Service scandal, became a leader in the white male-dominated field. * Running with headphones makes you faster. * When exposed to music, dementia patients recall
Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. Scientific findings, methodical studies, and reports were at the heart of many of the most interesting headlines this week, reminded us of science’s attempts to dispel
* The real story of this year's presidential election in France is the "rock and roll" far left. * Hollande, French Socialist candidate, uses "Ni**as in Paris” video to appeal to youth voters. * Touré considers the mind of a woman who tells him she's
* Global approval of U.S. leadership continues to decline, but is still higher than the final years of the Bush administration. * Visualizations of demographic trends if the world were a village of 100 people. * Key to U.S. recovery and growth aren't New York and Los Angeles, but
* Report says Breivik massacre has led Norwegians to believe more strongly in their open society. * Tales from 100 hours of wilderness medical training. * New crisis—pictures of soldiers posing with insurgents' remains—suggests discipline lost in Afghanistan. * Pat Summitt, winningest coach in college basketball, stepping down due to early-onset
* India tests intercontinental missile. * North Korea to continue rocket launches, announces it's abandoning February nuclear deal with U.S. * Nongovernmental organizations sponsor knowledge exchange and collaboration between U.S. and North Korean scientists. * From eyeless shrimp to clawless crabs, deformities becoming common in Gulf seafood—researchers blame 2012
* Afghan school administrators claim drinking water poisoned to keep girls out of class. * Odds considered on when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will travel abroad, and whether Myanmar will let her back in. * Evidence weighed in the case of a man who believes a stroke made him gay. * Everyday objects
* Buffett's cancer diagnosis refuels conversation about succession for Berkshire Hathaway. * Investigation finds records of colonial crimes were destroyed during the waning years of the British empire. * In his Kremlin-owned TV debut, Julian Assange awkwardly interviews Hezbollah leader. * Stuck with each other, Mitt Romney and the Tea Party look
* Bizarre publicity stunts will appear in otherwise reasonable science articles as long as they draw attention. * Economics of the matzo market. * Now we know: The New York Times first published "asshole" while quoting Richard Nixon. * H.P. Lovecraft's commonplace book of fragments and ideas. * See also:
* Frustrated by FDA approvals, ALS patients home-brew experimental treatments. * Spate of lawsuits arrive in New York courts from lawyers who find businesses with disabilities violations, then recruit plaintiffs. * Researchers marvel at orangutans' engineering skills while constructing their nests. * Tanzanian farmers try to thwart crop-raiding elephant packs, which work in
* New online dating sites embrace face-to-face singles events over scrolling through profiles. * Germans build a hand-cranked barrel organ out of Legos that plays the Star Wars theme. * Arguing that Tolstoy and Aristotle would consider meme culture an art form. * Ten years in, Andy Baio's favorite Waxy.org posts.
* El Salvador marks its first murder-free day in almost three years. * For the first time, Kim Jong-un addresses the North Korean people—his father addressed the nation only once. * Uncovering new clues in the mystery surrounding the Bush National Guard story that ended Dan Rather's career. * As more
Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. Many of this week’s stories were related to remembering the bad things in order to make a better, happier, and more pain-free future. Researchers find “manipulating”
* Newark mayor, amateur superhero Cory Booker rescues neighbors from burning houses. * During the 2010 snowpocalypse, Booker and his staff were ready with shovels. * The psychology of walking. * Since eventually the lands of Earth will be subsumed by the rising tides of the planet, it is imperative we learn to live
* Unlike past rocket failures, this time North Korea did not maintain its launch was a success. * Researchers find "manipulating" past memories of drug use can help addicts avoid relapse. * As alternative medicine continues to come under fire from conventional physicians, some hope to combine the benefits of both.
* A prisoner of the Taliban for the past three years, American POW Bowe Bergdahl has been largely forgotten. * Kinkade may be synonymous with kitsch, but he's not so different from Hirst. * Research suggests work is killing us slowly, though being unemployed is worse. * Alain de Botton: "I
* After a campaign spent pandering to conservative ideals, Romney tries to win back women voters. * Romney has a Gore problem—people tend to describe both using robot metaphors. * North Korea flouts international pressure, moves forward with plans to launch a weather satellite. * What not to do if your child is
* Norwegian mass murderer Breivik declared sane after second psychiatrist evaluation. * About to deploy on his fourth tour to Iraq, a Marine vanished into the Montana wilderness, and clues as to why are slowly emerging. * "Beware of muses who promise unrealistic timelines" and other tips to improve your writing.
* After reclaiming the top Google search result for his name, Rick Santorum ends his presidential campaign. * Bush: "I wish they weren't called the Bush tax cuts." * The newspaper industry may be saved by wealthy local patrons. * Researchers suggest a good economy creates fewer caregivers and thus
* Iran plans to create its own internet. * Egyptians, upset presidential candidate is out over citizenship dispute, turn to Obama's Facebook page. * Boys choir struggles with the ultimate foe: puberty and deepening voices. * Ad execs panic when study finds consumers in their 20s switch media formats nearly 30 times
* There's time to figure out how to fix climate change, rather than wait for it to kill off 40% of living species. * Typically blamed on human ineptitude, the Titanic disaster may have been caused by rare states of nature. * Between 1912 and 1913 more than a hundred songs
* Crowds filled the streets outside newspaper offices—and outside the Lower Manhattan base of the Titanic's owner, the White Star Line. * Titanic wreckage discoverer says more needs to be done to protect it from damage. * Though luxurious for its time, the Titanic had cramped rooms and no rock-climbing
* China launches an association to reduce trade friction of rare earths, of which it controls 95% of the world's supply. * U.S. physician groups identify 45 common tests and procedures with no proven benefit for many patients. * With the rising prevalence of cochlear implants, deafness is now largely
* At Greece's behest, Macedonia unlikely to get NATO membership until it drops "Republic of." * Why computers aren't helping Peru's classrooms. * Kenyan village police chief fights crime with Twitter. * Young scions of the one percent opt out of family businesses, become tech investors.
* Last year Florida enacted new voting that could exclude blacks—and swing the 2012 election. * John Carlos remembers his 1968 Olympic Games Black Power salute. * This year's Olympic medals are the heaviest in the history of the Summer Games. * The prospect of admitting IBM's female CEO
* Boredom, uncomfortable seats, and adjusting to a surreal moral universe: the unusual challenges faced by drone pilots. * How to land a plane in an emergency: Look for a large green field. * Reasonably frank interview with Google co-founder Larry Page after one year of being CEO. * Wealthy Reddit members explain how
* Pensioner kills himself outside Athens parliament, reportedly leaving note blaming austerity measures. * Revenge-porn profiteer says he's ready to get rich if an image he publishes causes someone to off themselves. * Romney's views on Europe are a caricature having little to do with Europe. * Heilemann vets potential
* So far, no deaths reported from yesterday's tornadoes in Texas. * Story of threats facing Georgia shrimpers, who once netted $130,000 fishing four months out of the year. * Luxury watchmaker teaches pair of Sherpas his craft after they save his life on Everest. * Macau, not Las Vegas, now
* In Hong Kong, only 1,193 of seven million people are eligible to vote for the city's chief executive. * Chinese newspapers and magazines have semi-secret rate cards for favorable coverage. * Advancing a candidate for Egypt's presidential election creates a no-win situation for the Muslim Brotherhood. * The
* Leading investor says China needs “at least 20 years” before its economy becomes innovative and creative. * Three-hundred electric DeLoreans to hit the market at $90,000 a pop. * Less than 15% of meals served in France follow the three-course model (as honored by Unesco). * No matter who wins the presidential
* Boomers' wealth drives the future of America, where the young are economic collateral damage. * Boomer anxiety about aging may explain the sudden popularity of Snow White. * AARP poll finds more grandparents are spending more on their grandchildren. * Socio-economic thoughts occur when a waiter nabs your money while you'
* China may ban officials from buying foreign cars, which are mostly Audis. * Stephon Marbury, two-time NBA All-Star, scores 41 points to give the Beijing Ducks China's national title. * Riot police and firefighters respond to Kentucky fans' excitement over beating Louisville. * Lessons from Japan's tsunami. * 1934
* History of the military's "blood chit," designed to get missing soldiers home safe. * Round-up of things that should have been invented by now. * Federal government tries to officially measure Americans' "subjective well-being." * Boomers and recession leave America's youth in bad economic
Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, some people wanted to be loved, while others just want people to show a little more love to their fellow man. Woman’s account of
* U.S. kids with autism up 78% in past decade; leap credited to better/broader diagnosis. * Britain: The silliest country in the world, with regard to gas. * Winners revealed of the Washington Post's Annual Peeps Diorama contest. * Photos of decommissioning space shuttles. * RIP, Harry Crews. * Pictures of drivers
* Kofi Annan expects Syrian government to implement his peace plan immediately. * GOP leaders quietly working to kill amendments that reaffirm opposition to same-sex unions. * On the workaday heroism of the political operative. * Female Iranian ninjas sue Reuters for calling them killers. * Maryland Batman visits children in hospitals when he isn&
* Eye-tracking computers of the future to not only register what we read, but how we read it. * Facebook may ban add-ons using the word "dislike," but users can still "enemy" their "friends." * Nanoputians, organic chemicals in the shape of people, grow from NanoToddler to
* Public debate on the Affordable Care Act closes, and now the justices retreat for several months to contemplate. * Headlines compete to riff on Jet Blue captain's meltdown. * Self-defense militias attempt to protect citizens, but relief officials say they are worsening Congo's crisis. * Thirty-four million people in
* The war not seen on TV: 2011's best pictures from official military photographers. * Nine headlines from Conservative Teen magazine. * Afghan parents disguise girls as boys to "complete" the family and send to work. * Pictures of teen girls paired with like adult male-to-female transsexuals. * Jeff Koons proposes
* One month later, a reminder that the Trayvon Martin case isn't about hoodies, extremists, or Rivera. * Poll finds 55 percent of Americans were unaware of last week's Etch a Sketch incident. * Santorum and Gingrich don't contest supporters who say the President is Muslim. * Support
* Chart shows gas price increases around the world; Italians fork out 18% more than they did 12 months ago. * Among three reasons to remain calm about gas prices: Europeans have it worse. * Bureaucracy stalls cholera-vaccination program in Haiti amidst ongoing epidemic. * British college student jailed for 56 days after tweeting
* Obama caught by stray microphone telling Medvedev he'll have more flexibility post-election. * Romney calls Russia America's number-one geopolitical foe. * Japan shuts down another nuclear plant, leaving it with just one reactor. * Map and plans for Napoleon theme park to rival Disneyland Paris. * Man who spent two
* Round-up of lesser-known ways you may be affected by Obama's health care reform. * Interview with Czech economist Tomas Sedlacek. * Broke Irish man lives inside apartment built from 1.4 billion euros. * Earth becomes art through satellite imagery. * Today in #TheRooster: Different characters read Proust for different reasons. * Buy
* Supreme Court to begin discussion of Obama's health care law, the longest argument in more than 40 years. * David Sedaris visits French doctors. * Soldiers leaving for Afghanistan fear genital wounds most. * Six lies corrected about Jerusalem and Washington. * One of Jerusalem's biggest-ever ethnic clashes sees Israeli
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, jungle growth was obscuring New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward, while the white saviour industrial complex wanted a growth now, no matter the costs.
* Obama nominates Dartmouth president Jim Yong Kim to lead the World Bank. * Kagan: America must prepare for, not deny, its decline as dominator of Earth. * French Muslims wait for France to react to learning that a Muslim was behind the Jewish school shootings. * Relationship between stress and immunity not fully
* EU slaps travel ban and assets freeze on Assad's wife, though she can still visit London. * America's strategic oil reserve should be kept for a real emergency, not squandered for politics. * Former New York Times restaurant critic Bruni diagnosed with gout. * Brief accounting of the lives
* President of the European Central Bank says worst of the eurozone crisis is over. * Q&A on habit, small wins, and why removing kebob stands prevents riots. * "Why I Want to Build Nine Freedom Towers in Tiananmen Square." * People holding guns tend to think other people are
* Department of Homeland Security tried mightily hard to not monitor Occupy protestors. * Trend: Job-seekers being asked to hand over Facebook logins during interviews. * Trend (?): Americans sick of eating leftovers. * Teju Cole on the white savior industrial complex. * "I've met Joseph Kony and Kony 2012 isn't
* Bristol Palin, bashed by Bill Maher, would like an Obama call too. * Hari Kunzru on Damien Hirst's never-ending confidence. * Jenny Diski defends Sean Penn's critique of Britain's "ludicrous, colonialist" hanging on to the Malvinas. * Sound artist renders LA pollution as music. * Economist
* White House readies contingency plans as the Supremes review health care law. * Supreme Court to decide whether 14 is too young to be sentenced to life in prison. * Republican big-money outside groups vastly outperforming Democratic counterparts. * Police negotiate with suspected killer of seven people in southern France. * Portrait of Haiti&
* Pirated Russian version of Iron Lady depicts Thatcher as Hitler admirer. * Reagan doodles from 1981 G7 summit included among Thatcher papers. * Military STD posters of yore. * The short and sweet life of a space shuttle rocket booster. * Islamic authority deems Lady Gaga's concert forbidden, a "cultural attack.
* Recent war games suggest an Israeli strike on Iran would draw the U.S. into war and have dire regional consequences. * Ted Koppel on recent events. * Up to 20% of Mauritanians are enslaved; not until 2007 did it pass a law that criminalized owning another person. * English grows by 8,
* Giant rock trucked to LA to prove the city's not a cultural backwater. * After 59 years and 11 presidential administrations, athlete Jim Thorpe's family still battles over where to bury his body. * Navy leaders to administer breathalyzer tests to sailors with no probable cause. * Child'
* Heavy fighting erupts in Damascus; UN estimates more than 8,000 have died in the uprising so far. * Al Jazeera airs 25-minute, undercover iPhone documentary of the Syrian revolt. * Near the end, Osama bin Laden was obsessed with rebranding. * Gloria Steinem doesn't need to be replaced—"Gloria
* Interactive graphic shows the scale of the universe, from the Kuiper belt to humans to a helium nucleus. * A jumprope that shifts space and time on every jump. * Timeline of recent moral panics, from "pharm parties" to "buttchugs." * Prank robo-calls tell voters in Canada that their
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, we would rather not have known that Assad is sending YouTube videos to his wife’s iPad that mock the attack on Homs. And
* Iran's guns meet Zimbabwe's uranium—matchmaking in the crushing-sanctions world. * Depardieu to play Strauss-Kahn. * "Dawn of design" found in India, though skilled young people prefer to be artists "for money and glory." * Sixty-five percent of Indian households still use firewood, crop residue,
* Taliban suspends talks with the U.S.; Karzai calls for troops to leave now. * Over five years, Gail Collins has mentioned Romney's dog-on-roof goof in at least 50 New York Times columns. * Conservative analysis of Democrats' Maine problem. * Despite "transparency week," the White House pushes
* Guardian reads cache of Assad's emails, finds him mocking reforms, exchanging YouTube videos with his wife. * Nobel winner Shirin Ebadi urges Arab Spring reformers to learn from women's suffering after Iran's revolution. * Three months shy of its 10th birthday, the Hague's International
* Ex-employees of Google, Goldman Sachs, and Yahoo air grievances. * Refining the Sundem/Tierney theory to predict the demise of celebrity marriages. * Today in #TheRooster: writer and actor Wil Wheaton on different ideas of travel. * Buy anything from Field Notes during the ToB and receive a red notebook free with coupon
* Santorum heads to Puerto Rico after sweeping Southern Republican ballots. * Amnesty identifies 31 forms of torture presently used in Syria, on a scale not seen in decades. * What it's like to be "blasted" by the Pentagon's pain ray. * We've come to think
* Ezra Klein on the history of presidential rhetoric, and whether all those efforts at persuasion work. * Field guide to the middle-class American family. * Using heart monitors and data analysis, scientists hope to solve the Cundiff Conundrum, or, choking under pressure. * Confessions of a small fish in the big pond of
* Militants in Afghanistan attack delegation visiting the site where a U.S. soldier killed 16 civilians. * Headline not seen: "Afghans have displayed tremendous restraint in the wake of repeated and abhorrent killings of civilians." * Brief history of African stereotypes. * Classic: How to write about Africa. * Britain backs call
* Iran War Clock at 10 minutes to midnight—48% chance that Israel or the U.S. will strike Iran in the next year. * Tracking art for Sothebys depends "on both a high tolerance for monotony and a willingness to flirt." * Dating site for married couples aims to reduce
* Up to 47 men, women, children found tortured and killed in Homs. * In the past year at least 26 Tibetans, mostly young Buddhist monks, have set fire to themselves. * The West Wing now appreciated as totem by young people working in Washington. * The original Walter Kirn GQ essay on business
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, conventional wisdom was being shot on sight. From an evidence-based takedown of America’s “moral decline” to a bank of elevators becoming a two-room
* Chess players in Europe forbidden from showing too much cleavage or wearing skirts too short. * China's party newspaper publishes "Beautiful female journalists at two sessions" to highlight women's role. * Olivia Wang on Chinese artists' current (and historical) obsession with rocks. * Tutorial and commentary
* Europe grateful that Greece pushed through the largest restructuring of government debt in history. * Win or lose, Mr Sach's bid to run the World Bank "marks the end of the Live Aid era." * GOP to nominate Netanyahu as U.S. presidential candidate, says the Jerusalem Roast.
* Frustrated new lawyers sue second-tier law schools for consumer fraud and inflated job-placement rates. * Illustrated guide to criminal law. * Wolf-whistles and sexist comments now illegal in much of Europe and possibly soon the UK. * Japanese researchers invent speech-jamming gun. * Science behind acidic tampons. * "Alcohol a factor in woman'
* The GOP is deeply divided, and it may be to the Party’s advantage to have the actual primaries fail. * How to make a Santorum cake. * Experts confused about new iPad's lack of new name; evidence says names don't affect Apple's sales. * Brazil overtakes
* Obama rebukes Republicans who beat war drums to stoke voter frenzy. * Israel "very happy" about new negotiations, though "without a real military alternative," Iran unlikely to give up its nuclear program. * White House rules out unilateral U.S. military action in Syria * "Who needs Democrats
* Former ImClone CEO proposes we fight the burden of rising pharmaceutical prices by only paying when the drugs work. * Scotland's premature births drop by 10% following a country-wide ban on smoking in public places. * The conservative movement that has taken over the GOP was nursed on hatred of
* Syria's Assad said to congratulate Putin on his election by telegram. * Guide to stealing elections: Obey the rules, assuming you wrote them in advance. * Belarus's pseudo-president says it's better to be a dictator than gay; gay German foreign minister appreciates confirmation of dictatorship. * Chart:
* In the U.S., vast disparities found in different judges' sentencing for the same crime. * A chronological survey of the opening chords of Beethoven's Eroica. * Battle hymn of the accompanist: an homage to the unsung heroes of music. * Abraham Lincoln, technologist-in-chief, social anthropologist, proto-feminist. * When Alexander the
* The only unexpected aspect of Putin's Sunday victory was the tear in his eye. * America's moral "decline" includes decreased crime, divorce, teenage pregnancy rates. * Question dividing the GOP: Is the end of defeating radical Islam worth the means of big government nation-building? * Remnick: Netanyahu
* The Port Huron Statement reads as relevant today as it did 50 years ago. * After thousands of years of looking down on feelings, they may be smarter than the conscious mind. * History shows it's still too early to count on Obama's momentum and count out a
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. Signs of ongoing austerity were everywhere this week. Meanwhile we were starting to make sense of the Great Recession and trying to avoid the next one.
* Putin invokes Lermontov, Molotov, and Martin Luther King—but Russia is harder to inspire these days. * Don't miss today's Letter From Moscow interviewing protesters, commentators, and Kremlin-watchers about this weekend's election. * Bullfighter returns five months after severe goring left him unable to chew. * During
* Beth Israel agrees to pay $13 million for fraudulently inflating fees for Medicare patients. * With the big GOP money now secure, Romney launches Obama-style grassroots fundraising. * In defense of federal bureaucrats. * By pouncing on Obama's Koran apology, Republican hopefuls reveal archaic, Cold War mentality. * Children of 1976 imagine
* More than a dozen killed by devastating storms in the Midwest, and more storms are expected. * Imagining the UK if it faced austerity cuts on the scale currently facing Greece. * British and German leaders vocally back Sarkozy to their detriment should Hollande win. * Nature of romantic love considered philosophically, via
* In the first talks with the U.S. in three years, North Korea agrees to halt production of nuclear weapons. * Even if Pyongyang does live up to the deal, they will almost certainly start the program back up in a few years. * Iran conjures the Great Satan to lure voters
* U.S. and France draft resolution for humanitarian access to Syria. * Conflicting stories show Obama and Bibi battling behind the scenes over Iran. * Profiles of the women behind the Arab world's dictators. * Queen seeks baby born at Knebworth show, Aug. 9, 1986—the reincarnation of Freddie Mercury? * El
* U.S. military acknowledges sending unidentified 9/11 victims' remains to landfill. * With a plan to expand Bush's massive health efforts, Santorum is the best hope for global health. * Doctor data mines patient in the ultimate search for the "quantified self." * The adoption of memory-enhancing
* Obama administration more prone than any in history to silence and prosecute federal workers. * Chart: Where not to be a toddler. * DC-area plastic surgeon developing procedures for people concerned about their appearance during video calls. * Pictures of the nearly forgotten mailbox. * For those seeking to learn a second language after
* Stratfor is hardly the super-secret intelligence org WikiLeaks wants us to believe. * Cuyahoga County late-night news station acts out racketeering trial with puppets. * Explained: The idea of a climate change hoax is ridiculous. * Q&A with the creator of LBJ's "Daisy" ad. * TSG digs into
* "Meh," once an obscure Yiddish word, now synonymous with (Meh) Romney. * The Kennedys are back, with a 31-year-old former prosecutor who wears "voluminous Kennedy hair." * Researchers believe Maryland girl who doesn't age may have clues to universal longevity. * Let's remember that many
* Rove: To beat Obama, Republicans must adopt a platform of American exceptionalism. * The world's most miserable people are those in the wealthiest nations. * Pathologist turns microscope onto produce and swears off stringy fruits. * We may have evolved to sleep in chunks, not straight through the night. * Statistician Patrick
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important.This week some nation states seemed too big to succeed, while Hollywood stars were using growth hormones to get even bigger. Inequality isn’t a strong
* Violent protests precede Senegal's elections—unusual for a country with free voting since the late 19th century. * U.S. labor-force participation rate of foreign-born in 2010: 68%; native-born rate: 64%. * 130,000 displaced by fighting in Mali since mid-January. * Somalia gives up on central state, shifts to system
* UN report on Syrian human rights situation depicts horrifying atrocities. * Since 2000, six police officers have been killed by members of the "sovereign citizen" movement, who argue they are not subject to laws. * Japan questions its safety net following the starvation death of a couple in their 60s
* Afghan Koran protests spread and rage; Taliban urges attacks. * China, Russia, Iran—though not Hamas—all reaffirm support for Syria. * Civil rights activist defends The Help as this year's "most outstanding and socially relevant motion picture." * Website connects flying families in need with registered babysitters on
* Former envoy opines on the first post-Jong-il meeting. * Hong Kongers outraged over mainlanders arriving to birth children, who then get 12 years of school, free visas. * "Dude," the quintessential American slang term, may have been brought to the U.S. by immigrants. * Once thought headed to extinction, the
* Mugabe vows to cling to power, says he has died and been resurrected more times than Jesus Christ. * "BBC Transcript to Be Used in Wake of Nuclear Attack." * "Jerusalem Syndrome," or why some people go crazy in Jerusalem. * "Paris syndrome" mainly affects Japanese who
* FDA addresses cancer drug shortages: temporarily allows import, approves new supplier. * Journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Rémi Ochlik killed during rocket attack in Syria. * On paper, Santorum is a GOP dream, and a draw for many swing voters, but look closer and he doesn't add up. * Ignoring
* Eurozone agrees on second bailout for Greece; worriers wonder if default will come anyway. * Friday was the last time that francs could be exchanged for Euros. * Americans report record-high feelings for Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, and India. * Until recently, elections—"though blatantly unfree and unfair"—were at the
* By framing the Tea Party as yokels and ignoring context, British coverage of U.S. politics feeds anti-Americanism. * Three scenes inspired by the Gingrich campaign. * For 14 years, an investigator has been tracking down NASA's 184 missing moon rocks. * New bus ad in London will be able to
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week fighting raged and little heed was paid to Valentine’s Day. The more everyone fought, the less sense they made, and damn if we
* Pulitzer-winning article about the Iraq War from Anthony Shadid, who died yesterday in Syria. * Foreclosure quilts: Our current economy mapped using remnants and found cloth. * Former Liberian first lady introduces bill to kill homosexuals. * Trackers and rangers stalk each other in a war over the worth-more-than-cocaine rhino horn. * Six Democrats
* The euro crisis has undermined Europe...transforming it from a reliable global problem-solver to a problem itself. * The EU is regulating "every financial actor, financial market, financial activity and product," line by line. * Starting with Sputnik in 1957, Americans have suffered periodic bouts of competitiveness anxiety. * White House
* Frantic gestures by top Iranian officials arrive at tense time, and are read by some as provocations. * Fake news of Putin's arrest goes viral. * Italy's financial reforms can be praised, but political reform must follow. * Sarkozy joins Twitter. * Headlines editors shouldn't use to discuss
* Pew finds electronic registration would trim two million deceased voters from U.S. rolls. * Groups hope to recycle the 25 million pounds of beads thrown at Mardi Gras every year. * Trustees may revive a 40-year-old "urban laboratory" in the Arizona desert as a retirement resort. * With vast natural
* Governments begin to use lotteries to encourage good citizenship. * Travel agents routinely beat online sites for finding cheaper fares; if the agent has a horrible website, they're probably legit. * Long investigation into how iPhone apps use information stored in your address book. * Critique of journalism, PR, and attack
* Roche issues an alert that a fake version of its cancer drug, without its active ingredient, is circulating in the U.S. * Document leak reveals a libertarian thinktank's strategy to discredit climate-change science. * The Colorado River rarely reaches the sea; now U.S. and Mexican officials are searching
* Homs shelled for the 10th day; Assad emboldened by Russia's UN tactics and arms supply. * Book alleges CIA used Kashmir earthquake to cover smuggling agents into Pakistan. * New James Joyce children's book published, but his foundation cries foul. * Graduate student mounts defense of secret habit: audiobooks.
* Monsanto found guilty in French court of poisoning a farmer with weedkiller. * Five places where Valentine's Day is forbidden. * We're all out of money, but not love: proposing National Love Day, the anti-Valentine's. * Until the 1930s, Taiwanese aborigines often would bestow their loved ones
* In 12,000 words, James Fallows reviews Obama's first term. * Fantastic Economist summary of the Syrian situation. * State Department photographs show al-Assad's artillery pointed toward major protest centers. * The World Press Photo of the Year for 2011 shouldn't be used to illustrate news without
* Those Americans who benefit most from the government safety net are also some of its most ardent critics. * UK immigration officials prevent 70 sham marriages in one month by surveilling a busy registration office. * Study finds New York hospitals aggressively collect on those who cannot pay, despite receiving charity funds
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, despite the apathy that greets the idea that meaningful change is possible, protestors continued to make their voices heard. And beyond the streets we
* Optimism in Tripoli over oil reserves, but the government is paralyzed, the army is just another militia. * Further violence in Athens as bailout deal goes to Greek Parliament. * Inventor of 5-Hour Energy spent his twenties as a monk trying to still his mind. * Paul Krugman vs. other economists—"saltwater&
* With the foreclosure settlement behind them, banks can look forward to more lawsuits and criminal charges. * [China] would much rather see future consumption...via lower household savings than through splurges on credit cards. * For those who know, it's not America vs. China in a battle for supremacy, it&
* Panetta says not even our biggest "bunker buster" could reach underground Iranian nuclear installations. * Brazil demands that Twitter ban users who warn of police speed traps and roadblocks. * Coffee shops invade India, and young people enjoy them mostly for hanging out. * Interview with Berlusconi as he prowls around
* The key question is not whether Vladimir Putin—and Putinism—will survive. They will not. * China reacts to jumping inflation by announcing it will raise the minimum wage 13% each year until 2015. * China's continuing PR nightmare. * When young Chinese want to learn American slang, they turn to
* Syrian forces said to be attacking civilian areas in Homs; Putin proposes advice, angering European diplomats. * Italy imposes emergency measures to conserve gas supplies during Europe's big freeze. * 100,000 Muscovites turned out in sub-zero weather to protest Putin. * List of jobs held in a Medieval city. * Wagner&
* Electrodes on the brain may be the shortcut to the 10,000-hour talent rule. * Willpower is the root of all happiness; a new book explains how to exercise yours to get more. * Diners travel to a Hudson Valley monastery to experience mindful eating, where each bite can last 20 minutes.
* Obama returns $200,000 linked to the family of a fugitive casino magnate. * Nice things about Attila the Hun. * Notes on whether Italy can change its ways, or remain "more or less equally honored and dishonored." * Despite the lock-out, the NBA is doing very well, with viewership going
* After teacher arrests, LA school performs security theater for parents, temporarily replacing its entire staff. * When did the middle finger become offensive? * In the U.S., an invented country freed from its past, a tough match lays ahead for soccer vs. football. * Researchers force monkeys and humans to watch Clint
* New report on Twitter use in Africa reduced to very few characters. * Breakdown of bride pricing in southern Nigeria. * Arnold Bread offers 40 varieties, "and that is just counting the sliced breads, not the thins or buns." * Iran not amused by Samsung ad showing Israel accidentally blowing up
* Sloan-Kettering president accused of pilfering groundbreaking cancer research, using it to launch a biotech firm. * Nobel officials face inquiry into whether they've adhered to Alfred Nobel's ideals—case in point, Obama. * The genome of Wall St. traders. * People who speak languages that blur "today"
This is an unpaid internship. Geographic location is not important, but please have a sturdy internet connection. To apply, email a cover letter, including any résumé-like points, clips/experience as well as links to your Twitter, Tumblr, and/or blog to talk@themorningnews.org by Feb. 17, 2012.
* Hundreds killed in Syrian offensive, UN vote later today. * Largest anti-Putin protests yet in Moscow today despite temperatures of -4. * Talking to parents of Russian neo-Nazis * Somalia's famine is over, but it's still enduring its worst crisis in decades. * Keystone oil will be likely transported by
* Planned Parenthood receives nearly $700K in donations after losing Komen funding. * Today Komen announced it will continue funding Planned Parenthood. * Girl Scout cookies politicized after members boycott the organization for accepting a transgendered scout. * Stop saying our wars are over, Mr. President. They’re not. * Mitt Romney falls into the
* Protesters fight with security forces for a second day in Cairo over soccer deaths and slow reforms. * Chart: Facebook is currently bigger than the U.S., smaller than India. * Many economists believe the worst is yet to come; only fringe predictors say corporations will begin spending again soon. * First UK
* Egypt soccer tragedy claims 73 lives; security forces blamed after they disappeared when attacks began. * We're a little late to this, but still: Julian Assange to host show on Kremlin TV. * Stem-cell researchers transform skin cells into brain cells. * Pros and cons of Moon Base Gingrich—residents will
* Headlines say Obama is on the rebound, but maybe someone should tell swing voters in up-for-grabs states. * Images of the "Great Successor," Kim Jong Un, looking at things. * Billions and millions expected for employees and friends of Facebook. * Q&A on why the nation's largest
* Pakistan's foreign minister denies links to the Taliban as reported in a leaked secret Nato report. * Elections for the head of the African Union end in stalemate. * Nature of memory shows that taking notes is a good idea, and we never truly forget an old phone number. * Itemized
* Romney's win in Florida cost him and his Super PAC $19.94 per vote. * I got 99 problems but a non-connected independent-expenditure only committee ain't one. * How far can you go from Trafalgar Square without crossing a road or going over the same place twice: almost
* Diplomats battle (against Russia) to demand Assad's resignation. * Now's the time to reread Vogue's fluff profile of Assad's wife and family. * Eurozone unemployment ends 2011 at 10.4%, up 751,000 from 2010. * Hungary growing weary of ties to the EU and
* Hong Kongers bristle against mainland tourists. * Through meticulous infiltration...members have carried out shocking acts of cultural preservation and repair. * Franzen: Serious readers will always prefer print. * Forensics lab finds it takes Texas vultures 37 days to find a body but only five hours to "skeletonize" it. * Introduction
* Politics and the recession have taken their best shots, but SETI won't die due to enthusiasts and the private sector. * The lab that won't quit: still making medical history in facilities meant to be torn down in 1966. * Discovered: 1972 documentary of Future Shock, narrated by
* Major Syrian offensive against rebels sees fighting hit 10-month peak. * Iraq says unauthorized U.S. drone patrols are an affront to its sovereignty. * Italy says Costa Concordia recovery, cleanup could take 10 months. * Photos from the Titanic aftermath and resulting media storm, once the survivors reached land. * After 80 years
* There have been 434 Iraqis killed in attacks since U.S. military withdrew last month. * Arab League suspends Syria mission due to upswing in violence. * Taliban softening extreme positions, unclear if they'd be responsible if returned to power. * On American declinism Obama "is personally enamored with."
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. While “interesting” is diluted and obscured to the point of redundancy, “epic” continues to diminish in stature. Meanwhile, “unexpected” lurks in quiet inescapability. Amid all the
* Egypt blocks American pro-democracy workers from leaving. * Alan Gross, a 62-year-old U.S. citizen, has been imprisoned in Cuba since December 2009. * it is now a matter of fundamental faith among conservatives that the GOP went astray during the Bush years by betraying its conservative principles. * Former colleagues say Ron
* Wind and solar firms fear reduction in subsidies at the moment they're almost competitive. * No matter what Gingrich says, space sex is probably not a good idea. * Discovery in old textbook suggests da Vinci may not have been the originator of the Vitruvian man. * De Botton wants huge
* South Sudan shuts down wells, accuses Sudan of extortion, stealing its oil. * A rural school district in Texas turns off its Friday night lights until budgets and grades improve. * Lessons from the paperback revolution. * An extensive look back at Obama's first three years in office. * The weirdest thing
* Egypt's bloggers consider their year of revolution. * Iran begins arrests and intimidation of bloggers, journalists, prior to parliamentary elections in March. * U.S. military's use of unmanned drones proving costly and unreliable. * Nanotechnology is a $225 billion market, but scientists voice health concerns. * New study suggests
* Hostages in Somalia not rescued by same Navy SEAL team that killed bin Laden, as reported earlier. * Nonprofit intends to tempt children into reading via banned books. * Slaughterhouse in Texas dumps blood into nearby creek; amateur pilot snaps a pic. * "Nasal packing with strips of cured pork" [is]
* There are now more iPhones being sold than babies being born. * Paterno's death will weaken the case against two former Penn State officials who failed to report Sandusky. * Maria Popova makes the case for an information diet, becoming "selective about the information we consume." * Attending a
* France criminalizes the denial of officially recognized genocides, angering Turks, straining foreign relations. * With 163 boys born for every 100 girls in parts of China, gendercide isn't slowing. * Scientists estimate a 98% chance of an magnitude 7 quake in Tokyo in the next 30 years. * What Gingrich '
* Chicago Sun-Times, doubting its relevance, drops political endorsements. * What the left gets right, according to conservatives. * Though the Christian Right was cold-shouldered in 2008, and hasn't fared well in 2012, don't be too quick to dismiss its influence. * The moral laziness of fine print. * Yes, that
* Syria rejects new Arab League plan; Saudis withdraw, threatening the future of the League. * NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo falls for DR Congo gold scam that hands million to wanted warlord. * Frequency of laughter at Fed meetings is on the rise. * These days smuggling HDTVs and Dutch flowers to Iran on
* EU to impose a phased oil embargo on Iran, 18% of the country's oil exports. * Iraq is largely safer than a decade ago, but lacks stability, decent economic management. * Muslim Brotherhood takes 47% of the vote in Egypt's lower-house elections, will begin writing constitution. * Navy is
* How China's boom caused the financial crisis. * Most Americans pay less in taxes than they think they do—and not enough to cover the programs they want. * A toddler in Jakarta dies from bird flu, the second death from H5N1 this year. * Revised definition of autism in the
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, despite all that Wikipedia has achieved, quantity and brute force wasn’t fairing well, with soft power and quality winning the long war. China
* Unsafe abortions are on the rise globally. * State capitalism is on the rise, but is probably bad for business. * A libertarian argument for (the right kind of) government regulation. * Who supports SOPA and PIPA in Congress, and who doesn't. * China reacts to SOPA. * The long road to bring
* Newt says if elected, he'd ignore the Supreme Court and roll back combatant rights, Roe v. Wade. * A look at Romeny's multimillion-dollar IRA. * Stephen Colbert could spoil South Carolina for Ron Paul. * Achievement-oriented teenage girls use similar strategies for tackling homework, fellatio. * Male authors are somewhat
* Obama nixes Keystone XL pipeline, but the tar-sand oil will still flow. * South Koreans go to Cambodia to hang out at North Korean's capitalist experiment: a global restaurant chain. * Costa Concordia and the cult of the ship captain. * The race to the bottom of the Mariana trench pits
* Today: ██████████████. * North Korea is doomed to fail under his brother, says exiled, "normal, intelligent human being" Kim Jong Nam. * As Tibet immolations continue, the causes become clearer. * Timekeepers ponder fate of leap second, whose destruction could leave Earth and time "several minutes apart." * A public-transit R&
* Scott Walker recall election filed with more than twice the amount of necessary signatures. * Mitt Romney: The whitest white man to run for president in recent memory. * Romney would be the first president "who belongs to a church that the U.S. government actually tried to crush." * John
* Illustrated explanation of how political candidates can boost their appeal by wearing Andrew Jackson's hair. * Silent discos spread in noise-averse Paris, where partiers wear synchronized headphones. * On the appeal of nightingale droppings as favored product for improving girls' skin in Japan. * Statistics on scientific misconduct in Chinese
* In the 11th winter of the Afghan war, less use of overpowering violence seen in soft air power. * Striking photos of soldiers before, during, and after their deployment to Afghanistan. * Searching for sustainable growth and facing dampened export demand, China's economy hits a lull. * China loves soccer, but
* Burma releases 651 high-profile political prisoners, U.S. rewards and praises the reforms. * Eight-year-old girl from isolated tribe burnt alive by Amazon loggers as warning to natives. * The case against assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists: It increases the chance of a nuclear Iran. * How food aid undermines Haitian recovery, helped American
* Spate of self-immolations reported in Tunisia; at least 107 people set themselves ablaze in the first half of 2011. * Putin is too busy to debate; he is not too busy to pet leopards, curl, or sing jazz for Kevin Costner. * Pop business article says flux is the future; consumers becoming
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. This week, when we weren’t trying to find ourselves, we were just getting lost; psychologists were having a field day. The words of Kevin Fanning
* Advice to the U.S. as it works to increase the value of China's currency: Be careful what you wish for. * After his iPhone halted the New York Philharmonic this week, "Patron X" comes forward for an interview, apologizes. * In 1955, an all-black youth baseball team
* Following protest where ultra-Orthodox Jews wore yellow stars, Israel to ban Third Reich symbols and "Nazi." * Danish school to Nordic-ize Masai diet of blood, blood-porridge, milk, and beer. * Signs of the ultimate sale in Osaka. * Labor and ingredient costs put Hostess cupcakes in the red. * Headlines from this
* For the first time since 1965, last year homicide was not one of the nation's top 15 causes of death. * A new survey shows income inequality—more than racial friction—is now the greatest source of tension in the U.S. * Israel believed to be behind the covert
* "Each day, hundreds of schoolchildren appear before courts in Texas," and other repercussions of having police in schools. * Fukuyama on Europeans dealing with immigration. * New volcanic island appears in the Red Sea almost overnight and continues growing. * Bauhaus school "forged new boundaries in the art and design
* Beyond closing Gitmo, it's time to return Guantánamo to Cuba, where imperialism has reigned since 1901. * Gitmo's most controversial prisoners. * Rampant nuclear proliferation and trigger-happy hotspots push the Doomsday Clock ahead another minute. * The design evolution of Google Maps. * The current rush to build skyscrapers should
* Violence escalates in Syria; Al-Assad blames foreign powers, Arab critics, and "60 televisions stations." * Wonkette on our new "Consumer Chief." * Switzerland's Libyan nightmare is over; Hannibal Gadhafi, terrorizer of hotels, is believed to be in Algeria. * Krugman reconsiders Japan—responding to our own crisis,
* Western sanctions are ravaging Iran's currency and economy, though the next step—limiting oil exports—may backfire. * Ahmadinejad's Latin American excursion appears fruitless—few allies remain, Chávez's usefulness has waned. * Ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Rio tries to wrangle control
* Round-up of Michele Bachmann's foreign-policy greatest hits. * Trillin has Romney introducing himself to foreign leaders. * Tiny explanations of politics to watch in Zimbabwe, Angola, Madagascar, South Africa. * Haitians struggle to reach Brazil; Brazil struggles to accomodate Haitians. * Italy's high-end accordion industry thrives despite 90% plunge since
* A haunting account of one man's seven-year Gitmo imprisonment. * For those waiting anxiously for immigration reform—with no resolution in sight—Obama's proposal offers new hope. * Given months to live in 1963, Stephen Hawking has continued to survive against all medical odds. * Psychologists can't
* Iranian fisherman held hostage and asked by Somalians to go pirate, saved by U.S. Navy. * Iran responds twice: It's a humanitarian gesture, then a Hollywood dramatization. * U.S. military cuts could harm invention, innovation, and long-term economic growth. * Teen killed by drone may not have been a
* Britain bashes London's financial might and excess; financiers would prefer an attitude like California's toward Silicon Valley. * Poster: Visual history of financial crises. * January is a bad month for fast-food restaurants, so deals abound, including KFC's new $11 "Weekend Bucket," with 10
{image-1} Every Friday we take a look back at the week’s headlines, centering on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. 2012 is commencing with the reminder that no matter what goes down this year, hope can be strongest in dark places. Jupiter’s heart is dissolving:
* The Supreme Court should defend the fundamental right of Americans to have a democracy that is for, of, and by them—not foreigners. * Rick Santorum says the West Bank belongs to Israel, which not even Israel itself would claim. * Santorum embodies how politicians become wealthy out of office—getting cash
* British Heart Foundation teaches CPR to the masses by encouraging disco-beat chest compressions. * In Israel, anyone who registers as an organ donor is eligible immediately for high priority to obtain an organ. * Chart: Libya's economy will be the fastest-growing in 2012, Sudan's the fastest-shrinking. * Craze in
* White House to reduce the Army and Marine Corps by 10-15% over 10 years; future focus to be on Asia-Pacific. * Illiterate voters make elections difficult in Egypt, but the military's power is a much bigger hurdle, say analysts. * To save the Republican party, the GOP's factions
* Musician Youssou N'Dour announces Senegal presidential bid. * According to Reuters, Syria has killed 132 people since the Arab League's monitors arrived last week. * Investment banks are run by psychopaths who single-mindedly pursue self-enrichment. * Top economists of 2011 ranked by Google search interest—Krugman, Singh, Draghi. * Proof
* After slim win in Iowa, Romney looks ahead to New Hampshire with great expectations. * Analysis of Putinism—Putin has "neither the capacity nor the ambition to rebuild a Soviet-style hierarchy." * Flashpoints for 2012, and why certain regions can expect conflict. * Guidelines for would-be dictators. * Fencer, fight choreographer, Darth
* "Unmistakable paradoxes" frame Iowa's Republican primary, mostly to do with mediocre candidates. * On "fan death"—widely held belief that a fan left running overnight in a closed room can cause death. * Jupiter's heart is dissolving. * Terrific summary of a few things we
* Ron Paul believes his chances in Iowa are good, but he doesn't see himself in the Oval Office. * See also: Art gallery floor modified to accomodate very small ship. * Overview of Moscow's new protesters: professionals who want change, not cash. * Lucid, short summary of Christmas violence
As much as 2011 was filled with noteworthy events, it was also littered with meaninglessly overhyped blips that, try as we might, we shouldn't forget. We asked our group of writers and thinkers: What was the least important event of 2011?
We gathered writers and thinkers around the world and asked them to sift through the past year of revolutions, deaths, discoveries, and breakthroughs to answer: What was the most important event of 2011?
Every Friday, starting today: a look back at the week’s headlines, centered on a theme we’ve singled out as particularly important. Sure, another dictator passed, but this week we found ourselves considering income inequality, the poor, and the wealthy. U.S. rated the world’s most charitable country
* The GI Rights Hotline provides free information services to military members confronting confusing policy matters. * Season of Sharing provides one-time grants to Bay Area residents in critical need. * Doctors Without Borders—apolitical, international health organization for a world that still has cholera outbreaks. * The Innocence Project—dedicated to exonerating wrongly
* Scientists develop new approach to achieving coldest temperature ever recorded: removing hottest atoms from "optical lattices." * Mexico City to close one of the world's biggest dumps; city has halved its garbage through recycling and composting. * Behind-the-scenes photos of police patrolling New York in the 1970s. * Life
* Fourteen coordinated blasts kill at least 63 during Baghdad rush hour, injure around 185. * Death toll from last week's massive flash flooding in two southern Philippine cities tops 1,000. * Tropical Storm Washi in pictures. * China says Christian Bale should be embarrassed; critics say director Zhang continues to
* Mexican cartels and Colombian cocaine suppliers drawn to Costa Rica's openness to outsiders. * Chart finds poverty continuing to fall in Latin America. * Wendy’s to overtake Burger King as America's second-largest fast-food chain in sales—first shuffle in the top trio since 1969. * A study in
* Mass mourning in North Korea closely mirrors scenes that came out in 1994, when Kim il-Sung died. * North Koreans' hysteria over Kim Jong-il's death recall ancient Greeks' violent grief. * Kim Jong-il dropping the bass with Daft Punk, Huoratron, Skrillex, etc. * Related: Shufflin' grandpa, and other
* U.S. rated the world's most charitable country in 2011. * Mark Thoma demonstrates with a simple game why the great economic divide makes everyone poorer. * Lehrer: Our theories about cause and effect are inherently perceptual, infected by all the sensory cheats of vision. * "A slice of soapsuds
* Retired general says Egyptian protesters "deserve to be thrown into Hitler’s ovens.” * Thirteen dead in Cairo as clashes continue into fourth day. * Two days after Kim Jong-il's death, the CIA had no idea what happened—a "comparatively minor" failure. * Photographs from North Korea, "
* Of drone pilots, 30% suffer high levels of stress—though not dangerous levels, the Air Force says. * The differences between your debt and American Airlines's. * Analysis of how much money top chess players can make. * Reasonably easy math on how tidal power—virtually inexhaustible and less intermittent than
* Tributes flow in after Sunday's death of Vaclav Havel, playwright and president. * Related: Remnick's profile as Havel left power, in a tailored suit rather than borrowed trousers. * Kim Jong-il's death announced by weepy Korean newscaster. * While his country suffered, Kim Jong-il realized his family&
* Tunisia celebrates a year since its revolution. * Egyptian soliders and protestors continue to clash, undermining credibility of elections. * Keep track of the Republican candidates, debates, primaries: six debates in January. * Brazil to give World Cup soccer tickets for guns, make goalposts out of the weapons. * Favela gangs provide social services
* Standoff continues in Chinese protest village over corrupt officials and land seizures. * Japanese officials say crippled Fukushima reactors are in "cold shutdown"—so much grandstanding, say critics. * After careful analysis, it turns out that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon just isn't very funny. * Christian Bale roughed
* Christopher Hitchens dead at 62 from pneumonia, a complication of his esophageal cancer. * My chief consolation in this year of living dyingly has been the presence of friends. * Longform's round-up of articles by and about Christopher Hitchens. * Ian Parker's definitive bio of Hitchens: "How a
* State Dept. "will have billions to spend" in Iraq over the next few years. * And now we get to prematurely place behind us another quite troubling incident in our recent history. * This year was the first in over three decades that fewer than 100 people were sent to
* Ad of Mitt Romney speaking French, with fake English subtitles, declined by Fox News for being misleading. * Chirac given two-year suspended sentence for corrupt behavior while mayor of Paris. * German social scientist says society is poisoned, consumed with status-minding and discrimination. * Massive face atop German lighthouse changes depending on surrounding
* Gawker dumps files documenting every time a Blackwater guard shot at an Iraqi between 2005 and 2007. * Author of "Observations From 20 Years in Iowa" cites "raging bonfire" of backlash that has him scared. * Podcasts on how to negotiate with kids, jerks, and the opposite sex.
* Hong Kong is the world's most developed financial market, U.S. is no. 2, says report. * Forbes ranks America's banks. * The democratic market for ideas is not a truth machine. * African democracies will gain more legitimacy when elections oust incumbents—in South Africa, that may not
* Obama hails end of war in Iraq; Iran cheers its victory. * Red Cross considers whether violent video games should be subject to international humanitarian law. * Chart plots which countries spend the most at Christmas. * Receivers don't care how much gifts cost; people prefer cash to surprises. * Cambridge puts
* Pressing China and Russia for action, UN says more than 5,000 people have died in the nine-month-long Syrian uprising. * United Russia's rally in Moscow sparsely attended; many people forced to be there. * List of the worst sounds in the world, with YouTube links. * Reddit meets Louis C.
* Brief history of price fluctuations in the cost of Barbie dolls and associated real estate. * Norway suffers butter shortage after fad diet depletes national stock. * Researchers analyze email response time and find we reply to friends first (within seven hours). * Study finds low speaking pattern, once classified as speech disorder,
* For-profit colleges caught scamming students lobbied the hell out of the White House and won the day. * Once more, "Coplandisms" are scoring political commercials. * Timeline of shady dealings in American campaign finance. * Republicans object to so-called "millionaires surtax" but can't find millionaires to object
* U.S. troops could remain in Afghanistan through 2014. * A female soldier in Iraq is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. * Thousands march today across Russia in biggest protests since fall of the Soviet Union. * Profile of the blogger and leading dissident
* Success of Egypt's Islamists marks a trend in the Middle East. * This year may see the end of "those heartless perennials" in politics, the three Gs: God, guns, gays. * Today's best joke on Twitter about the founding fathers. * Economic downturn finds the cremation business
* At about 5 a.m. today, the EU's plates diverged along the English Channel. * Mogadishu sees new, fierce fighting between al-Shabab militants and government and AU troops. * Al-Shabab takes to Twitter. * American jailed in Thailand for 2.5 years for posting links to banned biography of Thailand'
* China on climate change: bumbling, probably devious, and definitely confusing. * Letter from inside Damascus. * Costco shows what Americans want to buy: milk, eggs, and diamond rings. * Giving a kidney to a stranger shouldn't be applauded or considered heroic—it should be worth money. * Kurt Anderson on contemporary style&
* By calling Russia's election rigged, Putin says Clinton "gave a signal" to his enemies. * Brief account of Gorbachev's long road to becoming a dissident who is ignored at home. * Uproar after Medvedev retweets an insult directed at a jailed activist. * Seven easy steps to
* "Prepare for War: The Insane Plan to Outlaw Diplomacy With Iran." * The surge of Newt is real, causing Obama's advisors to rewrite the playbook, or at least write a new one. * Obama takes the Roosevelt raceway while gunning for Romney, Republicans, etc. * Tom Bartlett profiles Gene
* Kremlin arrests 300 following election-fraud protests, including star of the opposition, Alexey Navalny. * Assad: "No government in the world kills its people, unless it's led by a crazy person." * Merkel's Euro strategy: clever, risky, dangerous; if the euro is preserved, she'll be
* Syria to admit international observers, with strings; Hamas abandoning its Damascus headquarters to avoid taint. * Global study says income inequality isn't due to globalization. * Nation's moms demand Christmas lists. * Guardian series investigates psychology behind the summer 2011 English riots. * Oh, science journalism: "Creative People Cheat,
* Top-secret war plans—to invade France—stolen from British embassy in Tehran, plus a Pulp Fiction poster. * Top Twitter hashtag in 2011: #egypt. * Blatant electoral fraud may have spared United Russia an even worse drubbing. * Videos show thousands chanting "Putin is a thief!" in Moscow. * Global Witness pulls
* Notes on Pakistan's "memo-gate," where Zardari is accused of knowing beforehand about the bin Laden raid. * Secrets of the Taliban's success: America's mistakes, Pakistan's support, unending supply of fighters. * Scientists recommend—for environmental reasons, and for better bills—a four-minute
* With Cain out of the race, Republican critics of Newt Gingrich turn silent. * Catalog of Gingrich's 156 Amazon reviews. * Early results show Putin's United Russia party clinging to majority. * Catalog of snooping tools available to governments obtained from attendees of recent surveillance conference. * Obama offers "
* Never before has the world been as close to war with Iran. * Insurgency will continue in Afghanistan, but by muddling through, there's optimism and growth. * Introducing the Muslim Brotherhood's deeply theocratic Tea Party-like offshoot. * Copenhagen plans to open government-run marijuana shops to combat gangs. * Discussing legalization
* Anders Breivik was cold and calculating, but calling him insane lets him off easy. * On Africa's real chance to follow in Asia's footsteps. * Change in Libyan leadership doesn't mean 200-year-old remains of American sailors closer to returning home. * Ambien and its generic twin, zolpidem,
* U.S. unemployment rate falls to 8.6%, lowest since March 2009 * Men commuting to work with women's legs. * Germany's Merkel rules out rapid fix to Europe's debt crisis. * Yet another wealthy person asks to be taxed in order to reward true job creators.
* After 18 months of no government, Belgium appears ready to appoint a French-speaking socialist as PM. * Nearly half of a German city evacuates for the defusing of a WWII-era bomb. * Comedy theorist claims "sense of humor is the lure that keeps our brains alert for the gaps between our
* White House decides Obama will offer no formal condolences to Pakistan. * Study finds racial animus cost Obama three to five percentage points in the national popular vote in the 2008 election. * Britons will be worse off in 2015 than they were in 2002. * Story of the blind CIA agent—also
There you are, post-Black Friday competitive shopping, convalescing in St. Moritz. The doctors are pleased with your progress, though you wish you had something to transport your mind far away, out of the body cast—some kind of distraction. You eye the morphine drip, but wouldn’t you rather have
* As recently as 1996, a political candidate's sexual affairs weren't mainstream news fodder. * Print news has come full circle now that the "future of news" is print. * Richmond Tea Party prepares for an audit after complaining about paying for a park used freely by
* Biggest strike in 30 years disrupts UK; 58% of schools closed. * Obamas take their daughters book shopping; the girls buy the President Everyone Poops. * Professional lobbyist Gingrich splits hairs over being a lobbyist. * Free speech rights of federal employees to be decided soon. * Audubon's Birds of America now
* Iranian students storm British embassy in Tehran; semi-official news agency says protesters "conquered." * Dahlia Lithwick profile of Justice Kagan after a year on the bench. * John Stuart Mill, dead thinker of 2011. * Arab revolutionaries top Foreign Policy's list of top 100 global thinkers. * Stories you missed
* Korea's president channels Carter and dons long underwear to conserve energy. * Patagonia ad urges customers to buy less of its clothing, less in general. * Kenya yet to wipe out jihadist militia in Somalia. * Gingrich's Belgian Congo dissertation mashed up with Tintin au Congo. * Keith Gessen, n+
We’ve worked with Sam before. Back in 2003, we published his “Stupid Dreams.” Sam’s m.o. is to transform one of his followers’ suggested titles into something witty, playful, and beguiling. Beginning next Monday, and continuing for the next two months, he’s going to publish a comic
* Military folk keep their jobs secret to avoid hero-worship, being looked on as victims, or simply the questions. * Pakistan's PM says "no more business as usual" with U.S. after NATO aircraft kill two dozen Pakistan troops. * Publishers quite aware that, for the first time in
* Interactive history in photographs of recent uprisings in the Middle East. * Voters line up in Egypt, beginning an election timetable that lasts until March. * China has many female entrepreneurs and high-flying managers, though male attitudes about family haven't changed. * Beijing graffiti advertises jobs. * Drought in the South and
* State Dept. fingers Egypt's military rulers—"a government in power that the U.S. largely supports." * Story of the American torturer on trial in Guadalupe that's being ignored by the American media. * Q&A with the new Times comedy critic. * For female writers,
* Latitude mystery in Europe—why high unemployment, low productivity, low investment are mostly found in the south. * South African legislators pass secrets bill to protect corrupt officials from press scrutiny. * Putin's secretary says boos were for an American fighter, not Putin; Russians tell American fighter, No, we were
We asked you to show us how close the recession is to your doorstep. Here’s our latest entry. (Send in yours.) {image-1} Name: Miranda Everitt Location: Two miles from my apartment in Oakland, Calif. Recovery/downturn: I took this photo on assignment for the Alameda County Community Food Bank,
* U.S. embassy in Beijing embarrassed by private groups' ability to out-produce cultural exchanges. * Pictures of the ongoing meme "Casually pepper spraying everything cop." * Making a meme of pepper-spray cop doesn't trivialize the event—it spreads the news. * Other things the internet can do: The
* Tahrir Square braces for crowds as protests in Egyptian cities enter fourth day of demonstrations. * Q&A for Egypt's new protests. * "Every cycle, the U.S. political system becomes more polarized and more dysfunctional, at greater human cost." * The chances of anyone existing are one
* Following acknowledgment that recent Greek-jug dive was staged, Putin booed in martial arts ring. * When torture becomes another political choice, the debate becomes an empirical one about whether it works. * The problem with French employees isn't that they're work-shy, but poorly managed. * Design notes on the
* At least 20 dead, 1,750 injured as clashes resume in Cairo. * Origin story of Occupy Wall Street. * Attempt to define why some music—Bon Iver, Wilco, the National—is so damn boring. * Profile of prolific session bass player, who appeared on more than 10,000 tracks, Carol Kaye. * Homage
* Gaddafi's son and heir Seif-Al Islam said to be captured in Libya. * Posing nude for freedom, Egyptian blogger ends up stoking conservative sentiment ahead of next week's elections. * Following iconic photo of pepper-sprayed protestors, the iconic video from UC Davis. * In case you missed it: well-shot
* Political reform underway in Burma—"they are looking for steady progress from now on." * Abramoff: Vast majority of lobbyists start on the Hill; the link between serving the public and cashing in must be severed. * Obama said his visit to Australia was not about China—but that'
* City-by-city round-up of Occupy marches and arrests. * Fifty-seven members of Congress among America's 1%. * Pictures of the 99% Batman logo projected in New York last night. * Flickr photo of the day: Hong Kong Island and Kowloon seen from the window of a plane. * "Ditch Taiwan" op-ed
* EPA goes after Arizona copper smelter after state neglects to do anything about pollution. * Johnson & Johnson to remove toxic chemicals from baby shampoo and other products. * Interactive Grimm tales from National Geographic. * Excerpt: Krzyzewski's drive to win includes spending hours on Angry Birds. * How and why birds
* Brazen attempts by Egypt's military rulers to preserve power receive White House rebuke. * New Benetton ad features world leaders making out. * Italy’s gold holdings—world's third largest—worth about one-tenth of the estimated total amount required to cover Italy's bailout. * Today's
We asked you to show us how close the recession is to your doorstep. Here’s our latest entry. (Send in yours.) {image-1} Name: K Hall Location: Across the street from my house in Los Angeles Recovery/downturn: I took a second picture from the street to also show the
* Majority of business executives bring their own lunch to work, drive an SUV, part their hair on the right. * Anger grows in Europe against "what is increasingly viewed as harsh German domination." * Tourists in LA can't name three Germans, though an Austrian does come to mind.
* Syrian army defectors attack military base near Damascus, opposition groups say. * China's Confucius Peace Prize—to rival the Nobel—given to Putin this year for waging war. * Mongolia to build enormous ice shield to help cool and water Ulan Bator during summer. * To combat burger inflation, Argentina'
* Infectious disease specialist traces AIDS from 1900 forward while debunking origin myths. * New Radiolab episode about various patient zeroes. * "The euro crisis might wake Europe up. But more likely, it will lead to compromise and decline." * Cheesecake but interesting interview with Jeff Bezos on "how Amazon powers
* Jordan king becomes first Arab leader to tell Syria's Assad to step down. * Moscow quickly announces its opposition to the Arab League's suspension of Syria. * Herman Cain struggles to oppose Obama's reaction to Gadhafi's fall. * NYPD evicts Occupy Wall Street. * Hours prior
* At a military funeral, comrades talk about proper preparation of last wills and testaments. * Reporter war-games an Israeli strike on Iran and things get ugly. * Six million people die each year from smoking—more than from AIDS, malaria, and traffic accidents combined. * Soon China will be where manufacturers look for
* Rate of increase in new HIV cases in Greece predicted to rise to 60 percent by the end of 2011. * Dallas Symphony, going Euro, to be bankrupt within 90 days. * France demands to know why S&P sent out an (erroneous) email downgrading its credit rating. * Romans spontaneously cheer
* Syria suspended from Arab League and sanctioned, but international intervention is unlikely. * While Italian and Greek PMs have resigned, French politics could be transformed. * Director of French state energy company jailed for three years for spying on Greenpeace's anti-nuclear campaign. * In wider French hacking trial, cyclist Landis was
* One in eight veterans is unemployed; nine in 10 vets who served recently have been thanked for their service. * Veteran's Day Poem: "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa. * For 11/11/11, 11 songs to turn to 11. * Fifty photos that brought home the war. * Official posters
* Italian senate adopts austerity package, preparing for Berlusconi's resignation. * Number of American catfish and goats to be unknown this year. * Little-known facts about America's nuclear arsenal—e.g., we're spending more than we did during the Cold War. * A vote for Putin is a
* Former European Central Bank vice-president named as Greece's new prime minister. * Daniel Radosh gets wish: Bill Keane, "Family Circus" cartoonist, now dead. * Fake passport made for Adolf Hitler by the Special Operations Executive. * Teenagers dressed as angels visit crime scenes in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico's
We asked you to show us how close the recession is to your doorstep. Here’s your latest entry. Name: Kari Hartmann Location: About 20 steps from my home in California Recovery/downturn: A few months ago on a warm summer day, completely out of the blue, my neighbors packed
* Notes written by Berlusconi while he lost his majority in Italy's parliament. * Chávez to host "cancer summit" for other South American leaders who have been treated for cancer. * Palestinian bid for UN membership headed for certain failure. * Penn State trustees fire school's president and
To be considered, tell us in 100 words or less why you should be a judge in the 2012 ToB, and email your entry by midnight EST on Wednesday, Nov. 16, to talk@themorningnews.org. Want to know how to win? * Show us you’re a reader. As a judge,
* Italy’s borrowing costs cross key threshold, near levels that have forced others to seek bailouts. * Greece's Papandreou to step down today; successor not yet named. * Timeline of warnings since 1979 that Iran will soon be at the brink of nuclear capability. * Criminal charges are possible for Penn
* U.S. to study—not speak about—the UN's report on Iran's continuing nuclear efforts. * Berlusconi says he'll soon resign and will not run for reelection. * Quotes from Berlusconi in a brief assessment of his genius. * Slideshow of Berlusconi's most embarrassing moments.
* Berlusconi wins budget vote, but seems to lose majority in Italy's lower house of parliament. * Six biggest American publishers refuse titles for launch of Amazon's lending library. * Interview from 1994 has Fidel Castro talking cigars. * "Shooter's sandwich" has two steaks, one loaf
* Sarkozy overheard calling Netanyahu a liar to Obama; Obama says Netanyahu on a daily basis is no fun. * Barak dismisses talk of strike against Iran. * Berlusconi remains defiant; lacking support, he may win today's vote if the center-left abstains. * GOP activists expect candor from Cain; Cain schedules press
* If you want to see Italy on the road to ruin, there's no shortage of signposts. * Italy placed under special IMF preventive regime for fear of collapse, due to credibility issues. * Thousands donate to pay massive tax bill served on Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. * Amazon in China changes
* International Atomic Energy Agency to say Iran now has the ability to produce a workable nuclear weapon. * Cole: Netanyahu and Barak are bluffing about bombing Iran; Obama won't green-light Israeli adventurism. * Related: David Remnick, in a nuanced assessment, not so sure (at least about the first part). * Pakistan
* Andy Rooney dies at age 92. * Dryboarding scandal at Gitmo demands investigation that suicides were in fact torture. * It's Bank Transfer Day, and 650,000 have switched to credit unions since September. * Absorbing profile of how Tim DeChristopher became a martyr for the environmental movement. * They don’t
Here we go again. We’ve altered (or removed entirely) the legends from each of the below maps. Try guessing what each means using only clues contained within them—the relationships between color-coded regions, say, or perhaps word clues. Anything you can detect, really, is fair game. Answers are linked
* American students steadily improving in math, but still disappoint in reading. * Amusing take on the "to" in "When it comes time to saving the Constitution..." * Study: Walking through a door makes people forget more quickly. * Round-up of witty comebacks. * Six years later, post-divorce, groom sues wedding
* Eleventh Tibetan since March self-immolates to protest Chinese rule: Qiu Xiang/Palden Choetso, 35. * Month-old baby with university degree receives salary from Nigerian government. * Summary of this week's collapse of the Euro's “comprehensive package." * Marine Le Pen, dogged by French reporters, has an awkward day
* Papandreou says he's ready to kill the referendum idea on Greece's eurozone bailout deal. * Other species on Earth that exceed, equal, or approach the seven-billion mark. * Bengalese finches' tweets tested for grammatical order. * Kenya's message of peace, with thousands of troops on the
* Despite tension in Kashmir, Pakistan agrees to normalize trade relations with India. * Catapults seized that smugglers used to fling weed over the border. * "The Shameless Republican Race to Cut Rich People's Taxes." * U.S. drops from fourth place to 23rd in global test for internal inequalities
* Merkel would like "clarity" on the whole Greece risking a big populist "no" vote and chaotic E.U. exit. * Former skinhead renounces hate, needs 25 surgeries to remove tattoos. * Infographics are a thoroughly Victorian, not modern, phenomenon. * Tweeting Birmingham, England's newspaper ads of yore.
* Iowa uninterested in Herman Cain's sexual-harassment past. * Is Jon Huntsman fluent in Chinese? The answer appears to be no. * Obama gets to say things Cameron can't—Brits reach for Shakespeare, Americans for Lincoln. * Scientists tell subjects that fingernail-on-chalkboard sound is contemporary music; subjects hate it anyway.
We asked you to show us how close the recession is to your doorstep. Here’s a sign of hope in North Carolina: Name: Rosecrans Baldwin Location: Chatham County, NC Recovery/downturn: This roadside espresso hut closed for business about 18 months ago. Now there’s a sign in the
* Chart shows how many Manhattans, standing-room only, are required by seven billion people. * Chinese immigrants explain why they're in Laos. * Whether or not to spank a child. * Anticipating tomorrow's Biblioracle session on TMN: "A book everyone should read and why." * Issue two of SO
* Since 2001, Britain consumes less stuff; economy grows without noticeably increasing resource use. * Jon Lee Anderson on contemporary Libya and the fall of Gadhafi. * Zambians proud of their stability, with an ousted president retiring with grace. * Historian on extinct states in Europe offers five books to read now and why.
Hear that knocking? It’s either Halloween or those are Buy Here Pay Here dealership reps here to kidnap a family member. Assuming the former, are your Halloween preparations complete? If not, TMN (The Mourning News!) can help: * If you still need a costume but don’t have any money,
* Everyone thinks women fall in love more easily, but a study of college students finds the opposite. * Lament of an aging professor observing his own brain slowing down, with a killer conclusion. * University of Chicago hosts Jersey Shore academic conference. * Funded by Jeff Bezos, the 10,000-year clock will power
* Studies find mind-reading is now feasible, if a bit crude. * Phrases like "god particle" may drive scientists batty, but they stoke interest that promotes research. * Photos leak from "foreclosure mill" law firm Halloween Party that mocked evicted homeowners. * Photographs taken inside haunted houses when the lights
* Much of the growth beyond seven billion people will come from fragile states. * Businesses from NATO countries hope Libyan gratitude becomes opportunity to cash-in. * Equatorial Guinea invites first delegation to see how the country has changed—it hasn't. * From last year: TMN's Liz Entman watched her
* China admits two tons of "gutter oil" are consumed in restaurants; real amount believed ten times larger. * Taibbi: Rick Perry is the best little whore In Texas. * Hitchens drops the hammer on those who encourage dying people to believe in God. * Advanced degrees increasingly helping firefighters get ahead.
* Freed Palestinian prisoners uneasily switch to their new lives as celebrities for Hamas. * Decades of aborting girls in India has caused emergence of "wife-sharing" between brothers. * North Korean media silent about Gadhafi's fall, Arab Spring. * Notes from working inside Burning Man's infrastructure. * Occupy Wall
* Explainer: Israeli and Palestinian preconditions for talks. * Interactive tracker of the Obama administration's economic, domestic, and foreign policies. * Senate's MAPLE Act would make sales of fraudulent syrup punishable by five years in prison. * It's fall, it's football season, therefore TMN recommends for
We asked you to show us how close the recession is to your doorstep, and here’s our first submission, straight out of Big D: Name: Lindsay Graham Location: Dallas, Texas Recovery/downturn: I have NO idea whether this is recession or recovery, but it’s unsettling nonetheless. (An unrepaired
* Iraq vet hospitalized with skull fracture after being hit by an Oakland cop's tear-gas canister. * Occupy protesters aren't upset about Wall Street's riches—they're angry about Wall Street's cheating. * What to make of the Euro deal. * Sikhs in northern Italy
* Pictures of floodwaters in Bangkok, which will be incredibly vulnerable if protective dikes fail to hold. * South Africa supports Palestinian bid for U.N. membership. * Update on nationwide Occupy protests. * Development of Greek government debt as measured by the gap between Angela Merkel's fingers. * Chart explains ad agency
* Oakland police disperse hundreds of Occupy protesters with tear gas and flash bombs. * World power swinging back to America. * Occupy Wall Street movement's library includes science fiction and Chomsky. * In case you missed it: poetry at OWS. * Six men to simulate Mars mission inside a rocket stand-in for
* Rick Perry doubles down on birtherism, catering to majority of likely GOP primary-goers. * U.S. fears terrorism in Africa. * France to aid Kenya's intervention into Somalia. * Advertising is evil. * Favorite long-term data sets: prize-winning fishing catches; dates of Japanese festivals; continuous plankton collection. * Ian Frazier discovers no one
* Vatican calls for central world bank to oversee financial institutions. * Pictures of faces with money. * Wikileaks to stop publishing secrets due to block by credit-card companies. * N+1 releases Occupy! An OWS-Inspired Gazette as PDF—"an attempt to begin to think through what is happening." * "Occupy"
* Zooey Deschanel singing the national anthem suggests there are always new ways to desecrate America. * The average American three-year-old can recognize 100 brands * Business notes on Green Bay. * St. Louis's Rzepczynski stacked against other hard-to-spell baseball names * Interview with the batter who inspired Haruki Murakami to write a
* Libya's new leader declares Islamic state in fashion to shock secular Arab commentators. * Hitchens: Gadhafi should not have been killed. * Millions of Tunisians vote, with turnout far above expectations. * Proposed legislation will give foreigners green cards in return for purchase of $500,000 of residential property, cash only.
* Iraqi politics won over the reality of fragile security, surprising U.S. military negotiators who didn't expect withdrawal. * Clinton warns Iran that Iraq remains close ally; robust U.S. presence in the region will remain. * Ackerman: Iraq War isn't over—5,500 mercenaries will remain to
* Consultancies help celebrities refuse money from "people who have done terrible things.” * Rice on her video serenade from Gadhafi. * Indian professionals attempt life on 100 rupees a day. * Where to live if you want to own a tiger, a wolf, a bear, etc. * Unabomber's belongings nicely anticipated
* Obit for Gadhafi includes notes on his entourage: 400 guards; a mobile hospital; $6 million in cash. * Burial for Gadhafi delayed for investigation into still-mysterious circumstances of his death. * Occupy Wall Street's populism now twice as popular as the Tea Party. * Libertarian conclusions can be reached without regard
* Former Libyan leader Gadhafi killed, says Libyan Prime Minister Jibril. * Yankee fans take pride believing one of their own found Gadhafi in his hole. * "Super-entity" of 147 companies, mainly banks, hold disproportionate power over the global economy. * Jon Bon Jovi opens "pay what you can" restaurant
* Conflicting reports from Libyan commanders say Gadhafi's been captured and/or injured, and/or killed. * Some Pakistani military officers find this year's Army book club choice—Woodward's Obama's Wars—disturbing. * Rushdie talks about religion, Arab Spring, "addictive garbage" Game of
* Greece paralyzed by general strike, which now includes petrol bombs and tear gas. * Today: Send us cell-phone pics of the Recession creeping toward your door. * George Washington told servants to wait three days after his death before burying him. * Fungus from U.S. troops in WWII now killing Europe'
* Primer on the long-running French scandal—Bettencourt/L'Oreal—that may be coming to an end. * Great Recession hitting Friendly's, Fuddruckers, Benningan's hard. * Empire, Nevada, dead. * Related: History of Crush, Texas, town that existed for one day's event. * "Active commuters" use
* Traffic accidents down over 40% in Abu Dhabi during recent Blackberry outage. * Animal mating rituals don't translate well to barroom banter. * World population, which hit six billion in 1998, to reach seven billion in a few weeks' time. * Malaria deaths fell over 20% worldwide in the last
* Photos from the weekend's global Occupy Wall Street protests. * Algorithms, not censorship, prevent the #occupy movement from trending on Twitter. * Gilad Shalit: "I haven't seen people in a long time." * Apple vs. Facebook vs. Google vs. Amazon—for the future of the innovation economy.
* Oldie but goodie: an honest in-flight talk, explaining why, for example, phones are banned. * Hostility not found in Cairo, but plenty of violence against women. * Number of women giving birth up five percent on Valentine's Day, down 11 percent on Halloween. * Day at the Congress for Aesthetic Vaginal
* Occupy Wall Street march in Rome hijacked by rioters; bomb injures 100. * Life of Generation G-Chat. * Jessa Crispin on the sauicier side of capitalism: the desire and passion that drives hoarding. * Hotel employee brings in brass band to help him quit his job. * Charts demonstrate what Occupy Wall Street protesters
* Leaked Saudi demands for U.S. to attack Iran may have led to recent plot. * U.S. rushing contractors to Libya to secure anti-aircraft missiles. * U.S. troops deployed in central Africa to hunt down Lord's Resistance Army leaders. * How bankers see OWS. * Six years and $49 bilion
* Press secretary reveals Putin's PR escapades are mostly his own doing. * Romney's foreign policy ideas may not set the world on fire—good!—but he seems in denial about spending. * Arab world's reliance on exploiting natural resources has prevented private industry from developing. * One
One of the most endearing things about old-fashioned maps is how wrong they can be. Sometimes maps are so divorced from reality that we wouldn’t know what they were without the labels and legends. And without any of the usual metadata, could you figure out what a map represents?
* Cleanup called off in Occupy Wall Street's Zuccotti Park. * Of Iran-Mexico's plot to invade the States: the main lesson is that Tehran's man in Corpus Christi was gullible. * Policy at the EU. * French prosecutors drop attempted-rape case against Strauss-Kahn. * DSK accuser finds victory in
* NYPD officers available to Wall Street firms for $37/hour— indemnified by the taxpayer. * Likely source of virus affecting software in military drones: Mafia Wars. * Spanish politician sues FBI over its use of his likeness to make bin Laden mock-up. * "GM Backpedals on Anti-Cycling Ad." * Extensive analysis of
You may think the economy is bad right now. But you may also think it’s worse than it really is. To decide how bad is bad—or even, not so bad—let’s explore our surroundings to find evidence one way or the other. We’re collecting photos from
* Iranian dissidents, analysts hard-pressed to see Ahmadinejad plotting the assassination attempt. * Potential Gadhafi hiding places. * Hersh on the lawyer who helped him break his My Lai story. * Myanmar to free 6,300 prisoners. * Helen Mirren on silly interviews: "hard labor in the mines of marketing." * Notoriously sexist interview
* "Largest recorded animal liberation ever in the U.S" ruins environmentally minded San Francisco high schoolers' big day. * Complaint choirs a global phenomenon, frequently voicing the same complaints. * California bans shark fin soup. * Rules for actors from the Economist. * Bit character from Austin Powers, already in jail
* Remember Gilad Shalit? Israel approves swap of 450 Palestinian prisoners for the IDF soldier. * Hermain Cain's foreign-policy positions itemized--mostly, he doesn't know, but he'll decide later very quickly. * To be frank: Herman Cain is alive because he's rich. * Obama campaign using Facebook-like
* Largest virus yet discovered isolated from ocean water near Chile. * Instead of showing Latinos working in restaurants, ads now find them eating there. * Bankers who claim their institutions are solid are like horror-film actors going for late-night forest strolls. * Mo Ibrahim's $5 million prize for "achievement in
* UN finds systematic torture of detainees at sites run by Afghanistan's intelligence service and national police. * Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes for appearing in film about Tehran. * School lockers, "the latest frontier in nesting," carpeted and wallpapered. * Remnants of a 1953 European motorcycle tour. * Hendrik
* With neurochemistry proving surfing's transcendence, Sartre, Camus, and Freud can sure carve. * Neuroscience dissenter takes out the "neurotrash." * Belief or disbelief in a Being is a matter of faith. * Violent clashes in Cairo mask quiet moves by Egypt's military against democracy. * True crime: Serial
* Twenty-four killed in Cairo clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces. * Arab spring in smartphone circles finds war between IT staff and workers who use their own devices. * Hitchens: Pakistan is the enemy, "humiliatingly subsidizing [those who] sabotage us." * Naomi Klein lets Wall Street's occupiers know
* Now a decade old, the Afghan war is little better than half over, far from reaching goals. * U.S. drone fleet infected with virus we shouldn't worry about—yet. * Nobel Prize-winning women were powerful because they directly confronted evil-doers. * Human sociability rituals like chanting and dancing as protest
* The GOP consensus on recession-recovery is fundamentally wrong, but only Romney is even partially skeptical. * Breezy history of American fiscal policy finds the Tea Party battling Alexander Hamilton. * Fry: Those who label Jobs "salesman" or "showman" display their asininity. * Ten unicorns of China policy debunked. * Study
* Three win Nobel Peace Prize "for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women." * Economic indicators, consumer sentiment are at an all-time disparity—it's not as bad as we think, and we think it's bad. * EPSN drops Bocephus, who claims he dropped them first—
* In Somalia, radical Muslims create famine, but you don't hear celebrities saying, "Fuck radical Muslims." * iPhone photo gallery from Rio's favelas. * Compilation of Steve Jobs's greatest hits, and the day's great tributes. * Archive of pretty much every Apple product ever
* Former Gizmodo editor remembers the kindness of Steve Jobs, wishes the iPhone 4 scoop happened differently. * Mossberg remembers the Jobs he knew, who phoned on Sunday nights, which annoyed his wife. * The iPod was...so forward-thinking that no one even knew they were supposed to want one until it was
* Islamist militant group's suicide blast kills at least 70 in Mogadishu. * The attack in Somalia had long been predicted; more can be expected. * Kim Jong Il's grandson prefers democracy to communism, loves Love, Actually. * Underwear Bomber's case goes to trial. * From August down to
* Overtake Wall Street is the result of liberals' obsession with the Tea Party and its perceived effectiveness. * Backgrounder on John E. Zuccotti, who checked out the protest in the park that bears his name. * LA City Councilmen venture into the tents at Occupy LA. * "The problem with France
* British Airways to sell $200 courses on how to survive an airline evacuation. * Feminists rally against "mademoiselle," call for French equivalent of "Ms." * Journalist follows protocol to Interview a woman with 100-plus personalities. * David Brooks defends Mitt Romney. * Leading contender for U.S. presidency suggests sending
* The most popular contraceptive for women in southern and eastern Africa appears to double the risk of HIV. * LAPD says 911 response will suffer as officers are pulled to monitor prisoners released due to overcrowding. * When Texas counties handled executions. * Neal Stephenson surveys the history of science fiction and its
* Elections in Zambia symbolize democratic progress in southern Africa: rare and patchy, but ongoing. * Eight ways to keep young officers from running away from an Army career. * About that iPhone/fMRI story over the weekend: Brain-imaging experts call big-time bogus. * Items confiscated from people entering British Parliament. * Interactive map of
* Watchdog alleges Shell paid Nigerian militant groups in order to maintain production amidst conflict. * By focusing on social, national security issues—and downplaying the economy—Obama '12 resembles Bush '04. * City withholds free 9/11 Memorial tickets from tour companies who try to charge extra for them. * Yann
* Anwar al-Awlaki is the U.S.'s first due-process-free citizen assassination. * Details of the two-year al-Awlaki manhunt, which also led to death of al Qaeda's magazine editor. * Bahrain's vicious crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators requires U.S. to cease arms sales. * India's PM is
* New numbers find New Orleans lost 29% of its population in the last 10 years. * Of small companies formed between 2004 and 2008, only 3% added more than 10 employees. * Neutrinos getting lots of attention for potentially refuting Einstein. * Performance psychologists enter the classical-music world to help musicians cope with
* A study of Twitter moods finds everyone has nearly the same ups and downs throughout the day. * How do I make my document look like it was written by an Cthulhu worshipping madman? * Only the truly bookish could penetrate the "atmosphere of funlessness" once found in small bookstores.
* Excellent, lucid summary of current events in the Middle East. * Al Qaeda asks Ahmadinejad and other conspiracy theorists to stop giving the U.S. credit for 9/11. * Paper says the economic crisis is no longer making Americans unhappy, so maybe we're heading for a cliff. * More Pinker
* A month after the White House promised a crackdown, 2,900 illegal immigrants with criminal records arrested. * Reebok to pay $25 million in arrears over toning shoe health claims, but stands behind its technology. * Michael Moore at the Wall St. protests. * Last year only 60 children were adopted in the
* Western governments shy about defending human rights; liberty declined for the fifth year in a row. * Long-term cost of detainee abuse: Now torturers can say, "But you torture too." * Rick Perry rumbled for trashing North Carolina BBQ. * Jenny Diski not shy in analyzing published "happiness project."
* For every step forward Bulgaria makes to shed its Communist past, the old guard is right there, refusing to let go. * Conservatives latch onto Gibson Guitar illegal wood raid as an example of big government hurting U.S. businesses. * Nicholas Feltron, designer and analyzer of self-collected data, credited with inspiring
* Trader who spun tales of greed on the BBC perhaps too honestly found to be the real deal. * Confessions of a Virginia executioner. * Greeks possess "what social scientists call very low 'tax morale.'" * EasyJet's founder to launch new low-cost competitor, FastJet. * California to allow
* New Zambian president, calling Chinese investors "infesters," wants migrant workers expelled. * Data since 2008 shows steady downward trend in New Yorkers consuming cocaine. * When Kerouac met Kesey, as told by their agent. * Politicians should fear cartoons before editorials—they're much more vicious. * Scientists say four or
* Reporter who first interviewed Dubya 25 years ago returns for another look. * Putin to soon resume being president. * U.S. crime continues dropping, even—in fact, especially—in states hardest hit by the recession/depression. * Everyone in the Radiohead demographic hates Ticketmaster so much right now. * Chàvez as Twitter beast—
* Women to receive the right to vote in Saudi Arabia. * Andrew Sullivan and former airman Keith Boyea on how Bush-Cheney shattered their worldview. * Kristof interviews Ahmadinejad. * Surgeon Gawande on having a coach--something he never considered for his operating room, until he did. * NYPD mum on using mace against Wall Street
* Putin to run for president with Medvedev stepping aside—decade of consolidating power will secure him to 2024. * No votes on Palestinian statehood: U.S., Canada, Israel, Micronesia—planned negotiations will be more fruitful. * A Palestinian state will exist as opposite of Kosovo: potentially enjoying UN recognition but lacking sovereign
* Texas ends special last meal requests for death row inmates. * Root causes of the London riots. * One day, brain scanners could reconstruct your dreams. * New Yorkers: Next Monday and Tuesday John Warner will be reading from his new book The Funny Man. * Related: Read an excerpt from The Funny Man.
* China estimated to execute as many people in three days as U.S. does in a year. * Survivor of 9/11 revenge killing spree, shot in the face, tried to stop killer's execution. * People interested in changing the world have to be looking towards the future and are
* Scientist argues dyslexia is not a handicap, but a different kind of wiring with hidden strengths. * Ahead of the Nobel Prize award announcements, Thomson Reuters issues its annual prediction of the winners. * Another predication: America will have its first trillionaire in 98 years, give or take. * There's still
* In Mexico, gunmen block traffic with bodies of 35 victims as cartels continue battle for control. * Residential alternative to prison helps women stay with children, learn responsibility and structure. * Oman served as broker between U.S. and Iran in hiker release—with little oil, it needs friends. * Shoot camera footage—
* The Recession may not have resulted in a crime wave, but evidence shows it may have caused a spike in child abuse. * Outrageous teacher cheating scandals. * Experimental philosophy leaves the armchair and heads to the streets. * From a Cervantes-inspired Shakespeare play to incomplete Plath novel, history is littered with lost
* To avoid UN showdown, America, Europe urge Abbas to compromise, knowing he wants a symbolic win. * Ex-Afghan president assassinated—peace talks could be doomed without native leadership. * Bloomberg fears social unrest in American cities, but citizens' despair prevents organization. * Republican candidates all radically anti-choice, anti-environment, want incredible economic deregulation.
* FBI reports violent crime down for fourth year in a row, upending belief that more unemployment means more murder. * Middlebury College tortures incoming freshmen by having their admissions essays acted out by upperclassmen. * Cache of 1920s vocational school student records sends reporter into reverie. * How Whole Foods uses fresh flowers,
* Founder of anonymous group of active-duty soldiers protesting DADT reveals self to be Air Force officer. * The West's human rights compass is off bearing due to loss of moral authority, UN influence. * Five important stories to follow during UN Week: Somalia, good governance, Syria. * Indians go to great
* Overconfidence has survived as a trait because its recklessness is essential to getting things done. * Escaped pet birds teach wild birds English, swear words included. * Firm offers horses as business consultants. * Wartime patriotism and advertising: then and now. * What two pounds of cocaine looks like in a drug mule'
* Ireland rebukes dysfunctional Vatican. * Israel's attempts to restart peace talks to avert Palestinian bid for statehood could inflame tensions. * Palestinian leader won't be persuaded to abandon bid—negotiations can continue in any event, since violence is over. * The Palestinian stock exchange is built for disaster. * Defense
* Fearing political collapse, U.S. increases drone strikes on al Qaeda targets in Yemen. * Forced to fend for themselves for generations, Yemenis created own social order. * Amid all our disasters, why are the only revolutionaries on the right? * Eager to avoid tainted food, China's rich and elite get
* British courts come down hard on arrested rioters, three-quarters of whom have previous criminal convictions. * LAPD detains, but doesn't arrest, SpongeBob. * Mug shots from Amish men booked for refusing to affix orange safety triangle to buggy. * Coed naked rugby less sexy than thought. * Research into wisdom of crowds
* Legal advisors to White House question using lethal force against non-senior militants. * Ban Ki-moon's unusually strong Syria rhetoric suggests international measures—even sanctions. * In Bahrain, clashes begin after sundown most nights, following apartheid-like repression. * Slender electoral win by Danish left bucks Europe's rightward drift—may indicate
* Billionaire Tea Party brothers want to make voting harder for Democrats. * Related: Tea Party Ipsum * Riding China's fastest, newest, superlative-est train. * China grabs half the spots on a list of the world's 10 largest employers. * Chairman Mao's calisthenics updated with new, competitive "hoohah&
* Arizona boycotters unsure whether the campaign should be on or off, particularly since the immigration law failed. * Denmark set to elect left-wing government, first female PM today, hoping to shed anti-immigrant reputation. * Peru's best-known musician, also its first black cabinet minister, works to end discrimination. * Honest and intelligent
* Putin in action: looking at leopards, arm-wrestling, etc. * Psychologist Daniel Kahneman on how posters influence generosity and the impact of "vomit." * Carrots' orange color began as a Dutch political tactic. * Doctors observe characters in famous paintings, diagnose them with STDs, rare diseases. * Mysterious "menotoxin" is
* Despite Ahmadinejad's promises of release, fate of U.S. hikers still rests with Iran's judiciary. * After five years of incarceration, Chinese dissident describes treatment "beyond people's imagination." * Mother of victim in London's 7/7 bombings suing News Corp over phone
* Mosquitoes and other pests can now be engineered to exterminate themselves. * Forget hurricanes—the East Coast is in for longest, strongest allergy season on record. * How faulty memory, alleged wrongful conviction, and a subpoena battle drove away Northwestern's star prof. * Welcome to college and sorry to burst your
* In his first public address, Libya's interim leader asks rebels to shun anger and forgive. * Though still invisible in leadership, Libyan women are eager to maintain influence, respect gained during revolution. * Obama proposes to finance his job bill by ending some tax breaks for oil companies, the rich.
* Supercomputer looks backwards at news articles, predicts Arab Spring, bin Laden's location. * Viewing Contagion as an argument for big government in times of crisis. * Contagion consulting epidemiologist on the reality of Soderbergh's fictional bug. * Researchers discover young bats learn to hunt by eavesdropping on experienced bats&
* How to end the 9/11 era and beat terrorism: Secure nukes and refuse to be terrorized. * To help the dying cope with the reality of death, dignity therapists ask them to tell a story of their life. * It's a strange assumption that novelists good at storytelling are
* Libyan rebels' assault on remaining loyalist strongholds meets heavy resistance, slows. * Increasingly desperate, Syrian protestors take to the streets to ask for international intervention. * Syrian soldiers executed for refusing to fire on protestors—defectors increase, but no senior officers. * Guatemalans grudgingly embrace once-vicious military due to powerful drug cartels.
* Libertarian lawyers and DC hipsters join forces to fight for the rights of food trucks. * Bay Area restaurant reviews in the style of Cormac McCarthy. * You say "macaron," I say "macaroon." * America's surprise export to Japan: high-quality hay. * Researchers conclude fiction builds empathy. * Luminarium
* Details of Obama's jobs plan, and what happens next. * Continuing unemployment stagnation in the West is far from inevitable, but only if austerity ceases. * Revolutions devour their children. The spoils go to the resolute...who know what they are pursuing and how to achieve it. * Turkey offers to
* Because it's there: UK scientists hope to revive a 1970s satellite still in orbit. * Has 9/11 spurred a great work of art—or was DeLillo right that terrorists are the myth-makers of our age? * Neuroscientists discover that you probably weren't where you thought you were
* Proxy war fought by U.S. backed warlords in Somalia, helped create militant Islamist threat. * Beyond refugee camps, a life of dignified exile avoids double-victimization. * Images of the wildfires that have devastated central Texas this week. * Comparing the acreage destroyed by this season's Texas wildfires: The damage would
* The silent drought in Nairobi slums: Aid organizations' emergency indicators don't work in cities. * Forty years on, researchers test willpower of the "marshmallow experiment" participants. * How lawyer-turned-innovator Narcis Monturiol invented the submarine, then was promptly forgotten. * Dutch realize they need a mountain, plan to build
* UN warns cuts, austerity will lead to stagnation, that stimulus is essential to high employment. * Anticipating China's Iceland movement is tough—compared to Japan's economy, is could be soon and steep. * Swiss canton has too many jobs, too much growth, no middle class, dumb low tax
* Over a thousand homes in Texas destroyed by wildfires; 23 fires and counting. * The scandal around Chirac isn't about him skipping court for being sick; it's about French justice avoiding him for so long. * Teddy Wayne interprets Dick Cheney's post-9/11 dreams. * See also:
* August becomes first month with no U.S. military deaths in Iraq since 2003. * Interpol chief says the web has replaced Afghanistan as terrorists' main training ground. * Hatfields and McCoys feuded from the Civil War until 1890, and again in 1947; but 9/11 brought them together. * Remnick: This
* How the CIA became a killing machine, with massive escalation in use of drones in recent years. * Tripoli security chief endured extraordinary rendition by U.S., torture, has no hard feelings. * Memos suggest China tried to sell Gaddafi arms, may be excluded from reconstruction. * China isn't letting up
* Berlusconi calls Italy a "shitty" country that sickens him, and vows to leave. * Dutch game show pits failed asylum seekers in contest to show knowledge of Dutch culture. * Detailing those who gained from 9/11. * No guesses for when Gadhafi will show up at his vacation home, located
* Solutions to the space debris problem: magnetic nets, catcher's mitts, anything to stop it multiplying. * Since May three NHL players have been found dead—all enforcers who dropped gloves to punch and be punched. * Endangered species babies born in labs. * A chart of defunct nations is the key
* South Africa's ANC, long cozy with Gadhafi, says West showed Africa disrespect in Libya. * Photos from inside Libya's Internal Security (aka domestic spying) Unit center in Tripoli. * South African politics summary: Disciplining Malema is Zuma's greatest challenge so far. * World's biggest khat
* New York, Arizona investigate charities that may have spent millions intended for Sept. 11 causes. * Alex Ross fills in the background on his piece on an opera about an Auschwitz guard that took 40 years to stage. * Opera group refuses to perform The Mute Girl of Portici in Belgium for
* Ten events since 9/11 that have been more significant—e.g., America's response. * If the U.S. continues to "lead from behind," NATO will become more regional, less global. * Jerusalem Post fires columnist for saying Palestinians "justified" in attacking Israelis, their occupiers. * Bonn,
* Citing burden on doctors, judge blocks Texas abortion law requiring women to view sonograms. * Former 9/11 Commission heads report airports are still unlikely to detect explosives on passengers. * Hunters do their part to stop the spread of wild pigs by releasing pigs into the wild to later hunt. * Zabar&
* Comparing violence in Iraq and Chicago, Kanye forgets civilian casualties (though Chicago's still dangerous). * BBC News debunks five Sept. 11 conspiracy theories. * California mulls banning Styrofoam containers starting in 2016. * Windows's iconic "bliss" wallpaper is a real photo, taken by Charles O’Rear in
* Chinese parents incensed at demolition of unsanctioned schools—and the high-rises that replaced them. * Ai Weiwei blasts Beijing, where one of the only positives is that people still give birth to babies. * If terrorist methods are as widely available as automobiles, why are there so few Islamist terrorists? * Chronic fatigue
* Irene can't be pinned on global warming, but more events like Irene should be expected in a warming world. * Hotels preserve chairs and tables during hurricanes by tossing them in the pool. * Rivka Galchen's fabulous 2009 Harper's essay on the quest to control hurricanes.
* Flooding from Irene devastates portions of upstate New York, Vermont, submerging several small towns. * Waiting out the storm in a school gym. * Libyan rebels resist Western pressure, say they won't extradite Lockerbie bomber. * Top Gun proves we vote at the box office—Bigelow's upcoming bin Laden
* Latest updates on Hurricane Irene. * Extraordinary chronicle of an "ordinary" day in Mexico's drug wars—cause of 43,000 homicides since 2006. * Former Mexican President Fox suggests truce, amnesty, legalization. * If one of my employees started smoking crack I'd confiscate his gun and kick
* Attractive Irene tracker from the Times. * South Africa's police vow to stop high rate of cops being killed; population terrified of killer cops. * Men torch casino in Mexico, killing 53; worst attack in five years of anti-gang policing. * Recent history of MI6 and Gadhafi's relationship, conducted
* The MLK Memorial opening has been postponed—not that King wanted it in the first place. * On the nature of memory, historical and structural amnesia, and society's humiliated silence. * New Rimbaud translations confirm the poet as an enduring obsession for all rebels, e.g., Ashbery. * In 1861 a
* Trinidad and Tobago declares national emergency—and imposes curfew—to halt drug-related crime. * Virginia's unique Tangier Island, in Irene's path, is mere inches above the water surrounding it. * Kim Jong-il visits Russia to bolster image of his heir. * Slideshow demonstrations evolution of Steve Jobs's
* Despite GOP protests, data models show the stimulus worked, though it may not kill the sound bite. * Records show the corporations that win Texas state dollars are the ones that donate to Perry campaigns. * Discovered in Gadhafi's compound: a photo album filled with pictures of Condoleezza Rice. * He
* "Warning: Step Away from Military Activities": Images of NATO flyers dropped on Tripoli. * London professor, Libyan mentor, and prosecutor discuss Saif Gadhafi's fate. * List of high-profile island owners. * Pro-shoplifting argument as a temporary boost for the economy. * Explainer for how Hugo Chávez might transport (and insure)
* Following earthquake, National Mall landmarks temporarily closed—MLK Memorial still set to open this weekend. * Why the MLK Memorial took so long: A law governs limits on the number of National Mall structures. * "Deep Throat" garage in Northern Virginia gets its historical marker. * Remembering the 12 "Original
* Puerto Rico declares emergency after Irene; storm could be Category 3 when it reaches the U.S. Saturday. * Controlled glimpse in Syria. * Careful work inside led to Tripoli's capture. * With Gadhafi falling and Strauss-Kahn's charges being dropped, BHL is having the best week ever. * Critique of
* Looking for policy hints in Perry's 2010 book. * Original source of hair gel found in Egypt, 5,000 miles from New Jersey. * A look inside the head of a komodo dragon. * Photographer sets out to prove our fear of sharks is overstated, shoots without a cage. * When people
* Europe wrestles with debt crises; sub-Saharan Africa sees robust growth—a study of two zones. * Dreams in Buenos Aires for poor kids: playing soccer, or joining the violent gangs that run the game. * New biography says Chanel worked for Nazi intelligence—not as a spy, but a facilitator. * People from
* From February to August, photos from each month of the battle for Libya. * Guardian report finds Prince Charles's social and environmental charities have crossed into politics. * Texas's numbers are as good as they look—whether Perry deserves credit is another argument. * More numbers from Texas: Rick
* Libyan uprising showing signs of sliding from anti-autocrat to factional conflict. * India's parliament is a functioning anarchy, with chaos and disruption used to stall opponents. * GDP change since the recession shows how Europe is being caught by developing nations. * Decades-old peace between Israel and Egypt threatened following border
* Tracking high school students preparing for the gaokao, China's national exams. * Video: Distribution of American post offices, 1700-1900. * New York store that sells only fancy umbrellas—$38 to $995—has begun phasing out the $38 models. * Story behind archivists restoring nine films Hitchcock directed in the 1920s. * New
* Convicted UK rioters receiving 25% longer sentences—one got four years for inciting violence on Facebook. * U.S. to review 300,000 illegal immigrant cases, dismiss deportation for those who pose no threat. * Libya's DC embassy reopens under TNC, who wants to unfreeze Gadhafi's assets, purchase
* UN indicts Hezbollah for assassination of Lebanon's Hariri. * Life in Ethiopia is not all famine. * Recent statistics about American drinking: wine ties beer. * According to studies, weed doesn't make you stupid, but may improve your imaginative powers. * New interpretive system Veritas turns sentences blue when they&
* Defense Dept. report finds Army did not properly test body armor, may have substandard field protection. * Downgraded by Fitch, New Jersey's credit is now the third-worst in the U.S., ahead of California and Illinois. * Capybara, the world's largest rodent, is now roaming California's
* President Bachmann's foreign policy. * For desk-bound Sherlocks, a real-life Australian beach mystery from 1948, "one of the world’s most perplexing cold cases." * Mid-week short fiction: "Village 113," from TMN contributor Anthony Doerr's award-winning Memory Wall. * Color of the sky right now
* Local flavor may be lost as agricultural pageants become a path to Miss America. * Original Village People lead singer disputes work-for-hire claim, seeks rights to "Y.M.C.A." * WSJ: "Abercrombie and Fitch offers to pay 'The Situation' to stop wearing its clothes." * In
* The past 10 years have seen fewer war deaths than any decade in the last 100 years. * Al Jazeera live blogs Mubarak's trial. * Whether Kenya's famine could have been avoided. * About one year ago, $5.6 billion was pledged to relief in Haiti; one-third has been
* Holding elections and building commerce, shadow nations threaten to destabilize their neighbors. * Next big UN assembly announcement to come from Russia, which plans to annex 380,000 square miles of the Arctic Ocean. * After years of looking for cancer clues in 2% of the genome, researchers find the rest holds
* China pours billions into Africa, and billions go straight into private pockets. * Warren Buffett: Thank you, Congress, for all the tax breaks, but we super rich are sick of lower job creation. * Historian known for making dumb remarks on TV blames London riots on English whites going Jamaican black. * Elif
* What it's like to lose to Rick Perry. * Herman Cain is a fan of Pokemon: The Movie 2000—or its inspirational theme music. * Rembrandt drawing swiped in a "carefully planned heist" at a Marina del Rey Ritz-Carlton. * Legal analysis of the case against a New Jersey
* Blatant hypocrisy of Western censorship on web is ruinous to promoting democracy abroad. * Bay Area Rapid Transit "pulls an Egypt," turns off cell service to preempt protest. * Xinhua news agency delights in reporting on Cameron's (improbable) plans to censor the web. * Once the looters had left
* Vacationing Times-Picayune reporter busts Zabar's for selling crawfish as lobster salad. * How Roy Scherer became Rock Hudson and changed a generation's view of sexuality, twice. * Water bottlers find success targeting minorities. * Homeowners seeking originality plant bottle trees, the "modern pink flamingo." * Amazon.co.uk
* Pulling support for Syria, Saudi Arabia may doom the regime, prove ability to make or break others. * Unlike London, schools burned in Paris—both "dancing on volcano" of social injustice. * Never has the world economy depended so much on the success of developing nations. * Germans aren't
* The weight discrimination we observe in the labor market has its source in...the marriage market. * Anticipating a marriage, let the word games begin. * A brief story by Lionel Shriver about housing and marriage. * Erica Heller—who's never read Catch-22—and others write about life as the cub
* East Africa famine yet to peak, hundreds of thousands of people face starvation. * State Dept. indirectly intervenes in Somalia, financing mercenaries to train troops. * EDIT CONPLAN 3502 is the U.S. military's plan for assisting state and local authorities in the event of a riot. * Polish, Turkish, Somalian,
* An environmental group finds the Hudson is "chronically sewage-laden" around Albany. * A Hill lobbyist asks: How can I professionally lobby someone I personally rejected? * Study: People in unfriendly working situations more likely to die early. * When you leave the relative safety of the middle class, you might as
* With many institutions broken, perhaps Britain's leaders can no longer protect the people. * Stereotyping rioters as young, black, and poor, ignores the complexity of who they really are. * Round-up of sociological and psychological explanation of riots. * The Endless Summer reminds us of perfection's potential in an
* Chait: Westen's complaint against Obama is rooted primarily in a lack of factual understanding of what Obama has done. * NASA says it's found a spacecraft, lost since 1967, on the dark side of the moon. * Cataloging the things we've left in space, e.g.
* Riots liveblog: British Parliament recalled, 16,000 police on streets tonight, but no army or curfew. * Young London rioters lack a legitimate future—nothing to lose, no reason to obey. * Watching the riots, Egyptian bloggers debate the differences between looting and protesting. * Riots organized not through social media, but on
* Grim outlook for the U.S. economy, with high odds for a double dip—and it's all our politicians' fault. * With his positions largely unknown, Obama stared into the eyes of history and averted his gaze. * Police threaten to arrest people inciting violence in London via Twitter.
* A U.S. ban on conflict minerals has helped the Congolese warlords it intended to depose. * Researchers find that birds abused as chicks grow up to abuse others. * In Chile, anti-government protestors accuse rescued miners of selling out, throw fruit. * After 12 years of diminished hauls, Long Island lobstermen either
* After ferocious assault, Syria claims to have put down revolt in Hama, hundreds of civilians feared dead. * Standard and Poor's math mistake miscalculated debt projection by $2 trillion. * Timely Kickstarter project: "Is Capitalism Working for You," interactive public art strapped to a truck. * Five-star hotel opens
* New York bank soon to start charging negative interest, or fees to hold your cash. * Video: A trip to the wilds of Brooklyn, where the bodega cat reigns supreme. * Air France reportedly staffs Paris-bound Strauss-Kahn flight with all-male cabin crew. * Internal Stasi photos shows masters--and sometimes apprentices--of disguise at work.
* Chinese parents whose children were kidnapped by government-sanctioned officials find little justice. * Feds may have let Sinaloa cartel move cocaine into the U.S. in exchange for information on rivals. * Tale of sidekick's botched escape from New York-Albanian mob, recently exploded by police. * New images provide the strongest
* Mogadishu included among three new regions added to Somalia's famine. * Gadhafi's son forging an alliance with radical Islamists within Libya's rebels. * Our generation's new collective goal—health—is futile considering the likelihood of, you know, death. * Lesbian couple saved 40 kids from
* Explaining the moon's variable terrain and lopsidedness, scientists say it may once have been two moons. * Quora users collect "some of the most important, iconic, and/or beautiful scientific images." * Texas drought drops lake levels enough to uncover new Columbia wreckage. * Interview with an Amarillo church
* Op: We've always tried to fight invasive species, but they have an important environmental role. * Scientists tempt bees with food, shake them in a box, conclude they may have feelings. * Famous resignations. * Beyond the fake Apple Store, shoppers in China visit knockoff Ikeas, Dairy Queens, and Subways. * Illustrators
* Saudi lawmakers create "blistering array" of punishments for anyone "harming the interests of the state." * Tennessee introduces bill to punish "material support" for Islamic law. * Italy calls emergency talks as market pressure sucks it deeper into euro danger zone. * Novelist Richard Powers reports from
* British women determine Pippa Middleton's "Royal Mocha" skin tone to be "most desirable" of all shades. * Fighting in Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Chad, and Libya, France's military feared to be stretched too thin. * North Korea eager to resume six-party talks, "without preconditions,
* An overview of differing opinions on whether it's time to rename "Ground Zero." * Getting bin Laden: From a presidential candidate's lips to a house in Abbottabad, how the operation unfolded. * Forty years after the only unsolved hijacking in U.S. history, new clues surface
* The winning entry for the Guardian's "rename the endangered fungus" contest: "Hotlips." * A half-ton fungus found in a Chinese forest shatters the record for the world's largest. * Second Life equine intellectual property dispute reaches real-life courtroom. * Ben Franklin's doctor experimented
* "More disgusted than delighted," Obama sells compromise to liberals. * Rallying votes, Boehner thanks Tea Party newbies for getting GOP's priorities to the finish line. * The debt-ceiling deal "is a catastrophe on multiple levels," for Democrats and the country. * Smaller-government fans triumph. * American-embassy design hampered
* Fleeing famine, Somalia family deals with lion attack, rape, death--religion is problem, salvation. * To be judged insane would exonerate [Breivik] from responsibility for his actions, as if madness and responsibility were mutually exclusive. * The state of foreign policy debate among Republican presidential contenders reveals total disarray. * Turkey's entire
* After being closed for five months, some Libyan schools try to reopen amidst warfare. * Biologist who warned of polar bears dying from exhaustion accused of scientific misconduct. * If a cougar can walk from South Dakota to Connecticut, it can walk to your house, and that's a good kind
* Mystery surrounds killing of Libyan rebels' military chief. * Gawker report on Miami Catholic Archdiocese's "long orgy of sodomy and illicit cash." * Europe and U.S. go Japanese. * Debt crisis is actually worse than we realize—2020, when a big generation retires, will be nightmarish. * Lucid
* Mubarak's trial, for corruption and ordering the killing of protesters, to proceed next week in Cairo. * Lessons from Iraq: If you have an hour to save the world, spend 55 minutes understanding the problem. * Chart: Top 12 African countries by GDP. * Comparing Big Mac prices finds Chinese yuan
* Human rights group says Syrian protestors are being disappeared at a rate of one every hour. * When the West outsources surrogacy to India, surrogates face personal loss, social ire. * Foreign Policy asks experts to look at history and decide: Is this the worst Congress ever? * Little, Brown stirs controversy, publicity
* Senegal releases rapper after arrest for opposing president's re-election campaign. * Accounting for how Mexican cartels got guns from U.S. attempt to track them getting guns. * Audio: Corruption continues to swamp South Africa. * Nice career chronicle from new British caretaker of Monet's lily pond. * Explorer'
* As rebels snatch up Gadhafi's anti-aircraft missiles, groups seek to prevent them from falling into terrorist hands. * Officially recognizing opposition, UK expels Gadhafi diplomats. * Republican leaders voted for debt drivers. * Bribe-hungry Nigerian cops threaten mental exams for drivers--who aren't easily intimidated. * Video: Israeli Chamber Orchestra breaks
* As businesses shun the jobless in help-wanteds, the unemployed outlook gets bleaker, and states consider legislation. * With states hoping to save millions by changing primary dates, Republicans rethink where to pour resources. * Commonplace in politics, pledges to uphold special interests handcuff decision making, foreshadow embarrassments. * When overdubbing in Arabic, the
* New exit solution for Gadhafi may leave him residing in Libya. * LA citizens keep mum about chopper swarms, fearing operators will hover above their houses for revenge. * House finds new solution for debt-ceiling crisis: a "super" committee. * Op: Many conservatives would prefer economic havoc to more 20th-century “welfare
* Op: Our nation now governs by deadlines, which is no way to get anything done. * Conservatives respond to Borders closing. * Electricity-saving Japanese beat the heat with cooling foams, tank tops for dogs. * Turntable.fm's top DJs. * Descendant of Lizst and Wagner talks religion, Bayreuth, and her favorite ancestor.
* Norwegian accused of killing spree laced manifesto with quotes by counterjihad bloggers. * Blogger responds: "If anything incited him to violence, it was Euro-Med policy." * Chilling round-up of online clues to accused killer's motivations. * Eyewitness account of the island attack. * Profile of America's homegrown terrorism
* At least 91 killed in Norway attacks; man charged is right-wing Christian fundamentalist. * More than 84 deaths came in shooting spree at island summer camp near Oslo, where many fled into the water. * Nuclear scientist who survived assassination attempt in Tehran is leading acceleration of nuclear fuel production. * Thorough but
* Videos of the aftermath from today's bombing in Oslo. * Extremely captivating: Yemen on the brink of hell. * Report on the taboo issue of men being raped as a weapon of wartime aggression. * Joseph Heller, Robert Gottlieb, Candida Donadio, and how Catch-22 came about. * Terrific visualization of the United
* A sewage treatment plant catches fire in New York, mIllions of gallons of untreated sewage flow into the city's rivers. * More than 1% of all U.S. high temperature records were broken during yesterday's heat. * Can the grid handle a heat wave of this magnitude? * With
* Lack of coordination, rivalries threaten Libyan rebels' goal of toppling Gadhafi. * Minister hopes London factions can reconcile differences over who gets to wear pearl buttons. * TSA to introduce new scanner software that shows hidden objects, but not naked passengers. * How an occult philosophy could be the missing piece in
* Famine declared in southern Somalia, where child malnutrition rate can soar to 55%. * Former Chilean President Allende's corpse confirms official story: suicide, not murder. * Surprise snowstorm leaves Chile blanketed under "white earthquake." * Egypt's oldest political prisoner speaks. * Who and where are America's
* Climate change arguments from 1799. * Signs welcome all to a DC-area yard sale "except for LGBT people, illegal immigrants, and muslims." * How a series of dots and a memory stick spawned a game with all the markers of a holy war. * Photos from inside China's fake
* Two years later, Afghans pay twice as much in bribes; Karzai, lacking power base, turns cheek. * Accessible survey of Eurozone economic solutions, with "haircuts" and "hoses." * Ezra Klein on the Gang of Six debt plan: probably the best we'll get. * The Go6 plan is
* Far-right Jobbik party cheers, Weisenthal Center cries foul at Hungarian's acquittal in 1942 massacre. * Ben Judah interviews Roma king. * Disagreeing with UK lawmakers, committee says nudges won't change people's habits, but laws will. * Psychologists argue against childproofed playgrounds, claim bruises are a part of
* Murdochs and Rebecca Brooks to face three hours of parliamentary questioning today. * Phone-hacking scandal now being investigated by 10 separate inquiries. * Global survey of tabloid newspapers' power—means to further political aims, not to make money. * Website answers one question, "Is David Cameron still prime minister?" * Lehrer:
* France wrestles with its latest Anglo import, "le binge drinking," bans nighttime alcohol sales. * Recalling empty weekend subways. * Owning a dog in Iran means paying smugglers to break a fatwa--and taking your pooch for unseen walks. * As Coney Island undergoes a family-friendly makeover, some businesses are being pushed
* Opposition in Yemen manages big protest turnout, but its position is weak, and government remains leaderless. * North Korea said to "purge" 30 officials involved in secret inter-Korean talks. * Court upholds constitutionality of TSA body scanners. * Aircraft for movies billed by the hour; F-22s run $25,000 for 60
* U.S. formally recognizes rebels as Libya's legitimate authority, $30 billion in frozen assets could be released. * Largest protests so far in Syria sees a million protest, opposition groups will meet to draw a roadmap. * Italy fared better than only Haiti and Zimbabwe in growth last decade, nepotism
* Wireless carriers hope to increase usage by building smart diapers, slippers, bovine fertility monitors. * The deceptive simplicity of feedback loops, now ever more present through plunging technology costs. * Researchers find baboon beta males enjoy fewer mates, lower stress. * Indonesian scientists spot long-legged Borneo rainbow toad, last seen almost 90 years
* Demonstrations intensify in Syria; in three months, more than 2,000 soldiers have deserted. * Gradual fall of Libya and Syria's leaders shows Arab world's mood changing irrevocably. * Ezra Klein on the Reid-McConnell debt deal, which the White House considers a last resort. * Op: If you think
* Website analysis shows spelling mistakes can halve sales--wary customers suspect phishing schemes. * You're more likely to survive a plane crash than click on a banner ad. * Talking to Berklee students, John Mayer warns against online self-promotion when there's still music to be made. * Jobless benefits will
* U.S. recording biometric information of people in Afghanistan and Iraq, particularly men of fighting age. * Japan's Prime Minister calls for end to country's reliance on nuclear power. * Survey of five countries rethinking nuclear; 80% of Mexico in opposition. * Duke Ellington's favorite foods. * Ghana
* A new book reveals Hitler's plan to rebuild the Reich should his empire fall--complete with talking dogs. * A Spielberg letter about Indiana Jones casting. * A victim's daughter and a boss's son stand up to the mafia in Naples, where "the system" runs
* White House turns against Syria's Assad, stopping short of demanding he step down. * Human Rights Watch urges Obama, with "overwhelming evidence," to investigate torture sanctioned by Bush & Co. * Blood phones: Minerals in your pocket perpetuate war in the DRC. * Ehrenreich: As wars become fought entirely
* On the trail of bin Laden, CIA set up fake vaccinations to gather DNA evidence. * Harvard grads at the top of everything, except in Canada. * Things state flags are sometimes saying. * First known for designing Central Park, Olmsted became famous for his Civil War reportage on Southern life. * Polar bears&
* Paris says Gadhafi's emissaries are suggesting the dictator is ready to leave. * Gordon Brown hacked by journalists for more than 10 years, with privacy invasions from conmen and "blaggers." * Brown: If European growth continues to run so far behind, by midcentury it may be as small
* Belarus arrests deaf-mute for shouting anti-gov't slogans and a one-armed man for clapping along. * Bands touring this summer want fans to calm down. * Naomi Wolf accidentally kills the messenger—dopamine—in dissection of porn's effect on brains. * Foreign Policy predicts who will be advising 2012 candidates
* Writer of Syrian revolution's theme song believed to be killed. * Niemann unveils world map, with slight New York bias, of useless stereotypes. * Google wins image points in Japan for post-quake tools. * Steve Wynn wins points for spending $13 million on vases and restoring them to China (in his
Anthropologist requests access to Shakespeare's grave to, among other things, ascertain if he was a pothead. Americans didn't win total independence: There's no getting rid of the weeds and grasses introduced by the first European settlers. Washington was not in a UFO cult. Let&
Though the party is divided on why to slam Obama for troop withdrawals, some Republicans are rediscovering their isolationist roots. Op: In light of recent Perry takedowns, accomplishments in office may not make a lick of difference. Does it mark them out as underdogs trying to overcome the liberal elite?
New Mexico wildfires three miles from Los Alamos, where low-level nuke waste is stored above-ground. Egypt's government getting by, running the economy "hand to mouth," with no real mandate. Satellite imagery of Arab unrest. Videos: Medvedev's SUV rolls away; Putin can't start
Space station crew prepared for impact with a piece of space garbage--one of thousands in orbit from previous missions. After 16 years of requiring large buildings to commission public art, Seoul is littered with eyesores. Texas town lays off its local police force over budgetary woes, braces for crime spike.
Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attack landmark Afghan hotel, among Kabul's best-protected buildings. Tweets from Afghan journalists inside Hotel Intercontinental. Tabloid headlines for Wimbledon news and Murray mania. In symbolic move tied to Afghan drawdown, Pentagon employees shift from combat fatigues to battle dress uniforms. History of America&
Dodgers owner McCourt files for Chapter 11, snubbing Selig, who rejected a deal to pay for McCourt's divorce. Op: The Dodgers are rich in the fingers of Nancy Bea Hefley. How a forensic psychologist turned courtroom testimony into big business, severing families for financial gain. A look at
For the second time in history, single disease eradicated from Earth: rinderpest, or "cattle plague." Progress map of diabetes in adults finds rate doubling over 30 years. Op: GOP leaders goad Obama because they lack an endgame that isn't compromise or explode. "Strongman" seeking
Six states have now banned abortion at the 20th week, without exception but for the mother's death or disablement. Designed to curtail pet mills, proposed San Francisco ban on pet stores is back with a new name and strategy. "My father was the lead singer in the
Libyan rebels press for Tripoli while NATO's military operation enters 100th day. Briefing: Greece passes test, but disaster may loom as painful reforms attack fundamental problems. Citizens torch Naples with 55 fires, demanding garbage be removed. U.S. spends $20.2 billion annually on air conditioning in Afghanistan
Zimbabwe general calls Tsvangiari a national threat, says he will die to keep Mugabe in office. Op: Obama sounds so much like Lincoln, he may as well grow a beard and buy the hat. A gentleman should take domestic politics slightly less seriously than backgammon. Arrest status of Mexican cartel
Nepal becomes the second Asian country declared free of minefields--though victims find the path to compensation blocked by red tape. Op: By maintaining instability--through continued opposition and international support--the Bahraini royal family ensures it remains in power. Indonesia stops sending maids to Saudi Arabia after the beheading of a domestic
Chinese artist Ai Weiei returns home "on bail," freed for "good attitude in confessing his crimes." Sexual violence remains widespread in U.S. prisons, though perpetrators are largely staff. North Carolina may compensate victims after its eugenics board sterilized nearly 7,600 from 1933-74. I was
Former U.S. political advisor returns to post-American Baghdad as a tourist, watches tennis, rides jet-ski. As Wimbledon bemoans female players' ever-loudening grunts, peruse video of the worst offenders. Car door slams, ATM whirrs, and other fake sounds; even more auditory shams. In a reversal of the Great Migration,
Bahrain sentences activists to life sentences in attempt to crush dissent. Obama's Afghanistan war wind-down speech will please neither stick-to-it generals nor flee-fast supporters. Sixty-three percent of Pakistanis disapprove of bin Laden's killing; more than half say it's "a bad thing" he&
Less crack smoking, better number crunching, and other theories why U.S. crime has plummeted. Anthony Weiner, meet lawyer Patricia Boguslawski and urologist Richard Chopp. Mississippi Delta farmers begin tearing down their emergency, homemade levees. Former BP chief Hayward likely will be summoned to Texas to face a new lawsuit
First time in two months, Assad addresses Syria seeking "dialogue," and opposition groups convene. Assad's image pelted with shoes after speech. Polls show American voters still prejudiced against Mormon political candidates. Obama impersonator yanked offstage during GOP conference for racially insensitive material, or for mocking GOPers?
Taliban fighters who take Afghanistan's asylum offer require a security detail to survive in their new life. Health agencies find they can monitor a city's drug use by passively sampling its wastewater. KFC franchise to donate $1 to diabetes research for every "Mega Jug"
Nearly 200 of Obama's biggest backers obtained administration posts for themselves or their spouses. Putin spokesman zealously defends hiring former "Miss Moscow" finalist to join Putin's traveling photographers. Examples from Miss Moscow's photo portfolio. Design decisions made in 2006 by Twitter'
Syria summary: Too big for outsiders to intervene, yet Assad must not be allowed to murder. Resignation of Assad's reviled cousin seen as sacrifice to public fury. Afghan owners of the number 39--in phone numbers, license plates--mocked for being pimps. The figure seems to be looking at China.
Even as the overall U.S. life expectancy is rising, in some counties it's leveling off--or dropping. With Medicaid dollars set to run out at the end of the month, a growing number of unemployed Americans face an uncertain future. With the Pentagon buying less, U.S. arms
White House says it doesn't need Congress's approval to support NATO in Libya. AP joins Journal and LA Times in calling conflict in Libya "civil war." D.C. politicians say golf patches fissures; Eisenhower played 100+ rounds a year during tenure. Alternative therapies lack
By ruling a gay judge didn't have to recuse himself from Prop 8 decision, district defends a judge's right to be objective. The Backfire Effect: When deeply held beliefs are rightly challenged, we cling to them even stronger. No Child Left Behind continues its rampage: Test
Athens protests turn violent, with gas bombs and tear gas exchanged. Palestinians to unveil new Hamas-Fatah unity government next Tuesday. Interesting U.S. project to deploy "shadow" internet/mobile phone systems to support dissidents and bypass censors. Op: Syrians are well versed in the history of foreign interference;
JPM/Chase CEO reaches "uncomfortable truths" by suggesting regulation, economic growth aren't concurrent. "Everybody doing some Dodd-Frank preparedness work?" Comedy club searches for America's funniest compliance officer. Navy captain urges vigilance for the safety of the crew returning from bin Laden burial.
Americans unconvinced by Arab Spring; 45% say actions will not lead to lasting improvements. New al Qaeda leader round-up: Top 5 Leaders, With Pics! Gadhafi finds time for friendly chess match with World Chess Federation's head. New Yorker concludes what we've all agreed: Gadhafi is stoned
What to expect at tonight's GOP debate: Bachmann will interrupt, Gingrich will confuse, Paul will disappear, Pawlenty will chill. Another take: Tonight all the candidates will explain what they're not. Op: Lose college radio, and you risk building connections between students and townies. AJC compares hospital
Diners avoid E. coli through a lengthy chain of safety measures, or you can bleach your vegetables just to be sure. How Oakland investigative journalists collaborated to help convict the man who murdered a reporter. Since I'm an American, my flesh sells at a premium; if I had
European Union's highest court rules that France failed to protect the Great Hamster of Alsace. Note: U.S. currently running military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, and Yemen. Regional war, anyone? Pakistan confirms evidence of al Qaeda figures in military ranks. Hitchens: Each time the Pakistani leadership
Struggling against an economic downturn, Japanese laborers head to Fukushima in search of work. Klosterman on the quintessential sports underdog story: a team that started with five, ended with three, and won. Yosemite National Park prepares for summer visitors by blasting away the last remnants of winter. "Medicine freezes
Syria reported to UN's Security Council for covert nuke program. Italians look back on Berlusconi as a disastrous, even malign, failure; forget "Bunga Bunga," he screwed the whole country. CNN producer/reporter on why we should care about Yemen: location, location, location. Photos: Portraits of Russian
Mexican criminal groups building more armored monster vehicles. NATO calls on international community to prepare for a post-Gadhafi era. Chart: World's biggest military spenders. Zimbabwean police officer, in jail for using Mugabe's reserved toilet, faces day in court. UK gas company exec sneaks out of court
When politicians face the camera after a scandal, they all give the same--pursed-lipped, downward-cast--look. What happens when a volcano erupts into a thunderstorm. On Monday, 40 years after being leaked, the complete Pentagon Papers will be officially declassified. Leonard Nimoy--using, ahem, logic--urges a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Primary
Why "parasitic business models" like Forever 21 and Facebook persist: They encourage us to repackage ourselves with satisfying frequency. How to make your own iconic Eames lounge chair and ottoman. Street pianos returning to New York, but with a new name and concept--and without the artist who introduced
Bahrain's campaign to humiliate and torture Shiites meets American silence. British intelligence claims success for Operation Cupcake, disrupting al Qaeda's PDF capabilities. Ash falls like snow in Argentina, blown across the Andes from Chile's volcanoes. Map shows every disaster declared emergency by FEMA since
In some Indian villages, the decisions of unelected councils of male elders carry more weight than the law. An attempted murder and accusations of gang violence shine a light on a once-private Hasidic village. "Foreskin Man" comic creator defends his work as anti-circumcision, not anti-Semitic, despite its depiction
Yemen, already accustomed to mere subsistence, teeters on ruin. Germans interested in romanticizing war play confederates during Civil War reenactments. Legal analysis of the Strauss-Kahn case. Op: France determined to run the IMF to conceal how Eurozone led its members into serious fiscal jeapordy. Businessmen rush to create next social
European doctors up against an E.Coli outbreak from a rare, antibiotic-resistant bacteria. U.S. doctors: Mutations are common, and E.Coli should never be fed antibiotics--containment is vital. It's not normal to think you're going to be killed in the very next second. Afghanistan and
He made your job easy some nights. ESPN writers share "random acts of Shaqness." A panda pregnancy at the National Zoo is a longshot, but the panda keepers there are ready for the unexpected. Jessa Crispin remembers Sassy, hopes Jane's new magazine doesn't get
Retired Japanese engineers over 60 volunteer to face Fukushima's radiation. Op: Medicine trains, hires, and pays doctors to be cowboys, but it's pit crews that patients need. Review of studies used by World Health Organisation agency to prove cell phones "possibly" cause cancer. Audio:
Anticipating a summer of energy conservation, Japanese government encourages businesses to go casual--to little applause. Spain wants compensation for its vegetables, the export of which dried up when Germany mistakenly blamed them for an E.Coli outbreak. With a plan to resurrect rivers, architecture team wants to return Mexico City
Herman Cain, GOP protest candidate, starting to gain "real candidate" momentum. Leader of Navy's Blue Angels resigns over unsafe maneuver. J. Malcolm Garcia reports Mubarak's trial in Cairo. Egypt prepared an internet shut-off switch as early as 2008. Video: "Mute" button applied
Scientists spot areas of groundwater depletion around the world, steer findings away from policy-making and conflict-generating. Pentagon says cyber attacks qualify as acts of war--though military retaliation must remain equivalent. The global supply chain may be surviving without Japan, but experts warn that China can't last without it.
Homeland security ends post-9/11 registration of Arabs and Muslims; citizens still caught in the system. Once an Australian term for stolen goods, "swag" is having a moment as hip-hop's darling. Sachs crows for Nigeria's "historic opportunity"; how about a better, nuanced
Prisons struggle to contain smuggling of an opiate treatment that often arrives inside children's drawings. Scientists find rampant fish mislabeling in markets, restaurants; U.S. diners can soon trace beef via DNA. Analysis of lunar magma shows there's water inside the Moon. Slideshow of China'
In California's haste to empty prisons, a computer glitch released 450 inmates with a "high risk of violence." Aerial photos of Joplin before and after the tornado. As graffiti artists edge toward mainstream success, galleries, police race over who catches them first. Sustainable sushi restaurants around
Clips from international reaction to Serbia's arrest of former commander Ratko Miadic. Serbian president to skip Obama meeting because Kosovo is also invited. Congress gave Netanyahu 29 standing ovations; British Parliament stops Obama once, after mention of his Kenyan grandfather. Newly formed Egyptian Nazi party claims one-year plan
Now that the auto bailout looks to be a success, Romney wants credit for the idea, but maybe not for that Times op-ed. Carville: Looking like a pre-McCain 2008 Republican, Obama is stealing all the GOP's best ideas. Photographer juxtaposes Google Street View of Joplin corner with his
Activist builds movement encouraging women to drive in Saudi Arabia; after activist's arrest, movement grows. A third of those Palestinians currently living in East Jerusalem would far rather take Israeli citizenship than Palestinian. Op: The only remaining hope for an Israeli-Palestinian win-win is Abbas's UN process.
Experts baffled by nationwide crime rate decline--except in New York, where increased rates are explained by more victims coming forward. Supreme Court ruling that prison overcrowding is "cruel and unusual," California could release thousands of felons early. Investigating California's water concerns, researchers sample storm clouds to
Libyan rebels to open office in D.C.; last night's attacks on Tripoli were NATO's heaviest so far. Birthers turn on GOP stars Jindal and Rubio, arguing native-born vs. natural-born. The GOP presidential field may be set, but Republican votes are far from settled. GOP turns
Libya teaches journalists how to report news without leaving their hotel room. Ahmadinejad accuses Europe of stealing Iran's rain, but we thought only China had mastered that skill. Willie Nelson's history of political endorsements: If you're a candidate, you don't want it.
Photos of the tornado that killed at least 89 in Missouri. Breakdown of Obama's luggage for Europe trip: 1,500 people and an operating theater. Obama says Guinness in Ireland is better than in the States. In Paris or Rome, could an African immigrant have obtained a swift
Obama deliberately embraces 1967 lines in opposition to Netanyahu; "strong medicine for the Palestinian side too." Anti-circumcision measure--which would ban the practice for males under 18, no religious exemptions--makes ballot in San Francisco. World's oldest monument has scientists debating whether religion created civilization, and not vice
CDC inspects "Bizarre Bits" collection over the exhibit of a possible smallpox scab from 1876. Now the most expensive art photo ever: Cindy Sherman's Untitled #96 auctions for $3.89 million. Contrary to belief, private prisons cost more per inmate--and rarely take the infirm--aka the unprofitable.
2012 Olympic torch to pass within a one-hour journey of 95% of UK residents. Muslims in France should fear their Socialist leaders being accused of rape because it benefits Le Pen. Worst of the worst from the French press (note: in French). Five short takes (in English): Are French women
Libya's oil minister crossed into Tunisia last night, becoming the highest-level official to defect in a month. Emerging economies--with China, Brazil, and Turkey in the lead--eye the now-open top IMF job. After nearly a decade of losing value against every other currency, the dollar may be poised for
Roseanne: Charlie Sheen was the world's most famous john, and a sitcom was written around him. Three weeks ago, IMF chief Strauss-Kahn imagined a woman inventing a rape story about him for money. Ben Stein: It's unlikely that Strauss-Kahn is guilty of rape because economists don&
In LA, hybrid vehicle drivers won't be allowed to drive solo in carpool lanes after July 1. New York's six Lexus hybrid cabs don't outearn their Crown Vic counterparts, and their drivers don't care. First the crabs find you, then maybe a
Berlusconi and berlusconismo take drubbing in local elections in Italy, where tide of aversion rises. Prison allows Chinese inmates to reduce sentences by doing Communist cultural activities. No djoke: Djokovic's domination of tennis attributed to gluten-free diet. Sam Anderson: Eat, Pray, Love is avant-garde, "a self-generating, self-sustaining,
Diplomats spar over newly available petroleum rights, shipping lanes in a rapidly melting Arctic. What the IMF sexual assault accusation means for France's presidential elections. "It's Lincoln meets Reagan with a smidge of Harding." For whatever reason, we can't stop comparing Obama
Smoke the Iraqi donkey wins green card lottery. Azerbaijan, nominally in Europe, wins Eurovision. Balance of power in Libya shifting toward rebels, but war looks to go long--meanwhile, 60-day deadline looms for White House. George Mitchell resigns as chief Middle East envoy; surprise is why he didn't resign
Pakistani Taliban kills 80, most of them newly trained cadets leaving paramilitary academy. File under "inevitable"--the Taliban gets on Twitter. Good op-ed about America pressing Pakistan by Zakaria ends with remarkably vapid last line. McCain: Torture did not give us bin Laden; in fact, waterboarding Khalid Sheik
Galleon Group founder, mega-bajillionaire Raj Rajaratnam convicted of insider trading. Pentagon considering family visits for Guantanamo detainees. Conservative estimate says 48 women and girls are raped every hour in DR Congo, "one of the great human crises of our time." Former Peace Corps volunteers speak out against agency&
Bin Laden data reveal a terror kingpin active in new plots, including 9/11-scale attacks in smaller cities across the U.S. DA files suit to overturn Schwarzenegger commutation, since he didn't contact the victims first. As governor, Mitt Romney ushered in statewide health coverage; as GOP candidate,
Ten years ago, Bush and Musharraf made a deal: U.S. could raid, Pakistan would protest afterward. Hitchens on voice in writing and speech now that he has lost his own. What happens to all the Asian-American overachievers when the test-taking ends? Technocrats who seemed golden in winter now doomed
Reports show U.S. was prepared to battle Pakistani forces if they stood between them and bin Laden. A survey of the algorithms that rule the web, and how they affect everything from content farms to sports journalism. Charting the path of the Old Man in the Lake, the waterlogged
When we talk about "saving the planet" we really mean "save ourselves, please." Futurologists forecast what's next for the Earth's resident specks. Since their televised tussle 30 years ago, anthropologists Leakey and Johanson have apparently evolved. In the Galapagos, struggling to find
Syrian tycoon says Assads will fight to bitter end, but if Syria falls, so will Israel. Chart: Percentages of populations living on $10 or less per day. Urban renewal and economic development mean hard times for Turkey's remaining poor. Photos: Japan two months later. Somaliland leads world in
One-third of Africa's billion-strong population now middle class. Compelling profile of China-Siberia border, "one of the most important in the power struggles of the new century." Officials around Putin and Medvedev undergoing nervous breakdowns while trying to place loyalties. Germans make Donald Duck smarter in translation,
Despite near-loss, unfortunately-named PAP Party holds power in Singapore for 46th straight year. Obama administration proposes $1 billion in debt relief for succesor to Mubarak government. Topics to anticipate this week. Experts believe Salafist groups, not Muslim Brotherhood, may be Egypt's real rising fundamentalist power. Almost 200 arrested
Merkel grilled for saying bin Laden's death "pleased" her; India jubilant bin Laden was found in Pakistan. Military long-read: Time to adjust our alliances to the post-protectorate era. Slideshow of memorable state-ordered assassinations in foreign lands. Republican senators thought photos of dead bin Laden were real
Absent from the first-ever Fed chairman press event this week: discussion of bank regulation. Everyone wants to prove money won't make you happy, though research shows poverty sure can make you unhappy. Star Wars propaganda posters. In Tuscaloosa, there is a woman, a neighbor, who walks every day
Time to revisit this 2006 debunking of bin Laden being on dialysis; the myth dates back to 2000. Video: Osama's compound burning after the attack. John Ashcroft appointed head of ethics at Xe, formerly known as Blackwater. Op: China would love to see Trump elected president; it would
International Criminal Court finds grounds to charge Gadhafi's forces with committing war crimes. Garance Franke-Ruta dissects the multiple, and contradicting, White House narratives of bin Laden's death. Science about "first strike news"--updates to big stories barely dent our beliefs. Robert Fisk recounts his
Federal prosecutors to request dismissal of charges against Osama bin Laden, indicted since 1998. Gourevitch: Don't release the bin Laden photos; this moment's iconic image shouldn't be so gruesome. Nissan edges out Ford and Karsan Otmotiv as the next generation of NYC taxis. California
Raid on bin Laden compound uncovered a "mother lode of intelligence," including a number of hard drives. With Missouri's appeal blocked, Corps of Engineers blows Mississippi River levee to save Illinois town. Brain tissue tests on former NFL player who committed suicide reveal the trauma-induced depression
Bin Laden's DNA match most likely from a parent or child to meet 99.9% accuracy. Great hideout, would use again. Bin Laden's compound receives mostly bum reviews. Times drops honorific for bin Laden. Op: If Pakistan's military intelligence is mildly competent, bin Laden
Legal question of killing Osama bin Laden isn't exactly cut and dry, though any outcry is unlikely. Day of military operation was "excruciating," says Obama aide. Pakistani military shamed by bin Laden's death; chief visited academy next to Osama's hideout last month.
U.S. kills bin Laden in Pakistan; body buried at sea to prevent grave becoming shrine. Man who live-Tweeted Osama's death laments that Abbottabad will now become "as crowded as Lahore." How the operation played out; an obituary for Osama; global reaction in photos. Conquering bin
Egypt to open blockaded border with Gaza while normalizing relations with Hamas and Iran. Afghanistan, unable to pay for a volunteer army, considers a draft. Thailand and Cambodia agree to truce in much-ignored, very non-royal-wedding border skirmish. Chart: Average ages for people marrying in Britain. Two girls reflect on the
Ouattara now controls Ivory Coast, but some militias that got him there have gone renegade. Videos: Tornado that tore through Tuscaloosa. Excellent view, with lucid information, on artist Ai Weiwei's jailing and the prevailing silence. Arab leaders absorb Mubarak's mistake--better to fight and kill than run
Last night's storms across the South killed 72 people in four states. States spar over the levee blast that could save a flood-threatened Illinois town--and destroy 130K acres of Missouri farmland. LAPD finishes analyzing backlog of 6,132 untested rape kits--some were stored for more than a decade.
With fewer Japanese cars entering the US market due to disaster recovery, rivals look toward boosting production. Gitmo Wikileaks reveal al Qaeda plot to cut down the Brooklyn Bridge--Kelly deemed it "doable." The Times on why it was denied the latest WikiLeaks, and why Assange no longer controls
White House releases Obama's birth certificate, Trump takes credit for "hopefully getting rid of this issue." Brief history of lying in modern American politics. Reporter flies with Abbas as he pitches UN resolution to confer statehood on Palestinians. Syria poised to join UN's Council
European scientists study volcano ash effects, demonstrate last year's airspace shutdown was justified. Now that Gaudi's cathedral is finished--130 years late--Barcelonans can begin debating the building's authenticity. International Criminal Court Justice pauses hearing to ask attorneys to shed their wigs. For countries with very
Law firm hired by House to defend Defense of Marriage Act drops case after public pressure. UN inquiry into Sri Lankan army's final offensive against Tamil Tigers finds ghastly war crimes. By the way, Cambodia and Thailand have been fighting for the past five days. Pictures from Chernobyl.
White House considers sanctions against Syria for "deplorable" "brutal violence" against its people in Deraa. Excellent Economist summary of California's failed experiment with unchecked direct democracy. Book about flies becomes valued at $23 million on Amazon. Rumor in physics world says Higgs boson, also
Interactive history of Guantánamo prisoners, based on publication of more Wikileaks files. Syrian army rolls into southern city of Daraa with tanks. Afghan end-game sliding toward reconciliation with Taliban forces, though Pentagon has yet to concede. Taliban spends five months digging tunnel under Kandahar jail; almost 500 comrades break free
Armed U.S. Predator drones to fly missions in Libya; McCain arrives in Benghazi. At least nine Latin American countries developing drone programs. Notes from the memorial service for Chris Hondros and Tim Hetherington in Benghazi. Not only a very brave and good man, but an endearingly sensitive and honest
Photographs from Misrata over the past several days taken by killed photographer Chris Hondros. Photos: Texas wildfires. The House introduced 84 bills in response to the BP spill. It passed two of them. They died in the Senate. Kabul Bank to be split in two to save customers' assets;
On Wednesday, Bernanke will become the first Fed chairman to hold a press conference. With some species more threatened than others, potentially endangered animals face a very long waiting list. TV on the Radio's Gerard Smith loses battle with lung cancer--he was 36. If convicted, the mastermind behind
Egypt's chief archaeologist now multitasking to avoid allegations of powermongering and fraud. We're talking about the largest mass migration in human history. Anticipating Bangladesh much underwater in 2050. Ireland certainly has some interesting water towers. Print media still strong in Ethiopia, where customers pay less than
Supreme Court will throw out lawsuit by six states to limit carbon pollution by coal plants in other states. Twenty-eight countries pledge almost $2 billion to build new concrete shell enclosing Chernobyl reactor. Founder of what was once one of the nation's largest mortgage lenders found guilty of
Banks ordered to freeze international assets face Arabic spelling challenges. Turned down for 826, Austin lures teachers from its local music and film scene to start a creative tutoring center. A new business finds there's money to be made introducing unconnected parents to private school administrators. Cuba'
Summary of Nigerian politics: a federal system of fiefdoms ruled by godfatherism. Protests in Nigeria, Uganda, and Burkina Faso don't symbolize a broader African movement. Cousins of Roomba deployed to Fukushima reactor building. See also: Video shot by an unmanned helicopter of the destruction of Fukushima's
Riots break out in Nigeria after results, some troubling, show Goodluck Jonathan to win. Long read: Hitchens on sex, the divided self, and how his cancer's making him a human experiment. Rider to last week's budget deal: gray wolf removed from Idaho and Montana's
Libyan-American telecom executive establishes cell-phone service for rebels, who were using signal flags. Long read: Saudi Arabia and Iran enter a new cold war. Sarkozy's line for Africa--"neither interference nor indifference" smacks some of Françafrique. Photos: Pictures of Dadaab, world's largest refugee camp,
Photos from Japan, one month later. California immigration scam targeting Chinese nationals recruited victims into a fake U.S. special forces unit. The Finnish government's "baby box" is like a baby shower without any bad gifts. In 1993, John Fogerty was slapped with a lawsuit for
Doctors in Japan say patients are experiencing phantom quakes and other symptoms of "earthquake sickness." Japan's recovery and rescue teams enter 10 km area around Fukushima plant for the first time. Obama faces no serious challengers to the nomination--and incumbents who do tend to lose in
Qatar acknowledges running secret pipeline of "defensive" weapons to Libyan rebels. Mubarak's sons being held in a prison known for torture--and for being where the U.S. sent suspected militants. Video: Czech president pockets a ceremonial pen. "Chilean CoPeepapo Mine Rescue" winner of Post&
Britain, France confound NATO, suffer wrist slap while calling on allies to intensify Libyan airstrikes. "It is not beyond the imagination that 50% of the oil is still floating around out there." A scientist in a submarine studies the Gulf, post-Deepwater Horizon. The BP spill's toll
Matt Taibbi tracks how and why the Fed gave wives of two Morgan Stanley bigwigs $220 million. Men over 50 in North Korea allowed to grow their hair up to 2.75 inches to hide bald spots. Miliband: There is no military solution to Afghanistan; our leverage is quickly declining.
Libyan rebels reject African Union's proposed roadmap to peace: It's not enough if Gadhafi doesn't go. U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upholds lower court's stay on key provisions of Arizona's harsh anti-immigration law. Blast in Minsk
Conservative Christians backed Gbagbo; multiple relationships with high-profile evangelicals. Indonesian legislator elected on anti-porn platform arrested for watching porn in parliament. Basketball coaches and players from two California universities indicted for match fixing. At home with Mark Hogancamp, creator of WWII-era fantasy world Marwencol. Brief quiz to test your Civil
Many surprised to see healthy bids for Warner Music--perhaps the deep-pocketed see what the biz can be, rather than what it once was. "He was part of a generation that had had so few opportunities open to them." An interview with Yuri Gagarin's daughter, on the
Ivory Coast's Gbagbo captured, ending standoff and siege. Jordanian self-immolates outside prime minister's office in Amman. Five killed in shooting spree in Dutch shopping mall, 12 in similar incident at Brazilian public school. Man who shot John Wilkes Booth went on to live in constant fear
America's last island prison, where staff and inmates lived side-by-side, closes in Puget Sound. Alleged Libyan rape victim set free. Woman's Day strangely fascinated with famous American ghost towns. Op: Edith Piaf led a more outrageous life--mafia involvement, prostitution--than films suggest. Scientists dissect sociological role of
Taliban aligns itself with fury over Florida Koran burning; death toll still rising. Taliban attack on Sufi shrine in Pakistan kills more than 40; see also: on the state of Sufism today. U.S. shift positions and concludes Yemen's leader needs to go. Even if this rash of
Crisis in Ivory Coast quickly evolving; Ouattara backers seize state TV, attack palace; Reuters updates. Photos from Libyan conflict. Also important: Prince William won't wear a wedding band, but Kate gets one of rare Welsh gold. War correspondent describes fortnight spent in Gadhafi's prison. Qataris start
China white paper says military competition with U.S. and others is fierce, particularly over Taiwan. Message sent to Gadhafi by Koussa's defection: It's not just about airstrikes. C.I.A. working in Libya for several weeks "to bleed Gadhafi's military," gather
U.K. accepts defecting Libyan foreign minister, expels five Gadhafi-supporting diplomats. Lead suspect in Bali bombing, running for almost 10 years, nabbed in Pakistan. A year after Saleh's meeting with Bush, the U.S. "trainers" would set up their first "wet" operation. Six years
France leans on U.S. to arm Libyan rebels; Gates remembers arming Afghans who later became Taliban. Tuesday attack on Iraq government office ends with dozens of insurgents and over 30 hostages dead. Syrian president dismisses cabinet in latest concession to protesting crowds. George Clooney on witness list for Berlusconi&
China to overtake the U.S. as world's leading publisher of scientific papers--though that doesn't mean anyone is citing China's articles. It's a sign of something when tech companies start poaching White House employees. Op: Libya may be in the headlines, but
Bernard-Henri "BHL" Levy may be world's most powerful philosopher--e.g., he got France into Libya. Survey of humanitarian intervention from Nigeria's Biafran war to Kosovo, with lots of BHL and his hair. Email exchange between Fukushima nuclear plant worker and Tepco employee. Whiffs of
Hugo Chavez speaks out for second Middle East dictator, calls Syria's Assad "a man of great human sensitivity." Ivory Coast's Ouattara rejects African Union's appointed mediator for his connections to Gbagbo. Hotels say they add room items strategically; up next: iPads, but
Self-restraint sweeps Japan--graduations cancelled, in-store jingles toned down. Gates: Gadhafi moving dead people to simulate civilian attacks. Ground report: "After 42 years of Gadhafi... Libyans don't know what their country is, much less what it will be." Rebels close on Gadhafi's hometown, gateway of
America's Hispanic population tops 50 million; by 2050, 1 in 3 U.S. residents will be Hispanic. Summary of Arab reaction to Libyan intervention--scotching the snake makes for troubling effects. Chart: Subsidies offered by Arab nations to quell domestic uprising. Negotiations for Yemen's power switch hit
Treasury starts freezing Gadhafi's estimated $100 million--and stops 72 hours later, $30 billion frozen. Next time you feel like complaining about CNN or Fox's news slant, try Libyan state TV. Op: Cosmo's Middle Eastern launch could be an engine of feminist change. Timeline of
Possible stalemate: Gadhafi controls Tripoli and western Libya; rebels hold east under outside protection. Kuwait and Jordan offer logistic help to Libya intervention. There will be no different yardsticks. Departing Arab League head answers questions about hypocrisy. Portugal's prime minister quits after austerity measures are again rejected; bailout
Elizabeth Taylor dead at 79; "she knew she was a star and relished, even cherished her position." Taylor's career timeline. Tokyo tap water not safe for infants. Bret Easton Ellis on Charlie Sheen as herald of the new "Post-Empire." Reviews of Wuthering Heights from
Yesterday's Israeli attacks on Gaza City killed mixture of militants and civilians, including two children. Very clever visualization from the Guardian of recent Arab unrest. Europe grapples with leading Libyan intervention, displaying between "too much zeal" and "too little zeal." You would think that
Cambodia bans men over 50 from marrying its women. Pictures of Japan one week later. Court refuses to let Ponzi mastermind settle case privately with Amish, arguing violation of church-state separation. Hamas a touch pissed the U.N. wants to teach Palestinian children about the Holocaust; U.N. teachers pissed,
No-fly zone established, Obama looks to hand over command swiftly. Costs in Libya: $100 million for one day of missiles; $1 billion will easily be passed. China abstains from vote on Libya, though not from criticizing subsequent U.N. actions. Japan's nuclear crisis is 60% manmade--government passivity and
Situation in Yemen unstable; president fires few ministers left; commanders join protest movement. Arab League hedges bets, criticizes no-fly zone it requested; African Union condemns the whole thing. 77.2% of 18 million voting Egyptians choose to amend constitution toward democracy and summer elections. Ambassador to Mexico takes one for
Oe: The Japanese should not have drawn from the tragedy of Hiroshima a "recipe" for growth. Chart: Radiation absorbed from various sources--from bananas to mammograms. Notes from Japan, including life inside Tokyo FM, where pop stars communicate sympathy. Rescued: Grandmother and 16-year-old after being trapped nine days in
Security Council votes to authorize military action, and France leads charge; Gadhafi pledges no mercy. Live BBC stream of West/Arab League intervention in Libya. Egypt arming Libyan rebels; rebels somehow also launching fighter-jet attacks. "Obama joked about Clinton lobbing rocks through his window" to push for moving
Military prepares to deploy fake personas to support U.S. interests on foreign social networks. Interesting analysis of potential economic consequences for Japan in light of the lack of much data. Major banks "testing out" $5 ATM withdrawal fees. Accessible Bonnie Bassler profile, "champion of bacterial conversations.
Hoax text messages spreading around Asian nations stoke unease about radiation. For all we've lost, hope is in fact one thing we Japanese have regained. Clinton visits Tahrir Square, praises Egyptian protesters and upbraids Bahraini government. Gadhafi threatening deadly siege of Libyan rebels has U.S. pushing the
Military helicopters unable to waterbomb fire in Fukushima nuclear reactor; firefighting efforts frantic. Relief effort in Japan does not have room for more funding; give to Doctors Without Borders instead. Slideshow: History of Japan being culturally depicted as a land of disaster. N.A.S.A. investigating bag of cocaine
Japanese emperor hits live TV to urge all-out effort and say he's "deeply worried." Meltdown 101: how "spent-fuel pools" work; chart of world's biggest nuclear-electricity producers. Report from Kyoto, where life is reasonably calm and continuous, and the French Embassy isn'
Experiment with kids and boxes helps explain why people interpret natural disasters as divine messages. Q&A on misconceptions of post-disaster counseling, and why putting survivors in therapy immediately is harmful. U.S. hoping Aristide will remain out of Haiti through election season. Saif Qaddafi's classmate remembers
Japan's nuclear crisis verges toward catastrophe; "unpalatable options" even if full meltdown is averted. Sunni vs. Shiite as Iran calls arrival of Saudi troops in Bahrain "unacceptable." Hitchens: If we do nothing in Libya now, let's be wise and prepare to do
Thousands of bodies wash up on Japanese shorelines; central bank injects $184 billion into money markets. Thousands of protesters blocked off Bahrain's financial district. Alec Baldwin offers career advice to Charlie Sheen: Apologize and beg. Milan, Ind., which inspired Hoosiers, now has no businesses. Sixteen ways to use
Millions saved in Japan by good engineering and government building codes. There was almost a festive spirit in the air. Report from a cubicle in Tokyo. Interesting, brief roundtable on lessons for America from Japan's nuclear crisis. European officials attempt to quickly reassure citizens an atomic-power emergency is
Videos of Japan's earthquake and tsunami, causing vast destruction. Op: L.A.'s traffic and despicable people doom it to being destroyed repeatedly in movies. Despite Chinese orders, Dalai Lama to retire rather than reincarnate. Britain risks being bumped to Europe's bottom tier, which may
Cameroon bans Twitter, affecting almost no one while sending a message of being out of touch. Chinese journalist/blogger miffed that he, unlike Zuckerberg's dog, can't have a Facebook account. Finding sneaky, unintentional "rape-friendliness" in Times account of girl's gang rape in
Gadhafi has "tens of billions" in cash in Tripoli to prolong his fight, having laundered many years with the Swiss. Explanation for the many spellings of Gadhafi. British and Brazilian correspondents go missing near outskirts of Tripoli. France becomes first nation to recognize Libyan rebels as state'
Guatemala's first lady to pull a Hillary and run for president, but needs to challenge an anti-succession law. Iranian shipment of rockets to the Taliban intercepted. Universal decides not to back del Toro's $150-million adaptation of Lovecraft's "Madness" after del Toro insists
Yemeni police shoot at least 50 attempting to join larger protest group at Sanaa University. Malta, with strong business ties to the region, delaying E.U. sanction-setting against Libya. Arab women "massively" participating in current revolutions, determined their efforts won't be forgotten. Smithsonian curator sent to
U.K. and France drafting "contingency" resolution to impose no-fly zone over Libya. Tunisia dissolves state security apparatus "to overcome the deficiencies noted under the former regime." Coverage of coverage of anti-Semitism having a moment in the sun. Profile of Dan Savage, America's most
Obama approves resuming Guantanamo trials, still seeks other venues and means to try terrorists. Reports of African mercenaries fighting for Gadhafi stoke racial violence against African migrant workers in Libya. America's incredible military capacity provides a powerful temptation to grasp the sword. Gates predicts minor troop pullout this
Rather than kill the web, Libyan government moved it into "standby mode," preserving its own uses. Friedman on the forces bearing down on the Middle East; rebuttal regarding the force of Friedman's vanity. Egypt revolution tweets already compiled in a book, assuming publisher can get each
Gadhafi compares struggle to oppress rebels to Israel's war against Hamas. Ground reporting from Libyan rebels' attacks around Ras Lanuf. Musicians face calls to surrender fees earned from performing for Gadhafi's family. Dictators learn how to manipulate Facebook and arrest rebels for their "likes.
China restricting journalists and foreigners over fears of Middle East repeat. Libyan rebels say, "Thanks, but no thanks," to Chávez's offer to broker peace deal. Another American war in an Arab state--what's not to like? Six considerations for discussing a Libyan no-fly zone. Egypt&
Libya-Tunisia border "bursting"--90,000 refugee in 10 days; Europe transports Egyptians home. Yemeni president, perhaps remembering all those U.S. aid dollars, backtracks on "U.S. staging Middle East revolution." Police counterterrorism training business coheres under one view: total war with Islam. Black Keys ex-wife
Justice Alito is the lone dissenter in upholding the right of fringe groups to protest near private funerals. Supreme Court considers whether Ashcroft has personal immunity in the 2003 detention of an American Muslim. Most popular Bible for American catholics revised; "virgin" becomes "young woman"; "
To avoid the perception of an oil grab, the U.S. has held off sending military to Libya. Dept. of Agriculture deploys volunteer to Afghanistan to kill birds before they're sucked into jet engines. Police departments train volunteers to pick up extra investigative work. When Pulitzer winners attack:
Egypt's revolution has been instantly commercialized, with all products made in China. Mideast turmoil appears to have shaken Israel-Palestinians issue loose--Israel willing to proceed with limited talks. Op: Keep Israel Jewish, freeze settlements. See also: New housing for Jews approved in east Jerusalem. Chronicle of porn banker'
Egypt freezes Mubarak and family's assets, forbids them from leaving the country. Obama supports governors in developing alternative health plans that meet the standards of the 2010 law. Health insurers support those patients who want higher priced care to pay extra for it. Research finds link between self-compassion--how
Yemen's president says "secret operations room" in Tel Aviv wants to "destabilize the Arab world." Protesters clash with Iran forces after opposition leaders were jailed. Saif Gadhafi's £1.5 million trade for a Ph.D. from a British university isn't
E.U. agrees to sanctions against Libya; France wants to lead charge to redeem foreign policy credentials. I have done nothing illegal, nothing wrong. French foreign minister resigns over questionable ties to Tunisian business interests. Three hundred arrested in wake of Iraq's "Day of Rage," aimed
Will the terrorist network shrivel slowly to irrelevance? Or will it find a way to exploit the chaos? What now for al Qaeda? U.K., Germany running secret, unauthorized evacuations of citizens by air from Libyan desert. Gadhafi's infamous Ukrainian nurse-friend, described by the State Dept. as a
Most Libyan leaders can choose to join the opposition--C.I.A. pointman Musa Kusa may have nowhere to go but jail. U.S., Pakistani officials meet privately at an Omani resort to hash out the fate of a C.I.A. contractor accused of murder. Decade-long bidding process to replace
Gadhafi blames unrest on Osama bin Laden and young people on drugs. Obama condemns violence in Libya, but not Gadhafi, possibly out of concern for citizens still in Libya. Cameron apologizes for slow evacuation of Brits. Army ordered psy-ops team to manipulate McCain and other visiting senators in Afghanistan. White
Goldman Sachs says approved G.O.P. spending cuts will halve U.S. economic growth in 2011. Airlines raise ticket prices $10 this week, the first of many responses to oil hitting $100 a barrel. Yemen's president orders police to protect anti-government protestors. New kidney transplant guidelines propose
As the tide quickly turns against Gadhafi, some worry Libya could fracture into violent fiefdoms, a la Somalia. Supreme Court bars lawsuits for vaccine injuries--e.g., infant seizures, buried here under hot-button autism fears. Producers cold-shoulder Teddy Wayne when he finds "random similarities" between his article and an
Protests continue while Bahrain releases more political prisoners; king flies to Saudi Arabia for chat. Ready to chat, Saudi Arabia's king is home after receiving three months of medical treatment abroad. Rules about how to be a girl in a boys' club, which is pretty much still
Eastern Libya threatens to shut down oil unless Gadhafi ceases massacre. Libya uprising explained. Op: Life in Appalachia is horrible; dignity and lives are continuously wiped away by coal. Tips on how to grow up with a stutter in Maryland's skinny tip. Fed agencies, including C.I.A.
Gadhafi hangs on: summary of current events, violence, threat of civil war, and umbrella-vision. One thing gleaned from Libya's revolt: Gadhafi's son is no moderate heir. Zimbabwe arrests 46 for watching videos of uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Iran sails warships through Suez Canal for the
Catching vague hints of protests in Beijing, Chinese police react with massive paramilitary responses. Republicans may hope budget worries become votes, but history shows that strategy rarely leads to victory. F.C.C. investigates TV station over staffing numbers--due to cutbacks, it may fail to meet coverage obligations to the
White House conducting secret talks with senior Taliban leaders; Mullah Omar speaks via cassette tapes. Mubarak didn't co-opt the web like Iran or China, and by cancelling it he drove people to protest. There's absolutely no turning back. Despite deaths, protests continue in Libya. Libyan regime&
Patriot Act extended 90 days; White House says they'd prefer until 2013. Formula One Grand Prix, set for protest-stricken Bahrain, now in question. Live updates from Friday's protests in Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, and Jordan. Following Serbia's 2000 revolution, young activists formed school to instruct
North Korea celebrates Dear Leader's life with Kimjongilias, flowers designed to bloom on his birthday. Belgium throws parties for going without a government longer than Iraq. Bookmaker's odds on next Middle Eastern country to topple its leader has Yemen first. Tie down your VCR and GPS,
Army captain who busted badge counterfeiters is under investigation for using fake badges to breach security at government buildings. Gunmen who killed U.S. customs agents in Mexico knew they were firing on foreign officers--though no motive has been determined. In an Ohio Amish village, S.E.C. charges man
How Egypt turned off the internet: The lines to the outside world carried in the services that made its domestic web work. CBS News reporter Lara Logan was beaten and sexually assaulted at Tahrir Square after Mubarak's resignation. In prison interview, Madoff says banks and hedge funds were
Protests spread to Libya; thousands protest in Yemen, anticipating eruption on Feb. 24. WikiLeaks cables show U.S. diplomats finding no evidence tying Iran to Bahrain unrest. Iran calls for "hatred" rally to express frustration with opposition movement. Tymoschenko offers Egyptians and Tunisians lessons from Ukraine: Beware the
With scavengers and corporations eyeing the same bucket of grease, the price of biodiesel jumps to $3 a gallon. Airlines' new tack for harsh winters: Accept defeat, cancel early--rather than detain passengers for hours on a runway. The yellows in many Van Gogh paintings have turned coffee brown, and
Disappointment greets Egypt's decision to use Algerian font instead of Papyrus. Obama's strategy in Egypt--staying out of the way--was successful even if it looked sloppy. Next victim in Egypt: Indiana Jones, Mubarak's chosen Egyptologist. Trucking strikes, elections, presidential stalemates: Five recent Africa news stories
A history of the Egypt protests--two years in the making, led by bloggers, headquartered on Facebook. Protests spread to Yemen, Bahrain, and Algeria; demonstrations planned in Iran and Libya. A cautious Israel is pleased that Egypt's new military rulers will honor the 1979 peace treaty. Forgotten in the
Sources say Mubarak's been in a coma since Saturday; rumors say he fainted twice during final speech. Mubarak's gigantic personal yacht "Freedom" paid for by U.S. tax dollars. Obama backs massive arms exports, buying clout abroad while tripling signed aggrements since 2000. Day
India and Pakistan to restart peace talks on hold since 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Wael Ghonim on al-Arabiya TV: "We demand the ability to form political parties immediately. This is what this movement is about." Map of Cairo protests after Mubarak's refusal to resign. Op: Mubarak&
Time elapsed between Gawker's post on congressman's infidelity to his resignation: three hours. "Anybody who listened to tea party people around the country has no excuse for being surprised." Republicans fail to renew Patriot Act. Analysis: It's been a long week for
All your demands will be met today. Egypt's military says it's time to end Mubarak's rule. Syria unbans Facebook; Sudan tells supporters to use Facebook to beat opposition. Harsh wind for king of Jordan: "Bunting and banners that marked the king's
The video that reignited a revolution: Google executive Wael Ghonim's TV interview. W.H.O. statistics show European cancer deaths will plummet in 2011. Writer competes with computers for the Loebner Prize, awarded for being the "most human." Anthropologist explains how humans become nearly amphibious in
More than 300 protesters killed and thousands injured in Egypt, human rights groups say. Times correspondent lays out gear and explains how he sneaks it into Tahrir Square. World leaders have abandoned Mubarak, but Kim Jong-il still wishes him happy new year. Long read: Inside Secret Service detail, from saving
In strictly monetary terms, the number of people around the world living in poverty is diminishing. Was the headline "Obama Doesn't Care About the Super Bowl" dancing in his head? A close read of the O'Reilly interview. Roseanne Cash channels Jane Austen while watching
Coach president says men buy 45% of luxury handbags in China. French foreign minister, who suggested attacking Tunisia's protesters, regrets vacationing in Tunisia during a revolt. Why protests continue: graduates with phones but no future, plus doctors and lawyers, are raging. Profile: "The Fridge" can barely
After 1,800 robberies in the past three years, some pharmacies want criminals to know they no longer stock OxyContin. A federal government initiative to offer public access to digital records will now cost more than $1.4 billion. For presidential hopefuls, Israel is the new Iowa. Long read: The
Obama fundraisers turn the machine back on--Republicans think Obama will top $1 billion. Across the South, conservative Democrats move to the G.O.P., throw party majorities off balance. No reason to not wait until April 15 if the I.R.S. isn't ready to process returns--actually, April
New York to ban smoking in parks and beaches, including Central Park and Coney Island. "All you need is a black mask and a motorcycle, and I have a motorcycle." Man arrested in $1.5 million Bellagio chip robbery. Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania, is a town whose economy is
Op: Botching every opportunity since 1928, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has marginalized itself out of notoriety. As for all the other babies, the market sorts them and stamps labels onto them. Wallace Shawn explains why he's a socialist. For 17 years, photographer Darcy Padilla chronicled a mother
Netanyahu says Iran wants to make Egypt "another Gaza," but doesn't mention how. More than 20,000 Yemenis march for "day of rage." Guardian's live Egypt coverage; charts show "who's who of Egyptian has-beens." Slightly interactive map of
Secretary Clinton's long friendship with Mubarak shown to be key--and risky--to Obama's Egypt strategy. Samples from Arab press responses to Egypt's unrest. Egypt-related Twitter feeds to follow. Yemen's president promises not to run for reelection; Jordan's king dissolves government. Norway
After a shutdown that did nothing to disrupt protests, Egypt restores internet access. Related: Conan was right. Palestinian Authority, Hamas won't allow Palestinians to show support for Egyptian protestors. Investors ignore the news, push Dow Jones above 12,000 for the first time since June 2008. Today is
To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, the Chinese are buying bunnies for their homes, and wishing they hadn't. Chinese state video of air force drill splices in Top Gun dogfight footage. O: "What time of day do you like to record?" K: "Fifty o&
Crowd estimates varied for Egypt's Tuesday protests; Tahrir Square thought to hold 225,000. Primer: Civil war threat kindled in Ivory Coast; academics urge media to focus on power, not ethnicities. Q&A with Cairo protester: Protesters don't have time for Twitter, web, or TV.
"The people advance as Mubarak starts his retreat." Egypt's Sunday front pages. Wanting to avoid unrest, Syrian president considers his anti-Americanism a grassroots win. Bush adviser says Cairo is proof his former boss was right about the "freedom deficit." Preliminary counts from South Sudan
Iconic protest photo surely to be named, "Walk Like an Egyptian." America's Egypt policy summarized succinctly in a tweet. Egyptian novelist reports from streets, where Coke's used for facewash to fight tear gas. List of recent great Egyptian novels; long primer on Egyptian politics.
Al Jazeera's influence over recent events summarized as vast, freewheeling, not without blind spots. Al Jazeera live blog of Egypt protests. Street report from Egypt; "this is how the Egyptian spring began." Biden: I would not refer to Mubarak as a dictator. D.E.A. sells
Despite media reports, it's not really possible for a government to block Twitter. Dubai's unihabited islands, developed for millionaires, gradually falling back into the sea. Pictures to prove that yes, world, there are grocery stores in Detroit. Sometimes you can't believe this is Kampala.
The deficit will reach a record high in 2011, proving a weak economy, tax cuts, and higher spending don't match. White House breaks its silence on Middle East unrest, throws support behind Egyptian protesters. The Dept. of Homeland Security's color-coded threat advisory--set to orange since 2006--will
As the official kilogram loses weight, scientists search for new standards. Europe cringes as governments sell iconic properties, including the Hotel de la Marine and the Sherwood Forest. Dairy industry stalls F.D.A.'s plan to test for new antibiotics in milk. Lepidopterists confirm butterfly expert Nabokov'
Tim Pawlenty releases Armageddon-style presidential campaign video. Kinsley: The only thing supporters of Obama's health care plan have going for them is the truth. Reminder: TMN would like to know who you think should run for President. Egypt to no longer tolerate public gatherings. Videos of Egypt protests,
Postal Service streamlines store closing process, plans to shutter 2,000 locations in two years. Historian accused of altering date on Lincoln pardon to hours before his assassination. Reboot, reject, recast: How to stop James Bond from getting old. Instead of casting, reality TV recruiters troll bars for alpha subjects.
Summary of the Palestinian document leak (story behind the leak). It is a good sign they even got to the stage of haggling over which settlements would end up where. Long read: Current state of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process: dead. Uganda cabinet third largest in the world after North Korea
Al-Jazeera leaks document trove relating to Israeli-Palestinian conflict--more background here. Former C.I.A. official behind Iran-Contra operation still running a spy shop, just not for the government anymore. Hmong community hopes a federal waiver will permit Gen. Vang Pao's burial at Arlington. H.U.D. proposes rules
America's cotton business booming; prices hit Civil War levels. Rhetoric on the Ivory Coast escalating; Ouattara calls for cocoa ban to disrupt Gbagbo's revenue. Prior to falling, Ben Ali's regime tried to steal Tunisia's Facebook passwords. British police approved to sleep with
Dept. of Justice requisitions army base to process the 127 mobsters they arrested yesterday. Joseph Carna, also known as "Junior Lollipops." The best nicknames from yesterday's bust. David Cheever's 1967 horticulture thesis revolutionized Colombia into a powerhouse flower supplier. Government reveals project "Bye
White House to increase use of military commissions to prosecute Guantánamo detainees. Keith's dearest occupation was not The Economist. Economist obituary of Economist obituary editor. Brief profiles of 10 megacities of the near future. We forget that "the countryside" is itself a manufactured good. Ode to
In Habbaniya Cece, Iraq--once a model of religious diversity--the last Christian family considers leaving town. After one day on the job, Alabama's new governor is already apologizing to non-Christians. As health care tightens and competition increases, conflicts arise between religious hospitals' directives and staff's actions.
Victims see a 1997 Vatican letter warning bishops against reporting abuse as new evidence; the church says it's proof of reform. Church officials offer a vial of John Paul II's blood, though not his heart--"the age had passed for that practice." Vermont art
Obama reminds Hu of universal human rights, Reid calls Hu a dictator. Cheney needs a heart. Facing wiretaps about orgies and prostitutes, Berlusconi says, "Italy needs everything but elections." One Italian, an artist; two Italians, a concert; three Italians, defeat. Ben Schott chart of differences between nationalities. Science
Aerial photos of Brisbane before and after last week's massive flooding--more here. For two centuries, Tecumseh's curse on the White House has yielded statistically significant, and ominous, results. Arizona legislature will most likely have to amend law to keep Rep. Giffords in office. In Lower Manhattan
Police, judge, and prosecutor visit Baby Doc's hotel. Academics and students have been unshackled. White House makes it marginally easier to visit Cuba. Fascinating notes on Stuxnet and how Siemens helped the U.S. and Israel destablizie Iran's centrifuges. Barak leaves to form new political party;
Berlusconi probed over dealings with teenage dancer he told police was Hosni Mubarak's relative. Aerial photos of Port-au-Prince before and after the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. Ours is a miraculous country. Chinese driver gets life in prison for skipping tolls for eight months. Pictures from Brazil, where over
Lengthy period of deadlock, tension expected after Lebanese government crumbles. Good, brief primer on Lebanon's crisis (though from December). Events in Tunisia are symptomatic of what lies ahead. Arab rulers have striven to kill politics in all its forms. Honduras and Jamaica at odds over death of boat
Engine 28's Roy W. Chelsen is the first firefighter to die since the signing of the Sept. 11 responders' bill. "I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it." Obama in Tucson. Following
The defense of Jared Lee Loughner may depend on an insanity argument--after Hinckley, that outcome has become less likely. U.S. claims New York City charged millions to Medicaid for unnecessary services that sometimes contradicted medical advice. If the world's population had the same amount of living space
North Korea, complete arseholes. Revelations from Wikileaks reduced to three points. Letter from Brazil on current views on TV Globo and from the president's office of favela violence. Saudi Arabia releases vulture accused of spying for Mossad, saying Saudis too have espionage animals. Hitchens: Besides obsessive and homicidal
Fabian Nuñez gave employee at the prison in which his son is incarcerated a Kindle, which was immediately returned. From the moment it was introduced in America, end-of-term clemency has remained controversial. TMN's Leah Finnegan considers Loughner's warning signs, explores what Pima could have done differently.
DeLay gets three years in prison for money-laundering convictions. Basque separatists ETA declare permanent cease-fire in Spain; Spain wants dissolution, weapons dissolved. Terrorist plots against Europe declining; Islamists responsible for only one of 2009's 294 attacks. Australian prime minister's pilots suspended for long night's
Op: Republicans didn't pull the trigger in Tucson, but they've stoked a firestorm of national anger that finally spun out of control. Last year, Pima Community College campus police responded to five "disruptions" by Jared Lee Loughner. Yet another divide in Arizona forms as
Chinese laborers built California's railroads; now China wants to bankroll California's high-speed trains. Sudan ought not to open a Pandora's box of African statelets wildly jumping to be set free. Naming suggestions for southern Sudan. From 1986-2005, drugs that began with the letter "
How an insurance company let a teenager die, then spared no expense to save itself. White House orders Pentagon to cut budgets, likely to result in the first troop reductions since the end of the Cold War. Romanian witches use dead dogs, excrement to cast tax-repelling spell. It turns out
Health spending in the U.S. flattened in 2009, as the recession forced many to forgo medical treatment. N.A.S.A. names 2012 the most scientifically flawed movie of all time--as if a neutrino particle could ever do that? Auburn football tumbles from fourth to 85th in academic ranking
Chinese aviation enthusiasts "discover" new stealth jet days before U.S. Secretary of Defense arrives in Beijing. Spilt coffee leads to false hijacking alert, angry Turk leads to real alert. Dead birds falling from the sky and fish washing ashore have people puzzling over "aflockalypse." Cop
Mexico's La Familia publishes public letter offering to suspend January activities to prove authorities are behind violence. What undermines student writing today isn't slang, it's unchecked prose. Ever-shortening print quotes and sound bites indicate smart journalism. A writer tells how she won a coat
For D.C.'s new freshmen, today's swearing-in ceremony is the rookie year's high-water mark. Russia captivated by mock Kremlim Twitter feed--KermlinRussia--which doesn't need to do much to make Russian reality funny. Long read: Today's super-rich are hard-working nouveau riche who
This time, America really is in decline: picking apart the arguments that insist otherwise. If China is the next superpower, that's news to the Chinese. Eager Republicans want to undo the last Congress--except their constituents want job creation, not patriotic posturing. Focus groups during the development of MTV
World's boredom aficionados meet to discuss drying paint, paper clips, car roofs. Op: Contemplating anti-Semitism in the Netherlands--Europe's Muslim problem is that it sees no problem. Despite cold winters, nearly every building in Mexico City lacks central heat. Decade after Taliban's supposed fall, women
As lawmakers depart their D.C. offices and new ones move in, their aides scramble to find new jobs. One-term Democrat Alan Grayson leaves office, though not without hurling barbs at his own party and "tool of special interest" Boehner. In contrast to Pelosi's gala inauguration,
Charity Navigator's tips for holiday giving: give without strings; follow up on disaster donations. Humanitarian Notes produces music to entertain, educate, and raise HIV/AIDS awareness in Africa. Partners in Health: Partnering with poor communities to address "untreatable" health problems. Acumen Fund invests in enterprises that
New census results in seat gains for some states, losses for others--California still holds the largest chunk. Texas's four new seats aren't a sure G.O.P. win--though Republicans will be drawing up the new district lines. Backgrounder on the worldwide elections to watch in 2011.
South Korea aggressively erects giant Christmas tree near North Korea. Chinese officials ban foreign words and Chinglish from publication to keep language pure. Justice and politics in Russia is "all form and no content," as shown in trial of jailed oil tycoon Khodorkovsky. Spain's annual Christmas
Pyongyang transmits its response: South Korea's military exercise are "not worth reacting to." Auditors dig into T.S.A.'s technology spending, wonder where all those puffers went. With poetry already dead, M.T.A. to replace literary quotations with more ads, service advisories. Eat
White House picks up additional Republican support for START ratification. U.K. proposes blocking all online pornography to prevent child porn; adults would need to "opt in." Larry David: Seinfeld syndication made me filthy rich, but sure, I'll take a tax cut, thanks! In the northern
In central Mexico, oil thieves set off a fire, killing 27 and forcing thousands to evacuate. "I was flipping out." Gay troops cautious, hopeful following DADT repeal. Three opinions of the repeal; troops offer regrettable quotes on combat readiness. Hoping to repeal health care reform, state leaders push
Pictures of Christmas trees that confirm national stereotypes. Mussolini never killed anyone. Displaying live tweets, E.U. summit screens filled up with anti-Berlusconi slogans, some simply his own comments. Qatar's World Cup to feature pop-up stadiums designed by Hitler's architect's son. Op: Unlike Congress,
House votes to repeal "don't ask, don't tell", and Obama gets his tax-cut plan, pleasing few. Shift happens. To find optimism and hope for progress and prosperity, look east. Egypt's military runs hotels, produces bottled water and olive oil, but the media&
Similar to Social Security in the '30s and Medicare in the '60s, the health law debate--and promises of repeal--may last decades. The new thing to do when you're a retired captain of industry: Take up the cowboy sport of cutting. "New car smell" blamed
Among O.E.C.D. countries, Germany's young have lowest unemployment rate due to apprenticeship system. South Carolina's DeMint says Christian government employees shouldn't be forced to work 10 days before Christmas. Profile of San Francisco's murderer groupie, former fiancé of John
Emanuel faces a grueling, even lighthearted interrogation from Chicagoans who want to keep him off the ballot. Rahm's having a tough time proving residency with a "for sale" video of his Chicago home. In Hong Kong, a billionaire family welcomes triplets, and many accuse them of
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
Policing for Prince William's wedding to cost $8 million; wedding-related merchandise to reap $28 million. New York police contemplate a serial killer on Fire Island. Tuesday list: List of reggae bands from the Virgin Islands. Cinematic allegory--when babies are abused to represent crimes against a country--is for dummies.
Foreign Policy compares leaked cables with its list of failed states to see how hot the mess really is. Reactions to judge's federal health decision show few can agree whether to cap the "c" in "Obamacare." Warner Bros. won't fight Yogi Bear
Turkey learns it doesn't own its anthem's copyright after German group tries to profit from performance. Turkey's "cancer villages" may hold key to saving North Dakota citizens from similar fate. Globalization's greatest feat yet: babies with continent-spanning biological beginnings. All
Ivory Coast's globally acknowledged new president governs from hotel while previous president won't budge. Week's events in round-up include Berlusconi facing two "awkward" no-confidence votes. Berlusconi says ousting him would create a "crisis in the dark." Friedman: I've
U.S. companies hold onto cash--reserves are at their largest share since 1959. Students protesting tuition fees in London attack car carrying Prince Charles. In the tradition of kid diplomats, 13-year-old peacemaker has already protested at Tiananmen. "It sounds silly, but this is a serious problem." Pumped-up laser
History is filled with stories of convent rebellion and nuns plotting escape. Concert pianist pays tribute to the teachers, games, and charades that paved the way for his creativity. Zoos fight the business mindset in hopes of saving ugly animals too. Research suggests being too clean can result in depression.
Before and after Deepwater Horizon, several serious spills and close calls on offshore rigs hinted at potential disaster. The web is..."a corporate sphere that tolerates public speech." Anti-Wikileaks attacks place Twitter, Facebook in unenviable positions. With Bush 41's support, Senate will likely pass nuke treaty
As it turns out, some suicide bombers aren't ideological martyrs, but just depressed kids. America's leading terrorist expert is a 31-year-old who garnered all his expertise from the web. If you want to be an expert deceiver, master the art of self-deception. Professor recalls his days
Yoko remembers the tea maker. The apartment was always uncluttered and tasteful. Sharing the Dakota with John Lennon. Icelander Kristinn Hrafnsson, the probable new spokesperson for Wikileaks, wants more leaks, less drama. Still no check from WikiLeaks to help with the law fees for the Army private suspected of leaking
Mammoth discrimination suit against Walmart could cost the corporation billions, change the course of class action. Michelle Rhee takes her education battle nationwide, eager to reduce unions to irrelevancy. In Germany's battle for TV ratings, a contestant is accidentally run over by his father on a bet. But
German parliament not ready to drop case of German citizen dying in U.S. drone attack. Attorney overseeing BP and Sept. 11 funds pegs $3 million for a miner as "standard operating procedure." Increasingly, park rangers' biggest threat in the wild is a human with a gun
China ready to spend $511 billion on 245 nuclear reactors--buy expertise and tech now, avoid imports later. Iran claims ability to produce yellow-cake uranium. Israeli spooks high-fived news of "the Chief's last hit" on an Iranian nuclear scientist. North Korea's propagandists can't
Senators reach compromise, agree to extend Bush tax rates and reinstate unemployment compensation. Economically speaking, giving gifts is futile: Their value rarely exceeds their price. Even Niagara Falls, the ultimate tourist attraction, couldn't save nearby towns from falling into disarray. Four apparently unconnected suicides within two months leave
"Get Your War On" is back, and though war still rages in Afghanistan, now it's time for ska and pesto. Secretly funded anti-piracy force in Somalia nearing readiness, preparing to receive air support. Contrary to popular belief, America's mission in Somalia was a heroic
Audience offered refund after disappointing, too-artsy Steve Martin event. Australia braces for Wikileak data-dump, though its own low self-image prevents too much worry. Op: Taking future dumps for granted, let's encourage people to challenge institutions, not pledge further fealty. Report from one of Earth's coldest places,
White House reverses course and says Gulf coastline will remain closed to oil drilling for seven years. Nigeria to file charges against Cheney and Halliburton on bribery grounds. China: Our love for Pyongyang will outlast international "tempests." While war seemed to arrive on the Korean Peninsula, life in
Senate approves food-safety bill, which many believe doesn't reach far enough, but is better than serving poisoned peanut butter. With Congress deadlocked on jobless benefits, two million people will go unpaid this month--a potentially serious blow to the U.S. economy. With competing billboards near the Lincoln Tunnel,
Hamas to accept referendum on peace treaty with Israel provided it includes all Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank, and diaspora. Muslim Brotherhood to boycott Egyptian runoff vote after losing all seats. Musudan rumors--North Korea's missile, the BM-25--explored; evidence lacking that Iran can hit Western Europe with a missile.
As a recession few economists saw coming enters the background, some look for new prediction models. Obama takes initiative on economic reforms ahead of Republicans, proposes two-year federal pay freeze. Moscow braced for the Wikileaks dump, though the data only proved what everyone knew: Medvedev is Robin, Putin is Batman.
Al Qaeda launches glossy web magazine Inspire to rouse Americans to kill other Americans. We're creating a tremendous reputational tax on the unethical. Wikileaks's Assanage says up next is a big bank. State Department memo on how diplomats deal with walk-in informants. White people outraged to
From the WikiLeaks embassy cables, a rundown of Qadhafi's phobias. An overview of what's included in the leaked cables, as well as cleaned-up data ready for you to download. Also helpful: A cable about a riotous, well-armed wedding in the Caucasus. By planning to sleep in
Turkey strikes back at WikiLeaks accusation that it aided al Qaeda in Iraq. "I lost faith in all this stuff a long time ago." Corruption in Egyptian "elections" as seen by sign makers. Subliminal, Israel's most popular rapper, finds success by telling listeners to
Speculations that North Korea's attack was ordered to burnish young Kim Jon Un's credentials. Op: Zadie Smith and Ross Douthat find Facebook dehumanizing because they're pretty social butterflies; everyone ain't like that. "Sarkozy calls journalists pedophiles"; Sarkozy denies calling journalists
"It was not a comfortable home for one person." The New York schools chancellorship once came with a Brooklyn Heights brownstone. My understanding of the immediate post-Watergate era was largely shaped by...Doonesbury compilations. Carnival Cruise Lines, stranded passengers disagree over whether the ship served Spam. To help
U.S. priority in Korea: Avoid overreaction or any missteps. Iran's parliament prevented by Supreme Leader from impeaching Ahmadinejad. Damon Winter's iPhone pictures of soldiers in Afghanistan. The single least popular choice was allowing the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. Times analyzes thousands of readers
Scientist who helped develop body scanning technology says a software upgrade could silence critics. Op: Few Afghans know about Sept. 11--a sign it's time to forget about winning hearts and minds, and go home. He made millions of dollars as an entertainer in Las Vegas and on cruise
How Mexico is changing: narco bling now for sale, instead of being kept by officials. We have no mayor, no police, no transit system. Government is beside the point in abandoned Mexican border towns. American executives explain what it's like to be taken over by Chinese firms. Terrific
Penn of Penn & Teller offered airport VIP status after his crotch is touched. Effects of airport scanners considered if travelers reach a pleasure-vs.-stress tipping point. "Rape Survivor Devastated by Enhanced Pat Down." Discover analysis of body-scan radiation risk--"Someone is going to get skin cancer.
Airport scanner pictures leaked; Orlando U.S. Marshals saved 35,000 images. TSA agent pulls down woman's blouse and other agents mock her; woman sues. Still our favorite take: "Unemployed English Girl to Wed Soldier from Welfare Family." Cameron banged the Cabinet table in sheer molten
To critics, the Ghailani verdict--acquitted of all murder charges--proves terrorists cannot be tried in civilian courts. From a 2007 interrogation, the Ghailani statements jurors didn't hear. A stunned Jaimy Gordon wins National Book Award for fiction; a poignant Patti Smith wins for nonfiction. Something in the straightforward nonchalance
In Afghanistan, U.S. troops are systematically destroying hundreds of abandoned, booby-trapped homes. If a country is going to be colonized, they're better off with the British than the French. How helpful was British colonialism? British government apologizes for removing body parts from former nuclear plant workers. Despite
Soldiers who eat goat kebabs, not Burger King, are less likely to be court-martialed. Restauranteurs hate OpenTable; owner says he pays them more than he pays himself. Op: If he's only one-and-done, Obama is less Carter and more George H.W. Bush. Humanities pursue data diving as the
To help prevent prisoner escapes, N.Y.P.D. begins photographing suspects' irises, stays one step shy of total privacy outrage. Labor organizations campaign to win 50,000 airport screeners hungry for union representation. One way to get more people on board with Mars colonization--faster and cheaper--is to make
Prince William's marriage to bring cheer to Britain amid economic woes. My hands were too big to fit. Michael Caine dishes on Hollywood life. Video: Michael Caine impressions you've surely seen by now. Obama tells Ryan Seacrest about his sleep habits and how presidents order flowers.
Aung San Suu Kyi shares a path with Mandela and Havel. If the past is any guide, Aung San Suu Kyi will soon try to behave like a politician. Partnership lessons from Keith Richards and Michael Eisner: share absolute trust and love of money. Disney employees stand to be terminated
Bush names who encouraged him to invade Iraq: Mubarak, Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar, Elie Wiesel. Unlike Iran, Glenn Beck invokes loving Israel after calling Soros a money-grubbing puppetmaster. British politician arrested for ha-ha wishing columnist be stoned to death. Global surge sees more women elected, but women in
How "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" traveled from a rousing call to arms to "the music that concludes great American lives." More from Dominic Tierney: In early America, the military was an essential work force and exploration team. On Radiolab, a look deep inside cities
Preliminary White House budget would cut federal spending deficit by hundreds of billions a year. In the proposed cuts, 10% of federal workers will be laid off; those left face a three-year salary freeze. John Boehner plans to do his part by flying commercial air to Washington, rather than hop
Pakistan mixes advertising and checkpoints; messages include "Stop. Security Check. Tasty." Haiti has 10,000 with cholera in hospitals; 270,000 expected infected in "between six months and a year." Election map from 1896 New York Times. Video: Footage of students and anarchists protesting tuition hikes
For 16 years, a group doctored records, concocted tales of persecution to defraud Holocaust fund of more than $42 million. "Munchausen by internet," or faking one's illness, is the new trend in virtual deception. When we self-diagnose, we look for control factors. Sometimes we invent them.
Preparing for hurricane Tomas, Haiti's Préval visited more cities in 72 hours than during five years as president. Pious Indonesian minister blames Michelle Obama for shaking his hand. France proposes discussing how much Europe should offend China by honoring Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Prize. When I make
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
Wonderful glance at sunspots, our Sun's extra-violent explosions which may or may not vary climate. Terrorists are evil and they may be part of the solution. Diplomat on when to talk to terrorists. Being afraid of terrorists makes parents dictators toward their children. Terrorism, violence, and war shown
Chilean miner sings Elvis, finishes New York Marathon in 5 hours, 40 minutes. Portraits of 99 runners after they crossed yesterday's finish line. From 2004, Rion Nakaya's post-race portraits of New York marathoners. New York Public Library digs up snapshots from the 1979 Marathon. Literary giants
Saturday's brutal beating of a Moscow journalist may be part of a Medvedev-Putin power struggle. Dick Cheney ran the Bush White House. Myths about George W. Bush. Op: Berlusconi doesn't like women, he likes interchangeable dolls. Eleven paintings "you can't miss" at
Bush makes clear he heartily approved of waterboarding, rejects "torture" classification. Bush says Kanye calling him a racist ranks among worst moments; Kanye says he wants to connect with Bush. Consumer Reports says Microsoft's Kinect isn't racist, just light-sensitive. Art conservators use concert lighting
Veteran BBC reporter surprised to find China stunningly more open than he remembered. Opposition to vaccination has existed as long as vaccination itself. History of anti-vaccination movements. Putin's mocking of Bush's smaller, weaker, slower dog prompted a Canadian wisecrack. Long read: Detailed account of where Woody
California voters agreed that pot should be taxed, but not that it should be legal. Related: The failed pot bill met resistance in the "Emerald Triangle," whose economy in part depends on marijuana. Especially noxious hair-relaxing treatments catch the attention of health agencies, who recommend salons protect their
Last night's results shouldn't be a surprise--in the last three elections, voters kicked a party out of power. Now that the Tea Party has a voice in Congress, they must figure out why they've been sent there in the first place. Op: The United
Op: If Palin is going to run for President, she should save face by announcing her cabinet at the same time as her candidacy. Campaign death masks: O'Donnell, Angle. Berlusconi says "bunga bunga" parties are better than being gay. Virginia Woolf in blackface helped invent "
Elections aren't decided based on candidates' achievements or promises, but on where they fall in a country's economic cycle. Find your polling place. Across the nation this week, local TV stations mined profit in attack ads--only viewers, local businesses lost out. Helpful: What the fuck
Midterms view from China: Americans live in fear, unwilling to sacrifice to sate their greed. Op: American exceptionalism is a lie; if you want "change," move to Britain. Phrase of the week: Berlusconi's playful "bunga-bunga" parties with under-age girls threaten his career. Two generations
A year after Copenhagen, the U.S. has little to show for climate change legislation, nor much to promise. Test audience members collapse during Danny Boyle's movie about hiker Aron Ralston, who amputated his own forearm--also, nice headline. How MMPOG developers have used gameplay tendencies to profile potential
Government spent $80 billion on intelligence activities over past 12 months. Op: West Point should be raised to ROTC training standards. Transsexual wins Scrabble tournament with "obeisant" (a gesture expressing deferential respect). Korean men over 75 more likely to be working than Frenchmen in their early 60s. Japan&
Mexico's Vicente Fox fully endorses legalizing marijuana in California. California's Humboldt County success selling weed helped it avoid the real-estate crash--can it survive the marijuana boom? In Uzbekistan, state requires children to pick cotton for little pay. Activist Betancourt discusses how she used the Bible, John
MI6 chief says torture's forbidden, though "dilemmas" pop up when partners offer info gained from pain. British Airways chief says U.S. airport security has "completely redundant" elements. United States mapped according to movies. List of political parties inspired by things upon which people
Unlike two years ago, there's one thing candidates aren't talking about this election season: climate change. From Gone With the Wind to Hot Tub Time Machine: Creditors to decide MGM's fate on Friday. New Zealand introduces new legislation just so The Hobbit can still
Kandahar diary: Before we know what these advances mean, brigades cautioned to "under-promise and over-deliver." Lacking data about almost every activity, Egypt possesses a "horrifying" scale of deficiencies. Reading Times tea leaves--Japan is falling, China is rising--with the skinny-jeans coeffecient. New teacher watches Friday Night Lights
This election, Democratic candidates have outraised and outspent their Republican opponents--excepting Whitman's $141 million. A history of candidates with odd names: Young Boozer, Isaac Hayes, Barack Obama. Abroad, journalists are fascinated and bemused by the Tea Party, confirming all their suspicions about Americans. "We are a low-wage
House and Senate candidates on their way to surpassing $2 billion in spending for the first time. U.S. now ranks between Qatar and Uruguay on Corruption Perception index, based on lessening political transparency. Rhode Island Democratic nominee for governor defends telling Obama to "really shove" the endorsement
"I wish they would totally ban it...or just make it totally legal." Life for sheriff's deputies in Humboldt County, Calif. The beef between California and Texas over pollution, jobs, and who's got the better economy. BP's new CEO makes his first
Iran's millions paid in cash to Kabul's leaders said to be common practice among countries courting favor. Long read for the commute: Hersh, cyber war, hype manufacturing. See also: studio life of Afghanistan's first soap opera. Citation analysis says the New York Times considers
Why, if the Democrats lose, Obama could be better off--and why it boosts his chances for a 2012 win. Guns purchased from a single shop outside D.C. have been linked to 2,500 crimes. Find online success or die trying--in 18 months, The Awl went broke and became solvent.
New narrative: U.S., Afghan forces routing the Taliban in Kandahar, insurgency's heartland. BBC reporter rationalizes trashing war protester's sign, says it was wrong sign, wrong time. Video: Y'all ready for this? G-20 conference, let's go! Virginia textbook author also behind Oh
Gaza's smuggling tunnels now used for export. Sarkozy follows through on retirement reform and France implodes; U.K. follows suit and Brits tweet wryly. Cape Town frets over razing World Cup stadium, desired by few. Book studying development, specifically in Ethiopia, finds vain, unfulfilled promises. Op: As Facebook
G.O.P., White House prepare for investigations into administration practices, should Republicans take control of the House. N.A.A.C.P. backs report that uncovers Tea Party ties to white nationalist groups. Lone Sept. 11 civil trial to begin in June against United Airlines--passenger's family refused
U.S. wiretaps Mexican drug cartel's San Diego office, uncovers smuggling details, assassination plots. "That is the most sublime form of human cruelty I had ever experienced." Navigating the opaque world of BP claims payments. "But take the money. Move on as best you can.
Chavez allies Venezuela with Iran--forever, for anything. Mysterious assassinations in Nigeria linked to radical Islamic sect, but blamed on corrupt government. Op: Assisted suicide must be banned else it lead us to unassisted suicide. Saudi prince found guilty of killing servant after Valentine's Day night out, final act
Bank of America, GMAC celebrate the end of the crisis by restarting more than 100,000 foreclosures. To increase security in Afghanistan, U.S. forces plan to arm and train 20,000 village police. Homeland Security, N.Y. Civil Liberties Union settle--you can photograph a courthouse from a public space.
Study suggests women in office are the best of the best, considering how few women get elected. Nevada politics profiled--Reid's politics in particular--as the crash of casino liberalism. In two years, 72 congressional aides made trades in companies that their bosses help oversee. Dutch thieves robbing McDonald'
It's time to ruin the miners story with reports that they're charging up to $25K--and as little as $40--for interviews. How a crew nursed its 1945 B-29 back to health to tour air shows--30-minute rides start at $595. When a Queens juror blogs, the court investigates,
Linguists marvel, along with Colbert, over how far "truthiness" has come. Two views on Mideast peace: Each side sees the other as its oppressor; both are victims of the power of might and rhetoric. Q&A on the Kalashnikov, weapon of the world. People of Tijuana reclaiming
Biden invites nation's women to tax code discussions at private mountain chalet. Infographic: Capitol's age pyramid shows a graying Congress. Whittington lived a full life before Cheney shot him. He's especially grateful, however, for the years he's had since. Lifetime of photos
A detailed look into the Medicare fraud scheme--doctors, patients unknowingly played a role. One miner ran several miles a day. How diet and exercise shattered dire predictions by topsiders. U.S. brokers peace talks between Afghan government, Taliban, whose factiousness makes progress uncertain. Inside the saga of Amina Masood Janjua,
Pope creates department to re-Christianize "interior desert" of the secular world's soul. Former Joint Chiefs Chairman blames Iraq war "fiasco" on Rumsfeld and Franks, saying flatly the war was pointless. Vet suggests suicides might drop among soldiers if garrison life had less paperwork, fewer
With so many similarities between today's U.S. economy and Japan's '90s fumbles, Bernanke may dust off his fighting words. "We get a lot of dogs in here for Adderall toxicity." D.C. veterinary hospital receives a lot of animals on drugs. Explosives
Former Kim Jong-il favorite son "Fat Bear" says he's against his brother's succession, but has no regrets. Lehrer: Intuitive choices beat conscious deliberation in decision-making; deliberation, in fact, can be worse than random chance. Google to finance underwater "superhighway" to support offshore
With profits and exports piling up, U.S. agriculture is surging--cotton prices alone are at a 15-year high. Historians, historical re-enactors trade quotes over whether you should dress up like a Nazi on the weekend. From the Attic: How can I become a historical re-enactor? A screenshot tour of al
Chilean miners agree not to let only one person profit from their story. Celebrities citing drunkenness or exhaustion to excuse racist outbursts may have a point, but whether or not one's "really" racist isn't it. Study suggests accusing men of sexism makes them less
Journal study finds surprise inspections of Gulf of Mexico rigs have dwindled, even as drilling has increased. The Army suicide rate is its highest since the military began keeping track in 2003. Report finds higher proportion of black people are imprisoned in England and Wales than the U.S. The
Kim Jong-Il's youngest son confirmed as successor. Jim Jones: Not the security advisor Obama wanted, and the least successful since Poindexter. Popular "trolley question" has launched a mini-industry and is applied from West Point to Geneva conferences. Detroit photos by David Byrne. Miami has one level-one
Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo wins Nobel Peace Prize. India issues arrest warrants for two Pakistani army officers, alleging involvement in the Mumbai attacks. Producers adapt Sesame Street for Nigerian market with HIV-positive character, mosquito net mishaps. Seeing its new logo bashed and redesigned online, Gap says public reaction is
C.I.A. invests in a search engine that mines data to predict the future. Stephen Elliott, Blake Butler, and Christina Kingston confab on the challenges of intimacy on social networks. How e-reading changes your attention span; James Bridle explains shared reading through e-books. Conversations with David Sedaris on house
Trial of Russian arms dealer, if he talks, may cause "a new ice age" between U.S. and Russia. Iran's best-known Holocaust denier seeks to throw a rock at Israel from Lebanon. Newly discovered language, Koro, found to be spoken by a few hundred Indians. Op:
Bulldozers working on 350 new settlement housing units; Netanyahu contemplates settlement freeze. Lithuania to debunk "dumb blonde" myth by creating island resort operated entirely by blonde staff. Rental friends in New York offer companionship, task-doing, shoulders to cry on. Twin attacks on Western targets in Yemen. Bolivia'
Nine years after Sept. 11, U.S. counter-terrorism analysts still frustrated with databases that won't talk to each other. In India, more parents are opting for c-sections to land on lucky birthdays. They adjust their equipment or spit into their gloves. How batters abuse the on-deck circle. From
Boom in medical marijuana ads fuel western newspapers; features include "Toke of the Town." Vatican denounces Berlusconi for telling his favorite anti-Semitic joke. Swiss right-wingers caricaturize Italians as rodents. Cameron: "There is an element of American conservatism that is headed in a very culture war direction."
Corporations kept borrowing and saving to ride out the recession--unless they start spending, the economy will stay flat. "There's never been a recession for us." Pre-Giuliani-style squeegee man spotted. Theories conflict over whether unemployment makes you sick or being sick makes you unemployed. With a new
Two hundred women raped in Luvungi, "the U.N.'s crowning failure" in Congo. Diplomats say Mitchell overstated initial success during peace talks. Medal of Honor makers remove option to play game as Taliban, replace it with "opposing force," e.g., al Qaeda. Op: D.
Pakistani military pushing for government shakeup. Ecuador's president will not forgive or forget kidnapping. Significant probability, says report, that Afghanistan's security forces won't be ready for transfer of responsibility. Palestinians expected to withdraw from negotations Saturday assuming settlement construction isn't halted. David
New power couple emerges in North Korea: Kim Jong-un's aunt and uncle. Gambian president brags of winning made-up awards, including an admiralship in Nebraska's Great Navy. Germany pays final debt for World War I: €69.9 million. Professional athletes' high salaries help them avoid bribes
Democrats up for reelection find distancing from Obama helps their chances for keeping their seats. The U.S. Postal Service may soon run out of cash, wants a 5.6% postage rate hike or $5 billion, or both. Across the country, the recession forced police departments to cut ranks--and crime
The recession forced New Yorkers to move; one in seven Americans now live in poverty. India attempts to improve governance by assigning identification numbers to each of its 1.2 billion citizens. New to New York, Joanne McNeil wonders if geolocation could actually be useful: by helping her retrace her
Iceland's former prime minister may become world's first leader tried for failing to prevent 2008's crash. We are not going to use a shroud of secrecy to excuse illegal behavior. Jann Wenner's Obama interview. More cuts, or higher taxes, may yet be
Germany moves to end conscription, originally intended to prevent a military state-within-a-state. I.R.S. will no longer mail paper instructions and forms for annual income tax returns. "I honestly believe the governor's lost interest in this budget...He's making movies, for God's
Fatah-Hamas reunion may appear, making Palestinian negotiators more legitimate, Israelis more resistant. Profile of South Africa's economic crisis--one-third of the workforce is idle, and half of blacks ages 15 to 34 are without work. Op: Regret isn't rational behavior, but an expression of belief in freewill.
"You can go to a library for 35 years and never have to do anything and then have your retirement." Library outsourcing CEO can't make friends. Through several administrations, Woodward has become president ex officio--or at least reporter in chief. Deadline today! Tell us who you
Rwanda thanked for leaving troops in Darfur despite its fury over report accusing Rwandan troops of genocide. More private contractors than soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010; many were local civilians. Op: Tea partiers who venerate the Constitution are infantile, and they worship an ahistorical version. Gladwell: Social
Big Beer in California opposes marijuana legalization while microbrews and prison guards remain neutral. Dangerous succession gets under way in North Korea. Probably. Swiss politics nearly impossible to explain to outsiders--an attempt at translation. British football fans try to evict Liverpool FC's American owner by scaring away banks
President sends Nicaragua on vacation and reprints Constitution during absence, including new law to prevent anarchy. Russia's constitution protects politician's thievery and paying for sex. Ethiopian fighter pilots remain stranded in Kyrgyzstan after 20 years. Japanese consumers no longer understand the 1990s-era logic of saving/going
Watchdog sniffs out the timing of the S.E.C.'s lawsuit against Goldman Sachs, suggests it was a diversionary tactic. Dozens of New York cabbies arrested in fare overcharging scheme that netted more than $235,000. Today at 11:48 a.m., midtown New Yorkers can watch solar
Obama's pledge to close Gitmo has come up short--officials fear Republican wins could prevent it altogether. Residents of a Staten Island beach community fight eviction; the land was purchased by the city for a highway never built. Titanic officer's granddaughter reveals new reasons for the tragedy
Snippets from Woodward's forthcoming Obama book, in which nothing about Afghanistan looks good. Iran romances Caucasian neighbors to prevent U.S. and other countries from getting too chummy, too close. Paris offers carbonated-water fountains. City drawings by Chris Dent. Op: As it celebrates its 200th anniversary, Mexico is
The recession is over, but economists say it'll take at least as long to recover. Op: The impoverishment reflected in 19th-century novels still rings true for many people throughout the world. How politicians--so far, just Republicans--skirt regulations, create nonprofit clearinghouses for anonymous donators. Justice Dept. reveals the F.
Ciudad Juárez newspaper asks crime leaders for publishing instructions after intern is killed. Special report on the devastation of journalism in Mexico (see also: how Colombian media faced danger). Dismaying account of a presidential debate in Haiti, where candidates have no specific plans. Accounting for $100 million spent far in
Obama's political advisers consider boosting Democrats by saddling G.O.P. candidates with the specter of the Tea Party. Though the Tea Partiers' advertising genie has brought recent, global attention to their movement, some question his roots in the G.O.P. "Fortunes spent to send
France sends soldiers to Niger's capital to retrieve kidnapped hostages. When these reports come in, I wonder if I'm the only human who will ever read them. Q&A with Pentagon's top arms buyer. Brief diary from Santo Domingo: bosoms, breezes, brightly colored
"No Koran" dude gets his wish: mug in High Times for "displaying bravery in the face of intolerance." Seattle cartoonist who promoted "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" "goes ghost" at F.B.I.'s insistence. Stewart and Colbert announce Oct. 30 rallies
White House divided over responding to a lawsuit hoping to stop the killing of an American-born al Qaeda-linked cleric. Video: Jon Stewart explains the war on terror to Tony Blair. Audiences don't connect with movies about contemporary wars, but video games about them are blockbusters. Instapaper for the
Politicians always say small businesses create jobs; they fail to mention that nearly all the jobs created are destroyed. From Japan's Zaitokukai to Norway's Progress Party: the Tea Parties of the world. Spain faces a housing crisis, with too many vacant buildings and too many banks
Weeks ago, typhoon killed dozens and wrought havoc in North Korea, world now learns. Scientists struggle to understand why most East Asians have the "depression gene," but few get depressed. Unexpected visitors to Ground Zero: British white supremacists wearing a symbol of the Crusades. Inspiring apologies collected from
Across religion, ethnicity and class, many terrorists have one thing in common: They're engineers. The Pope's impending visit to England sparks a lively business in papal memorabilia. Record numbers of lapsed Catholics in Belgium are rushing to the altar to "de-baptize." As France bans
Top one percent now captures 18 percent of the national income, with no more skills than workers beneath them. Op: The international aid system is easily manipulated, and always profits the elite. Chronicle of the rise of Foxconn, China's billion-dollar tech company, and the suicides that brought it
Cuba to lay off more than 500,000 state workers, shift to a market-oriented system--this of course means Communism failed. No it doesn't, says Fidel Castro, who also said it does; in addition, the Cuban missile crisis "wasn't worth it all." At a Braves
State Dept. uncovers widespread adoption profiteering, corruption in Vietnam. Italy's weak institutions and high tolerance for rule-bending...have blurred the line between "Made in China" and "Made in Italy." Handbag maker Judith Leiber scours eBay for her work, in order to stock her Hamptons
Academic physicians take big pharma's money for special treatment, great food, and ego stroking. Iraq to pay $400 million to Americans traumatized or tortured by Saddam. Despite industry of North Korea watchers, nobody knows age or appearance of its next leader. Inmates on death row are not told
Japan's hottest summer on record was a boon for nonalcoholic beer makers. Fascinating profile of the Damien Hirst market: deflated after his mega-auction, with many collectors burned. Tribute to self-experimenter Henry Head, who severed his own nerve endings to further research. Disgraced dentist's bite-mark analysis may
At the U.S. Open, winning shots are down, unforced errors are up, and the wind is to blame. "Our customers have never been concerned with why." MTA introduces new service change posters, "strained language" and all. West Vancouver officials install a new kind of speed
Obama comes out against Florida Koran-burning plan: "recruitment bonanza" for al-Qaeda. Op: U.S. should support Rwandans without boosting Kagame, whose intentions may not be known until 2017. Laredo kid became brutal Mexican drug lord; brother says he's got rules against killing enemies' families. Save
With Daley's surprise retirement in Chicago, few expect Rahm Emanuel to pass up a chance to run for mayor. New Jersey Transit enforces new chat-free coaches, where cell phones are verboten. From New Jersey to Seattle, taxpayers still foot the bill for stadiums that no longer exist. A
Ranchers say the cure for overgrazing is more grazing, improving the soil with ruminants. Terrifying account of the global "honor killing" crimewave killing upwards of 20,000 per year. Canada lost more working days last year to strikes than South Africa or France. Countries' paid vacation days
Highlighted by the 9/11 Commission, then seen again during Katrina and Rita, radio for public safety departments still doesn't exist. Louisiana leaders travel to Alaska to learn from those whose lives were rocked by the Valdez spill. F.D.A. considers approving the first genetically modified animal--the
France strikes over retirement-age bump; South Africa quits striking over pay adjustment. Netanyahu's ministers complain he's keeping them in the dark, giving them nothing to leak. Op: Contemporary war is a battle between the impersonal and personal--robots vs. suicide terrorists. Data-mining software works for counterterrorism; mapping
Peace experts urge Abbas, Netanyahu, and Obama to have a Plan B. Austrian conservative party launches game targeting minarets and Muslims. Despite technology, printed propaganda remains Army's best communication tactic. United Nations now says 240 women, girls, and babies may have been raped in DR Congo town. Commodity
Op: No one is sure what the war's end means; few are willing to wager a guess. In Somalia's civil war, pirate gangs aid both the government and the insurgents--and become a political force. Researchers investigate the use of diabetes drug metformin for prevention of a
National Geographic pictures of Pakistan's floodwaters. Op: Pakistan's problem isn't too much water. It's too little water--and one day it could cause a war. In a Missouri prison, inmates find relief through quilting for charity. Twenty-five percent of wrongful convictions involve false
In the past seven years, life for Iraqis has gone from oppressed--but unambiguous--to chaotic and now, apprehensive. As some mosques invite F.B.I. agents to prayer services, Muslim leaders wonder if protection could be mistaken for surveillance. It's September, the numbers are in, and it was officially
Detained Yemenis' flying behavior "odd and unusual," but not related to terrorism, say U.S. officials. Fearing U.N. report charging it with mid-'90s genocide in Congo, Rwanda threatens to yank troops from Darfur. Packer: Obama's speech marked "a rare moment of
Investigators find L.A. County officials have covered up "potentially dozens" of child deaths from abuse or neglect. Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990; 20 years later, the U.S. withdraws forces from Iraq; who won? "It doesn't mean people just start running around and
Airline passengers detained for possible terrorist dry run; Pakistani two-star general yanked off flight for "inappropriate remarks." Methods behind the making of tables of tide times and heights. "World's most high-profile climate change skeptic" to U-turn and advocate for spending $100 billion annually. State
Though research may now be in peril, the first stem cell therapy trials in humans are fast approaching. Adam Clayton Powell IV takes aim at Charles Rangel, who usurped his father, who he mostly knew through letters. O.E.D. signals a full move to the web--its latest print edition
"Dropout factory" label works for colleges, too, and low-income minority students are disproportionately steered toward them. Two days after last week's anti-PowerPoint op-ed by a U.S. colonel, N.A.T.O. command sacked him. Second Mexican border-state mayor assassinated in two weeks. Op: Nationalism is
Chilean miners receive special diet to maintain wiggling weight, plus games and antidepressants. War consists largely of the endless tinkering with PowerPoint. Colonel's take on two months of doing nothing in Afghanistan. Long read: Afghanistan encounters with raw soldiers, small pieces of truth, bored gunners, and the Hash
The Journal stitches BP documents, public testimony, and new interviews to recreate Deepwater Horizon's final hours. The farmer at the center of the salmonella outbreak has a history of legal tussles over selling contaminated eggs. "Where are the bulls?" The new land of opportunity for refugees:
While Medvedev drank tea with Bono, Putin warned bears and shot a whale. Venezuela's population is the same as Iraq's, but its murder count is three times as high. Potentially to blame for China's epic traffic jam: King Coal. Due to China's
The salmonella outbreak may result in farmers heading beyond the F.D.A.'s standards, and vaccinating hens. Federal investigation of BP spill shows lack of communication to, qualifications among key crew members. Study shows the Gulf's petroleum-eating bacteria have feasted to the point of altering their
Yet another mass grave found in northern Mexico. New report finds the Catholic church hushing a priest's role in a 1970s bombing in Ireland. Turkish politics adheres to a simple rule: wives and their moustache-wearing husbands like moustache-wearing leaders. China's 60-mile traffic jam may last until
Judge blocks federal funding of human embryonic stem cells, potentially halting all ongoing research. F.D.A. says farms with recalled eggs were operating below health standards; critics say all farms are. Hair strands can reveal sleep cycle, Circadian rhythms. Reporter investigates cases of suicide via sleepwalking. Workers resent hardest-working
Six parliament members among 32 dead near Somali presidential palace, following 40 killed on Monday. More on America's disappearing plastic refuse, which has quadrupled since 1980. Jerusalem light railway considers segregating carriages along gender lines. Beijing goes all "aw-shucks" upon learning it overtook Japan to become
Trapped Chilean miners say they're all OK; engineers say it will take four months to free them. When cities sell off airports and zoos to the private sector, they may fill budget gaps but could create future holes. Architects ask citizens to appreciate Germany's ugly buildings.
People want to move to Singapore and New Zealand, get out of Liberia and El Salvador. Currently thriving, Lance Armstrong's foundation and its supporters face the unknown as a federal investigation looms. After two years of negotiations, Israel allows surfboards to enter Gaza. Right-wing Israeli groups conduct Zionist
Pakistan's floods herald a potential regional catastrophe; coffers are empty, rampant violence continues. Burma's first girl group imports western influences; junta demands song about electricity failures be changed. Parents in Johannesburg renting children to beggars for $3/day. We have a system of tax brackets well
What this year's candidates learned from the stimulus: be vague about job numbers. Even the worst apartment kitchen can be improved by buying some decent knives. 35 good lessons. Updated for those on house arrest: How to cook the Riker's Island carrot cake at home. Don&
Obama declares victory, sort of, depending on how you look at it, in Iraq. Anyone who is going to Afghanistan is not some tourist who is going hiking. Afghan airline magazine tells the ugly truth. Discussion of Filipino basketball from introduction by the military to use as a political strategy.
A city in the southern Netherlands seeks to end drug tourism by keeping it legal only for the Dutch. How "three cups of tea" has become shorthand in the U.S. military for winning trust in Afghanistan. U.S. watermelon farmers focus on small, seedless "personal melons&
Australia's prime minister calls for a republic as soon as Queen Elizabeth dies. God save the queen: Jonathan Bell explains the distinction between English and British. Scavengers pull up Gaza Airport's runways to recover and sell gravel underneath. Nature sells on television--pet shows struggle outside America
In Westhampton Beach, N.Y., a new bookstore comes to town and a war begins. From the attic: Pitchaya Sudbanthad's 2005 profile of Brooklyn's Freebird Books. Park Slope residents are unsure whether the white-painted stroller is a memorial or a warning. Mailer waxes on graffiti: "
New Jersey's Christie warns G.O.P. from going too far with mosque story; Gingrich goes Nazi. Wives and children of Catholic priests push to end celibacy ban. For the non-celibate: Erik Bryan explains whom you can date (flowchart included). How human psychology ensures the strictest religions continue
The week ahead in news: natural disasters in Russia, Pakistan, and China. Gaza doctor writes anti-hate book after three daughters were killed by an Israeli shell. Why it's hard to return looted art: centuries of wartime theft mean few can identify the original owner. I'm not
Violence spreads across Iraq as attacks escalate during Ramadan; U.S. military says it's an attempt to shake confidence in the police. "As a person I was paralyzed." Haiti's president tells how the quake shook him. South Korean president suggests a tax to fund
Bulgaria hopes its John the Baptist bones will attract tourists and their money. Post-Sept. 11 funding expanded the Coast Guard's duties to include oil spills; Deepwater revealed gaps in oversight. Behind the Economist's advertising, which "tugs at the insecurities and ambitions of the status-seeking reader.
Putin co-pilots plane and dumps 24 tons of water on forest fires outside Moscow. Assessment of the current global orangutan population in light of mankind's tendency to hunt. Nature report says hominins used tools to butcher meat 3.4 million years ago. See also: Blooper reel from The
Early findings in a U.S. investigation show driver error, not auto defects, was behind most of Toyota's accident woes. "The battle has shifted to the states." The health care war rages on, and insurers are leading the charge. In 2006, attacks by patients or their
Obama and Democrats see good news in Tuesday's primaries, suggesting 2010 storyline rewrite. Explanation of the jobs of Obama's advisers. She told a reporter she could end her husband's career with a single interview. Story of Newt Gingrich's political career, as told
With economic recovery slowing, Fed warns of deflation--what's Japanese for "schadenfreude?" U.S. attorneys say day care workers bribed N.Y. officials, stole millions from child care fund. In Jamaica, criminals target returning retirees, waiting until their pension checks arrive from abroad. Steven Slater's
As deal nears to guarantee BP's $20 billion payout, U.S. is reluctant to partner up with the oil giant. New York colleges begin reporting back to their students' high schools, informing them what they forgot to teach. "You have to be acceptable-looking, but being gorgeous
China, Russia, India, and Turkey pursue investments with Iran that defy sanctions. There's a mosque inside the Pentagon! Sharia fairy dust powder shrouds D.C.! Hitchens: Opponents of a Ground Zero mosque are borrowing from the playbook of Muslim cultural blackmail. Video: Christian charity raising money to feed
Though deportations are increasing, the White House won't bounce students who arrived in the U.S. without papers as children. In one of the largest arms deals ever, the U.S. will sell F-15s to the Saudis--though without weapons systems opposed by regional allies. Israeli comics conference to
Heatwave and wildfire smog double the usual number of bodies in Moscow's morgues. Wheat prices hit highest level in the U.S. in two years after Putin bans all exports. How Churchill may have caused the Bengal famine that killed three million for lack of wheat. Concluding of
Vatican continues to believe its abuse crisis is a question of housecleaning. It amounts to our playbook for the past several years. Pentagon tells WikiLeaks to yank the logs. In case you missed it, Chechnya's top terrorist, apparently no longer tired, has un-retired. Quick, insightful profile of Rwanda&
An explanation of "eureka" moments and the science of insight. Historian Michael Bellesiles is still writing, despite an ethics scandal surrounding his removing guns from the Civil War. Stories of writers who only achieved posthumous success. Q&A with an architect turned Lego-certified builder. Giles Turnbull interviews
Russia moves radioactive material away from wildfires. Story of the night Naomi Campbell met Charles Taylor, and why Mia Farrow decided to talk about it. U.S. military creates special comic to teach Japanese children about political alliances. Traditionally, actors do better than musicians in politics, but hip-hop's
Modern youth's so-called "narcissism epidemic" is an overreaction to pseudoscience. Why not keep aging it until it achieves the consistency of room-temperature butter? Is aged beef overrated? A new bias test accurately predicts relationship length--try it here. Iranian religious leader declares music "not compatible"
Iran says it can shop elsewhere if Russia won't deliver its promised missile systems. Four killed at Israel-Lebanon border; initial U.N. report backs Israel. Hezbollah claims "extreme restraint"; Israeli source suggests shooting was to shift attention away from Hariri inquiry. Video shows French police manhandling
I realized that people respect nonfiction. But they read novels. E.O. Wilson on the influence of science and social activism. Today's long read: How the father-son political duo of Mario and Andrew, now on the brink of a power shift, rose to prominence. Automatic gratuities make tipping
Anticipating election violence, Kenya sends 18,000 police to the Rift Valley. Three million affected by Pakistan floods, 1,400 killed with 27,000 still trapped. Netherlands becomes first N.A.T.O. ally to pull combat troops out of Afghanistan. Mexico rescues kidnapped cameramen, kidnappers escape. Chechnyan militant leader/
Redford on the energy bill: This is one of the many times when average citizens may be ahead of our leaders. As soon as we eat, we feel the need to make some noise about it. Simon Schama on the interconnections between language and food. The story of a 19th-century
Naomi Campbell to testify whether she received an uncut diamond from Liberia's Charles Taylor. Once in five years, a major event takes place on the Israel-Lebanon front. Four years have passed since 2006. Thousands of children in Gaza break their own record for the number of kites flown
So long, Peter Orszag; index of remaining "beautiful," mostly white, thin people remaining in D.C. Op: "The Senate's retreat from cap and trade might lead to a carbon tax. For now, it leaves a dreadful mess." Searchable Washington Post database of companies involved
How engineers stabilized the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Exiled from Iran, two brothers continue to produce controversial art in Dubai. Saudi feminist poet defies death threats. Analyzing the faith-intelligence correlation, researchers ask subjects if their religion is the "one true religion." Historians can't agree why portion
Grim sampling of environmental fiascos depicts China's losing fight against pollution. After Chinese news chief disappears, rumors abound he defected to Britain. Story behind the publication of the Afghanistan logs. Story of Mo Farah's journey from Somalian refugee to European champion. Fifteen years later, Kids remains
History of meteors' descent from cosmic bodies to floating rocks. A new study finds strong friendships can provide as many health benefits as quitting cigarettes. We realize it's what we've wanted all along. An analysis of literary endings. The Man Booker Prize nominees are announced.
Pictures of the Islamabad plane crash; all 152 feared dead. Hamas considering a draft in Gaza. Cameron says again that Palestinians are imprisoned in Gaza, drawing fire. Oliver Stone apologizes for claiming Jews control the media. Photos of Putin at a motorcycle rally riding self-described "tricked-out bike." Art
New fatwa permits women in burqa-banning countries to wear only a headscarf. Researchers find continuing education delays dementia by 11% per year. See also: Eight notable commencement speeches and one written by 14 people. From Apriums to Peacotums--which are the same thing--fruit breeders deliberate hybrid crop names. The history of
Following the McChrystal affair, WikiLeaks documents put "more nails into the coffin" of the White House's war. Op: If you're surprised by the WikiLeaks documents, you're an idiot! And no comparing them to the Pentagon Papers! The American people are going to
Germany's Love Parade permanently cancelled after 19 died in an overcrowded tunnel. Biological explanation of why the poor make different life decisions from the rich. In the Bronx, Ian Frazier observes a sculpture kept graffiti-free with a battery-powered sander. There are four stations in the tree, and you
Afghan war logs: "Pakistan aids insurgency"; "innocents pay the price"; "well, we knew as much." Over 75,000 secret reports, the war logs are one of the U.S.'s biggest leaks. Initial roundup of logs-related links. After BP admits Photoshopping its cleanup
Throughout the 20th century, life expectancy in the developed world increased by 30 years--two new theories on how to push it further. At the current rate of data explosion, all internet domains will be claimed in about one year. Using underground X-rays, scientists discover a wooden Stonehenge within visible distance
Improving on his previous gifts to Brits, Obama gives Cameron a signed Ed Ruscha lithograph. Political prisoners in Kenya awarded compensation for torture during Moi's tenure. BP workers prepare to evacuate the oil spill site ahead of tropical depression. Pre-spill, confidential survey of Deepwater workers found many were
Greece pays drivers $130,000 a year to run trains that are frequently empty. Researchers launch three-month, 8,000-mile trip from Italy to China with driverless cars. Wells Fargo ATM manager explains difficulty of maintaining machines in Antarctica. Unions hire minimum-wage workers to host protests. Part three of the Post&
Playboy tests "read it for the articles" theory, launches work-safe website. Digital analysis reveals that Michelangelo drew a brain stem inside a fresco of God. Finally: It takes 3,481 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop. It is only when you scored high
Clinton announces new sanctions against North Korea. Better Business Bureau gives Hamas an A- rating and Starbucks an F. Moscow's drinking-and-diving deaths brushed aside by uproar around a flying donkey. Op: Supreme Court nominees should be required to discuss the larger issues of constitutional philosophy. U.S. activists
Kafka's never-before-seen manuscripts create ownership dispute between his supposed inheritors and Israel. Account of the advantages of the beauty bias in every aspect of life. Analysts try to crack the identity of whoever bought all the cocoa beans in Europe. Judge upholds right to falsely claim a Purple
Activists fight law requiring jailed women to be shackled during birth. Female Afghan governor rejects idea that women should "be sacrificed" in return for a deal with the Taliban. Outstanding: Unedited rushes of everything shot by the BBC in Afghanistan over the last 30 years. Factory pot farms
How the pound sign--aka the "number key" or the "hash"--got its name. Scientists say cooking is responsible for brain development. Ben Folds and Nick Hornby collaborate on "Levi Johnston's Blues." From the attic: "The Secret Journal of Levi Johnston"
Last month was the warmest June on record globally; extreme heat boils the United States and Europe. France did not say it would reimburse Haiti for its independence fee, says France, repudiating hoax. Gallery director explains why Berlin is more serious than other cities and there's no reason
University of Texas to rename dorm named after KKK member, cuts down sign for now. Researchers find Facebook appears to aid, not lower, GPAs. Why distant Facebook friends have the most positive influence. See also: The politics of Facebook. Sociologist believes the MySpace-Facebook exodus is a white flight. He'
Running from violence, 40,000 people have fled their homes in DR Congo since June. Afghans to form local forces--"not militias"--to fight Taliban insurgents in remote areas. Argentina becomes first country in Latin America to legalize gay marriage. Alabama's Tacky Jacks preps for its
Analysis of chatter suggests Middle East indirect talks are not going well. Instapaper: What "sanctions against Iraq" really meant on the ground. Fighting Russia's heatwave with vodka and swimming, 233 people drowned in Moscow last week. Distrust numbers in the news; even rigorous-seeming statistics conceal squishy
A trillion is a lot, especially when you consider the billions of dollars we're throwing at Afghanistan. The arresting quality of hearing angry women speak, and what Obama could learn. The good news is that someone still wants to spy on us. The bad news is that it&
Violence and riots continue for a third night in Belfast after controversial parades. Soldiers in Fort Bliss, Texas, are statistically at greater risk at home than while deployed in Iraq. China's People's Daily says the Taliban is training "monkey terrorists" to kill Americans. No
It took BP a decade of hubris and near-misses to become the second largest in the industry--then came Deepwater Horizon. Op: When caught, drunk drivers can expect jail time--let's set that precedent for reckless CEOs. An inquiry into human fairness, and why its pursuit causes so much anger.
Only 28,000 of 1.5 million displaced Haitians have moved into new homes. First-person account from one of Sunday's attacks in Uganda. Military rule 2.0: Now that the Cold War's over, militaries achieve coups behind the scenes. Over the last ten years, I'
The Haitian government hasn't received the money it was promised by the donors. Haiti, six months later. Studies find computers don't make good on their educational promise, even when placed in low-income households. An inquiry into our information glut and why facts are useless in creating
Police blame Somalia's al-Shabab militants for World Cup-timed attacks that killed 64 in Uganda. Trade numbers mean one Russian spy is worth 2.5 American spies. John le Carré on the swap: "Once upon a time spies had motives." King James's move to Miami
Cuba's bloggers could revolutionize the island, if only they could get online. Llew Hinkes visits Cuba, attempts to use the internet, and hears heavy breathing on the line. Ratio of men to women among living cryonicists is 3:1; support networks help handle marital strife. Science went from
Lawyer suspects cigarette manufacturer Phillip Morris is involved with Russian spy ring corruption schemes. Why assumptions about Dunning-Kruger syndrome--when people are unaware of their dumbness--are wrong. Religious leaders worry iPhones may be diluting worship. Word association game predicts relationship length by revealing partners' true feelings. "That's
Japan lacks phrase for "racial profiling," much less an understanding familiar to Americans. Op: The concept of full birthright citizenship is ripe for overhaul. From both sides, this year's most popular political put-down: "You just don't get it." Referees who read from
As record-breaking heat bears down on New York, ConEd asks customers to turn off "nonessential" appliances. My friend said that even if I didn't pay my bill, it's illegal for ConEd to turn off my electricity. The Non-Expert responds. Inquiry into how ideas of
U.S.-Mexico governors' conference cancelled over Arizona immigration law. Obama wants direct talks to begin before the end of Israel's settlement freeze. Israel's Army Radio says U.S. to sell Israel nuclear technology. More American retailers open foreign shops, counting on overseas profits to
The summer (and beyond) book preview from The Millions includes TMN's Doerr, Guilfoile, and Baldwin. Tin House Books is now accepting unsoliciated manuscripts--if they're accompanied by a bookstore receipt. Related: A custom-made receipt to send in with your Tin House submission. A collection of odds and
Times investigation into Israeli settlers funded by tax-exempt American charity. Political leaders' pay ranked by ratio to their country's GDP per person. David Brooks is a Republican Party of one, adored by the White House as "the persuadable opposition." Pin-up examples of Japan's
New take on the Russian spies lacking secrets: They are mostly bored parents. Eight percent of Russians believe they'll win the World Cup--despite not playing. There is always time to revisit pictures of Putin, man of action. Petraeus loves the idea of turning Afghanistan into a "modern
Today BP's slick became the Gulf of Mexico's largest-ever oil spill. Ft. Lauderdale brothers bottle, sell "oil spill water," donate profits to animal protection. New Orleans chef slaps BP with a lawsuit, faces blogging critics who say she scrimps on seafood. Within days of
Latin American economies surging forward due to deepening engagement with Asia. Netherlands offered to clean most of the BP spill for free; U.S. declined because "most" wasn't sufficient. Alleged psychic octopus predicts Germany victory over Argentina. Supposedly meritocratic France to crack open its deeply non-meritocratic
In Senate hearings, Republicans attack Kagan by lobbing potshots at Thurgood Marshall. While on paper Kagan appears to be made out of, well, paper, in person she lights up a room. A study suggests those who are reserved are more likely to become violent when drunk. Scientists suspect Tut'
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah: "There are two countries in the world who do not deserve to exist: Iran and Israel." Op: Arabs who love the idea of Palestinians as permanent victims dump on Fayyad's state-building. Half of Afghanistan's 476 women prisoners were
A deep dive into the many reasons New Yorkers now live longer than other Americans. How the latest New York subway closures and other city proposals will keep the working poor working and poor. For straphangers looking for love, the L is your best bet--and the site of the most
Feds bust identity-thieving, Morse Code-using Russian spy ring; Russians reject allegations. Georgia claims it's under a U.S. arms embargo; more likely, no one wants to upset Russia. Profile of Tolstoy's grandson, fallen from aristocracy to a $213 monthly income. Israel opposes Russia's recent
Americans believe life in 2050 includes a cure for cancer and a devastated environment. There are more than 15 million refugees around the world--the search for asylum is only getting more treacherous. How Murdoch's TV channel illegally bridges Iran and the West. "The great thing about omitting
Politico and Time Inc. suggest Rolling Stone was to blame for their theft of its McChrystal story. When Rolling Stone can topple a general, we know Afghanistan is today's Vietnam. See also: From Taylor to McChrystal, American history is filled with wayward generals. Stalin taken down in his
Australia elects its first woman Prime Minister. Media lessons learned from McChrystal's blowout: never, ever, agree to a magazine profile. The Kremlin takes to Tweeting. The quiet truth about terrorism: most terrorists are bumbling idiots. Disney World sees now as the time to begin selling mcmansions. Beauties-only dating
Telegraph redoes the New Yorker's "20 under 40" with all Brits. Federal judge to decide if cheerleading is a sport under Title IX; so far, signs seem to point to yes. Inside the three-year fitness, psychology, and strategy prep of World Cup referees. Tell us today!
Federal judge blocks drilling ban; Interior Secretary vows to issue new order. Karzai endorses McChrystal in order to slap Eikenberry. Catalogue of generals who recently faced White House heat. The complete Rolling Stone McChrystal article. The lesson of Hastings's article is not: "Get rid of McChrystal."
When things go bad, it turns out, multinationals turn into homebodies. How the oil spill made BP British again. Five theories on why everyone is moving to Texas. Today from noon to 2 p.m., ET, the Biblioracle returns--list your last five books and he'll tell you what
Giant diamond find in Zimbabwe, long looted by Mugabe's ministers, challenges the anti-conflict-stones Kimberly Process. McChrystal receives unhappy calls from his bosses after Rolling Stone runs story of his unhappiness. To fight falling birth rate, Taiwan fosters matches between civil servants, sends ministry employees home to baby-make. Just
Hospitals are still unsure why they're facing increasing cases of delirium among elderly patients. F.D.A. pushes drugmakers to investigate whether their existing medicines may also aid rare disorders. Why all drugs cause the same side effects: advertising and serotonin. Microbiologist claims excessive consumption will cause humans
Rig worker says both BP and Transocean knew about leak weeks before the explosion. But it isn't fair or equal. South African courts sentence severely during the World Cup. Inside Jamaica's domino culture and its dream for the game to become an Olympic sport. Whether or
Story of the BP rig workers--those who died and those who were saved. Los Angelenos search for championship trophy under burning cars. Video: Obama joins long line of presidents who preached on TV against foreign oil. Utah executes prisoner with firing squad. Humans convey sadness in music and speech the
After receiving threats, theater owners in Tokyo and Osaka cancel showings of The Cove. How Japan's marketing team, averse to its overseas market, has led to the demise of the country's cool factor. More on the "Prince Charles problem": France raises its retirement age--though
Preparing for Capitol Hill grilling, BP backs away from comment about caring for "small people." Google turns its CitizenTube blog into the YouTube News Feed (see here). Fascinating interview with Clara Rojas, former FARC prisoner, about freedom and jungles. The sea is one world, and the sewage is
I think even libertarians recognize certain kinds of speech ought to be restrictable. Legal scholar discusses the state of civil liberty. A profile of culinary anthropologist, diner historian Richard Gutman. How personalities foreshadow family size--the more neurotic you are, the more you procreate. The World Cup will cost Brazil $1.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Those who reject the ideas of political Islam are in touch with Muslims on a local level. Obama's strategy has been in place for less than six months. Why reaching conclusions in Afghanistan is premature. Times reporter fights bloggers over claims his Afghan minerals story
They are more than twice as likely to report having struggled with substance abuse. Study explores sperm donor children's suffering. Apple juice can reduce anxiety, delusion in Alzheimer's patients. Freakonomist discusses health reform, Wall Street, and how to motivate students to do well. A common sunscreen
Waxman v. Big Oil will see the entire industry go on trial today. Obama to give his first Oval Office address tonight, likely to provide "realism and hope" about BP. Also: Tonight's speech will show how committed Obama plans to be about energy legislation. Op: Obama
Over the past decade, we've learned diseases' genetics and pharmaceutical companies are more complex than previously thought. As it does with every 9/11 comparison, the Daily News called up some 9/11 family members to see who was upset about the remark. Philip Graham remembers eating
Afghanistan's billion-dollar minerals--a curiously timed piece of good news? Karzai's ousted intelligence chief says the Afghan leader's given up on N.A.T.O. and is swinging for the Taliban and Pakistan. Turkey shows more assertive--if resentful--foreign policy, yet E.U. membership remains the
Mandela to miss opening ceremony after his great-granddaughter dies returning home from a World Cup concert. New oil-spill estimate says the Valdez disaster is flowing into the Gulf every 10 days. You want the oil? You clean up the mess. Britons, frustrated by stock losses, dislike being demonized for BP&
There's a lake at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico that's over 100 miles wide and at least 400 to 500 feet deep of black oil. Government officials follow BP's policy of opacity, restrict press access to Gulf oil spill. World Cup losses
Security Council backs new sanctions against Iran; securing Russian and Chinese votes weakened measure. Iran is losing Russia, China, and all those countries that matter. Obama to make reassuring eye contact with every last American. Obama's former Upper West Side apartment for rent--only $1,900 a month. Nitty
Berreby: Plans for Israel's Museum of Tolerance are failing because tolerance is a form of hypocrisy. Biblical beekeepers raised bees that produced eight times as much honey as their Syrian counterparts. As Latin America becomes cosmopolitan, it lets go of a literary staple: the dictator novel. At some
Israel makes hard and soft efforts with China to win sanctions on Iran. Political center shows strength after primary night in multiple states. Big Rolling Stone piece blames Bush and Obama for allowing "the world's most dangerous oil company [to] get away with murder." Obama insists
Oil spill reaches Louisiana pelican sanctuary, founded to help save the state bird from endangerment. The story of an Atlanta man whose charmed life was cut short by H1N1, and who departed in a Viking funeral. "When you see people...carrying McDonald's bags and an X-box 360.
Beginning in May, Alabama fire chief began his own anti-spill plan, defying BP and bureaucracy. Kim Jong-il oversees government shake-up, consolidating power to squash flourishing private markets. China offers rare complaint after a North Korean border guard kills three people. Hass: China will continue to dominate headlines; turn to its
Helen Thomas agrees she's not the best choice to give the commencement address at Walt Whitman High School. Psychologists diagnose Darth Vader with borderline personality disorder. Researchers armed with a laser find meditation preoccupies the mind, dulls pain. For nearly two centuries, a small Shiite sect called the
Fans crushed outside World Cup warm-up match in South Africa. Recent political news written by an academic; Israel's news written by authors. News stories to anticipate this week. Bullet-pointed scenario where today's current events could become World War III. Reagan's national security adviser remembers
Obama cancels Asia trip to focus on oil spill; Free Gaza says new ship is on schedule. Wieseltier: Israel does not need enemies: it has its government. Long Island prodigy recommends plugging the oil leak with tires. Baghdad's U.S. embassy reports property worth millions gone missing. Six
Once more, Obama's supporters want him to rage, rage in a crying for a fight. Economist says Israel must restore idealism and common sense "before it's too late." Op: All hail Netanyahu, blind captain flying blindfolded passengers. Round-up of activists' accounts of the
The precautionary closing of oyster beds, shrimping grounds, and crab habitats where oil has been spotted has idled most of the fishermen. As tar patties arrive in Alabama, so do federal officials, who offer locals more sympathy than answers. A look back at plans for the Dolphin Embassy, a mobile
Israel braced to prevent a second flotilla from reaching Gaza. Barak: In the Middle East, there is no mercy for the weak. Op: Gaza today constitutes an open-air prison. Ashton Kutcher plans to explain the difference between Azerbaijan and Armenia, since most Americans don't know that difference. This
Teddy was spontaneous with both affection and self-reproach. Inside the life (and suicide) of brilliant Dalton student Teddy Graubard. Despite a booming business and cultural mania, self-improvement can be harmful, and the psychological equivalent to self-inflicted wounds. In higher education, inflation is going up and the value of education is
Supreme Court to determine whether protesting veterans' funerals is protected under the First Amendment. Q&A on the flotilla raid; Israeli ministers likely to probe; hundreds of activists held. Swedish crime writer Mankell flying home post-flotilla ride. We were expecting the Israeli army to stop us, but we
A closer look at the M.T.A.'s new subway map, along with side-by-side comparisons to past maps. Experience a musical tribute to Dennis Hopper with Chicago band Trailer Hitch. [mp3] Physicist suggest we could find "weird life" in alternate biospheres on Earth. Website analyzes counties&
Latin American countries change constitutions so frequently, they may as well be wikis. If it swims in the water, it is a FISH. Period! Republicans solicit agenda ideas from Republicans via a "winsome" website. Op: New National Security Strategy gets big things right, offers a clear framework for
B.P.'s gush is now the worst oil spill in history--and possibly double the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Until 4 p.m. ET today, the Biblioracle--aka John Warner--provides book recommendations based on the last five books you read. Running barefoot may be physically superior, but that
Obama to extend ban on drilling new deep-water wells; Shell says, how about shallower water? Iran and Russia trade barbs after Russia supports U.S.-backed sanctions. U.S. troops in Iraq to drop to 50,000 this summer, and rise to 100,000 in Afghanistan. Op: Forget servicing NGOs--Haiti
Obama sends 1200 troops to border-patrol; Cancun mayor arrested for trafficking. Doctor who spread autism-vaccine hokum discharged from General Medical Council for "dishonest," "misleading" research. Harvard professor spends 40% of his time chasing research grants. Central African lawyers prefer keeping anti-witch laws on the books for
Kingston under siege as Coke crisis continues; calm will come from legal acrobatics or Coke's consent. Tracking Jamaican unrest online. Mitchell is broadly optimistic about Middle East progress, urging "extreme risks" for peace. Syria's Assad: America has no influence, because it is doing nothing.
American universities return the blood they took 40 years ago from a Brazilian tribe. Anti-aging supplements are most effective when taken in middle age. Researchers find supplementing testosterone in women creates less trust, more vigilance. How a caste system and male-dominated society perpetuate honor killings in India. Teacher with "
B.P. and other oil companies to retain control of the worsening oil mess. U.S. enlarges joint exercises with South Korea in order to rattle northern neighbors. No neighboring power really wants the North Korean population released from its awful misery. Adichie: Most Nigerians are libertarians, not ideologically but
Bob Bennett on how the Tea Partiers are unwittingly following Carter, all the while invoking Reagan. How musicians can beat the high cost of downloading: Charge fans to hang out with them. Esquire's Massa profile skips the gay question, but uncovers a juicy story about Petraeus and treason.
Kandahar 1989, 1996, and Kandahar now--still centuries from Western civilization. The Gates-Clinton axis: D.C.'s "only important center of gravity outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." Video: Farmers turn Paris's Champs-Elysees green. Documents find Israel offering to sell South Africa nuclear warheads in 1975. Op: The
Clinton condemns North Korea's torpedo and packs for a trip to China. Your Saturday-morning long read is on the state of Egyptian politics, or, "Mubarak's Last Breath." It's not about politics, it's just the story of a boy. "Little
Scientists discover chunk of missing universe 400 million light years away. Mp3s of the original BBC Radio broadcast of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. New electric cars have the same range--on one charge--as a car from 1908. Video: A two-year-old who knows his football. How the iPad&
Analysis of North Korea's trigger-finger and what it means if it was (or wasn't) Kim Jong Il's. Lucid summary of recent Thai political history. America is carrying out a robot war 7,000 miles away; laws have not kept up with technological progress. Why
Facebook can predict--with 33% accuracy--change in a user's relationship status before it occurs in real life. I snagged a job at a downtown phone-sex call center, and six weeks later I had my piece--and another insight about journalism. Newsweek reporter reluctantly tweet-profiles Michele Bachmann, not eager to be
Seoul seeks unilateral punishment after blaming Pyongyang for attack. The sinking shows how unwise it is to leave stability on the peninsula hostage to Pyongyang's goodwill. BBC live blog of Bangkok coverage. Analysis: China may have crippled Clinton's sanctions; Iran probably divided/conquered once more. Op:
Study finds link between exposure to fruit and vegetable pesticides and incidence of ADHD. The top 10 Smiths songs that will mess up teenagers the most. Ian Curtis died 30 years ago today; this summer, a walking tour of Joy Division landmarks commences. People grow happier with age, though not
Fireballs inside miniature universe suggest muons explain why we exist. On the rise of middle powers: U.S. caught off-guard by Brazil-Turkey alliance. France says swap of academic for man who killed former Iranian prime minister isn't quid pro quo. South Korea to inform the U.N. Security
Politicians are glad there's more young families in Washington--they just don't want to acommodate them in public spaces. Cell phones don't cause cancer after all. Former Vegas chef tries to open the "world's best restaurant" in Bloomington, Ill., starting with
Renegade Thai general Khattiya Sawasdipol dies; protesters refuse to leave their camp in Bangkok. Recovery in Europe viewed as hamstrung; banks in solid economies trapped in the undertow. The week in news: bank fraud, British politics, and Mexico-U.S. relations. Cameron laughed at for banning mobile phones during meetings. Forty-two
Feds line up sweeping probe into banks; Cuomo picks eight to probe about duping rating agencies. Britain to retire €500 notes from circulation, gangsters' favorite denomination. France's sex workers' union "adamantly opposed" to government plans to reopen brothels. New rule for politics: Don'
In D.C., the opening of an Iraqi culture center hopes to bridge the gap created by invasion and war. The Big Picture: Disaster unfolds slowly in the Gulf of Mexico. For decades, Newburgh, N.Y., has struggled with violence; now with machete-wielding gang members, things just got worse. Account
U.S. military denies hand in blight decimating Afghanistan's poppy harvest. Military considers medals for soldiers who show restraint. Ancient "hidden menace" lurking beneath Quebec claims house and family with quick, quiet landslide. Among reasons why neighborhoods are changing: Suburban households spend 24 percent of income
Now that the timing's better, Israel to resume razing Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. British politics explainer for Americans; no mention of the Soap Hat, queerly. See also: The six books of the Lib-Con movement. Erroll Morris: Journalism is an obsession; it's about pursuing stories beyond
Goodyear is unsure what to do with 50 scale models of its factories; to embrace the future, it may have to shed its past. Unknown chemicals used in oil spill cleanup could be more harmful than the oil spill. What's the most ecologically friendly brand of gas station
Senate will investigate who's to blame for the rig disaster: B.P., Transocean, or Halliburton, who all blame each other. Exploring the world of gun-toting Buddhist monks who believe peacemaking requires militancy. Clinton investigations reveal the decline of legal integrity. Mystery condition of teenager stuck in arrested development
Coordinated attacks kill more than a hundred in Iraq, making Monday this year's bloodiest day so far. Lucid summary of the Euro bailout bazooka. Maine's Republicans now advocate a "return to the principles of Austrian Economics." Op: As government falls to relying on business
"I think he understood for the first time that Toyota was facing some very, very serious credibility problems..." The road to recovery. Gulf spill rig operator has been involved in nearly three out of every four federal rig safety investigations. Rising U.S. medical costs for treating cancer
War on AIDS crumbling; for every 100 people put on treatment, 250 are newly infected. Long read: Opacity of Mexico's "drug war" makes legends out of gangsters. See also: John Murray's Ciudad Juarez news tracking. Obama likes Kagan's "intellectual heft"
Secret recordings from Copenhagen reveal China's sabotage, Sarkozy's accusations, Merkel's chagrin. Black Tea Partiers say Obama profits from racial sympathy, and Uncle Tom was a hero. Greek austerity plan as a real-time economic experiment; see also: how to rate a country. Internet regulator unveils
This is the year British politics went presidential. How televised debates and X-Factor played into the election. A short history of Britain's Loony Party, which, nearing its third decade, has seen a surge of applicants. Maternal favoritism, though possibly a cultural development, affects lifelong psychological health. In Sudan,
Greece's prosperity hid strains of ultranationalism and xenophobia that may now be unleashed. Greek protesters say they accept the cuts, just not the politicians. Increasing overlap suspected among domestic Pakistani groups and Pakistan-based Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda. Op: Wishful thinking on the West's part to
With city regulation of marijuana dispensaries to begin June 7, L.A. asks 439 pot stores to cease operations. With as much as $500 million in fees up for grabs, lawyers audition for the lead spot in litigation against Toyota. Video captures Fla. state senator looking at porn during an
Pictures of flood waters that have overtaken Nashville's downtown. Overview of steps that led to Shahzad's arrest 53 hours after Times Square. There seems to be a pattern of mediocre sons from elite families becoming terrorists. Jihadi groups assess U.S. volunteers as probable spies, and
Four certified divers collect submerged trash and make repairs on water attractions. A look inside Disneyland's nightly refresh. Pope claims the Shroud of Turin is authentic. The mantra of Lomography was "don't think, just shoot," but mostly, it was a brilliant way to sell
Times Square bomb suspect arrested while waiting to fly to Dubai. B.P. says it will cover all Gulf cleanup costs, estimated to be at least $12.5 billion. Greek public sector workers fulminate prior to Wednesday's planned nationwide strike. Coffee-break browsing: Easy-to-flip almanac of what remains of
Polanski calls his extradition an attempt "to serve me on a platter to the media of the world." Op: The war over "begging the question" has ended--and 18 out of 20 people never knew a shot was fired. I am a mortal being; mortal beings die;
No evidence found to link Pakistani Taliban to the Times Square bomb; hunt for man on tape. Johnson & Johnson recalls 53 infant and children's products; potential for harm is remote, says F.D.A. East coast beaches are disappearing, but government, developers, and dwellers aren't
R.I.P. Leslie Buck, designer of New York's iconic coffee cup. Damascus gets a smoking ban, redefining café society. Pictures: Gaza's bodybuilding contest, for men's eyes only. Boy Scouts of America fighting to keep files on suspected child molesters private. Map of Europe
Iowa G.O.P. hopeful calls for tracking illegal immigrants with microchip implants. The movement to boycott AriZona Tea is futile--the drink is brewed in Long Island. At "Vending Spree," TMN's Matthew Baldwin will consume and review every item in his office's vending machine.
New oil leak discovered off Louisiana coast; rate now 5,000 barrels a day, not 1,000. Stabber injures 28 children in China--third such knife attack in a month. Eight opinions on who should replace Justice Stevens. "Black elephant"--a widely predicted event that people will claim to
What happens to the oil skimmed off the Gulf of Mexico: Some will go into cars, some will be buried, some will grow mushrooms. How data collection and an "internet of things" could change the world. This year's Record Store Day turned into the biggest day
Having mastered the nonstatement, Goldman denies wrongdoing. Reporters say Obama's White House is distant, petulant, and hostile to the media (except the New York Times). Op: Portugal isn't Greece, but what makes it different could be crippling under duress. Scientifically speaking, financial reform will depend on
Obama to visit an Iowa town that had it rough the last time he passed through, and where it's only gotten rougher. Veteran New York safety inspector admits he never tested any of the hundreds of buildings he deemed safe from lead and asbestos. Santa Clara County wants
PowerPoint overtakes the military--it can put reporters to sleep, otherwise it's ineffective. Israel's chief military censor: Enemies attribute higher credibility to articles published by the Israeli media. Journey through Gaza finds boredom, a baby boom, a zone "eerily empty of bitterness." Belgium's
Subway numbers reflect aboveground life: Midtown job losses emptied stations; the Bowery boomed with Brooklyn riders. Shepard Fairey completes mural for his Deitch Projects show, the gallery's last-ever exhibit. He decided he wanted a skeleton he could take apart. Creating artwork from human bones. Artist surveys subway riders,
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir wins multi-party election. South Korean ship sunk by bubble jet, attacker unknown; Seoul suspends North Korean tourism jaunts. Obama reneges on campaign promise, uses euphemisms to discuss the Armenian Genocide. Op: The public's fluctuating dismay and renewed faith in Wall Street isn&
Greek prime minister calls for help from "a sinking ship," so he may "rebuild our ship with strong and resilient materials." Op: Default by a eurozone member need not spell the ruin of the currency. Mugabe backs Iran's nuclear program. The first great financial
Moody's dings Toyota's credit rating, estimates the carmaker's sales will suffer through at least 2012. "I kind of just combined the flavors and added the shrimp." S.S.A. employees hold a cook-off. Forty years ago, Earth Day eschewed corporations; now organizers
Dodd and Shelby say the financial regulation bill is nearly finished, derivatives-trading ban included. Hawks taking wing in South Korea over its sunken warship. Gordon Brown's wife, Michelle-like, trots out Downing Street's eating and gardening habits. Facing porcine price plummet, China adds to its "much
Passenger jets begin departing northern Europe; however, new eruptions may cut the elation short. Chaplin's charm extends to a small Indian town that pays homage to him yearly. "America seems to be fascinated with what is going on here, or what is perceived to be going on.
Rarely one for name-calling or naming names, Obama raises hackles at "cynical and deceptive" McConnell. Following Belgium, Sarkozy orders legislation to ban women from wearing Islamic veils in public. Britain reopens airspace late Tuesday. Sleeping in airports: the best, the worst, and a how-to. In California, signs of
New eruptions in Iceland could further halt European air travel. "European integration," as we have come to understand it, turns out to be utterly dependent on reliable air travel. "We transported them to the countryside so they could roam around." How airports are handling stranded animals,
Kandahar's deputy mayor killed while praying in a mosque. Iranian cleric blames immodestly dressing, promiscuous women for natural disasters. Instapaper: Peace in the much-promised land looks more and more elusive, and the process to achieve it much, much tougher. Fear of lawsuits causes supermarkets to waste tons of
A tearful President Lee Myung-bak vows to find those responsible for last month's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship. Gates's memo calls into question Obama's Iran policy, which is the same as Bush's, except reason replaces fear. Attempting to ferry home
Oklahoma law professor on lessons learned from defending McVeigh. A huge, swirling column of black smoke and debris rose into the cloudless sky. Clinton: Criticism is part of the lifeblood of democracy; no one is right all the time. Op: We now live in a global democracy--it's called
Various views of Europe's spreading ash plume blowing from Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland. Live aircraft traffic above Europe. Holocaust commemoration increasingly occuring on Facebook despite social media being built to promote what is recent. Obama orders hospital visitation rights for gays and lesbians. Uninformed American summarizes watching
Toyota's scattered structure, outdated management caused its failure. Another sign we're pulling out of the recession: Restaurants are filling up again. A poll shows Tea Party supporters tend to be white males who don't think Sarah Palin is qualified to be president. By design,
Forty-seven percent of American households owe no income tax for 2009--but don't confuse "income tax" with "tax." Common tax questions and answers--e.g., why terrorist informants don't get tax breaks, but the blind do. Roundup of rumored tax-day freebies. Syria: the Middle
Toyota suspends sale of Lexus SUV after Consumer Reports slaps a "do not buy" warning on the vehicle. What car do you tell people not to buy? Study finds that since 1980, 40 percent fewer women die from childbirth--with significant reductions in India, China, Brazil, and Egypt. How
Language barrier or presidential pressure may have caused Poland's deadly crash. Tribute to retiring Supreme Court Justice Stevens: a rare, genuinely independent mind. Collector in chief takes national archives to the blogosphere. Op: By going to cable, Conan is changing the game, rather than fading away with other
Economists say it's premature to call the recession over--unemployment numbers are still too high. Geithner: Learning from the last financial crisis--and installing more accountability--will prevent the next meltdown. Investigators say WaMu created a "mortgage time bomb" by selling loans to investors without disclosing borrowers' fraudulent
Fire at revered Ugandan tombs increases tension between president and ethnic minority. Genetic disorder found that eradicates racial, but not gender, bias. Rituals of the Protocol Office, currently managing whims of 46 international delegations in D.C. Rwanda's missing U.N. ambassador turns up in Alabama, and he
Op: The measly fine against Toyota is a good reminder of why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration needs more ammo. A three-year timeline of the inquiries, accidents, and misdirections that soured Toyota's reputation. "There's stuff on the Internet about me. I've tried
While others talk nukes, Obama and Jintao will discuss currency--though probably not currency manipulation. Lucid summary of events in Kyrgyzstan. Op: Reliance on authoritarian regimes is both miserable ethics and poor strategy. Dawkins and Hitchens seek to arrest the Pope in September. Hitchens: Ratzinger will be remembered for only one
Kyrgyzstan's uprising dubbed the "fir tree revolution" after shrubs looted from the president's garden. Evidence of Russian meddling in Kyrgyzstan is not hard to find. How to pronounce Kyrgyzstan. Netanyahu cancels visit to Obama's summit over fears that Muslim states would press
Internal emails show Toyota executives arguing whether to disclose acceleration problems five days before a recall. Since Katrina, the population size of New Orleans has been up for speculation; this year's census may result in a political power shift. Tories reject compulsory sex education that threatens "the
Arab art market ruled by women from behind the scenes. Long-read: Krugman tallies the costs of green action, inaction, and "the nonnegligible probability of utter disaster." One in 10 underground U.S. mines meet federal communication requirements. Timeline after Virginia governor omits slavery from Confederate History Month. Video:
How reading on an iPhone makes books a newfound pleasure for many dyslexics. A cheerleading team (average age: 66) dances on Tokyo's streets to inspire others. An account of the tryouts for the L.A. Sparks' over-40 cheerleading squad. Teach for America recruits uncertain college grads. Of
A.N.C. instructs members, reportedly including Malema, to quit singing the "Shoot the Boer" song. Obama removes religious terms from national-security blueprint. Escapes, narrow, of. The remarkable n+1 index of The 9/11 Commission Report. Plot device to be seen in next James Bond film: Iranian
James Traub remembered to bring his navy-blue summer-weight blazer on his first embed, but forgot the ballistic eyewear. After a rash of Extreme Makeover foreclosures, the show's producers scale back to smaller, less-burdensome renovations. Researchers discover that watching sick people may prevent illness. Lil Wayne is blogging from
Jordanian King Abdullah: Israel's long-term future is in jeopardy; only the U.S. can save Jerusalem. Recent budget cuts likely have hampered California's ability to handle disasters. Wall Street lobbyists want bipartisan financial reform--assuming blue-chip GOPers will still whack reform kneecaps. Brown confirms May 6 election
Pope doesn't mention scandals during Easter Mass; senior cardinal cautions Catholics not to be swayed by "petty gossip." A tension between élitism and anti-élitism is central to white identity, and always has been. Deconstructing America's obsession with celebrity comebacks, from Scott Fitzgerald to Tiger
High-ranking former U.S. officials holding quiet talks with Hamas. South Africa's Malema commends Mugabe, condemns Tsvangirai, calls for nationalizing mines. Incan bone marks reveal European savagery. Overheard: Karzai responds to pressure by threatening to join the Taliban. "The Superstar Effect": When competing with a seemingly
Walk-through of how a German child-rape case trickled out three decades later. Küng: Celibacy has no Biblical support and should be abolished. Q&A on founding-father wisdom: Corporations should serve people, not become economic enterprises. Account of a man who created a corporation to repossess aircraft. Anyone who calls
Swiss bishops apologize for sexual abuse; Italian bishops defend their "enlightened" Pope. Geithner: Unemployment will stay unacceptably high for a long time. Op: France and Israel broke up in 1967; Netanyahu should bear this in mind. Scientists discovered the part of the brain that makes people gullible; Stephan
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator arrives in Beijing while China suggests it will consider Security Council sanctions. General's junk-food ban challenges pillar of American military cuisine. Army to trump Hannibal by moving two million pieces of equipment out of Iraq. Op: Karzai is ready to fight to
U.S. government to save billions by cutting wasteful Senator program. Israel won't talk about Obama's idea about a four-month freeze on settlements until Obama talks about it first. It's as if they've injected a growth hormone into the economic development. Profile
Split among circuit courts on drug laws and immigration finds Jerry Lemaine trapped in the middle. From cover-up to backlash, the Pope's abuse-scandal exposé parallels Watergate. Nuns' support of health care reform makes them the left's unlikely darlings. In bankrupt Haiti, bus drivers spend $1,
Democracy leader calls for global rejection of Burmese regime's election and "prearranged outcome." Changes in global attitudes toward homosexuality and prostitution show steady disdain for sex being sold. After banning prostitution last year, Iceland now forbids strip clubs. All that is harmful about Chinese mining investment
Ten students driving to obtain scholarships slaughtered in a truck in Durango, Mexico. Photos: Muscovites in mourning. Berlusconi makes regional gains despite scandals; voter turnout is lowest in 15 years. On the Times's payout and apology to Singapore's leaders: money for access, if disdainfully done. New
North Koreans face death to smuggle out information via cell phones. Rome is under siege--notes on the Pope's and Berlusconi's taste in barriers. Harrowing account of the life and death of the Los Angeles Times's Mike Penner/Christine Daniels. Overview of the premium-hair industry:
Video from inside Moscow's Lubyanka station after suicide attack. You can bomb facilities, but you can't bomb knowledge. Lucid summary of a simulation where Israel strikes Iran. Lure of adventure, not religion, motivates new wave of jihadists. Imelda Marcos is back, "with a vengeance,"
F.B.I. investigates threats against Democrats who voted for health care reform. Activist to transform Maldives atoll into "Democracy Island," a camp to learn nonviolent political change. Economist's assessment of health care reform: coverage to be expanded dramatically, but at a heavy cost to the
Reporters say Obama's bipartisan summit was deceptive, a red herring, a brilliant tactic. Q&A about Madrid's psychology emergency response team. You either believe that six million Jews died in the Holocaust or you don't. Q&A with leader of the U.
Netanyahu ends U.S. visit with no resolution; areas of disagreement remain. Op: Knowing Netanyahu would be reenergized by his speech at AIPAC, Obama and his staff set him a honey trap. Tea Partiers use centuries-old nullification tactics to challenge health care reform. Liberals mock Bush's hand-wiping unfairly--breaking
Republicans plan vote-a-rama to embarrass Democrats with a richness of amendments to reject. Remembrance of Iran's Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, now martyr "for those who would seek reform." Op: Health care reform will create "a world that partisans of limited government should welcome." Forty
Netanyahu gets informal treatment during White House visit; Britain expels Israeli diplomat over passports mess. Education chief kept confidential log of Chicago pols seeking spots in top schools. Video: Biden calls reform "a big fucking deal." See also: Brief history of D.C.'s bad language. Nestle
After 60 years of effort, the Wiesenthal Center's sixth-most-wanted Nazi is convicted. More than 160 arrested in connection with the Jos massacre in Nigeria. Economic double standard found in banning ivory but not tuna. India to weaponize the bhut jolokia, the world's hottest chili. MTV tests
Russia hammers the competition in the Winter Paralympics after its worst-ever Winter Olympics. High-fructose corn syrup found to cause obesity; Americans consume 60 pounds of it each year. Newspapers as drugs: in a pure state, full of facts; when cut with Lady Gaga photos, dangerous. Useful Q&A with
Haiti struggles to find 40,000 dwellings for 200,000 people currently in flood- or mudslide-prone areas. Israelis want Stanley Tunick to come shoot them naked; labour minister Noked gives his support. AIPAC leader: "Jerusalem is not a settlement. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel." If the stupidity
The "Civil Rights Act of the 21st century" passes in the House; Senate Republicans focus on future repeal. "Welcome one and all to the Hundred Years War of Health Policy!" There on the House balcony, the GOP lawmakers' legislative dissent and the tea-party protest merged
Quartet of diplomats wants Israeli-Palestinian talks resumed, new Palestinian state in 24 months. Thursday night, Netanyahu offered Clinton "a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy for settlements." Op: Moment of truth for American Jews: For the good of both countries, AIPAC has to
Thai Prime Minister says he'll talk with protesters if they stop throwing blood. E.U.'s new foreign policy chief, Baroness Ashton, visits Gaza. Op: The only way Israeli liberals can mount an offensive is if America keeps applying heat. All but one of the missionary-taken Haitian
Amnesia Nigeriana: When Nigerians blank out national trauma to preserve sanity. Op: How many U.S. officials will be branded anti-Semites before AIPAC and Lieberman realize that Netanyahu screwed up? Wyoming's hawkish senator Alan Simpson is back, but Republicans can't love him in the Tea Party
Few examples exist of pouring blood as a form of political protest, and no one--including Thai magicians--knows what it means. Fizzy anticipation over Obama's visit to Indonesia. Op: Obama's education reform is a compromise designed to placate school administrators and teacher unions. Six suicides in six
Israel and the U.S. speak more gently in public, but privately remain at a standstill. Op: The American demands are reasonable and fair; stagnation in the diplomatic process is a threat Israel can by no means afford. Rabbis to perform the Passover story on Twitter. Lions, subsurface fist-fights, and
George Mitchell's return to the Middle East now indefinitely postponed. Construction will continue in Jerusalem as this has been the case over the past 42 years. Op: Obama, please tone down the rhetoric; Netanyahu, cancel the building in Ramat Shlomo. Kim Jong-un is North Korea's new
More than 50 new corruption cases opened against Americans who bilked Iraq reconstruction projects. Washington hopes Obama has a strategy for handling Netanyahu; AIPAC allies urge drawdown. Hitchens: Let's not forget that Ratzinger made it a crime to report child rape. Op: China will become the new Middle
Thai protesters hoping to gather 2,000 pints of blood, potentially to douse Government House. Gunmen believed to be linked to Mexican cartels kill a U.S. consulate worker and her husband. Ten things to know about Burkina Faso (because why not?). Op: I am one of those people that
Defense official ran private network of contractors, setting up assassinations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Georgia panics after fake TV newscast says the Russians are coming. Brief profile of world's biggest bond investor: backs Obama, stiff on Greece. Guide to Dodd's financial overhaul bill to finally debut
Welcome to Trinidad: The world's newest narcostate. Op: I will never forgive the senile Soviet power for not allowing a single Western mega-rock-group into Moscow in the '70s. New law allows Berlusconi to evade corruption charges again. Must-read: José Saramago's incredible, vicious "The Berlusconi
Chechnya is a model for countries fighting Islamic rebels--ignore, though, the ongoing violence. Penn: Journalists who call Hugo Chávez a dictator should be jailed. Eight journalists kidnapped in Reynosa, Mexico, in the last two weeks. Mexico's Carlos Slim now ranked the world's wealthiest person. White women
Plurality of Americans thinks the U.S. should "mind its own business internationally." U.S. government doesn't actually rank Taliban officials. Sudden acceleration is very often caused by drivers who press the gas pedal when they intend to press the brake. High-powered undergraduates do "3,
Greek unions to stage second strike and shut down all public services tomorrow. American "La Barbie" fighting for control of Mexico's Beltran Leyva cartel. Instapaper for the commute: The great Charles Bowden flees the biggest cartel of all--the Mexican Army. See also: Wells Tower and his
Friedman: Democracy was never going to have a virgin birth in Iraq, which has never known such a thing. Some--but not too much--business takes place in locker-room showers, politicians say. Federalist Society bigwigs protest Liz Cheney's attacks on federal lawyers. Summaries of Uganda, Pakistan, and other emerging gay-rights
Most active thing George W. Bush has done in his post-presidency period is to call on Ulster to accept a deal. Israel announces interest in developing nuclear power, having never admitted being a nuclear power. Big Pharma giants battle for control of Germany's Ratiopharm. Memos show the C.
Videos and investigative notes on the violence near Jos. Sachs's Millennium Villages are successfull--"islands of success in a sea of failure," say detractors. Togo experiences the latest seemingly fraudulent election followed by mass protest and government crackdown. Chart: How everyday life in Iraq has changed.
Mitchell says he's "pleased" that Israel and the Palestinians will talk once more. Mitchell and Biden probably not pleased about Israel authorizing more settlement building. Deeper look into the Falkland Islands, home to friendly people, beautiful landscapes--and the everlasting memory of war. Profile of Pandora, the
Lunchtime long read: America's most trusted conservation groups have been corrupted by its worst polluters. News stories to anticipate this week. Gun owners conduct open-carry meet-ups. The right to cynically accuse someone of being a terrorist is protected under the Constitution. No matter the Iraqi election results, "
If Greece can make its cuts, it may survive to own more French frigates. German politicians say Greece should sell its islands to redeem debt. Moderate anti-statism helps preserve liberty. But extreme anti-statism undermines democratic self-government. Quick primer on how to take your country nuclear. "Human-flesh search": Long
Greece wins support in Europe and the markets for austerity measures, though protests continue in Athens. William Deresiewicz's nuanced West Point speech on leadership. Notes on why the Washington Post appears to be helping Rahm Emanuel oust the president. Christopher Hitchens edits the 10 commandments. Op: To anyone
U.S. faces a lack of Security Council support in persuading the U.N. to pass new Iran sanctions. White House backs international trade ban on the highly prized--and "buttery"--Atlantic bluefin tuna. Obama demands action on health care, points to G.O.P. successes in welfare, Bush
Toyota owners claim continuing sudden-acceleration problems, even after the dealership fixes. Medvedev calls for Russian Olympic officials to resign after country's poor performance. Unless the government makes swift cuts to budget deficits, Britain risks a debt crisis akin to Greece. A two-alarm fire breaks out at the Manhattan
Spitzer: There are certain core values that the marketplace simply will not address. Visual economics for global health care costs. Story of a girl molested by a police chief shows the Indian middle class's fight against corruption. Israel doesn't have borders, or perhaps has too many
We're back to studying events around the Black Sea to understand current events. The Winter Olympics are becoming more diverse, just keeping pace with the Summer Olympics. Nothing in Pakistan happens except at the instigation of one of the three A's: Allah, the army, or America.
As man-made pollutants have decreased in U.S. waterways, manure is on the rise--and with it, greenhouse gas. Chart: Which cities might flood due to rising sea levels--and when. A charity's unsuccessful attempts to give away free umbrellas during a rainstorm. Study finds weedkiller common in U.S.
White House adviser says Democrats will have enough votes to pass health-care reform; Pelosi says courage will be required. Chilean military takes control of towns affected by the earthquake. Fascinating account of Israeli soldiers posting classified information to Facebook. Europe will soon run one of the world's largest
House panel reviews former Toyota lawyer's documents, says the carmaker "deliberately withheld" evidence in safety lawsuits. Akio Toyoda travels to Beijing to apologize to the world's largest auto market. Chart: Measuring media bias. "You get one shot. If you miss, the whole day&
Sarkozy visits Rwanda for three hours to concede "grave errors" over the 1994 genocide. Spain may become the new Greece, though a bailout would be far costlier. Gaddafi calls for jihad against Switzerland--possibly because his son beat up domestic workers in a Swiss hotel. Instapaper for the weekend:
Mr. Toyoda came to Washington with one overarching goal: rebuild the confidence of American consumers. Congress, Toyota head confuse each other. Toyota recalls remaining models due to faulty chick magnets. An overview of the three options for today's health care summit; Democrats must decide between saving their jobs
India and Pakistan hold first talks since the Mumbai siege; Pakistan's Bashir grows testy under questioning. Afghanistan says it will receive from Pakistan the Afghan Taliban's number two. The idiot's guide to being an African Junta, as done in PowerPoint. Yes, the Dalai Lama&
The 2010 Winter Olympics set out to be the greenest games, a goal that helped reduce the impact of shipping in all that snow. How the Pentagon uses video games and other "militainment" to recruit a new crop of crack shots. "If there are no further recalls
Just in case some liberals weren't sure, the public option is dead, say Democratic leaders. Carter: Foreign Policy got me all wrong. Op: With black male unemployment at 17.6%, undocumented workers are hurting African-Americans. Germans furious about paying for greedy, pampered Greeks' pensions. Combat-zone pictures by
Denmark introduces harrowing new tourism ads directed by Lars Von Trier. Profile of a McDonald's chef. Rendering of table objects after a dinner party: both absurdist theater and a study in user experience. Pictures of an abandoned Japanese island. Winning photographs and illustrations from the 2009 International Science
Why African coups are begun by colonels: They've got enough power, not enough money. The great crisis of the mid-21st century will be a war between the United States and a fearsome Turkish-Japanese alliance. France's air-traffic controllers begin week-long strike to protest integration with other European
After surviving the quake and the hospital conditions, new amputees in Haiti redefine their lives. An internal memo championing avoided recalls, says Toyota, doesn't reflect its corporate beliefs. This week will determine the shape of American politics for the next three years. Newsweek editors publish their internal email
Photos of the 33 conflicts that are raging around the world today. The sound of colonialism underscores the world's national anthems. Charles Barron...suggested that the recent earthquake might have been caused deliberately, by something called "induced seismicity." How hospital room placement can affect a patient&
Web comic Zahra's Paradise begins today, a "depiction of real Iranian life." New paper examines economic crisis cartoons of yesteryear. Named one of the most innovative companies of 2010, how Wal-Mart triggers significant, positive change. Despite wealth and innovation, Inner Mongolia fails to retain citizens. Analysis:
Haitian judge releases eight U.S. missionaries; two are still being held for further questioning. Living in a Riyadh ghost town, the sprawling, opulent--and empty--Diplomatic Quarter; some photos of the DQ. Angela Merkel moves to buy stolen Swiss data. As the U.S. Mint rolls out a Millard Fillmore coin,
Play-by-play reconstruction of the Hamas-commander assassination in Dubai. Do spies and assassins really wear fake beards? Yes. Sullivan on why war is always evil, even when it's necessary, but torture is never justified. Op: Conservatives would never dare return the stimulus; it's brought them too much
Toyota announces brake-override systems for future models, faster defect disclosure--just as new Corolla steering issues arise. Criminologists review stats, assert no crime wave hit Houston or other Southwest cities after Katrina evacuees arrived. New York Times digital, print divisions spar over whether to charge $10 a month or up to
Hitchens: North Korea's racist dictatorship has produced starving and stunted dwarves. Slideshow: Presidential propaganda for kids. The U.K. is all malcontents (71% before the crash), but even if "broken Britain" rings true, the numbers don't support it. Stop urinating on me, Vollmann. Books
Countering Clinton's remark, Iran says the U.S. is a military dictatorship in the Persian Gulf. L.A. has trouble wrangling disgruntled jurors, who can't afford to sit at a trial, and make their reluctance heard. Austrian millionaire made miserable by his fortune plans to give
Joint American-Pakistani raid captures Taliban's top commander. Strategic withdrawal has been at the core of the Taliban's war strategy since 2001. Kenneth Starr gets a new job title: university president. Op: The Islamists embraced by Amnesty aren't nice metrosexuals who support women's
National day of mourning in Haiti for the 230,000 people killed one month ago today. International Living ranks France as the top spot to live; the depression drops U.S. to seventh place. Sanctioned vandalism employed to help save L.A.'s Hollywood sign from developers. Tea party
Wife of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi attacked by police. Guide to the core and periphery of al Qaeda. "Businessmen haved captured the state and the minds of the people who run it." Company receives $3 million to turn carbon into baking soda; lots of jokes about
Analysis of Obama's three gambles to defuse Iran: moving China, holding Israel, and sanctions. Woman in Oxford uses Twitter to direct rebellion in Iran; Ahmadinejad fights back with propaganda. Egyptian religious leaders push back against mosque surveillance cameras. Traders react positively to news that the E.U. will
Toyota's pedal problems began with the 2001 Camry; in 2004, a series of complaints sparked ever-widening investigations. In 2007, State Farm alerted federal regulators to Toyota issues, which were promptly entered into a database. As the value of its used cars takes a big hit, Toyota goes on
British judges order information released about the torture of Briton Binyam Mohamed in Guantánamo. Instapaper for the commute: America is good at starting wars but terrible at ending them well. TMN's Clay Risen on the decline of Germany's Social Democrats (see also, "So Very Weimar&
Study: A surplus of men in China equates to more savings for the country. A study of the Times's most-emailed articles shows people want to spread positive, awe-inspiring news. N.A.S.A. launches David Bowie concept mission. Someone leaked a memo about Operation Stardust to the papers.
Yulia Tymoshenko refuses to concede in Ukraine, but many doubt she'll have time to prove there were violations. Five possible benefits to the U.S. should Iran build a bomb. Mexico City's homicide rate today is less than a third of that for Washington, D.C.
Two years after rallying Wall St. for record donations, Obama is rebuked by Chase's G.O.P. support. Many worry Canada's housing recovery may have been so swift that it will cause another bubble. Palin calls not considering a 2012 presidential run "absurd," even
Yulia Tymoshenko refuses to concede in Ukraine, but many doubt she'll have time to prove there were violations. Five possible benefits to the U.S. should Iran build a bomb. Mexico City's homicide rate today is less than a third of that for Washington, D.C.
Government permission now required before killing American terrorists. Op: Obama promised to fight corruption and has not; faith in congress is gone; our democracy is feigned, breeding cynicism. Part one: The U.S.-China relationship is too big to fail; we've seen these snafus before. Part two: Neither
China deflects Obama's accusations that it artificially devalues the yuan to gain export advantage. Laundry detergent, energy drinks, and Hyundais all experienced recession-related sales increases. Whether Toyota will speedily recover from this setback or suffer permanent harm is uncertain, but the betting must be on the latter. Senate
Account of Ghajar, the Middle Eastern village cut in two by war. Instapaper for the commute: Survey of the remaining grit in La Françafrique. Russia confirms it too will drop its moon program. Op: Biden sends a better message when he goes off-message. Confessions of a Salinger gatekeeper who didn&
Toyota first identified problems with the accelerator in its Tundra pickup trucks in March 2007. U.S. regulators accuse Toyota of delaying "responsible action." House members issue letter to Toyota, seeking proof its purported fix will solve the problem of unexpected acceleration in its cars. A former lawyer
Three U.S. soldiers become the first known American military fatalities in Pakistan. Four months after the massacre, power is transferred peacefully in Guinea. Various world leaders measured for sickness, sneezing, colds. Twenty years after its first store in Pushkin Square, McDonald's chooses Russia as its top country
The rat says so: Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter. Al Qaeda dropouts may provide the key to radicalism. Scientists create possible nuclear-waste-eating Venus flytrap. Choire Sicha offers the most accurate review possible of When in Rome. A new kind abstinence-only program--it doesn't preach morality or
Former company man who vouched for waterboarding now retracts claim. Arenas: If I steer just one young person away from violence, then I'm living up to Abe Pollin's legacy. How Davos is like a magazine cover: by the time a trend percolates up, its time has
Toyota announces a fix for its gas pedals; still no comment on why its cars didn't have a brake override. Saints fans, T-shirt merchants clash with the N.F.L. over who owns "Who Dat?" The Super Bowl was born out of hype; it took cable
Fifty years ago today, the lunch counter sit-in movement began in Greensboro, N.C. "New triumphalist attitude" from Beijing worrying analysts; hubris and insecurity driving behavior. Osama criticizes the world for relying on the dollar and being too slow to respond to climate change. Paulson says Russia approached
Professor transcribes al Qaeda tapes, discovers what jihadis eat for breakfast. Harper's Guantánamo piece vs. the Slate takedown. Op: The Constitution is neither safety net for illegal enemy combatants nor suicide pact for us. One out of every 330 people serves in the armed forces. Instapaper for the
Historian, teacher, activist Howard Zinn dies, age 87. Video: Howard Zinn remembers the moment he "questioned the total goodness of the Good War." No one ever wrote or spoke with a greater instinct for the True and Vital. Wasserman on Zinn. Collins: Last night's State of
Obama's speech was so good, Chris Matthews forgot he was black. Op: Obama will fight hard for what he said he believed in while campaigning; as to how, no mention given. Massive earthquake reveals entire island civilization called "Haiti." A.N.C.'s new coat
Vermont hit hardest by military deaths in Iraq. Many of the M.T.A.'s planned security upgrades after Sept. 11 never happened, and now there's no money for them. Toyota halts sales of eight vehicles over concerns of a safety issue that may cause cars to
On Zimbabwe: "The world's most free-fall economy today is almost normal." Medocino County really likes weed, or it did until all those murders and Mexican cartels. Petty corruption is rampant in India, but now a million zero-rupee notes are fighting back. So-called negative images of Uzbekistan
Obama's proposed spending freeze may not make a dent in the deficit, but it appeals to conservative Democrats, and that matters right now. Tucked into the deadliest zone of L.A. County is a mile-wide stretch that has been murder-free for three years. It's too bad
Another attack kills 18 in Baghdad, a day after 36 were slain in hotels. White House and Congress given failing grades at stopping biological terrorist attacks. Searchable map of Los Angeles's homicides. China releases 16 volumes of Cultural Revolution files scrubbed of anything about deaths or imprisonment. Slime
Lebanese officials rule out terrorism in the crash of an Ethiopian airliner. Bin Laden claims credit for Christmas bomb plot; U.S. officials say no, plot originated with an offshoot group in Yemen. Photo tour of Guantanamo Bay, including interrogation rooms, open-air cells, and the local dump. Laws limiting corporate
"Chemical Ali," Saddam's brother who ordered a gas attack that killed 5,000, executed after fourth death sentence. Spectacular CNN wraparound video of Port-au-Prince. Danticat: "My cousin Maxo has died. The house that I called home during my visits to Haiti collapsed on top of
Learning from Katrina, White House's Haiti PR effort includes an effective "ticktock." Geithner's influence in the White House may have slipped during the rise of Volcker. Krauthammer: You would think lefties could discern a proletarian vanguard when they see one. Op: Haiti was already
F.B.I. agents sting U.S. arms makers attempting to bribe foreign officials. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill I agrees with Pat Robertson, compares Haiti to Kazakhstan. Egypt's heat and humidity help to generate a cotton boll with long, firm fibers. How to make a shirt. A journey
Haitian business owners want to reopen their stores, but police and "looters" disagree about who are the bad guys. Trapped American uses iPhone apps to survive in Haiti. Summary of recent developments in world hotspots that have gone ignored in the press. Op: "If I returned to
Why Democrats lost Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts: It's the economy, health reform, and also that the state typically swings G.O.P. Author Robert B. Parker, creator of Spenser, dies, age 77; a collection of reactions and tributes. John Lennon countered that "Love means having
F.B.I. says bin Laden may now resemble a Spanish parliamentarian. One year later, all hail Michelle Obama: energetic, committed, casual but serious. Instapaper for the commute: Understanding Obama as a father. Study shows political affiliation can be determined on the face; Republicans: powerful, Democrats: warm. People from Brooklyn,
Despite controversies following other disasters, American Red Cross has now collected $103 million via texts. Sachs: A Haiti Recovery Fund should last five years, and Obama should pony up $2 billion. Mary Ellen Mark and other photographers featured in a magazine to benefit Haiti. Media mistakes: When are Haitians looters
With so many bodies denied rest in family burial plots...countless spiritual connections would be severed. Website of cartographically illustrated current events. It still feels like living in exactly the future we were promised. In 2010, reading a 1972 book about 2010. Chart: The evolution of Crayola colors. Those who
Dead in Haiti estimated to be 50,000; health ministry resorts to mass graves. Destroyed infrastructure, roads, and port delay aid arrival; "survivors dying in huge numbers." Seismologists understand the mechanics of earthquakes, but remain a long way from being able to predict them. Stunned by suffering, disaster
The destruction of so much of Haiti's infrastructure is shutting down some relief efforts. Memo to Pat Robertson: Haiti is overwhelmingly Christian. Video: How mapmaking can help fight disaster, build economies. Geolocator-tagged puffins reveal surprising winter journey. Among athletes, asthma is more common in winter Olympians; the reason
More than $2 million raised so far for Haiti relief by Americans sending text messages. F.B.I. warns of Haiti relief fraud. Pat Robertson's take on Haiti's plight is just a cruder version of what everyone says--even Haitians. Op: If God exists, he's
Devastating quake near Port-au-Prince levels shantytowns, knocks down the presidential palace, destroys U.N. compound. In war between rival drug gangs in Mexico, 69 people are murdered in a single day. White House clarifies: The Christmas Day bomber purchased a round-trip--not one-way--airline ticket. Designing a better boarding pass. Whatever else
Thousands possibly killed by Haiti's earthquake; "country destroyed," says Haitian president. Haitian earthquake in pictures; pictures from the British Red Cross. Case report of an auto-appendectomy in the Antarctic. Tourist in South Africa eaten by a giant shark; eyewitness tweets, "like dinosaur huge." Gatorade
Antarctica maintains its frigid form, keeping the oceans level, arctic ice shelves intact. A look at Chinese tomb-tending ceremonies. Robots to be enlisted to secure America's borders. Requiem for Richie Tenenbaum, AT&T pitchman; Paul Sorvino to release a line of pasta sauces. At the age of
The conservative case for gay marriage: It's family values, plain and simple. Gallery of handmade miniature depictions of natural phenomena. Fed finds record profits in 2009--$45 billion--but earns more risks down the road. West Point report finds that 85% of al Qaeda's victims are Muslims.
More than a recession, less than a depression, and now it's over: Here are 15 explanations for why the crisis occurred. Many people may not realize their canes contain swords, until they realize it at airport security. A look inside Netflix queues, neighborhood by neighborhood, in a dozen
Gourevitch on the new, thorough report on the 1994 assassination of Rwanda's president/dictator. Ignorant Chinese tourists blamed for fueling Ethiopia's ivory trade. While reports of Europe's economic demise are greatly exaggerated, reports of its high taxes and generous benefits aren't. How
Geithner possibly to be grilled over suppression of disclosures about A.I.G.'s bailout. Op: Perhaps walking away from a mortgage isn't amoral; perhaps it's smart business sense. F.D.I.C. considers penalizing banks if bonus incentives encourage foolhardy behavior. Snipers have found
Dems spin back: The G.O.P. has its own retirements and no clear path to a majority. Palin seems to divide her fellow-Americans into first class and second class citizens, real Americans and not-so-real Americans. Why Jews have a problem with Palin. New U.C.L.A. study says
The year's first day of Wall Street trading matches the year-end result 73 percent of the time (in the last 15 years). Russia's long holiday (through Jan. 11) costs 700 billion roubles, but the damage to livers and minds is much worse. Op: The right to
Two militants are killed, and the U.S. Embassy in Yemen will reopen; Obama halts transfer of Yemeni detainees until the dust settles. Slideshow: Life in Yemen. Yemen has abundant weapons and men experienced in guerrilla warfare who resent U.S. policies. Harlem wasn't gentrified; black residents have
Congressional report clears Acorn, but says that Acorn's enemies may have broken state laws. January 6, 2010, could well become a national day of mourning for Democrats. 2010 will see many newspapers attempting to convince readers to ante up for online content. Op: Newspaper writing suffers from too
Despite idiot politicians, scientists are back to using spy-satellite pictures to study ice imagery. Move over, master of the ditch, it's time to celebrate the Flying Dutchman. Multiple murderers, including a multiple murderer, enjoy Wii. Slideshow: Fifteen pictures from 10 years at war. Five reasons to place long-term
In November, Switzerland voted to ban new minarets; in protest, a shoe chain owner affixes one atop his warehouse. Op: As bases close and American units leave Iraq...the Iraqi government seems to have sabotaged that achievement. Morocco uses kissing to control crime. Taiwanese pleasure dens cater to fetish and
Bernanke wants stronger regulation to prevent excessive speculation, which could fuel a new economic crisis. The Mediterranean Sea was plagued by blobs. Harper's Yearly Review. Why women writers aren't as celebrated as men may have more to do with relevance than gender. Sarah Hepola almost joins
Beautiful pictures of 2010 being welcomed into being. Maira Kalman's final Happiness blog entry focusses on George Washington. Effigy of Obama taken down in Jimmy Carter's hometown. Recent Taliban bomber "found the flesh in our unmanned air force, seduced it, and slaughtered it." Mongolia
Help St. Jude Hospital ensure children receive the cancer treatment they need, regardless of a family's ability to pay. C.A.R.E. needs your help raising $2.5 million to invest in women and girls. Fight breast cancer by turning your holidays "passionately pink." Cancer
Retailers struggling to recover from last weekend's commerce-interrupting storms, though optimism remains. Tinsel sales this year are up 40 percent. Bookmobiles fall victim to recession. U.N. wants Camara and other Guinean leaders to stand trial for the recent stadium massacre. Yuletide reading: People everywhere are still suffering
Indiana's Muscatatuck Urban Training Center mimics an Afghan village to train civilians for a surge. Korean army develops pedal-powered airplane. Massive Philippine volcano ready to blow, 45,000 evacuated. These students tended to be overachiever types motivated primarily by salary rather than some lifelong ambition. The reason we&
The E.U. declares Copenhagen a "disaster," "a great failure." Eighty Europeans killed by cold snap. Chart: Global misery index. Airlines to face tough penalties if planes sit on the tarmac and passengers go unfed. Plants possess sophisticated defense mechanisms to fight attackers; they don'
Clashes in an Iranian holy city after a dissident cleric's funeral, which hundreds of thousands attended. Iran captivated by Korean soap opera Jumong. Journalist deaths peaked in 2009, with 68 fatalities. D.C. detective pulls a gun after his Hummer gets hit with snowballs (see footage). Will Ferrell
Senate votes to end health care debate, set a final vote for Christmas Eve. Fantasy geopolitics is the new fantasy football. This year, it's unlikely New Yorkers can spare the generosity to grant wishes in the letters to Santa that pile up at the post office. James Cameron
Iceberg larger than Manhattan breaks from Antarctica, heads for Australia. Related: Man attempts to crowdsurf Manhattan today (follow progress here). "Who's on First" meets environmental disaster when an oil tanker's front falls off. Slideshow looks at which tiny island nations compose the Alliance of
The recession was less calamitous than many feared; its aftermath will be more dangerous than many expect. Sarkozy breaks from the E.U. to back Kyoto; transparency becomes sticking point for U.S. deals. Guardian contest winner solves Tony Blair's financial mystery. Map shows a decade of deaths
Army tests a soldier-controlled universal remote for its robotic devices. Counterterrorism for kids. Computer model predicts what terrorists may do next. Interview with a would-be suicide bomber. Op: It's time for Obama to make good on his promise to get rid of the penny. The better part of
Plastic roads: A solution for India's garbage surplus and lack of transportation infrastructure. Meet the menhaden, the fish that keeps our water clean, and bestows us with omega-3s. I simply couldn't see who or what the book was about if not about farm animals. Like all
Mr. Berlusconi's office denied reports that he doodled pictures of women's underwear in climate talks. U.K. report of Berlusconi dust-up. Interview with Daniel Lippman, secret 19-year-old copyeditor and fact-checker for D.C.'s press corps. RIP Giorgio Carbone, elected prince of the self-declared principality
Beyond rap videos, holding a gun sideways has a longstanding Hollywood--and military--tradition. Video: From the 1960s, the Porsche build process. Zaha Hadid's snack-itecture, illustrated. Most of the Times's 2001 "Year in Ideas" remain relevant; "Selling things yourself in cigarette vending machines" does
London Times documents show Iran testing a crucial final component of a nuclear bomb. Military intervention being prepared to prevent Guinea from sliding into war. The turkey bones yield apocalyptical visions of melting icebergs and Palin/Dobbs in the White House. The Morgan Freeman chain of command. Health care companies
Proof Republicans don't want to fix health care--certainly not after they broke it in 2003. In Houston, Annise Parker makes history by becoming the first graduate of Rice University to be elected mayor. Poland tightens its grip on religion as Europe goes secular. Refer to [Jesus] more casually,
Developing countries stage walkout in Copenhagen, accusing rich countries of dirty pool. C.I.A. talks of expanding drone strikes into Pakistani city Quetta to further pressure Pakistani officials. Klein: Data sees possible correlation between spanking parents and McCain supporters. It was cool to work in the White House. Interview
Many in publishing glad to see the industry's bad juju kill Kirkus; Editor & Publisher also dies (after 125 years). What life will be like when we all live to 100. Profiles of defection: More than 4,200 Iranians world-wide have sought refugee status since Iran's
A perk of being in the C.I.A.: bypassing airport security. In short, he loves the Jews. Sen. Orrin Hatch pens a new holiday tune, "Eight Days of Hanukkah." Festival-goer summons police overs allegations that the music he was hearing wasn't jazz. Why Congress has
Obama shouldn't encourage distrust between India and Pakistan; Obama must plan to negotiate with the Taliban. Unique solution to fixing American politics: Square the districts. Instapaper for the commute: Everything you know about America vs. Iran is wrong. New data show Australia, land of climate skeptics, to possess
Labour seeks votes, ergo British bankers face one-time tax on bonuses. Tactics currently being used by London bankers to avoid paying taxes. Graphic shows winners and losers when the dollar falls. Audio: Multiple stories about rising seas. When the Washington Post can't be bothered to fact-check Palin on
T.S.A. confirms it accidentally revealed closely guarded airport screening secrets when it posted a document online. "We want to push back against the extremists." A Muslim prayer hall opens in Manhattan, near ground zero. Leading epidemiologists predict the H1N1 pandemic could rank as the mildest in
Pearl Harbor researchers identify wreckage of a Japanese mini-sub--could it have been a precursor to the attack? On Dec. 5, 1933, F.D.R. put an end to Prohibition and saved the U.S. government. In Cuba, blogging is an act of civil disobedience. The current age of social media
Two days later, we only now finished reading this: How a real decider operates. Guardian leads charge with climate-change op-ed published in 56 newspapers; no top U.S. paper joins in. Op: Regarding Copenhagen, politicians ignore physics, planets don't. More than 20 percent of U.S. drinking water
He's like a lifeguard, or a doorman, always present, never obtrusive. Fascinating profile of Ryan Seacrest. Archaeologists digging through Shakespeare's trash hope to find out more about his life. Tiger Woods's snafu has meant big sales for small physics book. Virgin readies to unveil
Einstein meets Hippocrates: Profile of a system so smart it can (almost) model human drug trials without humans. News you can use: Analysis of how to assess a Tiger's damage to a tree. More efficient aviation might result if passenger jets flew in bird-like convoys. Bird feeders may
At least 37 killed in suicide attack at a mosque near Pakistan army headquarters. Op: If we lose in Afghanistan, it will be because "our" Afghans--Karzai & co.--failed to deliver. North Korea quietly does away with currency. There's a very strong intellectual case for saying
Somalia's worst terrorist attack since June kills 19, including three ministers. "Tall, fashionable, slim" French legislator wants airbrushed advertisements to be labeled as retouched. Walt Whitman now selling Levi's. I'm surprised that people seem so surprised that scientists are human beings, stuffed
Troops increases to Afghanistan may look like a defeat for Biden, but it plays to his modest goals for the nation. Signaling a trend, Gordon Brown is again late with his regrets, this time to families of soldiers who've died in Afghanistan. Because Dow Chemical refuses responsibility, the
One hundred and fifty years ago today, the most successful terrorist in American history was hanged. Video: 650 million years of Earth in 80 seconds. Photos: A Cairo slum consumed by trash, a minor league ballpark in ruins. Hacked email accounts of climate change scientists reveal questionable data, smug groupthink.
Profile of Alaska Southeast professor thought to be world's first and foremost Sarah Palin scholar. Video: Interviews with Sarah Palin supporters. Fearing populist mob, Goldman bankers begin packing pistols. If Americans are addicted to living beyond their means, the Chinese are too adept at living beneath theirs. America
The current state of swine flu: waning, but still dangerous to much of the population. Many police officers carry fake badges while on duty; the real badge is kept safe at home. On the long road of parenting commentary...two vital topics have always predominated: How Not to Kill Baby
After telephoning nearly every world leader, Obama to outline his "endgame" for Afghanistan. To continue ruling the world, what matters is America's budget, not its bellicosity. Excellent account of how Nazi occupation meant opportunity for many Parisians. Op: Sure, the Swiss are xenophobes, but blame the
Capturing military dads' surprise visits home makes for genuine tears, good press--but it's a roller coaster for families. The White House party crashers, who were gunning for reality TV, would rather sell their story than talk about it. Secret Service acknowledges party-crasher blunder, promises protocol changes, longer
Five things Obama should consider while laying out his new Afghanistan strategy. News to anticipate this week. Instapaper for the commute: How a Cuban novelist describes the Revolution to taxi drivers. See also: America vs. the Narrative. Contemplating the conundrums in describing waning sexual desire in the D.S.M.
Gold and mineral trading fuels war in Congo; nothing works, and a new report makes the U.N. look complicit. Tribune investigation says many autism treatments "amount to uncontrolled experiments on vulnerable children." Painful sleep becomes new Swedish trend; modernized nail beds are this year's hot
"You've been to New Jersey, haven't you?" An Iranian reporter's story of imprisonment and interrogation. Finalists from National Geographic's international photography contest, open to amateurs and professionals alike. Since taking office, Obama has forsaken basketball for golf, which he'
Nation source says Xe, formerly Blackwater, runs assassination ops in Pakistan; Xe and Defense officials deny charges. Obama to announce his Afghanistan decision next Tuesday. Recipe for pie crust perfected by Obama's "Crustmaker." Op: A proper Thanksgiving should balance indulgence with forbearance; gluttony ain't
Amidst waves of apology to Britons shipped to Australia as children, Gordon Brown may wait, weigh demands for reparations. Isn't life is too short to...split hairs, semantically, over what a waiter or even a T-Mobile customer support specialist said to you? Claude Vordell out-ops an op-ed. New
Memo shows the Pentagon agreeing with the White House on how much new service members in Afghanistan will cost. The Tajikistan plan: The best-case scenario for Afghanistan is a two or three-decade struggle toward stability. Squirrel economics: Rather than storing away for next year, the U.S. gnashes on old
F.I.F.A. turns down Ireland's request to replay the handball-tainted playoff match against France. Brooks: Geithner and Obama saved the global economy and deserve credit. The case for This American Life as the newest propaganda arm of the conservative movement. Positive correlation found between a country&
Reid introduces public option bill to the Senate, locates funds for the legislation in elective cosmetic procedures. Some claim doctors' neckties harbor disease; for physicians who don't want to lose the air of formality, there is now antimicrobial neckwear. Exercise makes you less anxious; heavy alcohol consumption
Amid the collective Middle East nightmare, a few notes on candidates should Abbas step down. Marines' PowerPoint, made for other marines, about the softer side of counterinsurgency. Instapaper for the commute: Riveting story of the feared Texas judge indicted for sex crimes. See also: Is it wrong to wear
British army recommends soldiers bribe the Taliban with gold. Op: At best, Palin's misunderstanding of the Israeli settlement debate is alarming; at worst, it's dangerous. Running and losing for vice president has never been a promising route to the Oval Office. History shows why Palin won&
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is not Magneto; a judgment in New York will remind us of the strength of our own values. Baldwin, Alec, preference for Stephen over, 314. Index for Going Rogue. Winning in Aghanistan means thinking like an Afghan politician, not a peacebuilder; i.e., think bribes. The case
Following their trip to Iran, I.A.E.A. inspectors raise concerns secret nuclear installations may exist. Brooks: China has faith in its future, and it seems to be working--why don't we? It is not known why, but West Indian men are three times more likely to die
Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi seeks models to convert to Islam. Slideshow of potential candidates for our next president. Op: Egyptians playing political games are too stupid to appreciate the artifacts we stole. Citizen disarmament in Yemen threatens to dull the fun of shooting guns at weddings. Now that porn is portable,
G.M. reports $1.15 billion loss, will repay bailout five years early, due to "performing modestly above expectations." Mexicans reverse the fortune, sending much-needed funds to out-of-work relatives in the U.S. #mathowielove: The Metafilter founder tells how his brain tumor was discovered and treated, and how
First international flight to leave Chechnya in 15 years takes off from Grozny, headed for Muslim holy sites. There were martyrs on 9/11. They were the firefighters. Profiles of British Islamic fanatics who have given up jihad. Missing Labrador found after a year lost in the Afghan desert. Undersea
Glimpse into Goldman Sachs's trading in 2008, most likely its best year ever. New wealth tactic: Invest in the companies that make you angriest. Op: At the very least, it should be government's job to say what's inherently governmental (e.g., assassination). Commie Obama
Excessively meeping Massachusetts students irk and confound their elders. Kristof pig-wrestles the staggering expense of military presence abroad against the staggering number of uninsured dying at home. John J. O'Connor III, whose struggle with Alzheimer's prompted his wife's retirement from the Supreme Court, dies
China to open agricultural technology centers in Mozambique; China to gain low-cost rice and produce. Tweets tracked from Congress's most active Twitter folk. Toronto Star memo about oursourcing editors edited by anonymous Star editor. Margaret Thatcher's biographer gets her best fact-checking from Penthouse. At mixed lunches,
The news has been full of every last detail about the shooter. Obama corrected that balance. Op: If retooled and repurposed, our interstate highways could help the U.S. economy rebound. Investigators find problems in a third of L.A.P.D. racial profiling cases--from the incident to how it
An argument for sustaining al Qaeda: It's in our best security interests. Op: Three myths about governing Afghanistan, and the argument for building accountability from the bottom up. Saudi forces capture armed infiltrator in his underwear practicing black magic. Brief history of White House redecorating. Marvelous illustrated ode
Victims' families split whether D.C. sniper Muhammad's scheduled execution today will bring justice. Seventy years after it disappeared during Kristallnacht, a 500-year-old Hebrew Bible travels back to a Viennese library. How the current medical malpractice system is broken--and how in its disrepair, it's saving
The "Cold War" of the Andes, between Venezuela and Colombia, now involves illegal armed gangs and mysterious killings. Five myths about grand actors pulling strings behind the Berlin Wall's tumble. Gingrich: The Wall was toppled by the Pope! Power corrupts. Powerpoint corrupts absolutely. Pleasant short takes
Old but elegant Christoph Niemann illustrated article about the fall of the Berlin Wall. "Walled In," an animated recreation of the Wall's anatomy. Lovely then-and-now views of Berlin by the Times (see also: reader pictures, five Guardian films). Al Qaeda's magazine division offers two
After a narrow win in the House, the health care bill faces heat, Lieberman in the Senate. Congress is 44 percent millionaires--and Joe Biden has $27,000. In Germany, too many unfortunate events fall on Nov. 9 to observe a holiday on the day the Berlin Wall fell. Contemporary equivalents
Nicholas Kristof apologizes to Slovenians for comparing terrible U.S. health care to Slovenia's fine system. Latest F.B.I. push into hedge-fund crimes brings charges against 14. Abu Mazen bowing out from the Palestinian Authority: desperate tactic or a refusal to be kicked around? Army psychiatrist, now
Swine flu is now outpacing its vaccine, and high-priority groups may not get their jabs until well into December. There's a shortage of seasonal flu vaccine now as well--H1N1 concerns sparked increased demand. An underground shelter network in Baghdad offers Iraqi women refuge from violence. Dissecting fires with
Evidence for why lowering the global fertility rate is improving the world. Iraqi government relies on useless divining rods to detect bombs. Romania makes up for lost culinary time with dishes like "pork bone + beans + pickles." Bush visits Japan to dispense baseball advice; chances are he regrets the
"I think it's changed a little too much and needs to change back the other way a bit." Republicans chalk up wins in Virginia, New Jersey. Two big points about yesterday's returns: Voters are responding to the economy, Sarah Palin. American car sales are
Notes on reconciling Merkel's admiration of Catherine the Great with her nickname "Mutti" ("Mom"). Rare video of British soldiers "shell shocked" by World War One now available online. Mexico mayor in trouble for heralding death of a drug dealer before the body
Barack Obama said he would rather be a one-term president than give up on his goals. Why the president must pull out of Afghanistan. Must read: Jon Stewart has an uncanny ability to catch public figures in their inconsistencies--without pushing his own agenda. A profile of the 27-year-old college dropout
Gorbachev: We brought the Berlin Wall down peacefully, now stop treating Russia like a fuel-supplying servant. Tour in photographs of inflatable Russian weaponry. Czech court clears way for Lisbon Treaty to pass and wily Klaus to save face. Creating myths from complicated events--e.g., Reagan demolishing the Cold War by
More than 90 years later, the descendants of the Leo Frank lynching struggle with unanswered questions. For the first time in 27 years, an American has won the New York Marathon. From the 2004 race, "Faces of the Marathon," by Rion Nakaya. "I was the first person
Karzai gets new term after second round of voting is scrapped, and dubious congratulations flitter down. News events to anticipate for the week ahead. Taliban assessment: can't be flipped against al Qaeda, and fully aware the U.S. will soon depart. Profile of Perimeter, the not-exactly-autonomous Soviet doomsday
Without support from Merkel and Sarkozy, Blair sees chances slip of becoming Europe's super-president. Digging into the dealings of Blair, Inc. France wants to fist-bump across the Rhine to seal a European power-play, but Germany's not yet persuaded. Among rich countries, the more unequal ones do
Summary of the Army's shock-and-awe campaign in Afghanistan--against the C.I.A. Reading Gorbachev's fears of humiliation in Afghanistan in light of U.S. policy. Examples of Chinese graffiti discouraging whistle-blowing. New take on grief says it's not work, you can recover quickly and
Ahmadinejad appears set to sign an I.A.E.A. proposal to ship its enriched uranium abroad. China faces its own health care woes; the nation's reformed care still leaves citizens depleted. U.N. torture expert turned away at Zimbabwe border, despite an invitation from its prime minister.
Ecuador will drill for oil in pristine Amazon rainforest unless the world pays it $3 billion. Trib investigation finds Illinois nursing homes keep the peace by overdosing residents on psychotropics. Chris Ware's terrific Halloween-themed gatefold comic in this week's New Yorker. The deadline is tonight to
Maine is gay marriage's new battleground; if the law's upheld, the movement gains its first ballot-box victory. Instpaper for the commute: Invoking Stalin in today's debates is frivolous, and it disrespects his victims. Friedman: We can't afford 20 years of rebuilding Afghanistan;
Ex-A.I.G. chief builds a competitor that may impact A.I.G.'s means to repay taxpayers. Interview with a man who trains rats to detect landmines. Dementia experts dismiss N.F.L.'s future analysis of players' cognitive decline. Numerical evidence proves Derek Jeter is
Bush is back, this time as a softshoe motivational speaker. Op: Torturing dogs or humans engenders compliance, not truth-telling. Comedian jokes about amputee soldiers; pols and editors outraged on soldiers' behalf; soldiers laugh, distrust pompous pols and editors. Political activists fulminate because it provides "so many of the
Times reporter David Rohde's Afghanistan kidnapping account could serve as a guide for how best to deal with the Taliban. How the Red Cross delivers letters to hostages. By effectively cornering the market on anti-Administration animus, Fox News has had a robust 2009 so far. Some researchers theorize
Obama weighs outcome of Afghanistan war game; watchers wait for McChrystal to fly to D.C. Op: Obama's surveillance tools are the same as Bush's: served with glib assurances. At-home cosmetic lasers gaining popularity, and plastic surgeons everywhere are worried. Interior decorating with Augusten Burroughs. Distinct
The state of Iran: Giant jail full of widespread revulsion and corrosive internal conflict. Long before he became president, there were signs in Obama of a tendency to promise things easily and compromise often. Cliffhanger director, Garcia, and Kilmer build film around last year's Russia-Georgia war. FOX News
While some experts predict this week as the peak of the H1N1 pandemic, some experts say you can't predict these things. M.T.A. considers reduced off-peak fares, as it anticipates a 2011 (or sooner) fare hike. "I feel that I am doing something in a career
Brief guide to the pieces involved in the puzzle of Iran's nukes. White discontent is a puzzle, because white Britons are much better off than others. Op: Buchanan's tribal fears are hateful hackery; America is much blacker than he admits. Examples of racist emails sent by
C.D.C. says swine flu hospitalization rates are highest among those 24 and younger. A writer tells how her son, who has leukemia, can't go to day care because of unvaccinated children. Vaccination rates have dropped so low that occurrences of some children's diseases are
Audit says taxpayers are "extremely unlikely" to earn any return on TARP's $700 billion bailout. Examples of the media's Biden madlib, wherein the Veep travels to reassure world leaders. Success of Marines' F.E.T. units--female engagement teams--should encourage Defense Dept. to review
In the Middle East, force often trumps diplomacy, though winning a battle can still lose a war. Op: Tens of millions are suffering and Wall Street is printing money--where's the outrage? Chart shows D.C. and Baltimore with 1:1 ratios of job postings to unemployed persons. Fifty
Democrats busy writing national health proposals with many variations--including a public option. New Japanese verb: "obamu" (to Obama). After nearly five centuries, the Catholic Church welcomes Anglicans back into the fold. #drac: Kevin Fanning notes the most annoying accents in Dracula, in order of annoyingness. "Maybe I
How, in the summer of 1936, a photo depicting drought conditions threatened to derail F.D.R.'s reelection. How Where the Wild Things Are turned my two-year-old into a quantum physicist. TMN's Clay Risen's M.L.K. book featured in Nashville Scene's
Obama unveils softer approach--both sticks and carrots--for Sudan. Tóibín: One benefit of a referendum--e.g., Ireland's vote on the Lisbon Treaty--is seeing who holds the power. What life's like in Kandahar for Westerners without blast walls: isolated, boring, depressing. Moving story of a teenager who cut
Tsvangirai's MDC will no longer work with Mugabe's Zanu PF. Britain's $100 million gift to Zimbabwe won't go directly to the government. Italy denies accusations of bribing the Taliban; France outraged, fearing its soldiers died as a result. Europe's inheritance
Britain's far-right National Party agrees to admit nonwhite people as members. Moscow to blow snow clouds away from the city center, banishing powder to the surrounding region. Mao's grandson's blog reveals an unwavering Mao obsession. Willie Nelson's corn-powered tour bus is a
Thirty-four killed in the fifth big attack by militants in Pakistan in the last 10 days. Amid Obama signs everywhere, America's power far more respected than France's in Guinea. George Packer receives a letter from a Vietnam expert in Kabul. Japan's new Asianism means
Clinton pokes Russian bear, prefers Medvedev to Putin, prods Muscovites to be more like Brin. Russian courts side with the badmouthing of Stalin. Instapaper for the commute: Hunting for cigars, and finding much more, in Cuba. Vaclav Havel's thoughts on the current "era of disgust" in
The health-care battle is not Democrats vs. Republicans; it's the White House vs. the insurance companies. GQ's tour through the 50 most powerful people in D.C. Snowe votes with the Democrats--but refuses to promise future cooperation--and is hailed as a master playmaker. Wall Street'
Guantánamo prison library rejects an Arabic-language copy of Noam Chomsky's anthology on post-Sept. 11 commentary. If you already have a blog, make sure you spray-feed your URL in niblets open-face to the skein. Others try pressing and pressing against the windshield without success. This year's New
Profile of Czech President Vaclav Klaus, the contrarian and dissident who bedevils Europe. Summers and Geithner: hardcore tennis dorks. Instapaper for the commute: Among the NSA's greatest headaches is a lack of electrical power. Plan to transform a Southern capital into a European gem. Professor charts his move
Professor Elinor Ostrom becomes the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for economics. "We're going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent." White House opens fire on Fox News. "There is a problem of having to ship out the largest outreach
Emergency task force to bombard world media with positive news about Italy's products and Berlusconi. Congressman fulfills childhood dream of surviving seven days alone on an island. Japanese learn English from Obama; sensation is like "listening to good music." Photos of Hakku Tulou apartments in China,
Barack Obama becomes third sitting president to win the Nobel Peace Prize; see full citation. Q&A with the man who telephones Nobel Prize winners to tell them they've won. Stalin's grandson sues Russian newspaper to protect dictator's reputation. Chart: Where in the
Cities hit hard by H1N1 in the spring now see little evidence of the virus. Tehran claims U.S. played a role in the disappearance of an Iranian nuclear scientist. A proposal for Chicago 2018, or the first wholly urban Winter Olympics. Prolific, celebrated photographer Irving Penn dies at age
Abu Mazen agreed to wait on the Gaza war-crimes news, and now his people are fulminating. Nothing, obviously, on the Bhutto assassination. Notes from a candid dinner discussion with Pervez Musharraf. Interactive passage through Michelle Obama's family tree. Where French elites see "the victim" in Polanski&
Maldivian ministers to hold underwater cabinet meeting to highlight climate change, unfazed by "friendly" sharks. Global fisheries to collapse by 2048. Rival Kenyan groups are getting ready for the 2012 election--by rearming now. Egyptian conservatives condemn the Artificial Virginity Hymen Kit, saying it promotes promiscuity. How the "
Two books frame the White House's debate over sending more troops to Afghanistan. Al Qaeda introdues new "ass bomb" to international terrorism; security experts caution against panic. How to get in touch with terrorist groups and buy al Qaeda-related coffee mugs. Explaining why others will benefit
The red and the black: The "unprecedented" rise of gangsters and gangster behavior in China. Whatever McChrystal's intentions when he spoke out last week in London, the episode has worked to Obama's short-term benefit. Rwandan intelligence chief, accused of significant role in 1994 genocide,
Election trends in Europe show desire for capitalists to deal with capitalism's crisis. Op: Unlike Americans, Europeans don't worry about neighbors not playing fair. Obama to appease China by skipping Dalai Lama photo op--useless gesture anyway, officials say, that snubs Tibet. Feeling threatened, people cling to
Swine flu vaccinations start today, beginning with health-care workers in Indiana and Tennessee. How the "swine flu" misnomer--and ensuing alarmism--could undermine vaccine efforts. I like the Olympics a lot, but I also like sunsets. I've never felt an urge to be any closer to either of
Notes on names that European leaders would like to see heading the E.U. New readable report judges the effectiveness of counterinsurgency, putting emphasis on "strategic patience." Complete archives of LIFE Magazine for perusal. Profile of Nikki Finke, muckraker setting the agenda in Hollywood; Finke's response.
All eyes on Ireland as it votes on the Lisbon treaty; if approved, pressure shifts to Prague. Op: Beck and Limbaugh are wizards minus flocks: a brief history of illusory power. Indonesia has lately been seen as a success story in how to curb violent extremism. Detailed profile of what
My 10-year-old was in tears. "Mom, I don't want to die," was how he greeted me. The view from American Samoa. Brazilian newspaper says the New Yorker is trying to sink the country's Olympic bid. George W. Bush...had a soft spot for gay
Nuclear talks begin with Iran; "the point is to try to make it impossible for them to say no." Gulf states taking measures to prevent Iran from gaining nukes, including buying up deals with Russia and China. Coming soon to German basements: miniature power plants. Fascinating account of
Senate committee rejects two Democratic proposals for a government insurance plan. A new report shows that while U.S.-Mexico border detainments have dropped significantly, deaths have increased. He wore a crisp gray suit, and seemed eager to greet voters. But there were none to greet. The Pentagon mulls approving
E.U. report says Georgia started last year's war after much provocation. Op: Being cunning in handling his biz, Obama acts presidentially; his detractors, being hysterical, do not. How to "Merkelize": a Flickr pool of Angela Merkel-ish hand gestures. Copyright woes and lack of demand attack
Health care faces a new hurdle, as Congress tries to figure out how to prevent taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions. Polanski's attorneys helped provoke his arrest by complaining [that] prosecutors had made no real effort to capture the filmmaker. Video: How National Geographic photographers created a seamless
We've linked it before, but now with some good notes: Everything you need to know about the Great Lakes (in the D.R.C.). Similarities between Africa's needs in 1938 and 2005. Spain gets its first glance at the first family's daughters, and discovers
After receiving the swine flu vaccine, many people will die of many things--don't assume it had anything to do with the shot. Considering he owns a house in Switzerland and often travels there, Roman Polanksi's arrest in Zurich came as a surprise to all. "This
Gbenga Akinnagbe, actor who played killer Partlow on The Wire, goes for a climb in Nepal. Arresting photos of last week's flooding in the Southeast. Op: Human nature is back in policy debates, with neuroscience reports supporting both sides. A cool-headed look at 1939. If air travel worked
Obama, Sarkozy, and Brown to blow the whistle on Iran's third nuke deception. Masters of the Universe reimagined as New York/Paris hipsters. Twelve steps to becoming "a super serious chin-stroking elder statesman" among the foreign policy elite. How interpretation works at the U.N. Profile
And the researchers do not know why it worked. A new AIDS vaccine tested on volunteers shows little success--but even that's a first. Yesterday's U.N. drama was nothing compared to Che Guevara's 1964 address, which came with two assassination attempts. California's
Palin's thoughts on economics are awful, but they show where she's heading politically. Assisted suicide gets guidelines in England; viewing the end-of-life hoopla from Oregon. If structural violence wasn't bad enough, citizens in the D.R.C. are now being attacked by lightning. Op:
As Toyota gets ready to shut down California's last auto plant, it asks the state to repay it for training costs. Construction of Gaddafi's massive tent in Bedford, N.Y., halted over code concerns. New poetry anthologies from Germany, Russia, and Vietnam shed light on poets&
Op: It will be tricky to show we're concerned with reform if we only really care about Iran's nukes. Everything you need to know about next week's nuclear talks with Iran, especially as to who holds the power. Asia's Green Revolution was
Investigators link as many as a dozen suspects to an alleged Al Qaeda bomb plot on U.S. soil. As the White House works to influence state elections, some Democrats are getting shade. Why are you trying to ruin my life? What Obama might have said to Paterson on the
Czech Republic officials digging in their heels on the Lisbon treaty. Antarctica's secret plumbing network could be contributing to rising sea levels. Intricate toilet-paper-tube sculpture. When one man's Warhols are stolen, all our Warhols are stolen. Announcing the Find the Warhols Project. Profile of a Liberian
In seven years operating in Japan...Wal-Mart Stores has never turned a profit. Japan goes bargain hunting. Two M.I.T. students accurately predict individuals' sexuality by tallying their Facebook friends. M.I.T.'s Trash Track project has followed garbage from New York to Seattle to understand
Petraeus: Iran is the biggest state-based threat to stability, but it also makes recruiting partners much easier. Op: The most radical style and culture can be found only at the opera. Canada is the world's top destination for spies; "Ottawa is crawling with them." Yes Men
Slideshow of Afghanistan's first national park. Poland and the Czechs were already reluctant about Bush's shield; cancelling it could have been better timed. Slate writer responds to seeing his mistake in the president's mouth. Paying for news might be a stretch, but paying for
Obama scraps Bush's Eastern European missile shield, will instead deploy missiles that target Iranian attacks. Op: Here comes student loan reform, scampering down the aisle, wagging its hopeful tail. Backers of the new health care proposal must keep all 59 Democrats on board and attract one Republican. A
Newspapers, not the internet, killed newspapers; summary of what comes next, extolling the non-profit model. Male college jock stars run for cover from women's chests and cell phones. The Supermarket reveals that we require the ability to pour, squirt, or spray any substance with laser-like precision. Instapaper for
The recession is "very likely over," says Bernanke, but we won't feel boom-y for a while longer. Former speechwriter for George W. Bush writes book, trashes former boss. The President of the United States pays property taxes to the City of Chicago. A fictional conversation to
In India, women enjoy pinch- and grope-free commutes on ladies-only trains. The car is never as crowded as the men's, and you have the option to purchase things like earrings, oranges, and underwear. Garrison Keillor's account of his stroke, hospitals, common humanity. He took an onion,
Human rights workers, residents believe Pakistan's army is behind the scores of bodies dumped on Swat streets. Iraqi shoe thrower set free, claims torture occurred during his time in jail. It now seems obvious to me what the book is "about." Infinite Jest is a novel
Slideshow of how an M.I.T. team took pictures of Earth from space with a cell phone. Video: Big Bang theory distilled to a two-minute explanation. Report from taking a damaged shoulder to specialists in 10 countries. You must almost entirely give up reading for pleasure. Senior Random House
It turns out Medicare already has death panels, and they stop paying for anti-rejection drugs after only 36 months. "The more [the public] learned, the angrier they got." How Obama's health bill is like Bill Clinton's crime bill. Big newspapers trumpet the H1N1 vaccine,
Hitchens: "Engaging with Iran is like having sex with someone who hates you." Images of modern women by Tehran's Saghar Daeeri, and an interview about the impact of consumerism. Instapaper for the commute: Toobin on Obama, his justices, and where appointments may lead. Largely overlooked by
Story of a former Marine who went searching for survivors on 9/11 and found two. I don't remember the movie I tried to return to Blockbuster that day. I don't remember what color my hair was, or how long it was. Photos of the World
A point-by-point verification of Obama's speech. (Joe Wilson was wrong.) In the battle against health-care misinformation, the foot soldier is an A.A.R.P. rep in a nursing home. Pollan: The American way of eating has become the elephant in the room in the debate over health
Obama's lesser-reported speech on the state of journalism at Cronkite's memorial service. Obama is wildly popular among Europeans, who trust him more than their own leaders. According to alleged former Bin Laden sex slave, al Qaeda head was obsessed with Whitney Houston and The Wonder Years.
Analysis: The uproar over health care does not appear to have altered either public opinion or Democrats' resolve. Corporations technically don't have the right to free speech; their influence in Washington nullifies the law. Alongside impulsiveness and greed, cultural upheavals have damaged America's Protestant work
Small women picked to stand near Sarkozy in public, says Belgian TV; "far-fetched and grotesque!" says the Elysée Palace. Finally, Europe caught the Black Death. History professor compiles students' takes on history. Victorian asylum where David Bowie stayed to be converted into luxury apartments. Op: Obama will
Federal dollars help states hire back laid-off teachers; how well the schools have fared depends on the size of the state's deficit. Gains in technology might outweigh a crushing debt burden for future generations. Condé Nast blocks GQ article critical of Putin from Russian readers; Gawker readers provide
If it can usurp racism, agriculture could revitalize the poorest county in the United States. Instapaper for the commute: How to honor hell on earth. Kenya is drying to dust, but aid groups are hesistant to wade in, wary of the government's failures. If you love music, and
Krugman: Better than economists' inability to predict the crash was their general blindness to catastrophe. JumboTrons and marrying a best friend rank among the things white Evangelicals like. Nigerian-American author considers what constitutes racism, ignorance, and the bizarrely racist. Mo'dernity, Mo'problems: a Central Africa blog
To win the war in Afghanistan, Obama may find more Republican support than help from his own party. The report exposed that the Taliban takes a percentage of the billions of dollars in aid from U.S. and other international coalition members. More than half of the nation's
South African politicians root for Semenya's dignity; too bad it's not the same case for rape victims. Status of secret classification: a complete mess, but Obama is trying to fix it. Ten common strategic blunders in business and in war; Japan's first lady believes
"The Islamic Republic elections were held in Iran with significant glory and grandeur." With all that behind it, Iran wants to reopen nuclear talks. Sex offender registries grow more sophisticated, but many wonder if they provide only a false sense of safety. What parole officers do, and why
Pencil-pushers in Afghanistan to be replaced by trigger-pullers; "streamlining" to include more contractors. Conservative ringtones. Instapaper for the commute: The curious history of the automobile in America. Adhering to feel-good storylines, professional wrestling goes family-friendly. Accounts of an Austin rare-book dealership going under. Even non-nerds can appreciate the
Attorney General plans new focus on civil rights cases in areas where minorities continue to fare poorly. "Steven L. Anderson is going to pray for Barack Obama to die and go to hell." The real story about the man who took guns to an Obama speech. Julie Myerson&
Notes on the appeal of one-way space travel, especially if working on Mars would be better than dying at home. Op: Russia still envisions itself an empire, and its way of seeking relevance is shortsighted. Slate's Press Box calls foul on the Journal's hair-snipping story from
As banks repay bailout money, taxpayers see a profit--to the tune of $4 billion. New research shows more testosterone makes a better banker. Men's underwear sales are a reliable economic indicator, and it looks like drawers are filling up. How to buy happiness. With an early Memorial Day
Notes on where Japan's newly elected Democratic Party may take the country's economy, U.S. relations, and foreign policy. What the average person needs to know about umami. TMN's Clay Risen on the differences between American and German beer-brewing. Good, reasonably brief summary of
Glance on either side of the 1,600-mile-long wall dividing Morocco from Algeria. Video: Iran's account for uprising includes animated George Soros meeting McCain at the White House. Russian president employs childish lingo to irritate Ukrainian president. Wieseltier defends Emanuel and Axelrod against "race treason" for
According to one prominent economist's Misery Index, America was the most miserable under Carter and the least under Reagan. Politicians continue to struggle with talking about poverty. Survey shows that as the recession deepened, Americans cut back on volunteer work. After his diagnosis 15 months ago, Ted Kennedy
Cash-for-clunkers program soon to become dollars-for-dryers, Warbucks-for-washers, etc. Bob Dylan negotiating with car manufacturers to be the voice of their in-car navigation systems. Op: Some Italian women, long beleaguered, are starting to put up with less, even when most Italian girls want to be velinas. Kindness is essential to our
Democrat pillar Edward M. Kennedy, who served 46 years in the Senate, dies at age 77. It's about using language to scare the uninformed, the fearful, the religious, the elderly. Karzai slightly ahead in early election results; Abdullah shows journalists evidence of vote fraud. The cutting-edge art of
Brief accounts from a handful of eastern Europe's first post-communist generation. Pentagon contracted a PR firm to see if journalists covering Afghanistan have written negatively about the military. Hillary and Bill reported by Bermuda press to be canoodling. Groups against genocide in Sudan place ads in Martha'
Scots seek answers in the early release of the Lockerbie bomber, opening new questions about the original conviction. Presidential panel estimates H1N1 could infect half the U.S. population this fall and winter, kill double the number of the average flu. Dinkins to Paterson: One thing you could do is
Dispatch from Chiapas, which provides ample resources to Mexico but receives next to nothing in return. Zimbabweans find freedom of expression through Facebook. Seven myths about alternative energy. Instapaper for the commute: Hilton Als on Michael Jackson, James Baldwin, and gay black men. Comprehensive list of the political tilts of
Health officials scramble to ready H1N1 vaccine, aim to immunize half the country "within months." Proposed "sin tax" on junk food gains support, though opportunities for backfiring are rife. Thanks to Julie & Julia, Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a
To prevent H1N1 from spreading, Japanese politicians stop shaking hands and spitting on audiences. The Americans cannot bring peace, not if they stay for 50 years. Measuring the pace of decline and insurgency in Afghanistan. The Post's POTUS tracker shows which issues receive the most of Obama'
Low turnout for Afghan elections; no official results expected for several weeks. Over the last two years, the rich are not only not getting richer, they're getting poorer. The weekend's white paper: The threat of sexual violence during the American Civil War. Predicting Iran's
Times reports on how in 2004 the C.I.A. hired Blackwater in a secret assassination program--though no missions were carried out. Election day in Afghanistan: Some polling sites have been closed due to attacks; overall voter turnout is low. "We have to wait to be asked now."
U.S. "deeply regrets" Scotland's release of the Lockerbie bomber; U.K. survivors more sympathetic. Graph of U.S. population distribution by age shows the passing wave of the baby boom. Wealthy Americans who dodged taxes in Swiss accounts now seeking leniency, or crossing their fingers.
In the deadliest day since U.S. troops' withdrawal, attacks throughout Baghdad kill at least 58 and wound nearly 300. A Taliban spokesman said 20 armed suicide attackers wearing explosive vests had entered the city and five of them were battling police. Trying to thwart voter intimidation, Afghanistan asks
Islamists lose control of second Somali town in recent days during the fight against the U.N.-backed government. Audio slideshow of Afghanistan's child brides. Profile of "McVeigh-Caliber Nut/Oklahoma's Best Teacher," or, an example of those who call Obama the Antichrist. The argument
Iraqi government considers a referendum that would allow voters to oust U.S. troops early. The story behind TehranBureau.com, which dutifully covers Iran despite not actually being there. Hoping to head off mental health problems, the Army plans to require all troops undergo emotional resiliency training. Reporter travels to
Hitchens: Yale Press's capitulation on the Mohammed cartoons is a tub of rot. Mood report in Afghanistan: "Do not vote on Thursday, or we will punish you. Signed, the Taliban." Chronic stress found to rewire the brain to promote further feelings of being highly stressed. Op:
White House hints it's willing to compromise on the "public option" in its health plan. "I'll be voting Taliban." The first part in a video series on this week's Afghanistan elections. Strict gender segregation (and debatably, adversity) may have a
Publishers to follow the Financial Times in charging for news to offset waves in advertising. Obama: The most frightening thing about health care reform is doing nothing. I like horses and I like Obama. Nothin' wrong with that. Going country with Channing Tatum. Details of financial fissures under the
France and Germany officially exit the recession--perhaps not for long--while the rest of the world struggles. Instapaper for Saturday morning: Game theorist says Iran won't get the bomb. Survey of world leaders' preferred vacation spots. Speculations on a post-Warren Buffett world and the appeal of patience, prudence,
Afghan blogger gains massive following, founds blog school despite lack of computers in Afghanistan. Ambassador Holbrooke says Colbert's take on the Afghan elections "got it pretty accurately." Op: The U.K. got the school-fees question right, America did not, and let's keep it that
At odds with his laissez-faire aura, Obama has been personally involved in health care negotiations with hospitals, Congress. How classic car lobbyists persuaded the government to limit the age of vehicles eligible for "Cash for Clunkers." Congress beginning to suspect Senator Mark Warner might be homeless. Cheney now
"They use their political allies to scare and mislead the American people." Obama enters the health-care fray at a town-hall meeting. Op: With fascism in Iran, university presidents are again succumbing to tolerance and apathy when they could be taking influential stands. Ehrenreich: In defiance of all reason
News reports focus on the bruhaha about Clinton's husband comment, not the tough words she's delivering in Congo. Clinton on her five hours in Goma: Overwhelmed, horrified, drained. Instapaper for the commute: Adam Hochschild's inventory of appalling Congo crimes. Beautiful African soil maps. To
Bombings in northern Iraq and Baghdad kill at least 50, flatten an entire village near Mosul. Four dozen passengers endure nine hours on a tarmac while a "passenger bill of rights" waits in the Senate's post-recess docket. The swine flu outbreak has uncovered inadequate equipment, sanitization
MI6 says it doesn't torture, though it occasionally works with those that do (i.e., the U.S.). A lesson from Obama's mother's research: No nation--even if it is our bitterest enemy--is incomprehensible. Hitchens: The Kim Jong Il gang makes slaves of its people,
Fact vs. fiction in the health care debate: a primer on the big topics. The United States, like most countries, has long had a lunatic fringe. Explaining Palin on health care. Kissinger: Bill Clinton's trip may have opened a new dialogue, but we can't forget North
Op: Congress may yet pass Obama's health legislation, but it will be due to Democrats' numbers, not public enthusiasm. Studies find yawning may be linked to heat regulation. Sullivan reader says you'll pay a price if you dismiss the right wing's nutty percentage.
John Hughes dies at 59 from a heart attack while visiting Manhattan from his farm in Illinois. Touching pen-pal relationship documented between Hughes and a fan. Sotomayor confirmed as the 111th justice and the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. Sotomayor's confirmation has a Denver nunchaku
If the revolution has survived in Iran, "it has done so in part through prudence." He enjoyed raw fish so fresh that he could start eating as its mouth is still gasping. Theories on what Kim Jong Il and Clinton shared for dinner. See also: I made pizza
Though few details are known, the White House wants to transform the way immigration violators are handled into a "truly civil detention system." Afghanistan violence surges ahead of this month's elections; roadside bombs killed 26 today. Bill Clinton's network of contacts worried senators during
Chinese firms hold three of the top four slots among biggest publicly listed companies. Clinton begins Africa tour promoting partnership, not patronage. Op: Western NGOs have an Orientalist--er, Amazonianist--view of the Amazon region. Tired by call girls and sex tapes, Berlusconi to be treated for stress while on vacation. The
For the first time in "about 15 years," Russian subs patrol the U.S. coast. Today's long read: How the military went out of style. There's an even weirder possibility, that the Kim we're seeing is a body double. Photos from Bill
"The North Koreans have a lot of nostalgia for the end of the Clinton administration." The former president is in Pyongyang to free journalists. Suppose Obama really was born in Kenya, then what? Resignation, impeachment, or nothing. Op: We'd save money on health care if we
Q&A about Clinton and North Korea; Iran questioning three Americans accused of straying. Advertising has done so badly of late that "it doesn't have to come back all the way to have a strong recovery." From 1956, F.R. Buckley's analysis of
U.S. considers transferring Guantanamo detainees to a maximum-security facility in Michigan or Kansas. As we brace for H1N1's return in the fall, four experts weigh in on what to do to avoid what we're hoping to avoid. Nearly two decades after Navy Capt. Michael Scott
Wall Street banks profit hugely by ripping off the Fed; a price we have to pay, says Frank. Measuring investments in Africa post-credit crisis: The boom has waned, but not for China. From Stalin to Mr. Bean is some descent. A take-down of Gordon Brown. Intelligence reform chilled by the
Cuomo's office finds nine bailed-out banks paid around 5,000 employees bonuses of more than $1 million each for 2008. A profile of lawyer John Durham, who's rumored to be tapped with the job of investigating torture during the Bush years. Video: The Daily Show tries
Military spending bill has $6.9 billion in new vehicles the defense secretary says are unneeded. Assessment of Cantor and Ryan as potential saviors for the Republican party. Anti-Depression policy responses tried to turn back the clock on the changes brought by technology. They failed. Op: The threat of ink
Dust storms threaten Iraq's ecosystem; nearly 80% of food must be imported, diverting money from reconstruction. In China, more than 1,200 textile workers fall ill with vomiting, temporary paralysis; health officials blame mass hysteria. The cannibalistic relationship between media and advertising might leave us with neither industry
Less absurd than any "racist" video of Glenn Beck's: paintings of the president naked with unicorns. Cottage industry grows to help physicists observe quantum behavior at a real-world scale. Pynchon's new stoned-detective potboiler may stick to certain conventions, but he still goes gonzo-goofball with
In a bold post-sovereignty move, Iraqi troops raid an Iranian opposition group long sheltered by the U.S. The recession's effect on children: more teen pregnancy, higher infant mortality, lower birth weight. "We are an overflow community, and there's not much overflow from Manhattan now.
Clinton is so far a dogged, superb secretary of state; too bad the media only portrays her as an almost-was. Instapaper for the commute: Clancy Martin's account of getting sober. Account of how the ocean's surface is bizarre--a sheet of jelly that's home to
After North America, South America is the region most affected by H1N1, which has hit hard both economically and in terms of public health. Caught in China's swine flu dragnet, an ill daughter writes a journal with her mother, back home in the U.S. To cut hospital
The power of the Blue Dogs was on full display Friday, when they humiliated California Rep. Henry Waxman, one of the most liberal Democrats on Capitol Hill. Mark Thatcher, son of Margaret, and Kim Jong Nam, son of Il, rank of the list of the world's worst sons.
The old pattern of Arab government has failed to make its people free, safe, or rich, and does not deserve to survive. High-performing Chinese students find their files stolen by corrupt officials, making work impossible. Testimony of a murdered human-rights campaigner in Chechnya. Instapaper for the commute: Attempting to understand
Global poll says Obama's election restored the U.S.'s image to levels unseen since the Clinton years. U.S. troops in Afghanistan eager to see more Afghan forces--they're cheap, know the terrain, and are respected by locals. Most Americans don't like Sarah
New steamy sex tapes released of Berlusconi with a prostitute. Op: Investigating the C.I.A. assassination program should include asking why it didn't work. On average, master's degrees in education bear no relation to how well teachers teach. Backyard chickens beaten out by urban beekeeping
Obama tries to explain health care reform to the people, relies on D.C. jargon. Good Times dinner-conversation primer on health care reform. Republicans' favorite consulting firm to cite in health care chats is owned by UnitedHealth Group. Video of John Yoo, author of the Bush torture memos, getting
Primer on "birther" politics, both a fringe movement and something greater. Analysis of the Game's attacks on Jay-Z as a study of hegemony and American power. Instapaper for the commute: Bombing is the best way to reinforce the Iranian government's power. Also great for
Analysis of Holder's plans for interrogation investigation and how the White House will react. The government has a database for almost everything, including vending machine injuries. How [Obama] handles [health care] over the next several weeks could shape the rest of his presidency. Somalia's radical Islamists
In the months following my performance on Big Top Talent, my relationship with Annie changed hues...I really was more of an Annie colleague. When life hands Hodgman coconuts, he makes solid-state analog shortwave radios. Seven roles John Hodgman would dominate. Using artistic license to enhance the aesthetics of prosthetics.
A not-so-tender--but fitting--remembrance of Frank McCourt. For some literary greats, a correlation between sobriety and bad writing (or not writing at all). Former Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur chronicles her bout with swine flu. Twitter: nothing more than a refashioning of 1st-century Roman epigrams? The internet is a
Bosnia and Kosovo are still dependent, unviable states; unlike in Iraq, Europe lacks an exit strategy. The best known of all single combats was David versus Goliath. Tom Wolfe on the ultimate failure of the U.S.-Soviet space race. Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins urge renewed efforts for a
Cities such as Ann Arbor and Buffalo struggle to regulate backyard chicken-rearing. Debunking the idea of the tipping point, which may have too few real-world applications to be considered credible social theory. What to read if you're imprisoned (with actual reading suggestions from Iranian Ministry of Intelligence interrogators)
France's "children of the Huns," now in their 60s, try to find their German fathers. Monkeys on restricted diets live longer; some scientists say more monkeys need to die before gleaning any lessons. Fear of the opposite sex is also believed to be the cause of
Guardian article says Murdoch reporters used investigators to hack into politicians' mobile phones. Panetta admits the C.I.A. deceived Congress from 2001 to "late last month." Verification that Bin Laden visited the U.S. and was ogled in an airport lounge. Op: The GOP is now
Attacks in Iraqi cities killed at least 41 people Thursday, the worst violence since U.S. troops withdrew. In Afghanistan, the incidence of roadside bombs is on a sharp rise--736 IEDs were encountered in June, compared to 465 in May. Over the past year, a federal sting has successfully smuggled
Here Obama is reprimanding Moscow on several points. What Obama said and what Russians heard. A new iPhone app reveals a subtlety of New York transit life: knowing which subway car to board so you're let off at the right exit. You've mastered the subway; now
When the unemployed percentage equals the percentage of the stimulus paid out, the White House pleads for patience. Europe worries U.S. will cut a cheap deal with China on climate change. Germany's Iron Cross is back, but now it's an "Honour" Cross, and
On Monday, seven U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan--the largest one-day death toll in months. A savvier China spins unrest; the state has invited foreign journalists to Xinjiang "to know better about the riots." Obama and Medvedev agree to reduce American and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals by
Op: The aid community should be less surprised that Liberia's Johnson Sirleaf has been banned from office. Reasons why baby-seal hunters use clubs instead of guns. Doctor says "most doctors today, whether in academic or private practice, constantly have to think about money." Teacher's
Volatile oil prices mean businesses can't plan, could jeopardize economic recovery. Had she refused John McCain, Palin would still be a popular female governor in a Republican Party starved for future stars. The mainstream media responds: Palin is hardly ordinary; how can she equate herself with "ordinary
Obama and Medvedev disagree on missile defense, agree on arms reduction. New scandal emerges for Sarkozy-haters, though it may in the end merely simmer. Mystery of a U.S. immigrant whose death in detention goes uncounted, even though his arrest helped boost agency statistics. "Herc and the Modern Urban
Fascinating profile of one governor's election as a study of drugs in Mexican politics. Iraq war video game incites fury, raises ethical questions, gets pulled from production. Instapaper for Saturday morning: Why groups do things that group members would never do on their own. Another good July 4th
"We never thought we would do it again." California readies more than $53 million in IOUs, mainly for residents awaiting tax refunds. Krugman: The turmoil of states' budgets and yesterday's jobs report mean we need a bigger stimulus, now. Rising unemployment rates beget tightened immigration
The new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan begins today, as thousands of Marines fan out to villages, many on foot. Traveling in California and New York the last couple of weeks, Timothy Egan notices something different: American flags. "A majority of society, of which I personally am a member,
Charting better and worse governance over the last decade. Fantastic: Boyfriend of Berlusconi's alleged teenaged mistress says his relationship was staged. India decriminalizes homosexuality; five countries still punish it by death. Europe lifts ban on oddly shaped fruits. Building evolutionary trees with perfect math takes forever; shakier math
After an eight-month battle, Minnesota declares Al Franken its next U.S. Senator--and seals a filibuster-proof majority. Shiite militia leaders in Iraq say the resolve of their backers, hard-liners in Iran, means more orders to step up attacks. As troops depart Iraq's cities, U.S. military announces four
BRICs--Brazil, Russia, India, China--continue investing in Africa, looking for benefits in the long haul. Chávez finds it sticky linking Obama to the Honduras coup; opposition says he's "the George Bush of Latin America." New York dyke "blown away" by the queer party that is
Arabs generally may not revolt like Iranians, but they do contain and shrink their regimes. Only with your support can the revamped General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum become a reality. Cultural studies at U.S. universities cover race, gender, and sexuality--why not poverty? Critic very concerned you'
The crisis in Honduras...is pitting Mr. Obama against the ghosts of past American foreign policy in Latin America. Op: Following weeks of political theater, photo ops, and a baited coup, Chávez emerges as the winner in Honduras. Six years and three months after the March 2003 invasion, U.S.
As the Iranian government toughens its stance and consolidates power, Mousavi can concede--or continue to fight, and face prison. This year, summer camps guard against swine flu--bleaching doorknobs, sending sick kids home. Street art and summer camp meet in rural Illinois, where campers learn how to choose tagnames and paint
Scientists say current grant system "provides disincentives to funding really transformative research." New favorite blog: NCBI ROFL, collecting funny studies. Everyone thinks Stuart is so sensitive. He is, but he's also like any other Scottish man--he has a hard time saying what he feels. Notes on
At least seven bombs explode around Iraq, as U.S. troops prepare to withdraw from urban areas. Op: With no leader to stir protesters and remind them of their goal, Iran's revolution may soon fizzle. Fearing violence at the hands of Iran's government, protesters turn to
Roubini high-fives Obama's money masters, though "the best policies sometimes have unintended consequences." Start your weekend off right: Maira Kalman goes to Monticello. Op: It's Britain, and not the U.S., whom Iran truly hates, if a touch admiringly. Status on the failed hunt
Guide for politicians planning on having a sex scandal. Teenage girls paid a dollar each day not to get pregnant; girls who get pregnant see their cash divided among the others. EBay helps archaeologists by feeding a market hungry for cheap forgeries. Uganda sees early signs of an obesity epidemic.
A blast in Baghdad kills 72, seven days before U.S. troops will depart Iraq's cities and towns. Ahmadinejad rankles at Obama's shift in tone--a change that occurred over two years. English speakers tend to talk about time using horizontal spatial metaphors. How language shapes the
Hawaii's citizens are more worried about the local economy than North Korea's missiles. Statistics say Iran's results were most likely doctored behind closed doors. Op: Iran's Green Revolution fights its theocracy; we need a Green Revolution to end our oil addiction. 9/
Laissez where? Obama sharply condemns Iranian government's violence against protestors. Teenagers...have been ferried into the capital in large numbers, given a club and a shield and a helmet and told to go to work. The White House plants a Huffington Post reporter to ask a question about
It was gone, peeled away. Passengers could look down and see the grooved metal roof of another Metro train. "Out here by ourselves, we have to be a little more prepared." Hawaiians respond to North Korean nuclear threat. When the White House invited citizens' ideas online, three
Ukraine's Orange Revolution still in favor, just not its politicians, not with all the backstabbing and malfeasance. First president to address France's Parliament since 1875, Sarkozy condemns the burka. Video: Ze Frank brings "That Makes Me Think Of" to Time. Alan Furst says half
U.S. may intercept North Korean ship, North Korea may attack U.S., and Hawaii gets extra protection just in case. Pictures by atomic bomb survivors. I've been hearing about Khamenei's fear of "velvet revolutions" for months now. There was nothing velvet about Saturday&
Following Saturday's clashes, which left at least 10 dead, an "uneasy calm" settles over Tehran. Iranians can draw on a rich culture of resistance to authority, going back to the country's first experiments with constitutional rule, a hundred years ago. By limiting airstrikes in
Iranian security quietly arrests dozens of opposition figures; probe ordered on police attack at a dorm that left several students dead. [Mousavi] was out of public life for two decades, a soft-spoken architect who loves to watch movies at home and was overshadowed for years by his distinguished wife. At
Harare newspaper editor may occasionally sleep in freezing jails, but at least he's reporting real news. Maine bans use of the word "squa" in street names; squall prompted. Op: The A.M.A. feels like it exists only to help doctors help themselves. That is why
Andrew Sullivan's compendium of tweets from Iran shows the revolution really will be twittered. State Dept. official emails Twitter, requests delay of scheduled maintenance at this "crucial time." This second miles-long rally was conducted, like the first, largely in silence. Iranian state television asks patriots to
Al Jazeera profiles the Iranian power players behind the headlines. Reaction to Iran's uprising shows how little of the neocon agenda "really was about freedom." "Realism" in foreign policy is what sent Scowcroft to raise a champagne toast to China's leaders in
Four biological advances that suggest we'll someday be able to explain how life started. Universal health-care fans fret as Obama's stance becomes murkier. Better profile of Zeke Emanuel and the Office of Management and Budget than you expect. Extravagance in Norway's ritual of youth--&
Iran's council agrees to recount some ballots; Mousavi, fellow opposition candidates call for a new election. Japan fears new demographic of men who like walks, don't like spending money or having sex. Report: 90% of Waking Hours Spent Staring at Glowing Rectangles. Run on virtual bank
Analysis: Iran's election results solidify Ahmadinejad's position as the front man for a unified, political elite. A surprising reversal in Iran: Ayatollah Khamenei directs council to investigate charges of election fraud. Authors replace journalists at Haaretz for a day, try to focus on "real events,
Graphic explains Iran's political system; chart shows how nukes could enter the U.S. Op: Don't acknowledge a country's nuclear "rights" when it denies fundamental rights to its people. "Judging by every metric," Portugal's decriminalization of drugs has
Events in Lebanon give Obama and diplomats a golden platter, and all hands are heading to Damascus. Despite the tough rhetoric, Israel's patience on attacking Iran suggests it's worried about warring alone. Op: Iran's youth, "bred through the Islamic system," lack the
White House gives up on allowing Gitmo detainees to settle in the U.S., complicating efforts to persuade Europe to accept them. Real Madrid spent $92 million on soccer star Kaká last week, now they've bought Ronaldo from Manchester United for $130 million. Citing health reasons, Chávez bans
Iran's opposition candidates race to recruit women voters. Tsvangirai visits Washington to ask for help and set the record straight on Zimbabwe's next steps. Concern conveyed after Michelle Larcher "The Shrieker" de Brito is picked for Wimbledon (see audio sample). The brain doesn'
After modernism and tsarism, Putin plays the hero, channels Chavez's populism, releases piranhas on old allies. Pakistan hotel attack shows militants are sharpening tactics; UNICEF honors one of its fallen. Berlusconi meets Qadaffi, who brought 40 female bodyguards, wore a picture of resistance leader against Italian colonialism. Op:
Bankers and economists on how to read the tea leaves when banks leave TARP. Even companies that repay the taxpayer money will not escape some form of oversight on their compensation structure. Chart of history's largest bankruptcy proceedings. Video: Gazprom's corporate anthem. Thousands of traveling salesmen
The Pacific nation of Palau agrees to resettle ethnic Uighurs from Gitmo, fearing mistreatment should they be repatriated to China. China mandates screening software for all new computers--it's a "youth escort" program to prevent "poisoned minds." In a twist still unacknowledged by prosecutors, Jackson
Winning votes in Lebanon takes money and fear, though not exactly thievery. Op: A little honesty about what Supreme Court justices actually do would be helpful. Airlines predict $9 billion global loss, a mixed blessing for customers. Conservationists struggle to keep squatters from building homes inside India's centuries-old
With murky implications, Supreme Court blocks Chrysler's sale to Fiat, a delay that may put the automaker out of business. Making eco-friendly strides, Amsterdam offers to finance citizens' purchases of efficient light bulbs and household wind turbines. The last time I drove across America was when I
One way to read Hezbollah's electoral loss in Lebanon: it's not what the "Party of God" wanted. Ana Marie Cox annotates photos from the White House's Flickr pool. Emails show that no Justice lawyer who reviewed the interrogation question argued that the
Responding to nuclear tests, U.S. considers intercepting North Korean shipments, perhaps with China's help. North Korea sentences U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor for a "grave crime"--though they may be only a bargaining chip. "I have become more and more like
Drug gangs, unchecked, could turn Guatemala into a full-fledged narco-state. Mexico's drug war spreads south. Zimbabwe's power struggle continues--though huge problems persist, its economy is likely to grow this year. During the '70s and '80s Fela Kuti's music fiercely protested dictatorship; now
Forecast for Pakistan by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says the U.S. can't do much, but Obama's on the right track. It takes a strong president to press himself and the world to do better. Excerpts from responses to Obama's Cairo speech
We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning. Text of Obama's Egypt speech. Gingrich reawakens fear of nuclear weapons exploded in the sky frying all electronics--he's not the first politician to be
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
U.S. military investigation finds personnel in Afghan airstrikes made serious errors that resulted in increased civilian deaths. Op: There is no such thing as "The Muslim World," and Obama's use of the phrase furthers an us-vs.-them mentality. Militant extremists: They're just like
Twenty years after the Tiananmen Square massacre, exiled novelist Ma Jian revisits China. Interviews with four photographers who shot Tiananmen's "Tank Man" picture. Obama and Chancellor Merkel, considered by many trans-Atlantic observers to be "frenemies," strain to out-snub one another. Thanks, Obama, for supporting
Cheney supports same-sex marriage "on a state-by-state basis." Not getting married and not having children is the new getting married and having children. For those in need of summer companionship, the humble hermit crab may be the best bet. Grim: In Tanzania, where abortion is illegal, hospitals face
State Department instructs embassies to invite Iranian officials over for hot dogs. LGBT Iranians forced to flee the country and seek refugee status. Lawmakers still fuzzy as to how Rhode Island decriminalized prostitution. Look now, pay later: a visual history of the credit card. Signs of economic progress still arrive
Air France jet en route from Rio de Janeiro goes missing over the Atlantic. North Korea may test another long-range missile--this one "theoretically capable" of reaching Alaska and Hawaii. Something to celebrate about a nuclear North Korea: Arms race by one may help curb proliferation by all. China
Pro-gun sentiment in America is rising, not falling, and polling suggests softening public support for stricter gun laws. Op: Kim Jong Il must pay a price for his defiance, otherwise we should fear a proliferation chain reaction. Mexican drug-dealers' families protest being targeted; drug dealers threaten politicans' families.
They have become like dead people walking. There is no life in their eyes. A rare report from the forgotten Mogadishu, on the verge of collapse. In Uganda, a son searches for his father's remains 30 years after his anonymous execution. It's a steamy, sulfur-filled hell
New Maira Kalman blog post visits a military base for Memorial Day. Kalman among this year's recipients of TMN Editors' Awards for Online Excellence. Retired general says we haven't seen additional Abu Ghraib photos because they're too indecent. Your Saturday morning read: Errol
Fresh bomb blasts in the Pakistani city of Peshawar kill at least 10, injure 70. Breakdown of the dissolution of G.M., soon to be called Government Motors. Blog details advice for soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. Newt Gingrich does what he does best, just now in 140 characters or less.
U.N. Human Rights Council decides allegedly horrific Sri Lankan camps warrant no investigation. Never read about Hitler on the bus. Conclusions after a year of reading books about Nazis. German scholars struggle with the implications of Google Books, issue complaints into the ether. Germany's Donald Duck is
With the tally holding firm at five states, California's ruling puts the heart of same-sex marriage squarely in New England. North Korea's recent provocation raises the question of whether we're still at war. Sixty-five years to the day of the first Normandy briefing, soldiers
Unconvincing argument says the Taliban's bombing in Lahore is a sign of desperation. In case you missed it: the New York Review primer on Pakistan. Policeman who shot demonstrator in 1967--igniting protests and reshaping politics of West Germany--was an East German spy. Cheney and Rumsfeld pressured the C.
After North Korea's nuclear tests, Japan's ruling party will likely use the "political gift" to claw back a lead in polls--potentially breaking its pacifistic constitution. The leader of Japan's opposition party appears set to end a half-century, nepotistic stranglehold on power. Ahmadinejad
Sotomayer picked to be the next Supreme, known for ending the 1995 baseball strike. Previous four Supreme nominees all got hearings before the Senate's August break. Instapaper for the commute: Big Texas lessons on hell in health care. Gourevitch: I have seen all of the Abu Ghraib photos;
President Obama's moral argument on Guantánamo is unimpeachable; too bad Cheney sounds like the straight-talker. Krauthammer: Here's the Obama three-step: (a) excoriate the Bush policy, (b) unveil cosmetic changes, (c) adopt the Bush policy. Chomsky: Torture is an old American practice, and among the least of
Op: Because magnanimity would bring rewards, Sri Lanka's government should make peace with the Tamil minority, and fast. Ranked one of the world's worst places to live, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, isn't so bad--lots of guns, lots of climate change activism. What age
In the form of a Pentagon report, ammo for keeping Gitmo open: One in seven prisoners returns to terrorism or militant activity. Last night, four men were arrested for plotting to bomb Bronx synagogues and use antiaircraft missiles to down military planes. Health officials confirm that, due to fallout from
U.S.'s three biggest trading partners see steep declines, reducing the market for U.S. exports and opportunities for investment. Strong demand and robust pricing for riskier companies hints at a latent desire by investors to put money to work. Profile of Homeland Security's whiz-bang gizmo
Senate Democrats will block Obama's request for funds to close Gitmo until he can provide a plan for what happens to the detainees. Head of Israeli security admits there is no imperative to continue the construction of a wall through the West Bank. Texas constructs U.S. border
Obama's Pakistan policy hopes to undo five Administrations' mistakes, though "opportunism and hypocrisy" still rule. Op: Obama-Netanyahu talks were terrible for Israel's Likud Party, who are out of step at every turn. Iran reports test-firing new missile; range extends to Israel and American
It's the first car I've ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose. Review of the new Honda Insight. Day in the life of Rotus, the receptionist of the entire United States. Op: Successful people make lousy commencement speakers, so do politicians. And never let your
Obama to direct automakers to reach 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, four years ahead of schedule. How Obama is like Spock, and how Spock has Asperger's. Krugman: Good climate change legislation is on the table; accept it, and be happy with how far we've
Images from the biblical cover sheets of the daily intelligence briefings delivered to Bush. Rich: Scary cover sheets, torture memos, and media-savvy ex-generals compel the need for a Bush administration truth commission. Bassem Youssef, whistle-blower on F.B.I. whisper campaigns, now among their least-wanted counter-terrorism experts. How a rainforest
Remember when we lectured China on good fiscal practices? Lessons the teacher forgot. Bhutan is prepared to export Constitutional concept of gross national happiness. If your times are hard, then it's time for Hard Times with Ze Frank. Instapaper for the commute: The pharmaceutical downfall of the greatest
Figures confirm the euro zone's economy has been hit much harder than the U.S. or Britain. Notes on the Muslim Brotherhood's recent losses in Egypt's political battles. Tsvangirai explains what it's like to share power with Mugabe--the man who likely tried
All eyes on Monday: Jordan urges Israel to go two-state when Netanyahu meets Obama. Pelosi and C.I.A. clash over who knew what when regarding torture policies. Analysis: Pelosi's move was either a supremely calculated escalation, or a reckless act to defend her honor. Lessons learned from
White House's drug czar calls for an end to the War on Drugs, favors treatment over incarceration. There was no penalty for being lethal, the way there would be for a flu virus committing immediate host-icide under more normal circumstances. Taking it from the virus's perspective.
White House again considers major overhaul of financial compensation practices--and not just for banks. Norway's "oil-for-leisure program" has ensured solvency and growth and possibly complacency. When Democrats lose, they're pathetic. When Republicans lose, they're bitter and mean. Op: What the Republicans need
Recession hastens the decline of Medicare and Social Security, which now will be exhausted in 2017 and 2037, respectively. Op: Pay attention to Hungary as its economic crisis engenders radical polarization and upheaval. Cancer patient files lawsuit against the genetics company whose patent blocks additional testing. Pakistan's conspiracy
Bush official testifies that Bush's torture tactics were a "collective failure." Op: A few culled Congress members shouldn't be our only check on potential C.I.A. misconduct. Jennifer Boylan on her longstanding, legal same-sex Maine marriage--seeing how previously she was a man. If
Forcing out the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan indicates a move to an innovative, unconventional approach. Obama's new hire, an ex-special ops lead man, has a troubling past of supposedly aiding and abetting torture and prisoner abuse. U.S.-Iranian journalist released after charges of spying in
Sri Lankan artillery assault over the weekend killed hundreds of civilians, called "a bloodbath." Journalist Saberi's release shows Iran's desire to work with the U.S., though Iran-hands caution against sunny thinking. Zimbabwe jails more journalists. German upscale car-less suburb prospers; imitator grows in
Sudan appoints wanted war criminal to govern potential north-south flashpoint. National honor won't be restored until we give up scapegoating rank-and-file soldiers for their commanders' crimes at Abu Ghraib. Vaclav Havel: The U.N.'s Human Rights Council is a shameful farce. Army contractor who revenge-killed
Obama's swift maneuver on stem-cell funding will embolden conservatives, provide an economic windfall for states that take the money. Think of H as hair and N as nose, two features for learning and remembering the identity of a virus. Influenza, explained. There's still nothing set for
Obama to withdraw funding for NYC nuclear detection efforts that never functioned properly--or knew what to do if a bomb was actually found. U.S. officials say Afghan civilians died in airstrikes, disavow Taliban grenade stories. Studies show governments who abuse human rights experience more domestic and transnational terrorism. "
Summary of the state of America's problems in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Dark Saturday morning read: My life with depression. Account of British parliament's brutal destruction of Gordon Brown. Upside to nominating a lesbian to the Supreme Court: Conservatives might reveal anti-gay bias beneath same-sex marriage opposition.
Officials find evidence that Afghan civilian deaths attributed to U.S. airstrikes may be subterfuge caused by Taliban grenades. Swine flu still poses a danger, especially if, like the Spanish flu of 1918, this is the mild peak before the lethal comeback. If a more dangerous swine flu lurks ahead,
Women's groups in Kenya stage seven-day sex strike to end government deadlock. Jailed journalist Roxana Saberi ends hunger strike. U.S. lawyers reveal they've got two hours of highlights showing Sheikh Issa's tastes in torture. Instapaper for the commute: Everything you need to know
The first American dies from swine flu--the 33-year-old Texas woman had an unnamed pre-existing medical condition. For the Pashtun nation and Taliban militants, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border doesn't exist--blame the British for drawing an arbitrary line. Scientists ponder a "Churchill gene" that causes some to be more
Regulators comfortable that Chrysler won't pay back its $7 billion handout while filing for bankruptcy. Tory leader David Cameron has his bike stolen again. Instapaper for the commute: Letter from Beirut finds society teetering between normalcy and collapse. What fascinates the markets about Islamic finance is its dramatic
With the number of new cases falling, Mexico lowers flu alert level--though many Mexicans still feel the global stigma. Thousands of Mexican day workers crossing the border were subjected to daily kerosene baths. A chart of epidemics and their scapegoats. Polanski won't return to the U.S. to
Even the most tarnished Wall Street stars are receiving offers to return. Hitchens details why Obama cited Churchill when explaining torture's impermissibility even in the worst of times. Interesting account of a mild-mannered former MI6 spy who's accused of "going native" with his Islamist
I thought my lungs were going to burst. A swine flu survivor tells how his life was saved by a news bulletin. In Bakersfield, Calif., none of the 188 patients--a daily record--who arrived at the emergency room...had symptoms that met the criteria to even be tested. From a complete
Prosecutors toss the case against pro-Israel lobbyists, but not before back-room maneuvers are exposed. Instapaper for the commute: Lizza's profile of Orszag, Obama's activist budget soldier. Another 100-days milestone: it's been that long since Clinton read a book or watched a movie. Corporations whine
Behind-the-scenes saga of public health officials tracking swine flu from day one. Hoping to appear strong, Egypt orders all its pigs slaughtered, and then is mocked for a dumb reaction. The more Obama raises U.S. government spending, the better Canada looks to private investors. Saturday morning read: Sri Lankan
W.H.O. says reports of swine flu are on a slow rise, with the total confirmed cases now at 331. Interactive graphic shows the international spread of swine flu from its epicenter in Mexico. Hog farmers ask everyone to stop calling it swine flu, and want you to know
Western analysts flattered but uneasy about jihadists expressing thanks for their understanding. Original reporting of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi citing Western scholars. Fascinating consideration of wife-hierarchy now that South Africa will have a polygamist president. Video: Student footage of Rice defending "enhanced interrogation" techniques as legal and right. Los
W.H.O. raises swine flu to pandemic status; scientists say the annual flu season is more deadly. Obama spends his 100th day address on swine flu, tells Americans to cover mouths, wash hands. U.K. ends combat operations in Iraq, withdraws troops. In the old days, politics was something
"Yes We Can Iran": Ahmadinejad borrows Obama's slogan for June election. Snowe: Specter's defection is a sign Republicans must heed Reagan's call that the party should tolerate inner disagreements. Synchrony rituals are powerful; moving and singing in unison builds group cohesiveness, provides
House approves Obama's budget plan 233-193 without a single Republican vote. Facebook-style visualization of the Senate shows Specter never had many Republican friends. Nine moments that mattered in Obama's first 100 days. Even during the Depression, I'm not sure prices fell this quickly. Home
As swine flu cases crop up around the world, countries tighten border controls, brace for the threat of infection. A culture built on physical contact has become a culture muted by fear, by suspicion, a distrust of others, and even ourselves. Daniel Hernandez on All Things Considered. After the SARS
Iceland pisses on its disgraced bankers. White-collar workers in China are adopting English names to achieve Chinese-nationalist economic goals. China undergoes educational upheaval with too many graduates, too much debt, too few jobs. Op: The University must die so that academia can live. Flus are unpredictable and they attack in
Regarding torture: Just because you scored after harpooning the goalie, doesn't suddenly make harpooning OK. We have become so casual about torture that we now openly debate its efficacy. Mexico abandons its "centuries-old Napoleonic system of closed-door, written inquisitions." Study finds a wealthy child without a
Op: Hope glimmers that the financial crisis has peaked, though recovery will require a lower speed limit, diminished expectations. From February: "Stimulus bill headed for passage minus pandemic funds." In Mexico City, Obama was received by Felipe Solis, an archaeologist who died a day later--Obama's showing
Massive Arlen Specter article on his tenure as a lamp-lighter; calls for reps "to reassert themselves in our system of checks and balances." Op: Regarding torture, we can't skirt the criminal implications of what we know. Iceland's men destroyed the country's economy;
Next month the U.S. will release photos of alleged abuses at Iraq and Afghanistan prisons--officials say none are as graphic as the Abu Ghraib images. In Moldova, the victorious Communists represent the conservative center-right--where does Russia fit in the political spectrum? A Senate Armed Services report emerges that explains
Borrowing a Bushism, Clinton calls Pakistan an "existential threat"; Kerry says U.S. lacks "a real strategy." Gates says disclosure of interrogation memos was inevitable. Op: I interrogated Abu Zubaydah, I didn't torture, and I got good intel. Pros and cons considered while Obama
What has happened so far is no more than the overture to the first act of this opera. Obama's 100-day mark approaches. In the past month, three woman have claimed Paraguayan President Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop, is the father of their child. TMN is still accepting
Investigations show none of the officials who approved the use of torture bothered to learn about their nation's long-standing opposition to it. If the U.S. doesn't prosecute C.I.A. and Bush administration officials for torture crimes at home, Europe will, says the U.N.
Geithner tells Congress bank report cards need to be kept secret for public's own good. They see it as a story where one man can have a vision and successfully complete it. Indian business students find Mein Kampf inspirational. South Africans will vote for the ANC, but they&
In an effort "to make Norm Coleman go away," Democrat groups ask supporters to donate $1 a day every day Coleman refuses to concede. "The wall is the perfect crime because it creates the violence it was ostensibly built to prevent." The history of Israel'
Price declines in Spain, Ireland, Portugal, and Luxembourg stoke fears about deflation. Notes on how Africa may come out of the financial crisis with stronger financial systems. Are the values espoused by the Somali pirates so very different from those upon which America was founded? Cowboy culture meets contraception in
"It is easy for a young person to become a pirate." In Somalia, pirates are akin to ganglords who can overpower locals with money, force. J.G. Ballard, author of Crash and Empire of the Sun, dies at age 78. Today's long read: After seven years
Human Rights Watch director says Obama gains diplomacy power by releasing the torture memos. With jobs drying up in Japan, government offers money to immigrants to go home (providing they don't come back). As Western shoppers desire less cashmere, Mongolian shepherds face herder loan defaults. Map of the
"Those methods, read on a bright, sunny, safe day in April 2009, appear graphic and disturbing." Justice Dept. releases C.I.A. interrogation memos. Bipartisanship may be sparked from a simple agreement: Senators needs to eat together more often. The importance of refrigeration to the psyche, economy, and
France's Caterpillar workers strike against an economic system "that makes men, women, and entire families suffer." Bulletpoints on the state of South Africa compared to hackneyed headlines. Summary of recent deft steps taken by Pakistani and American officials to defuse a crisis. If Fred Astaire would
1,055 political parties, and 830,000 polling stations. Photo gallery and primer on India's election--the world's largest. Who's buying uranium? Lehman Brothers is selling half a million pounds of it. "NASA maintains that in some circumstances, nuclear weapons could save the Earth.
Black carbon--soot--held responsible for 18 percent of the planet's warming. China plays the long game by stepping vigorously into financing South American development, as it has in Asia and Africa. The pirates could only lament their littleness before the vast number of dolphins. Chinese news agency says dolphins
Spain to indict high-ranking Bush officials for giving the green light to torture. The purpose of this program is to prevent panics, not cause them. Obama administration to reveal banks' scores on stress tests. Ahmadinejad strikes conciliatory tone with regards to nukes, now that Obama's in town.
According to a Rasmussen poll...37 percent of Americans under age 30 prefer capitalism, 33 percent prefer socialism and 30 percent are undecided. Considering Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" speech as "one of the most conservative presidential statements of the last 30 years." Op: I
Evidence suggests property crime and suicides increase slightly during a recession, but not violent crime. Live piracy map with incident details; brief history of Arab-state reform efforts. Transcribed conversations of Canadian astronauts during training. Relatively brief but fascinating introduction to "the multiverse problem." Op: The growing gap between
The Taliban forges alliances with Pakistani militants, making inroads in Pakistan's most populous province, threatening the nation's stability. In Minnesota election, Franken wins again--judges' verdict addresses Coleman's expected arguments for appeal. China announces human-rights plan that hinges on economic performance, prison camps for
Q&A on the riots in Bangkok and concerns of another military coup. To capture the attention of anyone Thai, start telling your best ghost story. Obama to alter, though not lift the trade embargo on Cuba. Events to anticipate in this week's news. Trillin: I may
It took only three remarkable shots--one each by snipers firing from a distance at dusk. How Navy Seals rescued Capt. Richard Philips. Op: Some pirates are gangsters; many--such as the "Volunteer Coastguard of Somalia"--are trying to prevent illegal trawling, nuclear dumping. "Detonate a dolphin, and save
Fifteen years after Rwanda's genocide, ethnicity is banned (good), economy is stalled (bad). Poster to aid your journey back in time. At sixteen, while most girls are getting their driver's licenses, a young woman in the Middle East was planning a deadly terror attack. China'
Mugabe's aides are torturing opposition leaders in hopes of receiving amnesty. Related: C.I.A. insists officers who tortured are innocent because Bush administration said it was legal. Pentagon sponsors its first ever economic war games. Bolivan leader goes on hunger strike until a new constitution is passed.
Refugees killed on the final battlefield between Sri Lanka's army and the Tamil Tigers; U.N. chief says both sides may be guilty of war crimes. Government analysts say banks are better off than feared, but they'll probably need another bailout. Recession fuels readers' appetite
British terrorism chief resigns after photographers snapped sensitive document he paraded, revealing raid details. Yesterday's attack was one of 66 this year by Somali pirates. Op: Obama's arms-control efforts may not terrify rogue states, but they build capital with friendly ones. Sales of Das Kapital are
Pentagon says that the crew of the American ship overtaken by pirates has regained control. Op: Everyone's complaining about bankers gaming Geithner's system. Well, gaming it might be the point. "Privacy algorithm" idea scrapped in airport body scanners. Photos from the L'Aquila
Equal-rights activists hope gay-marriage wins in Vermont and Iowa will create momentum. D.C. council gives preliminary approval to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere Iraqi gays face murderous violence from militias, police, and family. In case Exxon commercials enrage you, too: Big oil is in the oil business, and not
All charges dropped against South Africa's next president; the world smells corruption, but Zuma insists, "there never was a case against me." American policy dealers should keep in mind Germans' love for precise rules. Sachs: If Geithner and Summers say their plan is the only
Red Cross report finds medical officers violated ethics, participated in torture at secret C.I.A. prisons. Enough bad news from south of the border, and the U.S. is paying attention to Mexico; a field guide to narcissism. Having voluntarily given up its nuclear weapons in the '90s,
Details on five ways hedge funds and banks can game Geithner's toxic-assets plan. Instapaper for the commute: Jon Lee Anderson's backgrounder on Ahmadinejad's reelection campaign. Fascinating profile of German evangelist who took care of Pinochet's extremely dirty work. Today in pop neurology:
India remains Pakistan's priority number one; U.S. hopes money turns them against al Qaeda, toward stability. Afghanistan's leaders will soon fight elections, agree to rethink oppressive laws against women in light of international pressure. The council itself is controlled by human rights abusers who like
Gay marriage upheld by Iowa Supreme Court. U.S. unemployment rate jumps from 8.1 to 8.5 percent after the economy shed 663,000 jobs in March. Fear not: Hollywood stars are getting their salaries squeezed, too. Wrongtomorrow.com tracks talking heads making predictions about the future. Analysis of
G20 concludes with $1.1 trillion headed to nations damaged by the downturn; though the "new global deal" was not reached, unity was. In a rare show of emotion from the international press, many in the room stood up and cheered after Mr. Obama was done. Op: To
Sweden's parliament votes overwhelmingly to legalize gay marriage. Holder cites prosecutorial misconduct in Alaskan Sen. Ted Stevens's corruption case, dismisses conviction. Stunning, recent photos from Afghanistan. Eminent Australian judge faces two years in jail for lying about a speeding fine. W.W. Norton kicks off National
The purpose of this summit, like all such summits, is not really discussion. It is politics. Obama and Medvedev announce unexpected new arms control treaty. Anti-Americanism justifies the existence of Iran's current regime, furnishes a pretext for domestic repression. Netanyahu explains his fears of a nuclear Iran: It&
U.C. San Diego sends acceptance emails to 28,000 rejected applicants by mistake--later apologizes for the mixup, any emotional trauma caused. Historical examples where pranks and fakery have derailed studies, ruined lives, and misdirected entire professions. In London, Bank of England besieged by "Financial Fool's Day&
Canadians are so sensible they even have the sense not to brag. How Canada has avoided the bailouts. In Afghanistan, Karzai approves law to turn back women's rights--opponents accuse him of grabbing at Shia votes. "Our main export to Russia is not wine, but 'thieves in
Sarkozy threatens to walk away from G20 if demands for stricter financial regulations aren't met. Photos and stories of recently laid-off workers from all over U.S. Animated photos of world landmarks as they dim their lights to observe "Earth Hour." Video: From 1958, Aldous Huxley
The search for information resembles a walk through an overbuilt quarter of an ancient capital. How Wikipedia, like buildings and cities, can learn. A current favorite resource: the Hitchcockwiki. I wrote the software that turned mortgages into bonds. Michael Osinsk tells the story of his own Manhattan Project. Today in
Two months into Obama's term, Glenn Beck's "mad as hell" rhetoric sends Fox News back to the top of political cable. Fox launches "The Fox Nation," a website with an "Our Purpose" page rather than "About Us." Brazilian
U.S. Patent Office bans "business-method" patents on ideas rather than implementation. An explanation of video-game brain-fitness software, its supposed science, and game recommendations. Study shows playing computer games effectively treats amblyopia, or "lazy eye." Is there a richer, deeper, more textured universe out there, hiding
Brazil's president says poor, non-white people shouldn't bear the burden of a crisis caused by white, blue-eyed people. The war in Afghanistan is on track to being the longest in U.S. history. New Maira Kalman column about the kind of government she likes. German automakers
It takes two sides to have a fight, and there's really only one side left in Baghdad. As Alpine glaciers melt, so do the borders between Italy and Switzerland. A plasma storm from the sun could wipe out electronics, leaving us 90 seconds from catastrophe. "One in
Iran accepts U.S. invitation to Afghanistan meeting. E.U. president, recently ousted by his own parliament, calls Obama's recession remedies "the road to hell." Without assistance and/or a five-day week, the Postal Service says it's going out of business. Obamas reported popping
U.S. officials learn Pakistani spy wing directly supports the Taliban, Afghanistan militants with money, supplies, and intelligence. As Democrats' budget plans go awry in closed-door meetings, the president pays a visit, goes "vintage Obama." Historian John Hope Franklin, chronicler of American racial strife and author of
Grim records set when Japanese exports fell by nearly half year-on-year in February. Hitchens: "It's high time the United States cut off any support for Israel that can be used even indirectly for settler activity." Clinton may have to deal with the U.S. Embassy'
China calls for world currency to replace dollar, suggests we show "extraordinary political vision and courage." In news conference to address economic woes, Obama urges action, patience. Americans: Everything Taking Too Long. Video: Time-lapse nature. Tell "Dead at Your Age" how old you are, and it&
F.D.A. has 30 days to comply with judge's command to make Plan B pills available to girls at 17. Op: Despite the rumors, Mexico is not a land of gangsters, nor is it a failed state. Chart shows where the death penalty was used most last
On news of the White House's plan to clean banks' balance sheets, worldwide stocks rise, Dow jumps nearly 500 points. Cuomo reports 15 of the top 20 A.I.G. bonus recipients have returned them in full--a total of $50 million. "When people are asked to
Economists brace for more foreclosures, but February saw a bump in home sales. Map shows how to close and dismantle an auto plant. Business wars: Feet-nibbling fish have some pedicurists pleased, others grossed out. South Africa denies visa to the Dalai Lama, mentioning its interests with China, and both Tutu
Geithner: The lack of an appropriate and modern regulatory regime and resolution authority helped cause this crisis. The "silent fright" among workers: With times what they are, many fear complaining could result in layoffs. "We will cry about it later." Probing Israel's military culture
Gordon Brown can't watch his Obama DVDs due to "technical aspects." More than a million protested in France yesterday in defence of jobs and salaries. Behind the scenes as France says yes to bailouts for the auto industry, but no to layoffs. The French have found
House approves punitive tax on bailed-out companies: Those with bonuses greater than $125K would surrender 90 percent of it. The recently bailed-out Barclays bank gags the Guardian for blowing the whistle on tax-avoidance schemes--just as new allegations emerge. A.I.G. sends memo to employees on how to survive mob
If you enjoyed the A.I.G. bonus brouhaha, wait until Fanny and Freddy start paying out. The pipedream of corporate social responsibility needs to be shelved. Six years after the invasion, Baghdad shops open their doors again. Convicted of insulting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian blogger dies in prison at
Fed announces it will pump an additional $1.2 trillion into the economy, which could lower interest rates--and stimulate inflation. Dodd: We ensured A.I.G.'s bonuses would be paid because the administration feared costly lawsuits. I.R.S. says it will allow Madoff victims to claim a
France "won't pass judgment" on Church doctrine, but does point out that the Pope's stance on condoms threatens lives. IBM in talks to buy Sun. A.I.G. expected to ask its bonus-happy employees to return half the money. Turns out A.I.G.
Head of Europe's Central Bank lectures on Dante and Derrida; AIG head-honcho sports Che Guevara shirt. China enjoys interncontinental shopping spree on fire-sale assets, natural resources. The Shining Path reinvents itself with cocaine, reigniting war (great photo gallery, video). Books read by the New York Times Baghdad bureau.
Both reformists and conservatives face a tough battle in Iran's June elections. Meet Adnan Oktar and Turkey's creationist movement. Op: Harazi Kabul and Obama Washington need to get together quickly, says former ambassador. A.I.G. execs should consider honorable suicide Japanese-style, says U.S. Senator.
Obama directs Treasury officials to "pursue every legal angle" to rescind bonuses at AIG. Though it may now be too late to get the AIG bonuses back, stricter rules could be attached to the next $30 billion. Thorough: 27 visualizations and infographics to understand the financial crisis. The
The booming industries of recent years, from construction to finance, will not bounce back. The global job market is hungover, recovery is unaided by a ballooning labor force. The "patriotism as disease defense mechanism" hypothesis: natural distrust, fear of strangers. "We used to be in these hills
Europe actually not pleased about taking "the worst of the worst" from Guantánamo. About two-thirds of all Polish mortgage holders now face skyrocketing payments. Lessons learned from Obama's economic blueprints about his policy style. Need style inspiration? Try the fashion of Mad Men creator Matt Weiner&
Americans see 18 percent of their wealth disappear in 2008. Why Bashar al-Assad, that "lisping former opthamologist who rules Syria with an iron fist," enjoyed the best week ever. Among TIME's world-changing 10 ideas: Africa as a business destination (for China). You know Warhol, but we
The news, by and large, was bad--just not quite as bad as feared. Wall Street mounts its second surge of the week. Lawmakers overturn Bush-era bill amendment that denied support to nations who wouldn't give the U.S. immunity from the I.C.C. I don't
Next month's G20 summit will see a "narrowing of differences," no "grand bargain to put the world to rights." Uptick noted in amateur American superheroes, armed with the internet and expensive costumes. Industry: shipping. Mexican drug lord makes Forbes billionaire list. With stimulus money
Within hours we knew that half a dozen of our friends had been hit, and that my dinner companion's retirement was over. Madoff's most intimate betrayals. Op: Don't swallow Wall Street's tales of victimhood; in hindsight, the bankers ignored foresight. More from
EU employs new official coffee monitors to make sure commissioners' espresso tastes good. Bankers will not hesitate to enrich themselves at the expense of the public good if they have the opportunity. If you're looking for a socialist revolution in the U.S., focus on guerrilla agriculture.
I do not give much importance to abstract concepts. President Lula da Silva of Brazil ponders the new human-based economic order. Channeling Genghis Khan, Kazakh premier suggests a global currency. Riding news of Citigroup's profits and Bernanke's call for reform, Wall Street posts its biggest one-day
Truck that hit Tsvangirai's car, killing his wife, turns out to have been a USAID vehicle. Treasury department not answering its phones, says U.K. cabinet secretary. How the quants (physicists on Wall Street) came to be, and came to be slandered by Warren Buffett. Op: Merging big
Not enough Pakistanis have taken a stand against the Talibanisation of their country. Op: Terrorism, extremism left unchecked in Pakistan. The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults developed sibling dolls named Sara and Dara, Muslim versions of Barbie and Ken. "Mother, look. I have made
Astounding story about the obstacles--thugs, secret prisons, beatings--Chinese citizens face to lodge a complaint about the government. Bad paintings of Barack Obama. Bush lawyers find themselves too toxic for employers; Gonzales blames "partisan politics" for his unemployment. Instapaper for the commute: For screenwriters everywhere: the path of Tony
In the run-up to Summit of Americas: hopes for easing Cuban embargo, mending ties after Latin America's move leftward. Clinton's "talk-show diplomacy" wins Turkish support; next, Obama must deliver on Middle East policy. Three makes a trend: Shoes hurled at Ahmadinejad. We do expect
GM pegs its recovery to a return to booming sales--sales that were based on an inflated market. Some 665 million Indians practice open defecation, more than half the global total. Sanitation crisis impeding India's economic growth. Examples of worse things to come during the crisis. Urban theorist speculates
Where the ripple began: More than half of last year's U.S. home foreclosures occurred in just 35 counties. The market goes unbelievably bearish, as blue-chip companies, once considered safe investments, sidle up to the penny stocks. Large corporations find scattered layoffs allow fat-trimming to occur without headlines--and
L.A. mayoral election gets dismal turnout, fails to make front page of the L.A. Times. Instapaper for the commute: It remains unknown whether time will stay steady or melt away. Alan Moore talks about his bad influence on comics and movies. The other tragedy to befall the cricket
The Obama administration on Wednesday began the most ambitious effort since the 1930s to help troubled homeowners. We may not have realized it at the time, but in the period from late 2001-January 19, 2009, this country was a dictatorship. Reactions to the rewriting of the Constitution. Op: Obama'
Plouffe: Republicans oppose what most Americans see as reducing middle-class taxes and creating jobs. Talented foreign students going elsewhere to do research, citing frustrations with U.S. visas. International court charges Sudanese president with war crimes, but can't arrest him unless he leaves Sudan. While Merrill staggered, 11
It's the Great Recession, and jobs are quickly drying up: Here's who's being affected, and where. Fearless investors and those looking to make a killing, take note: How to profit in a recession. Though many next of kin don't have to assume
Business is booming for people who can give good voice to debt-collection. Cohen: It's worth recalling that hateful, ultranationalist rhetoric is no Iranian preserve. "How Jew-Friendly Persia Became Anti-Semitic Iran." Tutu: African leaders opposing the arrest of Sudan's al-Bashir forget that his victims are
Yesterday U.S. stocks hit their lowest level since 1997--yet the dollar is gaining, as economic prospects abroad look comparatively worse. We will no longer be serving complimentary cold cuts and soda on Cold Cuts and Soda Day. Stairs will go up, but not down. Iraqis with new security and
Europe, Russia, and Ukrainians prepare for Ukraine to fail. Economic crisis forces the European Union to question solidarity--will combined political destiny prevail? Clinton to offer $300 million to Palestinians: one-third to Gaza, two-thirds to Abu Mazen. The week in news, via Rich: Obama soared, but Geithner is his Jindal, and
David Simon, creator of The Wire, fears that eviscerated Baltimore newspaper staff leaves no one to press the police. In London, British activists, politicians, and subjects convene to fight for civil liberties lost over the past decade. Intriguing profile of David Foster Wallace's writing process, tattooed footnotes, ending;
The best weekend headline we can imagine giving you: new Maria Kalman column about Lincoln. Op: If governments have freedom of speech, we give them the authority to suppress our speech rights. Book list for those who love a "mono-history": history of a single invention, food, or other
Obama to announce August 2010 Iraq withdrawal, leaving up to 50,000 residual troops--to the opposition of many Democrats. Afghanistan's defense minister fears a potential U.S. pullback would undermine Kabul's government. In Somalia, new moderate Islamist president has a chance at a fresh start--some are
The youth could have another pop idol. Chinese media thrilled to see Gary Locke up for Commerce Secretary. Great films that came out of the first depression. When Obama talked about reforming Cold War-era weapons systems, did he mean we'll scrap missile defense? Uzbek officials cite health and
Pakistan faces power struggle as President Zadari bans rival's provincial government. "A surreal mini civil war." British troops in Afghanistan fight home-grown jihadists. A new series explores why the U.S. hasn't been attacked since Sept. 11; part one: The Terrorists-Are-Dumb Theory. The first
Bernanke says recession will last another year if all goes according to plan. Home prices post biggest drop in 21 years. Wall Street Journal account of U.S.-Citigroup relationship chock full of details and intrigue. Interactive comparison of Obama's economic proposals compared to other presidents'. There
It had all the trappings of a State of the Union address but since technically it was not, President Obama did not have to utter those traditional words: "The state of our union is strong." Replacing a $278 million climate change monitoring satellite could be quick--if the money
Obama to announce that big government is back, but only briefly. Op: Bargaining over human rights with China may be pointless, but Clinton should keep making church visits and the like. California's G.O.P. moves to discipline traitors over state budget, drifting even further to the right.
Obama administration says $900 million will be given to Gaza through non-governmental--non-Hamas--channels. Video: Following Pakistan's ceasefire with the Taliban, class is dismissed for the final time in the Swat valley. With revenue up 40 percent, the mafia is now Italy's number-one business. Today's long
Treasury advisors preparing "the largest bankruptcy loan ever" in case GM and Chrysler declare need. Sachs must-read: There is little reason to fear a decade of stagnation, much less a depression. If you are OK with the FDIC, you are OK with nationalization. Many elderly are joining the
"We missed the biggest Middle East peace opportunity of the decade, just so we could keep saying 'axis of evil.'" Let's talk to Iran. Obama will not continue Bush's missionary rhetoric to spread democracy--diplomacy will be quieter, rebranded. Slums are innovative and
Killings of civilians in Afghanistan leapt by 40 percent last year, up to 2,118. As the Sri Lankan war ends, the future is divided by north and south, and the last chapter is grim and bitter. Your Saturday morning read: Meet the bin Ladens. Readers respond to Post'
Economy blamed for reduction in shark attacks. Video: Chicago trading floor Tea Party looks unlikely, despite rabble-rouser's best efforts. It was possible to see the screens at the top of the room, most of our section of the floor, and many, many bald spots. Nicole Pasulka learns to
Zimbabwe's stock market reopens, now trading U.S. dollars; article features word, "hexillion." Op: If college athletics is controlled by a cartel, the players deserve a cut. As part of a tax-evasion probe, Swiss bank UBS to divulge names of 250 account holders. China's
Investigators recreate Buffalo plane crash, determine crew may have overcorrected for a system meant to protect against flying too slowly. Greater emphasis on Gross National Happiness advocated: Economic growth, decline can't best represent progress. The stimulus will be an extra $8 a week into your paycheck; experts advise
Argument for Obama's new website being a stimulus in its own right. The site of which we speak: Obama's new transparency cloak, Recovery.gov. History of the presidential wet bar. Greenspan says nationalizating some banks could be the least bad option left for policymakers. Notes on
Israel's "Peace House" comes with bomb shelters on every floor, advocates the treatment of Gazan children, supports Israeli attacks. In Iraq, senior soldiers' fraud has blighted reconstruction, losing locals' hearts and mind. The crisis stiffens, economists are worried as the countries many believed would
Photos of thousands of neo-Nazis marching in Dresden, and thousands more there in protest. Op: The importance of bombing Dresden wasn't to maximize civilian casualties; neo-Nazis say so to relativize the Holocaust. Sound clips of President Obama saying non-presidential things. Japan's finance chief steps down after
Pakistan agrees to Swat valley ceasefire, a condition of which is the enforcement of Islamic law, and which effectively creates a Taliban sanctuary. Hoping to quell solidarity turning into terrorism, Saudi Arabia, U.S. try to tranquilize al Qaeda's online presence. Author of South American constitutions, populist shopping
Mapping the perilous steps it takes to escape from North Korea. UN finds more women than men engaged in modern-day slavery. Japanese shoppers account for half of the global luxury market and they're losing interest (see also: new Atlantic online). For the Obama fetishists: Neck of State, cataloguing
Buy a house in the U.S., get a visa: Can immigration alleviate a recession? Numbers shows sexual desire rises during recession, but plummets when it comes to going through with the act. Mr. Khalil said Gaza used to export as many as 40 million flowers a year. Israel allows
Now that gas is cheap once more, ethanol plants can't make their federal mandates. If Obama's stimulus fails to prevent a depression, it will be because he didn't waste enough money. Why the press should take the non-profit model one step further and declare
The new administration passes its first political test: Congress agrees on $790 billion stimulus package, creating 3.5 million jobs. Kadima's Tzipi Livni, hoping to be Israel's Barack Obama, ended up as Israel's Al Gore. In Israeli election, ideology is the only clear loser.
Bank leaders go on the charm offensive, say they have every incentive to lend and are lending. Some representatives call bankers heroes, others say they're connivers. Op: Settle down. Obama's start is actually going rather well. Africom says the U.S. advised, but didn't
Climate change fuels Australian fires--expect more heat waves, drought, extreme weather everywhere. Irreversible does not mean unstoppable. The further we turn the carbon-emissions ratchet, the harder it is to turn it back. Water-line of Greenland ice-melt projected onto British buildings. Though bad for climate change, British motto "Keep Calm
Former Iranian President Khatami attacked by mob. Avoiding the mob so far, Madoff reaches partial settlement for civil accusations; criminal charges remain standing. G.M. vice-chairman and climate-change denier announces retirement, avoids responsibility. Portraits of very small people mucking about in a very big universe. Invitations read: "Celebrate and
The supervisory system "relied on self-regulation that, in effect, meant no regulation." The stimulus package's precise shape, flaws are negated under extraordinary circumstances: Speed is essential. Obama is not excessively didactic--though he did correct one reporter's characterization of the role of excessive consumer spending
Timeline of dirty secrets and scuttlebutt behind the Merrill/Bank of America marriage. Short answer to the big question: How did this economic crisis really come about? Op: Save the economy by not humiliating your local investment banker in public. Defining the Arbesman Limit: "the maximum number of concepts
Obama pauses Afghan surge, concerned for lack of endgame, eager to avoid a quagmire. U.S. aids Ugandan troops fighting terrorism, fails to appreciate volatility of Congolese border, swats the hornet's nest. A posh time was had by all, and they remained in the pink. Postcards from grandparents&
Fidel Castro accuses Obama of supporting genocide, blasts "protectionist" trade policies. Putin and his colleague friends were all dancing and getting involved with the choreography. Putin enjoys Abba cover band. Sobering news about the economy: Cars are being dumped at the Dubai airport. U.S. lost 600,000
Notes on yesterday's bipartisan stimulus trim session sound frighteningly amateur, silly, and unschooled. Apparently not a "criterion" for "what creates jobs," cuts include "huge chunks" of education funds. Paulson overpaid $78 billion on bank assets despite promising he'd buy at
Clear, interesting take on what to make of arguments about the stimulus package (see further earmarks). Perhaps for posterity, Henry Paulson is making sure China doesn't believe he blames it for the crisis. Instapaper for the commute: Fur and leather factories slow production, and China migrates into the
Obama details plan for bailout companies: executive pay will be capped, luxury purchases must be disclosed. Op: Obama's stand on bailout executives is akin to Reagan's firing of air-traffic controllers--a new gist for a new era. Lux Interior, lead singer of the Cramps, dies at age
Daschle withdraws nomination; Obama takes responsibility, says "I screwed up." In only his second week in office, Barack Obama is punching the restart button on his presidency. "History is against us, the terrain is against us, many of the people are against us." The Afghanistan conflict
While everyone watched Daschle and Killefer, Gregg slipped through the door--will he sharpen his pork knives? Various millions and billions earmarked in the Senate stimulus bill. Round-up of various all-inclusive ski lodges. North Carolina cities ranked top locales for starting new businesses. D.C. residents beware: That could be a
Palestinian-American college student loses both brothers in Gaza attack. More than 20 million migrant Chinese have lost their jobs and gone home. Video: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao gets a shoe lobbed at his head. Economy looks good for cobblers, bad for expensive watch makers. European leaders outraged by the "
And Barack Obama, if you believe everything you read, combines the best of every single ex-president, except perhaps Millard Fillmore. Obama is a walking analogy; if he were a punctuation mark, he'd be a colon. Why Obama is not like other presidents. Iraqi heavy-metal band finds refuge, scenery
Don't read too much into Iraqi election tea leaves; Iraq is still broken. Iraq reconstruction effort riddled with waste and failures, finds new report. Faux Czech kingdom endures real headaches in contest for leadership. Afghani, Pakistani, Indian officials unnerved by Obama's appointment of outspoken Richard "
Security was tight during Iraq's elections on Saturday, but the day was almost violence-free and there were no confirmed deaths. The new symbol of power in D.C.: when you know President Obama's email address. The best and worst Super Bowl ads--was $100,000 per second
Forget being the next Gil Grissom; forensic economics could be the next sexy career. CIA's Russian spy Harold Nicholson has been training his son in tradecraft from prison. Saturday morning read: Great accessible guide to the stimulus debate. Thoughts for a new economy: Access is now more important
Obama's brands the nearly $20 billion in bonuses bankers gave themselves "shameful." Obama signs first bill--equal pay legislation that Democrats have been pushing since 2007--into law. "Yes, there are forests growing back, but not all forests are equal." Rainforest resilience, overzealous protection, suggests we
Africa hands probably pleased to see Obama (perhaps) getting tough on Mugabe. London Times headline takes a slightly tougher stance. Capitol welcomes Gore's global warming talk with hugs, signaling break from Bush policies. Scientists rank global cooling hacks. Iraq denies new license to Blackwater, citing civilian deaths. On
Irving: Like most men my age--I am a decade younger than John Updike--I began reading him because of the sex. John Updike wore a soft V-neck sweater and waved as he drove off in an unwashed minivan. The White House's new informal dress code, office culture--there's
Measuring the blood from January's massacre: 211,500 job cuts so far. Notes on the wooing, lobbyists, and millions of opinions involved in the nearly $900 billion stimulus package. One opinion: Restore NASA's mission statement of service, please. How to prepare yourself for Obama's
Op: I cannot think of any other president with the same kind of personal credibility in such a critical time. Obama is wise to reach out to the Islamic world. Alberto Gonzales attempts a comeback; here's the backlash. Today's long read: Escaping North Korea, China, Laos,
Far-right politicians boosted by the Gaza War even though they didn't plan the offensive. John Updike dies, age 76. The stimulus as analyzed by economists from opposing sides. Save money by making a sweater from your pet. What it's like to travel to Sudan for humanitarian
Guantanamo, check; but what about Bagram in Afghanistan, which has double the number of detainees--who've had even fewer rights? More journalists at Russia's Novaya Gazeta die when the newspaper exposes more corruption, human rights violations. Don't be lazy, don't be a liar,
Monday job cuts see 45,000 laid off from big companies. Financial crisis topples Iceland's coalition government. As states close prisons, small towns worry how they'll replace cheap convict labor. Op: Obama's team should save its China criticism for issues that really deserve it.
Hertzberg: Rather than choosing a hard or soft power narrative, Clinton will renew liberal internationalist "smart power." Hamas offers yearlong ceasefire should siege of Gaza end, borders open. Today's long read: In Egypt, Facebook is helping foster the rehearsal for revolution where freedom of speech, assembly
Krauthammer: Clinton craves your adulation; Obama will take it, but he can leave it, too. When seeking cranks on Anderson's innaugural poem, one can do worse than The New Criterion. Against The Lancet, The Economist argues that Russia's massive economic reform did not kill millions. Michael
Treasury pick Geithner says in plain English: China is manipulating its currency. Priest: Obama has declared an end to the "war on terror" as defined by Dub-Dub. Guantanamo detainee released to Saudi rehab program now deputy leader of al Qaeda's Yemeni branch. Clinton goes big: heavy-duty
Obama orders closure of Guantanamo, new ethics rules, revisions to CIA's torture playbook. The Bush team's record with Pyongyang these past eight years is a nearly unbroken string of defeats and retreats. Comparing Obama and Bill Clinton as though it's a Harvard-Yale football game.
Obama takes the oath again--just to be sure. It's now possible to get a fairly exact head count--without a magnifying glass. How to measure the size of a huge crowd. In Iran, only those with satellite TV watched the inauguration; the streets were filled with students burning pictures
That Obama is considering George Mitchell fills us with excitement, same for Lederman. Op: Palestinians and Hamas could learn a lot from King's example. Notes on how China probably watched Obama's address. Jenna and Barbara's open letter to Sasha and Malia. He feels a
Obama calls immediate halt to Guantanamo Bay trials. Several constitutional lawyers recommend Obama take the oath again, just to be sure. We've gradually become so in sync with this transfiguration of America that we'd collectively, silently, fill in any poetry he might have missed. Reviews of
Barack Hussein Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States of America. Text of President Obama's inaugural speech. Two million visitors fill the National Mall; how much longer before Warren shows his tattoo? The new (virtual) White House has a blog. Adam Levine's aunt texts
To mark the end of the Bush era, selections from eight years of presidential spoofery on TMN: Using a special chemical process, the library is able to keep this section of the World Trade Center burning and producing thick, acrid smoke forever. Paul Ford tours the Presidential Library. There are
Bush spends last full day commuting sentences, placing long-distance calls. What it's like to conduct Obama (see video). The Meridian Star apologizes for "acting with gross neglect" concerning segregation and civil rights. Round-up of varying blog responses to Goldberg's "Why Israel Can'
Ceasefire called in Gaza; death toll rises to 1,300--a third of whom are children. As long as Hamas holds to the ceasefire, says Israel, we'll pull troops from Gaza before Obama's inauguration. "I think a weekly magazine is a standing dinner date...Sometimes they&
Exclusive, secret Wall Street fraternity hosts black-tie dinner, sings "Bye, bye to my piece of the pie." Consider the trope: Linguistic history of a science-writing cliche. If the war on science is over, we're now entering the postwar phase of reconstruction. Ways for ex-President Bush to
Judge orders White House to retain emails, reminds that Napoleon wanted to control history, not laws. Harvard law professor, philosopher advises an "instinctively pacifist" Brazil on what role a modern-day army should play. Theatre is slow to respond to crises like Gaza, but it can reveal our complacency,
Propaganda 2.0: Israel needs your help to gain positive public sentiment. Op: If the Kremlin could step aside, Gazprom could actually be a good business. Roundtable of legal eagles on the torture blowback. Taking down bin Laden will, if only for a moment, quicken the pulse, lighten the step,
Catch-all phrase "War on Terror" did more harm than good--killing your way out of trouble doesn't work, says British foreign minister. Op: Pro-Israeli commentators continue to endorse war crimes, acts of terrorism, the "suck on this" reasoning. New tape attributed to bin Laden tells
Senior Bush official admits Qahtani was tortured and assumes others were, too. Speaking of torture: Museum of Flash "Loading" screens. The Fall of Weill is no joke as Citigroup prepares to dismantle. Op: America's power is declining, full stop; all we can do now is smooth
The greatest fundamental difference between our 43rd and 44th presidents: One reviles self-reflection, the other revels in it. Number of box cutters taken from U.S. airline passengers since January 2002: 105,075 Harper's Indexes the Bush era. Vice presidential handlers lure Cheney into traveling crate. In the
Obama to close Guantanamo on first day as President. Friend of Bush's daughter remembers visiting the White House, being nicknamed "Smitty," feeling unassured. Mistakes to correct--committed by the Founders--in the executive branch before the next Bush appears. Israel bans Arab parties from running in upcoming elections.
"I don't think you can possibly get the full breadth of an administration until time has passed." Bush's final press conference. Many more people are poor, uninsured, and in prison. Many more are billionaires. The Bush years, mapped. After eight years and countless verbal
Al Jazeera is covering Gaza from the inside-out, but you're not seeing it (unless you're on YouTube). A surge in Afghanistan won't work long-term without a Pakistan that doesn't support terror groups. Instapaper for the commute: Sanger on Obama's "
Mr. Faux-Bama's entire inaugural speech consisted of six words: "My fellow Americans," he said. "God bless America." The real president-elect: Unless there's evidence of malfeasance, there will be no broad inquiry into the Bush administration's policies. Gaza is a maze
German billionaire takes life, broken by the crisis; article ties four financier deaths to the economy. While Parisians freeze, considering the mechanics of how exactly Russia turned off the gas. Study backs up the broken-window theory: a disorderly environment influences disorderly conduct. Times reporter meets Gaza fighter in a hospital.
The Red Cross also said it was restricting its operations on Friday. Israel, Hamas rebuff U.N.'s demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. "Compared to the American interrogators, the Chinese were more brutal." Interrogated in China and Gitmo, shipped to Albania, dreaming of Sweden. Roundtable:
With legislators still deadlocked on budget plans, California faces "fiscal Armageddon." Five to Instapaper: Five economists who called the crisis on what comes next. Big Picture selections from the Gaza Strip. The longer the challenge of removing West Bank settlements is evaded, the more overwhelming it becomes. Excellent
In Gaza, neoconservatism has died--destroying the peace process is as big a mistake as the Iraq War. Op: The war isn't about rockets, it's about completely defeating a whole people. "If we want to remain alive, we will have to kill and kill and kill.
Everybody backs Egypt's cease-fire plan; Obama calls mounting civilian deaths "a source of deep concern for me." Analysis of Gates's recent media appearances to measure his appetite for finding opportunities in Russia. By laying low now, Hezbollah can use the Gaza attacks later on
It's not a peace process; it's a war. Diplomats, presidents are powerless to stop Israel; generational change will make the difference. Politicians are fond of comparing things that aren't war to war. It's both an abuse of language and a rhetorical trick.
Russia uses Gazprom to pull Europe into its tangle with Ukraine. When it comes to anticipating death, doctors would do well to trust patients' instincts. Instapaper for the commute: Incisive David Cole essay on what we should do with those who made torture American. "Alien vs. Predator"
Krugman: Banks aren't lending; businesses and consumers aren't spending. Let's not mince words: This looks an awful lot like the beginning of a second Great Depression. Björk's fund will be called, er...Björk. Björk launches a green venture-capital mission to save Iceland.
Israel's rigorously planned diplomatic offensive focuses on the 20 Israelis killed in eight years, not the 1,700 Palestinians killed in three. Op: Tribal blindness makes proportionality, civilian deaths irrelevant in Israel: It's actors, not actions that matter. "I just tried to dress well and
Krauthammer: This is our once-in-a-generation chance to pass the holy gas tax. Obama may win no Nobel for wading into Gaza, but the obligation for engagement is deep. Op: Thanks to Israel's Gaza attack, the Islamic Hamas movement has been brought back from near political defeat. Moving essay
Today's afternoon headlines are either long reads or fun sites to explore, dedicated to holiday travelers everywhere. Pope says saving humanity from transexual behavior is as important as saving rainforests. The top 10 humanitarian crises of 2008 according to Doctors Without Borders. Op: If Obama wants to make
Here are some of our favorite ways to give money at this time of year. TMN will resume publishing on Jan. 5, 2009. Happy holidays. Making the world safe for avant-garde art: Franklin Furnace. Clean Ocean Action: Making waves to save seas. Turning Point: Providing outreach, housing, and literacy skills
Op: The Pentagon's takeover of the White House has caused over-militarization of conflict zones; Obama should return power to civilians. As the focus shifts back home, Clinton widens State Dept., reestablishes diplomacy. "A world-class hotel needs to be an invisible fortress." Terrorist-hit Mumbai hotels reopen, embrace
Today's afternoon headlines are either long reads or fun sites to explore, dedicated to holiday travelers everywhere. How Lil Wayne helped a New Orleans teacher survive his first year. Keeping movies in mind during a first trip to Afghanistan. Practical foreign-policy tips from Condoleezza Rice, Christopher Hill, Daniel
Op: A debt pardon for all would wipe out the lenders--and maybe even our current crisis. Pay close attention to Greece; at a time of worldwide economic upheaval, it might eerily presage disturbances elsewhere in 2009. Climate change diplomacy is moving at a geologic pace; at a recent two-week gathering,
Mark Felt, former FBI no. 2, who became Deep Throat and brought down Nixon, dies at 95. I would move the flowerpot with the flag...to the rear of the balcony if I urgently needed a meeting. From 2005, Woodward on his crash course in espionage, courtesy of Felt. After
U.N. grants permission to pursue Somali pirates by air and on land, remains mum on the nation's failed-state status. Visit Colombia's "Captain Nemo" for all your submersible, drug-trading needs. Video: A timelapse of modern-day cartography. Today's long read: The prelude is
Thousands are being turned into slaves in Darfur. There are more slaves today than at any time in human history; from New York, it takes five hours to buy one. "Ideological differences" the most common cause of wars and violent conflicts in 2008. Today's music business
Op: After triumphalism over economic woes elsewhere, China hits a wall--it can't grow, contain social unrest, or progress. "Do not watch television. Everyone out on the streets." In Greece, protesters storm TV studios, hang banners from the Acropolis. Brown says U.K troops will be out
Say hello to methane gas hydrates: a key to domestic energy independence, perhaps an unnecessary risk. Op: Obstructionist Republicans need to learn to cooperate by having their veto power removed. Lawyers in Australia to receive the right to serve legally binding court documents by posting them on defendants' Facebook
Beware of kindly torturers: those pinkies of yours provide half your hand strength. "People have been referring to the Warsaw ghetto as the nearest analog in modern times." The siege of Gaza: A crime against humanity, a forgotten story of 2008. Questions for the Secret Service regarding certain
Not for leisurely browsing: "Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience" (explainer). Shoe-tosser's brother explains why he threw shoes. Woman burned by suitor's acid asks for retribution; Iranian court orders five drops of same chemical be placed in her attacker's eyes. Markets'
Reporting from the Congo continues to be a war correspondents' Everest, painting the craft as a noble, mythical undertaking. Found yourself hugging a Rembrandt as SWAT burst in next door? You're probably an art-crime agent. The country will be ruled by his slash-and-burn ideology for a long
Thousands in Iraq rally for release of "shoe-bomber"; Saddam's lawyer, along with 200 more, will defend him for free. Of course: The inevitable online video game. Retrospective of video game design since 1990. Instapaper for the commute: Zadie Smith on her father's comedy snobbery.
Cholera crisis growing, despite what Mugabe says; ANC says he can still be talked out of power. Facts and analysis for envisioning future relations with Syria. Amid pirates, warlords, and cholera, it's easy to overlook the big Africa story right now: Ghana's elections (why they matter)
"Thank God it was the Danes who colonized us, not the British or Americans or Dutch or Germans." Greenlanders vote to quit ties with Denmark. Don't worry about the end of the cosmos: It has bounce-back-ability, may not have even started with one big bang. Zoos
Obama advisor and CIA veteran says South Asia is where we're most likely see a nuclear war. Do you want to die because President Obama is dying for a smoke? TMN's Rosecrans Baldwin on "le smoking." Stuff your own stocking: The 2008 TMN Annual,
Don't expect a popular revolution in Greece; expect people to continue working hard in tough times. There are seven lessons about the international system that Mr. Obama could learn from cricket. Sports analogies illustrate Obama's choices. Today's long read: Obama is going to take
When even Tutu says military intervention may be necessary, Africa leaders look to oust Mugabe. GM has more workers outside the U.S. than in it, and its revenue is up overseas. The E.U. may outrank Russia by every objective measure, but its size means it's outflanked
Pakistan's PM on the painful reality of shared experience, how the West equipped fanatics, the coordination required to progress. Riots continue in Greece over failed economy, education; the "lost generation" got sick of scandals, conservatism. From February: Blagojevich "believes so fervently he's in
Illinois governor arrested for conspiring to auction off Obama's vacated Senate seat. Schwarzenegger uses "scared straight" tactics on stalemated legislators, paints a bleak picture of California's future if they can't agree on a plan. Organizers of "Day Without a Gay"
Praying for a miracle in Detroit, with an SUV at the altar. In Detroit, Islam is a strong force in city affairs, continuing to prove politics is always local. Arabic domestic culture has ensured there is no sub-prime; an oil filled cushion will provide comfort through tough times. A resurgent
"Never run anywhere if you can walk there." Like North Korea with camels: In Turkmenistan, a dead dictator continues to leave an impression. Why Obama should resurrect F.D.R.'s Federal Writer's Project--and bail out some laid-off journalists. Uncovered archival footage of Nabokov reading
Domino theory in South Asia: India must steady its hand, not start a war to avoid election defeat. "Here I am, a hardened and courageous jungle fighter becoming an expert in soy, lumber, shingles, rice." Secretaries of State of the last 25 years offer advice to Clinton. And
Instapaper for the park: How young voters, progressive momentum, are ours to lose: Yes We Can do what, exactly? Spitzer: We shouldn't rescue financial institutions that are too big to fail--we should invest in smaller ones that can. November 1996: Early reports of custom-made Hummer limos appear. The
In case of complete global economic realignment, expect accidents--first we must stop looking for the bottom, and do something. Canada PM Harper dodges no-confidence vote; a primer to Canada's democratic practices. What "Barocrates" owes to the Ancient Romans: Eloquence equates knowledge. Republican congresswoman gets a call
Pakistan's richest man explains his strategy to fight terrorism with industry, helping everyone compete on the world stage. On Afghani geographies of fear--how terror multiplies by fortresses and foreign aid. Op: Mumbai attacks weren't random, they attempted to derail peace talks with Pakistan, banking on nationalist
When it comes to foreign policy, "respect for principles or power, or ideally both, is decisive. Charisma is not." Ten big energy myths for those who write off green technologies. Embracing international law--and its court--would be a good first step toward rebuilding America's image. Fears of
Putin learns how international markets work, deems them "ugly" and "unfair." Original "dude" Jeff Dowd explains why he likes White Russians. Russia and U.S. both refuse to sign international ban on civilian-maiming cluster-bombs. Instapaper for the commute: Crime, punishment, and politics in the
India fingers Pakistani militant group for Mumbai attacks--a joint response is crucial for Pakistan's "shaky" civilian government. Movie-plot threats...might be what people worry about, but a bunch of trained...men with guns and grenades is all they needed. Security lessons learned from Mumbai. Research shows
As the U.S. prepares to secede power in Iraq, locals hope their replacement is political, not violent. I like dice. You rolls 'em and you takes your chances! "I Have to Go Now" by Jenny Allen. He reads the cards like a game-show host, and you
Tracking the final regulations Bush is pushing through before Obama takes office. Florida breaks ground on first utility-scale solar investment, to be country's second-largest once running. For strengthening Iran, for failing New Orleans: 10 things Bush should regret most. African Union chairman says unity remains possible on the
Those behind the Mumbai attacks wanted to lure India into war; who will stop it from following the U.S. into that trap? Op: What they hated about Mumbai, and why running toward the explosions is the best way to help. Seismic changes required for U.K. after law-binding carbon
Senior U.S. interrogator in Iraq haunted by process that "betrays our traditions, and because it just doesn't work." Krugman: What to do? Look for the free lunches. GM and Ford apply to Sweden for aid to save Saab and Volvo. Brief on cholera, greed, and
The Bailout: now bigger than the expenditure for WWII and Vietnam combined. "Traditional Publishing R.I.P." chronicles the daily death of print. It's not really dismal. It's quiet here, you know. And there's no rats. CBGB's remains lay in
The Morning News wishes you a happy Thanksgiving. See you on Monday. On the state of Democracy in South-East Asia, with more info on yesterday's violence in Thailand. Sean Penn interviews both Castro and Chavez (with some help from Christopher Hitchens). Compendium of dead online services and companies.
Bush grants 14 pardons, commutes two sentences--no word on Milken or John Walker Lindh, though more reprieves are expected. Zakaria: In effect, we're asking China to finance simultaneously the two largest fiscal expansions in human history--theirs and ours. Melody Barnes will head the Domestic Policy Council in Obama&
Protestors shut down Bangkok airport with gunfire as Thai prime minister returns from summit. Disloyalty, or the whiff of it, set off a particular quivering. Ode to Bush's nostrils. Hitchens: The last thing we need is a Clinton in charge of foreign policy. Charities on tenterhooks while billionaires,
China, South Korea buy up huge tracts in Madagascar, Ukraine to ensure continued access to agricultural land. The Water Mill extracts clean water out of the air, has the potential to affect local climate if used en masse. Protests held in Iceland to free the man who flew a supermarket&
As Obama sets about creating 2.5 million jobs, his advisors talk about spending $700 billion. Obama Republicans tend to be students of Scowcroft. In light of Citibank's bailout, no banks are safe. Juicy: How Citi went from $244 billion to $20.5 billion in two years. Reasons
Good summary of the markets' deflation, and Citibank's frightening couple weeks ahead. Round-up of Citi's possibilities. Admitting that the big automakers already are bankrupt would go a long way in restructuring. Romney: Let Detroit go bankrupt. Kasparov: Obama must look at Russia's record,
Good summary of Detroit's recent power shifts, not getting a bailout, and losing its voice in the House. Op: China's recent Latin American dealings show it moving from global power to actor--a flood of trade is not universally appreciated. Sticks and stones may break your bones
To get the ball rolling: Federal judge orders five Guantanamo detainees released. The Economist predicts the world in 2009; e.g., an end to hubris. Op: If Obama needs the occasional cigarette to maintain his steely calm, let him have one. Nothing like a massive electoral loss to strip someone
European physicians announce the successful transplant of a human windpipe built from the patient's stem cells. Libby's a shoo-in: high-profile convicts and their likelihood of being pardoned by Bush. Al Franken or Lizard People? Minnesota voters will decide. Barack Obama, meet the first African-Roman emperor--Iraq war
The longest serving Republican in Senate history, Ted Stevens, is defeated, giving Dems a 58th seat. Initial review of Obama's guiding light, a history book on Lincoln's "Team of Rivals": narrative, narrative, narrative. Dowd: Though 42 may always be miffed at 44, he'
There can be no grand bargain with the Taliban, because there is no "Grand Taliban" with whom you can bargain. Iran's "the Blogfather" arrested in Tehran, accused of spying for Israel. Military to Iraqi interpreters: Drop dead. Your daily drip of neuroscience: Breaking down
Op: Despite the global-economy rhetoric, the G20 is at work on a more inclusive, pro-regulation financial system. Before Magellan, pre-Balboa, a mapmaking cleric discovered the Pacific from a landlocked city in France. A decade ago, real rock stars wouldn't license their songs for commercial use; after Moby, it&
Lieberman gets slap on the wrist rather than losing his homeland security leadership post. Iraqi government quietly firing its oversight officials. All options are on the table. Spiegel interview with Israeli Air Force general on Iran's nuclear program. Army Times on how Obama may live up to his
Obama advisers are reviewing Bill Clinton's finances, activities to vet Hillary as a candidate for secretary of state. Obama, McCain to meet today in Chicago; Obama could sway bipartisan support, McCain could reclaim the mantle of "maverick." Not likely to become the first emailing president, Obama
"Five myths about an election of mythic proportions." Instapaper for the commute: Nussbaum hopes Obama will start with a clean slate regarding India. The very idea that Obama should transform African Americans into the black Waltons is flawed. Architects and designers imagine a new Oval Office for Obama.
Notes on how Obama can maintain a productive relationship with the military. If you didn't hear, Putin wants to hang Georgia's Saakashvili "by the balls." Lawrence Weschler on being the medium between Robert Irwin and David Hockney. "When Alzheimer's Hits at
Advisers are split over what to do with Obama's network of supporters, who are now a proven grassroots army. How to tell when your consumer confidence is shaken: when that fancy bean grinder doesn't seem worth it. The math on the Starbucks Gold Card: How many
Treasury Dept. changes bailout focus from banks to consumers, whose banks won't lend them money now anyway. With $290 billion of the bailout plan already committed, independent oversight still isn't in place and no monitoring reports have been filed. "Unless some insider got all of
So far, Washington's on the hook for $5 trillion to fight the financial crisis. Favor for Detroit bailout package to swing on demanded conditions. Op: If G.M. needs to be bribed to innovate, at least don't hand over a blank check. Breaking down Guantanamo: easier
Chart for tracking Obama's transition to the White House. What other 1600 Pennsylvania Avenues look like around the country. "We realize we are late, and America has regained the torch of a moral revolution." Obama win prompts Europe to reevaulate its own race relations. For the
Top intelligence officials expect to be replaced early on by Obama, but are counting on the economic crisis to buy some time. As bailout cash flows, lobbyists now pleading their cases find nobody's especially interested. Obama sets rules for lobbyists: No donations to the transition will be accepted,
Veterans Day is celebrated significantly differently across the borders of Europe. Son analyzes the codes his father used in postcards home from World War II. Sudan has offered India a surprising free run of its economy--although there is a quid pro quo attached. Decent hyperlink brief on the French-Rwanda conflict.
The recession will reduce trade, strain U.S. foreign policy--the "axis of diesel" will similarly struggle. The Bush administration has diluted science with toxic legislation--"poisoned communities" need EPA help, not the Defense Dept. This year's Oxford Word of the Year: Hypermiling. Video: Declassified
Since 2004, a classified order has permitted the U.S. military to carry out secret attacks in Syria, Pakistan, elsewhere. While Obama visits the White House, his transition team will review how to undo Bush policies: stem-cell limits, drilling expansion, etc. Op: The economic crisis is based in deflation, not
"For many of us [this] will be akin to a kind of spiritual pilgrimage." D.C. prepares for a massive inauguration audience. Inspired by Obama, Carla Bruni wants to rid France of racism; after Berlusconi's "joke," she's glad she's French
Op: Washington's new "Death with Dignity" act does make some people somewhat freer, but not enough. South Africa is facing a period of protracted instability, perhaps leading to civil war. Spain faces big changes to avoid "Italy's fate of seemingly remorseless decline."
New accounts suggest Georgia's military attacked separatist capital, that it wasn't acting in defense of Russian aggression. Bernard-Henri Lévy: Anti-Americanism will not suddenly, magically disappear. But it will have a harder time surviving... Colson Whitehead: Not since Sammy Davis Jr. have Skinny Black Guys had so
Medvedev backs constitutional reforms that would allow Putin to be president again--possibly until 2021. It may be more difficult for Iran to demonize the U.S. in forthcoming elections--Obama's election could give reformers a chance. Global to-do list that Obama can put off for 74 more days. Completely
"Full-blown disaster" threatens the Democratic Republic of Congo (see primer); Horn of Africa remains a hunger zone. Obama's "hard-hitting" transition team signals a plan to demonstrate toughness. Sachs: The U.S. needs a new kind of macroeconomics to save the poor and sustain the
Black man given nation's worst job. Prop 8 passes by slim margin in California; Obama acceptance speech still said to be "a defining moment for gay people." Sullivan: This is heart-breaking news, but I am not shattered. Part 1 of Newsweek's "How He
To ease into this new day: the basic facts about our extraordinary next president. Democrats' big wins in Congress repudiate the Republicans' '94 revolution. Concerning promises, study finds politicians actually do put their money where their mouth was (mmm, pork). Reactions from various pundits; reactions from around
As explained this morning, TMN endorses Obama. Try this link if you have any voting questions. Tune in tonight for live Guilfoile-Warner blogging of election night. U.N. relief convoy enters east Congo rebel zone. South Africa will only benefit if a new party gathers support, develops credible policies, and
For his steady demeanor, his agile mind, and his inspiring story; for progressive policies that look beyond the next four years and that can help us meet the challenges of the next century; for the future we want to secure for our nation and our children's nation, the
Election excitement crescendos in: Ohio, Kenya, London, Brooklyn, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan. Springsteen campaigns for Obama: "We are at the crossroads." Also: Mega-sized Obama portrait in the sand. Hitchens flips out after McCain compares Rashid Khalidi to a neo-Nazi. Despite new governor and improved ballot, potential voter problems still
China has quickly become a leading producers of drug ingredients--as quality concerns grow, the F.D.A. struggles to regulate. Chinese toy factories close, blame downturn; the result: unemployment, social tension. Iceland finds itself on the U.K.'s list of terrorist entities, blames the Brits for financial crisis.
Study on the still undecideds: derided as idiots, most seem just dubious of politics altogether. Op: The U.N. is unfixable and in real trouble--hopeful idealists can make a difference, but awareness of shortcomings is more important right now. Fukyama: Republicans managed a disastrous presidency; Obama has the optimism we
IMF proves there's such a thing as a free lunch--no-strings-attached loans to ease financial crisis. The Economist endorses Obama: At home he would salve, if not close, the ugly racial wound left by America's history. Seed endorses Obama: The need to invest in science and science
Instapaper for the commute: On the evolution of the "no-longer anti-sex" Christian right--evangelical "babe" Palin may be the future. California's anti-gay crusaders are trying a new tactic of being ominously friendly--and judging by the polls, it may be working. Video: Synchronized presidential debating. Bill
Friedman: The U.S. is in a good position to negotiate with Iran; a President Obama makes our position stronger. Will: Tuesday's probable repudiation of the Republican Party will punish characteristics displayed in the campaign's closing days. "Main Street Meltdown" ice sculpture unveiled in
Smaller islands are big political losers--how will the world compensate the loss of their countries? New York elections board member compares voting lines to the wait at Shake Shack, though not nearly as long. In Pennsylvania, Republican email says Obama will bring a Holocaust; in Florida, GOP mailers claim he&
Profile on the power and nationalism of Yuri M. Luzhkov, Moscow's mayor. Instapaper for the commute: Fish on the power of "passive" campaigning. To complement Errol Morris's "People in the Middle", the filmmaker's favorite "real-people" commercials from the
McCain calls on Alaska's Stevens to resign. McCain's problems are not technical... They are institutional, to do with his colleagues, his advisers, and his supporters. The Anchorage Daily News: "It is Sen. Obama who truly promises fundamental change in Washington." Those who despise science.
When we awake Nov. 5, no failure of administration should have tarnished our outsize pride in our democracy. Election workers must rely on backup strategies, not litigation. As Election Day approacheth, the press prepares boilerplate responses, trying to avoid Messiah, winds of change cliches. In Indiana, call center workers protest
Iran confirms it's arming "liberation armies" in the Middle East. "Mr. Patience has run out of patience." The Dalai Lama gives up on China. What will change if Obama is president concerning Bush's "man-hunting machines" (not much). Ten of "
U.S. troops conduct cross-border raid into Syria; Syria reports eight civilians killed. Oil prices tumble, financial crisis hits the Persian Gulf--cue the bank bailouts. Citing expanded gun laws under an Obama presidency, economic uncertainty, gun sales are on the rise. Civil War reenactment community shocked by shooting--a little too
"Yes, I've found a flaw. I don't know how significant or permanent it is. But I've been very distressed by that fact." Congress lashes Greenspan. The volatility of global markets over the past weeks has undone years of gains by emerging economies.
There's a new bubble popping, and it ain't the housing slump or credit panic. Beane, Kerry, and Gingrich: "How to take American health care from worst to first." Krautheimer on voting for McCain: "I'd rather lose an election than lose my
Imprisoned GOP strategist explains how he tried to rig an election. Surowiecki: The American state that's the closest to a socialist paradise is, of course, Palin's own Alaska. On commitment contracts and social pressure, the psychology of encouraging friends to vote. With U.S. home foreclosures
Instapaper for the commute: The remaking of John McCain. Shopping for the clothes you can buy for $150,000; "no-Palin-costumes-please" poster for your Halloween party. Salon's slant a bit evident in "the punditocracy's seven biggest blunders of the 2008 election." Positive stories
Records for the more than $150,000 the Republican National Committee has spent to clothe and accessorize Gov. Palin. The Atlantic's fantastic new project, "Think Again," asks interesting questions of Americans. The shortage in America isn't of scientists and engineers--it's of American-born
As the U.S. stock market tumbles, al Qaeda websites rejoice, endorse McCain to continue the trend. Op: An al Qaeda appearance would hardly gift the election to McCain--after all, it was Bush who didn't catch bin Laden. Time op blogger loses McCain plane rights, brushes dirt off
Two days after Barack Obama drew 100,000 supporters to a rally in St. Louis, John McCain attracted about 2,500 people to a field in this nearby suburb. Op: With Palin going rogue, it could mean she and McCain are hoping to save their respective--and separate--political futures. After opponent
Interview with a top terror tracker on how to hunt Osama bin Laden. Afghan court overturns death sentence for student journalist charged with blasphemy, gives him 20 years instead. Unsubstantiated rumor nearly toppled Poland's economy last week--is it really so easy to destabilize a nation? How to measure
Bernanke advocates second stimulus package, and Bush must decide whether to continue opposing. McCain accidentally left on campaign bus overnight. Proud to be voting for a hot chick. Palin events are dude-heavy and macho-oriented. How aid agencies, courts, and Congo's women are trying to stop the world'
McCain's new catchword: "fight"; his new campaign song: the theme from Rocky. Op: Europe's quick, intelligent reaction to the financial crisis may encourage "third-way" pragmatism elsewhere. Sarkozy is a victim of "presidential piracy," as hackers help themselves to a piece
I haven't the faintest idea as to whether stocks will be higher or lower a month--or a year--from now. Buffett on buying where others fear to invest. Op: Obama should make a vocal commitment to the best part of Bush's legacy as soon as possible: aid
The U.N.'s Security Council is a farce; only serious states should apply. Europe lacks one voice, even with Sarkozy speaking, and national interests trump transnational interests. The Bush administration, having entered office as social conservatives, leaves office as conservative socialists. Aviation Weekly on the new Iraqi fleet
Swiss bank buys, in one fell swoop, UBS's balance sheet of swamp junk. Deficit jumps to an estimated $1 trillion, an extra $8,620 of federal debt for each family. Video: Plumber Joe reacts to the debate (see the original Plumber Joe video). Palin loves how the Rays
"And that's really what this campaign is going to be about." In last night's debate, McCain again corrected course--though too little, too late. Op: But it's our own fault too, and everybody knows it. From London, the view of the American financial
Should Obama win, the smears won't stop--he'll face the same treatment Bill Clinton received. Following his endorsement of Obama, Christopher Buckley tenders his resignation to The National Review. What dysfunction the election's wrought at The National Review--and other conservatives who've found their
Talks between Russia and Georgia collapse, "some breathing space" needed to handle procedural points. The West must understand that Russia does not see herself as the losing side that must be punished for the cold war. Thomas Frank defends his friend, Bill Ayers. How to write an article
Pre-empted by Obama's Monday policy details, McCain offers critique, releases his own economic prescriptions. Why, format-wise, the third debate may be the best yet. Video: Fired-up Donna Brazile on the election's final days. 106-year-old nun barraged with attention after endorsing Obama, now just wants to be
The hysterical accusations of socialism from conservatives echo similar accusations leveled at black leaders in the past. Forget October surprises; pre-election means Hail Mary passes as Bush suggests industry should decide which animals are in threat. Graphic: Gain on $10,000 investment under Democrat, Republican presidencies. Get to the supermarkets:
Obama supporters voice concern that polls show more the desire to appear tolerant than how people will really vote. Op: Expect a McCain reboot before Wednesday's debate; initial suggestions of narrowing gap are overly charitable. Learning from 2004's mistakes, Obama campaign follows the Rove model, going
Comparing the candidates' planes: food options, security, presence of Starbucks. Ranks of blue-collar females are reconsidering everything from Sen. Obama's policies to their comfort level with his race. About that $3-million "overhead projector" McCain was talking about during the last debate. One only wishes that
Connecticut becomes third state in the union to legalize same-sex marriage. Notes on Bill Ayers' work in Hyde Park and why he won Chicago's "Citizen of the Year" award. "I feel very guilty, therefore I must be very important." Official apologies and moral
Op: The bail-out will work if people believe in it, talk it up, but know this: Wall Street's collapse will hit Main Street hardest. History, a great depression, is not about to repeat itself. North Korea expected to be removed from state sponsors of terrorism list, yet the
I.M.F. report confirms global recession is on the way, worst since Great Depression. Iceland suspends trading of kroner, at risk of "national bankruptcy"--for once, worse off than we are. Children's books about financial ruin; brokers with hands on their faces. Tens of thousands
The state of the war in Iraq: drawing to a close, but no end in sight. And at the rate that the financial system is collapsing, even three months is an eternity. In the interregnum between election, inauguration, Bush could end on a high note. Will: The surge won the
How the "biological diversity crisis" is binding together biologists, anthropologists, scientists, and storytellers. "New coal plants are 'clean' in the same way that it's 'healthy' to switch from Marlboro Reds to Camel Lights." Why you're likely offending an
One woman wiggled up next to him. At one point, about 15 voters posed for a group picture like it was the last day of camp. After McCain left the debate, voters flocked to Obama. Dowd: Urging Palin to bark, mongering rumors, McCain is employing the same tactics used against
Federal Reserve to buy up bundles of debt, a radical move aimed to free up credit markets. Attention commuting cyclists: Prepare for a monthly tax break in the bailout. Meet the Treasury's Goldman-ite with $700 billion in his wallet. Pictures and scorn in case you, too, are sick
[Election officials] should make clear that in many circumstances, people in foreclosure still have the right to vote where they have been living. Disenfranchisment will threaten over a million largely Democrat voters. On the Wall Street crash suicide myth, a grandson's reflections on its legacy. Profiteering from climate
Divisions rife between governments as Europe races to support banks. Print for the commute: Soros's ability to read the tea leaves has enriched him before; betting against him now is a bad call. Even as Lehman pleaded for a bailout, it approved millions in bonuses for its departing
Reversing course, seven Palin aides to testify in fast-tracked "Troopergate" investigation. ...A man who has consistently put his own advancement above all else. Rolling Stone is unconvinced McCain is a maverick. The endorsements come rolling in: 61 Nobel laureates back Obama for anticipated support of scientific, technological advancement
U.S.-India nuclear deal is quickly and quietly going forward, though with more loopholes than previously discussed. Police say no link between anti-Muslim DVDs and a child attacked at an Ohio mosque (see more). Palintology: Imagined creationist, war-room cartoons with a President McCain. Op: "The founders didn'
Last night's debate offered no obvious gains or gaffes--though Biden's insistence that McCain's no maverick could resound. She twinkled and winked and piled on the perkiness, a "darn right" here and an "I'll betcha" there. Palin debated her
Debate Warmup: Palin's job is to do what vice presidential candidates never want to do in a debate: the wet work of gutting the other party's presidential candidate. Diagramming Palin; educating Palin; locating Palin; versifying Palin. Why should voters trust you, after you have made so
New York City Mayor Bloomberg wants an extra term in power. Nearly everyone celebrates Zuma's ouster of South Africa's health minister. Zimbabwe's economic crisis now one of the worst in world history. The world has a water shortage, not a food shortage. Libor-geddon looms
Bitter dividends for longtime shareholders of bank stocks. Constituents take down House of Representatives' website. Analysis that knows lunacy when it sees it: The Guilfoile-Warner Papers, TMN's new blog. There's nothing that can put this right in six months. Six questions for economist James Galbraith
Op: McCain's "League of Democracies" would fail--it's people, not governments that drive foreign policy. Today's long read: Understand why people vote Republican, get a crash course in moral psychology, learn something valuable about unity. "There were many times the third candidate
What stopped the Depression was a worldwide bloodbath. The bailout is about the past, not the future. Zakaria: "What she has to say is often, quite frankly, gibberish...a vapid emptying out of every catchphrase about economics that came into her head." Few noticed, but yesterday the Justice
In case you need to hope or panic about the economy: the best-case scenario and the worst-case scenario. Bush: People, you just don't get it; people: You're damn right--and we'll drain our savings to prove it! Video: McCain's consistent hammering on America&
The true farce and disgrace is that this increasingly glassy-eyed old blunderer and war criminal...should be cited as an authority by either nominee. Hitchens on Kissinger. Fact checking: What McCain, Obama got wrong in the debate--and there was a lot. On McCain's fondness for gambling, involvement in
Yo: Just in time for November, TMN's new blog: The Guilfoile-Warner papers. Darien dinner with a Lehman trader; glinting the cocktails with Goldman-ites. History has shown what happens when a number becomes the central communications theme. Analysis of Bush's mistakes in selling the "700 Club.
Oddly, the biggest obstacle to the bill...may be Republicans who refuse to go along with their own president. How McCain didn't help anything. "McCain Wins Debate" banner ad mysteriously appears on WSJ website--several hours before the debate begins. Multimedia: Video, photos, and transcriptions from every
With no bailout deal set, and no reason to stick around D.C., McCain may attend the debate after all. A look back at Enron gives clues to our administration's inability in managing financial crisis. McCain's sudden arrival in D.C. may not have propelled bailout
Video: Letterman craters McCain for pausing his campaign, choosing Couric over Washington. Yes, presidential debates are important--sometimes dramatic and momentous, as these clips show. The GOP revels in rhetoric about never blinking--against terrorism, etc.--and now McCain? He's blinking Op: It took President Bush until Wednesday night to
FDR ran for office in the middle of the largest conflict in human history--twice. We can have a debate this Friday. "When the stock market crashed, FDR got on the TV and didn't just talk about the princes of greed." Biden misspeaks so often, it'
Palin meets Karzi, Urbe, Kissinger--her staff allows photo ops, but no questions. Lawrence Lessig compares Palin's experience to every other U.S. vice president. "Obama only has two "must-win" states while McCain has half a dozen." An interview with poll expert Nate Silver on
McCain campaign crafts "flow of fictional fan mail" to local newspapers (see their guidelines, talking points). "We have never had freedom of speech in Russia, so I don't really understand what could be stifled." Under Putin, investigative journalism finds last refuge on the radio.
Joe Biden returns to the media's radar, wooing middle class voters with words like "helluva" and "malarkey." Obama scales back ambitious 50-state strategy, abandoning Alaska, other hockey-crazed states. Republicans are fighting on racial grounds, even when express references to race are not evident. Some
After calling it irrelevant, Bush expected to recognize the U.N.'s practicality at the general assembly. FBI searches apartment of university student thought to have hacked Palin's email--the IP addresses, however, don't match. Today's long read: Thomas Frank on how modern conservatism
Quick, suggests Bush, pass this bailout package without scrutiny, before it's too late! Capitalism as we have known it is no more. The free-market surrenders, and a new, regulated age begins. Letter to Bernanke and Paulson: "My student loans are too big and it is hurting the
Rarely uttered in previous campaigns, the gloves are off for "the L word," as Obama accuses McCain of lying. They have to lie--the truth isn't their friend right now. Sorkin's dream meeting between Bartlet and Obama. Op: Obama needs an economic catch-phrase more than
Clinton: Basic, quality care for millions of women is at stake. The first time I heard a woman describe her time in Iraq in glowing terms, I was taken aback. Why Oprah is beloved in Saudi Arabia. McCain wants to distance himself from the Bush Administration. But this assault on
Palin killed the bridge to nowhere, but kept building the $26 million road that led to it--and now goes nowhere. Study suggests peace in Iraq didn't result from the surge, but from five years of ethnic violence. Obama is ahead in the polls and still hasn't
Russia expert Rice says U.S. and Europe should get tough, that "an acute sense of shame" in the '90s doesn't allow for "bullying behavior." As violence ebbs, Iraq considers tourist possibilities--rides on Saddam's presidential train, bird watching. Canada now is
On Monday, McCain said our economic fundamentals were strong; on Tuesday, he opposed the AIG bailout; on Wednesday he supported it. New poll shows McCain's bounce may be flattening. After McCain's attack on on Wall St. greed, it's revealed 83 lobbyists working on his
Democrats in Congress, hoping to stamp out a hot Republican issue, push through off-shore drilling bill. Michigan Republicans: "We will have a list of foreclosed homes and will make sure people aren't voting from those addresses." Senator Clinton cancels appearance at anti-Ahmadinejad event after she learns
Attackers use rockets, car bomb in the second siege this year on the U.S. embassy in Yemen. The aftermath of Ike: Photo timeline shows how the storm scraped the Texas coast; stunning shots here. Ukraine fears Russia's own Guantanamo will secede, commencing a territorial war for the
Putin, judo black-belt, accepts Sarkozy as pupil. Sarkozy combats global piracy with French troops. Ever since World War II, the United States has tended to make its strategic missteps by exaggerating dangers. Astronomers find dark matter "bridge to nowhere" stretching across 14 galaxies. Print for the commute: The
McCain '07: I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time. The Truth-O-Meter follows the candidates' claims, backing up and debunking where necessary. Op: Since
Times obit for author David Foster Wallace, with particularly heartbreaking last paragraph. Wallace's remarkably honest Kenyon commencement speech. Various authors' reactions to Wallace's death. Response to Kakutani's position on Wallace over time. David Foster Wallace news, links, and more on The Howling Fantods!
Throughout her political career, [Palin] has pursued vendettas, fired officials who crossed her, and sometimes blurred the line between government and personal grievance. McCain has long rankled evangelical voters--Obama isn't having much luck converting them, either. Op: Palin makes thinking passé; saying her main qualification is that she
Op: Even in a political culture accustomed to truth-stretching, McCain's skirting of facts has stood out this week. Military might will do little to help the next president maintain U.S. dominance--immigration is the only thing likely to invigorate the economy. The reviews of Palin's interview
Unlike in previous years, Sept. 11 becomes a day for reflection and service--and ceasefires. In interview, Gibson takes Palin video out of context, Palin reverses policy on global warming, confuses foreign policy facts. (excerpts here) Palin's favorite clothing brands revel in sales lift--except Patagonia, which refuses to promote
She's the kind of broad who speaks on behalf of other broads but appears not to like them very much. On Palin's Bizarro-world brand of feminism. Every day, Everymoment Now tracks the number of articles that reference each candidate. Eerily absorbing: Graphing the candidates' use
Archive: Terror attacks hit U.S. A third of Mexico and a quarter of Germany think the U.S. government was behind Sept. 11. Palin's touted pipeline is years from federal approval, at least a decade from completion--if never finished, it could cost Alaska up to $500 million.
Intelligence forecast being prepared for the next president says the U.S. won't have much fun for a very long time. McCain and Obama in a row over lipstick remark; Huckabee says cut Obama some slack. On the Alaskan secessionist movement, of which Sarah Palin, says the group&
Gov. Paterson accuses the GOP of racial coding in its heckling of "community organizer." White women voters are deserting the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama because of the sudden emergence on the Republican ticket of Sarah Palin. Conservative talk host Reese Hopkins finds 70 cases of listeners'
Bob Woodward says top-secret U.S. "killing program" is responsible for Iraq's reduced violence. American missiles kill 23 in North Waziristan--including eight children--and miss targets, say Pakistani intelligence officials. After years of staying indoors to avoid violence, Iraqis now face another problem: obesity. To those who
In 1984, Mondale rarely touched Ferraro in public--now Palin gets a hug, but the cheek-peck is reserved for Cindy. John McCain's 10 worst ideas; reminder: Barack Obama's 10 worst ideas. Three years ago, I suggested the idea of moving the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service
What McCain and Tina Fey really look like standing together. Alaska is 21 years into a growth streak, but the good times obscure a major reliance on oil. In case you missed it: McCain campaign mistakes fancy middle school for Walter Reade Army Medical Center. Phrase of the day: "
Both candidates must give more attention to nuclear policy--and need to be specific in answering four crucial questions. Choosing a hockey mom for VP may help in Minnesota and Michigan, but soccer moms rule in Florida and Pennsylvania. Conservatives, ordinary Americans will find a lot to like in anti-sprawl activism,
Op: The G.O.P., which usually scoffs at "identity politics," has staked everything on biographies. For a man who has lived 72 years and 67 days, there is between a 14.2 and 15.1 percent chance of dying before Inauguration Day 2013. Obama campaign avoids racial
The next president must make it clear that we do not endorse a particular set of Iraqi leaders, but rather the system as a whole. How to exit Iraq. Online reactions to McCain's speech. The top 10 speeches of all time--and how they can help the current presidential
Banning criticism, terminating pollution measures, and more from this week's China news. Gallery of North Korean progaganda posters. If a Democratic candidate had picked such an off-the-wall running mate, the Republicans would be howling with derision. And rightly so. Eighteen ways Palin can help McCain close the enthusiasm
Top story on John McCain run out of obligation. "I would willingly die for the governor, but I would never lie for her." Fired safety commissioner reveals Palin state trooper emails. I grow old ... I grow old... / I shall wear the tassels of my Weejuns rolled. The love
So, on the eve of her big speech, what exactly is aerial wolf gunning, and why does Palin support it? See also: How cholera is being fought by satellite. The good and bad reasons why Sarah Palin is being so very scrutinized. Disastrous RNC protest videos. TMN's Rosecrans
Op: McCain's sarcastic campaign avoids negativity by using the discourse of conservative pundits--though unsustainable, it works. Mr. McGovern...was a decorated war pilot. His running mate was a young politician (a 42-year-old man) about whom little was known. Drink lots of fluid, but never drink calories. Mike Huckabee&
Op: Of all the disasters to befall the Republican Party, the most cataclysmic may unfold: McCain might win. In case you've heard about--but haven't heard--McCain's Chelsea Clinton joke, here it is. How to apologize when you're not sure what you did wrong.
Power is handed back to the Iraqi army in Anbar province, once the cradle of the insurgency. U.S. watches closely as Russia works to rebuild ties with Cuba--perhaps their answer to the missile shield. "We are living in the last days. These are incredible times to live in.
TMN will be off on Monday, Sept. 1, for Labor Day--see you on Tuesday. Thirty-eight million watched Obama Thursday night, reaching more viewers than American Idol or the Olympics opening ceremony. Collection of Biden's best and worst moments caught on camera. Palin is: pure panic; a cause for
Analysis: Obama sacrificed lofty rhetoric for substance--and it worked. Interactive: Synched video and transcript of Obama's speech. News of a McCain ad during the D.N.C. had Dems worried, though it turned out as more of a valentine than a spoiler. Putin suggests the White House may
Complete text of King's "I have a dream" speech. Novak: McCain may want the Connecticut senator as his No. 2, but he can't get away with it. Gallery and study of images showing "the hero" carrying "the beauty." McCain may
"I think it is a demonstration of complete confusion." E.U. considers sanctions against Russia. The newly independent Georgia inflicted a vicious war on its minority nations. Medvedev ops. Obama's moment: made possible by M.L.K., made possible by L.B.J. Collins: The Clintons
Obama tells the Journal his plans for Thursday night's speech. Romney's wooden speaking-style may be more conducive to the general election, revolving more around sound-bytes. Castro expresses "total solidarity" with Olympic referee-kicker, says he was right to be upset. Chavez has a go at
U.N. says there is "convincing evidence" that U.S.-led airstrikes last week killed 60 Afghan children, 30 adults. A look back at Bush's personal relationships with foreign leaders--which sometimes fogged his judgement. As Bush's final term winds down, so too does tourist,
Furious at its delayed removal from "terror list," North Korea suspends dismantling of nuclear program. Blogging from inside the "Hillary suite," i.e., "ground zero for the still-not-totally-over-it." The media loves to talk about a possible rift in the convention, but how many militant
"Thanks for giving us Stalin." On the Georgian-turned-Russian dictator, and how Putin is resuming his work. Dipping world economy forces Russians to kick their milk habit, Brazilians to stay at home. Bay Area zoning laws and the technical illegality of lemonade stands pits city hall against city youngsters.
Story of how Biden's people pressed hard to get him on the ticket. I'm a Republican. But we're supposed to serve the people, not the party. Schwarzenegger concedes taxes must be raised to solve budget crisis. Ralph Reed's new political thriller predicts
Op: Biden's candor, lack of ideology, and willingness to own up to gaffes are a refreshing change to the political stage. Biden wastes no time launching into his running-mate role, questioning McCain's originality. "The American idea is not just an ideal, but a living reality.
When in China: Beijing's orchestration of the world's national anthems is a designer knock-off. International Olympic Committee launches probe into Chinese gymnast He Kexin's age. How con artists and imposters earn trust. The naive hopes of the reform Communists of the 1960s are still
Russia's Georgia pullout is "on schedule"--on the Russians' schedule, that is. Print for the commute: Despite inevitable long-term problems, withdrawal from Iraq can be successful for both sides. One reason the U.S. departure from Iraq is possible: the new assertiveness of Iraqi soldiers.
Taliban-coordinated suicide bomb attack kills 60 at Pakistan's largest military ordinance plant. Gorbachev: "The Russian leadership is in a strong enough position domestically; it did not need a little victorious war." Op: How air-conditioning is to blame for the rise of the Bush administration. Ahmadinejad is
"I feel threatened from the East, and I don't regret the decision." Russian aggression changes Polish attitudes toward the missile shield. Op: The Bush administration has long held that the shield was for Iran; this hasty move confirms Putin's suspicions. Obama, McCain's
Georgia's president reaches for the lifejacket of the Western media--while Russia only needs domestic support. N.A.T.O. issues warning to Russia; plans for joint U.S., Russian military exercises canceled. U.S, Poland sign deal to place missiles 115 miles from Russia--to guard against Iran, North
Lieberman to speak at G.O.P. convention, named as possible front-runner for McCain's veep. Perfect for emailing to a relative--you know which one: Obama-smearing emails debunked. Obama's half-brother found in Kenyan shanty, living for "less than a dollar a month." Ben Greenman offer
Two days after Medvedev's vow to withdraw, Russian forces capture 21 Georgian troops in Black Sea port. McCain's 1973 U.S. News & World Report article claimed V.C. guards were gay, enjoyed beating him. As the Iron Curtain threatens to fall once more, Eastern Europe
"August is a special month for ending dictatorships." Celebrating Musharraf's resignation in Benazir Bhutto's house. Somali warlord talks about the next step in his career: running for president. Behind Warsaw's support of the missile shield: what Russia hates points to what'
McCain: the confused, oil-backed, hot-tempered candidate nobody knows. McCain's spokeswoman gets a little heated when question arises about the candidate's cone of silence. Challenges Obama will face in trying to flip North Carolina. Putin is not Hitler or Stalin; he is not even Leonid Brezhnev. He
Musharraf announces his resignation as president of Pakistan. Op: Obama is wise to court Saddleback's megachurch; evangelicals provide an antidote to the religious right. When the Cold War ended, many countries had many hopes; upon Russia's invasion of Georgia, perhaps those illusions can be put to
Russia: We'll be keeping South Ossetia and Abkhazia, thanks. Fifty million Indian women missing due to “unresisting acceptance of female genocide.” Antibodies may lead to protection against HIV. How the Times in 2008 views the Met: "No space in the city delivers so many versions of awesome
Rice, Merkel head to Georgia, Russia to ease conflict; both sides struggle to determine what happened during warfare. [Translators have] become the unofficial chroniclers of the war...passing along to military newcomers the story of the battle for Iraq. From New York, nearly 7,000 miles from Beijing, play-by-play commentators
Five years ago today, we were in the dark. Avoiding the humiliation of impeachment, Musharraf is expected to resign. As diplomatic tensions increase, experts worry about NASA's reliance on Russian spacecrafts for rides. Samantha Power examines the roots of Russia's wounded pride. Op: Edwards is another
Bush dispatches aid to Georgia, placing U.S., Russian forces in helmet-knocking distance. "If the Americans take Baghdad, why can't we take Gori." Intense standoff between Georgian, Russian troops after talks break down. Georgia triumphs over Russia in Women's volleyball, though with Brazilian-born players.
National Geographic story hunts for Persia's life-loving roots in Iran's intolerant present. Russian Times online readers answer questions about Russia and Georgia. Op: It will take skill and patience to get Russia to a soft landing, and Moscow's record at soft landings is not
Russian tanks still patrol the town of Gori, in Georgia, where bombs fell well beyond the ceasefire. Gorbachev: By declaring the Caucasus, a region that is thousands of miles from the American continent, a sphere of its "national interest," the U.S. made a serious blunder. Op: Though
Print for the commute: The Atlantic compiles emails to document Hillary's fall from the inside out. Roundtable: In what should be a year for Democrats, the right and left wonder why Obama isn't crushing McCain. One reason: older, uneducated whites, possibly because he's black.
Determining the goal has been met, Medvedev orders end to military operations against Georgia. Video: BBC comes under attack from Russian planes. In 1987 and 1988, McCain voted against federal legislation reforming the campaign finance system. On McCain's prior political lives. Six million Americans live abroad; their votes
President Saakashvili: If Georgia falls, this will also mean the fall of the West in the entire former Soviet Union and beyond. Medvedev: Give us a minute, we'll be done in Georgia soon. Medium-length primer on the history of the Georgia-Russia conflict. Considering Putin's gains in
McCain's "3 a.m." moment regarding Georgia puts him in line with Bush on American exceptionalism. Op: Georgia fights for its survival as Russia takes advantage of Western indecision. Georgia, Russia embrace on Olympic podium, face off on Wednesday in beach volleyball. "There's
Fallows on the air quality for Beijing's opening ceremonies: "This is a disaster." Why coffee, the miracle drink, doesn't dehydrate you, cause cancer, or do much nasty at all. Impersonal critique of Harvard Business School--the "factory for unhappy people"--written by an
On the campaign trail in Angola--democracy is tested as a former rebel group seeks credibility. "Would you go before a firing squad to protect higher pollen counts?" The problem with pollsters. The Pentagon's "Futurist-in-Chief" searches ancient history for lessons. Hot on the trail of
In Pakistan, impeachment proceedings to begin against Musharraf. Recent interviews suggest the Clintons are still resentful over losing. Print for the commute: Is Obama the end of black politics? "Things we would prefer to see banned through Election Day." Thomas Frank: How the Reagan youth rose to power
Sergeant Blaskowski's parents...have watched their 27-year-old son die over and over. In the forgotten war in Afghanistan, U.S. troop deaths grow. This year, even in Southern Republican strongholds, Democrats look poised to win. Obama strikes back at McCain ads, though some Democratic strategists worry the hit
Print for the commute: Bin Laden's driver acquitted of conspiracy, convicted of providing material support. Bush ratchets up criticism of China, calls for the end of activist detentions. Op: Wal-Mart is worried about unions under Obama, but it should be worried about its customers' spending under McCain.
Op: When choosing a veep, it's best to go with one who isn't eyeing the Oval Office after your departure. Chinese weather modification isn't working--if it seems like it starts to, peasants will demand it continues. On the promising Chinese discus-thrower whose Olympic dream
McCain buys $6 million of Olympic airtime to counter Obama's $5 million. White paper: Winfrey's endorsement was responsible for approximately one million additional votes for Obama. Your new approach to political profiling: the happiness factor. Profiling this summer's anti-Semitism news in Paris. On Solzhenitsyn,
If foreign visits to Gitmo were videotaped, as the U.S. said they would be, prisoners' abuse allegations could be upheld. Hoping to remain a political force, al-Sadr plans to disarm, remake Mahdi Army as a social-services group. As the candidates search for energy platforms, Obama argues for using
Obama leads McCain 2-to-1 among low-wage workers, but neither is convincing anybody that things will get better. "Flat-earthers" thrive in online communities, say photos from space are fakes, Earth is horizontally infinite. Discover the criminals in your community (search available here). Print for the commute: Why do nations
Who the other side would pick for Veep. Reporter hatches Obama-too-svelte story on Yahoo! message boards. Op: The real reason newspapers are dying: They no longer dispense social currency. Every phase of sleep is necessary--"unconscious rehearsal" aids memory, crucial cognition. Video: Britain's digital trails, seen
History of hospice care around the world. Is Afghanistan a narco-state? If you don't fall for the joke, you get to be in on it. The terrifying world of web trolling. TMN's Rosecrans Baldwin's latest Digital Ramble for The Moment: Storage space. On Smiley,
Government scientist about to be charged in the 2001 anthrax attacks dies in apparent suicide. In Iraq, five U.S. troops died in July--the lowest monthly death toll since the beginning of the war. Mathematical formulas of public statements by Obama, McCain, show the candidates aren't so far
Karadzic decides to represent himself, chooses not to enter a plea. How Karadzic could still be dangerous in the dock. Aerobic pole dancing, sex determination labs, and other stories from the week in China. Obama would prefer Ludacris's recent lyrics weren't so offensive. Print for the
Aides scramble to Rove up McCain's message; their candidate keeps talking himself off course. Op: You're supposed to sow doubt about the other guy, not do it to yourself. McCain's flip-flops are flyin'. Related: For the past three elections only Democrats could campaign
Map of ties between Pakistan's spies and militants perhaps "the bluntest American warning" to Pakistan since Sept. 11. McCain scolded for being open to taxes; Obama razzed for proclaiming he's "a symbol" of America's best traditions. Long his party'
For four days, McCain's camp has attacked Obama for an alleged soldier snub; for four days, they've had no evidence of it. In New York, MetroCard machines continue to deny credit, debit cards, cause mayhem for a second straight day. Olympic Committe lifts ban, will allow
Comedians who can't make fun of Obama perhaps are overlooking his presidential seal and motto. Print for the commute: Poll data show that voters are beginning to question Republicans' reliability on national security On the shifting power sands between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader.
Violence erupts in Kirkuk, in northern Iraq; three female suicide bombers detonate, killing dozens. Justice Dept. report confirms illegal hiring practices based on political, religious views. Narrowing the field for an Obama running mate: Bayh, Biden, and Kaine are contenders; Clinton, not so much. "I believe he has several
White House to announce that war, rebates, economy will push deficit to nearly $490B. Hugs are for Obama, not McCain; while in Spain, Chavez goes hugless, too. What Hoover's penchant for saving papers can teach us about the fall of the U.S.S.R. Beijing panicking to
One in five soldiers returns home with post-traumatic stress; in the past year, a telephone hotline has averted 1,221 suicides. Interview: Obama reflects on Euro-trip; foreign-policy urgency is a lesson learned. More coverage is not always better coverage: evidence for liberal-bias bias. "'Jump the shark' is
Ed. note: As you can see, we're trying something new for Friday afternoons. The amount of politically correct professors in each discipline. How making decisions exhausts your brain. Kyoto protocol's emphasis on pollution control doesn't address the investment required to make clean energy viable
American embassy dusts off, expands program to help U.S.-employed Iraqis obtain visas, citizenship. Obama in Berlin: The police estimated that over 200,000 people...thronged the boulevard that stretches between the Prussian Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate. Brooks: Obama has one speech; he delivered it to cheers
China has more smokers than the United States has people. The week in China facts and news. Rundown of presidential analogies from the press this year, and why they're all meaningless. How the candidates are nicknamed in the press (Mac vs. Bam). A free society would not shut
Months after McCain, Obama visits the same rocket-destroyed house in Israel, enjoys their support. No reporters left behind: McCain camp appreciative for those not traveling with Obama. McCain makes historic "FIRST!" visit to the internet. American voters may be uninformed, but they're consistent--and that's
Obama visits Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Israel; view his guestbook entry. Op: At war, it's credible that we see our enemies' humanity; too bad we don't extend that to our leaders. The King of Jordan drives Obama to the airport. Rather than address the
Obama's health plan has been consistent but foggy: a few best-guestimates of what it could mean for us. The trend so far: When McCain flubs, it's because of age; when Obama flubs, it's because of youth. After capturing Karadzic, Serbia edges toward E.U.
Short take on Obama's gains in Iraq; long profile of Cindy McCain's perfection in the spotlight. The more substantial foreign policy news seems to be coming, if rather quietly, from Mr Obama’s rivals. Op: Anything's possible in American politics, but not probable--and McCain&
Serbia captures war-crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic--on the lam for 12 years, he was practicing alternative medicine in Belgrade. Obama meets with Petraeus, tours Baghdad by helicopter, makes no gaffes--McCain responds from a golf cart in Maine. Regarding McCain's rejected New York Times op-ed--"we know the feeling.
The story of how Mugabe and Tsvangirai came to sign a pact. "I am a seducer, I'm a salesman." The career (and dating) story of Steve "The Goot" Gutenberg. The history of jokes: why we laugh at them, and what they'll be
Military officers, Gates spar over "next-war-itis," and whether we should prepare for "asymmetric" or conventional conflicts. New evidence--or lack thereof--shows most post-invasion looting of Iraqi artifacts never happened. "Islamofascism," "watershed," "anything-gate": on the provenance of our political cliches. If I
TMN is currently on vacation. See you Monday, July 21. Former Iranian student, tortured after appearing on Economist cover with fellow student's blood-soaked shirt, escapes to U.S. Here's his blog, with a photo at the Capitol building. Jesse Helms: great because he spurred the American
"I'm not going to retract any of it. McCain distances himself from adviser Phil Gramm's "nation of whiners" comment; Gramm runs toward it. The story behind McCain's brief bigamy, and how he ticked off the Reagans. "He's running
Rebellious Middle East youth culture struggles to define itself within Islam's frame; introducing, "Muhajababes." Zimbabwe calls sanction threats "a colonial and racist campaign." In case you didn't hear exactly what Jackson said about Obama. Two Black Panthers allowed out of solitary confinement
Senate approves surveillance bill, including legal immunity for phone companies who participated in wiretapping. Most prominent women in defense circles are counterinsurgents. Texas poised to flip blue, with a new Democratic machine practically built from scratch. North Carolina state employee fired for refusing to lower flags to honor Helms. Less
Webb emphatically exits V.P. race after Obama campaign tries to get personal during background check. "Reverse earmarks" included in the federal budget. When the Left and Right both agree on compulsory national service, who's left to complain? Pray at the Pump's group gas-station
Praise, criticism for the G-8 summit's embrace of a goal to halve greenhouse gases by 2050--some say it's not aggressive enough. Ministry of Truth: Cheney attempts to delete evidence of climate change's impact on human health from public record. Beijing Olympics threatened by extremists,
Bush lambasted for insulting Italy with scathing White House summary of Berlusconi. Berlusconi and Umberto Eco find Libsekind's buildings erection-less. On the religious right's new celebration of sex, tapping into our "mustang minds," and the "soulgasm." Op: If Obama says what he
North Korea nuclear talks to resume, with focus on verifying claims in documents recently dug up by China. Maliki demands withdrawal timetable from the U.S. Report from within non-violent West Bank protest movement. Regarding Obama's recent moderate "lurches," Times readers respond. G8 countries lining up,
Literary critic judges Obama based on his prose. Op: If Obama wants change, he should quit talking about the start of the Iraq invasion and find an honorable way to end it. Rising temperature of coffee deemed hoax perpetuated by anti-caffeine lobby. Hot jocks and variations online, in this week&
In Afghanistan, officials claim two U.S. airstrikes have killed dozens of civilians; coalition disputes reports, says only militants were present. Following Iraqi's P.M. declaration of victory over terrorism, a string of attacks kills 16, injures 15. Closing the door on the Hussein regime, U.A.E.
Citing spiritual and moral crisis, Russia aims to flatten its youth's social landscape. The dying phenomenon of the college yearbook. Truly intelligent people know how to improvise well. Academics don't. The problem with memory-based education. The flag pin was popularized by Richard Nixon, who got the
Colombian soldiers infiltrate rebels, liberate 15 hostages, including Ingrid Betancourt. How the raid was carried out; visiting Colombia, McCain was briefed beforehand. How the Republicans took over "patriotism"--blame pastels in 1988. "They are not really interested in fighting the battles that have been fought over the
Netroots supporters revolt over Obama's flip on surveillance, organize protest using tools on campaign website. African-American actor who played president on 24 believes his portrayal may have helped Obama. Starbucks to close 600 stores; The Onion called it five months ago. Michael Reagan pushes for a monument of
Troop deaths in Afghanistan are at their highest since the invasion; evidence shows the Taliban has reclaimed some control. U.S. reveals trust issues, aims spy satellites at the Iraqi army they arm, train, and fight alongside. Satisfactory progress in Iraq is happening, though too slowly; blame is shifted to
Republicans should blame cyclical lows, not Obama, if he presides over billion-dollar deficit. Support Obama: Change your middle name to "Hussein" on Facebook. In Turkey, two former generals arrested in failed coup; secular court may ban ruling party for Islamist leanings. For a planetoid of the size of
Obama delivers speech defending his, McCain's patriotism. Obama appeals to faith-based groups, wants to expand funding, supports their ability to hire based on religion. Sex in the Warner toons was more likely to be transgressive and connected to deception, especially cross-dressing. Billy Collins on Surrealism and Looney Tunes.
Twelve things America's next president can do on day one to improve America's standing. Clark: Getting shot down in a plane doesn't make McCain qualified to be president. Measuring the appeal of New York's new "Waterfalls" in terms of web
Fascinating, frightening report on al Qaeda's rebirth in Pakistan. In the course of the election campaigns of recent years, he's been arrested 32 times. After the election, Zimbabwe counts victims. Mugabe joins African Union summit; Tsvangirai: "He wants to keep power for himself until he
Neo-conservatives "apoplectic" over Condoleezza Rice's emerging North Korea deal. There's a guy running for president who knows who Jay-Z is. What's on Obama's iPod? People holding degrees from Harvard or Yale...constitute 83 percent of the presidential nominees of the
Citizens of voting age without an inked finger...will be regarded as traitors and subject to reprisals. It's election day in Zimbabwe. Interviews with former Mugabe henchmen reveal young men motivated by the fear that they'll be the next victim. Supreme Court rules rifle and pistol
"The Republican Party is a dead rotting carcass...in a horror version of Weekend With Bernie, handcuffed to a corpse." Republicans endorse Obama. On the incredibly intricate wiretapping legislation that passed today, and why it's worse than you think. Nicaraguan leftists fight to reclaim the sombrero
Supreme Court rules that the line of execution drops somewhere between treason and child rape. Also yesterday, the Court ended two decades of litigation, deciding Exxon owes $500 million--of what was once $5 billion--for the Valdez spill. Pending the verification of nuclear documents, the U.S. is set to remove
"We cannot allow politics to affect the cheetahs." U.N. joins Iran in efforts to save the endangered Asiatic cheetah. An interactive map of where journalists were killed in 2008. City noise isn't just making us anxious, it's literally killing us. Blogger questioned by
Citing continued killings, U.S. heads off Friday's runoff election in Zimbabwe, says it won't recognize the outcome. Mugabe officials informs citizens ballots will have serial numbers--so they'll know who to kill for voting incorrectly. Justice Dept. officials slammed for investigating intern applicants, rejecting
Violence in Iraq at its lowest level since 2004, mainly due to increase in trained Iraqi troops. Haiti battles violent reputation to improve tourism. Reporters complain networks no longer want war on the airwaves. Bush "quite pleased" with U.N.'s condemnation of Zimbabwe; London Times says
Following a meeting, Iraqi council member fires on U.S. soldiers, killing two. Obama camp works to soundly rebut rumors that he was Muslim--without offending Muslims. Photographing secret government satellites is one method of political discourse. I agree that a terrorist attack would be likely to help John McCain...this
He recalled how Russert, an inveterate political gossip, would start every conversation with "Tommy B, what's happening?" Russian air force attempts to control weather, rains cement on national holiday. Study reveals skyscraper occupancy has been on a steady decrease since Sept. 11. Port Arthur--aka "Cancer
What happens now to the African migrants--estimated 3 to 5 million--in South Africa. Figuring out what to do next in Iraq "will require sorting through three conflicting political realities." Iraqi foreign minister says Obama's plan for Iraq is badly outdated. Why Kathleen Sebelius would make a
Obama advisor suggests soccer hooligans, Luke Skywalker will help us understand terrorism. A primer on Obama's advisors and potential cabinet. Running with a Republican would reinforce the message that Obama is serious about changing the way things are done in Washington. Five reasons to cheer enormously high gas
Deadliest attack in Baghdad in more than three months kills 51 in market blast. Israel and Hamas agree on truce to begin Thursday. Three years and three Israeli au pairs later, with an average stay of 3.3 months, my wife and I licked our collective wounds. Op: McCain'
The Republicans counter that calling the senator "McBush" is political spin and that Mr. McCain is his own man. Op: Lose the Nicorette. Light up instead. How Obama can appeal to blue-collar voters. How to nap; how to become a morning person. Why we can't track
The tragicomic demise of the Ron Paul-less Libertarian Party. Profile of Obama's managerial skills. Gallery of "photobombers"--guys who ruin otherwise awesome pictures of you and your friends. How we are when we read online: "selfish, lazy, and ruthless." "Sleep texting" may
McCain makes moves on Hillary supporters; polls cite Republican policy ills, show many women are siding with Obama. Hillary supporters who won't vote for Obama exist--but what do we call them? Op: With the W.H.O.'s statement that AIDS is confined to high-risk groups, we
Facebook may put an end to the college reunion, since you already know what everyone looks like now. The only reason that I don't cheat on you is because if I do it once, I probably won't stop. Anonymously Twittered secrets. What's next for
People feel powerless when they see change that they believe is not intended to benefit them. Misgivings about a gentrified Harlem. Erasing taste, racial lines, public displays of affluence and consumption are inversely proportionate to wealth. Who gets to be white, anyhow--and who wants to be white, anyway? As "
Analysis of the current economic tug-of-war between China and the U.S. More than 4,000 Chinese babies have been named "Olympic Games" in the past 15 years. Hong Kong ordered all chickens slaughtered after bird flu was detected in four markets. On the impact of comedians in
Op: It doesn't matter who Obama picks to veep, but enlisting the help of a beltway insider with dirty hands does matter. U.S. ambassador accuses Zimbabwean officials of confiscating food aid for political rallies. BBC discovers documents that show Zimbabwe's military is playing an active
Negotiations about U.S.'s continuing presence in Iraq--to be finalized in July--increasingly public, acrimonious. Albright: The global conscience is profoundly confused, if not asleep. "For conservatives, Obama represents a sliver of hope. McCain represents none at all." On the rise of Obamacons. "Making the desert
Security agencies issue warning that devices brought to the Olympics will likely be hacked or bugged by Chinese agents. Op: Though the Chinese diaspora is global and affluent, it's hard to compete with 200 years of European colonialism. "The first things they asked for after the quake
Video: On C-SPAN, Kucinich introduces articles of impeachment against Bush, Pelosi tries to quiet everyone down. On McCain's falling-out with Ohio's conservative machinery, and how it reshapes the race. Meet McCain's foreign policy pack, and Obama's. Print for the commute: Senator Jim
Around the world, farms predict less-than-average crops, further stoking worries of food crises. McCain, Obama continue to slam lobbyists; lobbyists want us to know they're not all bad. Researchers isolate the brain feat of singling out one person's voice in order to carry on a conversation
Immigrants sending comestibles home to lessen food shortages. Joshua Hammer's remarkable long-form gaze from the ground in Zimbabwe. Print for the commute: The 20th century had delirious New York; the 21st sees Dubai and Beijing planned to the point of soulessness. On the microeconomic community that grew up
As the average price of gas tops $4, some families must "decide between food and transportation." More time was spent talking about when Clinton might call it quits than about how the candidates might deal with the war in Iraq. Clinton supporters' reactions to the end of
While you were watching Obama: details from secret negotiations for new security arrangements in Iraq. Hamas does not differentiate between the two presidential candidates. Hamas "unendorses" Obama. Nas releases new song about Obama (listen here). Why is Hollywood applying bronzer to white actors to cast ethnic characters? List
At Guantánamo tribunal, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Sept. 11 defendants ask for death sentence, martyrdom. Clinton, Obama meet in D.C., perhaps to discuss how to rule the galaxy as father and son. Photos: Growing up Star Wars. How demographic groups voted in the Democratic primaries--courtesy of a fascinating interactive graphic.
Left-leaning German newspaper under criticism for headline reading "Uncle Barack's Cabin." How bitter rivalry helped cripple the Democratic party, in 1968. Carter: Prospect of Obama-Clinton ticket "the worst mistake that could be made." Not only might a black man be president, but at times,
"It has been an honor to contest these primaries with him. It is an honor to call him my friend." Hillary gives her pre-endorsement. Whether Clinton ends or suspends on Saturday decides whether she relinquishes or keeps her political leverage. Op: How the dream ticket may turn into
Print for the commute: Recognizing environmental problems in China means also acknowledging China's doing some things right. China arrests grieving parents at public protest of shoddy school construction; parents press on. Measuring high oil prices' potential impact on the sushi trade. While discussing the food crisis, politicians
As the Democratic contest draws to a close, superdelegates no longer fear their phones. Graphic: Superdelegates take a mighty swing to Obama; a catalog of superdelegates, their endorsements. Republican denied communion for endorsing Obama; priest asked to step down for mocking Clinton. Photos of the Large Hadron Particle Collider, built
Will she concede? Won't she concede? Obama clinches! Hillary might consider veeping! McEwan: Fascination with the day of judgment just might bring it about. The Copenhagen Consensus delineates how to solve the world's 10 biggest problems. On dark matter: "Nobody claims to understand why it
After today's primaries, Obama could snag the nomination; Clinton may pull out, or she might suspend her campaign. Obama campaign targets key Clinton advisors and supporters, hoping they can all play nice together. The task here at the Office of the Postulator of the Cause for Beatification and
Kennedy doctor says surgery was a success; Post article includes creepy image of senator's brain and head. Op: Mbeki and Mugabe belong to a generation... who seem incapable of seeing the world through any lens beyond that of anti-colonial struggle. Photos of YSL's models, suits, and
Though Clinton grabs Puerto Rico, Obama is ready to clinch the nomination--a look at all the ways this thing could play out. "I have no future here, I can't marry, there is no girl." A clandestine interview with one of Iraq's seven or eight
Former U.S. ambassador Bolton brushes off attempted citizen's arrest for war crimes. U.S. Army suicides at their highest in 20 years; Russian army suicides also on the rise. Russian Academy of Sciences rebuffs Kremlin, votes against allowing membership to "Putin's Banker." Democrats
State Dept. pulls Fulbright grants to Palestinian students in Gaza, says Israel has not given them permission to come to the U.S. C.I.A. chief praises destabilization of al Qaeda, credits wins by the Islamic world, the U.S. Daily updated, analyzed polls show Clinton may actually be
Forced by hunger, North Koreans escape to China, where criminalization and the need to re-escape await. China boycotts all-things-Sharon Stone after comment blaming earthquake on bad karma. South African president writes letter "packed with exclamation points," asking Bush to "butt out" of Zimbabwe's election.
New York to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. South African officials consider building camps for refugees displaced by xenophobic violence. The berry rewires the way the palate perceives sour flavors for an hour or so, rendering lemons as sweet as candy. "Flavor tripping" with the miracle
On McCain's crusade against lobbyist influence in Washington, and his staff full of former lobbyists who continue to benefit from it. For the same cost as the Iraq war, NASA could launch an expedition to colonize Mars. Google builds online map out of images from Phoenix Mars Lander,
In China, bereaved parents abandon caution, confront officials over poor construction of schools. After a decade-long civil war, Maoists in Nepal abolish monarchy in favor of multi-party democracy. Scott McClellan's new book pours some bad juice for his ex-boss, other former White House cronies. See also: "McClellan
"He has been here for so long--he has essentially grown up in Guantánamo." Afghan teen detained for five years is now being tried as an adult. On MSNBC's Obama bias, and why, at least on journalistic principles, it's wrong. Still vying for the popular
Because of a barrier lake created by the quake, 1.2 million Chinese residents may need to be evacuated to higher ground. Brzezinski, Odom: Imagine if China...threatened to change the American regime if it did not begin a steady destruction of its nuclear arsenal. Drawing criticism from Muslims for
Artist connects New York and London via a very long tunnel running through the earth's crust. On the 2004 story of the woman who took 160 flights, one after the other, dying, "doctors could only suppose, of terminal jet lag." New study finds not eating may
Nearly three weeks after the cyclone, Burma agrees to let in "all aid workers." Op: As McCain's career has shown, sometimes the narrative is far more powerful than mere facts. A look back at the myth and contradiction of John McCain. Also: Questions on his mental
Hillary compares not counting Florida's votes to the Zimbabwe election. D.N.C. members receiving oranges stamped "Count Florida's Votes." Op: When the media attacks Obama for not ditching his church, they reveal their ignorance of religious communities. "Very quietly," Obama begins
Romney, others scramble to become McCain's V.P., McCain scrambles not to piss off Ellen. Op: How Obama's foreign policy would be a continuation of JFK's, and why that makes McCain the new Barry Goldwater. Anonymous $20 million donation saves New York City church
Jerusalem Post's retraction of claim that Bush plans to attack Iran doesn't stop web-bloviating. Lieberman: McCain shows courage, Obama does not. Lieberman demands removal of terrorist videos, YouTube cites free speech. Speaking of nightmare videos: Amateur footage of the immediate aftermath of China's earthquake.
McCain strategist quits, making good on promise to not run against Obama. But just because Darwin said it doesn't make it true. On the evolution of honor. Op: Obama could unify Democratic voters in November by promising Clinton a seat on the Supreme Court. "Sexual equality is
Clinton: "I'd get out if I believed he [Sen. Obama] had a better chance to win than I do." On Nader's candidacy, and several other "relentless pursuers of the lost limelight" on your November ballot. Kennedy "remains in good spirits"
Obama will likely win the race for delegates today, but refuses to claim victory, risk further fracturing the party. G.O.P. courting Jewish Democrats who are unsure about Obama, expected to mostly fail at it. When people mourn the loss of the authentic Tibetan way of life, they don&
Obama promises change to 75,000 in Oregon (photos); Thai Prime Minister promises change by quitting job as TV chef. Print for the commute: How the conservative movement ran out of ideas. Clinton: "This is nowhere near over." Audio: How a reporter relied on Buffy (the Vampire Slayer)
China deploys armed guards to protect pandas in quake's aftermath; Japanese officials: We don't like pandas very much. "We knew we were in trouble when the Serbs stopped delivering our flour." Through war, upheaval, and independence, Kosovoan bakers just keep baking. Reminding critics of
Dutch cartoonist arrested on hate-speech grounds after depicting a gay Christian and Muslim zombie marriage. How to make your eye feel like it's closed, when it's actually open. San Diego Zoo, prison merge. A cat and mouse cause a 72-hour power failure in Albania. Zimbabwe issues
With California's legalization of same-sex marriage, an election issue was born--one on which all the candidates agree. Opponents of gay marriage cowboy up for November, citing fears of human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. Woman accused of driving teen to commit suicide is indicted on
The new White House tactic in shorthand: Vote for Obama, vote for acquiescing to Nazis. McCain: Bush is exactly right about that. Rauschenberg's has been a life well lived. As for his art, it stank in the 1950s and it doesn't look any better today. Op:
Republicans fear joblessness in November, especially from conservative Democrats who could "take our issues." Op: Besides "hammering yet another symbolic nail into Clinton's already subterranean coffin," what Edwards's Obama endorsement really means. As the race for the Democratic nomination winds down, a
Clinton scores big West Virginia win, Obama retains "nearly insurmountable advantage" in delegates. And where has Giuliani been, post-bump? Consulting in Ukrainian urban politics. Ehrenreich: Clinton smashed the myth of innate female moral superiority in the worst possible way. Dating FAQ from Grand Theft Auto; marital rating chart
A booming economy, soaring literacy rates, and how false statistics belie the Burma military's inability to lead. "I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal." Bush gave up the links in 2003. From 2006, "Golf Is a Highly Mental Game."
Op: "Muslim law" prohibits punishment for any Muslim who kills Obama. And in response: That's the new Obama smear, that he was a Muslim, coming straight from the New York Times. Times hacks off limbs from its classical arts department. "Unsettlingly alive" stem cell
The children who were considered fortunate escaped with a broken bone or a severed limb. In China, parents grieve, wait at a schoolhouse leveled by the earthquake. Chinese officials say death toll has reached 12,000, and is likely to rise. In Burma, first U.S. relief flights arrive; residents
Video footage of China's earthquake, responsible for killing at least 8,500, says current tally. Herbert on fire: We knew the Clintons had no shame, now we see they have no class. Clinton volunteers won't back down, take "quit" for an answer in West
Why Clinton was the best thing that could have happened to Obama's campaign. The new way of measuring sucess: We spy more so we can prosecute less so we can spy more. A theory about why locusts swarm: to avoid being eaten by each other. Scientists know better
North Korea hands over boxes of nuclear-related documents, clearing way for removal from U.S. terrorism blacklist. Comparing lists, Obama now tied with Hillary for superdelegates. Op: The only thing left for Hillary is to negotiate the terms of her surrender. McCain takes time, early steps to prepare for the
As Clinton continues campaigning, Obama returns to Washington, ready to unify Democrats for November. After two days of fighting, Hezbollah forces seize most of western Beirut. Touring Guantanamo exhibit displays replica of a maximum-security cell. Subtle: Wytham Woods are home to about 400 breeding pairs of great tits. The pigeons
Obama switches to general-election strategy; Republicans focus attack ads on Obama. Pelosi: Woah there, the race is still alive and well. Pick a Veep: for Obama, for Clinton. Roger Ebert on the movie to be made when the Clintons realize they've lost. Gallery: Bil Eppridge's images
First U.N. aid flights arrive in Burma; despite reports to the contrary, officials still refuse U.S. access. Burma's junta has so frustrated aid workers that the French foreign minister recommended the U.N. enter Burma without permission. This week, 11 opposition activists were beaten to death
Medvedev assumes the Russian throne, arrives alone to his swearing ceremony. List of "unenviable policy challenges" awaiting Medvedev. Friedman: Mbeki is second in line for the world's most disgusting leader. Examining the (surely unlikely) appeal of a May-December McCain-Jindal ticket. Stephanopoulos: Look for supers to back
Number of dead and missing in Burma passes 60,000; U.S. boosts aid, Bush digs in at junta. F.B.I. agents raid agency that protects government whistle-blowers, under accusations the agency was retaliated against their blowing. Following last month's Supreme Court ruling, executions resume--Georgia is the
Myanmar survivors desperate for aid; aftermath feared more lethal than the storm itself. All of that stuff that made it possible to live in New York is gone. Sarah Jessica Parker on the end of New York. There is next to no speculation about Barack Obama’s sexual secrets. This
In Myanmar, a cyclone may have left as many as 14,000 dead and one million homeless--and the White House finds a political op. There are no roads in the region that are functional so access is primarily by boat, but many boats have been destroyed." Aid is available--how
The thinking in small-town North Carolina is a deep wish to do right. How Bill Clinton got his groove back. New files show Brits' thinking when considering to ship Jews back to camps in Germany in 1947. Speculating on Josef Fritzl's madness. Austria's antiterrorism unit
Information dig on the 66 people who died in U.S. immigration custody from 2004 to 2007 reveals neglect, grieving families. Video: Tom Hanks endorses Obama: "As official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made up your mind for you." Beverage lobbyists use Lohan photo to try
Zimbabwe officials say now it's time for a runoff, that Tsvangirai won but not by enough. At Russia's beckoning, major powers find new carrots for Iran to quit its nuclear program. How does one spot a prostitute in Iran, anyway? Behind the love affairs of Franklin
In British elections, Labour gets only 24 percent of the vote, its lowest since the 1960s. There would have been book deals, movies, forgiveness, VIP tickets to charity balls. People can forget almost anything these days. Mourning the "D.C. Madam." How to buy time, if you can
Hill's careful game of diplomatic Jenga may be coming apart. A mile in the shoes of U.S. envoy to North Korea Christopher Hill. The islanders of Lesbos are suing to get the word "lesbian" back. Video: Alan Partridge tries to understand lesbians. TMN's
Commerce Dept. says despite its best efforts, consumers just aren't consuming, report an economy that continues to stagnate. "It's one of the bigger Cadillacs. I've got a desk in it. It's like an airplane." House members must trade in luxury
The idea of the Olympic torch mounting Everest is grand, but for now not even Jackie Chan knows where it is. Report on forward and backward steps for journalists in Asia. Today's headline: "Free Tibet" flags made in China. TMN writers and readers notate exactly what
"This is a fantastic time to be farming." From food shortages to greenhouse emissions, the benefits of the government-fueled ethanol boom are hazy. Analysis: As crises pile up, Washington manages only to designate National Watermelon Month and National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day. Signs of the coming
Former Amnesty International chief on being pragmatic about China. Report from Chechnya, Russia's "region of lawlessness." Print for the commute: The truth About Putin and Medvedev. "It is no longer controversial" to call Putin a bit of a fascist. Op: Forget the gibberish about
Supreme Court decision to uphold voter IDs will likely lead to more voter laws, more litigation. One guard keeps watch as catalytic converters, rich with precious metals like platinum, are removed. Destroying almost-new cars that may have fatal flaws. Audio: A scandal brews over French artists topping the French charts.
Los Angeles Times goes to the ground for reporting on Tijuana's Sunday bloodbath. Mexican drug cartel posts want ads for hitmen. Mahmoud not pleased with his prostitute-loving police chief as vice scandal rattles Tehran. The way in which the London mayoral race has descended into sheer spectacle seems
Times says Obama is retooling his campaign, but it isn't exactly sure how, aside from basketball and church-going. Past seven states to hold primaries registered more than one million new Democrats. Widespread retribution against the opposition--and aid groups--found in Zimbabwe. German-U.S. agreement to share suspected terrorist information
Detectives acquitted in shooting of Sean Bell, victim of 50 bullets; prosecution's witnesses called "not believeable." Losing faith in the recovery efforts for the ballooning priest. Atheists work on the idea of a church without a God. Twenty-eight percent of Clinton supporters say they would cross
Fiscal survey of U.S. shows many states may already be in a recession. Former meteorologist Storm Field on filling his Mercedes with used canola oil from a restaurant's deep-fat fryer. Related: From 2006, Clay Risen names Storm Field and the other nine best-monikered weathermen. Isiah Thomas: "
Playboy is also expected to be granted circulation for a month "to meet the demand of overseas visitors during the Olympics." This week in China. U.S. envoy says Tsvangirai was the "clear victor" in Zimbabwe's election. Op: No matter who becomes the next
U.S. lawmakers to watch video of North Koreans inside Syrian nuclear reactor. U.S. intelligence detect a wave of complaints by al Qaeda allies questioning tactics, ideology. Army recruiter: Listen, can you do me a favor and join the Army? Webcams attached to elephants yield spectacular high-definition photos. Spielberg,
Exactly how did all the papers and pundits agree that Clinton had to win by 10 points to survive? Despite her victory, Clinton's chances of catching Obama among pledged delegates have disappeared. Video: Obama "hopes up" various phrases, e.g., "Are you happy with your
In Pennsylvania, voter turnout nearly triples, handing Clinton a victory and keeping the race alive. Exit polls: Race, Catholicism, and bitterness made a big difference in who voters chose. Monthly donation program allows Roy Scheider to keep on donating to Obama. South Carolina church removes the marquee message that intimated
Boston Marathon waives qualifying factors for those with deep pockets for charity. The New York governor's office adjusts to its new, blind occupant--from the lack of a teleprompter to Paterson's Batphone. France dispatches smiling officials to mollify China post-Olympic parade disaster. With more arms on the
F.D.A. finds link between contaminated blood thinner from China and 81 deaths in the U.S. The life expectancy for U.S. women has reversed for the first time since 1918--smoking, obesity are the likely culprits. The voters who will decide the 2008 election: working-class males, young people,
Cheruiyot of Kenya wins fourth Boston Marathon; Ethiopian Tune wins for women in marathon's closest finish. Street view shows Zimbabwe preserving patience for getting around to rigging the election. Study says American gun owners are educated, wealthy, and very happy. Financial analysts offer to talk about recession for
Some claim Democratic leaders are working to end their race before it reaches the convention floor. Condoleezza Rice visits Iraq, ridicules al-Sadr, who on Saturday threatened open war. In Sadr City, civilian casualties increase as fighting between militias and U.S.-Iraqi forces intensifies. Our morning plateful is honest and
Mugabe blames his likely defeat on the British, those who "deliberately engage in reversing the gains of our liberation." Europeans say China's a bigger threat to global stability than the U.S. Op: Four ways to deal with rogue states going nuclear: preemption, deterrence, missile defense,
The coming recession: Workers working fewer hours, earning less, spending less. The food crisis is...eroding the gains of the working and middle classes, sowing volatile levels of discontent, and putting new pressures on fragile governments. Op: The food crisis should come as no surprise, what with inflation, globalization, and
Study estimates 320,000 veterans suffer brain injuries, 300,000 depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Ratio of the estimated number of fake doctors practicing in Delhi, India, to the number of real ones: 1:1. Since Clinton had her humanity surgically removed, she seems less exhausted. Andrew Sullivan's
With the Supreme Court's upholding of lethal injection, expect renewed executions, new avenues of litigation. Suicide bomber attacks Sunni funeral in northern Iraq, killing at least 49 people. Upstaged, but also in town: Gordon Brown; he's saying it: "No one thinks...Mugabe has won this
"The largest crowd of Bush's presidency" turns out to sing "Happy Birthday" to the Pope. Police arrest Libertarians for dancing silently while celebrating Jefferson's birthday. When Atran went back to Washington to brief National Security Council and Homeland Security staff in January
Two new articles accuse Merck, the maker of Vioxx, of ghostwriting, underreported numbers that may have led to patient deaths. Democrats prefer Popeyes and Republicans Chick-fil-A. Even political strategists know that you are what you eat. Related: Belly fat [has been] linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease,
Mothers from the Texas polygamist compound speak out against authorities and C.P.S. Related: What happens next for the displaced children. Creating artificial eggs and sperm from other cells could allow same-sex couples to have their own biological children. This is how things work in Russia. If the head
In Iraq, car bomb explosions outside restaurants in two cities kill dozens. Debt collectors end up costing the I.R.S. more than the taxes they recover--to the tune of $37 million. Your tax questions, answered; why we should abolish taxes. A.P. photographer Bilal Hussein, held for two years
What happened to Disney magic? Disney is taking it away. Users devastated that Disney is shutting down its (online) magic kingdom (see comments). Bush's security adviser calls skipping the Olympics a cop-out. Zimbabwe court refuses to release vote results; Mbeki's denial inspires outrage. With corrupt candidates,
Iraqi government fires 1,300 soldiers and policemen for refusing to fight during last month's violence in Basra. Now that Mugabe's on his way out, which world dictator will follow him? If predictions are correct, a food crisis would overshadow all political and economic worries; some
"It's just a rock sitting out farther away." The debate over Pluto's demotion rages on. Dale Peck teams with the Heroes creator, sells "sci-fi trilogy" for $3 million. Today in piracy: Europe votes against cutting off file sharers; Somali pirates release French
Obama won't satisfy Philadelphia election operatives expecting greased palms--threats of defecting to Clinton abound. If North Korea acknowledges nuclear activity, says U.S., economic sanctions will be eased. "You go to a match between Poland and France, and it's just Chinese playing against each other.
News summary: The Week in China. In case you didn't know, Nelson Mandela needs permission to visit the U.S., since he's still considered a terrorist. Llew Hinkes in the Mp3 Digest on the songs you need to rage against pro-torture politics. Calculating how many people
China says it has foiled a plot to kidnap athletes, journalists, and tourists at its Olympics. Dalai Lama embarks on U.S. visit, supports Olympics--"We are not anti-Chinese." "The Americans will fix everything." Iraqis remember the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime--five years ago
"Forward-looking indicators suggest a gloomier picture" as the mortgage crisis travels to Europe. South Korea's biggest tourist attraction now its former president and his home. Video: The VICE guide to North Korea. Kmart will give you candy if you'll go into debt for Sears.
Olympic torch tiptoes into San Francisco; China insists on bringing it through Tibet in June. The worst of the worst: Historians rate Bush against his predecessors. Praised for the bubble, now derided for its burst, Greenspan defends his reputation. Investigation of government employees' federal credit cards reveals charges for
As torch arrives in U.S., Olympic Committee considers pulling the last stops of the relay. In Germany, 42 percent declared unfit for duty in the compulsory armed services. Print for the commute: Evolutionary biologists seek to beat religion by accounting for it. Zimbabwe's education system reaches crisis
C.P.S. has now removed 401 children from West Texas compound. Iran celebrates its "national nuclear day," announces 6,000 new centrifuges at Natanz. Dumping N.Y. subway cars off its coast has proved so popular for Delaware that the state must now compete for the free
Authorities remove 200 from polygamist compound in Texas, still searching for girl who filed initial complaint. Olympic torch plays hide-and-seek in Paris due to protests; protesters scale the Golden Gate with "Free Tibet" sign. The rules of what is permissible fluctuate with maddening imprecision, so people test the
Clinton drops chief strategist after disclosure that he's been working with Colombia on a trade pact she opposes. Tax records reveal the Clintons' financial gains in the last eight years and the charities that benefited. Op: The Clintons' wealth won't affect voters; or, it&
In case you haven't met al Qaeda's Abu Yahya al-Libi: a primer. Bush commits to making next president send more troops to Afghanistan. Behind closed doors in Bucharest, Germany pushes a plan for NATO's withdrawl from Afghanistan. Photos: Afghanistan's Olympic athletes, including
Clinton's support continues to erode; she led Obama by 87 superdelegates in February--now she leads by 30. Zimbabwe on tenterhooks: opposition party offices raided, foreign journalists arrested. Pope Benny will be the first to visit a U.S. synagogue. Clearly, I don't think anybody in this
With Czech boosters, NATO approves Bush's missile defense system, though he doesn't get Ukraine or Georgia past the gates. We avowed that white America had created and maintained the ghetto and that white society condoned it. Dr. King's dream remains deferred. King is widely
Bernanke breaks Washington protocol, concedes a recession is possible--but he expects a rebound in the second half of the year. Clinton's campaign places another 3 a.m. call, this time with a new crisis and rival--and a response. Op: Clinton can't win, but won't
Politicians urge Bush to cancel his Olympics trip to Beijing. Bush backs Ukraine's bid to join NATO; France and Germany unwilling to similarly piss off Russia, fearing future entanglements with Georgia. Just for the (diplomats') kids: the NATO game. In case the kids are listening, yes, TMN
Infamous 2003 Justice Dept. memo that excluded interrogators from law has now been made public. [Prime Minister] Kanerva's texting has proved his undoing because it has raised the hackles of Finland's long suffering women. International poll shows the next president--any of them, in fact--could heal the
Print for the commute: Globalization, however imperfect, does often work for the poor. The deal is close, reports say, for Mugabe to leave power. Kinsley: Extending your own life expectancy is the most selfish motive imaginable for doing anything. Do it, by all means. Newspapers fire their film critics; the
Felons in Florida slowly win back their voting rights. With a city more bustling than the numbers show, San Francisco questions federal census. A court in the southwestern state of Saarland ruled that smoking could continue in hookah bars. Germany rebels, relaxes anti-smoking rules. Airline hires seat-fillers to meet passenger
Many foreign leaders aren't exactly refusing to attend the Olympics, but they're not exactly going, either. Photos: In Zimbabwe, summing up life under Mugabe. Zimbabwean bloggers wait anxiously to comment. The switch to all-digital TV threatens to alienate the antenna-reliant. Kevin Spacey disapproves of British TV
Sadr orders militia to stand down, demands release of detainees, amnesty; despite the ceasfire, the Green Zone was attacked again today. Audio: The real political question for Democrats today is between Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. Celebrities love to be allergic to things. Former Per Se head waiter tells all.
Most of all, however, the assailants target the emos for dressing effeminately, still a provocative act for many in a macho Mexico. Raúl Castro allows cellular phone use in Cuba, lifting restrictions that previously limited service to the government and foreigners. For its 120th birthday, the Eiffel Tower gets a
The number 4,000 is too great to grasp even for us that are here in Iraq. Op: When pressed on how they'll handle the mortgage crisis, McCain regresses, Obama digresses, and Clinton progresses. Following the discovery of toxins in its mozzarella, Italy faces European ban, embargoes from
Opposition threatens mass protests if Mugabe carries through with Saturday's planned vote-rigging. You can imagine China isn't pleased about "Genocide Olympics" T-Shirts. Alvin Ailey Dance Theater celebrates 50 years, gets Barbie doll based on Judith Jamison; see note about lack of Ken doll. Op:
Monks disrupt China's official Tibetan tour for foreign journalists, shout pro-Tibet slogans. Increasingly, Muslim families in the U.S. choose home schooling; Jewish high schools try to wean students from gossip. I do not think that is any of your business. Student journalist lobs the first public Lewinsky
Americans have realized that they have perhaps talked with one man [in Pakistan] for too long. Eight "worst" foods in America. Profile of CrossFit: "forging elite fitness" with daily exercise routines, not meant for "Stairmaster chumps." German right leader charged for publishing pamphlets advocating
In Baghdad and Basra, violence takes a sharp upswing--ceasefire, Green Zone threatened. It took the Pentagon 18 months to figure out it had sent secret nuclear fuses to Taiwan instead of helicopter batteries. Doctors divided on the validity of a lung cancer prevention study after learning it was sponsored by
Bulletpoints from the future in international relations, as drafted by Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey. Annotated page from Graham Rawle's new novel that "consists entirely of phrases clipped from sixties women's magazines, in collage form." Why don't publishers catch fake memoirs? Because it&
Petraeus asks Bush to keep troop levels steady--new withdrawals look unlikely until after the election. Sinbad contradicts Clinton's recollection of '96 Bosnia trip. New York's new tell-all governor admits using coke, marijuana in his 20s. You talk to yourself when under pressure, and you'
France mulls partial Olympics boycott, and the public approves. (See more.) All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations. Fact sheet for Americans traveling to the Olympics. Karl Rove lists the blogs he reads in the morning. (See also: blog
Four soldiers killed by a bomb on Sunday, bringing the U.S. death toll to 4,000. "It's not an unusual matter for senators to take a little extra credit." Both Obama and Clinton have a habit of embellishing their records. With some tricky maneuvering of
Why giving money makes you happy; how saying no improves your life. Keys to long life embedded in newspaper headlines. Press secretary maintains Bush and Cheney "hold themselves to a standard that requires people not to like them." California researchers create energy-efficient artificial muscle that heals itself, generates
Poll: New Yorkers like their new governor--didn't you hear about the last one? What have the superdelegates been doing, anyway? Reading tea leaves and playing wait and see. In San Diego, parents who object to vaccines meet an unexpected foe: measles. "This is on the same level
The hotel tryst was apparently listed as "constituent services." Paterson may have billed his campaign for a rendezvous. Release of Clinton's First Lady papers back up her claims of involvement, though not always in the way she paints it today. It's been 10 years
Print for the commute: Over the last few years there has been something of an existential crisis in Pakistan--what sort of country did Pakistanis want? Bush: I didn't get the war wrong; Hitchens: Hey, me too. Democracies don’t need to protect one person at any cost, and
"I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible." Watch Obama's Philadelphia speech; see the text and the frequency of words used. Dowd: After racing from race for a year, he plowed in and took a stab at showing
Director Anthony Minghella dies at 54 of complications from surgery to treat tonsil cancer. Grief counselors are standing by for Bear bankers, considering that employees own over 30 percent of the company. Chief executives often take full responsibility, but rarely are consequences involved. China accuses the Dalai Lama of orchestrating
Whether or not lawmakers can affect the economy, the candidates will start stumping to that effect. Fla. Democrats say they don't want to re-vote by mail, abandon attempt at a do-over. New N.Y. governor Paterson and his wife admit to past affairs. The Conservative party is now
The spirit of the law should prevent Americans from causing harm to these creatures in other countries. Global warming not the only problem facing polar bears. Ten concepts of the changing world, including the end of movie stars and geoengineering to start global cooling. The stunning Encyclopedia of Life; the
McCain visits Baghdad, fanfare absent. Photos from five years in Iraq; Iraq by the numbers. "You look for big eyes, long lashes and a long neck." Saudis master the art of camel judging. Until midnight tonight, Sirius Radio's 24-hour Eliot Spitzer scandal channel will be broadcasting
On measuring the inconsistency of McCain's voting record. On boycotting the vote in Iran: "I have voted once in 30 years, and that was for the creation of an Islamic Republic," says an old gentleman. "I'm not going to get fucked again."
E.P.A. reveals Bush intervened, weakened its new air pollution standards. Thanks for the laughs guys. This was great. Obama campaign responds to Clinton email. Tax returns mean an increase in stolen identities--Girl Scout troops prove a bevy of potential targets. In zoos across North America, gorillas are dying
Print for the commute: The race to create Viagra for women. Knitted boobs and dinks available for those unsure of how to check for cancer lumps. DIY urine-into-fertilizer kits available at Eyebeam's "drinkpee" exhibit. If your comics reading list doesn't include any sexy pulp,
Obama won Texas, and has a strong lead in delegates--many say if Clinton sways the superdelegates, she'll subvert the popular will. Photos: Disgraced politicians and their wives. E.P.A. significantly tightens air pollution standards--critics complain it's nowhere near significant enough. Off the coast of New
Look, it's going to go on. You're never going to stop prostitution. Fleiss on Spitzer. Federal prosecutors may charge Spitzer under the Mann Act of 1910, officially known as the White Slave Traffic Act. Models of Germania, the "grand Fascist city" Hilter hoped Berlin
Voters wonder: If Clinton and Obama both claim they're winning (or that the other is losing), who's (more) right? More than nine in 10 African Americans voted for Obama, while seven in 10 whites backed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "She never managed a foreign policy
Augmenting the deadly sins, the Vatican adds seven "social" sins. Audio: Captain Ahab is "a hell of a politician" and not too far from today's leaders. McCain's got nothing on these guys: the world's oldest leaders. Viagra ruled kosher for
"I have never had any doubt about his lack of character and integrity--and he's proven me correct." Spitzer's nemeses--and he's earned many--cheer his fall. Spitzer was taken down by the very investigation techniques he pioneered. Behaviorists speculate about Spitzer's motivations
South Africa drags its feet on an AIDS treatment that cuts mother-child transmission rates by 25 percent--even jailing those doctors who use it. Bush makes his "first and final performance" as a stage singer at the Gridiron Club; he tap-dances too. The woman I had only recently begun
AP investigation finds traces of mood stabilizers and sex hormones in the drinking water of 24 major metropolitan areas. Govs. Corzine, Rendell offer to raise half of the $30 million it would take to stage do-overs for Fla., Mich. primaries. There's no way to win. You just play.
Print for the commute: The history of synthetic organic chemistry, or, how to enjoy "grainy" wine. Study finds self-control depends on sugar. Ten tech projects that still need some work: cell phone video, internet voting, e-books, and more. The E.U. likes to support its neighbors, though too
Gunman kills eight at a prominent Jerusalem seminary, Hamas praises the attack. The bloody terror attack on the flagship of the religious Zionism movement will only make their attitude toward Olmert more extreme. Investigating links between the Times Square bombing are two earlier NYC bombings and the cards to D.
Esquire publishes fictional account of Heath Ledger's last days. Have a positive image of Russia today? Perhaps because it's spending tens of millions to look good in the news. Risk of war unlikely, but Colombia now finds itself on the outs diplomatically in Latin America. "
Times Square military recruiting station hit by I.E.D. early Thursday. Clinton, Obama essentially split Tuesday's delegates, and now neither can win without the help of the superdelegates. In politics, cool heads prevail--for proof, look at Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy Duck. Another election of note: Spain'
Prepare to be shocked: Soldier can "worship Dave Eggers" and still "soften up" prisoners in Iraq. Discussion of Colombia's raid against FARC this weekend in Venezuela and Ecuador. Many Venezuelans shocked to learn Chávez recently gave FARC $300 million. Medvedev won in part because
Big wins for Clinton in Texas, Ohio still mean more delegates for Obama--some express concern he can't take a swing state. Going negative kept Clinton's campaign alive; by November, that attitude may wear thin, or it may energize. Three bodyless, sneakered feet wash up on B.
A reminder for the non-tinkering millions: Slate's Delegate Calculator. Recent assassination plottings in the news. What happens when Björk shouts "Tibet! Tibet!" in Shanghai; Obama thanks Obama for support. Print for the commute: What's the difference between a road movie and a movie that
Happy Super Tuesday Deux: The race is getting nastier. The grin was quickly replaced by the surprised look of a man bitten by his own dog. Reporters finally rouse, hit Obama with tough questions. Shuttling between Texas and Ohio, the candidates' messages are tweaked, and there's no
AP, New York Times accidentally say Bush resigned. From George Washington to Jack Kennedy and PT-109 we have behaved as if killing people is a qualification for ruling people. Unrelated to Obama, but: Can a man become a magnet? Not permanently. Print for the commute: Michelle Obama, bearer of a
Put a lot of very qualified people in a very small room, then wait: how the Clinton campaign imploded. In Texas, Obama campaigners with little or no experience hold their own against Clinton's seasoned staffers. A history of gifted orators as superior presidents--it's how they win
Jolie: What we cannot afford, in my view, is to squander the progress that has been made [in Iraq]. Turkey yanks troops after eight-day fight with Kurdish guerillas--but not because the U.S. said so. Clinton's new ad: It's three a.m., your children are safe
An "exemplary" soldier, Prince Harry has been fighting "Terry Taliban" in Afghanistan. An Australian magazine is under fire for leaking the news about Harry; now Harry's been withdrawn from combat. Shipwrecked fisherman survives a 12-hour swim off the coast of Australia. The movement from
We must never forget the price we paid for getting over the political, economic and social crisis. Deciphering Dmitri Medvedev in his own words. Speaking of Medvedevedevedev, are political candidates fair targets for foreign policy and pronounciation pop quizzes? Pronouncement: the 2008 Rooster judges list; gambling on the ToB helps
It takes a Times op-ed for Bloomberg to deny his candidacy; it'll take a solutions-minded candidate to win his endorsement. Making the case for an Obama-Bloomberg ticket. Civil rights veteran John Lewis drops support for Clinton, backs Obama. Whether attacking or promoting Obama, everybody is playing the race
William Buckley dead at 82 in his office, "might have been working on a column." Buckley, the inspiration for three generations of conservatives; Buckley, a man of joy. Sullivan's Buckley links; Schlesinger on Buckley in 1959; examples of Buckley diaries. Forty percent of Americans think China&
In Ohio, debate host Russert channels SNL, hurls beanballs at Clinton, serves meat to Obama. Ahem: a list of baseball jargon. Movies based on board games: their past and (dubious) future. Arguments for both sides on whether reading your news online is better (or worse) for the environment. Artist Neil
The real world of being a Muslim teenager in America--at least the pre-caller ID world. Obama wonks tend to be inductive--working piecemeal from a series of real-world observations. Obama's font designers comment on the typographic choices of Clinton and McCain. Americans will get the president they deserve--a superficial,
As the Democratic candidates are discovering, there are many Texases, and it's difficult appealing to them all. Obama is winning with the oldest political weapon there is: words; Clinton takes an anything-goes strategy. Op: Most of Obama's supporters are voting for him because he's
Historically, most politicians who fail to credit sources emerge unscathed. Indian wedding sleuths track down the sources of too-good-to-be-true profiles on matrimonial websites. Print for the commute: Remarkable stories of marines in Afghanistan; how to counter when friends tout Bush's aid in Africa. All of the ads from
The more Obama becomes a symbol of change, the more his supporters fear for his safety. I remember when he did this before, it didn't turn out too well, for anyone, especially our country. Nader throws his hat in the ring for '08. Trying to reverse her
We love "Making Book 2008": Lay down a little money on the Tournament of Books and you (plus the matching companies) are buying books for kids. Welsh police refute "death cult," "online shrine" theories about 17 young people killing themselves in a year. PowerPoint
Targeting Kurdish rebels, Turkish troops enter northern Iraq, promise to return home "in the shortest time possible." Behind-the-scenes on "The McCain Article" in the Times; reporters are ready to field your flak. Election committee informs McCain he can't withdraw from the public financing system
McCain denies Times story about romancing a lobbyist, doesn't touch former strategist's story. Op: Since conservatives were responsible for civil rights, President Obama is a natural result to smile upon. Southern whites eager to get racial legacies off their backs (especially when black candidates are "
If you have to join a cult, this is not a bad one. Name-calling for Obama supporters. Supreme Court rules employees can sue over poor 401(k)s, patients can't sue over faulty medical devices. Also in yesterday's docket: Curbing internet sales of tobacco to teenagers
Op: Putin will try to use the Kosovo precedent to destroy NATO. Zimbabwe's inflation hits new record--66,212 percent--without taking the black market into account. Scientists create the blackest black so far. Print for the commute: Research shows that a focus on effort--not on intelligence or ability--is key
Update: Castro's failure to name a successor means someone other than his brother could be appointed president--and there are viable options Two more states go to Obama, who's winning supporters from Clinton, who now may need more than Ohio, Texas to win. Barackula is a "
Obama's "Yes We Can" slogan now being heard in Russian and Italian elections. "We always try to smile at one another." A brief summary of the state of Russian-American relations. Retired American submariner claims credit for Russia's polar dive plan and subsequent
"It seems like someone else should be there." White men may decide the Democratic nominee--and they're still undecided. Though the final tally won't be in for days, early indications show Musharraf's party lost big in Pakistan's election. Ailing Castro resigns
Print for the commute: Remembering when America previously debated "water cure" torture, and then forgot. Safety invoked while making the case for sharing our nuclear secrets. The last time the city went more than a month without a killing was a 40-day period in 1963. Newark hits 33
In Afghanistan, 80 are killed by a suicide bomber on Sunday, then 37 more at a market on Monday. In Pakistan, voters brave militant violence to have their say. Obama speeches bear resemblance to those from Gov. Deval Patrick--though the governor already gave the candidate his words to use. Following
Analysis: Among the costliest decisions... Clinton's presidential campaign has made this year was to largely cede caucus states to Barack Obama. Obama supporters send a few dollars more every time he inspires them--and it's adding up. Al Gore ties sub-prime crisis to carbon assets, "guarandamntees&
U.S. to shoot down out-of-control spy satellite--impact with the Earth could pose a danger due to rocket fuel, government secrets. "Instead of needlessly frightening the country, you should work with Congress in a calm, constructive way." Dems block intelligence bill, admonish Bush over wiretap furor. Security Director
"I think the message is 'Don't do anything until we get this sorted out.'" New study disputes last week's study about diabetes treatment. Evidence suggests Georgian billionaire Patarkatsishvili died from natural causes in his London home. Foiled al Qaeda plot could have
Our road will not be easy... Take away Obama's stirring rhetoric, and the message that's left is disheartening. While Hillary was canvassing San Antonio, endorsing hot peppers, the mayor was endorsing Obama. Texas businessman with "Kennedy-straight teeth" claims he's JFK's
Excerpts from Obama's economic policy speech, with plenty to say against NAFTA. The number of new H.I.V. infections in men under 30 who have sex with men has increased sharply in New York City in the last five years. European newspapers reprint Mohammad cartoon after reporting
After landslides in the Potomac primaries, Obama now leads Clinton in the race for delegates. Many Democratic voters have gotten past whatever reservations they might have had about his electability or his qualifications to be president. An analysis of Obama's wins. Op: We may not have stopped this
Serbia leaks proposed measures against countries that recognize independent Kosovo. Ten things that won't change no matter who gets elected. Bloomberg: In the long term, global warming is worse than terrorism. Download for the commute: Inside The Onion's editorial meetings, and an interview with Mormon solicitors
In the waning days of the Bush presidency, charging six detainees for the Sept. 11 attacks takes care of some unfinished business. Danish police arrest three suspected of plotting to murder one of the cartoonists who lampooned Mohammed. This week in national apologies: China, for the weather; Australia, for tearing
Early last night, East Timorese military attempted a coup, shooting their Nobel Peace Prize-winning President twice. Polish town of Poczernin aims to be your one-stop exorcism shop. Improperly conducted exorcism--if it was an exorcism at all--leads to Texas woman's death. Dramatic art heists are the new dramatic art
Military prosecutors to seek the death penalty for six Guantánamo detainees who will be charged with roles in the Sept. 11 attacks. Following Obama's Maine win, Clinton replaces her campaign manager. No Republican politician has won the category since...1968. Obama snags a Grammy, too. Bush to McCain:
Kenya rivals agree to humanitarian aid, not to a power-sharing government. Op: The argument for Obama's electability. Emerging economies are better at adopting new technologies than at putting them into widespread use. Study finds whichever gender rules society is also the more competitive. Conservationists mull when to help
Romney's campaign shined a light on the Mormon Church--and the Church learned there's a lot of silent anti-Mormonism in the U.S. Racism should not be tolerated and this is not the first time British sportsmen have been racially abused in Spain. The writers' strike
Romney halts his campaign, says continuing would make a Clinton or Obama win more likely. Bleak, frightened atmosphere surrounds Pakistan's elections; violent reactions anticipated. Stories from expats evacuated from Chad. Democratic expats: Some of you can still vote (though no longer online) in the Democratic Primary. "It&
White House reopens the torture debate by asserting that waterboarding is legal. Newly public documents reveal CIA destroyed its interrogation videos at the same time a federal judge sought information about one of the men interrogated. Breaking down each candidate's cost per delegate--with this kind of spending, it&
Australia apologizes for 50-year practice of kidnapping Aboriginal children. Afghanistan to become world's top marijuana producer (no longer just defensive cover for Taliban fighters). American teens hear more than 30,000 references to booze and drugs annually via pop music; 20,000 are positive. Putin's heir
Despite Kennedy, Kerry endorsements, Clinton bags Massachusetts, but she's still in a virtual tie with Obama. McCain sees big wins across the nation, though Huckabee, Romney aren't out of the race. Romney loses West Virginia, thanks to some old school moves from the McCain and Paul
See this morning's headlines for all your voting needs. And may we again urge you to vote. Op: Clinton is running a campaign; Obama is bringing the revival. Op: Since nothing drives hate for Hillary, it is that most sought-after thing: a self-replenishing, perpetual-energy machine. And now for
Welcome to Super Freaking Tuesday; here's an overview of the "orgy of primaries and caucuses." Interactive map: The states to watch on Super Tuesday--includes linchpins and candidate strategies. A viewer's guide to watching the returns: when the votes will be in, hour-by-hour, with predictions.
Bush unleashes his proposed budget on unsuspecting after-school programs, children's hospitals, baby ducks. The shared party split: one candidate who reaches across party lines, one who states his or her first principle as representing the traditional base. Analyzing Hillary and Barack as method actors; analyzing New England'
Photos suggest the female bombers behind Friday's Baghdad blast--which killed nearly 100 people--had Downs syndrome. On the Puppy Bowl, the Super Bowl alternative; one hopeful viewer's quest to find a bartender who would let him watch the Puppy Bowl instead of the other big game. Dept.
Kenyan government and opposition officials agree on peace deal. Ireland drops plastic shopping bags, now everyone uses cloth sacks--to do otherwise is "on par with not cleaning up after your dog." Significant drops in malaria deaths after mosquito nets and a new drug get distributed. China's
Yesterday's Democratic debate made clear the crux of the campaigns: "Clinton's experience against Obama's judgement." Some in the G.O.P. protest John McCain's candidacy--what's with this stem-cell support and not opposing same-sex marriage? Obama's campaign
Video: What does the man on the street in China think about the U.S. election? The winners, if there are winners, are going to be financial investors who have seen this recession coming and who have in effect bet financially on an economic downturn. Why my mother dumped Hillary
Suicides among soldiers have reached their highest level since 1980, when the Army began keeping such records. I would describe in detail my mother, diagnosed with breast cancer... my aunt who died of the same kind of bladder cancer that I had... before adding, "Oh yeah. And I'
The argument for a new geologic epoch, the argument against. Hoberman's arguments: Romanian abortion film doesn't have the luxury of pretending pregnancy's a joke; perhaps that explains why Hollywood looks the other way. Jennifer Daniels's print-out calendars for 2008; Ellie Kemper'
Op: In a contest with no delegates, Clinton's victory party in Florida was "a political stunt worthy of the late Evel Knievel." McCain wins Florida, a bevy of delegates, as immigration as an issue has seemed to disappear. Following his trouncing in Florida, Giuliani expected to
John McCain says he's got a plan to capture bin Laden, and he's not telling. Video: Mysterious traveler entrances town with utopian vision of the future. Considering the impact on the military's midlevel officers now that they're marrying professionals. Melissa Gates goes
The State of the Union is sunshine and lollipops--except for earmarks, which must go, and on which Bush was once silent. Politicians respond, candidates stump along to Bush's "more of the same." Democrats let their hair down on Bush's big night, Kennedys jockey for
Economist names Vancouver as the world's more livable city--mainly because of the low incidence of terror attacks. Yemen's attitude towards jihadists--just don't bomb us--and its slide towards failure unsettles the U.S. A weekend's cruise from celebration to rain-soaked fights at the
In Bush's final State of the Union tonight, expect more economy, less Iraq, intermittent attention spans. Op: Obama '08 may sound a lot like Clinton '92, but nobody should forget the bipartisanism that reared its head after that election. Obama, Clinton campaigns reach out, pat down
How "know" memories are different from "remember" memories. Human beings sometimes have difficulty recognizing people from their photographs. But as a face becomes more familiar, the brain improves at matching it to a photo. In case you didn't recognize the face, Wolfowitz is back,
Behind the stimulus package: Republicans agreed to extend benefits to non-taxpayers, Democrats agreed to wash Republicans' cars. Op: On the fractured Republican Party, and each fracture's argument against the others. Trader hid activity through hacked computers, defrauded French bank of $7.2 billion. In the Australian Open
How Hamas secretly cut a hole through the Gaza blockade. Israelis have no choice but to recognize that the group’s control of Gaza is an intractable reality. U.S. program to seduce former Soviet Union scientists now provides slush money for other labs. The breakdown on how much money
Op: We can blame this year's lack of campaign momentum on the leapfrogging of state primaries. Canadian teenagers steal a ride in order to get to their anti-car-theft counseling session. W. Va. Goth couple loot $7.4 million from an armored car, leave a trail of clues that
This morning, masked gunmen destroyed seven miles of dividing wall, and Gaza's Egyptian vacation began. How politicians are like animals, or the other way around. Op: Americans want to compete in science, but polticians hold us back, says Intel chairman. Professor argues for more investment in books, not
Study by nonprofits claims hundreds of knowingly false statements were issued by the Bush administration after Sept. 11, 2001. Heading off a recession: Bernanke's interest cut opened the rebound, but may not be enough; Bush, Congress bake a stimulus package. Study shows mild cases of Type 2 diabetes
Snap: The Atlantic drops its firewalls and frees its articles. And thus: James Fallows on China's subsidizing your lifestyle; Jeffrey Goldberg on the new Middle East. Examining conflicts in Kenya in light of the (Martin Luther) King model. Print for the commute: Blame it on the media, or
Putin to reinstate Soviet-era weaponry parade through Red Square, starring 6,000 marching soldiers, new tanks, and an ICBM. Based on yesterday's downturn, it's apparent the global economy is not so independent from the U.S. after all. How last week's news of cholesterol
Suicide bomber kills 15 at Iraq funeral; 121 militants killed on Sunday, including 92 "high value targets." Print for the commute: Mr. Smith’s case stands out because his identity as a psychologically injured veteran shaped the way that his crime was perceived locally and handled by local
Pentagon considers NATO role for Petraeus later this year, critics question rotating commanders. China's burgeoning middle class is buying cars, and their kids want to race them "unofficially." One man's private collection of MLK, civil rights memorabilia proves too extensive for one photographer to
Economist review of "An Empirical Analysis of Street-Level Prostitution." Donatella Versace says Russian women no longer like bling. Where the presidential candidates stand on science issues. In today's Video Digest, Meave Gallagher on the role of misogyny in the presidential race; Lauren Frey with political--and poetical--Non-Expert
Former chess champion Bobby Fischer dies, age 64; from 2005: "Bobby and me." Play-by-play clickthrough of game six of Fischer's 1972 world championship victory. Ross Perot "still has some scores to settle"--by the way, he's voting for Romney. CIA believes Bhutto
U.K. closes (cultural) shop in Russia after "completely unacceptable" actions after drunk driving charge. Map of U.S. states renamed for countries with similar GDPs. Judging by the lyrics, candidates don't pay much attention to their campaign songs. A larger question is whether a candidate&
Negative attackers prep for campaigns in South Carolina, draw up anti-everything posters. On campaign plane, Clinton tests out sound bites in flight attendant mode. Carry a stout stick and the next time you see the crapsheet dealer, thrash him within an inch of his life. How to deal with free
What did we learn about Romney's success in Michigan? Pandering works. On one side, the green movement, and on the other, the anti-poverty types. In the middle? The Nano. Can the web make Broadway popular with the (hopefully young) masses? Will Ferrell quietly touring Broadway stages. It is
This summer, waterfall art installations will open on the shores in New York City. (Artist renderings here) A starfish threatens Indonesia's reefs; beetles may kill most of Colorado's lodgepole pines. Colorado, Minnesota towns battle over which gets to be the official "Ice Box of the
Was the "Filipino Monkey," professional radio troll, behind the recent U.S.-Iran naval encounter? Racist America's new term for a black person: Canadian. Hip-hop stars implicated in the steroids debacle; hacker controls city train network with remote control. New research says it may be your
U.S. plans to send 3,200 additional Marines to Afghanistan, in hopes of shaming NATO allies into matching troops. Army seeks "professional celebrity rock music band"; bureaucracy gets to build a tour rider. From William Henry Harrison's log cabin medal to the George W. Bush
No matter our sentimental ideas about our cell phones, we rarely consider where they go when they die. In today's TMN Gallery, portraits of people who speak to the dead. Small-town mayors speak of their ideas of Bloomberg. Loquacity equals good leadership--and other myths about eloquence in politics.
U.S. credits former Sunni insurgents for relieving violence in Iraq, fears what may happen if they're not accepted by Shiite leaders. "I asked my mother, who is 80, whether she'd ever seen snow in Iraq before, and her answer was no." On Friday,
News trickles out that Kyrgyzstan is holding a trainload of enriched uranium headed for Iran Why members of Kyrgyzstan's government won't be adding their two cents anytime soon. 1974 CIA document says it's known for a while that Israel has nukes. A babyboomer’s
"Why don't you think about what to do about traffic congestion in Bay Ridge?" Pundits, public tire of Bloomberg's presidential limbo. White House correspondent David Gregory vs. presidential candidate Barack Obama: the dance-off. Anne Rice on Hillary Clinton: "As we say in the
The polls that said Obama would cruise through New Hampshire? Nobody knows anything. But some are willing to guess: five theories on why Hillary won New Hampshire; see also, why presidential polls are wrong, and the race/class card. Kerry to endorse Obama. Karl Rove offers few insights on why
"This was decidedly uncool and very, very dangerous." Blackwater is back into the pot after revelations that agents gassed a rioting crowd in Baghdad in 2005. In Mexico, law enforcement supervisors are translating the classics into police radio codes for poorly educated cops. Radar detectors are more potent
Bush takes eight-day Middle East roadtrip, stopping first in Israel, then on to Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Candidates to replace Philippe de Montebello at the Met. Evidence that absurdly bad English in China can be blamed on faulty translation software. Op: Why oil prices really might
With yesterday's victory in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to win a major-party primary. Former campaign staffers decipher, critique, praise John McCain's New Hampshire win. "If I've ever trusted a state to set the stage for the presidential election, it&
What did you think about the Obama thing calling Hillary the senator from Punjab? Bill Clinton on Obama. Op: Wonder why you don't trust the government? Because it's full of bullies, muggers, sneak thieves, and con men. Will views on power plants make a difference to
What worries me is that he is seen as unifying by his race while she is seen as divisive by her sex. Gloria Steinem on race, gender, and perceptions of electability. When Chuck Norris takes the stage for Huckabee, it's to the squeals of journalists, 14-year-old boys. Obama&
Bush begins preparations for nation's final year. Photos from inside the Kenya chaos; all the videos and interviews you need in case you missed The Wire's premiere last night. What else do you need? Choire Sicha blogs the New Hampshire primary. See also: the candidates on
After a disputed election in Kenya, long-fueled tensions between tribes erupt into ethnic cleansing. I am afraid to say what I think on this blog as I will be in Kenya for a few more days. Kenyan bloggers speak their minds. Treasury Dept. to announce Social Security debit card, good
If you're in the spirit of giving, may we recommend some ways that may be new. Help rebuild the 9th ward in New Orleans with Make It Right. The 52nd Street Project helps tough kids turn into sensitive playwrights. Non-profit editorial: Saving the world, writing with wit, that&
Tom Coburn, the Senate's "Dr. No," finds fault with every bill, is a killjoy for Kerry. Shucks: In the year since the Democrats took Congress, Bush has blocked, vetoed, and flattered them into submission. To describe American Latin students, we need to substitute the much more
Masculine world leaders found to be hiding feminine dogs. Print for the commute home: Unstudied deep space to be found in the deep sea. Rove claimed he never felt comfortable operating within the visible light spectrum. Quietly, the Polish-German border dissolves; quietly, Belgium gets a government. Shots from a 19-year
A prescient choice, we hope not too prescient: Putin is the Person of the Year. Increasing needs for global communication mean accurate online translation is a must: a review of what's available. "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has
Sixty-four journalists died covering news in 2007, increase of eight over 2006. Blackwater shot dead Hentish, dog of the New York Times. Inside a Kenyan fridge, the latest in a BBC series. Other things Blackwater is up to recently: PR campaigns, adding to their arsenal, looking for U.N. jobs.
In hopes of curtailing a mortgage crisis, the Fed proposes a clampdown on lending, to little applause. "The Federal Reserve... is not a strong advocate for consumers... there is no Santa Claus. People... surprised by the one are presumably surprised by the other." From Foreign Policy: "The
Befuddled every time someone says "sub-prime?" A graphic explanation. "What's your next diabolical plot? And what's up with that big ol' splotch on your forehead?" Al Qaeda's number two is now taking questions. Venezuelan minister gets heat for attacking
Following Russian delivery of nuclear fuel, White House says Iran doesn't need to enrich, since they're having it sent in. U.S. picks its allies in Iraq, hands Turkey intelligence on Kurdish rebels' locations. Castro, who turned over power to his brother last year and
This is not what I've come to expect from the House of Representatives. New speaker of the house caught wearing women's clothing. The fascinating transformation of Raymond Carver's "Beginners" into editor Lish's "What We Talk About When We Talk
Thirty years after being hired by the CIA, Laotian fighters are deep in the jungle, and on the run. "The Iraq war is so over... Even if it goes on for another 10 years." Citing shifts in violence, Pentagon urges troop withdrawal from Iraq, deployment to Afghanistan. Mike
Clinton campaign apologizes about drug-use comments, though manages to leak "cocaine use" into apology announcement. Leaked proposal says EU will offer Serbia a fast-track acceptance once Kosovo goes independent. A small example of why Europe and Britain are united in viewing Brown as Eliot's cat--i.e.
Mitchell report names names to portray "baseball's steroid era," and the players call foul; names, bios, and reactions. British report on bungled attacks in London and Glasgow link the bombers with Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. Notes on the rich history of bans on artists by the
Kasparov forced to withdraw his candidacy because no landlords in Moscow would rent him a hall. Harvard lowers the rent (kills loan programs) to attract poorer students; Yale's courses now online for free. 'Tis the season for graduate school applications, hence: How to get a PhD and
House, Senate Democrats blame each other for caving to Republicans. The Clintons have a new pitch: Remember how great the '90s were? He often jokes about the electoral chances of a 5-foot-7-inch Jewish divorcé. But if the other candidates stumble, Bloomberg might run. The female spine is designed for
We're wishing for free and fair elections. But if not, we'll start the movement to dethrone Musharraf. Rigged elections predicted for Pakistan next month. I'm the U.N. undersecretary your mother warned you about. Op: A Wikipedia approach to government could make decision-making more
Federal panel votes to retroactively reduce tough '80s crack sentences; thousands of inmates will be eligible for early release. In short, all the evidence from every narcotics arrest in Brooklyn that day was gone. Drug evidence goes missing from police departments. Sqeaky prisoner gets his palm greased. Republicans in
Car bombs outside U.N. and government offices in Algiers kill 45, mostly students. Sleep, attention, and memory: what you didn't know about "stickyness." Wal-Mart panties for teenage girls suggest they accept cash for sleeping around. Crunks 2007: The Year in Media Errors and Corrections. See
"It's uncommon, to say the least, to find these." Maine town battles to retrieve a Declaration of Independence found in a deceased resident's attic. Former CIA employee denounces waterboarding, vouches for its effectiveness. Long Island company rents boss-dunking machine for parties. While traveling in
Putin picks his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, mild-mannered devoted houseboy. Concerning Belarus, perhaps Soviet-style cowboy films are to blame, since all Russian leaders love a good western. Concerning the future of Russian oil, could a sixth of Europe's electricity supply really come from solar panels in the desert? Op:
Secret CIA campaign has persuaded "handful" of key Iranians to defect from Tehran's nuke teams. Russia may "merge" with Belarus, inspiring further "hmms" about Putin's power plans. Saudi Arabia "reintegrates" former Guantanamo prisoners who were transferred to Riyadh
In an effort to respond to rider complaints, improve service, MTA to give L, 7 train managers autonomy. Lawmakers, carmakers strategize how to fit America into smaller, fuel-sipping cars. Op: Romney's defense of Mormonism was "brilliant and frustrating, inspiring yet also transparently political." Hawks and doves
Fearing prison, CIA officials destroyed at least two videotapes documenting "severe interrogation techniques." Petraeus says number of foreign jihadists entering Iraq has fallen by nearly half, thanks to country's neighbors and ordinary Iraqis. Gennifer Flowers leaning towards endorsing Hillary. In today's Video Digest, Meave
Letter bomb in downtown Paris kills secretary who opened the package. What happened to Gordon Brown? The disappearance of a prime minister while his government lurches between disasters. Analysis of statistics in Giuliani's latest Iran ad. How to get 100 million children in India reading in three years.
U.S. military leaders acknowledge recent gains in Iraq, resist Pentagon's request for increased troop withdrawals. As chances of a U.S. attack on Iran dwindle, other Arab nations worry Tehran may feel emboldened to interfere. How the intel on Iran's non-nukes came about: notes from
Scholars don't know how a 500-year-old map of America, now on display in D.C., got to be so darn accurate. Undated map of blondes in Europe; ugly Argentinian condemns idea that all of Buenos Aries is beautiful, proposes tax for hotness. Tina Fey's opinions about
How lessons learned from the WMD debacle in Iraq delayed the word that Iran wasn't working on nukes. Of the Democratic frontrunners, whose health plan covers more people? Also: a quiz to find your candidate. Seating chart revised to put problem senators up front. As with the old
The hidden human costs of Iraq, as told by current soldiers' memoirs. Luxury brands rated for their social and environmental performance. Judging how not to be conned when buying firewood this winter. Mailbag: "To say that the dollar is brutalizing the world economy could very well be the
Analysis: New intelligence shows Iran stopped enriching military uranium in 2003--Putin will be bolstered, Bush crippled, and new sanctions difficult to install. Making a new case for continued sanctions: Iran could start weaponizing uranium at any point. When can Muslims use the name Mohammed--and why don't English speakers
An overview of the nations that are bulking up their military, rather than trimming down. Making the case for a president who's more concerned with solving the world's problems than staying trim. As the Bush presidency draws to a close, so too does a history of
Exit polls say Putin's won in Russia with more than 60 percent of the vote. Voters deny Chávez the right to run for president for life. Five Bush myths about the bomb vs. theory that the world is collectively getting smarter. Stats on supply and demand for marijuana,
"Up to a thousand people," could stand to chillax over teddy bear's name. The Guardian claims proof the Kremlin's planning on rigging a Putin/United Russia victory, with many examples of coercion. When you weren't looking, Kasparov was released from jail five
Op: If robots fight our wars, combat could become deadlier than ever. "I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces." Generals argue for the repeal of "Don't
Bush gets a new economic advisor to deflect recession rumors, death rays. Yes, Virginia, the subprime crisis has reached the Arctic Circle. Head of U.S. detention facilities in Iraq wants to cut the detainee population by two thirds by end of 2008. Bible's top nine badass quotes,
In last night's CNN/YouTube debate, Republicans bash each other, though mainly Romney-bash. Army adopts new recruitment tactic--$40K toward your mortgage or to start a business--ask parents to ask their kids to think about it. More harbingers of recession, as credit values peak and drop--the most rapid
Mideast peace talks are also excellent photo ops. Signs of peace in Baghdad: Cabbies can again drive without fear of death. "On my honor I will try to serve Allah and my country, to help people and live by the Girl Scout law." Young Muslims join the Scouts--not
Impact of Annapolis will depend on how much diplomat-ing vs. showboating Bush commits to. As anticipated, Musharraf agrees to remove his epaulettes. Zimbabwe's chief statistician no longer able to calculate inflation due to lack of goods on shelves. Arguments for the effects of rugged terrain in Africa. Examples
Apprehension, reform, hopes as anniversaries arrive for the colored revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine. Video: Apprehension, not many hopes for rapping Singapore executives. Hope for humanity? Housewives of Orange Country to drink their own pee. Robert Birnbaum on the silliness of vino philosophy, and other books in the market this
Seven years since the last formal Mideast peace talks, the Annapolis conference opens. Analysis: Don't call it a summit, don't expect the U.S. to force anyone's hand, just don't anything. U.S. officials rankle at Sharif's political aspirations--is he
Second round of protests against Putin broken up, inspired by Kasparov's jail sentence. Bush loses a friend when Australia changes its prime minister. In Annapolis, key topics, major players; big questions to watch for; Israeli expectations, and others'. Print for the commute: For most Israelis, the two-state
Former PM Sharif returns to Pakistan, welcomed by crowds, tolerated by Musharraf. Con Ed shocked by photos of Indians forging NYC manhole covers--with bare hands and without adequate protective gear. The forensic investigation of the internet, a key element in Italy's brutal Meredith Kercher case. "It can
Twenty-five million affected by data leak in Britain, close to half the entire population. Until the U.S. looks more seriously at the various threats there, Lebanese democracy doesn't have much chance. Why Beirut is not Tehran. Why a Zagat review can be an appropriate way to catalog
Supreme Court to decide whether the Second Amendment really does mean individuals can keeps guns in their homes. Proposed bill would bring 4,000 troops back to life. Bill Clinton praises Zapatero's environmental efforts in Spain, accepts invitation to advise government. Obama on being a goof-off, drug use
"A good copy editor would have caught this in 10 seconds." Flawed tests invalidate thousands of students' reading scores. Stem-cell scientists announce breakthrough: Human skin cells can be reprogrammed to act like embryonic cells. Remember when King Juan Carlos told Hugo Chavez to shut up? Half a
Flow of migrant money estimated at $300 billion a year, with 60 countries receiving $1 billion or more in 2006. Bangladesh cyclone toll now estimated over 3,000. U.N. to announce it's cutting the number of annual new HIV infections by more than 40 percent from last
Details of shrunken lives in Gaza post-Palestinian civil war. FBI faces possibility that hundreds have been convicted based on wholly discredited bullet-lead analysis. Op: U.S. schools are producing more top science and engineering grads than the job market can support. In today's Gallery, Rosecrans Baldwin interviews seven-year-olds
U.S. officials say attacks in Iraq have dropped by 55 percent since the troop surge--though recent bombings are a reminder it's far too soon to bask in the success. Something is wrong with rural Virginia, American healthcare--or both. (Photos from Remote Area Medical's hospital camp)
Review of the eight most likely contenders for Lebanon's president. The (sad) week in review for baseball as Jeter gets taken to the cleaners and Bonds, possibly to jail. No locks, no keys: Belgium has now gone 156 days without a national government. British nukes prior to the
The perhaps-unexpected result of Musharraf's emergency rule: Militants have made gains in Pakistan's tribal areas. "We used to love America. Give me Tom Cruise and a vacation in Florida any day." Pakistanis' frustration with "Busharraf's" inaction swells. Charticle: David
Sworn account by one of the Blackwater turret gunners. Porsche makes more money trading derivatives than selling cars; rise of the Canadian dollar makes "BC bud" less competitive. Hollywood's strike makes trouble for Canada's film business. Details on how the Chinese weather service will
U.S. officials play out scenarios should Musharraf fall--and worry they may appear to be planning a coup of their own. Happy holidays: Earlier this year, federal investigators smuggled bomb parts past screeners at 19 airports. How the campaign has changed the candidates: Obama's gone partisan, Edwards abandoned
Democrats calculate wars' costs, including hidden expenses, and tally $1.5 trillion. Leading the information dissemination charge are websites. Detailed notes on the e-resistance rising in Pakistan. Spanish editor and cartoonist fined for comic mocking crown prince, "chipping away a bit more from the fragile pillar of media
Democrats respond to Bush's domestic spending veto, threaten to withhold war funding unless he agrees to Iraq withdrawal. U.S. bridge players face sanctions for anti-Bush sign at last month's championship tournament. Ongoing FBI Blackwater investigation finds at least 14 of the 17 shootings were unjustified.
Post music critic apologizes for insulting former crack-smoking D.C. mayor Marion Berry. At the center of a brutal Italian murder is an unlikely suspect: a twenty-year-old American study-abroad student. New issue of Murdaland; stories from the other side of America's obsession with murder. When buyouts slow down
Bhutto, again under house arrest during a planned protest, again calls on Musharraf to resign. Ahmad Chalabi, who once bore false info about WMDs, is back at work with the U.S.--this time to restore services to Baghdad. Judge orders White House to preserve its email, citing the Federal
Analysis on how assertive, bullying Russian tactics "have evoked stress in the Baltics that was unthinkable even five years ago." Photo gallery from Ghazaliya, a Sunni neighborhood in west Baghdad. Unknown fate for the tomb of the unknown soldier. Robert Birnbaum on the death of Mailer in this
"These kinds of incidents are upsetting for the guys." On Saturday, a guard from DynCorp shot, killed an Iraqi civilian--apparently unprovoked. Federal prisons consider release of 19,500 inmates convicted on crack charges. The brewing legal battles over retroactive sentence increases for prisoners--"life sentence" did
Police raid nabs Cosa Nostra's 10 commandments; prohibitions include glancing at friends' wives. Related: What the police really should be worrying about are the commandments driving 'Ndrangheta, Italy's crime family on the rise. World's biggest gun owners: Americans, Yemenis, and Finns. Yes,
In Pakistan, police barricade Bhutto in her home, lock down planned rally site. Bhutto attempts to break through police barrier in her bulletproof car. "You would think you couldn't have this type of control in the digital age. But it's there, massively. In-country confusion on
Online outpouring of protests in Pakistan; India's response to Pakistan's woes could fit neatly on a business card. Leading Egyptian democracy activist suggests Mubarak has a death squad on the loose. Answers, ideas in response to the question: Is the World Bank really necessary? Another question:
Musharraf bends to pressure, promises elections in February. Former Soviet republic Georgia declares state of emergency--the president accused opponents of working with Russian intelligence. Federal prosecutors will ask to indict Kerik on corruption, fraud charges--Manhattan's Kerik Complex renamed overnight. Evangelicals are still without a candidate, Pat Robertson picks
New fatalities make 2007 the deadliest year for U.S. troops since the beginning of the war in Iraq--though deaths have been declining since summer. Bhutto plans illegal rally for Friday, sends Musharraf an ultimatum: Restore the constitution, elections, and resign. It is dangerous to stand up to a military
After overwhelming demand for Olympics tickets, China switches sales to a lottery system. Since 2000, some 3,500 Chinese children have been named "Olympics." Study shows children of "helicopter parents"--those who hover over their kids after they've left the roost--enjoy college more. Fahmi
Why are lawyers protesting Musharraf? Because they want to, and they can. Analysis: Musharraf claims his power seizure was to fight terrorism, though his real target may be democracy. Bush urges Musharraf to hold elections, resign military position, praises fight against "extremists and radicals." Bush bests Gallup Poll
I should begin by saying that I find the current president of Russia and his policies extremely offensive. Print for tonight's commute: Why the majority of full-time Democratic foreign policy experts have parked their faith with Obama. Fascinating tests/pranks involving wine and so-called experts. Fancy man enjoys
In Pakistan, Musharraf declares "emergency rule," media silenced, hundreds of protestors arrested--notably, many are lawyers. Op: Musharraf isn't fighting "extremists," he's fighting to remain president, and taking the Americans for a ride. Why hasn't Pakistan overwhelmed militants, despite billions in
Hollywood writers rally around their strike, the first walkout in almost two decades. How to save Broadway from a strike? Apparently call a guy called Tom Short. I continue to be amazed by the incredible small publications around the world. Interview with Ted Genoways, editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review.
Daylight Savings Time ends Saturday night in the U.S.--did we save any energy? And: Will this neg our circadian rhythms? Op: Giuliani skewed his cancer mortality numbers to fit with his worldview--sounds like a trend. Democratic presidential candidates envision Mondale, political suicide as their colleagues plan tax hikes.
Reviewing the next steps in Spanish politics in light of the bombing verdicts. Our friends and allies would be more confident to stand with us if we seek to increase pressure, including tougher sanctions on Iran. Letter from Senator Hegel to Bush pleading for talks with Iran. Blackwater hires big
Madrid bombing verdict: 21 convictions, some sentenced up to 40,000 years, others less than 20, seven acquitted. An account of the 2004 explosions, their political ramifications, and a photo of the defendants guffawing in court. Victims' families distraught over acquittals, light sentences; theories on the verdict. Much that
On diplomacy mission, Iran's Mohammad Jafari sits down for a rare interview; US's own guru, Zbigniew Brzezinski does the same. Did you know Canada is the U.S.'s biggest oil supplier? Fifteen percent of women "most want gift cards" for Christmas, and
Arson investigators find the cause behind one of last week's S. Calif. fires--a boy playing with matches. Child on White House tour momentarily seizes control of nation. Supreme Court grants inmate stay of execution, indicating it intends to block all executions until deciding a lethal injection case. Former
At the expense of taxpayers and good governance, John Murtha has enriched his "hard-luck hometown" with billions. Despite a Yale degree, Prozac Nation's Elizabeth Wurtzel finds it hard to dismiss her past while searching for a law career. A report from the not-soon-to-be-infamous Gladwell/Gopnik "
Officials may have promised Blackwater guards immunity--that means no statements for prosecutors, and not much of a case. Giuliani still won't quit the day job--if he needs the money for campaigning, that's illegal. Video: Barack grooves with Ellen; he's "pretty sure" he
Analysis of bloggers' responses to White House's merely semi-secret request for bunker-busters perhaps bound for Iran. Print for tonight's commute: The secret history of the impending war with Iran that the White House doesn't want you to know. Alert, stereotypical boomers: restless David
Iran reacts to U.S. sanctions by shifting trade to the East--analysts says the move likely will buffer them against economic turmoil. "You leave home and it's safer here than it is at home." In Iraq, California soldiers try to keep tabs on their families. Running
Illegal workers from Mexico are sending less money back home--and their relatives are feeling it. Police report muggers are seeking out undocumented workers, who carry lots of cash and are fearful of the law. French government acts against Zoe's Arc, a charity that was flying children out of
Death count from California fires rises to seven; threat to homes diminishes, but what's to come is unknown. Oil experts know they'd prefer no one goes around attacking Iran, especially since they don't have contingency plans. Conservatives organize confrontations with Rice over diplomacy with
In San Bernadino, police shoot, kill a man caught lighting a brush fire--more arsonists are reported on the loose. "Some guys are thinking that it was not a good shoot, that it was not warranted." Inside Blackwater, muffled voices are skeptical of last month's shootings. Corruption
"This is a very powerful set of measures designed to send a message to Iran." U.S. locks McLuhan in the closet, imposes sanctions against Iran. After a four-day battle against the wildfires, winds in Southern Calif. subside, fires expected to abate. Insurance industry shrugs off wildfire damage,
Scrutiny is back on Bush and his handling of natural disasters after a weak federal response to California wildfires. Long deployments and 140,000 single parents in the military mean custody battles are increasingly being fought overseas. Guardian America, Yankee cousin of the famed British paper, launched yesterday. Matthew Baldwin
Utter devastation in southern California; state's largest evacuation underway, though some evacuees are already returning home. L.A. Times blog tracks the developments, as does the New York Times. Burma junta tracked the protesters, and now is staging midnight raids to arrest organizers and participants. Russia struggles with
California homeowner not ready to give up via evacuation, opts to remain captain of his ship. Breaking news from the BBC: Celebrities express "fear" and "concern" when confronted with fire. Mozambique's former president wins $5 million for knowing when to call it quits. Charlotte
"The fire is everywhere in San Diego now. You don't know where you can go to escape it." Schwarzenegger, Bush call state of emergency in Southern Calif. L.A. Times' readers send in photos; the Times has a map of the fire locations here. Democrats
Wildfires spread across Southern California, high winds are expected to worsen a dire situation. Istanbul reports eight soldiers missing following Turkey's latest incursion into Kurdish Iraq. Monkey attack leaves one Indian official dead--are bigger monkeys really the solution? Bobby Jindal, nation's highest-elected Indian-American, won the Louisiana
Poll of urban Pakistan finds favor for Bhutto; summary to help you sort out Pakistan's contemporary politics. Sarkozy and Brown want Blair for EU presidency; Madame Sarkozy says why she wanted a divorce. Seven top female chefs on why it's rare to have women run top
A visualization of the most commonly used words in Alberto Gonzales's House testimony. Now that every candidate has a book deal, here are options for a pre-presidential literary review. Amy Winehouse arrested in Norway for possession of Mary Jane Winehouse. Kevin Guilfoile on the trial of the suicidal
Bombings kill 134, wound 450 during Bhutto's homecoming procession. (Graphic photos here) Pakistani officials blame Islamic militants for the attack; Bhutto says supporters of former ruler are responsible. Christian conservatives lament lack of '08 candidate, rend hair, gnash teeth. Putin finds inspiration in FDR--in particular, his being
Bush unnerves world by invoking World War III; in confirmation hearings, Gonzales replacement chooses un-racy. Photos: Bhutto's return to Pakistan after eight years of exile. House bill forces Democrats to ask whether it's worth dropping transgender movement in order to protect gay rights. Supreme Court imposes
Former prime minister returns to mobs in Pakistan after eight years in exile. From the "bully pulpit," Bush says vetoing children's health insurance bill shows he is relevant. Measuring how fast the candidates talk finds John Edwards, noted drawl-er, pretty durn fast. In a world of
Con Ed may sue NYC for July steam explosion in midtown--they claim a city leak could have caused the blast. Even New Yorkers get lost exiting the subway: City experiments with sidewalk compass decals. Related: How to walk in New York. The Virtual Vaudeville Project: Computer rendering of the Union
Fearing loss of support in Iraq from Turkey, sponsors abandon House resolution on Armenian genocide. Turkey seeks approval to cross border into northern Iraq, attack Kurdish rebel bases. From 1943: American success or failure in Iraq may well depend on whether the Iraqis... like American soldiers or not. Tess Gallagher
China is furious and "resolutely opposed" to the U.S. honoring the Dalai Lama next week with a Congressional Gold Medal. Op: China's Communist Party has troubles it's increasingly ill-prepared to deal with. Japan pulls back millions in Burmese aid as death of journalist
Questions and answers on why the Blackwater scandal won't keep America from outsourcing its war-fighting. The United States cannot now undo President Bush's strategic gift to Iran. The victor in Iraq? You guessed it. Richest Americans' share of the national income now the highest it&
At opening of Chinese Party Congress, the big news seems to be no news; even the dissidents aren't surprised at a crackdown. Final Nobel prize of the year goes to three American economists looking into perfecting imperfect markets. How to explain the winners' mechanism design theory to
Russian security uncovers plot to kill Putin during upcoming trip to Iran. Thanks to resignations, ousters, who knows what, it looks like the scabs will carry the remainder of Bush's term. Death rates due to cancer, especially colorectal, are dropping faster than ever. "The power of meditation
Military officials seek workaround plans--while silently cursing the House--in case Turkey withdraws logistics support for Iraq. Russia threatens to back out of 1987 anti-nuke treaty if it isn't expanded to include more states. Myanmar's PM--already too sick to participate in recent crackdown--dies at age 59. After
Former vice president, presidential candidate, bearded nobody Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize for climate change work. I'm the only one running for President who's actually made it work. When candidates say they're the only ones. Dub-Dub and Laura sneakily find perfect window
Al Gore's campaign for the presidency is still going strong--less Al Gore. British judge rules Gore's An Inconvenient Truth contains exactly nine untruths. Still, that probably won't stop him from winning the Nobel Peace Prize. British mail workers go on strike; online stores fear
Marines strike up plan for troop withdrawal from Iraq--their own. With "skepticism, fire, and visionary power," Doris Lessing wins 2007 Nobel prize for Literature. Federal judge blocks Bush plan to sack 8.7 million suspected illegal workers nationwide. House votes to call 1915 Armenian killings genocide--a move that
The stars at last night's Republican debate were Romney, Giuliani, and a "rosy economy." CNN graphic has leading candidates smiling, flagging candidates frowning--and then there's Mike Gravel. As of 11 a.m. today, Chrysler's autoworkers are on strike; Broadway theaters face something
Guards from private Australian-run security firm kill two Iraqi women driving home in Baghdad. New theory being tested in Iraq's government: Forget about getting along or looking good, let's just do better on services. Britannica Blog runs week-long forum on the question of "Bomb-equipped Iran&
Personnel changes in the Chinese military put Taiwan experts at the top--Taiwan war-making experts, that is. Spain proposes "Historic Memory Law," which will honor Civil War victims on both sides of the conflict. Conflict in Iberia, however, still ongoing as car bomb explodes in Basque town of Bilbao.
Always looking for ways to look tough on terrorism, Democrats are eager to extend the NSA's wiretap powers. New ethics law could extinguish love between lawmakers and lobbyists--engagement rings are a no-no. Britain to halve its troops in Iraq by spring--U.S. officials grouse off the record. Iraqi
Safety watchdog, manufacturers not exactly racing to get dangerous products off shelves: Just ask Stand 'n Seal users. Bumper poppy crop in Afghanistan leaves officials mulling the merits of aerial herbicide sprays. If sunspots can affect 18th-century crop prices, could they also be behind global warming? Uganda becomes the
Iraqi leaders say they're giving up on reconciliation, striving for better bureaucracy. Chicago Marathon cut short yesterday due to extreme heat, death of a runner. Vandals punch hole in Monet painting of which 30 million reproductions exist on calendars and neckties worldwide. Nobel Prize awarded to scientists who
Burmese leader schedules rare meeting with top U.S. diplomat. In a gutsy move, Obama rejects the American flag lapel pin. Is it a coincidence that the National Guard deploys troops for 729 days--one day short of qualifying for the GI Bill? "People change, you know." Former first
Lawmakers chase news of secret CIA interrogation memos, vow to investigate, vow to interrogate Gonzales's replacement. House votes to apply U.S. criminal law to Iraq contractors; problem solved, have a nice weekend. Sen. Craig says he'll remain in the Senate, even though he said he&
Burmese leaders agree to meet with Suu Kyi, thousands of protesters remain in custody. Remember on Monday when we told you Bhutto and Musharraf were buddy-buddy? Scratch that. Kim Jong Il reassures public he's fit to fight, the heart surgeons were only at his house to do research.
News appears of a 2005 secret endorsement by Justice Dept. of CIA's torture tactics. Unable to get the light weapons it needs from the U.S., Iraq takes $100 million to China for arms. "The Wal-Mart era is drawing to a close" because "quality has
In controversial move, Bush vetoes child health insurance act; what's he thinking? State Dept. to offer "an alternative source to mainstream media" and blog it up. Social creativity, retroactive pessimism among the coping mechanisms psychologists recommend for Mets fans. Anniversary of Ghandi's birth celebrated
Piecing together the events of Sept. 16, when a firefight erupted between Iraqis and Blackwater agents. Clinton outpacing Obama in fundraising; Within the past month, at least one Clinton has appeared on television virtually every day. Fascinating analysis of political speeches, and the word clouds they produced. Fictional dirty bombs
U.N. envoy meets once with military head of Burmese junta, twice with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In other Asian encounters, North and South Korean leaders meet in Pyongyang for summit. Pakistan drops corruption charges against former PM Bhutto; is she ready to join Musharraf's team?
Hersh on the administration's plans for Iran, and the world's shared anxiety about what Bush can do. Hersh on Bush: "The president has accepted ethnic cleansing, whether he's talking about it or not." New group Freedom's Watch, the neoconservative'
Czech citizens conflicted over being friendly with the U.S., letting it install a missile defense system Russia vehemently opposes. Newest twist in Russian politics is Putin as prime minister, not president. Concurrent Technologies and Commonwealth Research Institute now hiring military men for "no-work" jobs. Navy struggles with
Burqa-clad suicide bomber kills 15 at a police checkpoint in Pakistan--authorities are trying to figure out if it was a man or woman. Iraqi government says number of civilians killed in bombings and shootings has "plunged." U.S. maintains top spot in supplying weapons to the developing world.
I've never understood the appeal of "soft partition" to anyone other than dedicated pro-Kurdish activists. Maliki calls Biden's separation proposal a "catastrophe." Further frightening news about Biden's bru-ha-ha, though both leftie pols and hawk-y politik-ers are happy to toe up.
With 56 shots fired so far in 2007, Blackwater's rate of shooting is twice as high as other security companies in Iraq. First cholera death hits Baghdad; World Health Organization suggests 30,000 Iraqis may be infected. Senate backs Biden's plan to separate Iraq into three
Verizon briefly refuses to let abortion rights group text customers, hopes we'll never speak of it again. Is Tania Head's Sept. 11 survival story too good to be true? Nike said it is the first time it has designed a shoe for a specific race or
Up to eight people killed in Myanmar, many more beaten and arrested as security forces raid monasteries. Op: If China won't change its policies toward Burma on its own, it must be pressured to do so. Dinner with Ahmadinejad: The movie 300 was a "complete distortion of
Episcopal Church backs down on gay issues in order to prevent Anglican schism. In wake of tragic accident, Utah miners argue for less regulation, not more. Gatorade also pushing for less government regulation--say, the kind that makes the beverage illegal in schools. Giuliani fundraiser collecting in multiples of $9.11.
Military rulers in Burma impose curfew, ban assemblies after another day of pro-democracy protests; several hundred monks attacked with tear gas. Exactly how many Burmese monks are there anyway? Ahmadinejad: "The nuclear issue of Iran is now closed." Ahmadinejad may say there are no gay people in Iran,
Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of lethal injections in Kentucky, voter ID laws in Indiana. Deliberations in ongoing Utah polygamy trial stall after one juror is dismissed. FCC fines cable company for showing an advertiser-produced news segment. More on the questionable "video news release." NYC mulls
Bush to announce sanctions against Myanmar's military brass. Crowds reach 100,000 in Myanmar; judging by history, large violent "actions" expected against protesters (see good summary of Burma's recent history). Surrounded by protesters, Ahmadinejad took the podium after being introduced as "a petty
Tens of thousands more join in protest against the Myanmar government. Bust of 124 steroid manufacturers should "send chills down the spines of athletes and high school and college students." New York Times apologizes for giving MoveOn.org discount rate for provocative ads. The dispute over the use
Graft in Iraq results in charges against 29 civilians and soldiers, more than 75 other investigations, and the suicides of at least two officers. Post investigation into how an elaborate nuclear safeguard system "was utterly debased" on a flight bound for Louisiana. Mime Marcel Marceau dies (see videos)
Backed by memories of Pinochet, Chile's Supreme Court extradites Fujimori to Peru. Rumors, the Internet, and immigrant "assistance" companies give hundreds of Mexicans false hope of Canadian refugee status. In odd move, Mattel apologize to China for toy recall, claiming they overreacted to design flaws. NASA
Ten thousand protest in Jena, La.; campuses country-wide react; interviews and notes from the streets; Bowie throws in. Bangladesh overwhelmed by a new Muhammed joke controversy. In case Snow didn't do it for you, notes on understanding the massive flap in Turkey over head scarves. Notes from a
Norman Hsu, fugitive fraudster and Democratic fundraiser, to be charged in Manhattan today. Nation currently down one Secretary of Agriculture--do you have any farm cred? Turkish hacker defaces electronic Vietnam Wall, urges us to remember Gallipoli. Exactly what Baghdad needs: cholera. After thousands of years of practice, clitoridectomies face abrupt
PM Maliki alleges there has been a history of Blackwater guards killing Iraqi citizens. U.S. forces in Iraq say violence has dropped to its lowest since last year's mosque attack, civilian deaths are down from 32 a day to 12. Thousands are expected to arrive today in
Israel declares Gaza a hostile territory in run-up to Sec. Rice's visit--good feelings all around. Witness intimidation--e.g., scalding with hot oil and murder--continues to make NJ gang prosecution difficult. Pol Pot's second-in-command arrested this morning, already charged by U.N.-backed war crimes court. Police
Typhoon slams southern China; two million people were ordered evacuated off the coast in anticipation. Pundits slander millions of teenagers for ever-coarsening, but it's their middle-aged fathers who are suffering ballooning crises. What "game changers" mean to the White House: tactical surprises to change public focus,
Iraq vows to prosecute Blackwater employees, though it's unclear whether they have the right to do so. White House to veto extension of Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, getting the government out of the insurance business. Musharraf promises to step down as Pakistan's commander-in-chief if re-elected president.
Bush picks Michael Mukasey to replace Gonzales, and he appears to be a shoo-in--for now. Except: He promoted the truly awful idea of a separate national security court that would try suspected terrorists. Except except: He suggested staffing those courts with "independent, life-tenured judges." Marc Ecko buys Bonds&
Blackwater loses license to operate in Iraq after they're blamed for shooting deaths of 11 civilians. Man behind Litvinenko's polonium poisoning angles for a seat in the Russian Parliament--as well as immunity from prosecution. International donors to pay for new concrete shell around Chernobyl plant. Art
The morning's quotes say Democrats likely to approve Bush's ex-judge pick to replace Gonzales; read how last month he said terror trials hurt the nation. Forking apart the hay around last week's nuclear stories set in Syria. Explaining why, if a man tells you
Indonesians grow weary as they ride out third consecutive day of earthquakes. Times researcher to be released from Beijing prison tomorrow, having done the time, but probably not the crime. Former-former Pakistani PM sets her return date for Oct. 18--meaning she should be back in Saudi Arabia for the weekend.
In speeches, Bush no longer stresses "victory" in Iraq, but "success," which is still more than Petraeus would say. Military brass won't agree on the best plan for troop withdrawal, which leaves nobody willing to make a decision. Price of oil hits new record
Sunni sheik who was leading advocate for U.S. cooperation is killed in bombing. Japanese PM enters hospital day after resignation, seriously slowing down the replacement process. Female boxing proves to be a path out of poverty for increasing numbers of Thai women. Warner plans Senate run to replace Warner,
Bush to sell his limited Iraq pullout as plan to unify America, prior to entering the election jaws. Two soldiers who helped author last month's big Times op-ed killed in Baghdad. Directions provided by Subway manager show isosceles cheese triangles part of sales conspiracy. Op: Those who say
Today sees the resignation of the Japanese PM, the selection of a new Russian one, and the Australians' promise to show himself the door. Former president of the Philippines gets 40 years in prison for corruption, heavy drinking, and womanizing. Former PM of Pakistan vows to continue his fight
Bush to cut back troops to "pre-surge" numbers. "There is no military solution in Iraq and there never was." Obama has a plan, too. Triple-word score if your kid is born on Lenin's birthday: In Russia's Ulyanovsk, workers told to stay home,
Petraeus and Crocker face second day of testimony, contrarian congressmen, and anti-war protesters. Bomb scares in Turkey, Germany add to 9/11 unease. Giuliani receives undeserved flak for appearing at ground zero ceremony. Op: Six years on, we're still afraid to ask the Arab world what they think
Bloomberg's role in remembering 9/11 is to look back in the morning and look forward at night. Today is a time to remember those who died, victims of a desperate ideology which seeks to return the world to a pre-industrial age. Osama bin Laden, still alive and
Gen. Petraeus to begin congressional testimony today, to recommend small reductions this year, saving big decisions for 2008. Also testifying, and possibly more worth listening to, is Ambassador Crocker. Former Pakistani PM Sharif is deported a mere three hours after returning to the country. Israeli police bust up a small
Mike Nifong, prosecutor in Duke rape case, enters jail for 24-hour term. Major democratic donor cum fugitive caught in Colorado when he takes ill on an Amtrak train. Austria, Australia, APEC, OPEC--same diff. The greening of Walmart brings eco-capitalists to a new place: Fayetteville, AR. Fashion Week learns to peacefully
New congressional report on Iraq works for both parties, though, for Petraeus, we wait until Monday to see. Not so for Bill Clinton, never far from a podium. Federal judge junks Patriot Act warrantless tactic, second time he's called provisions unconstitutional. Op: Germany will now have a harder
Germany still seeking 10 men connected to yesterday's foiled terrorist plot. Discontinued use of anti-depressants believed to cause suicidal thinking is linked to... an increase in suicide. Large percentage of New Jersey's political elite arrested in federal corruption probe. How Freddie Thompson knocked up success and
Luciano Pavarotti dies at 71 in Modena, his birthplace. Diving into the web in search of Pavarotti's greatest performances, finding gold. The police managed to swap some of the tanks of hydrogen peroxide the suspects had gathered with tanks of a far lesser concentration. Incredible story of how
Steve Fossett, millionaire aviator who was first to circle the globe in a hot air balloon, is missing after private plane goes off course. German police arrest three and foil "imminent" terrorist plot; police in Denmark do something similar. Someone from China is hacking into the British government&
Despite Bush's pageants in Iraq, the surge is being weighed, and feeling light. If Petraeus pulls off the surge, could he also become the next Veep? Today's long read, with ambition: Al Qaeda in Iraq, how to understand it, how to defeat it. Finding praise for
The media says we have a new Gore--but that's only because it killed the old one while he was running for president. The best part of summer: New York's schools reopen, streets safe once again. New stresses and homesickness have an unexpected result for some incoming
Paul Bremer counters new Bush book claims, shows letters saying the president knew they were going to dismantle the Iraqi army. In South Korea, notable résumé inflaters face exposure, ask adoring public for forgiveness. Pentagon says Chinese military hacked into its network, caused a system crash; Chinese official denies the
Tony Snow says he's got to go; is Sen. Craig up next? Audio: Everyone's favorite straight senator minutes after his arrest for not being gay. Karl Rove's last day on the job is celebrated with plastic wrap and Obama '08 stickers. "Serbia
Congressional report says Iraq's police force has been irrevocably ruined by undesirables, and should be disbanded. South Korea denies Afghan allegations that it paid the Taliban for the release of its hostages. "His friends thought he was doing an art piece." Suicide goes unnoticed by Burning
Study finds Democrats are getting more morning airtime than Republicans, possibly because they're just more interesting. Citizen uprisings bring measured hope for democratic reform in Myanmar. Italian police in Mafia crackdown following a rash of murders; but does a "wedding ring exchange" mean more trouble is
Leaked report criticizes Virginia Tech for insufficient communication prior, during, and after the shooting. Man arrested for burning Burning Man four days early. TMN's Nicole Pasulka on all of the month's fire-related news. Today's big read: The fiery business of insuring--and gambling giant stakes
In Iraq, Sadr orders his Mahdi Army to stand down for six months for "restructuring." Though the U.S. says Iraqis are free to apply for refuge on American shores, few have taken the offer, as they're not allowed to apply within Iraq. Young Chinese workers
We are approaching a level of ridiculousness. Exasperated GOP strategists try and contain their newest scandal. Idaho Statesman posts audio chronicling Sen. Craig's sex scandals; Craig blames Statesman for his current spot of trouble. Two years after Katrina, is New Orleans's glass half-empty or half-full? Let&
Taliban will release South Korean hostages if Korea halts missionary work, military involvement. Black-and-white photograph of a protester chasing off a soldier is tearing Bangladesh apart. People who say crack is back are wrong--it never went away. Expensive homes out West are protected from wildfires by "magical goop"
Analysis of Bush's reasons to reward loyalty over competence (particularly for "Fredos" who don't turn on their bosses). Conservative picks for who should replace Gonzales. News bubbles up of an Idaho senator pleading guilty to solicitation, giving license to toilet reporting. Walter Mosley: Two
After three weeks of work and two additional deaths, Utah rescue team plans to lower robotic camera into mine. More than 63 people are dead in Greek forest fires--is it arson? Russia arrests 10 members of Chechen underworld, linking them to the death of a controversial and crusading journalist. Karl
Thanks for the ride, Bert: Gonzales resigns. Army lures new recruits with $20,000 to enter basic by the end of September--aka, the end of the fiscal year. With fewer foreign fighters able to enter Iraq, insurgents are enlisting children, and U.S. detention facilities are filling with pre-teens. After
Amnesty publishes proof Sudan is breaking the Darfur arms embargo--most likely with the help of Russia. Much of the U.S. is currently snorkeling, if not Jet-Skiing, home from work. Gov. George Wallace's would-be assassin released from prison after serving 35 years of 53-year term. Basque separatist group
Flinty intelligence assessment of Iraq's government, Bush's government, and Democrats who would withdraw. Will an op-ed by seven soldiers have more impact than stories penned by generals? (See here for the op-ed.) Chapter five in Josh Neufeld's wonderful "A.D.", the true
As is common practice on risky projects, demolition work at ground zero is being carried out by a shell corporation. Pakistani Supreme Court allows former PM, exiled in 2000, to return to the homeland. White House takes Office of Administration off list of bodies covered by Freedom of Information Act,
In veterans speech, Bush connects Iraq to Vietnam--this time we can win it, see? More and more of the electricity grid in Iraq is being seized by armed militias. Pre-treating posttraumatic stress. Texas executes its 400th inmate since reinstating capital punishment in 1982. Wives and their wrongfully convicted husbands, after
Blackhawk helicopter crash in Iraq kills 14 American soldiers. Congress forces CIA to release document analyzing pre-Sept. 11 intelligence weaknesses; ACLU forces White House to release political protest action plans. Everyone except Mother Earth wins when Brazil resettles urban homeless to virgin rain forest. Russia can't get enough
Bush finds fewer words of praise for Maliki and the Iraqi government as the surge evaluation approaches. Over 100 foreign-policy experts surveyed for a look at the current state of terrorism. Iran releases Wilson Center's Dr. Haleh Esfandiari. Pdf: Details on the roadblocks and corridors (with map) of
Michigan pushes presidential primary up to January 15, causing New Hampshire and Iowa to leapfrog theirs to next Tuesday. Sex researchers draw battle lines around work of J. Michael Baily, advocate of an alternate transgender theory. "The fact that those who do not serve in the military can become
Next year Congress will earmark $6.7 billion to combat global warming--some worry it may turn into "green pork." Citing recent smoking ban, bad weather, analysts say U.K. cigarette sales fell by seven percent last month. See also: In Hindsight: Smoke Signals. Putting the fun back into
Over objections of human rights groups, Israel returns Sudanese refugees to Egypt. Video: Ambassadors from failed states on statehood, failing, failed statehood. Bush's bid to spread democracy and end tyranny worldwide might not be implemented by end of fiscal year. Also: Researchers conclude increase in disease diagnoses might
Stability of the Kurdistan region threatened by Iranian forces. Gaza's main power plant shuts down after the EU halted financing of fuel deliveries. Today's big read: How border violence is overflowing and bringing havoc into Southwestern cities. Illuminating details on Iowa's non-illuminating straw poll.
After one day of deliberation, jury convicts Jose Padilla on terror charges. Poll shows most Americans are already distrustful of the Army's next Iraq assessment. Led by a general with a history of failures, the State Department's embassy construction unit is in hot water. Former South
Earthquake death toll continues to climb in Peru, nearing 500; workers are on a frantic search for survivors. Was Giuliani, as he asserts, at ground zero "as often, if not more" than recovery workers? Records show him there for 29 hours; responders logged 12 hours a day. (graph
Army suicides hit a 26-year high, with 99 deaths in the past 12 months. Conspiracy theorists, take note: Rumsfeld resigned one day earlier than thought, and was wearing a tinfoil hat. Memphis heat wave plagues Elvis fans gathered for 30th anniversary of his death. With $190 million riding on a
Death toll in northern Iraq's truck bombings rises to at least 500; at least 377 dead in Peru earthquake. Waters have inundated houses, houses have collapsed, factories have been completely inundated. Comments from visitor to the North Korean floods. China plants billions of trees to stop sandy tide
Hope fades for trapped Utah miners, though more dramatic rescues have been made. Nation's largest food aid donor questions the basic theories behind their work--turning down $45 million in the process. Agricultural experts warn all the rice in China isn't worth a barrel of potatoes. Residents
In northern Iraq, at least 200 are killed in coordinated truck bombings--the deadliest attack this year. U.S. to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group, will legally-ish peek into its business dealings. North Korea flooding leaves 300,000 homeless, destroys 10 percent of farmland. Promising safe,
“I’ve done a lot of fund-raising in my day, but I was astounded by the outpouring of generosity.??? Newark pulls together in the wake of brutal murders. Bomb blast derails train traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg, seriously injuring six. Mattel recalls half-million more toys--company president takes the opportunity
Pakistan celebrates its 60th anniversary today, India marks independence tomorrow. Barbara Starr vs. Seymour Hersh on the whereabouts of Pakistan's nukes should a coup surface. How India's economy has b(l)oomed since Nehru took charge. The lessons of one Karl Rove: hit every opponent with
Iran's oil and industry ministers out of work, Ahmadinejad cronies suddenly employed. California voters to decide whether to abandon "winner-take-all" electoral vote system--to GOP's glee. Design for new Minneapolis bridge goes ahead without much competition. Head of Chinese company responsible for Mattel toy recall
Effective at the end of the month, Karl Rove will depart the White House--and also politics. (more here) Sometimes Debka.com is wrong, like its NYC dirty bomb warning; sometimes it's really wrong, like when it reported the Chinese had teamed up with the Taliban. Ten weeks ago,
Factory Records founder Tony Wilson dies, age 57. (obit) Sensors reach trapped Utah miners to find oxygen but no carbon dioxide--a bad sign. South African president sacks deputy minister of health, major voice against AIDS denial. Lance Armstrong's cycling team disbands over the fact that everyone and their
Southeast U.S. scorched by heat wave; U.K. scientists predict record high temperatures for the rest of your life. Slaying of Oakland editor galvanizes African-American elite who turned "black power" into electoral reality. Hints that China could use "the nuclear option"--liquidating its U.S.
Leaning in the direction of "free and fair elections," President Musharraf decides against declaring nationwide state of emergency. Thousands of Shiite pilgrims gather in Baghdad with "only a few signs of the violent attacks and stampedes that have marked previous celebrations." National Transportation Safety Board eyes
Brooklyn's first tornado in 118 years sweeps through the borough, shutting down subways, increasing misery. Drills now reaching within a few hundred feet of trapped Utah miners. Concerned over the high number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan, British commander asks American Special Forces to leave. States continue to
Five Iraqi ministers boycott cabinet meetings, though hold onto posts. Baghdad's last eight Jews seemingly unconcerned with their fate, while Argentina's very many Jews worry about theirs. Military officials strengthen claim the Baghdad Diarist lied; New Republic editors argue otherwise. First leading the way with Darfur,
State-run Harare paper says 7,500 have been arrested for violating price controls in Zimbabwe. White farmers patrol South Africa's border to stem "human tsunami" of exodus. Notes on the very real glass ceiling for women seeking to rise in Japan. The Wire is accurate, street
Mine company president says it will take at least three more days to rescue trapped Utah miners--it's still unknown if they're alive. Wait, wait, no, no, Keith Richards really did snort his dad's ashes. Nifty table depicts where the 2008 presidential candidates stand on
Basra, in southern Iraq, was once a success story--now, as British troops prepare to leave, violence flares once more. Brown does what Blair never would--and requests the release of five U.K. residents now in Gitmo. August in Iraq: 19 U.S. soldiers have been killed, signaling a resurgence from
Abbas hosts meeting with Olmert, the first summit to be held in the Palestinian Territories since 2000. With the end a short five years away, Chavez seeks to abolish term limits for Venezuelan presidents. Spain's ETA separatist group sends new extortion demands--some up to $550,000--to Basque businesses.
A busy Sunday for Bush and a few lobbyists means the government will now have a much easier time snooping on your conversations. A month before presidential elections, opposition candidate beats government-backed rival in Beirut. Return of hoof and mouth in Britain blamed on human error. Spotlight turns again on
Estimates drop from 20-30 to eight for number missing in Minneapolis bridge collapse. Coming federal crackdown on illegal immigrants may be a huge headache for 12 million legal citizens with incorrect Social Security records. L.A.-based Telemundo reporter suspended for having affair with city's mayor; Oakland newspaper
Five confirmed dead in Minneapolis bridge collapse, divers continue their search. The bridge had been rated "structurally deficient"--as are more than 70,000 bridges in the U.S., to the tune of $188 billion in repairs. How NYC's traffic and pedestrian bridges measure up--the Brooklyn
Minneapolis bridge collapse rescue efforts begin after officials assess the area as safe enough for workers. Probe finds DoJ head aware as early as 2003 of Chiquita's payments to Colombian paramilitary groups. Canada displeased, U.S. silent as Russia claims the North Pole. If Giuliani becomes the Republican
Rescuers search for dead after Minneapolis bridge collapses during rush hour. Senate may end era of secret chokeholds, Mae West holds, rotating holds, and other legislative wrestling moves. Robert Mugabe has finally achieved complete economic control, ending Zimbabwe's economy. Africa's oil-poor countries may want to count
More than 65 killed in Baghdad bomb attacks today, as largest Sunni bloc walks away from coalition cabinet. Rumsfeld returns to Capitol Hill for first time since leaving office in order to testify in Pat Tillman cover-up inquiry. Positing what's next for Citizen Murdoch: A financial news network?
House passes vast ethics reform; lawmakers must disclose campaign funding, government spending, disrobe behind the privacy curtain. Military reports American death toll of 74 in July, the lowest number in any month this year. "People watch television because there is nothing else to do." More Afghans have TVs
Afghan police recover body of second South Korean hostage to be shot and killed by Taliban. Today marks the end of Britain's longest military operation--a 38-year police presence in Northern Ireland. U.N.-backed Cambodian genocide tribunal questions its first suspect, former head of Phnom Penh's
According to Novak, the U.S. and Turkey are capturing Kurdish leaders to forestall Turkey from invading Iraq. Rice rolls through Mid-East towns on a major arms-for-allies jaunt. Iraq won the 2007 Asian Cup, and citizens ignored the threat of suicide bombers to celebrate with guns (four died from "
Bush and Brown now BFF. Puerto Rico appeals to U.N. for greater economic autonomy from U.S. Russia swears it never sent an astronaut up drunk, though a little cognac now and then isn't so bad. DeLoreans re-enter production with a limited run of 20 new cars.
Inside Baghdad's Rule of Law Complex, where dangerous suspects stand trial, and judges and their families live in safety. Employees plot against their coworkers, some tried to smuggle bombs into the computer department--Iraq's Ministry of Interior is a factional hotbed. The U.S. agency overseeing reconstruction
Suicide bombing, rioting follow government's attempt to reopen Islamabad's Red Mosque. U.S. and E.U. finally settle how to share airline passenger data; next fight, visa waiver restrictions. Venture capitalists overcome their inhibitions and dip their toes into online "adult entertainment." Accidental explosion
Mueller contradicts Gonzales, says surveillance program was discussed at Ashcroft's bedside. New Nasa scandals: drunk pilots, sabotaged wires. How Japan's population has transformed from tree to kite. Before, it was all propaganda about the nation. Now it is propaganda about religion. Stories of artists in Iraq,
Latest Tour de France doping casualty is Michael Rasmussen, yellow jersey-bearer for the past nine days. Team Type 1 hopes to field an entire team of diabetic cyclists within five to seven years. They both saw the same thing at detonation--the bones in their arms. Former Marines remember live nuclear
Iraqi celebration of soccer win over South Korea darkened by two car bombs that killed at least 50. U.S. military in Iraq wonder if attackers' improved aim is the result of training in Iran. Democrats on the hunt for votes find ways to appeal to the antiabortion movement--by
Taliban kills one Korean hostage, releases an unknown number, and continues to hold the rest. Civil contractors working in Iraq find that "workers comp" doesn't quite cut it for battle wounds. Chinese, Mexican, and Wheaton, MD worlds collide in "the largest single drug cash seizure
With limited results but many discussions of God, Bush and Maliki have been video conferencing. Putin juices his rhetoric with U.K., accuses Brown and Co. of "colonial thinking" for desiring suspect in polonium poisoning. Female protesters in Zimbabwe face arbitrary arrest, beatings, torture. Former U.S. ambassador
Spanish cartoon mocks royal family, draws public wrath, official confiscation; cartoonist claims it was Tom and Katie, not the royals. (Here's the NSFW image.) Older, but interesting: American-style parent-child play is a distinct feature of wealthy developed countries. Does naming a school after a bird, not a Founding
U.S., Iran restart Iraq talks in Baghdad; on the agenda: accusations and demands, but no catering specified. The $600 million U.S. embassy in Iraq is now complete, and may be engulfed in flames following a military pullout. In Afghanistan, troops kill at least 75 militants in battles in
Deposed Afghan king, age 92, dies in Kabul. Alimony test case establishes domestic partnerships as unequal to marriage. Asst. Secretary of State clarifies: You didn't break the passport system. Legislators nationwide mull fair ways to punish and regulate dangerous dogs; playground pit bull attacks don't help
Turkey's ruling party wins broad victory against secularists, claims mandate to pursue Islamic agenda. Thousands stranded after this weekend's devastating U.K. floods. Japan blurs difference between defensive and offensive military build-up despite pacifistic Constitution. Earthquake sets Japan back to 2147. Today's long read:
Pakistan's Supreme Court reinstates its chief justice, declaring illegal Musharraf's earlier dismissal of him. Geologist opines the vast underground lake that many hoped could end the Darfur conflict likely dried up at least 5,000 years ago. The campsite had already taken on a pungent aroma
In an act of support to Abbas, Israel frees more than 250 Palestinians from prisons. Well-armed N.H. couple that stopped paying taxes in 1996 and lives in a solar-powered compound is now in a standoff with authorities. The mysterious Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who is Al Qaeda's
Al-Sadr adopting Hezbollah and Hamas tactics: creating "entwined social and military wings that serve as a parallel government." YouTube gets in on the presidential debate action, with 1,300 users already posting questions. British Parliament looks to suspend politician extensively involved in Iraqi oil funds scandal. "We
Midtown steampipe explosion kills one in Manhattan, injures 30 (video, photos, comments). Buried hazards in the city: aging pipes, asbestos contamination. Study finds 85 percent of men who look at porn depicting children also molest them. Mexican migrants carry H.I.V. home to rural hamlets ill-prepared to handle the
Libya commutes death sentences for six foreign medical workers accused of deliberately infecting children with HIV. Optimists hope discovery of huge underground lake in Sudan may help ease Darfur conflict. Atlanta Falcons quarterback accused of playing host to Bad Newz Kennels, a vicious dogfighting enterprise. More on the fundamentally disturbing
Pulling an all-night Iraq debate, Senate can't agree on troop pullout--around 8:30, they considered having Trent Lott arrested. "I am convinced based on everything I have read it won't be a hell of a lot worse than it is now." U.S. lawmakers
Al-Sadr loyalists end their one-month boycott and return to the Iraqi parliament. Sunni/Shiite politics also play out in the streets, as diverse militias seek to curry U.S. favor. Security agencies release National Intelligence Estimate today, warn of terror attacks at home. Study finds eating grapefruits leads to higher
U.K. prepares for penance post-pitching of Russian plants, portending KGB's play in the polonium poisoning. Inspired by China's recent chop-shop, a history of punishments for officials on the teat. Public defenders defend better on salary rather than hourly wage. Old but remarkable story of a
Powerful earthquake strikes northwest Japan, killing seven, injuring hundreds, and releasing "a small amount" of nuclear waste. Israel to release 250 Fatah prisoners later this week as Middle Eastern good feelings grow. IHOP to buy Applebee's, Olive Garden looks sheepishly at shoes. Chicago journalist fired after
As violence escalates, truce between Pakistan and tribal leaders along Afghanistan border appears to dissolve. Coordinated car bombs in northern Iraq kill at least 80, wound 136 more. In the 10-square-mile district of West Rashid, the Mahdi Army also controls the housing market, the gas stations and the loyalty of
A ruined Zimbabwean economy has cost men their affairs--and caused the only significant drop in HIV in southern Africa. Details of the current moral and political crackdown in Iran, the most widespread since the 1979 revolution. Hamas struggling to contain radical Islamist groups in Gaza. Question of the day: My
Despite Bush's vow to veto, the House notarizes plan to yank combat troops from Iraq by next year. Bush inflates notion of al Qaeda in Iraq, and yes, Saddam did cause Sept. 11. Recent events in the Russian press: Olympic cash lockdown; tourists in Chechnya; missile defense against
Bush is pleased with the progress report in Iraq, asks nation to try on his beer goggles. Roboticists are building the world's fastest walking robot shaped like Kelly Le Brock--OK, just the world's fastest walking robot. Runners in air-polluted cities feel the burn in all the
U.S. counterterrorism officials say al Qaeda has rebuilt in Pakistan, terror threat is rising. Investigators poke holes in U.S. nuclear security by setting up fake construction company in W. Va., getting licensed to buy materials for a dirty bomb. Army says bold January attack in Karbala that killed
London 21/7 bomb plotters get life sentences. APA to reconsider definition of homosexuality in the DSM IV (listen to "81 Words"). Explained: How does the Wall Street Journal cover stories about the Wall Street Journal? Working mom explains the battle plan that got her family on a
Analysis of what Musharraf may gain from raiding the Red Mosque: support, respect, momentum for what may come next. Op: Why do Arab thugs always get away with murder? Also: The U.K. is safer for the airing of Muslim laundry. Logos to die for? The branding of terrorist organizations,
NYC public schools on track to become the nation's largest supplier of free meals for children. In the next 50 years, California's population is expected to become primarily Latino, and grow by 75 percent. "It is better for my children to be alive even if
Iraqi politicians say if the U.S. withdraws too quickly, their nation might collapse. Pakistan forces raid Red Mosque in Islamabad, 50 militants confirmed dead. By the time Gonzales wanted to renew the Patriot Act in 2005, and he said no civil liberties had been abused, the FBI had been
White House denies debate over White House pullback, and presumably ignores the big Times op-ed. Cindy Sheehan threatens to run against Pelosi if the congresswoman won't impeach Bush. They bought Diet Coke and turned it into bottled milk. CBS and Katie Couric, optimists. See other nuts. Performance artist
Weekend violence and political fall-outs follow Friday's tragedy, and there seem few signs in Iraq to be hopeful about. Britain finally gets its Wimbledon champion--in mixed doubles. Sarkozy won't mass-pardon prisoners on Bastille Day, breaking with tradition. Belated happy birthday, President Bush. Today's long
In Afghanistan, U.S. and NATO troops have killed more civilians than Taliban insurgents have. Figuring it's better than being terrorized by al Qaeda, Sunnis--some of them former insurgents--aid the U.S. military. DIY destruction: In Britain, man convicted of possessing terrorism manuals. Patients, investors enraged at two
Republican loyalist Sen. Pete Domenici breaks with Bush on war, calls for immediate change in Iraq strategy. The memorial for victims of the 2004 Madrid bombings is composed of 150,000 pieces of curved glass. Some Chinese fish farmers may pump their crops full of chemicals, but others rely on
New at TMN: "People We Like," a weekly photo of people and places from around the world. Uneasiness and insecurity, officials say, are contributing to a rise in U.S. citizenship applications. In Iraq, 161 service members were naturalized as American citizens on Wednesday. Budget cuts, White House
Recently declassified documents reveal Mitterrand's support of the Hutus in the months leading up to the Rwandan genocide. Confirmed: France loves McDonalds. Hoping to compete with Al Jazeera, Iran launches a 24-hour, English-language news channel. China tightens laws to restrict organ transplant tourism. Egypt's "lost
Libby walks, Bush talks, Democrats balk. Gates seeks to rally bipartisan support for end of troop surge, beginning of withdrawal from Iraq. Bush signs law requiring federal buildings to lower flags when states do. Beverly Sills, beloved Brooklyn soprano, dies at 78. Looking to Britain for hints, U.S. intelligence
Ever cautious, U.S. claims Iran was behind January attacks in Iraq. Hamas arrests individuals involved in kidnapping of BBC reporter. Hong Kong celebrates 10 years since its return to China, reflects on the state of "democracy." Croatian rock star brings back Nazi couture and lots of awkward
Two more suspects arrested in British car bomb attempts. British government claims bombers had ties to al Qaeda, excepting their ineptitude. Op: If it's summer in the U.K., there are terrorists about. Obama becomes the first Democrat to raise more than $30 million in a quarter during
Supreme Court agrees to hear Guantanamo cases in surprising reversal of a February decision. Review panel finds only convicted suspect in 1988's Lockerbie bombing may not be guilty after all. Protesting a possible Murdoch buy-out, Wall Street Journal reporters stage half-day walk-out. (In their own words.) India plans
Police disable car bomb found in central London; incident bore all the "hallmarks" of a failed suicide bomb attempt. Egyptian billionaire suspected of spying for Israel found dead--where else, if a spy--in London. Supreme Court bans use of students' race to maintain public schools' integration. Swinger
Bush invokes executive privilege and refuses to hand over wiretapping files subpoenaed by the Judiciary Committees. The grisly latest from Iraq, including 20 decapitated bodies. U.S. plans withdrawal of 30,000 troops--from Europe. Hamas goes marginally underground in the West Bank. Brother of a British suicide bomber finally tells
White House subpoenaed on wiretapping, and perhaps finally we'll see a showdown. Op: A conservative's case for impeaching Dick Cheney. Blair to work on economics, not peace in the Middle East--because Condoleeza's got that wrapped up. Iranians revolt against new gas-rationing plan. The population
New U.K. prime minister Gordon Brown (snidely) answers readers' questions. Thirteen years of Tony Blair cartoons explained. Catching up with P.S. 36's kindergarten class of 1995. Clinton criticized by Giuliani for response to 1993 World Trade Center bombing. U.N. predicts radical growth in urban
Republican senators hop on the Lugar express, cheeping "me too" to the nearest camera. Tony Blair hands in his resignation to the Queen. Bush: Maybe our men and women in uniform just aren't what they're cracked up to be. Research notes as an intelligence
In a "gesture of goodwill," Israel to release 250 Palestinian prisoners. Zimbabwe government orders all prices halved to fight a soaring inflation rate--3,700 percent at last check. Delegitimization of state, factionalized elites: The Failed States Index doesn't leave much to the imagination. Chatty doctors cross
Supreme Court significantly weakens McCain-Feingold's restrictions on special-interest-funded ads. What America knows, a Newsweek poll suggesting that John Roberts could be hotter. This week's must reads: The Post's "Angler" series about Cheney's term. George Packer's four theories on
Suicide bombings kill 40 in Iraq today, including six U.S.-allied sheikhs and eight police cadets. California wildfires destroy 200 homes and near Tahoe city limits. Hamas releases audio message from Israeli soldier captured one year ago. Army of Islam releases a video message from kidnapped BBC reporter, now
Bomb kills six U.N. peacekepers in south Lebanon, the type of attack Hezbollah has feared it will be blamed for. Rice and Sarkozy find common ground in blaming the world for being soft with Sudan. Terrific, frightening summary of Iran's current crackdown on dissenters. Patriotism, testosterone plummets
TMN is currently on its annual retreat and will resume publishing on Monday, June 25--until then, perhaps you'd like to fill out our reader survey and maybe win a new iPod? Change in the rules for war casualty photos requires soldier signatures. Motion sensors at home may help
Israel allows 140 Russians to leave Gaza, remains tight-lipped on fates of Palestinians who also want to flee. Questions and answers about the Palestinian territories' two governments. Unlike East Germany's government, Hamas has been democratically elected. Why the West Bank is not like West Berlin. Palestinians in
Major offensive in Iraq as U.S. forces target al-Qaeda stronghold. Baghdad car bomb kills at least 75. Bulls, china: Troops in Iraq receive archaeological playing cards on how to preserve antiquities. Cuba's unofficial first lady, Vilma Espin, dies at 77. New York's Chelsea Hotel no
U.S. sets free millions to Fatah so Abu Mazan can survive; Gaza gets lopped off, and a democratically-elected government topples. How to make a living smuggling weapons into Gaza. Pakistani minister calls for suicide attack after Rushdie is to be knighted. Hersh on Taguba, the Abu Ghraib investigator. Briefing
Casual wardrobes devoted to saving energy in China. Boy meets girl, girl dumps boy, boy maims girl with lye, boy serves time, boy proposes, girl accepts. Stolen car stolen again the same day. Germany's Robin Hood banker sentenced for his non-profit embezzlement. Retired bullfighter returns to Barcelona for
One effect of the U.S. attorneys' firings: "Targeted for political reasons" may be popularized as a courtroom defense. Top general in Iraq says surge results won't be sufficient by September, check back in a few years. Targeting al Qaeda in Afghanistan, U.S. airstrikes
Seventy-one-year-old Klansman convicted in 1964 kidnappings; British sleeper terrorists get 15 years to life. Not content with federal efforts, states speed laws through congresses, tackle illegal immigration on their own terms. Ban lifted for a one-time ivory sale--some conservationists applaud, others worry. A visit from Nepal's 10-year-old living
Hamas seizes Gaza control, potentially dooming the Palestinian vision of a unified Gaza and West Bank. Abbas tries to dissolve the Palestinian government--Hamas says he no longer has the authority. Hamas announces amnesty for all senior Fatah leaders. This summer in France, Count Rochambeau will hold a festival honoring the
Executing opponents in the street, occupying half of Fatah's security compounds, Hamas may soon control Gaza. Beyond a few retribution attacks, Iraq remains calm after Wednesday's bombing of a Shiite shrine. Iran's parliament votes in favor of executing porno actors. Non-Middle East foreign policy
Hamas's demonstration of broad control in Gaza "a problem" for Israel; "madness is going on," says Abbas. Pentagon reports rise in violence in Iraq post-surge. Accident dries Rome's fountains; see ancient Rome in three dimensions. Report details hot nodes in human trafficking.
Internal U.N. report says U.S. has sidelined the organization's role in the Middle East, everything else going to Hell. "If they were not used in Micronesia, they were definitely not used in the spirit of the way this was written." Boats earmarked for faith-based
Iraq shrine attacked in a repeat of a 2006 bombing that many say sparked a wave of sectarian violence. Bush stops by Capitol Hill to press palms with senators, demo his new immigration bill that includes this handy-dandy crevice tool. "If somebody on Guam wanted to meet Carmen Electra,
Factional fighting in Palestine increases as Prime Minister's home and President's office both struck by grenades. Mudslides plus shoddy construction blamed for deaths of over 100 Bangladeshis yesterday. North Carolina State Bar to bring ethics charges against prosecutor in Duke lacrosse case. Just two weeks before
Federal appeals court says the president can't declare civilians "enemy combatants," can't hold them indefinitely. Sudan flatly denies genocide, threatens to deny the world Coca-Cola. When breakthroughs appear just in time to stall stem-cell bills, how much politiking is behind their publication? Op: Let&
Chinese police discover cheaters with wireless transmitter shoes during national college entrance exams. In Mexico, union organizers risk their lives to protect migrant workers from unscrupulous recruiters. "Daryl was a slow reader. He was lazy, and he came to school stoned. But until he committed this murder, no one
U.S. arms Sunni groups in Iraq that have promised to fight former al Qaeda allies. While denouncing Sudan's actions publicly, the U.S. has collaborated with its government to spy in Iraq. Despite recent mood swings for Russia, greenhouse gases, Bush's tendency to reject treaties
Brooklynites, pizzeria mice mourn the loss of "the best pizza in my life, ever." "Canadian-ness" is a supreme factor in picking the seven wonders of Canada. Man unharmed after wheelchair handles became lodged in the grille of a semi, which then drove several miles down the
Immigration bill stalls in a divided Senate, likely to be tabled, more likely to be buried. Federal agents raid community in New Haven, long known as a refuge for illegal immigrants, arresting 31. Op: The Senate's inability to pass the immigration bill is a failure of leadership, politics.
Lebanese government now in stand-off with Islamic militants as death toll reaches 115. Comprehensive immigration bill became less comprehensive in late-night Senate vote, final fate to be decided today. Stop the presses, western world: Panda pregnant; Paris freed. In case of serious wartime injury, a friendly bear face may not
No Bush pardon yet for Libby--lawyers say it's too soon, Republicans say it's too late. What do the GOP candidates think about a pardon? British company allegedly paid, with government consent, over £1 billion to Saudi prince in exchange for arms deal. Related: An explanation of
Second female journalist killed in Afghanistan in less than six days. Abbas calls off talks with Israeli counterpart after they fail to agree on an agenda. Largest cyclone in 60 years threatens Oman, Iran, gas prices. Turkish military enters Iraq; Turkish government has no idea what that's about.
A pardon for Libby could have major political ramifications for Bush--then again, nobody cares. Op: Putin must be addressed, not appeased. Epileptics in Britain say London's 2012 Olympics TV ads are triggering seizures. En route to a critically ill patient mid-operation, the plane carrying transplant team, donor organ,
Scooter Libby sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for role in Valerie Plame affair. Related: Current prisoners' opinions on the sentence; letters from high-powered Libby admirers. Twenty Taliban fighters die escaping opposing forces; kidnappings and body swaps in Afghanistan continue. Abdel Nur, final suspect in JFK plot, surrenders
In major blow to Guantanamo trials, judge drops charges against two detainees, saying the “unlawful??? in “unlawful enemy combatant??? hadn’t been proved. Fifty-five thousand—27,000 according to the police—gather in Hong Kong to remember the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Plot to overthrow Laotian government discovered in California. Court
Disruption of JFK plot shows FBI agents learning to think like spooks. Chinese stock market falls almost nine percent in what many believe is a "permanent correction." "This is not defense counsel making some cheap trick." War crimes trial of former Liberian president comes to a
In new debate, Democrat presidential hopefuls morph into individual beings, still share hive mind. Putin says new U.S. missile defenses in Europe will start a new arms race, and Russia will reciprocate. Israel's West Bank barrier, intended to keep out suicide bombers, prompts some Palestinians to move
Fighting renews in Lebanon as tanks move in on a refugee camp housing Islamic militants. Video of kidnapped--and healthy-looking--BBC reporter surfaces online. His wife, Allyson, had joked that they should name their newborn "Exit Strategy." Bush's top aide resigns to spend more time with the family.
It's a good thing the runaway TB patient is a lawyer, because his fellow passengers may try and sue the pants off him. He is gentleman enough to call fouls on himself... a law school classmate has heard Mr. Obama mutter, "my bad," tossing the other
Bush calls for global emissions standards; rest of the world points frantically at Kyoto. Nigeria files charges against Pfizer for 1996 deaths of children during a meningitis drug trial. Sudanese ambassador threatens America's cola supply over Darfur. Eating corgis is yesterday's news; eating your girlfriend'
"There is some indication of deceitfulness on the part of the individual." How a man with TB was able to board two international flights, drive across the U.S. border. Bush AIDS proposal will double current plan's efforts worldwide, providing treatment for 2.5 million people
Report: 45 percent of junior enlisted Army soldiers rated their unit's morale as low or very low. (Read the full Army report here.) Bhutan prepares to elect its monarchy; Thai court rules coup-fomenting party is also guilty of fraud. Malaysian court decides Islamic law applies even to individuals
Supreme Court says workers have 180 days to sue bosses for unequal pay; experts believe the ruling opens the door for more discrimination. Either out of economic need or love of their work, for many Americans retirement is an outmoded concept. Bush chooses former cabinet member Zoellick to don Wolfowitz&
In the span of 48 hours, four Europeans are abducted in Iraq, eight Americans are killed in combat, and 22 civilians are killed by car bombs. Japanese cabinet member and high-level bureaucrat commit suicide over involvement in financial schemes. She's “neither the demon of the right’s perception,
In the first formal talks between the U.S. and Iran since 1980, Iran offers to train Iraq's army. U.S. military sees possible success in Iraq if we seek "ways to redefine success." In Syria, a road revered for pilgrimage is now better known for
Israel assures Palestinians that missiles aimed at PM's house weren't intended for him. Senators question fairness of parole program that grants some Iraqis asylum in days, instead of months or years. Latest push against the use of lethal injections comes after prison staff spends over two
Congress passes war bill free of troop withdrawal deadlines, Bush emits happiness. Op: Bush says al Qaeda is after our children, and maybe even one reporter's chow. Sadr returns to Iraq, denounces "evil trio" of U.S., Britain, and Israel. Prosecutors in L.I. slavery case
Israel launches new missile attacks against Gaza, arrests over 30 Hamas officials. Thailand to make Buddhism its official religion over the objections of its 10 percent religious minorities. New York City medical examiner links first death to 9/11 dust. U.S. and Canada disagree about need for fingerprints at
Body of one of the three captured U.S. soldiers found floating down the Euphrates River. Today's long read: Al Qaeda in Pakistan is being funded by cash shipped from Iraq. First thoughts on the IAEA's Iran report. Fifty-one percent of Americans believe it's
Bombing in Turkish capital kills six and injures 70; visiting Pakistanis are suspected target. Latest witness in Justice hearings, no saint herself, claims Deputy Attorney General misled Congress. David Iglesias, former U.S. attorney, asks Gonzales to, "cowboy up and do what's best for the American people.
Dems back down on troop-withdrawal deadlines, can't seem to pass ethics overhaul in the House. Thousands use lull in fighting to flee Lebanon. How Hamas could win cash merely by hinting that it accepts Israel's right to exist. Chivvying the world's nastiest countries by
Tentative cease-fire in Tripoli; U.N. evacuates non-combatants from refugee camps. Bad if true: U.S. military official claims Iran is prepping al Qaeda for an all-out war this summer. Chinese toothpaste made with potentially deadly glycol--instead of harmless glycerin--blamed for 51 deaths in Central America. Arizona's law
The main points of the new immigration bill, what's good about it, what's bad, and who says. How new legislation over immigration divided one Texas town. British prosecutors to charge an ex-KGB officer with Litvinenko's poisoning murder. Gasoline prices in the U.S. hit
Fatah Islam's fight with the Lebanese Army continues; more refugees, soldiers, civilians, and journalists injured or killed. GE sells plastics division to Saudi company for $11.6 billion. Related: China buys Wall Street investment firm for $3 billion. Canada could buy much more than that if only it
Dozens killed as Lebanese Army fights Islamic militants near a Palestinian refugee camp in Tripoli. More than 600,000 of Afghanistan's one million opium addicts are under 15. (Islamic) Iran studies (atheist) China: How to set free an economy without losing political clout? Chatting with Syria, talking with
At the Tour de France doping hearing, the defense threatens to reveal the star witness's childhood molestation. It was a grayer Blair and a silver-maned Bush who walked from the Oval Office yesterday. Even the Rose Garden appeared uncharacteristically worn. The Post's world leader fanfic. The
Senate passes major immigration reform that could offer millions of illegal immigrants legal status, Bush applauds. House members, however, doubt the bill's survival through the summer, citing potential privacy issues, economic strain. [He] "couldn't run a two-car funeral." Wolfowitz resigns from the World Bank.
Wolfowitz begins to negotiate his World Bank leave-taking, though he is adamant about departing with a clean record. Source close to Justice inquiry says Gonzales had 14 more attorneys walking the plank. With over two million war widows in Afghanistan, Kabul is the "widows' capital of the world.
Government-financed study finds sarin nerve gas exposure may have caused lasting brain deficits in many Gulf War soldiers. Anti-war Senators fail to cut funds. Military says it's holding people "directly linked" to the presumably captured soldiers; as usual, scores of deaths reported in Iraq. Military likely
Latest wave of Baghdad violence kills 41 Iraqis; 37 separate missions launched to rescue kidnapped American soldiers. Martin Luther King's oldest daughter--an actor and an activist--is dead at age 51. Now Wolfowitz is getting really peeved. Research physicists set out to create shank-proof toothbrushes for prisoners. Related: Tweezerman
In 2004 Alberto Gonzales visited the then-ill, disoriented Ashcroft's hospital bedside to coerce him into renewing the illegal wiretapping program. Op: That Mr. Gonzales is now in charge of the department he tried to steamroll may be most disturbing of all. Gonzales can't stop chugging, amps
Suicide bomber kills himself and 25 others in Pakistani restaurant with anti-Taliban ties. (See the Washington Post's slideshow.) At least 13 killed by Hamas-Fatah fighting in Gaza. Rev. Jerry Falwell dead at 73 from heart attack. U.S.-Iranian dual-national director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's
IAEA says Iran has begun enriching uranium on a much bigger scale than before. For a last hurrah, Blair would like to convince Bush to join an international pact to fight global warming. Bush calls for cuts in vehicle emissions; critics want reductions, not stalling. Say what you will about
Russia's rhetorical hostility towards America is reaching levels unseen since the Cold War ended. Sec. of State's Moscow visit comes at a good time. DaimlerChrysler back to plain old Daimler and Chrysler. Mr. Clinton peeps out from backstage. Texans argue over Bush's contribution to
In Pakistan, Musharraf's suspension of a top justice sets off protests this weekend, during which 39 were killed. Infighting between U.S. departments in Iraq--U.S. diplomats brand defense deputy a Stalinist. Lawsuit alleges Giuliani rushed Ground Zero cleanup in spite of workers' best health interests. Researchers,
Over one million gather for canonization of Brazil's first homegrown saint. A complete account of Friar Galvao's paper pills and bilocationism. Foreign Policy repeats its Terrorism Index six months on, and experts still agree we're daft, deaf, and in great danger. Thank you, medical
Many Americans migrating to wildfire-prone Western areas. Fire forces evacuation of residents and tourists from South Catalina Island. Today's long read: China's "Comfortable Housing Program," or forced resettlement of 250,000 Tibetans (see slideshow). Reformist parties in Serbia agree to build coalition government. Congress
OxyContin manufacturer fined $600 million--$35 million of which will come from executives' pockets. Virginia's governor warns Bloomberg to stop sending special agents into his gun stores. Hamas puts a stop to the Mickey Mouse that's urging Palestinian kids to fight Israel. Art-funk drumming is
Blair announces resignation, Brown expected to take over No. 10; what happens in the interim. Republicans break it to Bush that their support for his war is waning. Giuliani says he'll back abortion rights, Pope says pro-abortion politicians should be excommunicated. The same week the U.S. apologizes
Cheney makes a surprise stop in Baghdad, where he is expected to encourage Iraqi lawmakers to skip their usual summer recess. Fires threaten the bone-dry Griffith Park area of Los Angeles. (Updates here.) Europe to see a rash of new leaders as Tony Blair intends to step down, Serbia elects
Details on the suspects accused of plotting to attack New Jersey's Fort Dix. Apparently they were bad shots with machine guns. Pentagon says 35,000 troops will deploy to Iraq in August, and the Post provides a good summary of the current situation. Obama slightly overstates how many
In Iraq, government tensions ease after averted walkout, civilian tensions rise after bomber kills 16 in a residential neighborhood. Six Islamic militants living in the U.S. charged with plotting a deadly attack on Fort Dix in New Jersey. Graph: Presidential approval ratings put in perspective. A British view of
Europe says if Wolfowitz goes, it won't contest the tradition of the U.S. picking the World Bank president. Petraeus says by September we'll know if troop increases have worked; Congress wants a progress report in the fall. New leadership in Northern Ireland shares power between
One month later, killings continue following the stoning of a Northern Iraqi girl. Juan Cole on the lack of al Qaeda in Iraq. The M.T.A. loses its head. News media invited to tour Alaska's "son of Star Wars" missile defense facility, in case North
Sarkozy wins France's elections, promises major change; Royal promises to "renovate the left." Promised anti-Sarkozy riots materialize in minor forms around France. Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail, a punishment she finds "cruel and unusual." Ops: Life is better in Paris; the
U.S.-Iranian relations in bad shape when an "impromptu three-minute discussion" between undersecretaries is headline news. Jill Carroll doubtful if the recently killed al Qaeda official was her captor. The true story of how Hollywood, the CIA, and a terrible sci-fi script saved Americans during the Iranian
Last night's Republican debate characterized by a large number of participants, far-reaching topics, and numerous references to Reagan. Continued supply of "explosively formed projectiles" from Iran is keeping troop casualties high in Iraq. Democratic-led investigation into prewar intelligence gains steam, though Sec. Rice ensures not too
Muharib Abdul Latif al-Jubouri, high-ranking al Qaeda leader and suspected plotter behind Jill Carroll's kidnapping and Michael Fox's death, is killed in Iraq. Conference on Iraq coincides with first high-level U.S.-Syria talk in two years. Obama's trouble courting the black vote, the
Exactly four years after his "Mission Accomplished" speech, Bush vetoes a war spending bill that would have set an Iraq withdrawal timetable. The President signed his veto with a pen given to him by the father of a Marine who died in Iraq. International study shows heart attack
Israel's PM close to resigning after party defections and release of a damning report on conduct during last year's war with Hezbollah. We are making no effort to get the list and I am not sure what we would do if it fell in our lap.
Bush vetoes Iraq funding bill as vowed, fears "setting a date for failure." Bush reminded yesterday that, four years later, his mission continues to accomplish failure every day. Britons can expect to soon have visa trouble in the States. Op: Skeptics maintain that little of enduring charm or
Fidel conspicuously absent from May Day march, but temporary-leader Raul is there in full brotherly force. Marches and riots broken up by police in Turkey, Macau, and Berlin. U.S. cities see own demonstrations, as illegal immigrants call for greater citizenship rights. Turkish court bans presidential candidate on the basis
Head of al Qaeda in Iraq killed "in an 'internal battle' between militants." Op: Reasons why the Middle East is backwards, irrelevant, fueled by Mussolini syndrome. More than 100 U.S. soldiers killed in April, the year's deadliest month. Five Britons found guilty of
Bill Clinton on Boris Yeltsin. Photos from the early morning fire that destroyed D.C.'s 134-year-old Eastern Market. Popular Egyptian blogger shuts down, citing government interference and too much publicity. More halal controversy stirred over Frito-Lay's cheese-flavored pork. Was Kent State really an accident? Old evidence
In tests, melamine, derived from coal, looks like protein, but Chinese food manufacturers openly admit it's just filler. Iraqi PM arrests, dismisses army, police officers that have been overly effective in combating Shiite militias. While cutting across an unblocked track, the second NYC subway worker in a week
Saudi Arabia arrests 172 accused of planning a September 11th-scale attack within Saudi borders. Maestro Rostropovich dies at age 80. Following Estonia's decision to move a key Soviet war memorial, pro-Russians riot. President Bush's approval rating hits a new low, as does general skepticism of politicians.
Senate approves DOA war timetable bill, ready to water it down for a version that may pass Bush's veto. U.S. prison commander in Iraq accused of aiding the enemy and additional charges that could carry the death penalty. Tenet's new tell-all paints a fair portrait
Putin freezes Russia's compliance Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, possibly officially re-starting the Cold War. Catch up with the Council on Foreign Relations' multimedia Crisis Guide: Darfur. Hey, military people, we're still waiting for some war czar volunteers. Online news media struggles when readers speak
House of Representatives ignores House of White, passes Iraq spending bill with withdrawal date. Justice wants tighter cuffs on Gitmo defense lawyers; Scalia desires second look at McCain-Feingold. McCain wants your vote; Sarko and Royal want Bayrou's. Senators miffed by India and Iran's "joint defense
Power struggle fractures Iraq's now-insurgent Baath Party--U.S. officials are reticent to say whether this is a good or bad thing. Since January, when Democrats took control of Congress, more than 200 watchdogs have been hired--Republicans brand it a "witch hunt." Muslim shoppers and suppliers in
"The bottom line is the American people are capable of determining their own ideals of heroes and they don't need to be told elaborate tales." Jessica Lynch testifies on Pat Tillman's death. Ethiopian separatist group attacks workers at Chinese-owned oil field, killing 74 and
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
Boris Yeltsin dead at age 76 from a reported heart attack. Virginia Tech killer was an avid eBay user, even purchasing bullet clips there. We've heard about the dead, but what about the 30 Virginia Tech wounded? San Francisco's mayor reaffirms city's status as
The FDA has known about peanut butter, spinach contamination for years, but the agency says recent outbreaks weren't preventable. U.S. military moves ahead with the Berlinification of Baghdad; Iraqi PM says construction must stop--no response heard over the sound of digging. Today three suicide attacks around Iraq
Holocaust survivor, Virginia Tech victim Liviu Librescu buried today in Israel. Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket future Virginia Tech funerals, claiming they're the real martyrs. John Edwards must face questions on how much political primping is too much. A zoomable representation of where your
Lawmakers roast Gonzales, disappointed by the 50-plus times he said, "I don't recall." White House aides: Gonzales went down in flames. U.S. brigade builds first sectarian wall in Baghdad to separate Sunnis from Shiites. Reid: This war is lost. Primer as to who supports who
In his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, Gonzales qualifies the attorney firings as "flawed," though not "improper." U.S. District Court to decide whether Yahoo can be held responsible for torture by the Chinese government. Ten suspects arrested in the bloody murder of three
NBC receives packaged manifesto, images from Virginia Tech killer; the parcel was sent between shootings, and showed up a day late because the address was wrong. Until just cause is exhibited, universities have few options to deal with troubled students. No one died for lack of text messages or an
Bomb explosions today kill at least 157 in Baghdad. Britain drops the phrase "war on terror," finding it "ill-defined, oversimplistic, and excessively martial and Manichaean." Gov. Kaine orders, at Virginia Tech's request, an independent investigation of campus response to the shootings. "They want
Two violent, rape-filled plays by Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech shooter. Other signs: investigated for stalking, reprimanded for up-skirt shots, noticed for bizarre classroom behavior. How the tragedy played out in real time on the web, particularly on Fark.com. Aside from Edwards, both Republicans and Democrats are wary to
Virginia Tech shooter identified as 23-year-old senior Cho Seung Hui. Profiles of the victims start to emerge, including one Holocaust survivor. Who the Virginia Tech shooter isn't. Can a bank be held liable for what a heroin addict spends their loan on? Egyptian bloggers--the pyjamahideen--continue to expose shady
Questions, anger over the two-hour gap between the first shooting and Virginia Tech's first email to students. (Emails are here.) Interactive map depicts times and locations of the killings, and when and how the university and police reacted. A look at the students who may have been at
At least 30 dead at Virginia Tech in deadliest campus shooting in American history. Study finds little improvement in arrest rates after California mandates drug treatment over incarceration. So many men had passed through Cell 6 that they had left their smell on the walls, and while I was making
Two days before his hearing, Gonzales releases testimony denying any wrongdoing--but Specter says the real issue is if he can do his job. Tornadoes, flooding, cancelled flights: This weekend's storm wrecked havoc across the eastern U.S., and shattered seaboard rainfall records. Four days after his car accident,
L.A.'s Sugar Shack fights for their mural, or, how to be a hippie in the 21st-century. Mexican drug traffickers resort to medieval tactics, post heads on roadside stakes. It became clear that the number of work-related nailgun injuries had stayed stable since 1998. It was consumer-related injuries
Yesterday's Iraqi Parliament bomber was likely a security guard, possibly connected to al Qaeda. "Nowhere is safe," says Paliament member. That said, pockets of stability are beginning to emerge in Baghdad. White House seems to have lost--or allowed to be deleted--several years of Karl Rove'
In what is considered to be the most severe security breach of the Green Zone yet, a blast inside the Iraqi Parliament kills at least one BBC leads international day of action to free its kidnapped reporter who is reported "safe and well" in Palestine. Turkey hopes now
Yesterday's bomb attacks in Algeria linked to Al Qaeda's escalating violence in North Africa. Math on the likelihood of a nuclear attack in the U.S. Global economics as model trains: The world will decouple if U.S. has a soft landing; it will not decouple
Al Qaeda's involvement is suspected as two separate bomb attacks kill at least 17 in Algeria today. Philadelphia woman shot in head at vigil for shooting victim; murder rate higher in Philly this year than in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. All charges dropped in the Duke
Militants and residents fight Iraqi Army and Americans in longest sustained battle since Baghdad's new security plan. Red Cross: Life is getting worse for all Iraqis; Oxford Research Group: The war in Iraq supports terrorism. Four-star generals spurn Bush's offer to become "war czar."
Serbian court convicts four ex-policemen for their involvement in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. The International Criminal Tribunal continues prosecuting, keeping things quiet on Serbia's behalf. U.S. military blames Guantanamo hunger strike on media's presence at recent trial. U.K. panel advocates for a watered-down Megan&
On the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, thousands in Iraq peacefully protest the American occupation. (Photos here.) U.S. calls the bank in Macau following North Korea's refusal to shut down nuclear operations until $25 million of frozen funds are released. Mr. Ahmadinejad claimed "the
Justice firing scandal reveals disproportionate influence of Pat Robertson's Regent University grads. Elizalde's narcocorrido, or drug trafficker's ballad, sparked what is believed to be an unprecedented cyberspace drug war. Mexican gangs take their fights, musical and non-, to YouTube. Businesses need to learn to
Freed Iranian diplomat says he was tortured by the CIA; U.S. says blame the Iranian propaganda machine. Critics say Iran wins when British sailors are allowed to sell their stories to the media. Gingrich: Gonzales should resign; Schumer: Gingrich is my friend. White House catches flack all because Karl
Search continues for two still missing from yesterday's sinking cruise ship. Dutch military champions the "oil spot" approach in Afghanistan, shunning combat and hoping the stain of regional development will spread. ABC News accuses U.S. of supporting Pakistani guerrilla campaign against Iran; CIA denies the
Declassified Pentagon report and other documents show links between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda were limited. (Here's a look at the memos.) Bombings--one using chlorine gas--throughout Iraq kill dozens; in the past three days, eight U.S., four British soldiers have been killed in combat. Guard troops may
Nearly 1,600 tourists, most of them Americans, evacuated from a sinking cruise ship in the Aegean. With the exception of drunk men overboard, cruise ships are generally considered safe. With Congress out of session and unable to object, a major "Swift Boat" backer is appointed ambassador to
Bush takes the Supreme Court's ruling on greenhouse emissions seriously--but says it's bad for business. The 15 freed British sailors land at Heathrow. Dressed in ill-fitting clothes apparently issued by their captors, the Britons waited in line to meet the president, looking almost as if they
Iran plans to release hostages; British families and government prepare for their return. Nancy Pelosi meets with Syrian president over Bush administration's objections. Ethics policies explain why Wolfowitz's partner works at the State Department, not why she makes more than the Secretary of State. H&
Is Bush more isolated from his party than any recent president? Has he lost his gut-level bond with America? No, he says. Is a botched bid to kidnap Iranian officials to blame for the captured Britons? Boomers and losers in world population. With election year fast approaching, coastal reporters will
President Bush warns Congress that holding up Iraq War funding means problems for troops as soon as mid-April. A day after a tsunami hit the Solomon Islands, a humanitarian crisis seems to be impending. Remember when we invaded Iraq because they sold uranium to Niger? The Washington Post does. New
Iran says U.K. sailors will be released after a delegation decides whether or not they entered Iranian waters--if they did, Iran wants an apology. Britain turns down the international pressure on Iran; Iran stops broadcasting the sailors' "confessions." Op: How bad have the British sailors had
Supreme Court rules that EPA has the right, possibly the obligation, to regulate automobile emissions. Critics claim New York treats child prostitutes like prostitutes first and children second. U.K. and Argentina commemorate 25th anniversary Falklands War, vow revenge; meanwhile, Falklanders themselves seek to lure in cruise ships. I forgot
Iraqis say civilian death toll rose by 13 percent in March; U.S. figures say Baghdad violence is down 25 percent. Clinton raised $26 million in the first quarter of 2007, more than any candidate ever. Op: Concerning the British sailors, "a power that can be bullied without fear
Saudi Arabia assumes its relationship with the U.S. "can withstand a gentle whack or two." Model U.N. behaving remarkably like real U.N. "He is like a demigod on campus." The star of Georgetown's N.C.A.A. run has a drooling
For the first time, Bush invites his party caucus to hang at the White House--a tactic we haven't seen since the day Clinton was impeached. Yesterday in Iraq, insurgent attacks targeting Shiites left more than 100 people dead. Keeping it classy: Iran airs a second U.K. sailor&
Senate approves the war-spending bill, and Bush renews his pledge to veto. Maryland becomes first state to kick-off the de facto disbanding of the electoral college. How to make a 75-year-old person's brain work like a 35-year-old's. How Wal-Mart enforces its "bare-knuckled no-expense-spared investigations of
Bush bullies back on Iraq, and Pelosi turns on him for picking a fight (Reid, meanwhile, keeps it real). New York D.A. Arthur Branch contemplates a run for president. Iran makes the captured British troops "confess" on TV. Zimbabwe undone: Loyalists turning disloyal, activists abducted and beaten,
Iran to release the one woman from the 15 captured British sailors. Philippine daycare hostage situation peacefully resolved before lunch. Women from Pakistani madrasa abduct alleged brothel owner and family. There's a Geico gaming tent and a Neutrogena spa, and the Trojan booth offers pina-colada-scented oxygen you can
Talks stall in Britain-Iran naval dispute; Blair says he's willing to escalate. British satellite images show sailors were inside Iraqi waters when captured. In northern Iraq, two bomb-laden trucks--one lured a crowd by selling wheat--killed at least 63 people. Angered by the bombings, Shiite militants, police officers rampage
Tony Snow, White House spokesperson, faces cancer for a second time. Police find missing British woman's body in a sand-filled Japanese bathtub. Almost 40 percent of the Japanese, including married couples, have not had sex in the past month. Burma unveils a new capital city (restaurants and shops
After five years at Gitmo, and appearing irritated and at least 30 pounds heavier, Australian David Hicks pleads guilty to terror charges. Gonzales's senior counselor takes the fifth--is there a crime in which she fears implicating herself? Senate Republicans say they'll pass the Iraq spending/withdrawal
Weekend brings small signs of unrest in Belarus, Europe's last dictatorship. Northern Ireland moves one step closer to peace. Head of Smithsonian Institution resigns over utility bills you wouldn't believe. Alarmists worry a bump in pill prices could result in a new baby boom. An air
Drafting a new health coverage bill, Congress may have to choose between children and the elderly. For failing schools, more time each day and more days in the classroom is the suggested remedy, and nobody's happy about it. We enter the semifinals in the Tournament of Books, as
Leading up to Gonzales's Apr. 17 testimony, Republican senators question the attorney general's credibility. Op: "In half a century, I have not seen a president so isolated from his own party in Congress--not Jimmy Carter, not even Richard Nixon as he faced impeachment." GOP
Iraqi government and insurgents discuss uniting against al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda airs its human-resources announcements while violence continues in Mogadishu. Zimbabweans emigrate, desert, flee country sinking under Mugabe's disatrous rule. This man is a disaster, his country is just a total heap of misery. And Australian PM Howard is irate.
Iran nabs 15 British soldiers out for a sail; Navy insists they were patrolling Iraqi waters. Your weekend white paper: "The Economics of Energy Independence for Iran." New Jersey radio show encourages listeners to report their illegal immigrant neighbors. Elderly women insured two homeless men, then ran them
With the liberals out of the way, House looks ready to approve a deadline for removing troops from Iraq. Senate follows House in approving subpoenas for Rove, Miers, Kelley; White House sticks to its offer of private, unsworn meetings. Lucky explosion at an internet cafe reveals terrorists' plan to
Twenty months after London Tube bombings, three suspects arrested. "Funding a terrorist organization can never be treated as a cost of doing business," not even in Chiquita's case. Prices for previous portions of people's progress. The notions of popular sovereignty and equal universal citizenship
American diplomats fail for having too-yellow hair, not-yellow-enough faces, says Japanese Foreign Minister. Top Justice lawyer who prosecuted big tobacco says the White House interfered to weaken the case. Georgia's public defense system's coffers drained by a high-profile murder. Slideshow: Gitmo in black and white. Video
U.S. investigating insurgents' use and killing of children to get past an American checkpoint. Examining the destruction of Iraq's marshes in light of the deterioration of its people. Detroit's now a boomtown in foreclosed property, where houses are cheaper than new cars. See also:
Today's long read: How to keep from overselling or underestimating the United Nations. British bus company rolls into the U.S. selling fares for a dollar. New law in Minnesota requires drug makers to disclose doctor bills, and though doctors insist they're not on the dole,
Despite the embargo on aid, more cash was delivered to Palestinians in 2006 than in 2005. America's man in Zimbabwe says "people have turned a corner," are no longer afraid of the government. Mugabe reportedly using hit squads to kill opposition supporters. U.N.'s
Troops battle al-Qaida-linked fighters near Fallujah; Iraq's VP wants to talk to the insurgents. Government says it's had no role in the fighting between foreign militants and pro-gov tribesmen in Pakistan (more notes). Bush is within a few steps of declaring war on Congress. The public
Kitty Kelley not pleased with the Bush family's patriotic act of keeping their daughters at home. One family's story of trying to flee Iraq. Jordan refuses to characterize most fleeing Iraqis as "refugees," which violates international laws it hasn't signed. Elevating political
Another sign of Iraq's toll, the 82nd Airborne is no longer so ready to roll. Today's long read: Fascinating profile of sex-related and combat stress in female soldiers. Scientific notes on morality and war. See also, does stress really cause acne? Why yes. Thirty strangest deaths
In Russia, 106 killed in a mine explosion, 62 killed in a nursing-home fire. New federal-attorney emails show tension at the highest levels while officials tried to control the damage. Whether or not you believe Jesus deserves to get high, the issue is a lot more important than you think.
U.S. officials say Saudi Arabia's practice of promptly freeing repatriated Gitmo detainees undermines the war on terror. The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley glove-slaps Al Gore, invites debate on global warming. (There is an actual invitation.) Scientists see animal behavior in humans--good news for the wingbirds among us.
One reason Iran isn't backing down in its quest for weapons: the 1987 chemical attack by Saddam Hussein that killed 113 Iranians and wounded thousands more. The knot, that not-so-simple technology that made humans human, is becoming obsolete; military introduces fabric that can detect combat stress. The Onion:
In the case of Carol Lam, fired U.S. attorney, mounting evidence shows her dismissal may be tied to her investigation of Republicans. Leading the investigation on the firings, Sen Leahy wants White House aides to testify under oath, though it's unlikely Bush will waive executive privilege for
Baptist minister opens at least two cans of worms when he suggests 1) homosexuality may be biological; and 2) the Bible mandates its prenatal treatment. Why did your employees ejaculate into my mother's milkshake? McDonalds fields questions from the public. In good news for squeamish paramedics, chest compressions
After a previous attempt was shut down by party hard-liners, China approves a new private property law, boosting its burgeoning middle class. Witnesses claimed the teenager was chased up the road by a gang of youths wearing school blazers, wielding sticks, and chanting "kill him." Scientists unsure why
In brewing prosecutors hubbub, Rove rears his head in the form of emails with Sampson over which lawyers were "loyal Bushies." Senate Republicans swat down resolution to withdraw the majority of troops from Iraq in 2008; Democrats in both houses say they won't give up. The
Zimbabwe's opposition leader suffers brutal attack at hands of police, finds in it "inspiration." Drop in New York City's welfare figures matched by an increase in homelessness. New Mexico bans cockfighting, Louisiana, the sole remaining state where the sport is legal, considers following suit.
U.N. agrees on new sanctions for Iran, the Security Council will discuss the recommendations today. A blood-sucking insect that looks like a striped cockroach, [it] can feed over years on tissues of the heart and gastrointestinal tract. Donor centers have a new, parasitic foe. Our coverage of South by
Gunman kills bartender, two police officers, then leads cops on chase through busy Greenwich Village streets last night. The bartender's death may be a vengeance killing--witnesses say he appeared to recognize the shooter. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the highest ranking Al Qaeda plotter in U.S. custody, admits to
Sorry, socialites: the IRS isn't so forgiving when it comes to party dress deductions. Prescription sleep medication labels soon to carry warnings about "complex sleep-related behaviors," like sleep-phoning, sleep-sex, and sleep-driving. In Minnesota, some Muslim cashiers pass on scanning pork. New Indian police uniforms aim to
Israel forms panel to declare new name for formerly-known-as Operation Change of Direction. America's secret weapon against Iran: the "psychological warfare" of Hollywood's 300. The action with Article 301 (why YouTube was banned last week), exemplifying growth of intense Turkish nationalism. Op: Bush'
Hundreds of rioters attack the U.S. embassy in Mexico City as Bush winds up his southern tour. Attorney General Gonzales refuses to resign, but admits "mistakes were made" on federal prosecutors. Op: The prosecutors story sums up this administration's philosophy: what's the point
Five kidnapped British diplomats safely released north of Ethiopia, in Eritrea. Pro golfer is suspect in street race that left one man dead. Hip-hop, in the guise of Grandmaster Flash, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (And you thought induction was a happy thing.) 2008 Presidential election
"Sheer boredom" noted as one possible motivation people had for voting on a new league of Seven Wonders. Ecologists slam Sweetwater, Texas's, rattlesnake roundup; TMN's Geoff Badner traveled to the event in 2003. I have wrestled with these questions and my conscience leads me
The dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys last year began when Harriet Miers wanted all 93 pink-slipped, allegedly for reasons more political than professional. Gonzales's chief of staff--and Miers email partner--steps down, and the attorney firing scandal truly gets underway. Iraq's Shiite prime minister makes a
BBC reporter believed to have been kidnapped in Gaza. Army's Surgeon General is latest casualty in Walter Reed shakedown. Now that radar has fallen into favor, National Park Service weighs opening up Bay Area lighthouses to the public. D.C. commemorates the 30-year anniversary of the Hanafi Muslim
Talks about Kosovo's future disrupted by deadlock. Breaking the world's astronomers' lock on naming, Pluto will always be Pluto in New Mexico. An elite group of Native American trackers is joining the hunt for terrorists crossing Afghanistan's borders. Summary of today's
U.N. condemns Sudan for Darfur's horror and the world for its "pathetic" response. Bush announces plan to send thousands of new troops to Iraq and Afghanistan in addition to his previous surge. Sketchy details on new strategy considered for Iraq, relying on U.S. experience
Which was longer in coming, the backlash against Ann Coulter, or against anti-gay hate in general? The danger of rape by other soldiers is so widely recognized in Iraq that their officers routinely told them not to go to the latrines or showers without another woman for protection. Female soldiers
Gingrich says he was having an affair while prosecuting Clinton over Monica, occasionally falling short of God's standards (like when he divorced his first wife in the hospital). Claire Miccio in today's Non-Expert has baby names to calm your brain in the birthing ward, like "
Investigation finds that in requesting secret records, FBI agents frequently play loose. Vast inequities over disability await veterans because Veterans Affairs can't anticipate surges (in injuries). Browbeaten, Gonzales relents on U.S. attorneys. At least 20 injured in riots when Bush goes to Brazil. New York cabbies may
RV market trembles in the face of FEMA's excess trailer supply. Somewhere there's a second winning ticket for the richest lottery prize in U.S. history, and it has yet to surface. Gov. Schwarzenegger's appointees to Board of Chiropractic Examiners stage minor coup with
New York's deadliest fire in 17 years kills eight children in the Bronx. Saying "vagina" too publicly in New York can get you barred from school. As expected, IAEA halts technical assistance programs to Iran, and as also expected, Iran doesn't care. As rumored,
There is no military solution to Iraq (without political action), says Petraeus. Different commander says the surge should be maintained through next February. Why did the plane crash in Yogyakarta yesterday? It was going too fast. New BBC global poll finds low marks again for the U.S., but even
"If we want to objectify, criticize and [expletive] on [expletive] like her, we should be able to." Comments on law school job board leave some students without a job. Philsopher Baudrillard, unfortunately best known for inspiring The Matrix movies, dead at 77. It's so easy to
Intense diplomacy between 11 nations as Nazi papers detailing death marches come to light. Worldwide replications of 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn's headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Bono's Red campaign has only earned $18 million, despite $100 million spent on marketing. New edition of Maira Kalman'
Lewis Libby found guilty of lying to a grand jury and FBI agents over the Wilson affair. Graphic explains facts and fiction in the scandal's key events. The jury has convicted Libby, but Collins has convicted the administration. Recent spate of firings of U.S. attorneys gets more
Scientists want to determine why part of the earth's crust is missing along the mid-Atlantic ridge. "Did the fish bring us good luck? Definitely," said Mr. Ly, who owns three restaurants and sports a diamond-studded Rolex. Maine restauranteur gets his koi back. Book publishers no longer
At Congressional hearings, wounded soldiers tell of squalor, poor care at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It's not just Walter Reed. Conditions are a mess at VA hospitals elsewhere in the country. At the opposite end of what U.S. health care can offer, doctors
Vehicles carrying kidnapped British officials found partially burnt-out and riddled with bullets in Ethiopian village. German citizen held in secret CIA prison asks for a public day in court. American expert who publicly linked Litvinenko poisoning and the Kremlin is shot in apparent robbery attempt. Estonia becomes first country to
Sex offenders' treatment facility in Florida marred by sexual activity between inmates, employees. in New York, 64 fugitive offenders are being hunted by police, after providing fake addresses to authorities. U.S. Patent Office to open web submissions. Related: Everybody invented the mp3, and everybody wants to get paid.
Iraqi, British forces raid Iraqi security complex, discover 30 prisoners bearing signs of torture; PM Maliki demands those behind the raid be punished. Suicide bomber kills 26 near Baghdad book market. "Plan B was to make Plan A work." To the administration, not only is failure in Iraq
Bus carrying college baseball team drives off overpass, killing six and injuring 29. The secret to slowing AIDS may be reducing the number of people with multiple, concurrent sexual partners, a.k.a. "Zero Grazing." Swiss army kind of, sort of, accidentally invades Liechtenstein. Senator Clinton's
Almost 90 percent of Guard units aren't ready due to shortfalls in equipment. As more people travel to space, will the sight of earth from a rocket affect politics on the ground? Inuits visit Washington to lobby against U.S. emissions that are ruining their way of life.
Tornado-related incidents kill 17: nine in Georgia, seven in Alabama, one in Missouri. Bush vows to bust up bureaucratic logjams preventing federal aid from reaching the Gulf. Former kangaroo skinner becomes first target of White House's special military commissions. Skinner's description of brutal treatment at Gitmo
Large Midwest storm system spawns tornadoes, leaving at least one dead in Missouri. Notorious ETA prisoner returned home to Basque region after 114-day hunger strike. U.S. finding it surprisingly hard to recruit Iraqis for Bavarian war games. When Colorado kicks out the immigrants, it's left to the
Pessimism and bad moods dump slump on world markets. Japanese whaling mothership crippled; anti-whaling nations vow to club the entire industry. Top Walter Reed officials have heard complaints about outpatient neglect for more than three years. Sleep deprivation has a particularly debilitating effect on decision-making processes that depend heavily on
McCain tells Letterman he'll run for president. Despite his frozen freezer cash, Pelosi appoints Jefferson to the Homeland Security Committee. Iran and Sudan, which rhyme, make friends in face of foreign isolation. Did the U.S. encourage North Korea's nuclear build-up by overestimating its accomplishments in
Stock market creeps back up as the Fed reassures us all is well. Castro calls Chavez, chats about China, communism, Cuba; read the full transcript here. Police wonder whether it's "theft to order" as two Picasso paintings go missing from granddaughter's house. PETA'
Speaking of China's internet-blocking: Reporters Without Borders' list of 13 internet enemies. Op: Democrats bluster about Bush's Iran policy, but theirs is nothing to get excited about. Boer-pride radio anthem excites a generation of young Afrikaners who've lived under African government. The world
White House shifts, plans to send Rice and diplomats to chat with Iranian and Syrian counterparts. African American voters shift to preferring Obama over Clinton. Inside view of the CIA's "black sites" from interviews with a released prisoner. Gore called a hypocrite for his mansion'
Chasing a fall in Chinese stocks, the Dow dropped 400 points today; Negroponte's first task as Deputy Secretary of State is to tame China. Israeli authorities consider opening "Jesus's tomb" to public. His lawyer denied that he wrote the book to get out of
International Criminal Court names two as Darfur's first war crimes suspects. Iran launches a rocket into space, though one expert reassures its military insignificance. Elephant protectors agree overbreeding has vastly increased herds, but say a disproportionate ivory demand once again puts the animals' numbers in danger. There
Overcoming sectarian disagreements, Iraqi cabinet agrees on guidelines to distribute oil revenue to regions based on population--except "no accurate census exists." Cheney visits, reprimands Pakistan, gets a harsh response; Cheney visits U.S. base in Afghanistan, nearby suicide bomber kills up to 14. A 41-cent "forever"
Attack at Iraq's Ministry of Municipalities kills 12, injures 42, including Iraqi vice president; Iraqi president being treated for exhaustion in Jordan. Flashy Italian dressing skipping a generation. When British grocer Sainsbury's promises its customers fair trade bananas, St. Lucia's economy is saved. What
Republicans' five-point plan to win the Iraq War debate. Older adults more inclined to make errors in recollection, also are more confident about their memories. Bangkok's blueprint for air-quality turnaround (pollution down by 47 percent, despite 40 percent more vehicles). Anthony Doerr on the amount of garbage
Cheney dispatched on surprise Pakistan trip, probably to convey Bush's "unusually tough message." The long read: Hersh reports on the "sea change" in American policy to contain Iran, viewed by the CIA as "amateur hour." See also, the Guardian's summary
Vote before Sunday for your favorite book to enter the Zombie Round in this year's Tournament of Books. The U.N.'s new radiation symbol: three times as scary as the last one. Headline to enjoy: Is the Laptop of Death bogus? Another one: Why so much
Today's PTAs are more savvy and influential than ever--tough work with a constituency who tends to cry. There are heated floors, a firefighting system, speakers for music throughout the building, and spacious bathrooms, one with a Jacuzzi. The Iraqi Embassy in D.C. gets a makeover. The curtain
In second rape case, Iraqi soldiers admit assaulting a Sunni woman; President Talabani stops PM al-Maliki before he can dole out medals. Iran increases uranium enrichment to a third of what, a year ago, it boasted it would have by now; a year from now, it could have enough for
After nearly 40 years of volleying the issue, Wimbledon decides to offer equal prize money to male and female players. Finishing school teaches potential NFL-draftees that it's Mr. Coach to you. Is baseball's newest pitch, the "gyroball," a myth or Boston's secret
Egyptian blogger jailed for calling Mubarak a dictator; China treats youths' internet addiction with electric shocks. Email is worse for you than drugs, but 12 steps can save you. When it comes to women and engineering, it may just be the Americans who are "stupider." The risk
Following Blair's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq, the Pentagon may send 14,000 of them back early. Op: Blair's retreat, inglorious but necessary. See also, a small concept called "operational failure." Growing concern about chemical weapons used by insurgents in Iraq. Italian government
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigns, hopefully to spend more time with the wife. Nader considers a run, sizes up the competition. Israel asks whether organ donors deserve to cut in line when it's transplant time. "I can cure AIDS and I will." Gambian president personally
Merck will cease pushing states to mandate vaccination for cervical cancer--not due to pressure from outside groups, but because ultimately it's bad for business. Was Eva Braun evil or just a brickhouse? Related: Sugar packets with holocaust jokes are a terrible idea. "Find the Illegal Immigrant"
Blair announces reduction of British troops in Iraq--the 22-month pullout, however, is more protracted than many expected. Three Iraqi policemen, in the span of a few hours, went from being rape suspects to distinguished officers in the eyes of the Shiite-led government. The security crackdown in Iraq continues; but should
Supreme Court rejects $79.5 million claim brought against Philip Morris by smoker's widow. Bomb onboard tanker truck releases deadly chlorine gas in town north of Baghdad, killing 5 and poisoning 148. XM and Sirius satellite radio seek merger, argue it isn't a monopoly when the
Hamas hopes to restore cash flow without recognizing Israel. Appeals court says Nigerian leader can't fire his vice-president just because he joined the opposition party. Tomorrow is Mugabe's birthday; perhaps he no longer feels like a 28-year-old? Rising unrest in Guinea approaches societal-reset button. Nicole Pasulka
BBC says the U.S. contingency plans for air strikes on Iran include most of the country's military infrastructure. "Bullet magnet" Prince Harry prepares for six-month tour of Iraq. Terrorist recruiting in Morocco, terror planned and executed in North Africa. After six years of no talks,
Sending 17,500 troops to Iraq is only the "tip of the iceberg," says Army Chief of Staff. Horror stories of Valentine's Day travel. Clay Risen on Cheney's competition for Worst Vice-President Ever. See also, Risen on America's bipolar foreign policy. Animated
Accused of murdering the American editor of Russian Forbes, suspects don't show up in court. Candidates for the next president of Russia. Rogue aid: Development assistance that stifles real progress while hurting ordinary citizens. A cheat sheet to the North Korean nuke deal. Pilot of hijacked Air Mauritania
Politicians of the world, apparently including the U.S., want everyone to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Information lacking as to why China is spraypainting an entire mountain green. Non-Americans: Bush would like more of your troops in Afghanistan by spring to stabilize "remarkable progress" since 2001. Harry Reid
By the time Andrew Bales has taken 100 steps down Gladys Avenue, he has pointed out a severely emaciated man, several heroin addicts, and a prostitute plying her trade from a tent. L.A.'s cleaned-up Skid Row. Not surprisingly, dumping indigent hospital patients on Skid Row isn'
Iran likes the sound of North Korea's nuclear deal, may be ready to negotiate. A very large, and very quiet salmonella outbreak has been linked to Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter. Quark founder has the power (and let's face it, the cash) to make
In Madrid, 29 go on trial for 2004 train bombings that killed 191 people. Car bomb hits bus of Revolutionary Guards in Iran--"insurgents and smugglers" are blamed for the attack. U.S. officials say there's no evidence Tehran is behind Iranian weaponry in Iraq; Bush
Almost 25 percent of new military recruits require waivers--e.g., moral waivers for felony convictions--to join. Al Franken waves family background while announcing run for Senate. The story of Betty Crocker's chiffon cake and the secret about its inventor. When California citrus freezes, Europe, Florida, and Texas are
Hariri protest in Beirut passes peacefully. Syrian honor killing spurs grand mufti to publicly condemn the practice. America and the White House love it when Jack Bauer tortures people, but the military would prefer that 24 didn't encourage immoral, illegal, and ineffective tactics. Bribery scandal that sent Mufti
Iraqi government orders Baghdad residents out of their illegally-occupied homes, closes borders with Iran and Syria. A bit too late: al-Sadr fled to Iran two to three weeks ago (not so! shout aides). If Beirut passes through today's anniversary of Hariri's murder without anarchy, Lebanon may
New research shows napping three times a week cuts your risk of dying from a heart attack by "more than a third." N'kisi is believed to be one of the most advanced users of human language in the animal world. Video: How to wrangle a Kombucha
The way our brains treat faces differently than other objects may be the same reason we see faces in our potato chips. "You can find out many things if you know someone's mother's name." In Chad, a witch doctor's work is never
At Beijing talks, North Korea agrees to nuclear disarmament in exchange for fuel, economic aid. Coordinated bus bombings in Lebanon kill three, wound 20. Gunman murders five at Salt Lake City shopping mall, before being killed by off-duty police officer. One year ago, the Golden Mosque in Iraq was bombed;
Op: This war in Iraq deserves a whistle-blower, says Daniel Ellsberg, leaker of the Pentagon Papers. The sectarian Sunni-Shiite fault line: perhaps never so stark and disruptive. What are the effects of the Israeli government's concessions to ultra-orthodox Jewish customs on its citizens? People go somewhat bananas when
For all of his soul-spotting, incentives, and signs of respect, Bush gets a fat raspberry from Putin. Arab states begin making overtures to Israel to offset Iran's agenda-setting. A brief history of the invention and development of barbed wire. Tips on philandering. Sexual advice probably best not sought
U.S. provides evidence and inference of Iran supplying lethal weapons in Iraq. Dozens killed in Baghdad bombings. Ceremonies are secret and benefits scarce for contractors killed or wounded in Iraq. With translators alongside (most don't speak Arabic), 4,000 Kurdish soldiers deployed to Baghdad. Army supplying missing
ACLU sues FBI over "name check" database that, though virtually inaccessible, can keep immigrants in limbo for years. Whatever hope is yours / Was my life also. French town to honor WWI English poet-soldier. Today's long read: A fascinating look at the plastic surgeons who repaired WWI
Violence sparks in Jerusalem as Israeli crews begin excavation work near the al-Aqsa mosque. Next week Congress will consider a resolution asking Japan to apologize to thousands of women who were forced into sexual slavery during WWII. Op: We are fascinated with Anna Nicole Smith because she was outwardly a
Pentagon says White House official massaged pre-war intelligence in the administration's push for invasion. Rival Palestinian factions sign treaty with each other, but still won't recognize Israel. Under government restrictions--and at 35 cents an hour--underground internet cafes quietly flourish in China. The largest federally subsidized housing
Former playmate Anna Nicole Smith found dead at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. Former chef Anthony Bourdain beats up on the current Food Network line-up. Chicago study finds doctors opposed to certain types of birth control may not be giving you all your options. Don Juan was right: There is
Years of mutual suspicion don't aid FBI in outreach to Muslims. Today's long read: The concept and practice of "total war" as it relates to today's battles. Veterans get to say what Democrats wish they could but can't. Recent poll
U.S. and Iraqi troops arrest deputy health minister, key member of Sadr's bloc. Helicopter crashes suggest insurgents are changing tactics or techniques, or the law of averages is catching up with American troops. Ranks of seasoned U.S. diplomats don't show much discipline about shipping
Freelance videographer sets record for longest incarceration by a journalist. Inspired by this, Deadspin readers get all Gilbert and Sullivan with Barbaro. Humble in defeat, the two little piles of orangey-pink offcuts resembled Nigella Lawson's mango salsa. Man-boob removal. Spotting "The Professional," "The Duke,"
Bird flu in the news again: Sick vet who handled turkey culling in Britain tests negative for the virus; the American plan: drive-thru groceries and riding shotgun. Bruce Murphy on the dismal state of our bird flu plan--we've put all our money on Tamiflu, and now it doesn&
Woman at Britain's Dept. for Transport injured in the country's third letter bombing in three days. Nevada cancer victims speak out against federal plan to test more bombs in the desert. In the war over troop surges, Bush and allies put their weight behind Gen. Petraeus
Where to hang out in New York if you're from Erie, Pa. Just because you live in a suburb doesn't mean you can't set a good mystery in your town. Primo Levi's new story about a tranquil star. Selling water from halfway
Why you shouldn't blame Gazprom for Europe's energy crunch. Europe's right-wing leaders, en bloc, say citizens are ripe for their ideas. Op: Democrats, now that you've got the reins, it's time to show whose side you're on. British
Iran holds U.S. responsible for kidnapping of diplomat in Baghdad. We're in jail, dude. The Sun obtains transcript from U.S. friendly-fire attack that killed a British soldier. Facing three civil wars in the neighborhood, Saudi Arabia steps into the diplomacy ring. American troops feel powerless to
For those who may rely too much on MapQuest, explanations of jughandles, Michigan lefts, and other regionalisms. Italian soccer is suspended in the wake of a riot that resulted in the death of a police officer. Of course Hitchens is wrong--women are funny; but certainly not Hillary Clinton. Researchers find
Texas governor makes state first to mandate new HPV vaccine for all sixth-grade girls. Attention vegetarians and the food-allergic: You haven't just been drinking cabernet. "Kissinger visited us every time he was in New York, and we became great friends. It was he who brought Hunanese food
Britain will cull 160,000 turkeys after bird flu shows up in Suffolk; experts are working to determine the source of the outbreak. Bush's new budget requests billions for Iraq war, projects $61 billion surplus by 2012. Finally, nerds are running the war in Iraq--still, they shouldn'
Mayor Newsom to San Francisco: I did have sexual relations with that woman, and am I ever sorry. TBS CEO to Boston: We are responsible for that marketing campaign, and do we ever feel bad you guys freaked out so hard. Serbia to Kosovo: You are ours, forever. Unlike missing
Florida to abandon touch-screen voting machines--potentially a death knell for paperless voting. Photos taken two seconds after a self-timer button is pressed. Op: What is it, exactly, that white people mean when they call a black person "articulate?" Americans still have a difficult time talking about race and
Global warming is firmly, unequivocally our fault. Not so! says China, who'd prefer to say it's "very likely" our fault. How do you know global warming's gone mainstream? Even investment bankers are worried, and Gore's gotten the Nobel nod. Oil
Apparently, anything can be mistaken for a bomb these days. Times publishes photos of sergeant's death in Baghdad--but neglects to inform his family first. Scientists convene to produce international report on the factors behind global warming; U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Green Building Council have cities
Many are concerned Boston police can't tell the difference between an IED and a Lite Brite; "fake pipe bombs found not part of marketing stunt." U.S. officials fear a new front in the Iraq war may be brewing in oil-rich Kirkuk, where al Qaeda fighters
Senate measure to oppose troop increases is revised for bipartisan appeal. In January, Iraqi deaths hit a new high--1,971 civilians died from "terrorism." Biden throws his hat into the '08 ring, then eats it during questions about "bright and clean" Obama. "As a
Germany orders arrest of 13 CIA agents suspected of abduction in Macedonia. In Madagascar, Osama Bin Laden's brother-in-law killed. Berlusconi's wife wins public apology after he hit on other women. Quebec town bans abuse of women in anticipation of a growing immigrant population; Muslim residents not
More than 60 Iraqis dead yesterday, mostly from sectarian warfare aimed at Shiite Muslim pilgrims. Notes on millions of dollars squandered in Iraq. With one toilet per 2,000 people, the waste situation in Nairobi's Kibera slum is dire. Speaking of number twos: Victor Hugo's great-great-grandson
Choice for number two at state, Negroponte backs Bush's stance on Iran. Unnamed sources say the Air Force is planning more flights along the Iranian border. Senate votes to boost the minimum wage; House members put off their pay raise. Gray wolves to be removed from endangered-species list.
Five years ago, Bush coined the "axis of evil"; today, the three nations are all over the headlines. The freedom to travel is the freedom to inseminate. A developing trend in South America: One third of the continent's defense ministers are women. These days, being an
Federal regulators say nuclear power plants don't need protection from terrorists with planes--and they could be right. One of them was equipped with a ventilation system, phone line, and video surveillance equipment. A look at the large, unfilled subterranean tunnels beneath the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photos here.
Obscure cult--whose leader claims to be a 10th century imam--battled Iraqi forces this weekend, and displayed a shocking military arsenal. European governments resist U.S. demands to slow Iranian exports, financial transactions. Iran, Saudi Arabia push for peace in Lebanon; to many Arab nations, U.S. failures in the region
African Union summit snubs Sudan for the chairmanship, pleasing Chad. Q&A on Darfur, where two million live in camps and "no fewer than 200,000" have been killed. Japanese scientist says, "the presence of the [elderly] husband is a physical and emotional burden on the
India's plunging into the cruise-missile market with Russia's aid and advice. Terrific, terrifying shoe-leather account of a Sergeant shot in central Baghdad. What's an earmark? In Congress, it's pretty much just like pornography. Reviewing the literature of Harlem's most notorious
Iran to soon open a national bank in Iraq, offer military assistance. Perhaps Cheney's strong signal to Iran isn't getting through? Iran wants more Russian help weakening U.N. resistance. Why do Vladimir Putin's enemies always seem to die? Sunday attack by Iraqi soldiers,
U.S., European allies will support Kosovo's decision to permanently secede from Serbia. Scientists oddly positive their iguana doesn't mind having his erection amputated. Cuban blogger reveals his fellow countrymen know as little about Castro's health as the outside world does. The story of
Lawyers ask the Bush administration: Is all this secrecy doing us more harm than it's doing good for anybody? Of course, lawyering is just an alternative to having sex with a dolphin. "She wanted to make all the decisions and stuff. She wanted final cut and everything.
After months of figuring out ways to not fight back, the White House authorized troops in Iraq to kill or capture Iranian operatives. In Iraq, Sadr and his followers back off from violence--though U.S. officials can only guess as to why. Suicide bomber kills himself, one other person in
Scooter trial reveals Cheney was deeply involved with the Wilson affair. (Catch live coverage.) Overnight curfew for Beirut after deadly clashes erupt between students. Twenty secrets from infamous dead spy Howard Hunt, who died Tuesday at 88. He showed an affinity at an early age for figuring out how things
Idaho senator learns, with dismay, committee reports can't really shut down public institutions. Let them bear the guilty burden, before the world. Compiling poetry from Guantanamo Bay. Top 10 beaches with wireless internet access. Notes on the educational segregation of America: clusters of college graduates, plains of brain
Senate committee approves resolution to oppose Bush's troop buildup--much to Cheney's humor. Cheney says the U.S. has achieved "enormous successes" in Iraq, blames failures on media's lack of imagination. It is extraordinary that, almost four years after U.S. forces captured
Eight centuries later, habeas corpus doesn't apply to everyone; This American Life's take on habeas corpus and the residents at Guantanamo Bay. Is rave making a comeback in the underground? And if we're reading about it in this article, doesn't that prove
During the last ice age, the winds blew the other way. And: The effect of global warming on wine regions--some rejoice, while others mourn. RAZZIE nominees for the worst acting performances of 2006 announced; New York neighborhood group honors the city's worst landlords. Frank Bruni invites fancy chefs
In State of the Union address, Bush proposes increased troops, decreased gas consumption, more bells, fewer whistles. In the form of a "blunt warning," Sen. Webb delivers the Democratic response to Bush's speech, handling of Iraq. U.S. launches second air strike in Somalia against suspected
Politicians with little else in common band together to promote ultra-conservatism in the EU. Photos of the Beirut protests, even better ones. Germany starts to come to terms with its '60s-era student terrorism; meanwhile, Black Panthers arrested. Kitty missing after Schlage locks manufacturer heir burgled twice. Photos of Sherlockians
Americans may be ready for a black president, but trends in journalism show reporters aren't. For your postmodern, post-millennium Goths, the whole all-black thing is so over. Goths are up on the Spring collections. Since dark matter is invisible, how can an optical telescope see it? The evolution
Beirut paralyzed by Hezbollah-led protesters aiming to topple the government. Global survey finds the world doesn't like the U.S. much, and they're not interested in condemning Cuba, either. Bush to push domestic issues in tonight's State of the Union address. Perhaps relevant: The
The U.S. military is now so stretched that fighting the War on Terror means it can no longer fight the War on Drugs. To help solve Britain's Watergate, Scotland Yard hacks into No. 10 Downing Street. Normal, if rather clean, rooms around the world: No surprises with
China won't respond to U.S. inquires about its successful anti-satellite missile test. Physically attractive candidates don't always do better in the polls--in fact, being too good-looking can be a hindrance. "It's the Jamestown of Virginia Beach." New 17th century English settlement
Dual car bombing kills 75 in Baghdad market. Saturday in Iraq: 19 U.S. soldiers died in a helicopter crash and insurgent attacks; disguised as American troops, gunmen infiltrated, attacked a government compound in Karbala. At Manhattan clinic, Hillary Clinton announces her presidential campaign, plan for expanded federal health care
If security improves in Baghdad, the new "additional troops" could be withdrawn by late summer, says Casey. Why Egypt, despite pledge to support Bush, may wish to continue revving up Sunni insurgents. International responses varied, worried about Chinese missile test. Tomb-raiding Jakartan farmers put archaeologists in a snit.
Rescued frozen embryo, sent to sea by Katrina, becomes a boy named Noah. Only 13 percent of "Road Home" applicants--Louisiana hurricane victims--are taking the money and running out of state. Small indie magazine caught (online) in the music business's oldest payola practices. See also, the week&
Justice Department considering adding all sorts of detainee DNA to its crime-fighting database. Democrats pass far-reaching ethics reform bill, oil-industry slap bill, all in 42 hours or so. Op: Support intervention in Darfur but not Iraq? Think again. It used to be enough to know the difference between Iraq and
We can stop watching for space aliens--it's going to take them 10 billion years to find us, after all. Last night one of your buddies called me twice even asking me to be on his TV show... You have to chill this guy out. Don't ask
"The best things in life aren't things." Art Buchwald gets the last laugh, passes away at age 81. (Excellent video interview with him here.) "Is it all right to take a 15-year-old girl to the Folies-Bergere?" (answer: "Depends on the 15-year-old girl"
White House says it will cease warrantless domestic surveillance--and replace it with a secret court of spies. Cancer deaths in U.S. drop for second year in a row, suggesting it's no fluke. New study shows "dense" breasts are at a higher risk for cancer. DEA
Bush disappointed by Saddam's hanging--"it looked like it was kind of a revenge killing." If Oprah had to sleep with a man, she would sleep with Obama. Reviewing the presidential hopefuls with Dan Savage. Not just a modesty suit, it's also sun protection:
Racial hatred fuels war between black and Latino gangs in Los Angeles Spam messages promoting pornography are 280 times as effective as those advertising drugs. Op: There's no easy way to quit smoking, not until smoking becomes just too difficult. Five ideas for stressful living. Higher executive pay
From state legislator to the great American hope in three years, Obama starts fundraising. Iraqi death toll in 2006 exceeded 34,000, says the U.N., with 94 persons killed each day. At least 70 Iraqi college students killed yesterday by university bombing. America's gulf allies give cautious
What we all knew from the beginning and were just too afraid to admit--Airborne is a gimmick. Video: La Marche de l'empereur, or Napoleon gets down. Today's TMN Gallery: "Unlike the dank motels where Americans allegedly seek anonymous sex, Japan's love hotels are
Obama announces presidential exploratory committee--does this mean he now has to quit smoking? Study shows pet owners drink less alcohol, but smoke more cigarettes than the petless. New York Times surmises that more women than ever are living spouseless--Dawn Eden says casual sex with rock stars is the reason. More
U.N. raises 2006 Iraq death toll threefold--to more than 34,000 civilians. California citrus producers say as much as 70 percent of its orange crops could have been destroyed by winter blast. U.S. meets Iranian influence in Iraq with barbs, while Iraq welcomes it, diplomatically. Five years on,
Merci pour l'ajouter: MySpace expands to the continent, beginning with France. The Pirate Bay, the infamous Swedish file-sharing site, seeks sovereignty. [My father] had a workbench out in his garage where, when I was about five or six, he sectioned off a little piece of it and said
The 1982 crash of Air Florida flight 90 forever changed the role of the co-pilot--and drastically improved commercial airline safety. Do balloons work the same one mile up? The Democratic National Convention heads to Denver for 2008. Gather.com readers will vote which author will have their manuscript published by
In apparent terror attack, a rocket explodes inside the U.S. embassy in Athens. U.S. officials confirm no top terror figures were killed in Somalia raids. Negroponte: Al Qaeda is rebuilding in Pakistan. It acknowledged failure, though it dodged accountability for that failure by the standard device of assuming
Artists to console Canadians by memorializing the 26 victims of a notorious serial killer. It's about time for Muslims to laugh at themselves. Little Mosque on the Prairie debuts in Canada. Cheap nosejobs should probably be avoided in Cairo. Eleven-thousand Indian constables soon to be trained by prostitutes.
University of Michigan drops affirmative action in the middle of the admissions process for next year's freshmen. The road to college football starts at the U.S. Army National Combine. D.C. construction worker fell four stories to his death. Authorities unclear on why he was naked. When
Bush to boost troops in Iraq by 20,000 for a fight that's not "open-ended," yet not a sign of "stepping back." Bush on Iraq is either resolute or delusional, but he only has one new idea. One small note: Bush vows to stop
Somebody is bugging American defense contractors' pocket change, but we're not pointing fingers, Canada. Brilliant: The Feltron 2006 Annual Report. Ten percent of the population experiences heart palpitations when the creator of Lost talks about the new Star Trek movie he's filming. The vaginal photoplethysmograph
How we think about an increase in the minimum wage depends on whether we're the ones paying it or the ones being paid--and the answers aren't so obvious. "The East Coast... did not warm nearly as much as rest of globe over the 20th century,
House passes bill to implement many recommendations from the Sept. 11 commission. In tonight's speech, Bush will reverse his oft-stated belief that commanders on the ground know what's best. U.S. won't confirm why it launched a strike in Somalia, but Somali officials now
U.S. launches second wave of Somalia attacks. "Friendship pipeline" mein Arsch: Europe can say goodbye to Russian oil, at least for the time being. As reported earlier, civilization may "die screaming," but its birth was gassy. Iranian lawmakers begin process to impeach loudmouth President Ahmadinejad.
Dems start the clock on their 100-hour marathon to pass six pieces of legislation. Seven elections to watch around the world this year. See also, 60 things about a freshly 60-year-old David Bowie. Inflatable heart for you to wear to your next violent protest. Orhan Pamuk plays journalist, dedicates Turkish
U.S. carries out air strikes in Somalia against al-Qaeda operatives, rams Japan. Fierce fighting in central Baghdad between U.S. and Iraqi troops and Sunni fighters. Third Infantry Division becomes first Army unit to pull three tours in Iraq. First syrup, now eggs: New York doesn't know
Except for brief moments of duress, I haven't touched a keyboard for years. No fingers were tortured in producing these words--or the last half a million words of my published fiction. Novelist Richard Powers talks to his computer. Artist Carson Ellis breaks down and gets a blog; some
New York smells like natural gas today, but it could just be the odor that's added to gas, not gas itself. Austin's Congress Avenue shut down over reports of dozens of inexplicably dead birds. Record high temperatures prompt New Yorkers to ice-skate in T-shirts, the Polar
Iraqi Health Ministry reports 5,640 civilian and police offer deaths in the first half of last year--and 17,310 deaths in the last half. Wesley Clark: There have never been enough troops in Iraq--but now it's time for diplomacy, not military surging. U.S. commander in Iraq
Do hawks win arguments because we're hardwired to prefer tough guys? Notwithstanding the constitutional right to remain silent, many people arrested talk freely. "Anecdotal research demonstrates curiosity is on the rise." New for 2007: anal intercourse. At a wireless hot spot, your data is open and
Folate levels at record low; Associated Press ensures panic ensues. He heard voices outside his hospital room plotting against him. Justice Rehnquist, formerly hopped up on goof balls. Brilliant PR strategists in Libya surely behind new Saddam statue. Even Lindsay Lohan's appendix doesn't like her. Compelling,
Pelosi becomes America's first female speaker of the house, passes "the broadest ethics and lobbying revision since the Watergate era." Shift in Congress has members worried, what will become of Santorum's candy desk? U.S. and Iraqi troops launched a major, slow-moving offensive in
Hefty profile of John McCain, the "palpably, pungently human" presidential hopeful. Bush wet nurse and former Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers to leave the White House. The guardians of Britain's historic Tower of London are enlisting girl power for the first time in their 522-year history.
Continuing weather madness: Golfers aren't hibernating either, scientists say we're experiencing record heat. Mike Tyson told cops he smokes cocaine that he packs into Marlboro cigarettes, is unable to roll his own joints, and gets "a little crazy" without the use of the antidepressant
Dems to take control of Congress today, vow ethics reform before lunch. Negroponte to step down as director of national intelligence, will move to State Dept. to fill a role so "crucial" that it's been vacant for months. Bush, Obama are newspaper columnists for a day,
Ruling in favor of pork-soup shelter prompts Paris mayor to wrinkle nose, "stinks of xenophobia," he says. The diesel industry is really proud of its "superior real-world fuel efficiency", and may start growing it on trees. Thanks, global warming, for making heat so unnecessary this winter.
Swaps between prostitutes and clothing boutique owners blamed for HIV in Iran. If you haven't been following the Post's "Date Lab," now's as good a time as any to start. Soko, at least, deserves another chance. Surveillance cameras make urban streets the
Iraq to investigate Saddam's pre-hanging taunting as depicted by cellphone video. Op: It is in the nature of research on ruthless dictators that the sample size is small--must we kill them? FBI releases instances of Guantanamo mistreatment: Koran-squatting, duct-tape helmets, priest garb, and moist female hands. Maliki won&
With his plans for a presidential run now all good and leaked, there goes Giuliani's security and strategy angle. "And, after I heard these pieces and the way she sang them, there was a sense of completion. A sense that I finally had done what I really
Mobile phones rush in where news organizations fear to tread: the death of Saddam. Free copies of the newly re-designed Wall Street Journal are available on newsstands today. (The website's free today as well.) The top 10 cryptozoology stories of 2006. If you can't think of
Twelve passengers survive, 90 die in Indonesian air crash. In Iraq, December was the deadliest month; tracking the news of how, in 2006, Iraq descended into chaos. "We're not even meeting our basic obligation to the Iraqis who've been imperiled because they worked for the
If there's one thing we've learned this year, it's that the world needs saving: The Natural Resources Defense Council. The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital works to treat women with obstetric fistulas, a nasty and easily fixed birth complication. (More background.) The Brooklyn Animal Resource
Unlike freelancers, robots may one day get adequate health care. Californians follow New Yorkers--not just in culture, fashion, etc.--and consider joining the trans-fat-banning party. While women in Illinois are mashed-potato wrestling. And on Craigslist, Arizona women are selling kisses for $1, quickies for $60. Researchers find link between digestive
NY Comptroller Hevesi to resign over criminal charges that he used state workers as personal aides, chauffeurs. Politicians enjoy waxing the pastoral image of family farms, but the reality of modern farming is far more corporate--and well-financed. The smew, a diving duck, flies west to the U.K. for winter
U.S., Britain move warships into Persian Gulf to rattle a few sabers in Iran's direction. U.S. troops hand over local control of Najaf to Iraqi troops, who celebrate by biting into live frogs. Iranian students protest speeches by Ahmadinejad, and are suddenly valuing their civil liberties
The Wednesday Digest authors--Huey, A-Dub, and Rosiepants--share their favorite mp3s of 2006. Muslims accuse Baltimore schools of teaching Islam wrong. Minnesota representative uses the Koran for his swearing-in ceremony; Virginia rep. opens big mouth, inserts Islamophobic foot. Islamophobe writes guide in case you find yourself both Muslim and on an
Heavy fighting erupts on at least two fronts in Somalia (see recent timeline). Long-gone Columbian drug lord's foraging hippos multiply, roam for miles, "are too big and wild" to manage. Want to understand contemporary Russia? Begin with its hellish airports. Italian poet crusades against the courts
Bush says the United States isn't winning in Iraq, so it's time to send more troops. Also, Bush would like to work with Dems on Social Security and immigration, please. Former Iraqi minister jailed for corruption saunters out of prison, again. Close reading of Iran'
Take that, U.S.: Iran will begin calculating oil revenues in Euros instead of dollars. Italy's awkward first steps into the world of online lotteries. British Medical Journal recommends printing an "obesity helpline number" on the tags of plus-sized clothing. Dutch women grow larger breasts, blame
Pentagon opposes increasing forces in Iraq--says more troops mean more targets, and probably the arrival of more foreign jihadis. The rate of violent crimes surged in the U.S. this year. Spin: New York is "the safest big city in America"--except for a rise in murders at
Ipswich police release profiles of five murdered women. Joan of Arc: Definitely burned three times and most certainly not a man. First generation of "Ritalin kids," or "the ADD generation," comes of age, says no to meds. More U.S. citizens living abroad are renouncing their
Navy veteran, whistle-blower relates details of 97 days in accidental U.S. detention. German opera boldly decapitates Muhammad. German portraits of despair at the Met; Top 10 worst-selling books in Germany this year. Judith Regan fired following O.J. Simpson book scandal. Reader extraordinaire Robert Birnbaum on the best books
Two days later, Malmoud Abbas sticks to his call for early elections. Cease-fire breach between Hamas and Fatah continues with gunfire exchanged in Gaza. Policy won't be affected, but Ahmadinejad is sad to find out he didn't dominate Iran's elections. Powell doesn't
Global warming fears are realized this winter in Russia, where mushrooms are growing out of season and the bears can't hibernate. Astonishing pictures show him asleep and using the rail as a pillow. Witnesses even said they could hear him snoring from the platform. Audio: How the French
We consumed more than twice as much high fructose corn syrup per person as in 1980--but whose fault is that? Ten million girls have been killed by their parents in India in the past 20 years, either before they were born or immediately after. As Castro's condition worsens,
Breast cancer rates drop 15 percent--the decrease is attributed to millions of women quitting hormone treatment for menopause. Condoleezza Rice says there's no reason to work with Iran and Syria, they'll do what they want in Iraq anyway. New Jersey votes to recognize same-sex civil unions.
Federal judge says attempt to deny habeas corpus to legal immigrants is unconstitutional, but detainees can't sue. China's sex industry is everywhere but nowhere, except when it's paraded through jeering crowds. How to turn your home into an anti-museum battleground. Suppose scientists found a
Somalia's Islamists and Ethiopia, with tacit U.S. approval, prepare for war. Turk vs. Greek Survivor turns centuries-old belligerence into ratings gold. With Democrats' grasp of the Senate relying on the thinnest of margins, control of the chamber hinges on Johnson's health. Op: How did
Joint Chiefs tell Bush and Cheney to fight insurgents less, train Iraqi soldiers and hunt terrorists more. Iran's elections tomorrow viewed as test of Ahmadinejad's popularity vs. small pacts and reformists. Clinton and Giuliani hold early leads in a presidential-race poll. No explanation needed: World'
World Health Organization recommends circumcisions to stem HIV infections in Africa. Though some still hold the opposite is true. Human heads have been left outside government offices accompanied by written warnings. Mexico's Calderon targets crime in his home state. A relatively unknown meteorologist may have founded chaos theory.
Many question Israeli PM's ability to lead after he casually reveals his country's long-secret nuclear capabilities. And for a quick dessert, she sloshes syrup over thickly buttered white bread, then folds it over to make what kids here call a "diaper sandwich." The delights
Pentagon wants to "double down" in Iraq by sending more troops--no word on how troops feel about a gambling reference in this context. Iraq delivers its plan to take over Baghdad security in early 2007, but in a war with ever-changing goals, this may no longer be viable.
The world will not end if your child walks in on you having sex. Ugandan woman's startling memory book for her daughter. Studies confirm your parents had it all wrong: Sit back or risk hurting your spine. The business of medicine as painted by Jose S. Perez. Anti-smoking
Vulnerable Central African Republic would prefer to be left alone. Fighting Ethiopian-trained government troops, Somalia's Islamist group gives Ethiopia a week to withdraw or they'll push the button. The history of the button. World's oldest living woman dies with feet in three centuries. Why
At least 57 killed, 150 hurt in two near-simultaneous bombings in central Baghdad square. Bush finds experts to help him disagree with the Iraq Study Group, and the American people. Iraqi political parties align to break al-Sadr's influence within the government. Op: The U.S. should yank all
A reminder of why Spring cleaning should happen more than once a year. Truth or Dare every other day. Lunch table rules. Researchers say the rumor mill usually has the best wood. 'I'm the Bishop of Southwark. It's what I do. If what you do
Europeans--and the '80s--are to blame for the majority of new graffiti on New York's subway cars. Immigrant workers who flocked to New Orleans a year ago are now bringing babies into a crippled health-care system. "From our population, the evidence is Indians are doing pretty well.
Obama makes appearance in New Hampshire, stirs presidential chatter. Pitchaya Sudbanthad asks: Why the obsession with one could-be candidate? Republican candidates scramble to see who gets the Bush family's support in 2008--McCain is the current favorite. In Gaza, gunmen kill three of the Fatah party's intelligence
The remarkable 26-year saga of awarding a Pulitzer Prize to an unknown Iranian photographer (see photos). For the first time, more poor people live in suburbs than cities. Trying the knot between the dilemma of conflict diamonds and that engagement ring on your wife's finger. They favour seal
New York gains monitoring powers over out-of-state gun dealers Op: Before engaging Iran, we need a plan, and we should figure out what it will cost us. Republican switcher and former U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick dies at 80. Jazz pianist and bandleader Jay McShann dies at 90; WKCR is
Bush prepares to pick and choose between Iraq Study Group recommendations; Baker urges him not to think of it as "a fruit salad." Amidst grandstanding, Senators also avoid the sour grapes. Olmert: Linking Iraq and the Arab-Israeli issue is a case of apples and oranges. (Arabs disagree.) Iraqi
As winter sets in and fighting diminishes, the Taliban releases new propaganda; the latest installment: when it's OK to kill teachers. Ignoring pigeons' contributions during WWI and WWII, the Times Square military recruiting office is at war with the birds. Why are women, who have the whole
Conservative rabbis OK same-sex marriage--insert the "kosher" joke of your choice here. Altoona, Pa., wants to take care of the immigrant problem it doesn't have--could this make it the most dangerous city in the U.S.? Mu Shuangshuang set a new world record in the snatch.
As expected, the Iraq Study Group's report recommends more diplomacy, less of a combat role for U.S. troops. (Read the report summary here.) Iraq responds to the report: Sounds great for you, not so great for us. On the same day the ISG report is released, Robert
Iraq Study Group says it's time to “begin to move combat forces out of Iraq responsibly.??? Trey Parker and Matt Stone discuss the backroom deals that occasionally keep South Park episodes off the air. The Queen's English has become a bit less queen-y. The story of
Preparing for the Olympics, China lifts foreign media restrictions, also prints "How to Stop Illegal News Coverage" pamphlet for cops. Newbie to Johannesburg stunned by recommended security measures. New Israeli textbooks will show the pre-1967 boundary with the West Bank. City birds perform "avian rap" while
Maliki would like a regional conference on stabilizing his country, insists Iraq is stable enough to host it. Kasparov: Iraq's endgame needs to be changed immediately. Beloved by senators, Gates agrees with the chess champ, and so does the Iraq Study Group. The sturm and drang of the
"If hit by the beam, you will move out of it--reflexively and quickly. You for sure will not be eager to experience it again." The U.S. military's new "Goodbye Weapon" harmlessly causes excruciating pain. Op: Things in Iraq started going wrong for the
A clinical approach to Jackass Number Two. Apocalypto is supposed to be pretty good--but after Mel Gibson's summer tirade, will anyone consider it for an Oscar? Inmates who perform underwater construction could someday make for a great (or, you know) Kurt Russell movie. In my final conversation with
In Iraq, thousands of U.S. combat troops are shifting to advisory roles--and no replacements have been sought. Under no-longer-secret orders from Bush, weapons labs are developing nukes that become useless in the wrong hands. For the fourth time in two decades, the Fiji military takes control of the country--elections
Bolton's temporary appointment as ambassador to the U.N. quietly ends. Lame-duck Congress likely to punt important important issues to next session. Video: The greatest high-school football comeback of all time. Holiday wrapping paper produced by graphic designers, sold to benefit charity. If your bus shelter smelled like
Being prone to conspiracy theories, as Russians certainly are, doesn't mean that someone is not conspiring against them. Forget ray-guns, our national security and best spies rely on...blogging. Thirty good websites you may not be reading. Jessica Francis Kane in today's Digest saves your daughters
Hugo Chavez wins third term as Venezuela's president with 61 percent of the vote. Shiite protester shot dead during Beirut's third day of demonstrations. Annan: Forget "civil war," the killing in Iraq is much worse. Questions that should be asked of Robert Gates. See
Scientists think ancient Egyptians built pyramids with concrete, not by hauling rocks--or maybe even with alien concrete. In a meeting with the clubgoers he accosted, Michael Richards will apologize, perhaps with money. Finland's prime minister breaks up with his internet girlfriend by text message. Aging Baby Boomers and
Tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters gather in Beirut to protest the Lebanese government. Today's long read: How Al-Sadr may control America's fate in Iraq. If it ends its efforts of reaching out to Sunni dissidents, the U.S. will signal the end of its hope
Iraq Study Group now offers timetable for Iraq withdrawal--if "by early 2008" is a timetable. Investigating the mysterious death of a Russian spy, British police find a trail of 12 radioactive locations around London, with more likely to come. And where might one find the polonium 210 used
Al Gore admits the Onion had it right with the headline, "Gores Enjoying Best Sex of Their Lives." Number of street children in Congo's capital has swelled to 20,000, with many shunned as "witches." New Yorkers (and their children), prepare for the holiday
"Graceful exit" from Iraq has "no realism to it at all," says Bush. Dutch pedophile politicos propose sex ed. in kindergarten, intercourse at 12, whoring no earlier than 16. A rich history of recent art crimes. Winner to be announced tonight for "unconvincing, perfunctory, embarrassing
Iraq Study Group to recommend a gradual pullback of troops, though not on a firm timetable. When Bush meets with Maliki in Jordan today, he'll be talking to the number two (vs. al-Sadr). Powell joins the "civil war in Iraq" camp, meanwhile the media is mixed,
These two rascals just finished hitchhiking the 50 capitals in 50 days. First Larsen and now Ross: The ice shelves are collapsing. And: With the glacial melting comes ancient flu viruses that could wipe us all out. Dr. Seuss is--or at least was--concerned about malaria. Immigrant households are linguistically isolated,
Because wild fish live in uncontrolled environments, the U.S.DA says they cannot be "organic," even if they may be better for you. "Movie features gay Leaf." Wearing Superman pajamas and covered with his Batman blanket, comic book illustrator Dave Cockrum died Sunday. Castro too
Leaked memo from Bush's national security adviser cites lack of confidence in Prime Minister Maliki's ability to stem violence in Iraq. (Text of the memo here.) In upcoming confab with Maliki, Bush will alternate shoulder to cry on with headlocks. Some see the talk of blame
Ethical codes that guide doctors' behavior never discuss when they should not give out money. Study suggests sitting up straight is bad for your back, same with leaning forward. Your cell phone can control a building in Stockholm. The making of Vince Guaraldi's music for A Charlie
Congo men among the Sape movement--fashionistas--find wild amounts to spend on clothes despite poverty. The hunt for an irresistible yet missing puggle. Nobody has organized voluntary imprisonment with payment--yet. Former Croatian labor camp to be refitted for extreme tourists. Black lung not funny at this point. If you have a
Syria doesn't show up for the press conference, but Iran promises to help end violence in Iraq, assuming the U.S. gets out. Iran and Syria have been helping Hezbollah train the Mahdi Army. If the West abandons Iraq, says Hitchens, "the victors will be able to
After Zarf establishes a bond with Bianca that leads to the kiss, an angry Bianca tells him she's a lesbian. All My Children at the forefront of transgender politics. Though other news organs remain on the fence, NBC decides Iraq is indeed in a "civil war"
When real news sites--including Fox--start using in-link ads, spokespeople start talking their ways out of corners. The five lamest Charlie Brown cartoons. Santa Claus has been unseated from the number-one spot, replaced by defense contractor Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks. The Forbes Fictional 15. Help Leslie Harpold bring this year&
Iraq Study Group's draft report says it's time to work with Iran and Syria, still no timetable on troop withdrawal. Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army seen as heroes in the aftermath of last week's horrific violence in Sadr City. Few answers in Saturday&
Last-minute Thanksgiving reservations, last-minute turkey wines. Fast wines are the vinous correlative of everything else that is going to hell in our culture. You've heard of "slow food," well, welcome to "slow wine." Shortage of compassionate sommeliers strikes restaurant world. Outrages abound! Since he
Bush may so love social-security reform, he's willing to bargain for it. London police wooed by Scientologists. Saudi Arabia threatens to cut diplomatic strings with Britain unless slush-fund investigation stops. Have Swiss banks given up the info? After CNN anchor Nancy Grace harshly cross-examines mother of missing child,
Anti-Syria Lebanese minister gunned down, shots fired at another minister as well. Heard this before? Syria, of course, is blamed, though not by Bush, who needs to play nice. Maoists agree to lock up guns, for now, so Nepalese can vote on whether to retain the monarchy. Relief operations begin
The life and times of G. Robert Crowningshield, who established the diamond grading system--and made it that much harder for you to propose. Equally misguided, however, is the claim made by many champions of religion that secularists lack the will to combat evil because they are moral relativists who don&
When Katrina washed out New Orleans courthouse evidence rooms, authorities later had no choice but to let many arrestees walk. Proof that you can't sue your movie studio and get away with it: Peter Jackson will not be directing The Hobbit. Mp3: Cary Grant sings the FCC regulations.
After almost 25 years of silence, Iraq and Syria restore their diplomatic ties. Leaked documents show over a third of the West Bank land upon which Israel settlements have been built is privately owned by Palestinians. Polygamists find mainstream acceptance, at least in Utah. Caliente Hot Springs Motel no longer
If Shakespeare were alive, he'd be worth many millions--or he wouldn't be published at all. Marines' Iraqi translator remembers dying friends and threatened families, failed by the system, not the soldiers. The Army says it's not searching for a truth serum. The Kremlin
"Most Americans don't understand something equivalent to the Marshall Plan has been accomplished in Iraq," says Army official. Newark's mayor leaves his battle pad; "a good story, but it's bullcrap," says Amiri Baraka. Robert Birnbaum in today's Digest
Pentagon identifies three ways to save Iraq: "Go Big" (more troops), "Go Long" (more time), and "Go Home" (more to the point). At least 111 people killed or found dead in Iraq on Sunday. Sectarian violence in Iraq before seemed random, now seems pinned
Cat allegedly mates with dog, births cat-dogs. Cue audio from Ghostbusters... Venkman: "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats, living together... mass hysteria!" (More sounds here.) He got up, looked around at the one other passenger in the car who was half asleep, scurried to the end of the car,
Top-notch collection of vintage postcards from Mr. Bingo. The fourth annual "Top 40 Bands in America" list, brought to you by a bevy of mp3 bloggers. New Zealand Revenue Minister defends the rights of schoolgirls to run around in their underwear. Bush administration finds its new population affairs
U.S. soldier sentenced to 90 years for rape of Iraqi girl and murder of her and her family. Spitzer is expected to ask the State Senate for the recently re-elected Hevesi's removal, despite the latter's good intentions. An ingredient in red wine is shown to
Illegal immigrants who are also victims of domestic violence offered path to citizenship. Smart women can too find a man, as long as he's not fat in Paris. Remembering rock 'n' roll feminist superhero Ellen Willis. One of the great things about being a copy editor
Diplomats scramble to prevent a slide into civil war two weeks after Congo's presidential elections. Strategies for preventing the spread of AIDS in Africa must be adapted to traditional customs. Against formidable opposition, South Africa passes gay partnership law. Murtha will not be number-two Democrat. In Beijing, Tom
Top U.S. commander in Iraq urges Congress not to withdraw troops any time soon. And though Iraq's neighbors may not love American troops nearby, they concur. (Just don't bring up Syria.) And in Iraq: "Democracy is not working. Only power can control Iraqis."
Urinetown's creative team alleges Midwest productions copped their style--prompting an interesting question of whether intellectual property extends beyond the libretto. Jesus seen on dog's behind. Also: Where have we spotted Jesus this week? U.S. helps end Cuba's critical shortage of chainsaws, Godiva chocolates,
Eat up company bandwidth: Al Jazeera English goes live. A profile of Dave Marsh, the face of Al Jazeera in the West. In today's Digest, Llewellyn Hinkes reconsiders music he thought he disliked. Drugs in cyclists: Transposing a single digit could mean Rob Landis is innocent. Drugs in
The numbers kidnapped from Baghdad's Higher Education Ministry yesterday vary, but government sources say almost 40 abductees have been freed. Op: Reid says Democrats plan to give a $75 billion boost to military spending. Bono gets his cowboy hat back. Newly elected Texas representative pledges to do as
Phone sex flourishes in Kandahar; Christian satellite channels less popular. Iranian action to restrain sectarian violence [in Iraq] should not be construed as support for Washington’s stabilization efforts. Local newspapers benefit from local owners; why not give your favorite billionaire one for the holidays? Male millionaires and women who
The death of Malachi Ritscher (the Chicago man who set himself on fire) in light of the music scene he loved. Growing number of countries are reversing the longstanding trend of destroying their forests. "Every single bomber or I.E.D. in one way or another is linked to
Up to 150 scientists and staff kidnapped from Baghdad research institute. Israel would not oppose U.S.-Iranian negotiations. Ahmadinejad: "We will soon witness [Israel's] disappearance and destruction." Analyzing the American-Israeli alliance in light of recent events. Lawyers' group asks Germany to sue Rumsfeld over
Wal-Mart brings back "Merry Christmas" while Best Buy stands firm behind "Happy Holidays." Diagnose your own tone-deafness. Everything you'd ever wanted to know about American women and guns but were afraid to ask. The illustrated history of folding chairs. Italian trains can't
Ann Coulter alleged to have voted in the wrong Palm Beach precinct to avoid acknowledging her address. Tungsten addicts--as in, everyone--should hope China never stops exporting. Libel tourism: When wealthy foreigners sue American writers and publishers in England. Your favorite Flak Magazine, now available as Flak radio. It's
It's National Fig Month, according to the Dull Men's Club. From car bombs in Baghdad to food pantries in Brooklyn. Not everybody is giggling at Madonna. He boasted in his memoirs that if he went down in espionage history, it should be for perfecting the use
Rumsfeld resigns, to be replaced by former CIA chief Robert Gates; Montana is called for Democrat Tester. The official "Rumsfeld Rules," pragmatic advice from the man himself on how to survive in Washington [PDF]. The Democracy Now interview with Bernie Sanders, the first socialist ever elected to the
Video: A Valentine for Niles. Don't you just totally love sushi? Did you know that your wasabi is totally fake? This show is a deadpan hodgepodge of peculiar banalities that collectively liberate a tornado of question marks. What would you like kept four feet away from you at
Working-class Brits love celebrified slang, and hate workplace jargon. All we really want for Christmas is a giant swirling plastic vortex that can threaten marine life. The lexicon of presidents' speeches, tagged. Worst game ever of "Never Have I Ever" results in homicide charge. One giant pain
If you don't want California lettuce or spinach, how about some Californian inmates instead? The source may be biased, but if the U.S. doesn't want online gambling, the U.K. will gladly take the business. Generation XL crosses the Atlantic: British teens too heavy for
Something to remember when you go out drinking this weekend: Nuclear power plants are neither gas stations nor toll booths. John Kerry couldn't tell a joke in 2004, either. All the cool kids have anti-social behavior disorders, and unpopular children want them bad. Video: Ron Kind has learned
Saw III premieres, paramedics called. Capitalism gives us many variations of a "Wide Left Turn" signs. In honor of All Saints Day, a list of patron saints of ecology, neurological diseases, waiters, etc. Moscow's football club Metros it for free when traffic gets too bad. The
NASA reverses post-Columbia decision to abandon Hubble, now plans repairs for 2008. Rather than solve world problems, nerds plant computers in pumpkins. Prison to be built on Pitcairn Island after 1/10th of the population, or 6 men, are convicted of rape (more disturbing info). Note: Your fictional campaign signs
No really, no one's reading the paper anymore. The University of California doesn't want prospective students learning from textbooks that claim "the Bible, written by an omniscient God, can never be proved wrong." Slow Foodies caucus in Italy, plan to "deindustrialize food production&
Violence against women in Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan increases. Wall Street workers hard-working, hard-drinking, therapy-adverse "Ice Men." Not to put on any labels. Emilio Estevez totally, like, crushes on Tony Blair. South Park perhaps "too soon" to mock Steve Irwin. It could be a long weekend: Annoted
We'll assume he's making that face because it's his evil twin brother. A profile of the Seigneur of Sark, the "last independent feudal state in the world." Photos: South African women wearing traditional shwe shwe textiles. Comme c'est choquant: French
New York's High Line no longer to include a Dia gallery at the bottom of the steps. Already we have one very good reason to be excited for Christmas in New York. New NFL plan means teams play one game overseas every eight years, for what that'
Pretty brilliant: Headlines & News. A look at Japan's right-wing uyoku movement, who blast rhetoric from loudspeaker-armed trucks all hours of the day--and night. (Photos here.) In South Africa, where 83 percent of the population is religious, and one in five adults are living with AIDS, faith-based organizations
Milosevic may be dead, but he can still vote "No" on Kosovo's independence ShotSpotters save D.C. residents the hassle of calling 911 every time there's gunfire. How many world-famous locations can we play Game Boy? Questionably clever German hipster inventions. New birth-control pill,
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week we help a young woman work through a desperate situation: What to wear this year on Halloween?
An adorably illustrated guide to sussing out liars. American-style supermarkets are changing the way India shops, farms, and even invests--but the corner stores are suffering. PDF of Johnny Cash's Christian comics from the '70s, compliments of WFMU. Weekend project: Make fake political signs! Put them up around
Neglect could destroy 2,500-year-old Bistoun world heritage site, whose inscriptions "mark the birth of the Persian alphabet." Locations where people live on lead feature prominently in the planet's 10 most polluted places. It is possible to view Lovecraft's work as an expression of
Bush signs bill that will limit terror defendants' courtroom rights. If Democrats win control of one or both houses, Bush will have to go bipartisan or face lame-duckism. In 2000: "He speaks of being a bipartisan guy, but I think certainly the majority of Democrats in the Texas
Innovative housing pitches for expensive homes include writing blogs, giving away a Maserati. An ex-drug dealer and burglar leads a wheelchair posse terrorizing Southern California businesses. Met Life agrees to sell Stuyvesant Town for $5.4 billion to investment group led by Tishman Speyer. The world's ugliest animals,
Composer Harry Partch created a vast array of specially tuned instruments--you can play virtual versions of some of them here. New Yorkers will do anything short of burning down their apartments (or their landlords' apartments) to get rid of bedbugs. If finding a purpose is the aim of life
Now that the Dow is breathing down 12,000's neck, why are we still saving up for new shoes? Italian sociologist to go under his rock and not come out; insert other academics jokes here. McBride cheaper than a Big Mac. Suspicions High Times editors have infiltrated CNN
Illustrated plans for submarines, from Alexander the Great to the present day. Gambian bumsters take tourist heckling to newly enjoyable levels. Bowers handed the money to a security guard standing in the lobby and told him it was his day to be a hero. Unemployed man robs bank to get
Either a small plane or helicopter crashed into an Upper East Side building. As though you needed another reason to plug your ears when that A train flies by, study finds NYC subway riding can result in hearing loss. Remembrance: As a gourmand Johnny Apple loved it all, and he
Sam Lipsyte travels with Michel Houellebecq and wakes every morning waiting for crap, hell, prostitutes to happen. The good thing about the tank is that you can always find a parking space. Kosovo tank is the new Hummer. Yahoo to beam their digital time capsule into space from top of
In 1994 we took our traditional pilgrimage to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Alcoholism treatment centers--now for anyone who wants a vacation from public scrutiny. Lock the doors: Gothamist's NYC news map confirms danger everywhere. Beautiful transsexuals. Thirteen-year-old fires AK-47 into school ceiling--most likely not in protest
Video: Voices That Care. The Fall 2006 New York art openings of note. About Iggy's vocal--we need lots... make it strong and punchy, a bit like a boxing kangaroo. The best tour rider ever. Kentucky wants to ban the alcohol inhalation that's replacing sipping. The Second
He actually came up with the idea to split Smith's black gloves in the athletes' lounge, so both at least had one to cover their fists. Peter Norman, the third man on the Black Panther podium at the 1968 Olympics, dies. Russia could hang out with the
Did the gracious lady have all those beautiful feelings thanks to my poor quartets? Brahams, it turns out, was a wiseass. Author spies hole in historical literary landscape--no good history of funerary violins--and fills it, despite there's no such thing as a funerary violin. A concise history of
When medication is approved for different uses overseas than in the U.S., pharma websites change their pitch. North Korea states it will conduct a nuclear test "in the future." Because there's no way this will get on your nerves: introducing cell phone alarms. Symphony audiences
GOPers hop around shifting blame while the FBI gets busy investigating Mark Foley--that cool congressman the kids could chill with. Palestinian government closes shop while Hamas and Fatah battle with respective security forces. Retired army chief sworn in as interim Thai prime minister, gives coup leaders amnesty for overthrowing the
New York's currently: mostly harmless Senate OKs new detainee bill, the one that excludes many rights already guaranteed under the U.S. legal system. In Baghdad, knowing how to switch your religion can save your life. Colorado high school shooter identified as a 53-year-old drifter, unknown to locals.
New York's currently: watching the neo-con democracy-domino effect hand Iran an empire Last week saw the highest number of suicide bomb attacks in Iraq of any week since the invasion in 2003. House approves White House-happy interrogation bill--a dangerous piece of legislation that terrifies Democrats, goose-marches Republicans, and
New York's currently: crisping up real nice Bush declassifies parts of National Intelligence Estimate report, blames political sabotage meant to "create confusion in the minds of the American people." What the report says: Al Qaeda may not be the threat it once was, but the Iraq
New York's currently: wham, bam, thank you spamassassin White House chips away at objections to surveillance bill that would allow Bush to order domestic eavesdropping without a judge's approval. Egyptian president's son Gamal Mubarak points to his country's nuclear future and pokes
New York's currently: the land of Silk and Splenda Pentagon prepares for showdown after telling Rumsfeld the 2008 budget is billions of dollars short. The FBI's investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks continues, though slowly, and with an endless list of suspects. Life in Thailand after
New York's currently: designing a "More Ram Horn" T-shirt President and dissident Republicans agree they've come to an incredibly confusing pact on interrogation rules. Abbas says planned Palestinian unity government will recognize Israel, and Hamas says, um, no. Chomsky not offended Venezuela's
New York's currently: signed up for autumn Iran President Ahmadinejad's big day in New York: spent 40 minutes questioning the Holocaust, no time left to pick up a new blazer. At U.N. address, Chavez refers to Bush as "the devil," gets more laughs
New York's currently: briefing its boxers Military (though bloodless) coup in Thailand; general vows to appoint a new (less corrupt?) prime minister within two weeks. Thais realized something very unusual was happening when Channel 5, controlled by the Army, removed its usual program. Are we winning in Iraq?
New York's currently: no tengo dinero When slipshod Canadian intelligence and nightmarish U.S. interrogators work together, one innocent computer engineer pays the price. If John McCain wants to pick up Bush devotees' votes in 2008, he has to start singing a different tune about torture. The
New York's currently: 90 degrees, with a head cold that won't wither Pope Benedict says he's sorry that Muslims were offended and upset by his remarks, though it's not clear if he's sorry he said them. Speaking of offensive remarks,
New York's currently: keeping our heads above water E. coli outbreak in bagged, fresh spinach has killed one person, sickened 48 others. White House, Republican senators clash over how to interrogate terror detainees; Democrats say they expect to be blamed for this as well. Representative Bob Ney to
New York's currently: pronouncing "two" with a Baltimore accent Arctic ice has declined sharply, 2006 was the hottest American summer since 1936, and though private and state-level initiatives receive applause, the U.S. is still deaf to global warming. It may already be too late. Bin
14 September 2006: Due to system failure, today's headlines will be published at 11 a.m. New York's currently: still looking awful good Spitzer, Clinton win Democratic primaries; a map of the races and how they're panning out. In a single day, police in
New York's currently: looking awful good Bush addresses nation, says victory in Iraq is essential to winning the war on terror. Jihadi websites mark Sept. 11 by serving up a different kind of rhetoric, specially made for Western visitors. Analysis: The war on terror won't be
New York's currently: blue sky and sunny Families of 9/11 victims recovering, grieving, arriving somewhere new five years later. Ground Zero remains a hole in New York's heart--and the best analogy for its progress since 9/11 may be "a novel, a cheap novel,
New York's currently: alerting its finances to hit the gym New interrogation policies allow CIA to continue doing whatever it likes--even if tactics are unproductive and abuse-prone. Baghdad's morgue triples its count for violent deaths during August, erasing U.S. and Iraqi claims of progress. New
New York's currently: trying to look busy Bush confirms existence of secret CIA prisons, wants 14 of its high-profile terror suspects moved to Gitmo for tribunals. Bush asks Congress to allow coerced evidence in new tribunals; the Pentagon officially forbids harsh interrogation tactics. Given upcoming elections, nobody in
New York's currently: planning on being happy later Iraq extends its state of emergency by a month. Army revises war rules to provide Geneva protections for all detainees, eliminate "unlawful combatant" interrogation tactics. Iraqis change their names so they aren't killed over their identification
New York's currently: wishing for a summer repeat Sudan launches offensive to wipe out remaining rebels before U.N. peacekeepers show up. Republicans in Congress scrap work on immigration laws--which nobody wants to hear about--vow renewed focus on November elections. They argue, however, that if they aren'
New York's currently: possessed and undressed It's the last Friday of summer and everyone's on the beach--be safe, have a good weekend, and raise a glass to Agassi. The world is a bit tired of being publicly judged by the U.S. "The
New York's currently: Seattle until further notice Iran defies today's deadline to quit producing nuclear fuel, but the Yank-Frog-Kraut-Limey alliance faces a steep road to pass sanctions. War on the horizon in Darfur as government prepares new assault on rebel groups. Up 50 percent from 10
New York's currently: sunless, bleak, unable to wake up without help Either students are dumber or the SATs--now a soul-crushing four hours--are too long. Fake-a-wish foundation introduces dying child to Brett Favre lookalike. Hikers warned never to caress a Swiss cow. I spend a lot of time with
New York's currently: dead Massive fighting between Iraqi Army and Sadr's militia; more than 100 Iraqis killed Sunday and Monday. Signs that don't work. The fed said it would build "the best levee system in the world," but in New Orleans, one
New York's currently: taking a bite out of you everyday Kentucky commuter plane carrying 50 takes off from wrong runway, crashes, kills 49. Kentucky viewers displeased by Conan O'Brien's plane-crash Emmys opener. Nasrallah: We wouldn't have captured those soldiers if we'
New York's currently: finishing the summer of George FDA approves access to morning-after pill for women over 18. France promises 2,000 troops for U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon; other European countries will likely follow. The State Department wants to know if Israel used American cluster bombs
New York's currently: running out of things not to be angry about Only in Africa are ranks of child workers growing; nearly a third of Kenyan coffee pickers are children. White House and Vatican not impressed by new stem cell technique that doesn't destroy human embryos.
New York's currently: wildly idle Iran delivers 21-page response to the West's nuclear proposal--but no promise to suspend uranium enrichment. What Iran does offer is a new solution, which requires new talks; the White House says it will move ahead with sanctions unless the original deadline
New York's currently: recalling earlier summers Announcing the big international happy surprise, Iran lifts middle finger to West's nuclear conditions. George Saunders helps the Iranian president improve his English. The loudest noise at his news conference was the sound of mission creep. If you think Democrats
New York's currently: worth the trouble With Israel's airlifted raid into Lebanon on Saturday and the U.N. unable to get troops until it defines a mission, the cease-fire in Lebanon is still on shaky ground. "The country's oil and gas reserves will
New York's currently: inventing a pork-chop salad Federal court rules the NSA's warrantless surveillance program is unconstitutional. France to only contribute 200 additional troops to southern Lebanon, despite Security Council's need for 13,000. Israel concerned that countries which don't acknowledge its
New York's currently: glad to be a part of today's world, even if it means recognizing Emmy Rossum Lebanon ships troops south with fuzzy orders leaving Hezbollah intact. Given striking increase in attacks, White House is considering alternatives to democracy for Iraq. Sensing a tide shift
New York's currently: flaming manholes With an unlimited budget flowing from Iran, Hezbollah leads rebuilding in Lebanon. Iran says it's ready to resume nuclear talks, but that talking about stopping its nuclear program will fall on deaf ears. Iraqi civilian deaths reached 3,438 in July--the
New York's currently: at war with the shower Cease-fire in Lebanon allows thousands of Lebanese to return to their homes--or rather, what's left of them. Analysis: Hezbollah claims victory in the conflict--and at least politically, it appears to be true. For Lebanese joke tellers, the conflict
New York's currently: wondering if Devorah Rose is real Calm during cease-fire holds, despite Israeli troops' killing of a Hezbollah man who fired on them. The Christian Science Monitor's Jill Carroll begins to tell her story. White House denies helping Israel attack Hezbollah in order
New York's currently: somewhere between country wisdom and urban myth Disrupted terror plot bears striking resemblance to earlier scheme--what this tell us about Al Qaeda today. Op: The TSA is far too reactive, far too late. "Remember Richard Reid? Imagine what would have happened if he had
New York's currently: sidestepping with Hillary U.K. arrests 21 plotting to blow up U.S.-bound flights with liquid-based explosives; threat believed to be mostly thwarted. Travel havoc in Britain, and both the U.S. and U.K. go to highest terrorism alert levels. Israel pauses southern
New York's currently: so much time with so little to see Antiwar Lamont defeats "Team Connecticut" Lieberman in Democratic primary, Lieberman says he'll now run as an independent. "What these races suggest is that, yes, the antiwar, anti-Bush, anti-establishment, anti-Washington message is very
New York's currently: teaching itself new keystrokes BP shuts down U.S.'s largest oil field; White House considers opening Petroleum Reserve. Lebanon to deploy 15,000 soldiers to the south, though not to disarm Hezbollah. Modern Lebanese politics and life condensed. The last seven months were
New York's currently: a city of bellhops Fighting intensifies with Israeli raids in southern Beirut today, yesterday's Hezbollah rocket attack that killed 12 Israeli reservists. In South Africa, when the option exists for an HIV-positive mother to give birth to a healthy child, the only thing
New York's currently: polluted with money Senior U.S. commander in the Middle East says troop reduction is unlikely, Iraq is near civil war. Nasrallah: You hit downtown Beirut, we'll hit Tel Aviv; Israel: You hit Tel Aviv, we'll destroy your country. Hezbollah still
New York's currently: sleeping in the bath Poll finds Americans think Israel's actions are justified, not excessively harsh. More than 200 rockets fired into Israel Lebanon's foreign minister doubts a European-led force will be welcomed given Hezbollah's newly enhanced image. House Republicans
New York's currently: booked solid on the fifth circle Europe and U.S. chicken-and-egg on Lebanon: will it be cease-fire first or troops? And who will supply the troops? Syria readies military, Iran pledges to stand with Lebanon. The punchy and prescient Jon Lee Anderson story on Castro
New York's currently: 649° Israel to widen ground offensive in Lebanon; does Hezbollah win by losing? Following up on its own 2003 advice, FDA to push for endorsing the morning-after pill. Stories of men who hunt hairballs under London. "Thankless job" for hedge-fund manager with a
New York's currently: playing tourist Urged by Israeli troops to evacuate, residents of Southern Lebanon leave, but for where they don't know. A horrific account of the current state of Tyre, in Southern Lebanon. Bakeries in Baghdad are at the center of the sectarian strife. Every
New York's currently: sitting on the engine driver's lap Israel dumps 23 tons of bombs on suspected bunker of Hezbollah leader; Hezbollah says no members were hurt in the attack. U.N. warns civilian deaths and "indiscriminate shelling" in Lebanon, Israel, and Gaza could
New York's currently: storing cold air behind closed doors Israel's strategy: a continued military campaign in Lebanon--toppling Hezbollah is the objective. Bush supports Israel's campaign to stop Hezbollah, says Iran must be isolated. Isn't this a lot of bloodshed over two soldiers?
New York's currently: panting, just to see if it works As the Senate gets ready to approve federal funding of stem-cell research, Bush readies his veto button. Op: The President's morality is holding back our scientific advancement; no, that would be the fault of scientific patents.
New York's currently: buttered The reason Arab nations are blaming Hezbollah for the current Israel conflict: fear of Iran. What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this [expletive] and it's over," Bush said with his mouth full as
New York's currently: and the way you look will always be a very special thing to me Israel and Hezbollah trade bombs and rockets; Hezbollah: "They said they wanted to hit Beirut and Dahiyeh so we threatened to hit Haifa." Hezbollah, it's important to
New York's currently: practicing its ayuhs Following Hezbollah attack, Israel hits Beirut airport while imposing sea and air blockade. As Lebanon's largest political party, Hezbollah warned ruling elite not to criticize capturing Israeli soldiers. Why now? Hezbollah and Hamas are close friends, and both are funded
New York's currently: qualifying for super saver shipping if it's the last thing it does White House backtracks on previous position on detainees, retrieves Geneva Conventions from toilet. Indian police comb wrecked train cars, carry out multiple raids in search of clues as to who was
New York's currently: mostly lab directors Shamil Basayev, Chechen child-killer, dies after truck explodes. Analysis of the White House's position now that everyone opposes its post-9/11 tactics. Pentagon shifts policy: All detaineees in U.S. military custody are entitled to Geneva protections. An astounding day
New York's currently: laughing and sleeping India supposedly tests long-range missile, apparently capable of having a range of 1,800 miles, though it reportedly failed in flight. In Baghdad, Shiite gunmen kill more than 50 in Sunni neighborhood, leaving bodies in the streets. Four more U.S. soldiers
New York's currently: having a beautiful summer day Gay marriage is bad for New York and bad for New York's children, says state supreme court. Georgia concurs. Western Union blocks cash deliveries if sender or recipient's name is Mohammed or Ahmed. Terrorists wanted to
New York's currently: a nice place to visit In standoff with North Korea, U.S. is left with few good options--and no support from China and Russia. The alleged theft of trade secrets from Atlanta's most famous company, an FBI sting operation, and a Girl Scout
New York's currently: feeling freshly squeezed by dinner North Korea launches at least six missiles including the feared intercontinental that failed after 42 seconds. Hamas militants fire rocket six miles into Israel; Israel destroys Palestinian Interior Ministry. Baghdad's central morgue received 1,595 bodies last month.
New York's currently: stuck in traffic No, Mr. President, you will not have your war crime trials; Yes, Mr. President, you can be curtailed. Stevens's ruling implies military policies must now comply with the Geneva Conventions' basic requirements. Trillin: Vote for Chris Dodd, his name
New York's currently: damp but not flooded Israel arrests 64 Hamas ministers, batters Gazan towns and sends message to Syria with a fly-by over al-Assad's house. Palestinian gunmen claim to have killed Israeli settler. NBC makes best friends with YouTube. DaimlerChrysler to begin selling Smart cars
New York's currently: sitting down for this Wait wait wait, maybe North Korea isn't about to shoot a missile. Wait wait wait, insurgents in Iraq who've only killed American soldiers won't get amnesty. With only 30 percent of the earth's
New York's currently: putting a good friend in a box and shipping it back to Apple Israeli tanks and troops mass on the border of Gaza; Olmert warns of broad, ongoing operation. Israeli and Palestinian press reactions to the Gaza conflict. Abbas orders Israeli soldier found; Israel intel
New York's currently: killing time, but multi-tasking Warren Buffett to give away fortune earlier than expected, and a large chunk is headed toward the Gates' Foundation. Whatever happened to legislation for lobbyist spending reform? Congress appears to have let it quietly die. Senate Democrats bristle at claims
New York's currently: held together by ibuprofen Thousands of financial records scanned for terrorism links in secret federal program. House approves permanent tax cut on inherited estates, plus new pork-veto power for Bush. Senate rejects Democrats' call for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Mexico'
New York's currently: trying to tan indoors Congressmen making too much money too close to their earmarked projects have investigators sniffing for corruption. Pentagon distributes 74-page briefing book to Congress offices to show them how to spin the war in Iraq. One way: Say WMDs have been found.
New York's currently: a wonderful place to lose kids Iraqis say U.S. soldiers, found in "insurgent hotbed," were tortured and beheaded, then booby-trapped. Soldiers' families upset to learn news first from media, not military. Op: $135 million for Klimt's "Adele Bloch-Bauer
New York's currently: the Criterion edition of your city American soldiers missing in Iraq discovered dead. In Iraq, three U.S. soldiers are charged with murder of detainees, whom they reportedly released before killing them. Japan will withdraw its troops from Iraq--the deployment was always unpopular, and many
New York's currently: conditioning its lair U.S. urges South American countries to keep Chavez out of the Security Council. Huge bogs of Iraq's "black oil" pumped into mountain valleys and reservoirs, then torched. North Korea reported closer to missile test; Prosecutor demands death
New York's currently: combining them in all kinds of different weird ways Supreme Court reverses to give police raids more latitude, says evidence gathered in "no-knock" searches is allowable. Yet Democrats don't need as many House seats. In 1994, Republicans needed at least 40.
New York's currently: a good year for the roses Your tax dollars at work: House G.O.P. forces fake debate, the result of which will be a non-amendable resolution that the U.S. won't waver in the war on terror. Bush to turn 140,000
New York's currently: unable to tell the difference between the commercials and the real songs Israeli missile strike kills two Islamic militants, eight civilians. Israel denies responsibility for Palestinian picnicker deaths--Human Rights Watch finds evidence to the contrary. The first day of the Baghdad security crackdown: clashes between
New York's currently: learning how to lie with statistics Following Hamas's attack on Fatah Gaza headquarters, hundreds of Abbas loyalists swarm, set fire to Hamas-controlled parliament, cabinet buildings. Though 2005 statistics show violent crime nationwide at its highest in 15 years, NYC's crime rate
New York's currently: a stone fox Iran accepts parts of the Security Council's nuclear offer, but wants further clarification on issues surrounding uranium enrichment. Details emerge on how three Guantanamo prisoners committed suicide without guards detecting it. One of the detainees was set to be released,
New York's currently: switching to island time and forgetting that Manhattan is an island Tip from inside Zarqawi's group led to his death, say military sources. Zarqawi is dead, but as leader of the insurgency he was only a symbol--Iraqis fear the violence won't
New York's currently: gray and drizzle American air strike kills al-Zarqawi north of Baghdad, officials report. Spooks' funding of Somali warlords backfires, empowers Islamic groups it meant to marginalize. Somali funding foul-up: another example of the White House thinking small. Designer Chip Kidd invites you to tell
New York's currently: reformatting its lard drive First plot details behind Canada's arrests last weekend of would-be terrorists. Arrests in Canada kicked off by October nab of London man who allegedly ran al Qaeda-linked websites. Doctors fear thousands of concussions go undiagnosed among U.S. troops.
New York's currently: avoiding the Castavets Supreme Court to again decide whether schools can consider race in efforts to enforce integration. Calls to ban gay marriage and kill the estate tax aren't really intended to change policy--they're about separating the strong conservatives from the
New York's currently: revising its mantra Pentagon's plan to allow for prisoner humiliation draws State Department's fury. In Haditha's shadow, the case of Hashim the Lame, a disabled Iraqi allegedly murdered by Marines. Rice dismisses Iran's threat to disrupt oil
New York's currently: outsourcing its nuptials Investigation complications since Haditha didn't become a criminal case until four months after being reported. Man shot during east London anti-terror raid. Army engineers say hurricane protection system in Louisiana was a system in name only. Government asks internet providers
New York's currently: a one-city town U.S. will negotiate with Iran if Tehran first "suspends" playing with uranium. Is Bush's turnaround an offer intended to fail, particularly since it lacks security guarantees? One hundred and fifty killed in Iraq since Monday; Forty-two found
New York's currently: all up in your trees Bush names Goldman Sachs chair (and treehugger) Henry Paulson as Treasury secretary; Paulson doesn't mind the $37 million pay cut. On average, nearly 80 Iraqis were killed or wounded every day from mid-February through mid-May, up from the
New York's currently: suddenly summer Anti-U.S. rioting blows up in Kabul with at least 14 dead; death urged on dog washers. Afghanistan: the sleeper crisis of the summer, and the new battleground between India and Pakistan. Indonesian survivors desperate for aid; Guantanamo hunger strikers now number 75.
TMN will be off Mon., 29 May, in observance of Memorial Day--see you on Tuesday. New York's currently: crafting a swimsuit out of anything Military investigation finds Marines murdered Iraqis, including women and children, attempted coverup. Hamas withdraws Gaza security force after 10 days of clashes with regular
New York's currently: 28-hour-ing Pelosi and Hastert demand the return of Jefferson's yanked files. Yanking a congressman: more a matter of etiquette than constitutional principle. Engineers have quickly repaired the New Orleans levees, though they're still not strong enough for even a Cat 3
New York's currently: speeding up so we can speed back down Iran asks U.S. for direct talks on its nuclear program--and that letter still goes unanswered. Iraqi death squads may maintain loyalties to the government and the insurgency, and operate within the lawful bounds of Iraq'
New York's currently: reasserting itself Past week's fighting in Afghanistan "most intense" since 2001; dozens killed, concerns about strengthened Taliban. Corruption rampant throughout Iraq. Former CIA bin Laden unit chief on why intelligence in Iran is so poor. Burger King disgusts Muslim customers with
New York's currently: wishing the radiator would snap back on FBI accuses Rep. William J. Jefferson of Louisiana of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, finds $90K in his freezer. Air strikes on suspected Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan leave dozens of fighters, civilians dead. U.
New York's currently: constantly calibrating for marginally better outcomes Egypt resumes repression; State department "deeply troubled"; Bush hosts secret visit by Mubarak's son. Iraq's middle class doing everything it can to flee. Now that access is reduced to the minimum required, inspectors
New York's currently: not walking through that bunch of pigeons A peace treaty could clear the path toward new nuclear talks between North Korea and the U.S. Hamas deploys Palestinian security force--a move Abbas vetoed last month. Conflicts between Taliban fighters and police in Afghanistan take a
New York's currently: hoping for more peaks, fewer valleys White House agrees to brief intel committees on wiretapping operation. Verizon denies turning over your local calls to the spooks--though it may be happy to share your long-distance bills. A moving defense of selling crack. FBI tracking reporters'
New York's currently: grilling reality stars New border deployment means National Guard units will swap training for border stints, where they won't provide military force. Op: In immigration address, Bush searches for the middle ground that's already on the Senate floor. [Transcript here.] Bush
New York's currently: got its fingers crossed on a number of fronts Bush to call for thousands of National Guard troops to play border patrol. Iraqi police, often suspected in Sunni killings, under close watch by U.S. troops. 200,000 slums in the world. Half of gadgets
New York's currently: breeding carrier pigeons, learning smoke signals Bush defends vast domestic telephone-record surveillance; says it's lawful, doesn't mention under what laws. "Considerable circumstantial evidence" now links al Qaeda to the July 7 London bombings. In foiled Australian threat, terrorists planned
New York's currently: serving in the rain NSA building "world's largest database" to contain every call ever made within the U.S. Skinny physicians in love evangelize thinning America. A.M. Rosenthal dies at 84. George Lutz dies at 59. The U.S. is
New York's currently: stuck somewhere between 20 and 30 percent gray Republicans in Congress negotiate five-year, $70 billion tax break; see the chart to find out how much you get. Is support for this regime in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH) or Moses (PBUH) or
New York's currently: having the longest real spring in recent years White House calls Iranian president's letter a ploy. See also, when to lob. Moussaoui would like to retract his guilty plea because now, he says, he understands he can get a fair trial in America.
New York's currently: through fields of cattle, through fields of cane Amid intense G.O.P. criticism, White House nominates Gen. Michael Hayden for CIA director role. Over the weekend in Baghdad, 43 bodies were found, each shot at close range; series of car bombs kills 14. White
New York's currently: cinco de everything Senate passes $109 billion emergency spending bill for wars, hurricanes, and Rhode Island. Largest Darfur rebel group agrees to peace deal--two smaller groups are unhappy with the terms, however. Building costs for WTC memorial steaming toward $1 billion--will planning begin anew? Cheney
New York's currently: brewing coffee with coffee, metaphorically Jury doesn't reach consensus and Moussaoui gets life sentence. Op: Witness a noble jury refusing a terrorist his martyrdom and a state its scapegoat. House narrowly passes Abramoff-inspired lobbying legislation that's a far cry from promised
New York's currently: finding Greenpoint ashes in Fort Greene and thinking, seems familiar Mexico's Fox to legalize nearly all popular drugs and narcotics for personal use. The scale of this year's spring Taliban attacks alarms officials, though the Taliban doesn't make the
New York's currently: developing an allergy for every situation Hundreds of thousands of immigrants skip work, school in peaceful protests across the U.S. Yesterday's demonstrations employed multiple tactics--though some proved more successful than others. Iraqi army graduation turns ugly when Sunni grads are told they
New York's currently: grape crazy! Deadline for Darfur peace agreement passes with no accord. Kadima signs up Shas for coalition government in Israel (by leaving evacuating settlements off the table). White House plan to lower gas prices won't do much, says White House. Even Limbaugh feels
New York's currently: a la luz de la aurora Hoping to stem rising gasoline costs, Senate Republicans propose $100 rebate for taxpayers and extra taxes on oil companies. ExxonMobil announces first-quarter earnings, is on track to break last year's record profits. Iraq's top Shiite
New York's currently: about to completely unravel, possibly Sister of Iraq's new vice-president gunned down, two weeks after another of her brothers was murdered. FEMA yanks back housing benefits from thousands of hurricane evacuees. FEMA is in shambles, beyond repair, and should be abolished, say Senate
New York's currently: thanking you for this balloon mug filled with Tootsie Pops, not really meaning it Bush proposes using the strategic petroleum reserve to offset high gas prices--though he already tried this, and it didn't work. Fox News commentator Tony Snow to step in as
New York's currently: avoiding the doctor for another ten years McCarthy's lawyer says in the WaPo she didn't leak jail secrets; "senior intel officer" says she wasn't a "key source." Third attack at a Sinai resort in two
New York's currently: dreaming of square footage Evidence of torture and abuse found at Iraqi jails as recently as February--and stemming it is no longer a priority. Only a month into its control of the Palestinian Authority, Hamas is already internationally isolated, deep in debt, and in severe
New York's currently: sometimes dream burdened, sometimes more chris burden-ed China gives nothing solid during discussions with U.S., gets Falun Gong in the face. A day of indignities for Chinese President Hu. Despite shoot-to-kill curfew, thousands of Nepalese protesters return to the streets. With Sistani pressure, Iraqi
New York's currently: trying hard to find something to complain about White House spokesman Scott McClellan resigns; Rove no longer in charge in policy, will instead focus on November elections. Why the White House shake-up? Big win for Democrats in November will send Bush into a lame-duck presidency.
New York's currently: peachy Only one major building project in Iraq is on schedule and within budget: the new American embassy. U.K. surgeons say China harvests prisoners' organs for transplant sales. Bush worried that China's "locking up" global oil supplies. When one
New York's currently: about to leave the coat at home Suicide bombing in Tel Aviv--the deadliest attack in Israel in two years--receives approval from Hamas, condemnation by Abbas. Mississippi senators earmark $700 million in a war spending bill to relocate a Gulf Coast rail line that's
New York's currently: trying hard not to seize, preferring to quell Dozens of Taliban rebels killed; Dozens of Iraqi police still missing. Iran pledges $50 million to Palestinian government. Zawahiri's visibility suggests he's worried about losing leadership of the jihad movement. Iraqi political cartoons.
Gone hooping: Post-Rooster haze means we need a day off; see you on Monday! New York's currently: cock-a-hooping! Iran won't back down "even one iota"; U.S. says "it's time for action." Sectarian violence sends thousands of Iraqi Shiites fleeing
New York's currently: waiting for Mr. Jordan Iran announces advance in uranium enrichment, assures the world that energy, not bombs, are the true goal; still, speculation on both sides abounds--as does political theater. American military deaths in Iraq for April already outnumber those in all of March. Italian
New York's currently: hoping some kid and her friends are reading this, thinking, man, we can do better than that Man believed to be Sicilian Mafia chief arrested after 40 years on the run. Bush dismisses the report, but according to Hersh, war is very much in discussion
New York's currently: ruled by accountants Hundreds of thousands march in cities across the U.S. to support immigration reform. Chirac announces repeal of youth employment law. Want to purchase a flash drive full of classified material? Visit an Afghan bazaar. Iran refuses to follow daylight savings time,
New York's currently: displaying horsemen-approacheth symptoms Ex-Cheney aide Libby claims Bush authorized the Plame leak. Whether or not the president can "leak" classified information, he's still a hypocrite. Blast kills 13 outside Shiite shrine in Najaf, shatters ancient tombs. Girls gone wild released back
New York's currently: not at all what it was in the movies Fossil discovered that may be the missing link between sea and land animals; Jesus walked on ice. It's tough being a government climate researcher when the White House won't let you say
New York's currently: resolute as often as it can afford to be Massachusetts takes stab at nearly universal health coverage. Despite Katrina, insurance companies saw record profits last year--executives call it a fluke. Emphasis on abstinence and fidelity promotion stymying government AIDS plan. Hussein charged with genocide; chaos
New York's currently: chock full of broadcasters Feeling "liberated," Tom DeLay announces he'll leave Congress and not seek reelection. By bowing out now, DeLay can apply any leftover campaign cash to his legal bills. Jury decides to permit death penalty for Moussaoui. Today in
New York's currently: avoiding the 4/5 Fifty killed in Iraq yesterday, including six Americans. With the most rapid growth in spending since FDR, the government now burns 21 cents of every buck earned. Today in the ToB: Never Let Me Go vs. Home Land, judged by Mark
New York's currently: wanting to take this weather, put it on its johnson, and just start spinnin' it around like a goddamn pinwheel... punch it in! Cost of levee rebuilding in New Orleans triples, plans may be downgraded. Earthquakes hit western Iran--Rice offers humanitarian aid, one day
New York's currently: up with rb Kidnapped journalist Jill Carroll has been freed. U.N. Security Council send Iran a strongly worded letter, asks IAEA to report back in a month. Experimental avian flu vaccine is 12 times the size of a standard flu vaccine. No word yet
New York's currently: watching the wheels White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card resigns, replaced by longtime Bush aide Joshua Bolten, a "policy geek" who also plays in a band called Deficit Attention Disorder. [Bush] has also defined "the bolten" as a new unit
New York's currently: engineering less often than reverse-engineering Senate Judiciary Committee votes to legalize 11 million illegal immigrants. Mexican towns emptied of working-age men and women; $20 billion sent home last year. County testing wastewater to learn how many citizens are doing coke. How to sell faux Yale
New York's currently: toying with its meteorologists Protests held across the U.S. in support of illegal immigrants, whose choice of residence may soon be a felony. Illegal immigrants do the work other Americans won't--and it's no longer a question of wage. Bomb inside
New York's currently: worshipping at the Temple Iraq informed it can no longer rely on U.S. funding for rebuilding. Representatives want to know why Bush needs so much money to build so many bases in Iraq. Cheney's tour rider asks for 68 degrees, Fox News,
New York's currently: noticeably beard Raid on house in Iraq frees Norman Kember and two other Christian peace workers. Still reeling from last year's financial losses, G.M. to offer buyouts to 113,000 union workers. Sonia Gandhi resigns from Indian parliament over moonlighting allegations. We&
New York's currently: very sunny, very cold, very eager to see spring Basque separatists ETA declare permanent ceasefire. Political capital burns in Iraq, says Bush, plus troops will be there until 2009. Conservatives gleeful that federal money--at least $157 million in grants--is finally funneling to their causes. Until
New York's currently: desperately seeking summer FBI agent testifies that his superiors' lack of interest in Moussaoui's terrorist connections was "criminally negligent." Everything in Iraq going according to strategy, claims Bush; Iraqis buy terrorism insurance. Insurgents attack police station north of Baghdad, free
New York's currently: crowing Three years on, Bush and Cheney see success in Iraq, though Allawi says a civil war is underway. Details of abuse from U.S. anti-terrorism unit, like inmates used as paintball targets. Villepin indicates he won't back down on labor law; unions
New York's currently: trying to fill the dance card Friday, March 17: Due to events beyond our control, there will be no headlines today. But check back Monday for a full serving, plus the Tournament of Books! And watch out, the ToB betting window closes Sunday night. Netherlands-bound?
New York's currently: layering, de-layering, re-layering Israeli forces invade Palestinian prison, seize six inmates wanted in the 2001 assassination of Israel's tourism minister. (Photos of the raid.) Please note: If you are ever a lawyer in a terrorism trial, don't let your mother talk
New York's currently: number-lunching Flubs dog Moussaoui case; judge considers sparing him the death penalty. Iraqi police find more than 60 bodies in the last 24 hours; new parliament needed more than ever. Britain cuts its troops in Iraq by 10 percent. Iranian human rights activists say Bush&
New York's currently: in the future when all's well Autopsy shows Milosevic died of a heart attack--but what of the unprescribed drugs in his system? Minutes before the announcement that Iraq's parliament would reconvene, bomb attacks rip apart Sadr City markets. Many closed doors
New York's currently: Miami with this weather! Goodbye Dubai--vague about what it means, but clear in what it says. Guide to great alarm clocks. State department owns up to U.S.'s failings in annual human rights report. Has the Whitney found its savior in director Weinberg?
New York's currently: holding its breath until spring Three college students arrested in Alabama church burnings, which were done as a "joke." Cigarette smoking numbers in U.S. plummet to levels not seen since 1951. S.A.T. scanning errors in October resulted in incorrect scores
New York's currently: no wiser, but more aleck-y Twenty-three bodies--all men, most hanged--found dumped in Baghdad. U.S. and Russia square shoulders against Iran, barely. Not that Iran cares, suckers. Patriot Act renewed, including new provisions for roving wiretaps and full records access. House Republicans agree to allow
New York's currently: ironing its shorts U.S. military to shape Iraqi police numbers by enforcing Sunni quotas, firing commanders who tolerate militias. Chertoff: Dubai port deal would mean access to overseas business records, a potential treasure trove for Homeland Security officers. Practically exception-free South Dakota abortion ban
New York's currently: preferring baby blue to royal Iran and U.S. trade threats over today's vote whether to send Iran's nukes to the U.N. Security Council. Two-thirds of Indians see Bush as "friend," 72 percent say U.S. is a
New York's currently: over itself Bush trots to India, strikes atomic fuel deal, chucks nuclear policy out the window. White House lawyers argue that the McCain torture ban doesn't apply to Guantanamo detainees. Palestinian brewer marks Hamas victory with nonalcoholic beer. The new reason for why
New York's currently: a long way from California Car bomb in Karachi kills four, including American diplomat. White House launches investigation of Dubai firm set to take over military components plants. Vermont high school vocab test seems slightly political. 30 Iraqis killed yesterday, 20 police trainees captured by
New York's currently: addicted to Prilosec Insurgency in Iraq swells again--75 killed Tuesday in bombings, 26 today, and Shiites are told to leave their homes, or be killed. Gonzales drops hints that the Bush administration's domestic spying may be more extensive than you thought. Fresh Direct
New York's currently: smearing itself with Deep Heat According to Baghdad's main morgue, last week's violence took the lives of more than 1,300 Iraqis. E.U. to bail out Palestinian Authority, which could have collapsed in two weeks under deficit weight. Darfur violence
New York's currently: making friends with the radiator Two-thirds of Katrina funds were spent in initial recovery, which doesn't leave much for the expected years of rebuilding. No word yet on Jill Carroll. After week of violence, Iraq's Sunni bloc returns to negotiations. Halliburton
New York's currently: like a metaphor Furor in Iraq over mosque attacks leaves at least 138 dead, brings the country dangerously close to civil war. Gunmen at fake checkpoint north of Baghdad kill 47, dump their bodies in a ditch. Dubai firm agrees to delay takeover of U.
New York's currently: ringing in the year of AW More than 100 killed since Shiite shrine was wrecked, including three Sunni clerics, plus 90 Sunni mosques attacked. Slideshow of damaged shrine. Despite Condi's pleas, Saudis walk like Egyptians, will continue to fund Hamas. South Dakota attacks
New York's currently: gagging on the in-box The port security hue and cry? Humbug. Hysteria. Hotdogging. Bureau of Land Management hampers its own biologists' monitoring of damage caused by drilling on federal land. Ugandan opposition candidate runs his operation from jail. It's a strange place
New York's currently: life lessening For seven years U.S. intel groups have been reclassifying public info. U.S. military suspects Iraqi highway patrol forces are stocked with death squads. Twenty-six dead in Iraq yesterday, 60 injured. Sedaris: Art is more fun when you buy it with your
New York's currently: reverting to its natural state Interior Ministry-sanctioned death squads confirmed in Iraq, stopped by highway patrol on their way to an execution. Mudslide in Philippines leaves 1,500 missing. If the White House and Senate Republicans decide they'd rather not hold an inquiry
New York's currently: back to soggy springtime Chertoff and Cheney both take responsibility, though neither's sure what he did wrong. Australia airs more Abu Ghraib photographs, Arab anger fueled (pics available here). Hamas calls for "giant summit" with all living Israelis. Permission slip for
New York's currently: the last of the famous snowstorm Riots in Pakistan over cartoons leave three dead. Iran confirms it has resumed uranium enrichment activities. Today New York melts, as temperatures return to "normal." After Cheney shooting victim suffers mild heart attack due to shotgun pellet,
New York's currently: got too much VD in the first place U.S. and Israel plot ways to destabilize the Palestinian government so Abbas will call new elections. Mubarak breaks promise, postpones Egyptian elections for two years. White House press corps attacks McClellan over delayed shooting information (Cheney
New York's currently: finally reaching the end of the Dr. Bronner's label Snow in New York--26.9 inches--breaks 1947 record. Iraqi Shiites nominate Jafari for prime minister, Jafari seems nonplussed. Covey flushes, Cheney shoots hunting companion. Bird flu makes first appearance in European Union, detected in
New York's currently: anti-Kanye from the start, always-Mariah forever White House knew early on the levees were broken--killing the "surprised" claim--and now you can too. Bush offers foiled post-9/11 attack; intelligence officers offer snickers. Goss: Quit talking about our intel or you will break it!
New York's currently: wondering when it will be the sick passenger U.S. enlists feeding tubes to quell hunger strikes at Guantanamo. Suicide bomber attacks Shiite holiday procession in Pakistan, killing 22. Inside tolerant Denmark, many are perplexed at being the focus of Muslim anger. Bird flu reaches
New York's currently: seduced, annually, by the Caribbean ads on the subway Conservative Japanese leaders very happy to hear Princess Kiko is pregnant. Roadblocks in the mongoose-cobra peace process. Massive study finds no link between low-fat diets and preventing heart attacks, strokes, or breast or colon cancer in
New York's currently: diagnosing anyone who will listen White House releases D.O.A. budget. Danish Embassy in Tehran set on fire as worldwide protests over Danish cartoons rage. Attorney General and surveillance, blah blah blah; Sylvester Stallone and surveillance, hello! Thousands in Atlanta pay respects to Coretta
New York's currently: got the face on--even when it doesn't mean to Two die in Afghan cartoon protest; Protesters torch the Danish embassy in Beirut. Annie Proulx: Film can be more powerful than the written word. ABC cancels Acting With The Stars. Feudal schism between orchestras
New York's currently: crushing on its mayor Militants issue threats, Muslim anger erupts over Muhammad cartoons--which newspapers continue to reprint. Q&A: Why you're not supposed to depict Muhammad in a cartoon. Two car bombs explode in Baghdad market, killing 16 and wounding 90. Boehner
New York's currently: toasting world peace, always Remember Sharon? He's still in a coma, and now he has a feeding tube in his stomach. Kenya's government has spent more than $12 million on new cars since 2002. Profile of Johnny Dang, Houston's
New York's currently: a sucker for a variety pack Conservative Alito sworn in to Supreme Court; a true shift, however, may only happen if somebody else decides to retire. Bush's promise to cut the nation's dependence on oil sounds nice, though familiar. House arrest:
New York's currently: getting on the bandwagon, picking up the handbook E.U., U.S., U.N., and Russia will continue to aid the Palestinians as long as Hamas someday neuters itself. Deal viewed as a compromise of views between black-and-white U.S. and hazy-gray Europeans. Iraq'
New York's currently: tracky bottoms tucked in socks New laws may allow pharmacists and other health workers to deny care that contradicts their personal beliefs. Threatened with withdrawal of western aid, Hamas says such a move would hurt Palestinian people, promises transparency in spending. Sixty-seven die in roof
New York's currently: forced occasionally to recover from the night before With Hamas throne-ensconced, Israel's likely to go unilateral. U.S. and China agree Russia can control Iran's nuke fuel, but Iran's disappointed; U.S. and Iran agree to ban gay rights
New York's currently: unseasonably seasonal weather Prime minister and cabinet resign as Hamas wins control of Palestinian parliament. Terrorists strike Russian gas lines--bad news for Europe, which depends on Russia for a quarter of its natural gas. MTA offers transit workers replacement contract without many of the agreed-upon
New York's currently: well lit Hamas projected to win a third of parliament's seats; Snake makes friends with hampster rather than eating him. Abbas: Better suited for running a Scandinavian country? To fight terrorism, France has been spying on its citizens for years, and apparently it&
New York's currently: asking how many candles you're burning Canadian Conservatives defeat Liberals in yesterday's elections. Expat Americans in Toronto now swear they're moving to Australia. You don't get 61 recorded instances of audience laughter by living in some weird,
New York's currently: all rain and no winter Twenty-nine percent increase in Iraq's insurgent attacks in 2005, with 34,131 total. The White House wants to sell you a secret surveillance program. Relations between the U.S., Afghanistan, and Pakistan--and the joint anti-extremist efforts that rely
New York's currently: trusting only Google for its porn searching needs Bin Laden tape threatens new attacks against U.S., quotes opinion polls, offers truce to American people. White House rejects truce, apparently forgetting it was offered to us, not them--yeesh. Lengthy analysis from Justice Department shows domestic
New York's currently: feeling a bit like an Amur tiger Fifty killed yesterday in Iraq; 36 bodies found killed execution-style, many identified as police recruits. The case for believing NSA whistle-blower Russ Tice. For only $399 you can buy a lot of "inspiration" for your college
New York's currently: up to its neck in whatever it was knee-deep in yesterday Supreme Court upholds assisted suicide in Oregon--though it was an argument over drugs, not morals. Reporter Jill Carroll's captors threaten to kill her in three days. Online phone records obtained under extremely
New York's currently: cock-a-doodling Russia and China agree Iran should "fully suspend" its nukes, though Security Council support is lacking (see current sum-up). Notes from King's march to Montgomery. Aside from brute strength, military researchers find women are just as good as men at
New York's currently: packed with people who funk and knit at the same time Please note: TMN is moving to a new server, so no new feature until Tuesday, and there may be some funk today and over the weekend. Thank you. U.S. and Europe agree to
New York's currently: eating at its desk Right when many curled up and asked to be waked up when it's over, Alito drops bombshells at confirmation hearings. Shiite leader says Sunnis won't have the right to change the new constitution. Did angers flare? Indeed
New York's currently: not always proud, but at least always fed How many times have we written this headline? Iran gets back to its nukes and tells the West to bug off. Those who would be DeLay have DeLay-ed before: sailing with lobbyists, selling out to lobbyists, etc.
New York's currently: now absolutely sure the next person in line is always the last person in line Alito confirmation hearings are off to a roaring start, with great political bombast and little public concern. In Turkey, five more test positive for bird flu; and everyone's
New York's currently: feeling weird with somebody else's words in its mouth U.S. copter crash in Iraq kills 12. Growing rapidly, diabetes claims 800,000 New Yorkers, now considered an epidemic. Cheney retaining fluids. Turkey considers smoking ban in a country where smokers include 60
Are you ruining your child's chances at future employment by blogging about his poop? By becoming a father yourself, do you finally understand your own dad? A look at the challenges of contemporary paternity.
New York's currently: ready to push the radiator out the window 130 Iraqis killed in suicide attacks on Thursday; Shiites want retribution, blame the U.S. Pat Robertson doesn't get shy about suggesting God had a hand in Sharon's stroke. If Sharon dies, who
New York's currently: preparing to leave the city for the woods to earn a plaque Eighty killed today by suicide bombers in Iraq, the deadliest day since March, 2004; 50 killed yesterday. Sharon underwent emergency brain surgery after an extensive stroke Wednesday night; current condition stable but heavily
New York's currently: racking up store credit all over the place Contrary to earlier reports, only one miner has survived the West Virginia mine explosion. U.S. airstrike north of Baghdad kills family of 12. Iran breaks European agreement, says it will resume uranium enrichment, or rather, it&
New York's currently: iced over, snowed on, and sleeted Thirteen West Virginia miners trapped 260 feet below ground; governor prays for a miracle. German rescuers race to save survivors at a collapsed ice rink where 11 died. Twenty-five percent of federal antiterrorism money will now be distributed based
New York's currently: resolute, mf White House won't ask for more money to rebuild Iraq, suggesting the end of the $18.4 billion rebuilding effort. Wildfires continue to blaze across Oklahoma and Texas. Southern California besieged by heavy rainstorms as San Francisco starts to dry off,
New York's currently: pushing charity TMN will resume its daily publishing schedule on Monday, January 2nd. Happy holidays! In case you don't trust us, Charity Navigator helps you figure out where to give. AmeriCares for domestic and international relief. Donors Choose: Purchase materials for teachers whose
New York's currently: three hours late, just like everybody else Transit talks resume, MTA runs ads urging employees to return to work. How do you end a transit strike, anyway? Now that's a good question. Because you can't just hire 33,700 new people--and
New York's currently: learning how to drive a subway train Just before negotiations with the workers' union broke down, the MTA proposed new demands that would have given it little savings. The transit strike is costing NYC over $300 million a day, or maybe it's
New York's currently: hijacking anything that moves New York public transportation shuttered by strike, the first time in 25 years. Related: The union's blog for your comments, the city's "contingency plan" site, and the rideshare board on craigslist. How illegal guns get
New York's currently: a nightmare on 34th Street With a possible full-scale strike imminent tomorrow, transit workers at two Queens bus companies walk off the job this morning. In televised address, Bush acknowledges nation's anti-war sentiment, reiterates Iraq victory stance, asks for continued support. The last
New York's currently: heading for low ground to weather out the season Bush secretly authorized the NSA to eavesdrop without warrants on Americans. Big turnout for Iraqi elections, including Sunnis, with fewer insurgent attacks than normal. Anti-U.S. Iraqi Islamic Army guerillas toting rifles escorted voters to the
New York's currently: tipping extra out of extra guilt Insurgent groups promise not to attack, Sunni clerics end boycott, as Iraqis vote on their country's new government. Pentagon acknowledges that its database of antiwar protesters probably, maybe should have been purged. With little progress made in
New York's currently: needing a little something right this very minute, but it's not Christmas Pentagon to spend $300 million placing pro-American messages in foreign media without disclosing the source. Iranian president calls the Holocaust "a myth." Opportunists dig for frequent flier miles in
New York's currently: masquerading as tourists Supreme Court to review DeLay's Texas redistricting maneuver, which pushed the state congress into the GOP's control. Clemency denied, guilt never admitted, Tookie Williams is executed in California. Suicide bomber attacks U.S. patrol in Baghdad, kills 25,
New York's currently: not in the prescribed spirit Second Iraqi Ministry jail discovered where prisoners were tortured. Evidence shows Interior Ministry, relying on Badr and other Shiite militias, is abducting, torturing, and killing Sunnis. Evening Standards prove doom-and-gloom agenda among headline writers. Bomb kills prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese MP
New York's currently: taking the Tauntauns out of storage Attempting to land in Chicago during snowstorm, plane skids off runway and into traffic; one boy dies. (Photos from the accident.) Strapped for money post-Katrina, Tulane University announces it will lay off 230 faculty, cut programs. Suicide bomber on
New York's currently: mailing back magazine subscription cards blank Air marshals kill passenger in Miami after he claims to have a bomb; mental illness suspected. Shooting requirements for federal air marshals. Rice seeks to dispel confusion around U.S. torture policies, and fails. Evidence acquired by torture ruled
New York's currently: qualifying for Super Saver shipping every chance it can get Dual suicide bombers infiltrate, attack Baghdad Police Academy. Florida terror trial shows the Patriot Act can't win cases--only lawyers can. In today's proceedings, Saddam denounces his trial, doesn't show
New York's currently: looking for a tree Sept. 11 commission gives U.S. failing grades at terrorism-prevention. CIA shuts down secret European prisons and ships al Qaeda suspects to North Africa. Op: Rice's linguistic jujitsu isn't fooling anyone: according to our own rules, we
New York's currently: suddenly arctic Suicide bomber attacks shopping center in northern Israel, killing five. Chavez takes control of Venezula's Assembly, leaving no organized opposition. Under fire for allegations it lacked cultural sensitivity in Katrina recovery, the Red Cross is now recruiting minorities. Former Iraqi PM
New York's currently: wishing the "zero for an operator" option applied to all conversations Justice Department lawyers decided DeLay's redistricting plan was illegal, but top officials overruled them. Wide view of the many groups (insert hydra metaphor, Iolaus's torch, etc.) that make
New York's currently: giving in order to receive Bush unveils new strategy in Iraq war, and it involves a lot of optimism. Kurds strike oil deal with Norwegian drilling company, but don't bother to tell Iraq government about it first. BBC to start Arabic-language rival to
New York's currently: slogging U.S. military secretly pays Iraqi newspapers for good press written by American troops. New wave of abductions strikes Iraq. Marines meet with Sunnis to discuss withdrawal. CIA realizes it's been using black highlighters all these years. Is Bush's speech
New York's currently: accepting the terms and conditions of this transaction Evidence shows Shiite militias within the Iraqi police force are murdering Sunni civilians. Representative Randy Cunningham resigns after confessing to tax evasion, accepting $2.4 million in bribes. In addition to the cash and a Rolls Royce,
New York's currently: stuffed Saddam's trial resumes after 10 Sunni Arabs are arrested for plotting to kill the judge, cops say. Though far less prevalent, Afghanistan sees rise in Iraq-style insurgent violence. Katrina victims leapfrog over thousands of poor Americans on waiting lists for public housing.
New York's currently: going out for cheeseburgers and calling it a day U.S. charges Jose Padilla after holding him for three and a half years, using evidence collected while he's been confined. Pentagon tentatively plans to reduce U.S. troops in Iraq by three brigades
New York's currently: raining every Wednesday or, on short weeks, Tuesday More than 40 million people have AIDS, with five million infected last year. Europeans to delay referring Iran to the Security Council for sanctions. GM tacks on another 5,000 to the 25,000 jobs it will
New York's currently: wearing a helmet at all times Bush to Asia: "Embrace democracy, enforce human rights, open up trade." Asia: "..." At least he didn't throw up on the Japanese premier: Bush follows his dad into the approval rating cellar. Sharon to
New York's currently: excited to see our invasion of Iraq has led to giving the country to Iran Iraq suicide attacks kill at least 60. Notes on the CIA's many joint operation centers worldwide to track terrorists. Military significantly lagging in recruitment for key positions. House
New York's currently: finally glad it splurged on that winter coat Congress agrees to keep the Patriot Act--set to expire at the end of the year--mostly intact. Discovery of secret torture chamber in Baghdad has Sunni leaders furious, saying the Shiite government knew it existed--and supported it. Whoever
New York's currently: going to the gym to avoid thinking about the government Senate demands White House reports on Iraq every 90 days, designating 2006 as the year we back out. Tips to succeed with many wives, from the founder of the Indonesian National Polygamy Society. Iraq orders
New York's currently: nighttime sniffling and sneezing, stuffy-headed so you can rest, plop-plop-fizz-fizz, and all that Rice brokers Israeli-Palestinian deal to open Gaza strip for all. Car bomb kills two outside Pakistan KFC. Republican Senators push new legislation to coerce the administration toward ending the war. Detained Iraqis
New York's currently: striking fear without warning U.S. quietly shares stolen Iranian laptop to prove Iran's pursuing big bad nukes. Bomber caught by Jordan confesses on TV. Iraqi defense official says most suicide bombers are Saudis arriving through Syria. Real-life Indiana Jones recounts how he
New York's currently: wondering WHEN IN HELL is a senator going to leak the rest of the Abu Ghraib photos? Suicide bomber kills 29 in Baghdad cafe popular with cops. Senate votes to strip Guantánamo detainees of right to challenge detentions--if passed, nullifying the 2004 Supreme Court opinion.
New York's currently: wondering when these puddles are going to freeze Fifty-seven killed, over 100 wounded in Jordan hotel bombing--al Qaeda claims responsibility. "We thought it was fireworks for the wedding but I saw people falling to the ground." The history and tranquility of Jordan, and
New York's currently: just now falling back Underdog Bloomberg comes from behind in a nail-biter of a reelection bid, wins by record margin. Elections: Corzine wins, Arnold's bills are rejected, gay rights big in Maine, not in Texas, and lots of Democrat wins (or Republican losses,
New York's currently: anticipating Christmas bills Supreme Court to hear challenge to Guantánamo Bay tribunals. Deadliest suicide bombing against G.I.'s in months kills four in Iraq. The military applications of silly string. Women's Wear Daily writer with history of stalking and blogging suspected
New York's currently: questioning the accuracy of "Diet Coke" when it doesn't curb your appetite After 11 nights of rioting, violence in France peaks--10 officers are shot, 1,400 vehicles burned. Rescuers search for survivors from deadly Kentucky-Indiana tornado. In speech, Bush slams Chavez,
New York's currently: watching its friends reproduce Scooty pleads not guilty to lying in leak case. Where the anger just won't cool, eight nights of rioting in Paris yield hundreds of cars torched (video here). Louisiana owes FEMA $3.7 billion unless Congress forgives its debt.
New York's currently: checking weather once, dressing twice European locations of secret CIA prisons are in Poland and Romania, according to Human Rights Watch. Iraq government invites ex-Hussein army officers back to work. The war on terror, now officially won: Airports to relax security. Health experts at bird
New York's currently: breezy, cool, and working its tail off CIA operates overseas secret prison system to house and interrogate captives. Dems force Senate into secret session, demanding promised inquiry into prewar intelligence (like Cheney and Scooter's lost papers). Yankees warn A-Rod to stop visiting illicit
New York's currently: sunning in November Who is nominee Alito? For foes, it may all come down to one case. Seven U.S. troops killed near Baghdad, making October the fourth deadliest month since the war began. Desperation at Guantanamo drives many to suicide attempts. Press secretary Scott
New York's currently: chewing up babies Bush to nominate conservative favorite Alito for the Supreme Court. U.S., Britain, and France expect swift passage today of U.N. resolution against Syria. Arab leaders warn too much pressure on Syria could lead to chaotic collapse. Cambridge college gleefully writes
New York's currently: already resigned itself to getting egged Miers withdraws Court nomination; Bush promises new candidate soon. A look at the possible candidates and the science behind a Court nominee's qualifications. The Doonesbury strips that would have run next week. After the worst political week
New York's currently: finding satisfied moths where its sweaters used to be U.N. report: Of the 4,500 companies in the oil-for-food program, over half paid Saddam Hussein illegal kickbacks. Investigation reveals increase of weaponry, personnel flowing from Syria to Palestinian militias. Israel launches major offensive in
New York's currently: sunny and cold 2,000th U.S. soldier dies in Iraq. Short bios of all killed. Sixty Iraqis killed daily this year in Iraq, up from 40 last year. Bush camp prepares for at least one indictment when the grand jury meets today. Spate of
New York's currently: soggy In Baghdad, three car bombs detonate near hotels popular with foreigners, but fail to get past barbed wire. White House seeks to create loophole, wants CIA employees exempt from new measure to cease inhumane treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody. Bush names Ben
New York's currently: singing happy birthday Wilma comes ashore in southwestern Florida at 125 mph, a Category 3 storm. 15,000 people left homeless by the storm in Mexico. Counterterrorism experts confused by White House "top 10 foiled plots" when serious threats are neighbors to half-baked
New York's currently: squeezing in all the tennis it can get U.N. says top Syrian and Lebanese officials killed former prime minister Rafiq Hariri (click here for PDF report). Congress finally gives the gun industry a giant shield. Derogatory stereotypes banned at school, including offensive images of
New York's currently: buying baseball hats, choosing sides Senate asks nominee Miers to resubmit questionnaire, calling her responses "insufficient" and "insulting." In grand jury testimony, Rove says it might have been Cheney's chief of staff who revealed Plame's identity to
New York's currently: making more coffee than necessary Conservatives pleased to hear candidate Miers once favored outlawing abortion. Military makes more than $120 million off on-base slot machines. Twenty-eight percent of Iraqi vets return home with health problems. Final results for Iraq's new constitution won'
New York's currently: post-season sleep disorder In Ramadi fighting, U.S. airstrike kills 20 Iraqi civilians. Iraq election results delayed as officials investigate areas where votes in favor of the new constitution were above 90 percent. Investigation of Plame leak hovers around Cheney's office. With the
New York's currently: thankful the rain's passed Despite large Sunni opposition, Iraq's new charter looks likely to pass. Analysis: Constitution's passage is only one precipice avoided before the next one appears. U.S. kills 70 militants near Ramadi. Bush moves slowly to
New York's currently: growing gills Avian flu confirmed in poultry in Turkey--the virus may be traveling west with birds' migration patterns. American soldiers try to convince Iraqi Sunnis to vote in Saturday's referendum. "What's your strategy, and how do you think it&
New York's currently: a soul-crushing place to live sometimes FEMA spends $11 million a night to house Katrina evacuees in hotels. New Orleans mayor urges former residents to come home. List of federal rules waived post-Katrina. Pentagon plans for active-duty federal unit to handle at-home disasters or attacks.
New York's currently: spent every dime of its rainy-day money Sunni leaders in Iraq to back constitution after winning agreement they will have a stronger voice--the nation votes on Saturday. After a day of bad weather halts quake aid, the recovery operation is back in full swing. Charities
New York's currently: besting the best hyperbole ever At least 33,000 dead from quake in Pakistan, with aid arriving slowly. Caught between interests, post-quake Kashmir pays heaviest price, with residents enraged. In Germany, Merkel to succeed Schroeder in power-sharing deal. Air Force personnel reassigned and deployed to
New York's currently: terrorized? Ha! Terrorized! HA. Terrorized... The Morning News is off in observance of Columbus Day. We will return Tuesday, Oct. 11. Two suicide attacks and two assassinations kill 17 in Baghdad, nine days before vote on new constitution. New York fills the subways with cops
New York's currently: featuring 30 percent less sunlight in the morning Despite threat of White House veto, Senate votes overwhelmingly to set limits on military interrogation. Scientists find troubling, but helpful similarities between the 1918 flu that killed 50 million and today's bird flu epidemic. Is
New York's currently: wishing the Van Cliburn competition was on TV every night Iraq's parliament decides not to change rules governing constitutional referendum. New Orleans lays off 3,000 "non-essential" city workers. More than 400,000 of Katrina's homeless will remain indefinitely
New York's currently: behind somebody, somewhere's schedule Reaction among conservatives to Bush Supreme Court nominee ranges from praise to outright hostility. Court nominee Harriet Miers: a Bush loyalist with unknown views and no judicial record--a trait shared by dozens of justices. Is "cronyism" a
New York's currently: struggling to communicate with the hairdresser Bush nominates Texan loyalist Harriet Miers for O'Connor's seat on the bench. Peerless playwright August Wilson killed by liver cancer at 60. Gladwell on the oddness of first encountering Harvard grads--and how to become one
New York's currently: finding new ways to complain about good weather John Roberts easily confirmed as Chief Justice--battle expected for Bush's upcoming O'Connor replacement. Coordinated bombs kill 95 in Balad, near Baghdad; nine killed today in Baghdad bombing. Generals visit Capitol Hill, deem Iraqi
New York's currently: doing Holly rightly Tom DeLay steps down after being charged with funneling corporate money. Despite accusations of partisanship, DeLay's prosecutor guns for both sides. Constance Baker Motley--first black female federal judge, first female Manhattan borough president--dies at 84. First Baghdad film festival since
New York's currently: too late for the cream cheese, just missed the jelly, and aching for that last pat of butter Ex-FEMA director gives panel testimony, eschews blame game in favor of that wasn't in my job description. Louisiana's staggering hurricane losses, in incomplete
New York's currently: perfect, weather-wise More than 3,000 killed in Baghdad since late spring. Bush urges conservation. We repeat: Bush urges conservation. Five-year-olds determine sadness solely from tempo and not from mode. Do kids recognize emotion in music? Rita's evacuees urged to stay away from
New York's currently: fall, all of a sudden Rita aftermath: Relieved Houston residents stream back home; much of the storm's damage occurred in southwestern Louisiana--and it was extensive. Cameron Parish may have been hit the hardest; there, in Hackberry, La., "All 750 homes were damaged,
New York's currently: awake all the time, or so it feels Millions of Texans heeding order to flee result in 100-mile-long traffic jams all day long. Louisiana Gov. tells remaining residents to write their social security numbers on their arms for easier ID'ing later. New Orleans
New York's currently: making up its own yoga moves Bearing down on Texas, Hurricane Rita, the third strongest hurricane ever recorded, is expected to hit near Houston on Saturday. Clogged highways, shot nerves for the 1.1 million Texans evacuating the coast. New Orleans levees can handle up
New York's currently: sunny and cool, perfect really Likely to reach Category 4 intensity, Hurricane Rita barrels past the Florida Keys and heads for Texas. Thousands begin to evacuate from targeted regions. Katrina surges were much smaller than suggested, experts say; it's the levees that failed.
New York's currently: only 97 shopping days until Christmas North Korea pledges to end its nu--wait, no, not until they get their nuclear reactor. With North Korea, there may never be a final deal. Its history of unpredictability and reversals preclude that. With tropical storm Rita now threatening
New York's currently: pouffy-haired non-stop North Korea pledges to end its nuclear weapons program, U.S. agrees to respect its sovereignty. One billion dollars plundered from Iraq's defense ministry. Millions of Afghans voted in the country's first free legislative elections in more than 25
New York's currently: doing everything to get nothing done In address, Bush pledges federal aid in Gulf Coast rebuilding and help for affected families, including tax relief, job training, and housing. Conservatives in Congress lose their minds over Bush's proposed spending. Op: Big speeches from Bush
New York's currently: eight out of ten working toes Targeting Shiites, a barrage of suicide bombings yesterday leave nearly 150 dead--additional attacks this morning kill 31. Citing higher fuel costs, Delta and Northwest file for Chapter 11. With four of the nation's top ten airlines now
New York's currently: four hours of sleep strong More than 80 killed, 227 injured in Baghdad this morning. Iran continues diplomatic press to avoid Security Council over "peaceful" nuke technology (but no one knows!). Delta and Northwest may file for bankruptcy today. Ferrer snags most votes
New York's currently: none too pleased the sunlight is disappearing Forty-five bodies found in a New Orleans hospital, though corpses are harder to come by than anticipated. The levee damage in New Orleans is much worse than we thought, say Army engineers. In Guantanamo, 128 detainees now on
New York's currently: four years older and wondering what's improved Israel leaves Gaza after 38 years; Palestinians joyfully flood into empty settlements and torch synagogues. American and Iraqi forces find many insurgents fled Tal Afar. New Orleans doctors killed critically ill patients they believed wouldn'
New York's currently: feeling weathered With an additional $51.8 billion approved in Gulf Coast aid, and more on the way, lawmakers worry about the consequences. "Bipartisan" inquiry into Katrina response is hardly so, and may already have been politicized beyond helpfulness. FEMA leadership may be
New York's currently: waiting for the political storm Forced evacuations in New Orleans begin. Republican leaders announce bipartisan, joint House-Senate inquiry into Katrina response. Bush sends Congress request for $51.8 billion in additional Katrina relief funds. Number of evacuees still at Houston's Reliant Park drops
New York's currently: aware of how easy it has it Pumps slowly begin to drain New Orleans--60 percent (down from 80 percent) of the city is still submerged. Operation expected to take 80 days. Mayor Ray Nagin authorizes police to force remaining Orleaneans to evacuate. The contaminated water
New York's currently: still horrified The U.S. failed colossally to protect its citizens from a disaster frequently foretold--a chain of preceding events. Pumps start emptying the big easy after the 17th Street Canal floodwall is plugged, but the city is a water world. Houston businesses jump to
New York's currently: ready to help Disorder grows in New Orleans, though people are being evacuated, and Baton Rouge is now the most populous city in Louisiana. National Guard arrives in New Orleans to help a police force overwhelmed by snipers and angry mobs; Bush to visit Gulf
New York's currently: thankful to have a roof Chaos in New Orleans as mayor guesses at thousands dead, orders police to quit rescues and prevent looting instead. Engineers say draining New Orleans may take three to six months. Hospital patients evacuated; National Guard doubling troops; Post-Katrina conditions overwhelming
New York's currently: experimenting with new allergies Situation in post-Katrina New Orleans worsens--two levees breach, armed groups are looting, and an estimated 80 percent of the city is submerged. Death count in Biloxi is at 100 and growing. Disease outbreak is unlikely during the storm cleanup that could
New York's currently: got New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi in its heart Katrina spares New Orleans, but at least 40,000 homes near downtown are flooded, and dozens killed in Mississippi. Ground report of devastation from Gulfport, Miss. PDF of today's Times-Picayune: Catastrophic (breaking news posted here)
New York's currently: getting on board with this penguin thing The threat of Hurricane Katrina near its shores this morning, most of New Orleans evacuates--at least those who could, did. As experts have predicted for years, a direct hit from a Category 5 storm could absolutely decimate New
New York's currently: walking slower to enjoy a breeze Still unable to reach an agreement, Shiites decide to bypass Sunnis and send the Iraq constitution to voters--prompting Bush to intervene. In a wave of politically armed violence, 100 Iraqis have been killed in the past two days. Nine-foot-long,
New York's currently: full of sighing teachers Iraq's new draft constitution proves vague and conflicting--a catalyst for civil war? Violent day throughout Iraq with at least 30 killed. Towering rivalry between the world's top tree trimmers. Robertson says "take him out" may
New York's currently: searching for the next dawg, dude, bro, man, etc. New York and eight other Northeastern states to freeze power plant emissions after Bush chose not to regulate greenhouse gases. Insurgents built ingenious 357-foot-long tunnel to escape U.S. prison in Iraq. White House proposes tiny
New York's currently: a Houellebecq girl Iraqi leaders submit incomplete draft constitution before deadline--largely excluding Sunni involvement--and need three more days to finish it. (What they've got so far.) Where are the Gaza evacuees going? For many, it's off to the West Bank. Israel
New York's currently: enjoying the old stuff so much, good new stuff is always a surprise Iraq's constitution scheduled to be approved today, with Sunnis complaining of being cut out of the drafting action. Democrats split over demanding exit-from-Iraq deadline of Bush. Greenwich Village street fights
New York's currently: the instrumental version Rocket fired at U.S. naval ships in Jordan, one Jordanian soldier killed. In Iraq, Sunni leaders attacked while discussing voter registration, four U.S. soldiers killed, Baghdad judge assassinated near green zone. Protests continue as Israeli army forces Gaza evacuation, with
New York's currently: just perfect Forty extremists, with their leader threatening to shoot any intruders, holed up in Gaza house surrounded by 500 soldiers. Hundreds of teenage protesters barricade themselves in Gaza synagogues. Studies find black Americans still get far fewer operations, medications, life-saving treatments than whites. Israeli
New York's currently: turning the sidewalks and subways into a makeshift gym Gaza eviction deadline passes, and Israeli soldiers begin removing settlers, forcibly in some cases. Colombian airliner crashes in Venezuela, killing all 160 passengers; experts insist safety is improving, despite recent accidents. Violence resurges in Baghdad with
New York's currently: in the seventies--eat that, San Francisco! In the last minutes before midnight Iraqi officials give themselves an extension on drafting the constitution. Fierce arguments as Israeli soldiers press settlers to leave Gaza, scuffles begin. White House to abandon plans to apply fuel economy regulations to
New York's currently: a land of potted plants For roughly 5,000 Israeli settlers and protesters, the midnight deadline to leave Gaza came and went; this morning soldiers sealed off the strip and began serving eviction notices. When faced with the soldiers, some protesters in Gaza block roads,
New York's currently: somewhere between Connecticut and Texas New sources say early Iraq withdrawal is not going to happen, and is at least a year away. Ten in court today in London to face charges in connection to bombings. Record oil prices don't slow consumption, but
New York's currently: empty, and wonderful, on the weekends Baghdad's mayor ousted by a Shiite militia and replaced by member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Women in Sudan commit adultery to get jail time in order to get a divorce. Ontario to
New York's currently: rain, humidity, and whatever's in between In front of installed IAEA surveillance cameras, Iranian technicians resume nuclear work--a move that likely will refer the country to the U.N. Security Council. Oil-for-food official pleads guilty to charges of massive kickbacks. New claims say
New York's currently: hot and munky Netanyahu abruptly resigns as protest of Gaza Strip withdrawal. Peter Jennings dies from lung cancer at 67. Japanese prime minister calls snap election after failed attempt to privatize the post office--the very rich post office. One in five flights was late this
New York's currently: arctic living rooms U.S. in negotiations to move around 70 percent of Guantanamo detainees back to their home countries, where they would still be detained. Europe asks Iran to forget all this nuclear business and have some nice political and economic relationships instead. Disease
New York's currently: sweating more than sleeping Bomb that killed 14 marines in Iraq yesterday shows insurgents are using bigger, more lethal explosives. Muslims seeking legal advice in Europe find religious opinions from afar make integration tougher. Newspaper editors complain of copycat (special-interest group) letter writers. How to
New York's currently: warm in all the wrong places Citing "unprecedented political opposition," China's Cnooc Ltd. drops bid to acquire Unocal. After their plane slid across the runway in Toronto and burst into flames, the passengers and crew of Air France Flight 358--all of
New York's currently: riding in low-tech subway cars advertised to be otherwise Leakers say Iran is 10 years away from the bomb. British bomber who escaped to Rome was found because his cellphone was on. UK's Home Office minister says she never endorsed police's
New York's currently: crazy from the heat Concerns over loose heat shielding on shuttle exterior prompt NASA to consider first-ever spacewalk repair. Iraqi panel says it can't meet the Aug. 15 constitution deadline, and will probably require an extension. Two prosecutors at Guantanamo claim trial system
New York's currently: gorgeous again In light of our recent invasion, intelligence czar Negroponte installs rules to prevent gossip from becoming intel. Funds pegged for rebuilding utilities in Iraq shifted to cover security costs. Op: Where is the million Muslim march to protest the desecration of Islam? Author
New York's currently: happy building furniture all night until the neighbors complain Nine suspects rounded up during raids in south London. After determining the large object that fell away during the Discovery launch was insulating foam--the same error that cost Columbia and its crew--NASA indefinitely grounds future shuttle
New York's currently: really really hot every time the power drops Rumsfeld discusses massive troop withdrawal from Iraq beginning next spring. Four men arrested in London bomb investigation, one suspected of involvement in last week's attacks. Was Owen Wilson the Karl Rove to Wes Anderson'
New York's currently: making plans to buy furniture to make plans on Two unions quit AFL-CIO, reducing membership by a quarter, as labor leaders make bids for power. Barring further unforeseen circumstances, Space Shuttle Discovery is set to launch this morning. Home-makeover reality show destroys handicapped kid'
New York's currently: getting used to a summer without air conditioning British police express regret but warn of more deaths from shoot-to-kill policy. America's four largest labor unions boycotting this week's AFL-CIO convention, a prelude before the service employees' and Teamsters' full
New York's currently: reading London papers All Sunni members of Iraq's constitutional committee boycott drafting sessions. Man shot dead by the police on the London Tube, following yesterday's four minor explosions. Front pages of London's daily papers. House votes 257-171 to preserve
New York's currently: not Maine, but not that bad either Pentagon assessment says Iraqis aren't ready to fight the insurgents on their own. Briton, nabbed in Pakistan, reportedly called the four London bombers just before the attacks. Still more foreign diplomats attacked as Algerians are kidnapped
New York's currently: a large-scale, public heat rash In a move to push the Court to the right, Bush nominates John G. Roberts to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor. Roberts, though solidly conservative, is still the kind of guy Democrats say they don't totally hate.
New York's currently: some sort of weather experiment In June, Britain lowered its terror threat level, citing that "at present there is not a group with both the current intent and the capability to attack the U.K." Bush agrees to share nuclear technology with India,
New York's currently: turned the machines back on Matthew Cooper confirms Rove as the first to reveal the CIA officer's identity to him. Death toll from Saturday's suicide bombing in Musayyib, south of Baghdad, reaches 100. How the White House wanted to steer the
Continuing difficulties today. Will be shutting down for the rest of the week--back with new features, headlines, and modems on Monday. Thank you for your patience. New York's currently: feeling everybody's weather London bombs appear to have been detonated by timers; similarities to Madrid attacks are
New York's currently: looking eastward Series of blasts in London hit tube and double-decker bus, leave large numbers of casualties, two dead. Not only was the attack timed with the G8 summit, but Israel was holding an economic conference near one of the London terror sites; Scotland Yard
New York's currently: the mosquitos' leftovers White House asks conservative allies to stop giving Gonzales the business. Op: Conservative attacks on Gonzales may make him more appealing to liberals and thus, a better candidate. Days after an Egyptian envoy was abducted in Iraq, diplomats from Bahrain and
New York's currently: back to being dependent China criticizes U.S. for politicizing attempted takeover of Unocal. Nets plan for Brooklyn now includes half a dozen skyscrapers as high as 60 stories. Matthew Cooper's Plame source may have been Karl Rove. Did Russell Crowe attack a
New York's currently: having a hot summer, but definitely not in a 1968-in-Germany kind of way note: TMN will be manning the grill on Monday, keeping things black and blue Blair may snub Bush on global warming at G-8. After all, he backs the protesters. White House claims
New York's currently: the exception to the rule of "one size fits all" Intelligence czar Negroponte gets more control over spies with consolidated National Security Service. Black man clubbed by white attackers in Howard Beach. Us Weekly launches scholarly Us Quarterly to explore celebrity issues in
New York's currently: terrified of high-rise a/c window-unit meteors With no new strategies to fight off attacks, Bush declares daily sacrifice of American lives in Iraq to be "worth it." Immigrants' fingerprints expire every 15 months, though no one at the immigration service can
New York's currently: downloading pirated music while walking between subway cars Context tips the scales in Supreme Court decision to permit Texas Commandments and bar Kentucky's. On heels of Court ruling, Christian groups announce plans for similar monuments in 100 cities and towns. New subway rules
New York's currently: battling with server issues U.S. military meeting with insurgency leaders in Iraq to enfold native Sunnis but expel foreign fighters. Trial unlikely for 13 CIA operatives ordered arrested by Italian judge. Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," the
New York's currently: thinking it could move entirely by subway to a new apartment across Brooklyn, given a whole month to do it Supreme Court rules that un-blighted homes can be seized to make way for public works such as, say, a mall. Op: Government seizure is an
New York's currently: having a hard time sleeping, thank you political scumbags Chinese oil firm makes landmark bid to buy California-based Unocal. Major lobbyist bilked Indian tribes for millions to cover personal projects: training Israeli settlers, financing DeLay's golf game. More than 30 killed by car
New York's currently: fending off real-estate agents Condoleezza Rice responds to latest assassination by Syria: "Knock it off." Ex-Klan leader found guilty yesterday of killing three civil-rights workers in 1964. Social Security Administration admits it allowed FBI agents to rifle through its files after Sept. 11.
New York's currently: over-caffeinated for tennis Anti-Syria politician killed in Lebanon, following victory of Anti-Syria bloc. Dems block Bolton again. Newt says, "bad call." Unbuilt homes for sale jumped 47% in the past 12 months. Accusations fly and papers are shut down as battle intensifies for
New York's currently: black and white and read all over Israel agrees to vacate Gaza Strip settlements; Palestinians agree to dismantle their abandoned homes. The credit-card company that lost all your data wasn't supposed to have it in the first place. Suicide bomber kills at least
New York's currently: up to its neck in checkboxes U.S. nauseatingly dilutes global-warming language in G-8 climate plan. Iran goes to the polls, affronting true democracy. Heart drug for African Americans approved by Federal health advisers. TMN editors' wish to know more about North Korea'
New York's currently: shivering because it forgot to bring along a coat in the middle of June House defies Bush veto threat, votes to halt Patriot Act snooping at libraries and bookstores. Iraqi troops raid Baghdad house, free two hostages. Republican Senators signal that they want out of
New York's currently: seeing a lot more Faulkner on the subway all of a sudden, thank you Oprah With U.S. backing, Kurdish police secretly abduct hundreds in Kirkuk and toss them in northern prisons. Bomber kills 23 soldiers on an Iraqi base north of Baghdad. House subcommittee
New York's currently: dancing the opposite of the rain dance--the hot-foot Michael Jackson found innocent of all 10 counts of child molestation and conspiracy. Op: Madrassas may breed fundamentalists, but they do not necessarily produce terrorists--that's left to the universities. Twenty-year-old Texas death row case overturned
New York's currently: very thankful for mindful subway riders who catch fellow riders fainting! Homeland Security says immigration laws provide vital round-up tool; Muslims, Arabs, civil activists say it's selective zero tolerance. First public protest by women in Tehran since 1979. Bodies of 26 Iraqis, bearings
New York's currently: rain for the heat to burn off for the rain to cool down for the heat to… New report details how U.S. intelligence failed, on at least five separate chances, to stop two of the Sept. 11 hijackers--including the time the CIA wouldn'
New York's currently: hot enough for you, yes Shiite leaders in Iraq back sectarian militias feared by Sunnis. Israel and PA pledge to coordinate pullout after Supreme Court upholds plan for withdrawal. Firestorm after Justice Department pursues $10 billion for stop-smoking program instead of $130 billion. Peace between
New York's currently: not up to playing host General Motors to cut a fifth of its workers. Contractors in Iraq detained after mistakenly firing on U.S. troops, claim excessive force and abuse while jailed. Three simultaneous car bomb explosions in Baghdad kill at least 20. Bush, Blair
New York's currently: hot, hot, hot, wet, hot, hot Supreme Court says Feds can bogart your medicinal marijuana. Emails exchanged by top Pentagon officials reveal startling admission of bailing out Boeing. America eats more of its meals on the go, and the detergent industry is happy to remove
New York's currently: certain the reason Brooklyn doesn't break away and drift into the Atlantic is because Manhattan sucks Sept. 11 Commission, a year after filing its report and still seeing little progress in the way of reforms, presses the White House to act before catastrophe
New York's currently: disgusted with Albany politics With recruitment increasingly difficult, Army directive hopes to stave off manpower crisis by retaining worst soldiers. Praying for a hit, publishers ship huge numbers of books, and sellers ship them right back. 12,000 killed by insurgents, says Iraq's
New York's currently: chilly, not really "chilling" Bob Woodward on how Mark Felt became Deep Throat. Related: For many involved, it appears the real goal now is to cash in somehow. Three suicide bombings have killed 20 in Iraq today; attacks prove to be on a
New York's currently: wondering where's Bush's porno whistleblower? To fight food shortages, North Korea is sending millions of urban dwellers to work on farms each weekend. Twenty killed after mosque is bombed in southern Afghanistan. Mark Felt is "Deep Throat", and after
New York's currently: bucking the greenhouse effect France's "no" vote on E.U. membership spreads doubt on the integration's future; Netherlands expected to turn in a dismissal as well. Chirac, bruised from E.U. defeat, names Villepin new PM; Blair may see
New York's currently: finally seeing sunlight Bush offers aid for Palestinians, back-slaps for Abbas, and warnings for Israel. Op: "Their meeting demonstrated once again the tightrope Mr. Bush walks as he tries to engineer peace in the region, a situation in which he is less a quarterback
New York's currently: frivolous for fear of attack Iranian negotiators say they'll swap threats to restart nuke processing for a good aid package. Shiites dominating Iraq's transitional government agree to reserve more chairs for Sunnis. More than 550 killed in Iraq this month. Findings
New York's currently: Atlantis Despite Bush threat of veto, House crosses party lines and votes to repeal stem-cell restrictions; Senate is expected to do the same. U.S. forces launch second major anti-insurgency operation in western Iraq in a month. Egyptian political dissidents buy movie tickets to avoid
New York's currently: en(during)joying the longest, coldest spring it can remember Senators agree to vote on some Bush nominees, filibuster others, kick the can down the road. Syria halts military and intelligence cooperation with the U.S., citing hurt feelings. Southern churches recommend lovers have psychological
New York's currently: nice weather only during work hours Iranian Guardian Council cuts presidential ballot, offers six pre-fab, conservative choices. Toe-tags suggest that the number killed in the Uzbekistan prison break and demonstration is much higher than the government admits. Characteristic "pup-tent" effect could be clearly
New York's currently: basking in the meat sweats South Korean researchers unveil efficient recipe for cloning stem cells. U.S. aggressively investigates pictures of Saddam in his underwear. ACLU accuses FBI of spying on political activists. When we're in the park, let's play a
New York's currently: tinkering while the engine's running Senators kick off filibuster debate by throwing barbs, and right now people are irked about everything Washington. Two Iraqi brothers, one was casual, the other serious, reveal the two faces of the insurgency. Bomb scare caused by digital
New York's currently: an agitation British official's report that Bush fixed intelligence to invade Iraq gathers no mention in the States. Stories from families fleeing troops in Uzbekistan. FBI discovers long-lost trial transcript in Emmett Till case. AIDS kills nearly one in three in South Africa.
New York's currently: too warm in its jackets, too cold without Newsweek, citing unsubstantiated sources, retracts Koran defilement story--a move that raises suspicion from the Arab world. Op: At a time when anonymous sources can lead to violence and death, journalism must change its practices or face continued
New York's currently: riding the subways for another summer beneath Bud Light ads featuring models the color of beer Rumsfeld wants money for better blitzkrieg-ing--the 10-30-30 plan--while military officials want to finish the job. Turnout for Ethiopia's election noted as "dramatic improvement." $50,000
New York's currently: canceling its caller ID, making life so unpredictable Stone wall collapses on Henry Hudson Parkway, buries cars, but injures no one. U.S. Army says recruitment at its worst since 1973 and soldiers in Iraq want reversal in policy to let women serve in combat.
New York's currently: enamored of great coffee 79 killed yesterday in Iraq as Sunni insurgents try to destabilize the Shiite-led government. Europe tells Iran it will walk if Tehran resumes nuclear work--but is the language all talk and no sprouts? Scientology losing ground to new Fictionology. 110 people
New York's currently: breaking new ground in groundbreaking Congress OKs $82 billion for war, and officials say they may need more as early as October. Wave of suicide bombers kill more than 60 people across Iraq; continued coverage of Marine push along Syrian border. Tom Ridge admits flimsy
New York's currently: anxious! striving! tense! Fascinating on-the-ground details from marines near the Syrian border. Connecticut battles food-industry lobbyists and teamsters to banish junk food from public schools. J.P. Morgan secured loans with thousands of slaves. Two to five Californians die each year diving for abalone. Humanitarianism
New York's currently: needing more sleep, less sneezing U.S. commanders shift focus from regime elements to foreign fighters in Iraq. Irreverent, humorous, heartwarming, puppet-inspired, and topical. Disney now owns the Muppets, and has identified their five core equities. Hamas won 28 municipalities on Thursday, preparing to attack
New York's currently: totally under construction New satellite images show North Korea is preparing to test nuclear weapons--or perhaps just making like it for the cameras. Reacting to news of nuke tests, Japan PM demands North Korea return to six-nation talks or face intervention by the Security Council.
New York's currently: cinco everything "Novelty" grenades explode outside U.K. Consulate in Midtown Manhattan, no one injured. Top Bin Laden aide captured, though calling him "basically the no. 3 guy in Al Qaeda" is inflating the hierarchy quite a bit. Insurgency attacks continue
New York's currently: wondering why the MTA doesn't provide trash cans for spent Metrocards At least 45 killed after suicide bomber blows up line of police force applicants in Iraq. Florida law to require child molesters to wear GPS bracelets for life. Greenpeace co-founder Bob Hunter
New York's currently: exactly 20 minutes late for a week Congress readies legislation to limit illegal immigrants: no driver's licenses, more proof for asylum, completed border fence. Pentagon confirms protracted Iraq troop deployments will reduce its ability to respond to conflict, either at home or abroad.
New York's currently: 42'd At least 100 Iraqis and 11 U.S. troops killed in the last four days after more than 20 car bombings. Horrific details from inside Uzbekistan, where the CIA sends its suspects to be tortured. British election slogans slaughtered. Less than a
New York's currently: never sure when to bring an umbrella Intelligence top officer says North Korea has the ability to arm missiles with nuclear devices; officials later claim this is only a theory, but still. Congress passes budget--cuts in Medicaid and taxes, oil drilling in Alaskan wildlife refuge
New York's currently: wishing cellphones hadn't turned into portable subway stereos Death toll from train crash in Japan tops 100. Billions spent on record-breaking busts have done nothing to stop Colombian cocaine from reaching U.S. streets The fact is that you hit your husband with
New York's currently: cooking 30-minute meals in just over two hours Though Syrian troops may be gone, its intelligence appears to have every intention of remaining in Lebanon. Science panel suggests stem-cell guidelines: no for-profit embryos, no freakish human-animal creations. Muslim cleric in Virginia convicted of inciting followers
New York's currently: some people's home, you stupid tourists who can't walk a block without camera-phoning! Lawmakers enjoyed $16 million in privately financed trips since 2000; Lawmakers, watching DeLay, realize they're in deep doo-doo. Last Syrian soldiers quit Lebanon. America's
New York's currently: weekended Japanese commuter train derails, slams into building, in the country's worst rail disaster in 40 years. Frist goes ahead with planned filibuster-bashing at Christian gathering, irks all but those in attendance. How to shelter millions of dollars in a charity that only
New York's currently: hosting in-laws for the weekend Nuke tools disappear on their way to Libya. Racist covenants--reserving homes for whites--persist in real-estate deeds across the country. Koizumi apologizes for Japan's atrocities during the second world war. For me, frozen is a tastier shrimp. Breakdown of
New York's currently: striking balances Violence surges in Iraq: Bodies of 50 hostages believed to be Shiites pulled from Tigris; 19 slain Iraqi soldiers discovered in stadium; PM Allawi escapes assassination. Feds want foreign airlines who plan on flying through U.S. airspace to turn over passenger lists.
New York's currently: frankly sick of Pope news In light of the War on Terrorism, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine will now be capitalized. Acting on discomfort, senators delay Bolton hearing. The story of Jefferson Avenue: Bed-Stuy is the last bastion of Brooklyn's brownstones, and white
New York's currently: weighing the benefits of seven grains versus twelve North Korea claims reactor shutdown to harvest weapons material; whether or not a bluff, the U.S. still offers no diplomacy. Writings thought lost from Sophocles, Hesiod, and Euripides recovered with infra-red technology, and here's
New York's currently: anticipating wedding season with trembling credit cards Shiite Muslim bloc running Iraq seeks to oust top Saddam-era officials. Pollen fever attacks Japan, and nose-blowing takes over the subway. Network news faces its downfall (or, loses its faces as it falls) while NPR receives accolades for
New York's currently: ironing its shorts Bankruptcy legislation passes--though whether it's card companies or consumers who will benefit is a point of contention. Op: Muscled through Congress, the bankruptcy bill is an example of democracy on hold. Majority leader Bill Frist and other conservative Christians ready
New York's currently: partly cloudy, mostly sunny, forever and ever, amen House votes for the fourth time in four years to kill the estate tax. Round-up in Iraq: Hostage appears on tape, multiple bomb deaths, Marines battle guerrillas on the Syrian border. When one thinks of orthodox, the
New York's currently: crossing the street for more sun Controversy over U.S. diplomat-nominee John Bolton grows as his background is revealed, such as the time he tried to fire an analyst for disputing his (unfounded) claim that Cuba had biological weapons. Sen. Biden brightens up the Bolton
New York's currently: jealous of people who give great tennis Insurgents attack U.S. base with gunmen, car bombs, and a firetruck loaded with explosives, second big attack in two weeks. Bush prods Sharon to curb growth in Palestinian territories. Tennessee suitmaker beats outsourcing by importing master tailors
New York's currently: switching outerwear every hour U.S. military commanders say "significant" troop reductions possible in Iraq by early next year. In an effort to quell the insurgency, new Iraqi president wants to offer combatants amnesty for attacks--but that deal wouldn't be open
New York's currently: awfully fond of you Chinese Navy buildup worries Pentagon. As Little Orphan Annie lands in a North Korean jail, other funnies get wardrobe and dialogue updates to stay fresh. Pope's remains captured by thousands of cell-phone cameras (unembalmed, that is). Legislators battle with
New York's currently: Franzen'd, Foer'd, Lethem'd, and Ame'd Iraqi national assembly names former Kurdish resistance leader to presidency. Republican legal counsel steps forward as author of memo that described how the G.O.P. could use the Terri Schiavo case
New York's currently: trying to savor its two weeks of spring Billions donated for tsunami relief largely unseen in Indonesia. DeLay under scrutiny for naughty trips, and the $500,000 his wife and daughter have received from PACs. 50th person dies from avian flu since outbreak in January
New York's currently: walking on air, never thought it could feel so fre-e-e Major assault on Abu Ghraib prison by insurgents wounds 44 U.S. troops--raid, led by Zarqawi, may be a sign of new tactics. N.J., Conn. stage huge mock terror scenario to find cracks in
New York's currently: looking forward to a fine week Iraqi lawmakers finally elect a speaker of the National Assembly. Syrians promise to quit Lebanon by the end of the month. Friedman: Outsourcing has taught me, the world is flat. Remembering the pope's early inspiration to Poles
New York's currently: half not-foolin', half foolin' around Ailing Pope suffers heart attack, receives last rites, refuses hospital. Terri Schiavo's death sparks further crass statements by politicians; the president even segued into September 11. Intel commission confirms existence of "crazy" Iraqi defector,
New York's currently: another year older While Zimbabwe goes to the polls, Mugabe anticipates a landslide in what many observers believe is a rigged vote. MTA expected to support Bloomberg's plan for a Jets stadium on Manhattan's West Side. Koran scholar: U.S. to
New York's currently: a worthwhile example of the perfect day Oil-for-food panel clears Kofi Annan of influencing the program to benefit his son, but adds that he should have investigated the relationship more thoroughly on his own. Number of dead in Indonesian earthquake rises to at least 500.
New York's currently: anticipating warm days and sunshine, hopefully for tomorrow Hundreds killed by earthquake (magnitude: 8.7) in Indonesia; see reports from bloggers in Malaysia. Shiite militiamen attack student gathering in Basra, and students fight back against a city swayed by religious conservatism. Food shortages in starving
New York's currently: forecasting into the wind Syria withdraws 2,000 more troops from Lebanon, bringing its military presence to its lowest since 1976. U.S. soldiers returning home to illegally foreclosed-upon houses and repossessed cars. McDonald's turns to hip-hop stars to have sandwich names inserted
New York's currently: joking about the snow, right? Terry Schiavo's parents appeal to Supreme Court to have feeding tube reinserted; Jeb Bush makes everything weird by getting a Christian bioethicist to sign an affidavit. I know a tube is in my future. So, possibly, is speechlessness.
New York's currently: a little pissed about this never-ending winter Judges reject Schiavo parents' appeal, conservatives sharpen their axes to clear the benches. Raid by U.S. and Iraqi forces on suspected rebel training camp leaves 80 militants dead. Like so many pop icons, the Mona Lisa
New York's currently: dawdling and sunning Federal judge refuses to reinsert Terry Schiavo's feeding tube. Physicians balk when Senate Majority Leader (and M.D.) Bill Frist offers a diagnosis of Schiavo's vegetative state. E.U. takes U.S. lead and holds off on plans
New York's currently: unconvinced that Tom DeLay has a soul Israel's plan for 3,500 new West-Bank homes enrages Palestinians. Bush signs bill (after interrupting his vacation) so a U.S. judge may reinsert Terry Schiavo's feeding tube. Recent high-publicity shootings help push both
New York's currently: crazy from the heat Deficit reduction goes awry for Bush when the House and Senate pass competing budgets--the Senate's version doesn't include the cuts in Medicaid he asked for. And what happens if the two chambers can't agree on
New York's currently: hoping The Wire lasts forever CIA ships suspects to other countries where no-torture promises are regularly broken. "Freebird!" has been yelled at every rock concert, ever, though no one knows how the phenomenon started. When even Bush says TV stations should warn their
New York's currently: lifting the cloak of winter, donning the cordovans of spring Iraq's new parliament finally convenes, a peppering of explosions heard throughout their meeting, and they still can't agree on the structure of the new government. Since 2002 at least 26 prisoners
New York's currently: dreaming of patios, dusk at the beach, cheeseburgers Russia's security service paid $10 million for info that led to the killing of former Chechen president Maskhadov. Severe drought hampers Darfur's refugee camps. Three Defense mail facilities remain closed after alarms prompted
New York's currently: feeling its finest hour China codifies measure allowing it to use force should Taiwan seek formal independence. Under Bush, at least 20 federal agencies have created hundreds of fake television news segments that extol the administration's policies. Iraqis increasingly testy over continued no-show
New York's currently: running late, running hard Nineteen found dead in Iraq near the Syrian border, 15 found decapitated on disused army base south of Baghdad, some corpses believed to be Iraqi soldiers. Yesterday's Hezbollah rally in Beirut attracted at least 500,000 demonstrators. New Apple
New York's currently: tied to the tracks by a dastardly flu Syrian troops begin pull-back though withdrawal is still murky, while huge crowds of pro-Syria protesters converge in Beirut. Due to the NRA's successful lobbying efforts, dozens of terror suspects were able to buy guns in
New York's currently: sporting black earbuds Hezbollah backs Syria, calls for demonstrations against U.S. and France; Insurgent attacks leave 17 dead in Iraq. In wake of Friday's killing of an Italian officer, exactly what Iraq's checkpoints are like. Story of hunting a New
New York's currently: the head cold that everyone's wearing this season Saudi Arabia, Syria's biggest supporter, joins U.S. and Russia in saying Syria must get out of Lebanon. "The Hobbit" is our "clever little relative" and a battleground for
New York's currently: spending hours with small electronic devices 50 Congolese militiamen killed by U.N. troops, largest show of force since the mission in Congo began six years ago. Founder of Indonesian terror network gets 30-month jail sentence for 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali; verdict satisfies no
New York's currently: desperately seeking snowboots Monday's devastating car bombing in Hilla, Iraq, prompts public protests against insurgents and Iraqi police. Two members of Saddam tribunal murdered in Baghdad. Supreme Court strikes down death penalty for adults who committed their crimes as a juvenile. Op: Before
New York's currently: apparently a place where winter happens Pro-Syrian government resigns in Lebanon, thousands hit the streets calling for Syria's departure, U.S. happily eggs them on. 122 killed yesterday in Hilla, Iraq, the deadliest single bombing since the invasion. Citizens widely skeptical of Bush&
New York's currently: thinking Dustin Hoffman had the right idea Car bomb kills over 100 south of Baghdad. Syria captures Hussein half-brother, suspected of aiding Iraq insurgency, hands him over to Iraqi officials. When nobody's paying attention to signs of distress from suicidal inmates in the
New York's currently: trying to figure out Keira Knightley's mouth Syria vows to leave Lebanon, but doesn't say when its troops will be gone. Nine Afghan soldiers killed by Taliban rebels; 25 killed, dozens injured by insurgents in Iraq. U.S.-established governing councils
New York's currently: stuffed with millions of neighbors we've never met Bush and Putin to announce measures countering nuclear terrorism, including security upgrades at Russia's nuke facilities. Ten killed, 25 injured by car bomb hitting police station in Tikrit, Saddam's home town.
New York's currently: wondering if we'll resume thinking about the tsunami once the gates are down Shiite alliance nominates Ibrahim Jafari as Iraqi prime minister. Medical examiner's office unable to identify remains of more than a thousand Sept. 11 victims. Photos of genocide victims
New York's currently: confusing Gates with construction barriers At least 500 killed in 6.4-magnitude earthquake in central Iran. Israel releases 500 Palestinian prisoners; Palestinians call for the other 7,000 still there to be released. Hunter S. Thompson dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound; his legacy, and his
New York's currently: a refrigerator being open and closed and open and closed… Bush nominates Negroponte for director of national intelligence job, overseeing 15 spy organizations. Top spy position has little political power attached to it without the president's ear, which Negroponte is said to have.
New York's currently: the world's second what? Greenspan gives cautious nod to Bush Social Security plans. U.S. pushes to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, increasing pressure on Iran and Syria, Hezbollah's primary financiers. Round Two begins! Maud Newton decides between Roth and
New York's currently: critiquing art with tourists FDA announces new board that will work more closely with the community instead of drug officials, and provide after-market drug oversight, though it won't have any regulatory power. Washington recalls ambassador to Syria as suspicion mounts over Damascus'
New York's currently: wishing it had paid the movers to unpack everything too Former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri killed by massive explosion (one of many Lebanese leaders to be assassinated), Damascus denies any role, points finger at Israel. Bush asks Congress for $81.9 billion for operations
New York's currently: what rhymes with "saffron" Shiite alliance wins by a slim margin in final Iraqi election results. Related: It's not the government the U.S. would have predicted, and it's Iran's closest ally. The drones set off a
New York's currently: about to cue the Christo backlash North Korea wants bilateral talks with the U.S., gambling that the world will accept its nukes. Death penalty unlikely to be revived in New York. BBC's Channel 4 to debut "Guantanamo-style" torture reality show,
New York's currently: waiting for the sirens' call Bill that would bar illegal aliens from driver's licenses, limit asylum, and erect a border fence gets White House support. White House triples U.S. tsunami aid, to $950 million. Newly declassified accounts from Gitmo detainees say
New York's currently: wondering if a personal library is worth its weight when it comes time for moving Sharon and Abbas declare truce, Hamas declares "no," despite agreeing to temporary period of quiet. Suicide bomber kills 21 in Baghdad, among the 168 dead since the elections.
New York's currently: finding what's been under these snowdrifts Bush sends budget to Congress: murky areas, but lots of cuts; down on education; down on food and heating; up on military; and the full breakdown, by agency Why Congress isn't going to go along
New York's currently: capping a beautiful weekend with a gorgeous Monday Surging civic pride in Iraq may be quelling the insurgency. Eighty percent of 10th-graders in 2002 aspired to college, up 21 points from 1990. Account from Guantanamo Bay from man who spent 33 months inside. The Devil
New York's currently: ready to take this thing off some sweet jumps Gonzales squeaks in with Attorney General confirmation. Rhetoric in action: Less than a day after Bush says he's working with Europe to stop Iran's nuclear program, Rice, in her first move as
New York's currently: five boroughs of sickness Georgia's prime minister killed by gas poisoning, with no evidence of foul play. State of the Union: Fix social security using Democrats' ideas; encourage Iranians to revolt, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to overhaul; send aid to Palestinians, and
New York's currently: celebrating the fourteenth anniversary of Point Break Howard Dean, the "almost assured" new leader of the DNC. Egypt cracks down on opposition groups hoping to stop Mubarak from extending his 24-year rule. Tests conclude that North Korea sold processed uranium to Libya, while
New York's currently: much nicer than Paris, weather-wise, this time of year Allawi makes big friendly speech, and headlines, hoping he can break the dominant Shiite coalition. U.N. says no government-sponsored genocide in Darfur, but war-crimes courts should prosecute killers responsible for 70,000 deaths. Rumsfeld eager
New York's currently: frozen but balmy Undeterred by threats and terrorism (and triple the average number of attacks), Iraqi voters show up in unexpected numbers. Iraq militant group claims responsibility for downing of a British transport plane, which killed 15. Israel says it's ready to hand
New York's currently: a fjord of storm gutters Election in Iraq: Country goes into three-day lockdown as the violence continues and a candidate is assassinated. The FBI is going ahead with expanding its intelligence gathering on foreign entities within the U.S. despite the CIA's muffled
New York's currently: just a song inside your head Suicidal man in L.A. drives SUV onto commuter rail tracks, decides to jump at the last moment and causes a chain-reaction wreck that kills 11, injures 180. Douglas Feith, Defense Department strategist for post-war Iraq, announces his resignation.
New York's currently: hacking its lungs up all night long White House predicts budget deficit will reach $427 billion this year; Officials insist they can still cut it in half by 2009. 31 marines feared dead in a helicopter crash in western Iraq--if confirmed, single worst loss of
New York's currently: where the best will fall, and the rest will follow Fire in Lower Manhattan knocks C train offline--for up to five years. Report from Human Rights Watch reveals that Iraqi security forces frequently torture prisoners. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas seems close to getting militant groups
New York's currently: annually enraged by Bahamas ad campaign on the subway Zarqawi declares war on "evil principle of democracy", opposing heightened security for Sunday's elections. Genius Johnny Carson returns to gaseous state, remembered as private, even shy, ever a great joke writer. Haunted
New York's currently: a pump of cherry syrup away from being the biggest snowcone you've ever had At least 14 killed in Shiite mosque car bombing in Baghdad. Cheney opines that perhaps Israel will attack Iran before the U.S. does. Hey, anything can happen. How
New York's currently: wondering if anyone under 40 has even heard of Fran Lebowitz Five car and truck bombs kill 26 in Baghdad. Rice says 120,000 Iraqi security forces are now ready to fight; Biden says the number is closer to 14,000. Dubai satisfies "unabashed
New York's currently: mistaking congressional hearings for one of those judge shows In Senate confirmation hearings Rice says there's no timetable for leaving Iraq, and hints that the U.S. will work to repair alliances. Intelligence gathering says Iraq will ask U.S. to leave following
New York's currently: extremely cold Believing the insurgency cannot be fully defeated, U.S. commanders plan to reduce operations and focus on training Iraqi security forces. Former top leader in China Zhao Ziyang dies, state refuses to notice the man who opposed the assault in Tiananmen Square. Thais
New York's currently: enjoying its 18th day in a row of awful weather CIA think tank says Iraq has replaced Afghanistan as the training ground for the next generation of terrorists, thanks to U.S. President's inauguration theme "Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service" to help
New York's currently: five, maybe six full fathoms Supreme Court rules that federal sentencing standards are no longer mandatory. Nations in need of tsunami aid worry that accepting it may harm their standing toward current creditors. Indonesia wants foreign relief workers and military forces out by March 26.
New York's currently: home to people besides Pete Hamill 15 confirmed dead from storms in California with a dozen still missing in La Conchita. Indonesia invites foreign advice to help solve 28-year rebellion in disaster-hit Aceh region--but will the military permit foreign intervention? AirTrain to JFK is a
New York's currently: watching the kettle go up in flames Twelve missing, three dead in California mudslides. Bush administration says no reimbursement to D.C. for inauguration costs--a break with precedent that means the District will have to divert money from homeland security projects to afford it. Following
New York's currently: calling manmade plots "nature" PLO chief Abbas wins 62 percent of yesterday's vote to lead Palestinians; Hamas says it can work with him. Following the mayor's death last week, Baghdad's deputy police chief is assassinated in the
New York's currently: getting awkward now with the "happy new year"s Seven Marines killed by roadside bomb in Baghdad, two killed in Anbar. Attorney General nominee Gonzales grilled by senators on his role in crafting the administration's torture policies, but he'll
New York's currently: impressed that God made man, but stunned that man made Manhattan New FBI reports show concern in 2002 over "coercive tactics"; Australian claims U.S. transferred him to Egypt to be tortured. Details from inside an Indonesian hospital: survivors with small wounds now
New York's currently: a composite of Nureyev and Baryshnikov, but only their left feet Bomb at police academy south of Baghdad kills at least 10; head of Baghdad intelligence services says growing insurgency now outnumbers coalition troops. Indonesian rebels declare cease-fire during tsunami relief, claim military has launched
New York's currently: resolutin' to get in your face! Baghdad governor assassinated; 10 killed by police-post bombing. House Republicans abandon plan to loosen ethical rules; DeLay may lose his post if indicted. Key Indonesian airport closed after plane hits water buffalo. Female mug shots from the 1940s.
New York's currently: (just like) starting over Amid chaos and complaints of red tape, relief efforts begin to reach tsunami victims. Before the tsunami, Banda Aceh, the site of a decades-long civil war, was strictly off-limits to foreigners. Now, power is restored, markets have reopened, and a new
New York's currently: wishing the very best for you and yours Blast at mess tent in Mosul kills at least 22, wounds 66, the deadliest attack on a U.S. base since the invasion. Though some claim the mess-hall attack was a lucky hit, signs it was a
New York's currently: as cold on the outside as it was on the inside Bush holds press conference, dodges questions trying to make him "negotiate with himself." The math behind the Mets paying $54 million for four years of Pedro. These tactics have produced no intelligence.
New York's currently: a grease-flavored snow-cone Iraqi Shiite leaders call for non-violence after twin blasts kill 60 people in Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala; 50 suspects have been arrested in connection with the Najaf bombing. Clashes in Congo town bring fears of a return to full-fledged
New York's currently: ready to please have Christmas now, over, finally, please National Guard triples retention bonuses, asks for $20 billion to replace equipment. Britain's highest court says the government can't detain suspected foreign terrorists indefinitely without trial. African Union adds to its troops
New York's currently: factoring wind chills After two years of tinkering, the U.S. missile defense system is tested, and fails again. Guantanamo Bay detainees receive letters notifying them of their rights, six months after they were supposed to be sent. With no explosives and no ransom, Albanian
New York's currently: constantly stepping into some tourist's special Christmas moment Gunmen seize Greek bus, holding 26 people, and demand flight to Russia. Documents show marines in Iraq tortured detainees, including burning hands, sodomy with a rifle. Kerik's downtown love shack was originally used
New York's currently: only being good for goodness's sake Unocal to settle human-rights abuse claims in Myanmar. Senate Democrats announce watchdog committee to review what the GOP-controlled Congress won't. Even though Santa is missing from London department stores, you can still find him online.
New York's currently: running its 10th day in a row of depressing weather Unlike past wars, National Guard soldiers are one-third more likely to be killed in Iraq than full-time troops. Frist prepares "nuclear option" to surpass Democrats' filibusters and confirm Bush's judges.
New York's currently: growing gills Bush says no tax increase for Social Security reform, prompting privatization as a more likely option. Privatization of Social Security still doesn't solve its inherent flaw: that as baby boomers retire, there will be fewer workers to support them. Ex-Pantera guitarist
New York's currently: remembering the Maccabees over a nice ham sandwich Rumsfeld tells soldiers to cope with trucks equipped with "hillbilly armor," some 95 percent of the unit's vehicles. Children caught in the middle of Nepal's civil war, thousands abducted or exiled.
New York's currently: whatever's thicker than pea soup House approves intelligence restructuring bill 336-75; Senate to vote today. Under the bill, the new chief of intelligence may lose all authority without presidential backing. Ambassador's brief to U.N.: "No progress" in Darfur.
New York's currently: lighting candles in the window Bush wins backing for intelligence reform bill, hoping for congressional passage this week. 20 years later, string theory remains unexplainable, untestable, and not for the untrained. Kurds threaten to boycott election unless they can reclaim Kirkuk, a city of violently
New York's currently: an isle of shoppers Gunmen attack U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia, take unknown number of local staff hostage. Increased attacks by insurgents in Iraq have left 80 dead in the last three days. Renewed Russian interest in nuclear arms sparks Wargames-like fears. IAEA now
New York's currently: having eggnog for breakfast Best-dressed former top cop Bernard Kerik chosen to replace Tom Ridge. Car bomb kills 13 in Baghdad, just after rebels killed 12 while overtaking a police station. Bush affirms election path, dismisses postponing Iraqi elections. International aid groups tap Islamic money
New York's currently: watching its windows stretch Pentagon says it will raise troop levels in Iraq to 150,000, the largest since the occupation began. Intelligence reports that Iran is still developing atomic weapons at secret military sites; U.N. inspectors request access. "HIV, the virus that
New York's currently: booking its holiday calendar fast Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge leaves the building, neither pushed nor begged to stay. Generals in Iraq warned in December 2003, pre-Abu Ghraib photos, that an elite unit was abusing detainees with illegal force. Ukrainian parliament ousts Prime Minister&
New York's currently: the remains of the turkey U.N. gives seal of approval to European nuclear deal with Iran; U.S. criticizes the move, but reserves the right to call for sanctions. There is no more dangerous job in Iraq than being a police officer--but as unemployment
New York's currently: stuffed in all the wrong places Ukraine continues to erupt over presidential election, with leaders outside Kiev threatening separatism. Colombian drug lords pay big to play dress-up, anticipating government's leniency for paramilitaries. Study of elderly Californians finds moderate wine drinking and daily coffee
New York's currently: catorce! Ukraine erupts after Kremlin favorite beats popular opposition leader amid signs of ballot fraud. Women complain about more frequent pat-downs and secondary searches in airports. Congress surprises White House by killing funding for new generation of nukes. Chef Dan Barber (of New York'
New York's currently: limbering up for the holidays U.S. military says more troops are required in Iraq, and discovers houses in Fallujah where hostage killings were videotaped. Paving a new Iraq: Nations forgive 80 percent of the country's debt and Shiite leader wages a get-out-the-vote
Twelve months ago a number of TMN contributors were becoming first-time dads—now it's time to check in and see how they're doing. A look back at a year of highs, lows, and Diaper Genies.
New York's currently: a great place to raise your children TO LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR Powell's news on Iranian missiles stuns White House, Europeans; intel comes from single, unvetted source, not meant to be shared with allies. Following Vioxx scandal, drug inspector says FDA can'
New York's currently: stopping, collaborating, listening As Fallujah residents emerge from hiding to find a city in ruins, the Marines say that without continued U.S. military presence, the insurgents will be back. Kmart to buy Sears for $11 billion; even combined, the new company will still reach
New York's currently: sincerely high-fiving dude with "Kill Your Television" bumper sticker U.S. and Iraqi troops race to retake Mosul, the first step in a counter-insurgency plan that will only get harder. Condoleeza Rice picked to succeed Colin Powell as secretary of state. Video of
New York's currently: a holiday shopping extravaganza on every corner Powell resigns as Secretary of State, Rice to replace him. Others from Cabinet will step down as well. Shuffling the deck: With Powell's moderate diplomacy out, and Rice's unquestionable loyalty (yet questionable competency) in,
New York's currently: looking forward to a week of beautiful weather Iran vows to freeze nuclear programs in exchange for avoiding U.N. sanctions, though Europeans are cautious about sealing the deal. Reconstruction planned for devastated Fallouja, while violence flares around Iraq. Hot water for Italy's
New York's currently: an army of galoshes Arafat's body arrives in Cairo, four new Palestinian leaders are installed. Jimmy Carter on Arafat's life and legacy. "They just keep coming at us." As fierce fighting continues in Fallujah, insurgents take control of sections
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, to help a young woman prepare her Thanksgiving, we assemble a day-by-day plan for cooking turkey for nine people and managing sibling relations, plus all the fixings.
New York's currently: upped its cheeseburger index to five patties weekly Arafat dies a statesman and a salesman, and successors wait in the wings while reporters wonder about buried treasure. Troops control much of Fallujah "with the gloves off;" Smoking soldier seduces many U.S. newspapers.
New York's currently: unseasonably arctic Ashcroft and Evans resign from Bush cabinet. Their replacements are still in the works. Marines say they now control an estimated 70 percent of Fallujah, but did the insurgency leaders leave before the attack began? Sunni party withdraws from interim Iraqi government in
New York's currently: still fighting for some peace of mind with all this noise, and still losing 10,000 U.S. troops and 1,000 Iraqis attack Fallujah, hoping to take control (with street fighting) from insurgents prepared for martyrdom. Guantanamo trial halted after federal judge rules Bush
New York's currently: running or watching running U.S. troops at the end of Fallujah, ready to begin new assault against insurgents; state of emergency called in most of Iraq, in anticipation of widespread violence. After wiping out the country's air force, French military deploys troops
New York's currently: siding with the lunatics on the subway Yasser Arafat in a reversible coma; Prime Minister Qureia and his predecessor chosen to assume duties temporarily. Karzai vows to keep drug dealers and militia men out of government, offers amnesty to Taliban loyalists, as long as they
New York's currently: over it "The world is not doing enough to protect us. We are so tired." Sudanese soldiers destroy camp in Darfur, refugees plead for attention. In an election so divisive, that pitted neighbor against neighbor, how do all of us finally heal? We
New York's currently: proud of its citizens Bush wins. Republicans projected to hold the House and the Senate, with gubernatorials split between parties. Number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli Army in October is a two-and-a-half year peak. The breathtaking inside scoop on Karl Rove's bloody
New York's currently: decided We the editors of The Morning News, in order to live in a more hopeful country, restore justice, pursue international tranquility, establish a relentless offense against an uncommon enemy, provide for better health care and more compassion, and promote the blessings of freedom to
New York's currently: really really really really really really really ready to vote Twenty-five Iraqi civilians dead, nine Marines killed, and nine Marines wounded in Iraq on Saturday, marking deadliest day for U.S. soldiers in six months. 15 top American officials (generals, admirals, etc.) describe current fears
New York's currently: trick and/or treating Study shows 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the U.S. invasion. (Interview with one of the researchers here.) Arafat to Paris for medical treatment, likely end of his power. Because tax-exempt organizations cannot endorse or condemn candidates, the IRS
New York's currently: cheering for Boston until lunch, and then it's back to normal Red Sox win World Series under lunar eclipse; thankfully no one dies during post-game revels. Israelis, Palestinians fear chaos from power vacuum if Arafat falls permanently (for now, Sharon will allow him
New York's currently: expressly local Israel parliament approves Sharon's plan to pull out of Gaza, though nearly half of his own party voted against it, and some now demand a national referendum. John Peel, a legend in radio broadcasting, a patron to independent music, dies. From
New York's currently: seven days away from trusting its nation's future to the integrity of lawyers Geneva Conventions don't apply to some non-Iraqi prisoners captured in Iraq, says new White House legal opinion. Print and memorize: Large summary of president's anti-proliferation record,
New York's currently: dreaming about Boston victories U.N. says that nearly 350 tons of explosives have vanished from a former Iraqi military complex. 49 new Iraqi police recruits killed by insurgents at a fake police checkpoint. How the White House secretly--without even telling Condoleezza Rice or Colin
New York's currently: wonderful this time of year Iraq's insurgency comprised of thousands of soldiers, dozens of groups, with gigantic financial resources. Big, remarkable summary of White House's successes and failures in fighting al Qaeda. U.S. finishes a "strong second" in
New York's currently: not sure why Babe Ruth would curse anybody in the first place Condoleeza Rice hits the campaign trail in swing states, breaking with the precedent that national security advisers do not get political. Highest ranking of soldiers charged with crimes at Abu Ghraib enters guilty
New York's currently: less than two weeks away from cheering for America CARE International halts programs in Iraq after director is kidnapped. New York leaders Pataki, Silver, and Bruno control borrowed billion-dollar slush fund available for pet projects, sticking taxpayers with the bill. U.S. Army 30 percent
New York's currently: wet and leafy storm gutters U.N. reduces its role in Iraq elections, due to concerns over the insurgency and U.S. security measures. From Oct. 11 to Oct. 17, an estimated 208 Iraqis were killed in war-related incidents, significantly higher than the average week.
New York's currently: preparing Jon Stewart's key to the city Fighting rages in Fallujah with intense battles around the insurgent-held city. Nov. 2nd election to be scrutinized by more than 25,000 poll watchers. Jon Stewart goes on Crossfire to beg for less spin, calls Tucker
New York's currently: blustery, gray, anglophilic Two suicide blasts in Baghdad's Green Zone--the first major attacks inside the guarded area. In the weeks before the first debate the Bush campaign did an effective job of caricaturing John Kerry as a wishy-washy hippie. Perhaps too effective: Audiences
New York's currently: rooting for good games even if it means rooting for the Boston hobbits Explosions in Baghdad's Green Zone, following civilian killed by bomb, plus judge, journalist, and two army officers killed by gunmen. Fact-check for last night's debate. Bush's
New York's currently: crisp! Iraqi PM Allawi pushes to allow Baathists back into politics, meets with strong Shiite, Sunni resistance, as top Shiite cleric calls upon all Iraqis to register to vote. Local insurgents in Fallujah, hoping to avoid military strikes, turn against foreign Islamic fighters, who they
New York's currently: sunny and cold, with everyone in blazers Senate passes $137 billion paycheck for lobbyists, a corruption nightmare any way you look at it. Germans work hard to improve their manners. Karzai's challengers in Afghanistan agree to election inquiry. How 29 high-school freshmen and
New York's currently: overwhelmed by work and politics Israel suspects al Qaeda behind bombs in Egypt that killed at least 31 and injured 122 at Red Sea holiday resorts. "Soft" voters to question the candidates tonight, with each camp pre-claiming the other has the advantage. Scientists,
New York's currently: wondering if we skipped fall New CIA report definitively states Saddam Hussein has not had weapons of mass destruction since Iraq's programs were "essentially destroyed" during the first Gulf War, in 1991. (Report available here.) The report also shows that, even
New York's currently: quickly remembering winter Karzai's VP running-mate bombed but not injured, marking third attack on Karzai's supporters before this weekend's elections. (Rival gains by appealing to anti-Soviet vets.) Reporters agree Farnaz Fassihi's email was correct about life in
New York's currently: 500 years away from a bionic lovebot Four car bombs, two in Baghdad, leave 20 dead, 113 wounded in Iraq. Paul Bremer says U.S. never deployed enough troops to Iraq and didn't do enough to contain public violence. Race for the White
New York's currently: committed to ignoring polls for six weeks 14 killed, dozens injured by two car bombs attacking lines of police recruits in Baghdad. U.S. regains control of Samarra, prepares to hand over control to Iraqi security forces. The big story: How the White House used
New York's currently: totally ready to vote In their first debate, Bush and Kerry show strong differences in direction and opinion. The candidates may have said more when they weren't saying anything, but still found time to exaggerate and omit certain facts. (Transcript here) Spin: Key
New York's currently: telling the neighbor's kids it can't come out to play After months of campaigning and weeks of misleading claims, the candidates enter their first debate, on foreign policy, tonight. Watch the debates and play along! With the real rules (PDF), the
New York's currently: outraged, furious, crazed, angry, infuriated, frenzied, raging--and that's just for Cheney More than 2,300 attacks by insurgents in Iraq in the last 30 days (see graphic). Seven hostages freed in Iraq; $1 million possibly paid for Italians' release. Eight of 15
New York's currently: pressing pause on ambition for a few months of hope and fury Twice as many Iraqis (mostly civilians) killed by U.S., multinational forces, and Iraqi police as killed by insurgents. Oil prices surge past $50 on Monday, and may continue to rise. Fewer than
New York's currently: abusing the snooze bar With polls pretty much in a dead heat, the election may come down to the Bush-Kerry presidential debates, which begin Thursday in Florida, and show promise of fireworks. James Baker, representing Bush, held out for lecterns 10 feet apart and just
New York's currently: seeing the fall of our discotheque Two Egyptians kidnapped in Baghdad, among 100 foreigners seized since March; U.K. doing "all it can" to save hostage Kenneth Bigley. U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan accused of buying off candidates who plan to run against
New York's currently: a lovely day tomorrow (and today) Congress moves forward with $145 billion in middle-class tax cuts. Lawmakers say that, even if the country can't really afford the cuts, they look good politically. Although: It doesn't look so hot for the poor.
New York's currently: enjoying a week of perfect days Killing of two Sunni clerics in Baghdad Shiite neighborhoods raises possibility of sectarian civil war in Iraq. Al-Zarqawi terrorists apparently kill second American hostage, demanding Iraqi women in U.S.-run prisons be released. Perhaps unrelated, Iraqi female scientist
New York's currently: telling itself to go outside and enjoy this weather Floods in the wake of Tropical Storm Jeanne leave more than 600 dead in Haiti. Kerry on Iraq: "We have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure." Bush on
New York's currently: fully autumnized In the world's largest country that you know nothing about, former president Jiang Zemin resigns and hands over power to Hu Jintao. 90 dead, 150 missing in Haiti as tropical storm Jeanne whips up floodwaters; Thousands evacuated as Delaware River spills
New York's currently: measuring once, measuring twice After a night of U.S. air strikes in Fallujah, a suicide bomber detonates in Baghdad, killing at least five and wounding 20. Iraq, worse than you think: an average of 87 attacks per day on U.S. forces in August;
New York's currently: feeling for its southern cousins Seven reported killed in the U.S. by Ivan, with more than 60 dead in the Caribbean. (See map of hurricane's path.) You would be surprised at how far a can of orange soda would go. Details of
New York's currently: crisping up for sweaters and such Thousands in New Orleans flee the path of Hurricane Ivan, a storm that, with the help of federal budget cutbacks, could literally sink the city. [PDF of Times-Picayune] Even if the Bush memos are forgeries, says the secretary who
New York's currently: hoping its daily labor adds up to much Baghdad car bomb kills 47, wounds more than 100. Grabbing power where possible, Putin announces plans to "manage democracy" by ending popular elections of governors and independent lawmakers. Two to three percent of children on
New York's currently: bursting with sunshine and breezy, no complaints there Iraq sees its most violent day in months, with three car bombings, at least 80 civilians dead, and an al-Arabiya reporter gunned down, on air, by a U.S. helicopter. North Korea says no, that was just
New York's currently: where babies come from U.S. army moves against three insurgent strongholds in Iraq, show of strength anticipating January elections. Finally! Congress to let ban on assault weapons expire on Monday! China, U.K. try to dissuade North Korea from nuclear weaponizing, especially after bluster
New York's currently: draining Rains linked to Hurricane Frances filled up New York's aging sewers yesterday, shutting down parts of the subway system, while Florida's flood-control system held back the water. So, really, what's going on with all these hurricanes lately? Car
New York's currently: a rainy dog Escalation of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, with key areas of the country controlled by increasingly sophisticated rebels. Do 330 dead show Putin's policies in Chechnya to have have failed, or do Westerners not understand how things are
New York's currently: labor-intensive Clinton heart bypass successful, full recovery expected, but that means he can't campaign for Kerry, though it won't stop him from advising from bed. During school hostage crisis, Russian troops went to Chechnya to pluck hostages of their own. Seven
New York's currently: a sigh of relief Developing story: Russian forces storm school, hostages flee, as hours before, a mother was forced to choose which child she had to leave with the guerillas. Kerry comes back: "I will not have my commitment to defend this country questioned
New York's currently: got the President somewhere U.N. deadline comes and goes, and still in Darfur homes are burned, women raped, villagers killed. Russian authorities say they won't use force to rescue hundreds held hostage. (See photos.) 500,000 in Florida told to evacuate before
New York's currently: halfway through this Up to 400 people, mainly students and parents, taken hostage at school in southern Russia. And: Suicide bombers kill at least 10 in Moscow. RNC speeches: Schwarzenegger drops self-references by the dozen, says Democrats are "economic girlie-men”; Laura Bush says her
New York's currently: dismayed the outside world doesn't know how much shoot is going down Sadr suspends attacks, makes plans for political career in Iraq. Taliban takes credit for killing six in Kabul on Sunday including three Americans, plans more attacks as Afghanistan's presidential
New York's currently: not looking forward to this "They could use a bunch of people from Iowa to come here to show New Yorkers what life is all about, what being patriotic is all about, and what country is all about." The delegates arrive, the protests
New York's currently: way way way overworked Ali Sistani's Najaf truce holds, Imam Ali shrine opens up to worshippers, men in surgical masks collect the dead from the streets. White House preparing orders for intelligence overhaul, considering new spy-czar. In measuring the state of the union,
New York's currently: fiddling with this stupid internet connec- "Roger, we won't shoot the mosque." Fighting continues, tension builds in Najaf as Top Shiite cleric calls for peace in the city, urges followers to join him there, but for what? And: Mortar attack kills
New York's currently: fed up with the illogical and ridiculous belief that governments, especially ours, should be more than corrupt, inept, and corrosive. Two Russian jetliners crash within minutes of each other after departing same Moscow airport; Chechen rebel leaders deny involvement. Oh, good: Companies responsible for certifying
New York's currently: asking "What's so great about hyenas?" "They make the best jokes." Upcoming report on Abu Ghraib to show that dogs were used to terrorize Iraqi teens. Kerry still wants Bush to denounce Swift Boat ads, Bush still kinda doesn&
New York's currently: one week from a whole bag of nuts Senate Intelligence Committee urges dismantling the CIA, exceeding the 9/11 Committee's (or Bush or Kerry's) suggestions. Hollywood stunt pilots to snag hunk of Sun falling to the Earth. Hillary says: Give New
New York's currently: ignoring the weatherman As Iraqi troops struggle with their role in a possible strike on the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, Moqtada al-Sadr sends word that he'll hand over control of the mosque, in order to save it. How the Swift Boat anti-Kerry
New York's currently: always, in the back of the mind, feeling like a target Sadr's militia to disband and vacate Imam Ali Shrine, though no departure date's given and no guarantees for dissolution. Pentagon report on Abu Ghraib to blame mid-level officials, not top
New York's currently: passing on waivers Battle at Najaf began without plan or approval, turns stalemate when rebel cleric Sadr refuses meeting with Iraqi leaders. Sadr becomes the voice of the opposition in Iraq, gains grassroots support with snub of government leaders. Bloomberg offers nice RNC protesters discounts
New York's currently: a bit upset when its hard drive decides to go kerplunk Venezuela's Chavez beats recall in election deemed free and fair. Governor Bush races to clean up Florida, hoping to learn from mistakes that followed hurricane Andrew. Only man in Kyoto permitted to
New York's currently: spores in the air conditioner As over 1,000 Iraqis convene in Baghdad to determine new election processes, delegates fire up protests over U.S. strikes in Najaf, and mortars explode outside. Hurricane Charley devastates Florida, leaving thousands homeless, a half-million without water, and over
New York's currently: got that rotten smell of garbage all over Sadr possibly injured in Najaf, military operations ceased as Iraqi politicians arrive for negotiations. California high court voids 4,000 same-sex marriages. Jersey Governor McGreevey declares homosexuality, resigns over affair, or was it corruption? U.N. allowed
New York's currently: leftover puddles As U.S. and Iraqi forces wage assault against Sadr militia in Najaf, Shiites warn U.S. not to harm an ancient mosque whose history in rebellion and worship is extraordinary. Idealism, desire for martyrdom two big reasons militia has gathered around Sadr.
New York's currently: roiling under the August broil U.S. soldiers fight Shiite militias in Najaf and Sadr City while Sadr supporters try to spread battles. New York police and firefighter unions threaten strikes during Republican Convention (estimations have one protector for every 2.4 attendees). Putin'
New York's currently: sun on, sun off, sun on, sun off… Sadr rejects appeal, vows to continue his fight against U.S. and Iraqi forces. In investigation into leak of CIA operative's identity, court holds in contempt Time magazine reporter who refuses to testify. Federal government
New York's currently: switching to coma-mode for August Seven killed in suicide car bombing north of Baghdad; Battle continues for fifth day between U.S. and Mahdi Army. Arrest warrants out for Admad Chalabi and his nephew Salem, for counterfeiting and murder, respectively. Remarkable paintings and drawings from
New York's currently: making the show Heavy fighting in Najaf as Sadr either did or did not call for an uprising against the U.S.-backed government in Iraq. Two Albany mosque leaders arrested in sting operation that involved assassinating a Pakistani diplomat using a shoulder-fired missile. McCain
New York's still: making so hot right now jokes Car bomb kills five in Baghdad; 12 dead in Mosul; local tribesmen in Falluja rescue four hostages in raid. At the Times, Malcolmson says Obama isn't "black in the usual way." At the Post, Williams
New York's currently: disciplining the sidewalk At least 85 percent of money managed by Coalition Provisional Authority going to U.S. companies--not to Iraq companies, as promised. Afghan troops and U.S. warplanes kill as many as 70 guerrillas near Pakistan border. Iraqis feel new court system, intermingled
New York's currently: really pissed if its panic-button wasn't pushed for good reason Info leading to Sunday's terrorism alert was three years old, though some of it was updated recently by al Qaeda. Turkish hostage killed in Iraq, causing Turkish truckers to stop all
New York's currently: prepared More detail on threat of new terror attacks in New York, New Jersey, Washington, and the ways the intelligence was acquired. August 1 is the 60th anniversary of the start of the heroic and tragic 63-day Warsaw uprising against Nazis from within and Soviets
New York's currently: ready to shut down for a week of pandering and corporate blow-outs Pakistan captures one of U.S.'s 21 most-wanted terrorists, wanted for role in 1998 bombings in Africa. About 20 kidnapped--5 yesterday--in Iraq since Philippine troops withdrew last week; National Assembly conference
New York's currently: waking up with the lights on "Five years ago, we used to have about 120 funerals a weekend, but this number has now jumped to 600." AIDS crisis in South Africa so devastating that graves must be recycled. With tires squealing, in un-panicked
New York's currently: preparing secret Obama ballot to usurp spermsuit Kerry Suicide bomber kills 68 outside Iraqi police station. Ah yes: Conventions' real work has lobbyists selling corporations to elected officials. Five Islamic charity leaders arrested for funneling millions to Palestinian terrorists. Darfur sum-up: Rebels possibly being
New York's currently: highly conventional Democratic convention opens in Boston to high energy, speeches from Carter, Gore, Clintons, while Republicans huddle two blocks away, and the two fire embarrassing photos to each other. With support fluctuating, voters demand more from Kerry on the issues. Corporate sponsorship of New
New York's currently: incredibly rested Armstrong wins Tour de France for record sixth time in a row. Network anchors snipe over convention coverage, networks' lazy reporting. Under presure, Bush may adopt 9/11 reforms soon after studying report in Crawford. Dems all smiles around candidate Kerry, stealing
Federal health officials drop view that obesity is not an illness, open doors for Medicare to cover weight-loss treatments. Residents of northwest L.A. evacuated, fire grabs homes and more than 11,000 acres. I'm not an Iraqi citizen. Things President Bush is not, from the horse'
New York's currently: post-monsoon sunshine State Department analysts found dozens of misleading conclusions in Powell U.N. speech, drafts of which came from the Cheney office. [PDF of report] With four countries gone and four about to leave, the international coalition in Iraq is steadily dismantling. Police Department
New York's currently: wishing the Presidential campaign season was only two weeks long Car bomb kills at least 10 in Baghdad, Bulgarian hostage beheaded, Iraqi police arrest more than 500 in sweep on kidnapping rings. White House refuses to show Senate Intelligence Committee one-page Iraq summary prepared for
New York's currently: inventing new calisthenics Bush administration wants to cut Clinton-era regulations that protect 58.5 million acres of forest. Iraq government to offer amnesty to insurgents, though within limited offenses. New report shows that nobody understands the terror-threat color coding. Philippines says it will withdraw troops
New York's currently: in one year, out the other Little international aid promised to Iraq handed over, debts go unforgiven. Floods force more than two million to flee their homes in South Asia. Unusually bloody weekend in New York with 11 killed. Karzai says armed militias are top
New York's currently: crisp pools and cold movie theaters Trying to squeeze out the votes necessary to defeat a Patriot Act-softening bill, House Republicans go into session overtime, are chanted at. Next: Banning gay marriage. Missing Marine from hostage video shows up at U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.
New York's currently: hot, sunny, a chance of thunderstorms, maybe a BLT for lunch, or man, what about a cheeseburger... Pentagon to hold hearings for all 595 detainees at Guantanamo Bay. (See list of names, sorted by nationality.) Kenneth Lay indicted for role in conspiring to fiddle with
New York's currently: one good-looking ticket Defense Department official illegally enters Iraq--posing as a Halliburton employee--finds problems, recommends friends' companies for the solutions. Chilling new records: New report shows three million died of AIDS last year and almost five million became infected with HIV. Family of captive
New York's currently: hot for Johnny Edwards Early: Kerry picks Edwards (though that doesn't stop the NY Post from picking Gephardt on front page). Note: Post image pulled from site. Tensions as American soldiers watch independent Iraqi security forces express sympathies for U.S.'s
New York's currently: fireworkin' Hussein, before an Iraqi judge, hears the charges against him. Security forces opened fire on university students trying to deliver a petition to Mr. Annan. In the human disaster that is currently Sudan, Colin Powell and Kofi Annan witness the misery first-hand. In
New York's currently: a combo of love and labor and getting lost In light of Supreme Court's granting military prisoners access to courts, U.S. may move detainees from Cuba to prisons in the states. Iraq assumes legal custody of Hussein and 11 of his top
New York's currently: looking California, feeling New York U.S. says the power of government truly is in Iraq's hands, though contractors in Iraq will retain legal exemption. Fourteen months of occupation for L. Paul Bremer; Hussein to enter Iraqi custody on Wednesday. When Kerry refuses
New York's currently: the last place you'd expect to find peace, but there it is While you were sleeping: U.S. transfers sovereignty to Iraq, surprise ceremony to avoid attacks. Average college tuition at public universities has fallen nearly a third since 1998. Beheadings threatened against
New York's currently: wondering how long the media would chat if Britney and Madonna were both murdered within six months Iran breaks agreement with France, U.K., and Germany, plans to resume building equipment for nuclear weapons program. 105 killed, 321 injured in yesterday's coordinated attacks
New York's currently: a pygmalion of pigeons White House claims no part in 2002 Justice Department memo defending torture. And: Though Rumsfeld initially approved harsher interrogation techniques, he stepped them down six weeks later. Iran to release captured British sailors. U.S. plans to offer North Korea incentives
New York's currently: open-mindedly miserable Russian troops pursue Chechen rebels who killed 48, including three regional officials, overnight. Iran to prosecute eight U.K. sailors who crossed its border. The happier your mood, the more liable you are to make bigoted judgments. Happy people are nasty, deluded nuts.
New York's currently: an indoor backyard barbecue Government and military officials have repeatedly exaggerated both the danger the detainees posed and the intelligence they have provided. Investigating the value of Guantanamo prisoners. As the transfer of authority approaches: A look at how occupation has changed both Iraq and
New York's currently: day two of morning runs (you don't want to know) Iraqi official says martial law possible if insurgents' attacks continue, doesn't mention how it would be any different from current occupation. Sept. 11 panel: Cheney ordered planes shot down (in
New York's currently: picnics at watering holes Chilling reports from Sept. 11 commission, detailing the original plan to hijack 10 planes, testing airport security, shifting targets, and bin Laden's role, as well as faults in communication between the military and the White House. Commission further asserts
New York's currently: a Pistons town Two explosions shut down Iraq's primary oil export terminal; senior Iraqi oil official shot dead. U.S. may cede legal custody of Saddam, but that doesn't mean he's going anywhere. New York hopes to make homeless
New York's currently: changing clothes three times a day U.S. officials say multiple bombings in Baghdad that killed 21 over the weekend are an effort to derail the transfer of authority, now two weeks away. Supreme Court rules that "under God" stays in the Pledge
New York's currently: all BBQ'd out At least 11 killed in Baghdad car bombing adds to toll from bloody weekend in Iraq. Abu Ghraib interrogators began reporting allegations of prisoner abuse last November. Justice Department memo says torture "may be justified." Also, document by
New York's currently: like Bronte, but with different accents Unsure if he saw the memo suggesting torture, Bush says he only authorized interrogations that were consistent with U.S. laws and treaties. Following G8 discussions, Bush acknowledges diminished expectation for NATO involvement in Iraq, while other leaders note
New York's currently: eight million complaints about the air-conditioning Iraqi government commits to interim constitution providing Kurdish veto power, but Shiite leaders vow to excise the clause next year. New poll: Uncertainty over the general direction of the country shifts U.S. voter support to Kerry. European elections
New York's currently: questioning its movie choices Security Council votes unanimously in favor of ending Iraq occupation on June 30, with transfer of sovereignty to Iraqi interim government. Arguments between Kurdish and Shiite leaders over minority rights in the new Iraq resolution, as well as sellout from the
New York's currently: 500 down, and only just beginning Nine Iraqi militias agree to disband--though not Moqtada Sadr's forces, the ones most active against the U.S. Forced nudity of prisoners at Abu Ghraib so pervasive that many soldiers later did not see it at all
New York's currently: flying paper to Italy Weeklong tributes to Reagan begin today, with his body in repose at his presidential library in Simi Valley, then to Washington to lie in state at the Capitol on Wednesday, culminating with Friday's state funeral. Bush orders federal government
New York's currently: oh so fulfilled to be secular, oh so happy Intelligence soldier from Abu Ghraib goes public with memories, feeling guilt for not reporting tortures. CIA chief Tenet resigns. World: Venezuela's Chávez may face recall; Q&A for Congo clash; Sharon fires two
New York's currently: nearing the point when celebrities are burned in the streets All U.S. soldiers deployed in the future may face extended terms, despite expired contracts. Thousands of Congolese attack U.N. offices after rebels (alleged to be controlled by Rwanda) seized town of Bukavu. Five
New York's currently: got each other, and that's a lot Chalabi passed news (heard from drunk American) that Washington had cracked Iran's communication codes, U.S. says. Spotlight on the "forgotten war" in Afghanistan. Iran continues to make parts and materials that
New York's currently: cold and rainy and not much else Car bomb explodes outside coalition headquarters in Iraq, less than two hours after governing council selects new president. What Iyad Allawi has to look forward to as Iraq's prime minister. And, what he should keep in
New York's currently: grim but hot Insurgents in Najaf attack U.S. forces, despite partial (farm league) truce between troops and Sadr's militia. Nigerian drug chief battles counterfeit drug makers, including some of her country's wealthiest businessmen. Nearly 1,000 dead in Caribbean floods,
New York's currently: sweater off, sweater on FBI announces Al Qaeda is planning an attack on U.S. soil in the coming months, and releases photos of seven terror suspects they'd like to locate. New terror warnings not based on fresh intelligence, but rather on desirable
New York's currently: double-quoting Classified survey of deaths and mistreatment of prisoners in U.S. Army's custody paints "broad picture of misconduct." Body found near jogging path in northern Manhattan believed to be missing 21-year-old Julliard student. More than 500 dead in floods and
New York's currently: waiting for fresh, directly In a bid for more time and public support, Bush orates a five-point plan for Iraqi stability, though many key questions remain unanswered. Bush speech calls for demolition of Abu Ghraib prison, as "a fitting symbol of Iraq's
New York's currently: congratulating all recent graduates; also, wondering why the West Village can't look more like Georgetown. U.S. forces hunt Sadr in his stronghold of Kurfa. Wedding video contradicts U.S. denials about recent attack near the Syrian border. Piece of the nuclear puzzle:
New York's currently: spring and summer cleaning American and Iraqi forces raid former favorite and WMD accuser Ahmad Chalabi's Baghdad HQ in investigation of employee wrongdoing and possible espionage with Iran. The rising and falling political life of Ahmad Chalabi. Survivors of strike that left 40
New York's currently: freaked as hell to pick up a newspaper Giuliani plays softball with Sept. 11 commission (or, other way around) during second day of New School hearings. 40 Iraqi civilians killed near Syrian border by U.S. troops gunning for smugglers, battles with Sadr's
New York's currently: a sky of silver linings In response to reports of abuse at Abu Ghraib late last year, the Army tried to curtail Red Cross spot-visits to the prison. At court martial, U.S. soldier pleads guilty to abuse charge. Looking toward reelection, the Bush administration
New York's currently: knock knock; who's there?; to; to who?; to whom, sucker Hundreds of same-sex couples marry in Massachusetts. Hersh: Rumsfeld's and Cambone's anti-terror black-op ran interrogations at Abu Ghraib to shame Arabs into informing. Doctors flout insurers' common sense
New York's currently: fortified with xanthan gum President of Iraqi Governing Council assassinated, six weeks before scheduled handover of power to new government. Even prior to the assassination, no leader or governing powers set for Iraq. Israel announces plans to demolish hundreds of Palestinian homes along Gaza Strip,
New York's currently: hooked on outdoor ping-pong, beer Fighting erupts in Najaf between U.S. and Sadr-loyal militants, more than 300 prisoners released from Abu Ghraib. Bloomberg beats Pataki for city's refinancing of '70s debt, providing $500 million a year. India's Prime Minister
New York's currently: realizing Manhattan's not the only island worth visiting Intense negotiations with Moktada al-Sadr for truce in Najaf, Sadr urges troops to fight Americans. Politicians horrified by new photos from Abu Ghraib, seen behind closed doors. Thousands seek refuge in northern Nigeria, fleeing Muslim
New York's currently: doubting the forecasts Before Senate hearing, general and under secretary of defense contradict each other on who was in charge of Iraq prisons. Militants in Iraq behead West Chester, Pa., man in retaliation for American prison abuses. U.S. abuse cases reach to Afghanistan, where
New York's currently: practically sweating Iraq prison detainees, most of whom were arrested by mistake, were denied their right to see a lawyer and their families left unaware of their whereabouts. Female Iraqi prisoners report sexual abuse, face ostracism, shame upon release. British troops broke the law when
New York's currently: arguing with the help U.S. fast-tracks M.P.'s court martial, the first in the abuse trials, giving press access to Arab media, as some Iraqis voice outrage, wanting the accused to stand trial in Iraqi court instead. Senators blast Pentagon on prisoner
New York's currently: drinking spinach through a straw Amid decries for apologies and resignations, Bush says sorry and Rumsfeld keeps job, even if it is the beginning of his end. Red Cross in Iraq notes it knew of the abuses, complained to U.S. officials regularly about the
New York's currently: still not buying Monica and Rachel could afford that apartment Bush scolds Rumsfeld for failure to notify him of Iraqi abuse photos. Related: The scandal borne of Rumsfeld's lawless regime in Iraq. Seeking to calm Arab outrage over Iraqi prison abuses, Bush takes
New York's currently: back and forth on the rain and sun Army investigating abuse and torture of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, including 10 'suspicious deaths.' President Bush, who has known about the abuse investigation since December, submits to two interviews on Arab television networks. Breaking
New York's currently: caffeinating to bad-breath city Careers ended for seven officers who supervised torture at Abu Ghraib. Million displaced by ethnic-cleansing militia tied to Sudanese government. U.S. drops well-liked (especially by Saddam) General in Fallujah for former intelligence officer who was imprisoned by Hussein. Père Lachaise
New York's currently: dreary-looking, skunky-feeling Seven U.S. soldiers reprimanded in connection with abuses at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. Hersh's must-read lists tortures in Abu Ghraib (including photos), stares up the chain of command for culpability. Sharon defiant after Likud rejects his plan to
New York's currently: playing ping-pong outside it's so nice Marines apparently departing Fallujah, preparing to hand over policing to new militia led by former Hussein-loyal officers. No surprises from 'extraordinary' Bush/Cheney interview. 134 soldiers died this month in Iraq, median age: 23. Jury
New York's currently: lunch for breakfast U.S. begins air attack on sections of Fallujah, with a full-scale assault ready to go. A city where even Saddam Hussein ventured cautiously. Tribal codes in Fallujah mean battles could be never-ending. Bush, Cheney face private session, attitude discussion with Sept.
New York's currently: overwhelmed by news stories U.S. to raise estimate of nuclear weapons in North Korea from two to eight. Sketchy details from battles in Fallujah. Specter beats Toomey by narrow margin in closely-watched Republican primary, measurement taken for party's temperature. (See Gourevitch'
New York's currently: gymnastically challenged U.S. forces attack mosque in Fallujah, destroy 150-foot-tall minaret. Related: Marines apprehensive about forthcoming joint patrols with Iraqis. New Iraqi flags gets harsh public disapproval. China rejects Hong Kong elections. Bush, Clear Skies, Healthy Forests, and anything but. Emotional student lives in
New York's currently: stealing oxygen from the rest U.S. swaps attack on Fallujah, for now, with Marines and Iraqi security forces patrolling the city. Calls for jihad and Islamic rule find receptive audiences in fragmented Europe. Hundreds of thousands march in D.C. for abortion rights. U.
&New York's currently: been working for this weekend North Korean train crash: Outcome unclear as various sources place between 50 and 3,000 dead in the massive explosion. Following news blackout that may or may not have been government-imposed, North Korea asks U.N. for help. Appeals
New York's currently: ready for testing Suicide bomber kills four, wounds 148 yesterday in Riyadh; Attack claimed by group linked to al Qaeda. Fascinating: Patriot Act based on fraudulent Air Force claim in 1953, establishing government's 'state secrets' privilege. U.S. to rehire former
New York's currently: not exactly a drought Four coordinated bomb attacks in Basra and nearby kill dozens of Iraqis, wound over 70. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Guantánamo Bay detainees. Audio available here. U.S. generals say ban on former Baath Party members from government jobs is
New York's currently: flowering Bush appoints ambassador to Iraq after June 30, John D. Negroponte, allegedly blind to death squads. White House plays down Jordan's refusal to meet with Bush in light of recent support of Israel. American and Iraqi leaders find agreements in Fallujah, U.
New York's currently: winning a baby show In Iraq, 10 U.S. troops killed, Spanish P.M. Zapatero orders home his forces. In Spain: Questioning, supporting Zapatero's decision. The parts you really want to read from Bob Woodward's new book on the murky decisions
New York's currently: really really nice out Behind-the-scenes account of Bush-Sharon negotiations. With offensive operations suspended, marines wait outside Fallujah fighting off lassitude, attacks. Reenlistment rate falling as demand for soldiers increases. Massachusetts governor hopes to delay samesex marriages--to begin May 17--but faces sure rejection from senate president.
New York's currently: skies, cloudy, gray, lyrical Bush backs Sharon plan for Gaza withdrawal, keeping some key areas in the West Bank, and refusal of right-of-return --Palestinian negotiator invites them to cancel Ramadan too. 'I can't sit with Tony Blair and give Texas to China.
New York's currently: Ja Rul'd 2,500 troops gathered around Najaf to confront cleric Sadr, who hints he may be ready to deal. Pakistani nuke salesman/scientist says he saw three nuclear weapons in North Korea. Profile of successful Iraqi army unit fighting insurgents, prepared to
New York's currently: sty-ve-son Troops struggle to keep supply lines open in Iraq, as eight Russian contractors are taken hostage, released and nine Americans still missing. U.S. regains control of major roads around Iraq, and a delegation of Shiite clerics meet with Sadr to negotiate end of
New York's currently: cold and wet Shaky cease-fire established in Fallujah, seven Chinese kidnapped by insurgents, U.S. helicopter shot down in Baghdad. Bush says Bin Ladin briefing was non-specific. (Read the memo for yourself.) America losing Iraqi hearts and minds from the sidelines to the insurgents. Set-ups,
New York's currently: sending its restaurant critics to Falluja Widespread anti-U.S. uprising in Iraq combines Sunnis and Shiites, contradicting White House's portrayal. U.S. reaction to insurgencies in Iraq seen as tipping point to battle-bogdom, up to 25,000 troops may be delayed from coming
Walk or don't walk? In New York, there is rarely a choice. The ground rules for how you should maneuver the pavement, always showing your best side under special circumstances, and what to do when sidewalk rage hits.
New York's currently: shopping for Mr. Coffee Sadr's rebel insurgency swells to six Iraq cities, with signs that Sunnis and Shiites are cooperating in the resistance. While U.S. vows to 'destroy' the rebel militia, still wants to go slow with Sadr, spinning him
New York's currently: considering Storrs an outlying suburb Offensive begins in surrounded Fallujah, biggest military attack since Baghdad was taken. Big Bush proposals languish in Congress--gay marriage ban, immigration overhaul, trips to Mars--without heat from White House. Recap of Sunday's battle in Sadr City, largest and
New York's currently: a little bit Bronte, a little bit Conan Doyle Young cleric leads thousands in uprising that leaves seven U.S. soldiers dead, questions about reliability of American-trained Iraqis. U.S. forces seal off Fallujah in expected action related to last week's mutilations, killings.
New York's currently: a town of commanding gifts Bomb found on high-speed railway between Madrid and Seville. Background of four men slain in Fallujah, among thousands working private security in Iraq, dozens killed since last April. White House blocks release of classified Clinton papers--already approved for show-and-tell--to Sept.
New York's currently: just fooling around Fallujah killings, mutilations by civilians show --graphically --that violence in Iraq is not simply the work of foreigners, Islamic militants, as claimed before. Today: Military convoy attacked. Disturbing images: Photos, video of the Fallujah burnings echo Mogadishu. 51 Mexicans on death row
New York's currently: all of 27 Five soldiers and at least four foreign nationals killed in separate attacks in Iraq, some bodies burned, mutilated, hanged from a bridge. Rice to give sworn testimony to Sept. 11 panel, Bush and Cheney to answer questions together in private, not under
New York's currently: working in the downtown castles In anticipation of hand-over, U.N. envoy sent to Iraq for work on new government. Related: Annan fires, reprimands staff for security failures that led to U.N. Baghdad bombing. More than doubling their pay, senior Special Ops members lured
New York's currently: loving G.R.I.T.S. Sunday blow up over Sept. 11-related testimonies, with Rice appearing everywhere but your local Starbucks, or publicly before the commission. Organized Iraqi Shiites band behind Sistani to alter or drop the constitution. U.S. soldiers shut down popular Baghdad
New York's currently: claiming this land for the Empire of Weekendland Descrepancies, contradictions bubble up as panel scrutiny hits Condoleezza Rice. Though unavailable for under-oath, public testimony, Rice is readily available for media commentary. What went wrong, what went right: A section-by-section look at the Clarke book, its
New York's currently: publicly against eugenics Clarke says: 'Either [Bush & Co.] didn't believe me that there was an urgent problem or was unprepared to act as though there were an urgent problem.' Oregon county bans all marriages until state decides who can and
New York's currently: ready for toasty New, vitriolic leadership for Hamas vows increased attacks against Israel, yet claims not its policy to attack U.S. targets. 'I don't ride buses at times like this' Under a new threat of terror, Israelis live in caution.
New York's currently: increasing desires, exciting sensual appetites, disturbing peace of mind, evil Anti-constitution, Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Sistani threatens to not cooperate with the U.N. Network that sold/sells black-market nuke technology relied on parts meant for more innocent pastures, like iMacs. 'Largest crowds
New York's currently: deceptively sunny Israeli helicopter strike kills Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin. Britain and France come out against the killing, while Hamas vows revenge against Israel as well as the U.S. After a week of bloodshed, a funeral for the two Kosovo boys whose deaths
New York's currently: all hearts to Madrid Pakistani army continues attacks on compounds, believed to house al Qaeda members. Iraq, a year, analysis: the Journal, the Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post. Taiwan's president and vice-president survive assassination attempt. NATO increases troops in Kosovo after second
New York's currently: frozen green puddles NATO troops head into Kosovo as violence swells again. Related: The region's history of Serbian-Albanian conflict during the late '90s. Car bomb levels Baghdad hotel, 27 dead. Deeming the U.S. occupation of Iraq a 'fiasco,' Spain&
New York's currently: on a three hour tour, a three hour tour U.S. gives $5,000 and apologies to families of civilian casualties in Iraq. Members wavering, Bush pleading, Iraq coalition threatening to come undone: Netherlands, Honduras, El Savador, Guatemala may pull troops after June. Ski resorts
New York's currently: snowing in the face of spring Whether Al Qaeda or not, Madrid bombers employ same tactics; is Spanish PM-elect Zapatero's vow to withdraw Iraq troops a form of appeasement to terrorists? Yet, one year into Iraq, coalition forces otherwise unchanged. Spain identifies six
New York's currently: a romance assailed by time Socialist Zapatero wins Spanish presidency, saying he'll yank troops from Iraq by June 30, while Putin cruises to easy victory. Five arrested in Madrid attacks, al Qaeda claims responsibility on videotape. Don't worry, you won'
New York's currently: nearing 40 hours Madrid aftermath: No bombers named, but al Qaeda and Basque separatists ETA suspected. Related: If ETA, a new deadly platform; if al Qaeda, same tenuous branch that claimed last year's blackouts? Personal accounts of the attack in Madrid. Fed'
New York's currently: not your grandfather's cesspit of liberals More than 170 killed by attacks on train stations in Madrid, days before general elections. Also, astounding photos, diagrams from El Pais. [PDF] Marines' orders stepped up in Haiti, to seize weapons and open fire, if
New York's currently: scrambled, cheeseless Sniper John Allen Muhammad receives death sentence in Virginia courtroom; Lee Malvo awaits sentencing today. New poll shows 51 percent of the U.S. favors legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples, while support for state-by-state decision on same-sex marriage is back up. The
New York's currently: time out for Spalding Gray Five Britons released from Guantanamo terrorist camp returning to the U.K. today. Kerry leads Bush, 48 percent to 44, among registered voters; Nader gets 3 percent, taken entirely from Kerry. U.C.L.A. sold $704,600 worth of
New York's currently: leftover slush Insiders say Bush is 'consumed' with his road to re-election, even if he doesn't know where he's driving. Still, it's not too early for the candidates to be eyeing Florida. White House pressures Israel to
New York's currently: the right way to paste things together Republican aides stole/downloaded thousands of Democrats' computer files over past three years. Bush trampled by protests from firefighters, victims' families over use of Sept. 11 imagery in new ad campaign. Related: Hopefully MBNA will be
New York's currently: mushy, warm, happy This morning: Gay New Yorkers seeking marriage licenses gather at City Hall; city rejects requests. Unknown terrorists with bombs blackmail French railway system, though trains continue to run. Though Attorney General Eliot Spitzer warns gay marriage is illegal in New York, upstate
New York's currently: taking its top (layer) off Kerry wins primaries across the nation, takes congratulations from Bush. Photos from yesterday's attacks on Shiite shrines in Iraq, leaving 143 dead and many more wounded. U.S. rejects Haitian rebels' claim of military control, State Department
New York's currently: practically spring Rumblings over the fairness of Super Tuesday voting as Edwards fights for the life of his campaign and Kerry eyes a clean sweep. And: A crib sheet to find out where the candidates stand on the issues. Where it went wrong: Why this
New York's currently: remembering Hunter Thompson, Larry Darrell, Carl Spackler, Peter Venkman, Phil Connors, Polonius, etc. Aristide flees Haiti with some help from the U.S., while the U.S.'s role in Haiti is again considered. Interim constitution agreed upon by Iraqi leaders, to be signed
New York's currently: down with being upstate Macedonian President dies in plane crash. Bush bars military from using certain types of land mines, puts no limit on use of 'smart' land mines. 'Of course I was bugged. I was well aware of it. How did
New York's currently: the crystal lithium U.K. spies bugged Kofi Annan's office prior to the Iraq invasaion, says ex-cabinet minister (see the transcript of the interview, and the backstory). Greenspan says some Social Security benefits should be cut to prepare for boomers' retirement. Dozens
New York's currently: not considering these old neckties Welcome, Squirrely, and congratulations to M. Baldwin and the Queen! Bush wants constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. And: Kerry, Edwards oppose gay marriage, but say they wouldn't back such an amendment. Related: How the amendment process works. Putin
New York's currently: flipping for real about this snow crap U.N. says, earliest date for elections in Iraq: end of this year. There will be thousands of dead. You will all think of me. C.I.A. had the name (Marwin) and phone number of one of
New York's currently: one chance out, between two worlds Nader, no longer with the Green Party, announces his bid for the 2004 presidency. Pakistani offensive plans to purge Taliban and Al Qaeda from its border with Afghanistan Complete with a coffee shop where the kids drinking lattes and
New York's currently: loving the girl in the tight jeans Former Enron CEO Skilling pleads not guilty to fraud and conspiracy. Caucus-voting plan discarded in Baghdad, Iraqi leaders call for expanding the governing council. Hussein's booty proves elusive outside Iraq for U.S. investigators. Review of
New York's currently: a million times better than Nassau Kerry beats Edwards by small margin in Wisconsin, though Edwards is once again the favorite among crossover Republicans. Superior Court judges refuse to halt same-sex weddings in San Francisco this week. Large train explosion kills more than 180 in
New York's currently: the luckiest number National Guardsman taken into custody on possible charges of passing information to Al Qaeda. The Democrats need to find swing voters. Scientists report that M&Ms pack more tightly in the mouth than gumballs. On roses in New York: from the
New York's currently: mostly cloudy, highs in the upper 30s, with light and variable winds South Koreans claim to have created world's first mature, cloned human embryos Justice department wants hospital records to defend law banning partial-birth abortions. Despite Bush's pledge, White House staff
New York's currently: growing weary of carpenters Kerry wins Tennessee, Virginia, Clark drops out of race. Two car bombs in 24 hours kill over 100 in Iraq. See Choire Sicha and Paul Ford read tonight at 7:30 in 'Worst. Sex. Ever.' 'Large' vs.
New York's currently: serving the cold shoulder to the cannibal who's late for dinner. At least 45 killed by car bomb near Baghdad. Revolt against Haiti's Aristide spreads to a dozen towns and cities, four dozen Haitians killed in a week. Democratic race heads
New York's currently: thinking all that sun makes you sterile Kerry wins Michigan, Washington, and Maine, looks forward to Tuesday's primaries, but wishes he were getting more exercise. On Meet the Press, Bush surprised at lack of Iraq weapons, defends war position. And: 'I'
New York's currently: the new Dublin Explosion in Moscow subway kills 39 during rush hour, officials open terrorism investigation. Dean to quit race if he doesn't win Wisconsin, Gephardt supports Kerry. Musharraf pardons nuclear scientist for selling nuke technology to Iran, North Korea, and Libya, says
New York's currently: early morning plumbing Mass. Supreme Court declares backs full status for gay marriages, rejects 'civil unions.' Related: Bush calls ruling 'deeply troubling.' Founder of Pakistani nuclear weapons program appears on television, claims he spread nuclear secrets. Peruvian Foreign Ministry says beauty
New York's currently: cloudy with an 80 percent chance of not being Aruba Kerry grabs five more states, Edwards takes South Carolina, Clark snags a close win in Oklahoma. Details behind Russia's black widow killers, including history of reported strikes. White House scrambles after Powell says
New York's currently: leering at groundhogs Lethal poison Ricin suspected in Senate offices, three buildings closed. Kerry loosens up, works the crowd to better effect. Bush unveils arts-slashing budget that also drops prison programs. Related: A budget that plays upon America's fears. France passes bill banning
New York's currently: winter's muddy poodle 56 killed in two suicide attacks against Kurdish parties in northern Iraq. In the future there will be no Jews in Gaza. Sharon to order 17 settlements evacuated in Gaza, no timetable yet. Analysis of the White House's
New York's currently: blaming delivery guys Increased autism cases have more parents seeking already limited care services. BBC director-general resigns after courts question its reportage in its claim the government overstated the Iraq-WMD connection. Super Bowl ads you'll see, and what you should expect. NYC Taxi
New York's currently: frozen over and windy as shoot 10 killed, dozens injured by suicide bomber in Jerusalem, attack claimed by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Kay endorses outside inquiry into pre-war data on Iraq's weapons. Hutton report devastates BBC, clears Blair and Campbell. (For background, the story
New York's currently: generating lyrics Kerry takes New Hampshire, Dean lands in second. WMDs or no, Bush remains convinced of Saddam Hussein's threat. Martha Stewart's legal team says Stewart may have received an insider stock tip. Testimony shows calm phone call from Sept. 11
New York's currently: an Avercamp picture without the jolly Federal debt to reach $1.9 trillion in 10 years, could double if tax cuts are permanent, says Congressional Budget Office. White House backing away from assertions that Iraq had weapons. Related: Blair also under attack, and he admits
New York's currently: tundra Cop shoots unarmed teen in Brooklyn projects. Former women inmates in Iraq emerging to bond with each other. Former top U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq believes weapons not there, says intelligence agencies owe an explanation. Slave trade in children for sex blooms in
New York's currently: doing things a little nutty Iraqi leaders push Bush administration to drop caucus system as leading Shiite cleric finds new ways to protest. Point-by-point fact-checking on Cheney's interview with NPR. All-out war between Brooklyn residents and developer/new-Nets owner Bruce Ratner. Two Halliburton
New York's currently: iced up Scientist's account of touring North Korean nuclear plant. Pentagon's Internet voting deemed too risky. Rescued home décor in Paris. Hiking magazine contains route that would send climbers off the edge of a cliff. On our way to Brooklyn: Nets
New York's currently: tethered to the machine Bush proposes few new programs, includes solutions Congress has already rejected. Related: Motives and fictions in the SOTU address. Lunatic subway rider severs thumb from 71-year-old Queens man, chews up his grandson's face. TMN's Choire Sicha contemplates
New York's currently: slip-sliding Paul O'Neill's warning of Reagan-era deficits. Kerry wins Iowa caucuses, Gephardt expected to bow out. Why? 'There wasn't the enthusiasm for Dick,' the source said. Next: On to New Hampshire, with no clear victor in sight,
New York's currently: tfiffin' For the first time since World War II, Japan sends its troops into a combat zone --this time, Iraq. Israel plans to hunt down and kill the leader of Hamas in retaliation for attack on border guards. Bush extends offer to Asia and
New York's currently: hopefully seeing you tonight Profiles of overseas investors as the dollar continues its plunge south and foreign cash flow is ever more vital. Bush solves NASA's vision problem, with less than 40/40 hindsight for a history of failed visions behind him. Hot
New York's currently: your next top model Finished World Trade Center memorial site design to be unveiled today. Third U.S. helicopter shot down in Fallujah in past two weeks. Bush administration planning $1.5 billion drive to promote marriage. Alarmingly high PCB levels found in farm-raised salmon;
New York's currently: a tradition to wake up for Supreme Court defers to Bush in saying shush about hundreds of Muslims detained after Sept. 11. Showdown between democrats and theocrats in Iran, while EU urges fair vote, and Ayatollah Khamenei stays out of it. Billions of oil revenue
New York's currently: layering Former Treasury secretary claims Bush wanted to find a reason to oust Hussein pre-Sept 11. Supreme Court set to weigh presidential powers. Three years ago Bush charmed Latin America at the Summit of the Americas; now he faces an audience more wary of him.
New York's currently: the property of Kevin Kline Putin's challengers for president all plan to lose while praising his Pootie-Pootness. Should we fear when Bush's big-spending, big government has no plans to fix the deficit, marked at $450 billion this year? 'Tis the
New York's currently: filled with saltwater At currently predicted rates, global warming will push up to 37 percent of living species toward extinction by 2050. Until British travelers have new biometric passports, they will have to be photographed and fingerprinted to enter the U.S. Eight die in
New York's currently: a metro stage for the great drama of civilization on this continent Pools win memorial contest for Ground Zero site, apparently Maya Lin's favorite. India and Pakistan say Kashmir can be solved next month (more info). Bush to propose overhauling immigration laws, knighting
New York's currently: Welcome Max! Welcome Jack! U.S. fingerprinting, photographing foreigners from certain countries arriving at nation's airports and ports. (List of approved countries in article sidebar.) Related: Brazil reacts by requiring all American tourists to be fingerprinted and photographed upon arrival. Bicycle bomb kills
New York's currently: waving goodbye to tourists, hello to new deadlines The hard work is ahead, not behind. Afghan delegates approve constitution. Bush administration to let Kurdish region in northern Iraq stay Kurdish, also has backed away from privatization plans for state businesses. Details on how states are
New York is currently: eggnodding Sponsor a public school project by buying specific supplies and books for NYC teachers. $10 equals 60 meals with the Food Bank for New York City. Help build parks, not power plants, in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Food, clothes, and counseling in Bed-Stuy with Bread &
New York's currently: pro-Chicago Sharon says Israel will unilaterally disengage from Palestinians if the P.A. doesn't stick to the road map. White House sends mixed messages of support. Jury convicts D.C. sniper Malvo, now to pick death or life imprisonment. Related: Should a kid
New York's currently: running late ach Thousands of U.S. soliders swarm Samarra, finding less fights than hype. Profile of Darleen Druyun throws light on sketchy bed-ethics when defense contractors snuggle too close to the Pentagon. Former Illinois Governor George Ryan indicted for putting the state up for
New York's currently: your complicated shoes Truck blast in Baghdad kills 10, Bush says Saddam Hussein should get death penalty. F.D.A. committee recommends morning-after pill be sold over the counter. Documents discovered with Saddam Hussein lead to as many as 14 clandestine insurgent cells. France, Germany
New York's currently: going out on a limb let's say EU constitution chucked in the trash. Needing wiggle room, Bush avoids endorsing Iraqi Governing Council's plan for war court. Sorrow in the village of Saddam Hussein, Sri Lanka. New era of baseball embraces sabermetrics
New York's currently: an urban slushee Saddam Hussein captured near Tikrit in raid by U.S. troops. Related: Description of how he was apprehended; Found through tip-off by a member of his tribal clan; New Iraqi leaders meet with Hussein; Hussein could be tried within the next few
New York's currently: greeted as the natural noise of good Fascinating U.S. News report finds Saudi Arabia the single greatest force in spreading Islamic fundamentalism for the last 25 years. Halliburton subsidiary overcharged the government $61 million for fuel, though Halliburton didn't profit. Suicide bomber
New York's currently: a dark and stormy night CIA said to be enlisting Hussein agents for espionage within Iraq. Explosion in Israel kills 3, wounds 12, in likely underworld-related incident. Timing gets out of whack when Pentagon excludes France, Germany, and Russia from Iraqi reconstruction bids, then White
New York's currently: able to harbor a few million Richard Curtis fans Pentagon forbids French, German, Canadian, and Russian companies from touching $18.6 billion in reconstruction contracts in Iraq. Bow-tied Illinois senator Paul Simon dies at 75, a day after heart surgery. Seymour Hersh on new Special
For some reason not involving pods or alien harvests, a number of our writers are about to be fathers, or have recently become dads, and it seemed appropriate to convene a meeting of minds. A discussion of fears, frustrations, and why the name you've picked out for your kid will inevitably be mocked
New York's currently: keeping the bench warm for you Suicide bomber blows up car filled with explosives, injures 41 U.S. troops. Gore to endorse Howard Dean in a move that may assure Dean the Democratic frontrunner position, leaving Lieberman 'blindsided.' On the first day of
New York's currently: putting leg-warmers on the dancing girls Putin's party wins landslide in Russian parliament elections (with aid from state-controlled television, reporting on Putin's dog instead of opposition parties). U.S. drafts principles with South Korea and Japan for dealing with North Korea&
New York's currently: feeling fat when you run Suicide bomber kills at least 37, injures 177 aboard Russian train near Chechen border. Bush averts trade war with Europe by rescinding steel tariffs. Related: What was behind the decision, and what will it mean? More than 6,300 sick,
New York's currently: sitting under 1,369 lights International court convicts three Rwandans for encouraging genocide (see recent Rwandan history). Dean now courting the same beltway insiders, i.e., cockroaches, that he pledged to send scurrying. Putnam County supermarkets to allow shopping-monkeys for wheelchair-bound customers. The fascinating, novel-worthy
New York's currently: officially cold U.S. troops stage massive raids in Iraq in search of Hussein deputy. Ralph Nader raising money for possible Presidential bid. With the U.S. preoccupied with the war on terror, China takes the opportunity to expand influence across Asia. Supreme Court rules
New York's currently: enjoying the season's first semi-snow Majority of Iraq's Governing Council supports Bremer's regional caucuses plan to make government, not Shiite leader's call for national election. Moment-by-moment account of Sunday's four-hour battle in Samarra. Thai politicians
New York's currently: making lists Ambushes, firefights create deadly weekend in Iraq. Bush secretly travels to Iraq, surprises troops with Thanksgiving appearance, and asks Americans to volunteer to help military. Japanese diplomats ambushed, killed in Iraq. U.S. to release 100 prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, with more to
New York's currently: on vacation until Monday Capitol Hill remakes Medicare, to cost $400 billion in its first decade, $1 trillion in its second, and perhaps not remarkably, no one knows what's inside the bill. Stroke gives woman British accent. This time: U.N. strongly deplores
New York's currently: up when you're up Jury hands sniper Muhammad death sentence. U.S. military retracts report of American soldier mutilation in Iraq. At debate, Democratic candidates attack Dean on Medicare. Cell-phone users show up en masse, ready to switch. Macy's to show
New York's currently: trying out a new haircut Acting Georgian President pledges friendliness with the West, after former President Shevardnadze resigned. Fiscal discipline dashed in GOP bills rushing through Congress, also: Companies spend big money on lobbyists to win back big money in the Medicare bill. The lives
New York's currently: keeping the film rights Arrests made in yesterday's bombing that left at least 27 killed and 450 wounded at the British Consulate and a British bank in Turkey. Baghdad: rocket attacks on two hotels and the Oil Ministry. London demonstrators mock toppling of
New York's currently: feeling for the victims of fire in Greenpoint At least 15 dead, more than 300 injured in bomb attacks on the British consulate and HSBC bank headquarters in Istanbul. White House now believes a Shiite-dominated government in Iraq is good for everyone's interests,
New York's currently: free, not a number President Bush arrives in London. Massachusetts Supreme Court overturns ban on gay marriage. Related: Bush criticizes ruling. Related: Gay marriage now a shoe-in issue for 2004 campaigns. Northwestern University hate crime faked, police say. Shift to decentralized strategy for Al Qaeda
New York's currently: wishing a very happy birthday to the bird Two U.S. soldiers killed north of Baghdad, three Iraqis killed by American patrol after mistake in the capital's gun market. 25 years ago: Full story of the Jonestown mass-murder-suicide, more than 900 dead. With
New York's currently: your favored island shores Schwarzenegger 'no-frills' swearing-in today. With frills. Mortality type in NYC, by neighborhood. Al Qaeda claims responsibility for Turkey bombings. Related: Al Qaeda threatens attacks in Tokyo if Japan sends troops to Iraq. Afghanistan's opium production soars 19-fold
New York's currently: in a cold sweat Days of riots in China after Japanese students' skit with red bras and cups sparks Chinese resentment. In light of Bush's plans to speed up handing over the reins in Iraq, just before an election year, it'
New York's currently: your favorite song Italian military base in Iraq attacked, at least 26 killed. Lifestyle under scrutiny, say Saudis of the bombed residential compound. Bush administration wants to speed up plan for Iraq self-rule. Senators pull all-nighter at Capitol over the confirmation of several judicial nominees.
New York's currently: still not angry enough Europe frets over how to mention God in new constitution. Senior military officers call 'war' in Iraq to insert reality into Washington debates. TMN's Choire Sicha on the current state of the High Line and west Chelsea.
New York's currently: summoning accountants Al Qaeda claims responsibility for Riyadh attacks. Related: Recent bombings shift Saudi support away from Al Qaeda. U.S. holds 20 suspected Al Qaeda members in Iraq. The real reason New York is expensive: we pay the most in taxes. U.N. reports
New York's currently: de Mont D'Or Attack on Riyadh housing complex blamed on Al Qaeda. Related: Al Qaeda link to Brooklyn ice-cream shop? Director Jack O'Brien and Kevin Kline to try wresting away the irrepressible Falstaff from the irrepressible Bloom. Accused 20th hijacker Moussaoui
New York's currently: so-fisticated Bush plans to bring democracy to Iran, Syria – and Egypt. Related: Arabs meet Bush's statement with agreement and wariness. U.S. Army helicopter crashes near Tikrit, six die. N.Y. federal judge blocks partial-birth abortion ban for seven doctors. Number of post
New York's currently: schooled by the red pencil Cheers for industry when policy changes mean E.P.A. will drop 50 power-plant cases, and cheers for commercial developers if Bush gets his way with the Clean Water Act. Green River Killer confesses to 48 killings, avoids death penalty.
New York's currently: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived Explosions in central Baghdad an apparent attack on U.S. compound. North Korea votes against U.N. nuclear agency, calls U.N. 'a tool of the United States.' Senate approves Bush's $87 billion for Iraq.
New York's currently: really pissed when the DSL goes down Afghanistan unveils draft constitution, hoping for more attention while the world focuses on Iraq. (Draft can be read here.) Lawyers took out TV and newspaper ads recruiting clients from survivors of the Staten Island ferry crash. Senate approves
New York's currently: changing decorations U.S. helicopter shot down in Iraq, 16 killed, 20 wounded. Thousands of young militant Muslim men from Europe and Middle East head to Iraq for jihad. New York City Marathon: Kenyans win competition, P. Diddy races, raises $2 million for public schools.
New York's currently: already scared of hobos The wonderful, wonderful odds of dying by hot tap water, melting nightwear, or contact with lizards. Nameless U.S. officials say Saddam may be coordinating attacks in Iraq. Related: Most names that won contracts in Iraq are very familiar to our
New York's currently: voting 'no' for rain First firefighter dies in California wildfires. Red Cross to reduce staff in Iraq; also: number of U.S. troops killed since end of active combat now tops number of U.S. troops killed during active combat. Related: In the
New York's currently: drowning U.S. plan in Iraq: Stay the course, faster, perhaps shift intelligence officers from WMD-hunting to counterinsurgency. Improved chances for the end of Sudan's 20-year war. Downing Street says November's elections for North Ireland assembly will proceed, despite no fresh
It's nearly Halloween, time for ghosts, treats, and hours of time invested in what invariably winds up splattered down your block. Yes: the season-o-Jack. Here's how to cut your gourd.
New York's currently: anticipating zombies Car bomb kills six in Fallujah. Related: Increasing evidence shows recent attacks against Western targets in Iraq are from foreign fighters. Sharon says Israel will not kill Arafat. Due to the recent bombings, Red Cross may scale back aid in Iraq. States sue
New York's currently: sick of political solutions Almost 40 killed in Baghdad by coordinated bomb attacks, following Sunday's attack on Wolfowitz's hotel where an American colonel was killed and 13 wounded. 13 dead after two days of raging fires in Southern California. First opposition
New York's currently: taking orders from management Kofi Annan urges reluctant countries to donate aid toward the reconstruction of Iraq. Bill Clinton brokers deal for price cut on AIDS drugs for developing countries. Rumsfeld laughs off leaked memo criticizing Pentagon. Senate votes to ease travel restrictions on American
New York's currently: heading down to the Rose Parade The danger of religious war is real, and the U.S. isn't calming anyone. Fearing Protestant backlash, Trimble demands numbers from the I.R.A. while Blair and Ahern push for disclosure. Today, we lack metrics to
New York's currently: stung fir thirty bar each Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith dies at 34. North Korea rejects U.S. Will-Not-Invade deal. In separate instances, in 24 hours, Israelis shoot five Palestinians dead. Related: Israel defies U.N. order, will continue construction of West Bank barrier. Senate approves ban
New York's currently: deadly serious about booms Israel attacks Gaza five times, killing 11 and wounding more than 90 as Sharon affirms plan to remove Arafat. IRA authroizes 'a further act' of arms-destruction. Bush delivers cautious rebuke to Malaysian prime minister's anti-Semitic remarks. Related:
New York's currently: moving to Stepford, CT Bush and South Korea President discuss North Korean crisis, offer written security commitment. Related: North Korea tests anti-ship missile. Gay Episcopal Bishop-Elect presses forward despite controversy. A profile of Hamas. Islamic leaders applaud astounding anti-Semitic remarks by the Malaysian prime minister.
New York's currently: shaking like a Polaroid U.N. Security Council unanimously backs U.S. resolution for multinational force in Iraq led by U.S, though key allies say no more money, no more troops. Aaron Boone bats the Yanks to Florida. Catholicism for everyone: Confessions inside the
New York's currently: listening to that Outkast song a lot Staten Island Ferry crashes into pier, 10 dead, many injured; pilot makes suicide attempt at home afterwards. President Bush's high-speed tour of Asia, for safety. (And no sushi.) Cubs lose NLCS, Marlins on to World Series.
New York's currently: for anybody but the Marlins Security Council's top antiwar advocates drop demands that the U.S. allow the U.N. a central role in Iraq's reconstruction. Four dead after a U.S. convoy is attacked in the Gaza Strip. No one
New York's currently: back as a nor'easter Bush administration modifies Iraq resolution, pushes up timetable for election date. Related: Bush reaffirms 'the person who is in charge is me.' After boycotting last year's Columbus Day parade, Bloomberg marches in this year'
New York's currently: wishing congratulations to Maggie & Bryan. Six killed by car bomb in Baghdad, at least 35 wounded. North Carolina monkey controls robot arm missing only a mention of pirates to win 'best headline' award. Palestinian Prime Minister threatens to follow Abbas in resignation
New York's currently: a decent answer to Job U.N. says as of today, Monrovia is a 'weapons-free zone,' with first reinforcements arriving in Liberia. Science can't overcome passion, politics for Israeli and Palestinian researchers. Suicide car bomber kills nine in Baghdad. Top 10
New York's currently: imagining Pataki with biceps Total recall! The so-familiar now Governor Schwarzenegger who's still yet so unknown. Syria promises retaliation if Israel attacks again. IBM emancipates 8,000 wage slaves. Linda Tripp's former ghostwriter reaches across the table to spear some uneaten
New York's currently: firmly on the east coast Sharon follows attack in Syria with boast to 'hit [Israel's] enemies any place and in any way.' Related: Hopes for peace seem little improved since 1973. Government posts Enron's email, available now for the
New York's currently: a beautiful town to avoid raising children Syria gets no vote on U.N. resolution condemning Israel for Sunday's attack. Related: Overview of Middle East roadmap. Ahmad Kadyrov wins vote for Chechnya's Presidency in a world-derided bogus election. More Chechnya: Interview
New York's currently: a sore throat Bush and politics: How to justify an occupied WMD-less Iraq while running for a second term? Schwarzenegger apologizes for groping women, denies admiring Hitler. In those days, The Paris Review occupied a one-room ground floor office on the East River with a
New York's currently: home sweet home North Korea claims it is manufacturing nuclear weapons. U.S. officials claim to have identified new Al Qaeda terror chief. Related: Pakistani troops kill at least 12 in hunt for Al Qaeda operatives along northern border. Bush approval rating at Pre-September 11
New York's currently: happily not married to Nick or Jessica Justice Department initiates full criminal investigation into White House leak. Related: Why this comes at a bad time for the administration. Former professional soccer player convicted in Belgium in Al Qaeda bomb plot. He seemed most at ease
New York's currently: post-season, precooked, crisping White House says it didn't leak CIA agent's identity. Laura Bush welcomed in Paris; Chirac, Bush get nice photo op with hand-kissing. Putin bombs with global warming joke at U.N. environment conference. Air France and KLM to
New York's currently: purple-toed Bush will sign do-not-call legislation, despite federal judge claiming it unconstitutional last week. Related: Nation's largest telemarketing association says it will abide by the do-not-call list. TMN's Sarah Hepola does face masks with Margaret Cho. Power grid goes down in
New York's currently: in its favourite dress George Plimpton died Thursday night. Shocking: August heat wave killed nearly 15,000 in France. Edward Said dies at 67. Magnitude 8 earthquake in Japan injures hundreds, cuts off power, water. Do-not-call registry blocked in federal court after being protected in
New York's currently: watching leaves stay green Bush fails to win more international troops or funds for Iraq. Related: Thousands more National Guard members likely to be called up. 18 buses with hundreds of immigrants begin Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride around the states. David Bowie's self-penned
New York's currently: monsoon-y then sunshine-y Bienvenue Leonard Bonn! Saying the world had 'come to a fork in the road,' at what 'may be a moment no less decisive than 1945 itself, when the United Nations was founded.' Kofi Annan rebuffs Bush U.N.
New York's currently: the missing Florida Key Ashcroft directs federal prosecutors to always seek most serious charges possible. Without an agenda, Wesley Clark ties Bush and leads Dems in new presidential-poll. 500 U.K. paedophiles to be tracked by satellite tags. Library Hotel sued for using the Dewey
New York's currently: pleased as punch Jacques Chirac urges transfer of power in Iraq to the Iraqi people, says France will only approve a U.N. measure that addresses this. September 11 reports say plot originally involved ten planes. Untrammeled with Party Obligations and other ways for generals
New York's currently: prepared to be embarrassed publicly » TMN PARTY--Last night! Why don't we try to destroy tropical cyclones by nuking them? For those who say argh to booty, today is your day. More than half of states still use dreaded punch-card voting machines. Charley Taylor
New York's currently: 100% all-natural and artificial » TMN PARTY--9/20/03 Bush says there is no link between Saddam Hussein and September 11. Related: Bush leads all challengers, Democratic or otherwise, in reelection poll. Related: Wesley Clark enters 2004 race. U.S. speeds up plans for new Iraqi
New York's currently: on a one-name basis with 500 people. » TMN PARTY--9/20/03 South Korea may send 10,000 troops to Iraq, probably for more U.S. support in dealing with its northern neighbor. New Dem candidate Wesley Clark receives rave reviews from friends. Half of Hamas&
New York's currently: not looking like a hurricane East coast, from South Carolina to Massachusetts, readies for Hurricane Isabel. 'Hurried, constitutionally infirm' Federal appeals court halts California recall election, says voting equipment must be upgraded. (To add 135 extra levers?) Indian Muslims, marginalized and targeted. Man
New York's currently: brewing its beer with wind Poorer nations pull out of W.T.O. talks, accusing wealthy nations of failing to compromise on farm subsidies, other issues. Sweden rejects the euro with a clear majority. Eliot Spitzer, (New York's attorney general) building P.R.
New York's currently: meant for the stage Johnny Cash, 1932–2003. Israel plans to remove Arafat. And: Palestinians rally in support of Arafat. U.S. GIs accused of killing 10 Iraqi police officers. Swedish foreign minister Ann Lindh murdered. New York remembers, honors September 11. Offense over superintendent&
New York's currently: pulled right back We love this headline: Mayor Invites Vice President to Skip Event at Ground Zero. Al Qaeda still maintains a large, invisible presence in the U.S. TMN's Paul Ford finds a new theory of time in the airport lounge. Despite
New York's currently: sweetened bottled tea Snapple is the official drink of New York; no, really. 'It doesn't help, Joe, to demagogue this issue,' Dean replied. Democratic debate gets nasty. Double suicide bombings in Israel. Federal judge allows September 11 lawsuits against airlines to
New York's currently: indestructible More than a third of Sept. 11 emergency grant money intended for small businesses went to investment firms, financial traders, and lawyers. How the Patriot Act affects you, Part I. Michael Paul Ragusa, last of the 343 firefighters killed on Sept. 11 to be
New York's currently: a cat, rocking chairs Bush wants $87 billion to continue war on terrorism. Henin-Hardenne, Roddick win U.S. Open. Mock chemical attack staged in London. Michael Skakel demands new trial after new evidence identifies two Bronx youths as the alleged killers of Martha Moxley in
New York's currently: ready for snow U.S. faces strong Franco-German opposition to plans for multinational force in Iraq. Related: Another take: U.S. eats crow. Congress shocked by White House's budget request for $60-70 billion for next year's spending in Iraq. Related: Congress
New York's currently: soggy, foggy, London-y Rumsfeld says more Iraqi forces, not more U.S. troops, is the key to stability in Iraq. Related: Is Bush's request for a larger U.N. presence in Iraq a concession? New NYU president John Sexton puts a different focus
New York's currently: full size, in excellent condition U.S. to ask U.N. for an international force in Iraq. San Francisco court overturns death sentences of more than 100 prisoners in three states, because judges (not juries) made crucial factual findings in sentencing. TMN's Clay
New York's currently: wondering when a Queer Eye pun will headline a North Korea story Many voters cannot name any Democratic candidates. Car bomb explodes outside Baghdad police headquarters, injures 14. Related: Bomb kills two U.S. soldiers in southern Baghdad, now among the 10 troops a day
New York's currently: celebrating Anna and Jack Port Authority releases September 11 transcripts. More here, with interactive feature. Hawking mojitos in Central Park. Power cuts in London. Oxfam withdraws from Iraq. A tribute to the housewife. Changes to the music in syndicated episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati. 1982
New York's currently: taking one last weekend away U.S. may consider a U.N.-mandated international force in Iraq, as long as Americans stay in charge. 1977 interview of Schwarzenegger on orgies, drugs, and not feeling exploited by women. How the Bush Administration is rolling back 30
New York's currently: a big martian The White House pressured the EPA into misleading New Yorkers about the severity of air pollution following the collapse of the World Trade Center. 39 die in stampede at Hindu religious festival. Probe into Columbia shuttle tragedy faults NASA culture. '...like
New York's currently: the essential conclusion of most good arguments U.S. postwar deaths now equal Iraq war fatalities: 138 on both sides of May 1st. Mafiosi are nearly asexual, have rare 40-second quickies, says Mafia-sex psychoanalyst. U.S. North Korea envoy Jack Pritchard resigned Friday, days before
New York's currently: cooling down Defrocked priest convicted of sexual abuse killed in prison. Newsweek poll says most Americans do not want Bush elected to a second term. U.S. crime rate lowest since 1973. Jack Beatty, 'The War After the War.' Pete Sampras to officially
New York's currently: home for the pony girl White House to exempt thousands of old plants and refineries from installing new anti-pollution devices. 10,000 French 'most probably' dead from heat stroke, says government. Remembrance of Kirk Varnedoe by Blake Gopnik. Taco Bell runs voting-poll in
New York's currently: gonna make me sweat U.S. warned a week ago of Baghdad U.N. bombing. Former radical fugitive Kathy Boudin, convicted for her role the 1981 armored-car robbery in Rockland County, N.Y., granted parole. Domino sugar factory on East River to cease much of
New York's currently: ready for the Nets in Brooklyn 18 killed in Jerusalem suicide bombing; 17 dead in Baghdad U.N. headquarters attack. Lucky number sold for $280,000 in China. Bacon-and-egg economics: America's pork, egg, and beef producers prefer to think the Atkins Diet is
New York's currently: the William Golding Girls Explosion rocks U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. Liberian government and rebels sign peace deal. 14 European hostages freed after six months in Sahara. Downing Street authorized 'substantial rewrite' of Iraqi weapons dossier. Senior French health official resigns following reports
New York's currently: squeezing juice U.S. abandons plans to control Iraq's oil industry. Naval exercises scheduled in the Coral Sea, including 'nonpermissive boarding,' to send signal to North Korea Liberian peace deal expected for today. Michelin-starred Irish chef survived Brooklyn jail by cooking
New York's currently: pinch-hitting FRIDAY NOTE: Due to blackout, we are unable to publish today, but service should return on Monday, with Max Power. Man shoved onto tracks at Union Square yesterday evades oncoming train by rolling into a gully. Amiri Baraka's daughter and her friend
New York's currently: a haunted carnival Heat wave in Paris has killed 100 in the past eight days. Related: Bodies left unburied in heat-stricken Paris, while a quarter of France's nuclear power stations are shut down. Julie Powell, Julia Child's Mastering the Art of
New York's currently: planning to recall Dana Tyler Four killed, dozens injured in two suicide bombings in Israel and the West Bank. California scrambling to manage recall, an election that includes an ad campaign as a candidate and may cost $66 million. Charles Taylor resigns, leaving behind war-ruined
New York's currently: buttered and creamed London hits 100 degrees for the first time. Reduced NYC trash pickup schedules mean garbage is piling up. Air France pilot says he has a bomb in his shoe, is arrested, flight canceled. Liberia: The wait for Taylor to step down. Gregory
New York's currently: margueriffic Halliburton benefits from close relationship with the Army Corps of Engineers. California Supreme Court clears the way for recall-madness to sink the golden state. Bush twists science to push agendas, scientists mad!, report says. Words that sound dirty, but aren't. TMN'
New York's currently: way past overcast Bomb at Jordan embassy in Baghdad kills at least seven, wounds 28. Schwarzenegger announces decision to run in California. Did Bush order immunity for oil companies exploiting Iraqi oil? 'This is the first horse that has been cloned from an adult
New York's currently: so angry about Gigli! Reverend v. Gene Robinson confirmed as first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church by a vote of 62 to 43. Animated proof that Paul McCartney was replaced with a look-alike in 1966. Bryant Park falcon gores chihuahua, pigeon-scaring program may
New York's currently: a big puddle Ten killed, 103 wounded in Jakarta hotel bombing. Approval of gay Episcopalian bishop delayed for some last-minute allegations. Terror alert issued for common personal devices that may conceal weapons. Learjet down in Connecticut, two killed. NASA selects new Mars lander. Related: New
New York's currently: looking less crazy right now Powell and Armitage to step down in 2005, even if Bush is reelected. From Liberia: Boys of the Jungle Fire battalion, high on pot and crack, attempt to take a bridge. Why is Mel Gibson baiting Jews? Perfect for a
New York's currently: a livin' thing Tipster to receive $30 million for Uday and Qusay info. Following terrorism betting futures debacle, Poindexter resigns. In-depth airline passsenger screening for determining individual security risk to begin. U.S. warships to reach Liberia by Saturday. Related: The history of the
New York's currently: Lebowski 7:19 To meet standards, New York City schools push out students who fall behind. The U.S. has definitely captured Ramzi al Shibh, or whatever the guy's name was. Old but great Ames on being sodomized by New York. Vatican begins
New York's currently: draining the pool for you One day after being announced, Pentagon abandons terror betting market. Related: Department of Homeland Security warns of new airline hijacking attacks, possibly by end of summer. Related: Air marshals being pulled from key flights. NYC Police giving Segways a go
New York's currently: the new Toronto Pentagon developing stock market for betting on terror attacks, with successful investors to win profits. Prince Saud Faisal granted an audience with Bush after congressional report finds links between Saudi government and Sept. 11 hijackers. Related: Interview with Robert Baer, former CIA
New York's currently: smokestack lightning Bob Hope dies at 100. New York City opening the first high school for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students. Brooklyn gains renewed interest as a tourist attraction. For second time in three years, Straphanger's Campaign ranks 5 train the worst
New York's currently: the fat kid who love cake Republican-sponsored Head Start reform bill passes by one vote, allowing states to shift federal funds elsewhere. Friends star Matt LeBlanc to lead Joey, spinoff series in 2004. 639 million guns are currently in circulation. 87-year-old man gives wife credit,
New York's currently: not doing more than one show a night, won't do it Councilman James E. Davis assassinated at City Hall. Undercover at Rocco DiSpirito’'s Restaurant. You're be-yoo-ti-ful...You're a sweetheart an' I loooove your hair. The joys
New York's currently: starving all the time Saddam's two sons killed in gun battle with U.S. forces. International consumers fed up with U.S. policy now buying fewer Nikes, less McDonald's. Pieces of legislation introduced during Senator Springer's first 100 days.
New York's currently: razzmatazz Jessica Lynch returns home to West Virginia. Pay toilets come to New York, editorials rife with plumping, fecal puns. Amy Sedaris has an apartment built for a rabbit, really, designed by Todd Oldham. With Gay Weddings, Boy Meets Boy, and the runaway popularity of
New York's currently: a four-hour commute from Vermont. David Remnick on the White House's manipulation of facts, calls for serious investigation. Attention! Maintenant vous allez dire 'courriel,' pas 'email.' Zimbabweans rent corpses to be first in gas-lines. BBC under fire after admitting
New York's currently: an imaginary western Developments in case of British WMD dossier ‘sex-up:' Ministry of Defense Adviser has gone missing, an unidentified body has been found in connection. Those who want to send a message to President Bush must now navigate as many as nine Web
New York's currently: working off the modem Machine-gun fire traded between Koreas, first time in nearly two years. Amazing, frightening records of forced sterilization in California, when eugenics seemed a way to save the world. [ via eric ] We gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and
New York's currently: 2%, not 1%, and not skim Colin Powell continues discussions with China over North Korea issue, as the clock winds down. Hello water taxis: New York City gets official U.S. nomination for the 2012 Olympics. Ex-Marine arrested in connection with case of missing British
New York's currently: recovering from unexplained brain trauma North Korea has enough plutonium to make a half-dozen nuclear bombs, and they intend to do so. Related: Former Defense Secretary William Perry: War with North Korea may be coming, and it's all Bush's fault. Budget
New York's currently: a permanent weekender Red Sox teams, thanks to the asymmetries of Fenway Park, have historically tended to succeed in relation to the number of left-handed batters in their lineup. (The more the better – contrary to popular belief, which holds that the Green Monster, an oversized
New York's currently: pissed that Babbo's closed Bush considers pledging future Iraqi oil-money to secure reconstruction loans, before an Iraqi government can say yes or no. Masochistic meat beater drops by cop box to choke chicken. Hamas wants all Palestinian prisoners freed, calling it 'a
New York's currently: nice and cold Rumsfeld doubles military cost in Iraq. Claim-by-claim look at Iraq WMD controversy: what was said then, what's being said now. What kind of candidate would it take to beat George W. Bush? We know that kids are imitating Finding Nemo
New York's currently: running up the power bill CIA warned the White House that claims about Iraq's nuclear ambitions were false, months before the State of the Union address. Grad student maps the country's fiber-optic network, perfect for terrorists or jumpy CIOs. One in
New York's currently: unbaked despite the heat White House says Bush was working with 'incomplete and perhaps inaccurate' information in Iraq uranium claim. Iranian conjoined twins die after surgery. Michael Savage fired by MSNBC for on-air anti-gay remarks. Have an iSight but don't know
New York's currently: hot and jumpy Liberia's President Charles Taylor to step down, accept offer of asylum in Nigeria. MPs say Downing Street didn't sex up the dossier on Iraq's weapons. Citizens! Create intelligence files about your leaders! 52 percent of Americans
New York's currently: one big Asian-character tattoo Military official says U.S. is committed to putting troops in Liberia. Finns never win at wife-carrying. Bush ignores Bill (Kitten-chopper) Frist's no-gay-marriage amendment. Where to find quiet in New York City, and where to go swimming. Register to
New York's currently: now thoroughly bored by all graffiti, especially neckface Kennedy had an affair with one of Cuomo's closest friends, says Cuomo's close friend. Government investigators turned anthrax probe on government scientist who built secret, dummy mobile weapons lab. Though we're
New York's currently: improving its home Comedian Buddy Hackett dies at 78. With its enduring popularity and ageless writing, The Golden Girls is a cable hit. Related: Sex and the City as Golden Girls redone? Wimbledon: Mark Philippoussis comes back from three almost career-ending knee operations to beat
New York's currently: official wedding attendant Beloved, revered actress Katherine Hepburn dies at 96. Related: Michael Wilmington's memories of her. Third-floor porch collapse in Chicago kills 12. Love, ritual, and puttanesca at mom's table, as recalled by Lou Ureneck. The proliferation of fake and
New York's currently: surpassing Nelly's commands Former South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond dies at 100. Supreme Court: Sodomy okay in Texas. Related: What it – and Scalia's rebuttal – means. Nice: $1.3-billion surplus pops up quite unexpectedly in NYC budget. The queen vs. a loaf
New York's currently: hotted Nuclear technology parts unearthed in Baghdad backyard. Young readers see themselves maturing in the new Harry Potter book. Junk food is being eliminated from New York City educational facility vending machines. The cult of Krispy Kreme. Fine: The Kult of Krispy Kreme. Record industry
New York's currently: on page 200 of 870 U.S. nuclear labs to be 'tightened up.' Declared: the White House deceived us into war. Related: the White House wants to stay in power. New York City banning candy, soda, other sweets from school vending machines. Sarah
New York's currently: going to 11 N E W Sarah Hepola on Sex & The City in the Times; Paul Ford on Photoshop on NPR; Rosecrans Baldwin on Chris Lee in Neumu. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change, to be released from jail.
New York's currently: taking 'er easy, dude White House edits EPA report on global warming, to 'no longer accurately represent scientific consensus on climate change.' JK Rowling sues The Daily News for publishing details about the new Harry Potter book. Whose lies matter most: Bush
New York's currently: married, honeymooned, bach Federal appeals panel says government may conceal names of people detained after Sept. 11. Second night of violent protests in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Related: Riot outside Brooklyn elementary school graduation. White House drastically failing at homeland security. Related: 80 relief agencies in
New York's currently: adorable Bush blasts 'revisionist historians' that want to diminish the threat of Saddam Hussein. Related: Philip Gourevitch on the story behind the WMDs. Outbreak puts many exotic pets under scrutiny. Abercrombie & Fitch sued for discrimination in its floor-staff hiring practices. Over 3.
New York's currently: funnin' 'n' sunnin' Spurs beat Nets for NBA championship. Margaret Atwood on George Orwell. Thirteen-year-old Indian boy breeding beetles inside his body. (They're over a half-centimeter long.) So I had to make the little man acquainted, for the first
New York's currently: raising the flag for caviar Much-beloved actor Gregory Peck dies at 87. Explosives discovered on Italian passenger plane. Design by Peter Saville (it's a truly incredible body of work) [via vh] Becoming a part of history, as long as you play by Bob
New York's currently: tired of its overcast The problem with prairie dogs and monkeypox. A combined six Astros pitchers send Yankees to their first no-hit game since 1958. What's really missing from the Baghdad museum? Stock losses mean 100,000 fewer millionaires in 2002 than there
New York's currently: happily reunionized AP reports 3,240 civilian deaths in Iraq. 1932 Pulitzer for Walter Duranty under review for possible revocation. John Warner on how to write a better novel. ImClone founder sentenced to seven years in prison. Just in time for Father's Day:
New York's currently: unexpectedly side-trippin' to Hot-lanta with no web access Bloomberg injects $90.2 million in city budget to continue library and after-school activities, trash pickup, and health programs. U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz claims war on Iraq was about oil. Retracted: here World
New York's currently: handing out demerits Is the city making up for its fiscal shortcomings by issuing more tickets? Yeah, probably. Will you quit jaywalking? Yeah, probably not. Martha Stewart expected to be indicted today. New Yorkers self-medicate with a range of pharmaceuticals. Embattled Field Day festival in
New York's currently: running errands Good Time summary of the White House intelligence scandal, despite sunny yet dead-wrong conclusion. Film producer admits he killed writer-director, kept head in his fridge, blames 9/11 and the Taliban. One man leaves a Picasso on the subway. Another man returns it.
New York's currently: all bachelor-ed out The World Bank on aid effectiveness, and The Bretton Woods Project on the World Bank. Lincoln Center loses the Phil to Carnegie Hall. Actually that would be .ORG... Memo to the Wachowskis, by Philip Graham, as originally published on TMN. Quotes from
New York's currently: preparing for bachelor-sized feats of strength Rumsfeld meets resistance to efforts to make regime change in Iran official White House policy. Pentagon advocating massive covert action to topple Iran's ayatollahs. Related: Online resources for Iranian history, culture. Despite overwhelming support for change, the
New York's currently: woo-boy, off to a good start Bush shelves Treasury study that shows U.S. faces federal deficits totaling at least 44,200 billion. Because Americans don't care, Rumsfeld: Iraq's chemical and biological weapons may have been destroyed before the war. Because
New York's currently: a fucking moor Uproar over Sharon's 'occupation' of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. China hands out baggies to battle spitting in the war against SARS. Organ trafficking suspected in rape and murder of at least 90 women in Mexico. New
New York's currently: extending its vacation a bit Bryant Park to open outdoor lending library next month. Two weeks after being declared free of SARS, Toronto fights new outbreak. U.N. looks for aid in Congo, with three million dead in four years of war. Related: Philip Gourevitch
New York's currently: never met anyone quite like you before Congo's Pygmies complain of being eaten by government and rebel fighters. Herbert Muschamp on Central Park's verdancy this year, just in time for the 150th anniversary. Related: Central Park statues explained. 18-year-old LeBron James
New York's currently: humming Lou Rawls West African girls trafficked into domestic service for rich U.K. families. Connecticut will no longer superseal court records. City installs antiterrorism plan, Operation Atlas. Studies show, New Yorkers with dogs risk dying alone. [ via K ] Bomb explodes in Yale law school
New York's currently: hoochierific South Carolina pardons James Brown for past crimes. French anti-porn crusader denies he participated in S&M soirees run by a convicted serial killer. Spot someone sitting outside on a milk crate? Quick, call 311! U.S. bans Canadian beef after mad cow
New York's currently: aspiring to be shitheels Supreme Court upholds Maine law, forcing drugmakers to discount prices if they want to sell to Medicaid. Ousted journalist Andrew Meldrum on how Ian Smith and Mugabe have destroyed Zimbabwe. One in five teenagers has sex before 15. When will it
New York's currently: all that Pentagon unable to account for a trillion dollars, also missing: dozens of tanks, missiles, and planes. Government blackballs arctic photographer whose work contradicts oil-hungry politicians. [ thanks to MAN ] Wondering: Who shot Mohammed al-Dura? And, how much worse can the German economy get? And,
New York's currently: trying to remember if there's an 'r' in May. Senate approves $350 billion tax cut plan. Related: The President we deserve is a pony for photo-ops. American media blew the Iraq war with sentimental tripe and filler. 21-year-old deaf/mute gang-raped
New York's currently: enjoying a long spring Announcement forecast: the U.K. is not ready for the Euro. Manhattan judge rules transit fare hikes unfair. Doctor catchs SARS, returns home and infects relatives, then beats the disease after it kills his father, mother, and wife, then is arrested.
New York's currently: wedding planning wedding planning wedding planning Republicans in Congress to lift federal ban on the Uzis and other semiautomatic weapons needed for deer hunting, target practice, slaughtering neighbors. U.S. forces in Iraq may now shoot looters on sight. The Guardian pronounces: Food, the way
New York's currently: poor for such chops and shirts 10 Americans and many others killed in a series of suicide bomb attacks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 22,000 brains removed in England without permission. Jersey girl in Greenwich Village stabbed to death after telling her killers she was
New York's currently: glad to escape itself For the sake of those dining around you... No, Mr./Mrs. New Yorker, your taxes are not that bad. Times publishes giant apology for deceitful reporter Blair. Related: Le Monde under siege, with the lowest daily newspaper-reading public in the world.
New York's currently: waking up to you Life in New York gets a little more bleak: City plans to reduce trash pickup during summer. More than 100 injured in Oklahoma tornado. Stephen Glass, fired from The New Republic for inventing facts, will have his novel, 'The Fabulist,
New York's currently: packing emergency galoshes 'I don't know, Bono said lots of nice things about me.' Smoking ban, increased transit fares, rising rents: Mayor Bloomber's approval rating plummets. Georgia's state flag, a perennial controversy, replaced for second time in
New York's currently: digging in the couch for change Frank T. Cervatini, 77: 'Everything in this city is getting expensive. How are you supposed to live? Thank God I'm nearly dead.' Rising cost of living has many New Yorkers worried. Henson family to again
New York's currently: under a cloud Boy with stomach pains actually pregnant with twin brother. Five volumes of secret testimony from the McCarthy hearings released. NYC Rent Guidelines Board gives landlords first round of approval to raise rents 8.5 percent for rent-stabilized apartments. Circus-star Rubber Man returns
New York's currently: irreverent Dawn Marshall, our country's best bagger of groceries. 50-cent fare hike on city transit has many wondering when New York becomes just too expensive. Gun industry close to winning federal protection from lawsuits by victims of gun crimes. City's food
New York's currently: a nice place to not have children China closes major hospital in Beijing and placed more than 2,000 employees under observation for SARS. Presidential candidate Gephardt goes for holy grail, proposing universal health coverage. Chicago's Berghoff bar gains stools. U.S., China,
New York's currently: so very very tired France to be punished for opposition to war, says Powell. The M.T.A. moved hundreds of millions to simulate a deficit in 2003 to convince straphangers about the need for a fare hike. Faith-based legislation bombs in Congress: a study
New York's currently: pretending it has a weekend house Nigeria's elections 'marred by serious irregularities and fraud.' Tensions between Powell's State Department and Rumsfeld's Pentagon to escalate as Gingrinch, from Rummy's pocket, will call for Powell's
New York's currently: enjoying its short spring China concedes bumbling the SARS outbreak, increases number of confirmed cases in Beijing from 37 to 346. Bank robberies almost triple in New York in the first quarter of 2003. Ancient village found under Illinois. And with high-school marching bands already
New York's currently: biting hard, but ambitions are high Tension in Nigeria ahead of tomorrow's presidential election. LOL: White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card IMs with the people. ...He was the real power behind the George W. Bush presidency CNN obituary for Dick Cheney leaked.
New York's currently: wondering how well the media can comment on the media Bloomberg offers two budgets, one named painful, the other, devastating, saying the choice lies with Albany where the state budget is late for the 19th year in a row. Area man supports the troops he
New York's currently: rethinking that third donut PSA: You are fucked if your taxes are not in today. NBC to develop a movie about Pfc. Jessica Lynch, with or without her permission. Bloomberg's budget plan, to be revealed today, to close the Prospect Park and Queens
New York's currently: going up to 65 Canadian scientists crack genetic code of SARS, hopefully to speed development of tests for the disease. Related: Hong Kong tourism board runs unfortunate ad. Bouncer at Guernica dies after asking two patrons to extinguish their cigarettes. Shortly after the beginning of
New York's currently: drenched and sick U.S. Army bans American flag in Iraq. Kim Jong-il visits air force base, worried that North Korea is next on the list of America's targets. Apple may buy Universal Music. Knife-thrower slices into assistant's head on live
New York's currently: slaving away for morons With stiff Chinese and Russian opposition, U.S., France, and Britain halt efforts to confront North Korea. Where is Saddam Hussein? We're at war, people are being laid off every day, and you're not going to buy
New York's currently: better in bed than sheep American Brandstand: Tracking the popularity of cars, drinks, and clothing in the Billboard Hot 100. Mean scientists dash hopes of life on Mars. Neighborhoods ready to fight for their firehouses after Bloomberg vows to close eight. Related: Cobble Hill stroller
New York's currently: hoping good things find Roy Williams Rice jets to Moscow to repair ties with Putin after Russian diplomats and journalists were wounded while leaving Baghdad. U.K. jets to drop blue concrete. Bush and Blair's summit in Belfast hoped to reignite Good Friday
New York's currently: the never ending stormy 23rd person in Hong Kong to die from Sars puts global fatality count in three figures. 12 percent of African-American men, 20-34, are imprisoned. (1.6 percent of whites in same age group.) Three North Koreans defect via the East Sea
New York's currently: all April showers and... Congress approves Bush's $79 billion bill for the war, with votes delayed on domestic security and foreign aid. Osama bin Laden's niece having a hard time starting a pop-music career. With guns being fired by soldiers, not
New York's currently: in a form of vertigo that does not include spinning NYC handing out free nicotine patches for the addicted. Related: Big tobacco sues California for 'vilifying' ads. U.S. boosts campaign wondering whether Saddam is alive. Congress debates foreign aid, considers punishing Russia,
New York's currently: keeping its head down Previously mentioned National Guardsman Optimus Prime now has his own blog, in addition to his website. U.K. will not attack Syria or Iran. Saddam speech suspiciously mentions Nelly song from last summer. Hong Kong sends 213 Sars victims to isolation
New York's currently: quite happily 26 Military boots Geraldo out of Iraq. American Airlines reaches last-minute date with unions to avoid immediate bankruptcy. Seymour Hersh on Rumsfeld's micromanaging of the war, and the failures of 'shock & awe.' States scrambling, slashing, and begging to
New York's currently: waking up to the sound of helicopters for a week now 31 March: Taking the day off for a birthday, publishing will resume tomorrow. Quicktime movie of Bush/Blair serenade. Williamsburg Bridge closed, three men spotted climbing after a long night's drunk. Japan
New York's currently: wishing Woodwyn & Dmitri all the best U.S. calls up more than 30,000 American reinforcements. Avoid Rockefeller Center today, protesters against war-media promising 'massive civil disobedience.' Related: Regime change at CNN 'On Track,' Rumsfeld says. Taxis ditch celebrity pitches
New York's currently: unplugging its media Senate votes to chop Bush's tax cut in half, down to $350B. Children scream and scatter as a headless corpse falls among them. 2001 Onion article, Bush: We must squander our nation's hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks
New York's currently: glad to not have cable Bush requests $75 billion to cover the war for the next six months. More than a billion people lack access to clean water, and things are getting worse. 'Moscow Bombing, 1941,' by Margaret Bourke-White. American mobsters training in
New York's currently: grateful for anything good, like the weather 65+ percent of registered Chechen voters turn out to vote on Moscow-backed constitution. The horror behind the marketing: Shock & Awe, defined. Nearly half of Americans believe Saddam was personally involved in the Sept. 11 attacks. Also, half
New York's currently: ne freaking out pas White House very pissed at BBC video of Bush getting his hair done, practicing with the teleprompter. Republican House leadership wants to slash $844 million from veterans' medical care next year. Protest planned for New York tomorrow, 12pm, Broadway between
New York's currently: self-medicating Drilling in Alaska defeated in the Senate, 52 to 48. White House aims at Saddam with special CIA information, misses. Latest developments of war in Iraq at-a-glance. Investigation into alleged $500 million payoff from South Korea to North Korea for its participation in the
New York's currently: off due to sickness, see you tomorrow Bush tells Saddam & Sons to leave in two days or face war. Blair loses three ministers in objections to war without a U.N. mandate. Cost of war pegged between $95 billion and $1.92 trillion. Air
New York's currently: goddang sunny and beautiful m.f. Diplomatic process to disarm Iraq ends today, says Bush, Blair, and Aznar. Related: Bush's plan sees Iraqi society overhauled within a year, with much of the work handled by U.S. corporations. Portraits of puppies and kittens.
New York's currently: still in love with Paul Simon U.S. may ditch second U.N. resolution, pursue war next week. Bush, Blair, and Spain's Prime Minister Aznar to meet Sunday in Portugal. State Department report doubts Bush's democratic domino theory in Middle East.
New York's currently: making very big plans, just you wait and see! Britain outlines six tests for Iraq to show full cooperation, otherwise war. (British troops allowed to drink, watch Monty Python, keep pinup calendars.) Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic killed by sniper. Saddam gives $260,000 to
New York's currently: avoiding high horses Rumsfeld says U.K.'s role in the war on Iraq is 'unclear,' and the issue of the U.S. going alone would be addressed. Congress accidentally approves arts funding. U.S. government-sponsored Radio Sawa attracts listeners in the
New York's currently: drinking much more coffee than its dentist recommends This is an American war: Army officials to deliver warfront news from a $250,000 stage, FedEx'd from Chicago to Qatar for $47,000. Two detectives killed on Staten Island, in an undercover gun deal
New York's currently: always too short of its desires United States asked 60 countries to boot several hundred Iraqi diplomats the C.I.A. accuses of spying. Eight people shot, two stabbed at the Broadway City Arcade in Times Square. U.S. caught unawares by Iran's
New York's currently: doing chopped pork for dinner When it's all said and done, if we have to use force, a lot of nations will be with us. Bush will disarm Iraq, with or without the U.N. We can say with some certainty, al Qaeda
New York's currently: all pissed up Germany, Russia, and France say no. Britain floats proposal allowing Iraq more time to comply with U.N. demands. Cheney's office requests a White House satire website to remove pictures of Lynne Cheney wearing a red nose. Thousands of students
New York's currently: not caring much for the go-go It can't get any worse! It can't get any worse! (It is! It is!) Federal deficit balloons, even without Bush's plan to cut taxes, or any costs from waging battles around the world.
New York's currently: stuck in a K-hole U.S. to lodge protest against four North Korean fighter jets that tailed an American spy plane off the North Korean coast. Pentagon to build its own spy network, competing with the CIA. If you are really stupid, I would call
New York's currently: roasting the blues away The United States has no intention of determining the precise form of Iraq's new government. Undeterred by Turkey's pass on hosting troops, though a little excited about its offer to vote again, Bush refuses to talk about
New York's currently: finished watching its country ruled by morons My attitude about Saddam Hussein is that if he had any intention of disarming, he would have disarmed...We will disarm him now. Caught On Film, the Bush credibility gap: a photographic history of the Bush administration putting
New York's currently: unsympathetic to buck-passers Fearing Dan Rather would have the upper hand, Our Bush says ousting Hussein would make the Middle East more stable, somehow extending to Israel. (the White House is still extremely pissed about the CBS interview with Saddam.) Fred Rogers--'Mister Rogers&
New York's currently: smelling pancakes everywhere Bush convenes panel on global warming; panel tells Bush he's doing a terrible job. States go on borrowing-spree to fill budget gaps, accounting for 9.7 percent of state and local revenue in 2002 (the highest since the '50s)
New York's currently: fishing and spooning U.S., Britain, and Spain ask the Security Council to say Iraq missed its chance to disarm, now go looking for votes. France, Russia, and Germany ask for more time. North Korea fires a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan, on
New York's currently: carrying its dogs in blankets White House seeks exemption for Pentagon's missile defense system (in all previous versions, deeply flawed) from testing before putting it into production. Earthquake in northwest China kills at least 242. Mob-tied firm wins $80 million contract from the
New York's currently: glad to be stuck on a familiar island 39 killed in Rhode Island club fire, after Great White pyrotechnics show ignited the ceiling. White House blueprint for ruling Iraq post-war includes civilian in top position, plus creation of a 'representative' Iraqi government. Girlfriend
New York's currently: feeling relatively like summer Plane crash in Iran kills 302 Elite Iranian soldiers. Richard Gephardt hits the presidential campaign trail. ...the government here knows that some influential Western opinion-makers and politicians think of Syria as little more than Iraq II, painting it as a dictatorship
New York's currently: snow adrift Mounir el Motassadeq found guilty of aiding September 11 hijackers, sentenced to 15 years in prison. Related: The real progress in the war on terror. Size of protest – it's like deciding, well, I'm going to decide policy based upon
New York's currently: what? still snowing? You may have heard about the blizzard. If not, well, there was a blizzard. Beware of 'it.' It closed airports, obliterated flight schedules, and stranded thousands of travelers. It caused countless traffic accidents, halted or delayed buses and trains, prompted
New York's currently: lovey-dovey Map and logistics for the Saturday's march opposing the war on Iraq. It's orange! Wait, it's red! Wait, what was orange again? Key information that led to terror alert in NYC based on was fabricated. George W. Bush,
New York's currently: not anxious at all, no not one bit great thanks One: Weapons inspectors find an Iraqi ballistic missile program violates U.N. mandates prohibiting Iraq from building missiles. Two: International Atomic Agency sends North Korea's nuclear missile program to the U.N. Security
New York's currently: the bomb that will bring us together France, Germany, and Russia close ranks to oppose NATO planning for war with Iraq, prepare for showdown over new resolution in the U.N. Majority of Americans see justification for war. Hungry ravens kill 19 sheep in Germany.
New York's currently: expecting snow White House wants authorization to attack if Iraq doesn't cooperate fully with the U.N. by Friday. NATO holds emergency meeting after France, Germany, and Belgium block military planning to send self-defense hardware to Turkey. Philip Marlowe may have been a
New York's currently: the smallest city in the world U.S. would be quite thrilled--yes, quite thrilled--to see a second U.N. resolution authorizing war with Iraq. Bush orders guidelines for cyber-warfare, rules under which the U.S. can attack foreign computer systems. Related: Interview with famous hacker
New York's currently: wondering what to do about so many things Recent intelligence breakthroughs made Powell comfortable linking Iraq to Al Qaeda. CSM Middle East editor and Flak chief James Norton reports from a week of traveling in Jordan and Israel. War continues between N.Y. peace protesters
New York's currently: trying to go to the gym after work Studio Daniel Libeskind and the Think team win first round of redesigning the World Trade Center. Powell's speech to the U.N. today is for the highest stakes. What type of beef do you most
New York's currently: exhausted Facing war with Iraq, turmoil in North Korea, rebuilding Afghanistan, international isolation, imminent terrorism, terrible home economy, and dropping polls, Bush outlines budget that embraces giant tax cuts and giant deficits, while cutting programs outside the Pentagon. Rumsfeld deploys bombers within range of North
New York's currently: plagued by Hummers Buzz Aldrin responds to the Columbia tragedy. Also, Astronaut Michael Anderson mowed the lawn wearing goggles as a child, so he wouldn't damage his eyes. The argument for dismantling NASA's shuttle program, by Gregg Easterbrook. Ashcroft orders prosecutors
New York's currently: thinking of buying a slow-cooker (crockpot) Shoe bomber Reid gets three life sentences. George Harrison's track-by-track impressions of Abbey Road, 1969. Invisible to the nation, Cheney looms over Bush behind the scenes. Related: 'No Muslims – No Terrorism' stickers sold at Cheney
New York's currently: determined to enjoy the sunshine outdoors European leaders send open letter, supporting U.S. position against Iraq. Bush's connections between Iraq and Al Qaeda stand on a one-legged man, with much skepticism within the intelligence community. Thailand suspends relations with Cambodia after rioters
New York's currently: relieved (finally!) the problems will stop being passed to the next generation War with Iraq inevitable; Powell to provide evidence; Kennedy to require evidence be shared with Congress. Sharon's Likud party triumphs in Israel. Odd cuts from top cows show up in many
New York's currently: not convinced motion is action White House to divulge intelligence on Iraq's actions, motives, and concealments for external judgment, hoping for better reception than previously presumed smoking guns. Sharon's Likud Party likely to win Israeli elections, though that won't
New York's currently: amazed at what's possible in small apartments U.S. prepared to wage war, alone if necessary, despite results of today's U.N. report., Powell says. With no help in the White House or Congress, environmentalists find success in the courts. New
New York's currently: wearing a big hat, according to some guy on the subway Department for Homeland Security begins today. Concerned about possible biological attack, U.S. government to begin civilian smallpox vaccinations, starting with Connecticut; key party, thank-you notes to follow. Bright red brick walls cut at
New York's currently: shocked Russell got this far Bush gets anti-environment plan backed as the Senate slashes clean air regulations. City approves Christo project to install 23 miles of saffron-colored fabric in Central Park. PBS gets the Web: Two films follow the 1998 investigation of James Byrd, Jr.
New York's currently: very cold, because we are weak Germany follows France in opposition to war in Iraq. Man arrested after cursing burnt McNuggets. Maine pharmaceuticals-coercion plan, called Maine Rx, hits the Supreme Court today, supported by states, despised by drug companies. Cat-cloners say cloning does not lead
New York's currently: 12th Nighting France vows to block a resolution authorizing military action against Iraq, while U.S. deploys 37,000 troops to the Gulf. Al Hirschfeld dies at 99, after a century of portraits. Republicans relax rules so lawmakers can accept gifts and favors from lobbyists.
New York's currently: welcoming Sarah Hepola to snow-city 12 rockets equipped to carry chemical weapons found in Iraq. No-one quite sure what the discovery means, why the U.N. announced it, whether the rockets are listed in the 12,000-page document provided by Iraq, or what Dub-Dub is
New York's currently: refusing certain temptations Bush pressuring weapons inspector Blix to skip March 27 report on Iraq, focus instead on January 27 so U.S. can declare war shortly after. Related: If Blix's report finds no weapons in Iraq, U.S. to rely on omissions
New York's currently: growing the way things grow in fast movies Bush to declare opposition to Michigan's affirmative action policies, currently at stake in the Supreme Court. New York experiencing a bank-robbery renaissance, say police. John Le Carré: America has entered one of its periods of
New York's currently: watching people move out of the city Nine states and the District of Columbia building a joint non-profit to manage their prescription plans to avoid pressure from the drug makers. Malawians attack senior politician, accusing him of harboring vampires. Blair insists the U.N. has
New York's currently: almost over its head-cold U.S. looks for oil-fix from corrupt governments in West Africa. Steve Case, co-founder of America Online, gives up his chairman title. New York's winter of 2002–3 may go down in the gloom-books as the dreariest ever. Venezuela&
New York's currently: a little late due to a birthday party North Korea becomes first country to withdraw from Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, says it has no intention to produce nuclear weapons. Illinois's soon-to-be-missed Governor George Ryan to pardon four on death row, continuing to review all
New York's currently: gorgeous outside This kind of news day: Ice falling off Empire State Building closes streets, diverts buses, kills no one at this time. The Trent Lotte: separate but equal parts coffee and milk that you mix together. British families grunt, having forgotten how to chat.
New York's currently: scared of zealots; prepared to switch to Windows Bloomberg plans massive school system overhaul, eliminating community school districts. Saudi Arabia covertly trying to persuade Hussein to step down, to avoid war in the Gulf. As the President's largest donor over the course of
New York's currently: predicting a week of falling potatoes Democrats pitch economic plan, smaller and cheaper; reporters find just as many economists to trash it as they had yesterday for the GOP. Unfortunately, Dems still think sopping the rich is out of favor. Ivory Coast rebel forces fight
New York's currently: very well-rested Bush's new budget plan, with keystone to eliminate taxes on corporate dividends paid to shareholders, aims to boost stock market, but is read as long-term damaging and barely helpful for now. Two bombings in Tel Aviv kill 23, injuring over 100
New York's currently: wishing you a Merry Christmas Learn more about the Neediest Cases Fund, then give online, over the phone, or by mail. Donate to the River Fund, either money, clothes, or personal care items. The National 9/11 Charity Database. Promote and support adult literacy in
New York's currently: going to La Boheme Bush unveils Lott-disposal system, assigning Powell and brother Jeb to wack him in the knees. Realizing his career is over, Lott bemoans White House tactics. 7 new designs for the World Trade Center, including some that seem inspiring. Hundreds of Muslim
New York's currently: wrapping sake for the landlord Despite lack of working technology, Bush orders missile shield to be built and installed within two years. Notably absent are any calls for cars less reliant on foreign oil, a working national train system, health care detached from the insurance
New York's currently: finally reading Augie March MTA and Transit Union reaches deal, no strike. Lott, without the White House's backing, will face a January 6th election to keep his seat. Malaysia bans ad campaign featuring not-Asian Brad Pitt promoting Toyotas. Woman councilor in Pakistan beaten
New York's currently: certainly not fooled by your rocks Canada vs. U.S.: Always ugly, and always about that damn space-arm. Second-ranking Senate Republican Don Nickles wants Lott out of the building. Alabama senator Richard Shelby defended Lott: 'I think we should not lynch him.' Transit
New York's currently: sick to hell of good ol' boys Cardinal Law resigns as Boston's Archbishop. Racial discrimination does not always violate public policy. Lott's comments are supported by his voting and speech-record. Related: Mississippi ain't proud of its boy, especially
New York's currently: humming Sinatra Sunken tanker off Spanish coast to be second-worst oil spill in history. North Korea restarts nuclear program, frozen in 1994, in reaction to U.S.-led oil embargo. Have a hard time getting through Union Square yesterday? Blame the person who taped 38
New York's currently: speaking in front of a class Treasury secretary-designate John Snow's railroad company CSX Corp. paid no federal income taxes in two of the last four years, despite seeing more than a billion in pretax profits, and paying Snow $36 million. Trent Lott prefers
New York's currently: searching for the perfect breakfast roll Judge gives White House and Cheney big win, saying Congressional investigators have no right to sue when politicians won't hand over documents. In the face of possible a transit strike and hike, reporter joins the NYPD'
New York's currently: doing homework for the wedding Top Iraqi General says they were close to developing bomb after invading Kuwait. At least 13 men convicted in 11 NYC murder cases have had their convictions overturned since 1998. Serbia fails to elect a president for the second time,
New York's currently: riding muddy trains Berlin art-goers mistake suicide victim for performance art. Surprise, surprise: Homeland Security Department to receive summary-memos from the CIA and FBI, not detailed intelligence. Sri Lanka and Tamil Tigers to pursue peace deal, giving regional control to rebel-held areas, after almost 20
New York's currently: enjoying its first real snow Presidents Washington through Bush may have lied about key matters. World's most expensive cocktail goes for $64 at the top of the new Trump World Tower. Investment manager, after sipping drink, comments, 'In New York, you don&
New York's currently: trying to remember where Manhattan is Turks and Saudis will allow use of air bases in war; Turks unsure about harboring ground forces. 60 bushfires erupt around Sydney. The dish on New York's power siblings: J. Lo and L. Lo, the Hilton Tramps,
New York's currently: cold Supreme Court to rule on race in college admissions. With weapons inspections in Iraq running smoothly, Bush and Co. bluster and blab to make noise and frighten citizens. British dossier on Iraq's human rights abuses now available. Bertelsmann to put every publisher
New York's currently: ready for egg nog Conservative House members keep handcuffs on effort to destroy Russian nuclear and chemical weapons. Immigrants account for half of the new American workers who joined the labor force in the last 10 years. Master of secrecy and accused war-criminal, Henry Kissinger
New York's currently: having a great holiday, see you on Monday Tarzan's Tripes Forever, a shaggy dog story archive. Includes extremely good jokes such as the polar bear at a bar and Nick Nolte. [ via ft ] Madhouse at the Ocean Spray Cranberry hotline on Thanksgiving. Italian
New York's currently: going to the late show National Security Council recommends forcing Saudi Arabia to shut down terrorist financiers, or they'll face 'unilateral U.S. action.' Truckers lead massive strikes in France. Slowtron's excellent Western State no. 2 appears, featuring Brooklyn&
New York's currently: talking real estate at parties 18 U.N. inspectors arrive in Iraq, with 80-100 expected by January. Nigerian anti-beauty riots continue, killing more than 200. Related: Buckeyes celebrate victory over Michigan by burning cars and furniture. We're trying not to sensationalize 5-year-olds having
New York's currently: tired but thrilled Pakistani military officers have difficulty explaining why their children need superior schools, and a petting zoo. Eva Ensler's The Vagina Monologues demands name-change from Jackie Clarke's Big Vagina Monologues. Down with beauty!: Youths riot in Nigeria, killing upwards
New York's currently: on a brand-new server, new database, new trousers 11 killed by bus bomber in Jerusalem. Al Gore rolls through major PR parade before announcing whether he'll run for President. Three comics build TV show in fake NBC news studio in Rockefeller Center. We
New York's currently: missing just about every train it can Unbelievable: Formerly anti-Big Government Senate approves bureaucrat's dream, the Homeland Security Department, in order to claim victory over terrorism. Students in Tehran demonstrate in support of separation of religion and state. Roam the halls of the
New York's currently: sick the town over; lackluster headlines today John Ashcroft has new powers to wiretap, search, and scan American lives. Given his track record, we have no reason to fear that he'll abuse his new powers or manipulate them for personal glory. James Coburn
New York's currently: 22-34, wearing little white headphones Follow three days of excerpts from Bob Woodward's Bush At War, including today's bit on the CIA's cash handouts to Afghanistan warlords. Diemer True, chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, which represents
New York's currently: 87 feet above sea level Profile of China's new leader, Hu Jintao. Pentagon's Poindexter plans giant database to track your life in transactions. Gore found defeat at Supreme Court's hands crushing, now believes in single-payer national health care plan.
New York's currently: the set for a giant Sigur Ros movie Letter from Iraq to the U.N., where amongst mentions of evil, Zionism, evil, and lots of stabbing, Iraq agrees to the Security Council's demand for weapons inspections. Bloomberg calls for new income tax on
New York's currently: an asylum of sick people South Africa looks for equality in business-ownership, when 12 percent of the population still controls the economy. Homeland Security Department comes closer to fruition. President's uncanny knack for predicting future explained. 83-year-old Margaret Frascone busted for helping run
New York's currently: summer-y and wet The current state of war continuing in Chechnya; plus, Putin outlines political endgame to war, but it's criticized as irrelevant. Affleck gives J. Lo something 'nobody else would have.' This is why we are reluctant to work closely
New York's currently: a little bothered by LaGuardia's decision to re-route flights over our house The hunt is on for Gamma Kolos, radioactive 'antique milk cans' littered across former Soviet republics. Poll finds youths prefer war, elders prefer peace. India struggles for strategy to
New York's currently: unable to publish today due to technical foul-up Bush says this time, Iraq's disarmament will be 'for real.' 16th Party Congress opens in Beijing today: full details on power transfer. Lionel Poilâne, Paris's most famous baker, missing in helicopter
New York's currently: ooooh......just a little unbalanced Prostitutes protest in Paris, against law that forbids 'passive soliciting,' where a woman that gives the impression of soliciting money for sex faces jail or fine, though paying for sex is legal in France. Excellent analysis of why
New York's currently: just like anywhere else, with better pizza Bush now controls all legislative powers: Republicans hold House, gain Senate, take big wins in gubernatorial races, already control Supreme Court. Alec Baldwin expected to threaten moving to France, again. Prostitutes protest in Paris, against law that forbids
New York's currently: going to the polls Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote U.S. claims to kill al Qaeda leader and
New York's currently: ice skaters in Central Park Turkey elects government led by former Islamicist who supports a secular Turkey, determined to join the EU. You must vote tomorrow: Learn about your candidates before you hit the booth, then find out exactly how long your employer is required
New York's currently: still wondering who's in costume, who's not Girls schools attacked in Afghanistan. Syphilis on the rise for the first time in a decade. Not Related: Liza Minnelli, David Gest, Christian child reality show cancelled by VH1. Queen Elizabeth intervenes, Princess Diana&
New York's currently: making zombie jokes all day long Sniper investigation leads back to killing last month in Alabama, where a third suspect is considered. We would like to interrupt your current programming and introduce Sarah Hepola as a new Contributing Writer. Her picture will appear shortly on
New York's currently: growing a beard for winter U.S. and France getting close to a deal, requiring Bush to consult the U.N. if the U.S. goes alone against Iraq. Federal appeals court rules government can't punish doctors who recommend marijuana to their patients.
New York's currently: determined to have a good day U.N. weapons inspections chiefs tell Security Council they back the U.S./Britain resolution, even if some expectations of Iraq are not practical. Editor & Publisher selects photos of the year. Consumers should take the SNUTTIG bear soft
New York's currently: losing leaves fast Pentagon leak: Reserve call-up, if U.S. goes to war with Iraq, will activate around 265,000 members of the National Guard and Reserves, same amount as the Persian Gulf war. Gas used to subdue Chechen guerrillas killed 115 hostages; 600 still
[ please join us for a party ] New York's currently: switching gears, changing lanes Two suspects arrested in D.C. sniper killings. Related: Who is John Allen Muhammad? Related: The NRA opposes ballistic fingerprinting. Chechen rebels free eight children from Russian theater. Related: What it's like inside
[ please join us for a party ] New York's currently: wishing RBK a happy birthday Chechan rebels take crowded Moscow theater hostage, including up to 700 people. U.S. sends draft resolution on disarming Iraq to security council, includes threat of military action; U.S. and Britain say concessions
New York's currently: trying to focus on what's important With recent bus-bombing, Palestinian statehood seems less likely. Post carries full details of sniper's communications with police, including blunders on the switchboard when the killer called in. French court acquits writer Michel Houellebecq, not guilty
New York's currently: having lunch in Mount Vernon Man shot in Maryland. Supreme Court refuses to reconsider executing juvenile offenders, though Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, and Souter all dissent. Sprewell and the Knicks look like they're breaking up. The most astonishing thing is, here we've
New York's currently: evanescent Hussein sets free thousands of convicts. Jewish settlers harass all the Palestinians out of town in Khirbat Yanun. U.S. used unwitting U.N. weapon inspectors as spies in Iraq. I have this strange 'obsession' with Dave Matthews, so much so I
New York's currently: wearing coats again U.S. offers France final compromise, concerning resolution to disarm Iraq, to break deadlock in the Security Council. Related: U.K. foreign secretary Jack Straw says Britain and the U.S. will strike alone against Iraq if they fail to get new
New York's currently: cute enough to put your mouth on North Korea admits to having nuclear program, including 'more powerful things as well.' U.S. and other countries taking it cool for a moment. Republicans raised more hard money than Democrats this year. Ryan Adams pays
New York's currently: gloomy Virginia sniper left clues this time, was noticed by witnesses; Pentagon to deploy surveillance planes. Illinois Prisoner Review Board starts back-to-back clemency hearings for many of the state's 159 death row inmates. Attention wedding planners: Etiquette allows for the bride's
New York's currently: a giant drive-through liquor store Woman shot outside Home Depot store in Northern Virginia probably the sniper's ninth victim. Bombing in Bali linked to al Qaeda by Indonesia's defense minister, and Bush. 'He is sending a signal of dominance, so
New York's currently: enjoying Columbus day by not publishing Congress passes Iraq resolution, authorizing the president to 'use the armed forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing
New York's currently: finalizing the details on a party next month The Bush war machine is about to roll out of Washington, but if plans for a Post-Saddam Iraq have been designed, they are not being shared. 'There have been no rapes,' [Russian General Moltenskoi] noted,
New York's currently: so glad it's fall Health officials say Africa needs more condoms to fight AIDS. Study on Saddam says he won't attack unless he feels a U.S.-led attack is inevitable. Related: Anti-war-with-Iraq but not sure what to do? You can
New York's currently: finally reading Jane Austen 13-year-old boy shot by D.C.-area sniper, becomes eighth victim. Israel employs new strategy, attacks Gaza, killing 13 and wounding more than a hundred. Dick Armey tries to attack the Dallas Morning News because he didn't like the
New York's currently: now aware of Texas Predictably, Congress to approve Bush's powers to disarm Iraq. Related: Thomas Friedman asks, 'Seen Any Democrats Lately?' Former labor leader takes big lead in Brazil's presidential election, panicking foreign investors. Maybe the plan is to
New York's currently: ready to feel like it's fall, not summer Chief U.N. weapons inspector to delay inspections in Iraq, while security council debates; says inspectors are 'ready to go at the practical earliest opportunity.' Iraqi vice president suggests Hussein and Bush duel,
New York's currently: having bizarre fever-dreams $18 million worth of reduced-price HIV drugs, intended for Africa, intercepted by pirates to be sold in Europe. Stupid hurricane threatens Womack/Cotton wedding. Ex-cop in Stuyvesant Town snipes preschool teacher. When you hear a rumor about Barbara Streisand (attributing Shakespeare to
New York's currently: not updating the headlines today, Wednesday, 2 October 2002, because the author's head is exploding with viruses. U.N. and Iraq negotiate return of inspectors. Hudson River proves fine for swimming, north of Manhattan (say, Washington Heights). If you like Gossip! you'
New York's currently: tired Tension between Special Forces and the Army during Operation Mountain Sweep in Afghanistan. The story you've been waiting for...The secrets of the Bonghitters, the High Times softball team that's 50-8-4 and regularly kicks every other magazine's ass.
New York's currently: going out to a fancy dinner on friends Zombie nutritionist recommends all-brain diet. Bush works on war resolution with congress, Daschle says 'We've got a long way to go.' Powell drafts U.N. resolution with U.K., dispatches aide to lobby
New York's currently: little kids the size of their backpacks Mayor's Office releases Management Report, including tons of information about your neighborhood. Tropical Storm Isidore came ashore this morning. U.S. resumes talks with North Korea. This autumn, according to the congressional Advisory Committee on Student
New York's currently: dying to leave Israel continues Ramallah siege; Palestinian Authority holds out; both invoke U.N. resolutions to end stand-off. The New York Sun named the Best Gay Paper. Only the finest students attend The College of Matthew Perry. Related: Bush twins demand regime change at
New York's currently: sending a public service announcement to neo-hippies: no one likes your stupid drums Julio Diaz, the best dancer in the subway, even if his partner's stuffed. Fighting rages in Ivory Coast between government and mutinous soldiers, prompting U.S. and Canada to worry
New York's currently: quite thankful the in-laws get along Israel continues siege against Arafat, raising the Israeli flag over his compound and hoping he'll take a one-way ticket abroad. Special forces units being moved to the CIA for war with Iraq, so the Pentagon can say
New York's currently: planning a party for all of you attention: do you host your site with the wildly competent and friendly people at tilted planet? because, really, you should. Bush sends resolution on Iraq to Congress, requesting broad powers without further congressional approval. Related: Bush compared to
New York's currently: no longer thrilled by the ice cream truck and that damn song Bush backs out of Biological Weapons Convention against germ warfare, wants to delay until 2006, despite the State Department's promise last year, after then backing out of the same deal, that
New York's currently: getting all the news it needs on the weather report Iraq agrees to unconditional weapons inspections; Russia and France swiftly glad to drop any resolution hinting war if Saddam doesn't comply. California's power failures in 2000 and 2001 blamed on five
New York's currently: approaching vigorous levels of exercise Iraq sends letter to Kofi Annan saying inspectors may return without conditions. State Department says the letter is 'not a promise to disarm, not a promise to allow unfettered inspections, not a promise to disclose the state of its
New York's currently: writing books, going to weddings White House wants consequences for Iraq if Hussein doesn't disarm; Saudi Arabia may allow U.S. to use its air bases for attacks. Dissident Iraqi nuclear scientist says Saddam is months away from having the bomb. Absolute nightmare:
New York's currently: so totally proactive Three held in alleged South Florida terrorist attack. Dueling perspectives on Bush at the U.N.: 'Bush Veers From Unilateral Course With Appeal to U.N.' vs. 'Bush: U.S. ready to go it alone' Related: A brave
New York's currently: windblown Bush to tell U.N. today to require Iraq's destruction of weapon facilties, or U.S. will do it alone. Secretary General Annan to tell Bush, do it through the U.N. or don't do it at all (Annan'
New York's currently: everyone In a city of eight million people, there are many New Yorks, and, in an age of terror, there are some new New Yorks. New York right now, a year later. From the excellent web special by the Times, 'A Nation Challenged.'
New York's currently: looking out the window Hey, Americans! Go vote today, if you're in one of 11 states. Info here, plus info for New York. Bush drops argument connecting Iraq and al Qaeda, (it's not developed enough) concentrating instead on Hussein's
New York's currently: a little tired of all the anti-Semitism, really Bush sends cabinet members to television shows, explaining need for intervention in Iraq, ahead of his meeting at the U.N. Related: Brits say Iraq could build a nuclear bomb in a few months, given enough radioactive
New York's currently: trying out this whole yoga thing Just Five Days Away! The media goes overboard on Sept. 11 coverage, including amusing attempts by 'real' journalists to distance themselves from TV reporters; still, it's a relief to know Peter Jennings will host a
New York's currently: a little upset about the new neon sign across the street The Nimbus 2000 features a grooved stick and handle for easy riding. Enhancing the excitement are the vibrating effects and magical swooping and whooshing sounds the broom makes when on. Harry Potter Nimbus 2000
New York's currently: now publishing daily around 8 am, EST we need your help: we need more questions from readers for the non-expert's desk. remember: your questions can be about anything. please send any and all questions via email. thanks. Powell says significant differences divide administration
New York's currently: motherfucker! Israel's Supreme Court approves expulsion of terror suspects' relatives from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. The magnetometers, X-ray machines and cameras are great, and we get a lot of small weapons, but a terrorist or someone who wants to
New York's currently: wearing its cloak of invisibility U.S. warplanes attack anti-aircraft station in southern Iraq. World Trade Organization says Europe can impose largest-ever trade sanctions against United States. Deal between MLB players and owners 'extremely likely.' Now it's the return of Green
New York's currently: struggling to keep its umbrellas open Juries in Detroit and Seattle charge six men as members of terrorist 'sleeper cells' in the U.S. Major League Baseball strike deadline is midnight tonight. If terms are unresolved between players and owners, will be ninth
New York's currently: gleaming the cube Michael Skakel to be sentenced today in Norwalk. Related: 'Behind the Scenes: The Skakel Trial.' Andersen will pay $40 million to Enron shareholders. 'We didn't want to come in right away, so we just put it in
New York's currently: cooling its boots Cheney claims threat of Iraqi nuclear capabilities justifies attack. Related: Iraq says it doesn't care. Related: The Iraq-Palestine connection. Domestic worker says she was kept as a prisoner by a Merrill Lynch executive in Queens. U.S. Open begins. Related:
New York's currently: dealing with fried computer, mind White House lawyers say Bush doesn't need congressional approval to attack Iraq. Second set of human remains found in Oregon yard. Spraying in Suffolk County following three possible cases of West Nile virus. Man tries to kill friend
New York's currently: going on break until 26 August Twenty-fifth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death: Elvis spotters report their progress. Related: The King's fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich would make a fine, fine dinner tonight. Relatives of September 11 victims file $100 trillion lawsuit against Sudanese
New York's currently: not having a second for Greenpeace Verb 'surge' used five times to describe waters currently devastating Czech Republic, Germany. CEOs required to swear by their books; AOL Time Warner finds $49 million inappropriately booked. I take the subway everywhere...I ride in the
New York's currently: hotter than you think 'The rap has been that Bush's economic advisers don't have much clout, and this only made matters worse,' said Bruce Bartlett, a conservative economist for the National Center of Policy Analysis. 'The whole forum
New York's currently: really bloody hungover U.S. Airways weathers bankruptcy court, makes quick moves to seem stable. Related: American to cut 7,000 jobs, United stock tumbles. 50,000 evacuated from Prague due to imminent flooding. 57 percent of Americans support U.S. invasion of Iraq with
New York's currently: quitting its job today Fearing theft, U.S. moves nuclear fuel out of Los Alamos; makes sense since dummy-terrorists snuck out 200 pounds of fake plutonium in a Home Depot cart. 'Rooster at the Hitchin' Post,' by David Sedaris. Related: The Rooster&
New York's currently: Operation Anticipating Freedom Bush, fearing U.S. citizens will judge a four-week vacation harshly, hosts PR economic summit in Texas, featuring business leaders who donated to his campaign. Related: Britney Spears answers Bush's challenge with a six-month vacation. Boston charter students taught by
New York's currently: two days from takeoff IMF to lend Brazil $30 billion, largest IMF loan in history. Anonymous Enron executives accuse Merrill Lynch of cooking $60 million profit scam in 1999 to meet internal profit targets, letting bonuses and stock deals flow; deal was canceled after profits
New York's currently: staying the course for two more days Nine miners saved by courage, engineering, faith; Tenth miner saved by Ozzy. Imagine that Wilbur has snuggled up on your lap. He is pure white, pink around the ears and smooth as silk. Which part of Wilbur would
New York's currently: gorgeous (thanks, Jason, for the reminder) U.S. refuses Iraq's invitation to allow law-makers to search for weapons, insisting all inspections go through the U.N. At a campaign stop in East Harlem, Andrew Cuomo says the Rockefeller drug laws (and their mandatory
New York's currently: dying from heat Israel announces 'total ban' on Palestinian travel in the West Bank, (and holds 140 intercepted suicide bombers in custody) after spree of attacks kills many: Bus bombing, shootout, two ambushes, car attack leaves at least 13 dead. Berkeley mothers set
New York's currently: hearing Wilco on NPR, which seems so right Iraq sends letter to the U.N., backed by Russia, wants 'technical talks' about nuclear inspections, about as obvious and likely ineffective a ploy to stave off disaster as Bush putting handcuffed executives in front
New York's currently: horribly reminded of Carnival Cruises when listening to Iggy Pop U.N. says no massacre in Jenin, deaths include 52 Palestinians, 23 Israeli soldiers. You thought Traficant's hair was real? Wrong. Jailed congressman forced to remove hairpiece during routine search. Bush criticizes companies
New York's currently: waking to dumpsters Hamas bombs Hebrew University in Jerusalem, killing at least 6, injuring at least 30. North Korea meets with Powell, just after launching official media campaign naming U.S. a 'kingpin of evil,' which is actually much better than an '
New York's currently: lavulating Incredible story: Crusading editor of Zeta survives in Tijuana with 13 bodyguards. Bush creates 'Office of Global Communications' to act as White House's foreign PR firm. U.N. investigating U.S. airstrikes that killed a wedding party. Death by '
New York's currently: sweating on other commuters More policy not meant to be front-page news: U.S. considers 'inside-out' approach to toppling Iraq: take Baghdad, spread locusts to countryside. Story forces question: Are David Sanger and Thom Shanker sleeping above the White House's tactics
New York's currently: halfway through disc 2 of S&TC season three When to use bats instead of satire: White Power's William Pierce is dead, but the neo-Nazi fascists are gaining numbers, playing off sympathy for Palestinians. Related: Jorn Barger tracks the Fightin' Whities,
New York's currently: having a rather difficult (fuck!) day at work, sorry about the few headlines Powell slogs on, despite differences with White House. House votes 420 to 1 to expel Ohio Democrat Traficant, convicted for bribery and corruption. British aid agencies unite in emergency appeal to raise
New York's currently: currently busy with other customers Rivalry between Afghanistan's president Karzai and defense minister Fahim threatens government's stability. San Francisco puts medicinal marijuana to a vote, may become first city to defy ban on growing weed. Though Bush will most likely find
New York's currently: extremely bored by 'writers' New: A project that really could go anywhere, most likely many bad places. Dead koalas painted red and left on the road to warn motorists. Israeli airstrike kills Hamas leader, 14 others, injures more than 100. Related: Britain, EU,
New York's currently: happy seeing friends with babies Bush asks Congress to overturn law that forbids soldiers from becoming cops; Ridge downplays likelihood of the military being used for domestic law enforcement. Witness says 1984 bombing of Jewish center in Buenos Aires was carried out by Iran, and
New York's currently: hot, wet, fine Britain's worst serial killer, Harold Shipman, murdered 215 of his patients, possibly 45 more. Spiderman will make you gay. Israelis grapple with charges that Jewish settlers sold ammunition to Palestinians. Bill Clinton has a four-inch-thick file of offers for talk-shows
New York's currently: apparently going to learn how to salsa tonight Senate panel to vote on international women's rights treaty that Bush doesn't want approved. Politicians, worried about White House's plan to attack Iraq, want to hear strategies before reading about them
New York's currently: surprised by how short Christina Ricci is Bush's popularity at 72 percent. IRA apologizes for killing civilians over the last 30 years; Sinn Fein calls it a 'powerful contribution,' while Unionists remain skeptical about future violence. Six proposals for rebuilding the
New York's currently: not for you Our Executive Chiefs turn out to be crappy executives: Cheney stays hidden while news boils about his $18.5 million profit at Halliburton. Government buys gas masks for Birmingham residents living near a chemical weapons incinerator. Blade Extremely Sharp! John Lindh and
New York's currently: out to pasture Four found guilty for Daniel Pearl murder, leader sentenced to death. New pulp novel has Vladimir Putin as Russian 007, hunting down and killing Chechen rebels. Arab leaders hope to soften Bush's stance on Palestinians. Neo-Nazi takes shot at Chirac,
New York's currently: couchez-ing avec toi, ce soir Lawmakers fight to out-do the White House's penalties for corporate crimes. Q: Do bananas drink coke or pepsi? A: Neither, they drink blood because they're evil. Extremely good banana jokes. Animal locomotion, including Where's
New York's currently: anti-depressed U.S. drops opposition to American soldiers being held accountable by war crimes tribunal, asks for compromise, allowing one-year pass on prosecution for any citizen from a country that didn't ratify the International Criminal Court. (Human rights golden boys Russia and China
New York's currently: surrounded by rich people Up to 77,000 tons of nuclear waste to be dumped inside Nevada's Yucca Mountain. Bush calls for corporate scandals to be exposed, executives to get jail time. Related: The President's take on business ethics seems to
New York's currently: everything but Manhattan HOT: When the review says more about the reviewer... Peck to Moody: 'You are the worst writer of your generation.' Dale Peck trashes Rick Moody's new memoir, plus past works, in the New Republic, though says Moody is
New York's currently: totally set to rule Majority of gay men with HIV don't know they're infected. Lawmakers call for increased military role in Afghanistan after assassination, Bush says no. Road to hell paved with white people. Study finds only 16 percent of voters
New York's currently: on vacation until 8 July 2002 Tension among allies: U.S. vetoes extension of the U.N. mission in Bosnia after Security Council refused immunity from war crimes court to American soldiers. As New York papers fling reporters into high-society to cover tales of cocktail-accounting
New York's currently: revved-up, psyched, and stoked Who bassist John Entwistle dies. Salon faces the money crunch: down to the last $1.5 million. Morning News totally can't relate. Longtime Microsoft critic (putting it lightly) Sun joins Microsoft and IBM in an effort to improve Web-transaction
New York's currently: tired, frustrated, delirious, pissed, sad, doubtful, convinced of bad things, on the wrong side of a bed, sick of hot weather, New York, the news, politics, pundits, critics, any music but Oasis, and, most of all, the stupid stupid stupid Internet. Aroused giraffe jumps off
New York's currently: tossing the palm tree overboard we need your help: we are starting a new column that responds to readers' questions, about anything. please send any and all questions via email. thanks. WorldCom overstates cash flow by $3.8 billion. Forgotten New York, an astounding
New York's currently: surprised Julianne Moore takes the L train in the morning with her baby we need your help: we are starting a new column that responds to readers' questions, about anything. please send any and all questions via email. thanks. Supreme Court decides only juries--not
New York's currently: filled with women in flip-flops Two new monkey species discovered. In Show Low, Arizona, red tags mark homes that will burn. Fire kills Brooklyn family of 7 in New York's deadliest residential fire in 15 years. Those who once built churches...Giant new
New York's currently: not into the whole brevity thing Supreme Court rules against executing mentally retarded. Desire for sons in China increases prenatal scans, abortions of daughters. A real shame PWC didn't register introducingmonday.co.uk. White House asks Supreme Court to let Congress pressure public
New York's currently: loving Dave, hating Paul, having dreams about Biff Witnesses told police the suspect looked like a dork. Additionally, he always wore a Weather Channel baseball cap during the robberies.: Alleged 'Dork Bandit' caught. After another deadly bombing, Israel Defense Forces will stay in
New York's currently: foolish, yes, fine Following bomb attack that killed 19, Israeli army hardens tactics in West Bank. Watercolors by the Prince of Wales go for thousands more than expected. At least 18 killed in clash between Nigerian secret societies at university; similar battles have killed hundreds
New York's currently: buying the story, for now Bloomberg to increase apartment subsidies, make shelters more accessible, boot long-term drifters. Detroit highway shut down by Gaylord ninjas. U.S. unable to track al Qaeda's money, due to slippery assets and massive bureaucracy. Pakistan has two Americans
New York's currently: calling its analyst Donnie Donald Rumsfeld requires langur monkey to keep 10,000 rhesus monkeys at bay. Bush wants new defense policy, now: hit first, invade later. Sharon rejects Bush's proposal for a Palestinian state, also criticized by Palestinian Authority and Egypt. Bob
New York's currently: biased to the hilt After Powell leaks the story, Bush signals intention to support Palestinian state. Attempt to repeal estate tax pitted lobbyists against each other: Big Business, fighting to help the wealthy, set against the wealthy, fighting to give away their money. Karl Rove
New York's currently: weathering hot nights Republican attempt to repeal estate tax dies in Senate. New doctors get new rules, limiting residents' workweek to 80 hours. South Africa: Mandela asks Durban playwright to apologize for song slandering Indians. Comforting: EPA head Whitman claims ignorance of global warming
New York's currently: having lunch with mother Big news day: Mechanical Override 'Come Home' feature is provided by a clutch in each actuator Missile defense program grows in secrecy. U.S. refuses to touch Russian Army's human-rights abuses in Chechnya. Woody settles lawsuit with
New York's currently: working--no joke--on a redesign HIV infections in South Africa plateau at 25 percent of adult population. Mbeki asks AIDS dissidents--those that doubt connection between HIV and AIDS--to stop using his name. Bush says conditions non-existent for Middle East peace. Bloomberg and teachers union strike tentative
New York's currently: in short sleeves White House drafting new military strategy to throw the first punch, requiring far better intelligence services. Portraits of Afghanistan's power brokers as leaders gather for council in Kabul. North Korean defectors charge prisons with baby killings. 'In the brave
New York's currently: off jury duty Best story we've read in weeks: Beijing Evening News publishes Onion story, about need for new Capitol, refuses to make correction. Polls among Israelis, Palestinians, find great opposition to Saudi peace plan. Tentative deal gives Bloomberg control of city'
New York's currently: on jury duty Powell report on slave trafficking finds U.S. allies in worst tier of offenders list. Ashcroft shows off new plan to track 100,000 visitors per year, fingerprinting and photographs for those that pose an 'elevated security risk.' Add Meg
New York's currently: having amazing adventures Car bomb kills 16 bus passengers in northern Israel. Kuwaiti named as likely mastermind of September 11 attacks. Woody Allen testifies ('with his hallmark stammer') against former producers. McDonalds apologizes and pays $10 million for mislabeling french fries and hash
New York's currently: surrounded by kleenexes Egypt's Mubarak says they warned U.S. intelligence a week before Sept. 11 about an al Qaeda attack. On eve before Sept. 11 investigation, CIA says it warned FBI about hijacker, contradicting FBI's assertion it didn't
New York's currently: upset it was recommended to watch Bring It On India and Pakistan's leaders spend Monday in Almaty, Kazakhstan for security summit but don't meet together. As I Lay Quite, Quite Sick: New York State edits literary quotes in Regents tests for
New York's currently: wishing you the best of weekends Silent ceremony for ground zero. Senegal beats France in first World Cup match. Terrorism feared at World Cup: details on South Korea's security. If only this was the most dangerous headline in the news: Gun-toting Russian wins
New York's currently: the new LA FBI given new surveillance rules, allowing monitoring and research without evidence of potential wrongdoing. Customs service calls for U.S.-bound cargo to be inspected by American officers. al Qaeda probe in 2000 fouled by glitches in 'Carnivore,' the email
New York's currently: sweating under cover Last column removed from ground zero under flag. What we forgot to link on Sunday: Sad, rewarding account by The Times of last hours in lives saved or lost on Sept. 11. FBI permanently devotes 2,600 agents to counterterrorism, wants intelligence
New York's currently: preferring vacation to work Pakistan ready to pledge 'full might' in war against India, if war is started. Pakistan tests final missile; Indian Defense Minister Fernandes says options are narrowing, but countries are not on brink of war. Giant nut proves hilarious in
New York's currently: on vacation until Tuesday U.S. and Russia sign nuclear reduction treaty, to reduce long-range weapon ranks by two-thirds. Related links: Arms Control Association Q&A on the treaty. Also, a 1996 Frontline special on loose nukes (great resource). Bush loves Russia, says The
New York's currently: working on new, exciting ideas President Bush continues to disappoint EU with bland, relentlessly repetitive tie selection. World's diplomats fear total war after India's Prime Minister prepares for 'a decisive battle.' Over 1,000 dead in southern Indian heat
New York's currently: folding bathing suits Bush travels to Europe to retain friendship, overcome widening differences. New York under tighter security since vague warning about landmark attack, 'Coast Guard is at the most heightened state it has been at since World War II.' Magician David Blaine
New York's currently: having nightmares about terrorists Pakistani diplomat says his country and India are 'very close' to war; meanwhile, India and Pakistan trade attacks in Kashmir before visit by Indian PM. U.S. warns of imminent terrorist attacks, says they're unpreventable, citizens hire
New York's currently: engaged Cheney calls Aug. 6 terrorism-briefing 'the family jewels,' opposes document's release to Congress; Cheney and Rice appear on all major networks to warn of approaching terror. Israeli family sues EU for $21M, claiming its grants to PLO benefited killers. Following
New York's currently: headed for the country 622 dead from Indian heat wave. Dan Rather says 'patriotism run amok' kept him from asking tough questions, encouraged self-censorship. Boston charter school breaks with Edison, disappointed with low test scores. GOP welfare bill passes House on party lines,
New York's currently: Thrill freak Uncle Sam Bush warned in early August that bin Laden wanted to hijack airplanes. War in Afghanistan becoming battle with ghosts, or dukhi in Russian; 'Now American, British and Canadian ground troops deploy around the country for targeted strikes searching for their
New York's currently: working with the A/C repairman. NATO accepts Russia into partnership; Powell searches for cliché to describe new warmth for frozen north. Pakistan considered using nuclear weapons against India in 1999 without then-Prime Minister Sharif's knowledge, says Clinton adviser Reidel in new article.
New York's currently: extremely windy. Edison Schools--a private company that runs public schools--faces financial crisis. Bush nuclear reduction treaty is worth hoping for. Bush's farm bill is lamentable. Enron's chief auditor says he knew he committed a crime when he ordered the shredding. A
New York's currently: making the best of it. Bush vows to sign treaty with Russia that will cut nuclear arsenals from 6-7,000 to 1,700-2,200. Karl Rove's influence with the President makes cabinet members queasy, especially now that he's advising on foreign
New York's currently: sunny, warm, trying to save money. Church of the Nativity siege ends, Israel starts rolling tanks towards Gaza Strip. U.S. takes first steps in what seems to be new policy: pressuring Arab nations to pressure Arafat to replace himself. Palestinian teenagers kill themselves and
Note: People We Like and Album of the Week have returned to the front page, and the archives. New York's currently: mucky. Afghanistan warlord calls for human rights after U.N. releases list of atrocities since Taliban's retreat. The Poop Report uncovers the facts on how
New York's currently: a lovely place to live. Sharon to convene ministers in response to recent suicide bombing that killed 15; Arafat's expulsion to be considered. Bush and Sharon agree on restructuring PLO, disagree on everything else. Justice department, following Ashcroft's long-held belief, tells
New York's currently: presenting no significant problem. Sharon refuses to attend peace conference if Arafat's present. Doctors sue hospitals and medical groups to change matching program for residents, claiming program keeps down salaries and overworks students. U.S. praises close relationships with countries that crack down
New York's currently: full of money trees. Chirac wins landslide victory in France; newspapers ran front-page editorials urging rejection of Le Pen. Church of the Nativity's 35-day siege to end with some Palestinians exiled to Italy, others to stand trial in Gaza. Burma's pro-democracy
New York's currently: web-slinging. U.S. unemployment spikes in April: hits eight-year high. FBI alerted on grounds of suspicion--before September 11--that Arab students were attending U.S. aviation schools. U.S. to attend Middle East peace conference this summer, while Congress fully backs Israel. Off-duty police officer--who, while
New York's currently: sick at home. Arafat's out, defiant, tours Ramallah; calls Israelis 'terrorists, Nazis, and racists,' accusing them of setting overnight fire in Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Joseph Lieberman is ready to run for President, and he really wants Gore to
New York's currently: an emblem in remote minds War continues: Movement of U.S. and U.K. troops in Afghanistan signals major battle soon. U.S. and Saudi Arabia make joint strategy to lead recovery in Middle East. U.S. and North Korea ready to resume relations, still
New York's currently: self-important Israel bars U.N. mission to Jenin, arguing terms haven't been met for fair review. Israel begins gradual pull-out of Hebron, last of the West Bank's population centers to be invaded. Academic argues for intergenerational sex, gets widely panned, Missouri
New York's currently: dreaming of 'the country' (i.e., Connecticut) Middle East Deal: Arafat will be released, six wanted Palestinians will go to prison. Brooklyn home for the mental ill once dubbed 'The New Warehouse for the Insane' by the state, found by the
New York's currently: glad for good weather. TLC's Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, 30, killed Thursday in Honduras automobile accident. In surprising twist, 30-something gelled-hair Harvard business grad from Darien, CT, picks 23-year-old busty, blond, kitchen-friendly party planner to share life. Saudi Crown Prince tells
New York's currently: 7.5 million people. Explosion in building on 19th St., injuring dozens. Seven weeks, 900 deaths, and Hindu/Muslim violence continues in India. It's not me, it's you: Saudi Crown Prince to tell Bush relationship is on rocks if U.S.
New York's currently: mostly sunny, light winds. Why somedays we love the Post: Despised bully foreman found with pickax in skull. Chirac refuses to debate Le Pen to save France's soul; Le Pen calls protestors an 'ultra-minority.' Egypt's Mubarek accuses Israel of
New York's currently: idolized all out of proportion Palestinian security chief says Israel 'will never have security.' New poll finds 54 percent of Americans believe U.S. should stay out of Middle East conflicts. A history of American involvement in the Middle East. France and the
New York's currently: Bar Harbor-like Wilmington, N.Y.: Local residents report crazed man, equipped with hammer, roaming forests. French lose credibility in mocking Americans, nominate racist fascist for President over socialist Prime Minister. Why we love France: Thousands protest nomination of Le Pen. EU prays France elects Chirac.
New York's currently: a tornado. Vatican's discussion with American cardinals to cover celibacy, gay candidates, role of women in Catholic church. Bush calls Sharon a 'man of peace,' U.S. emissaries to renew contact with Palestinian authorities. U.N. envoy to Middle East calls
New York's currently: Texas. Tomb of unknown victims becomes strong candidate for permanent Ground Zero memorial. American jet drops laser-guided bomb on Canadian soldiers in training area, killing four. Study sees 6,000 premature deaths from power plants in 2007, plus 140,000 asthma attacks and 14,000
New York's currently: super-hot. Powell prepares to leave Middle East, unsatisfied with lack of Israeli pull-out, end of bombings, or cease-fire, but pledging to return, do more. Bush learns to tone down rhetoric after not getting what he wants in Middle East. Supreme Court supports 'virtual'
New York's currently: saying the wrong thing. Pope summons American cardinals to Vatican for stern lecture on pedophilia. Dutch cabinet resigns over Srebrenica massacre: 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys executed while Army, Government, and U.N. stood by. Bush's grammatical blunders are edited in
New York's currently: standing on the corner / just me and Yoko Ono. Powell calls for Lebanon and Syria to end Hezbollah attacks. Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz had CIA investigate U.N. inspector in Iraq, fearing Hussein's potential agreement to new inspections will delay military assault. Chinese
New York is currently: trying to remember what nature smells like. Powell leaves four hours of conversation with Sharon with no timetable for pullout from West Bank, believes peace requires Sharon meeting with Arafat. New York to implement tighter security at airports, with greater inspection of employees' history than
New York is currently: the most beautiful city in the world Colin Powell heads to Israel. Israeli troops occupy more Palestinian regions, withdraw from two dozen West Bank villages. Sharon losing support in White House. Twin Towers light memorial to go dim this weekend. Final day of De Niro'
New York is currently: warm, light-filled, lined with shaggy white trees U.S., U.N., EU and the Russkies urge Israel's withdrawal from Palestinian territories, end of violence. French political wives take up campaigning, pushing private life to the foreground. Map of cities currently occupied by Israel. Bosnian
New York is currently: searching for synonyms for stressed Powell's mideast visit starts on bad note when Moroccan King asks why he's making pit-stops on way to Jerusalem. Assassination attempt in Iraq raises concern that Saddam may strike first. Colorado bookstore not required to divulge records
welcome to the new site. if you're recently joining us, read the letter to the reader to find out what's new. Powell begins mideast trip, with first stop in Morocco, then Egypt and Jordan; Arab leaders insist he meet with Arafat. Egyptian militants test politicians who
welcome to the new site. if you're recently joining us, read the letter to the reader to find out what's new. U.S. envoy Zinni met with Arafat; Israel continues offensive. Taiwan used secret $100M slush fund to influence other governments, including top officials at Bush&
welcome to the new site. if you're recently joining us, read the letter to the reader to find out what's new. U.S. willing to open mideast discussions without cease-fire. Ceasefire signed in Angola after 30 years of civil war; full terms not yet disclosed; three
welcome to the new site. if you're recently joining us, read the letter to the reader to find out what's new. White House mideast policy muddled; Bush defenses sound more hollow given situation's tragic gravity; Bush to implement Allen's color system. Palestinian
Sharon proposes flying Arafat into exile; European leaders clamour to have him first. White House remains on Code Yellow alert, with no apparent need to move to Code Orange. Millions breathe sighs of relief. Dan Rather has close call with suicide bomber; millions actually do breathe sighs of relief. Israel
Two found guilty in dog maul trail. Bush administration proposes dropping required patient consent for release of medical records. Twenty-three charged in World Trade Center relief fraud. Upgrading old--and we mean old--Macs: an SE 30 that runs OS X? Five dollars in lunch money goes missing: all third-graders ordered strip-searched.
Campaign finance bill wins approval; Bush will sign, calling it "flawed." Car bomb in Lima kills nine outside U.S. embassy. Whitewater investigation ends with no evidence of crimes for Bill or Hillary. White House plans tribunal system for Afghan war captives. Bush urges federal judges to roll
CIA Director calls Iran's behavior--currently interfering with allied interests in Afghanistan--"worse than schizoid;" mentally-disabled offended, for themselves, also themselves. Zimbabwe opposition leader charged with treason for plotting to kill Mugabe. Zimbabwe suspended from Commonwealth, with Mbeki and Obasanjo urging reform. Italian economic advisor killed, helped
Cheney changes direction, plans to meet with Arafat if truce takes hold; Sharon lifts travel ban, anticipating Arab summit. Democrats receive giant cash infusion, just as legislation to ban similar gifts is pushed. A study of the President's delicate shopping within Congress. Thieves leave Heathrow airport with $3M;
Cheney on way to talk with Sharon, hoping Zinni has good news. EPA kills clean air act, instates voluntary emissions-reduction; energy lobbyists hoist champagne flutes, toast Cheney. Bush campaigns regularly for Republicans, unnoticed unlike Clinton, thanks to the Rove-effect. Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane leave The Producers and the city
Cheney on way to talk with Sharon, hoping Zinni has good news. EPA kills clean air act, instates voluntary emissions-reduction; energy lobbyists hoist champagne flutes, toast Cheney. Bush campaigns regularly for Republicans, unnoticed unlike Clinton, thanks to the Rove-effect. Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane leave The Producers and the city
U.S. grand jury indicts British-born militant as mastermind behind Daniel Pearl's death. Bush changes direction, pledges additional $5B in foreign aid over three years. Radical Islamic group with ties to al Qaeda grows in northern, Kurdish Iraq. Severe drought threatens rural Maine. Much of U.S. faces
Israel's continuing invasion of Ramallah angers Bush, inspires Israel defense minister to threaten resignation. Bush pledges action against Hussein, with "all options on the table." Bush desires formal nuclear-reduction treaty with Putin in May. As press grows angry over mayor's hidden private life, The
Mugabe wins re-election in Zimbabwe; election denounced widely as fraud; South Africa says election is valid. Israel continues offensive amid calls to cease attacks before arrival of U.S. envoy. Nigerians flock to churches that worship money. September 11th terrorist pilots' visas approved by INS. France disapproves of cryonics,
Memorial and remembrance in lower Manhattan. Increased Mideast violence. Israel embarks on its largest military offensive since 1982. Space Shuttle Columbia touches down after Hubble repairs. Wisconsin man arrested for storing cyanide in a Chicago subway tunnel. Introduction of a five-stage national terror alert system: we're currently at
Six months after September 11, New York remembers, erects memorials. Israel allows Arafat to move freely. Facing criminal indictment, having lost employees and clients, Arthur Andersen in talks to merge with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Visiting journalists and returning exiles mean property prices in Afghanistan are out of control. "I
Bush renews promise for $20B recovery package for NYC; politicians give near-Brokaw level praise, appear suckers. 9/11 memorial, "Tribute of Light," will be lit on Monday. The project responsible for the Towers of Light. Ashcroft enlists local militias, covertly known as Orange Hats, to battle terrorism in
Bush tax plan turned into benefits for unemployed. Zimbabwe passes election laws that may throw presidency to Mugabe. Bandits hold, release hostages at Staples. Seinfeld builds own parking lot to house Porsche collection. Superman brand weakened by Kryptonite hair gel. Abel meets Cain in buyout wars over Global Crossing. CBS
Bush turns down stronger U.S. role in Middle East after meeting with Egypt's Mubarek. U.S.-led attack has dominant position in major ground war in Afghanistan. Details of battle, rescues, and resistance. Bloomingdale's may open Soho branch on Broadway. Incredibly, Slate gets duped by
Upcoming Zimbabwe election--with Mugabe's power in question--prompts growing violence. War continues in Middle East; chart of recent deaths. War continues in Afghanistan; chart of recent attacks. San Francisco reaches breaking point on homeless problem. New York liberals ask Bloomberg to tax the wealthy as trade for service cuts.
Religious violence kills more than 500 in India. Switzerland vows to stay neutral, votes to join U.N. Business interests and humanitarian concerns can be combined in China, says John Kamm. U.S. recession recovery, once weak, now seems strong with growing manufacturing, consumer spending. [wsj; sub. req.] The thin
Secret American government in bunker. Missing seven-year-old's body identified. Hindu rioters burn Muslims in India. Cases overturned yesterday for ex-cops convicted of torturing Abner Louima. More news on Cheney's Energy-company, the EPA, and air standards going unnoticed. Adam Gopnik fears northern invasion, draws wild conclusions from
Federal Judge orders release of energy dept. files. West African aid workers demanding sex for rations in refugee camps. Afghanistan expected to re-corner the opium market. NYC may ditch recycling program, consider moving trash from one borough to another. Scarves, hats banned: Insider's tale from the Supreme Court.
Bush approves Saudi "vision" for Mideast Peace. White House would spend millions to promote marriage as solution to poverty, social ills; increase work hours for welfare recipients to 40 a week. Rumsfeld kills Pentagon's propaganda unit, saying recent allegations damaged group beyond repair. Muslim mob sets
Zimbabwe opposition leaders charged with treason; U.S. calls allegations slander in campaign against Mugabe's competition. Israel and Palestine wait for U.S. endorsement of Saudi peace plan. Washington lawyer, on judge's instructions, hacks into Indian Affairs Bureau and exposes flaws; Robert Redford to play lead
Trials being prepared for the three suspects in the Pearl slaying. Hole, tunnel discovered under U.S. embassy in Rome. Davis, Riordan, Simon, and Jones in California political nose-bloodying and eye-blackening. Join us next week when The Fifth Stooge will join the cast. Conclusion of the 2002 Winter Olympics: security,
Reporter Daniel Pearl reported dead; story with depth, detail and feeling, in the Journal. [sub. req.] Pearl story from '94 about a disappearing Stradivarius violin. [sub. req.] Sharon plans buffer zones around Israel, calls for national unity. Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers to sign ceasefire, first peace in
Reporter Daniel Pearl reported dead; story with depth, detail and feeling, in the Journal. [sub. req.] Pearl story from '94 about a disappearing Stradivarius violin. [sub. req.] Sharon plans buffer zones around Israel, calls for national unity. Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers to sign ceasefire, first peace in
Bush and Jiang have differences of opinion on weapons trading; country music used to cloak sensitive conversations. Supreme court weighs school-voucher case: federal funds for tuition in private religious Cleveland schools. Sharon to announce new peace strategy, no "Seven Days of Quiet" condition. Fraternity may lose license for
Egyptian train fire kills over 300. Four Moroccans arrested in Rome with large quantities of cyanide and maps of the city's water supply. Bush in the demilitarized zone: U.S. will not invade North Korea, shares vision of a united peninsula. Families file lawsuit against September 11 suspects
Bush arrives in South Korea to protests. Munich gunman kills three. U.S. airstrikes against forces opposing the new Kabul government. British court will employ text messaging to expedite cases. You just can't kill that robot: Terminator 3 begins filming. New York fashion week culminates with Jeremy, Donna,
Big in Japan: Bush, Koizumi pledge allegiance to their common goals. Airlines lobbied to avoid security upgrades. U.S. to provide more rigorous response to hostage cases. PayPal goes public--and quite successfully--in disturbing time-warp IPO. What they've been trying to do for decades: new, paid Napster-like technology--this time
Midtown Manhattan return hit-and-run assailant arrested. Presenting the birth of the first cloned cat. Oh, widdle bumpkins bumpkins kitty widdy widdy. Fearing security issues, Microsoft switches off Internet applications for the .NET platform, allowing it to be "secure by default." Feel free to switch them back on later.
House approves campaign-finance reform bill amid spin-orgy: Fleischer claims credit for finance-form--if it passes--for Bush, despite White House's opposition to measure; House Whip DeLay decries it as weak, despite long strategy to weaken it. Milosevic claims human-rights abuses, lynching by court; leads polls for People's Ugliest
U.S. considers methods of toppling Hussein; war expected, though not in Iran or North Korea, says Powell. Campaign finance bill gains ground with concessions; Republicans ready amendments to weaken or kill measure. Clintons took $362K in gifts on parting; many items suspected undervalued to avoid disclosure, including a $249
White House works to defeat campaign finance reform bill. With allegations of mistaken killings and suspects at large, U.S. war becomes unclear. Bush calls Iran terror-spoke in public, sends friendly signals behind doors. Milosevic goes on trial; public opinion between Ebola, Hitler. Hitler allowed people to smoke around him
Ban-soft-money-bill faces many ways of defeat, one way of success. Congress leaders go on soft money binge, both parties setting records in fund raising. Iran celebrates Islamic revolution, President blames Sept. 11 on American policies. Jack Abbot, Norman Mailer's knife-wielding protege, found dead in jail. Soon-to-be released documentary
Enron executives testify before politicians once glad to have their money now on moral plane. Iran rejects U.K. ambassador for being Jewish, part of underworld conspiracy to control world via levers. Bloomberg reconsiders moving City Museum from Harlem to newly--and expensively--renovated Tweed Courthouse. Bloomberg was happy to pay for
One of five Americans was either born abroad or has parents that were. GOP ready to do anything to defeat next week's vote on campaign finance reform. GOP, fearful of finance reform, funnels layabout dollars to state candidates where laws are loose. Today: Sharon looks for Bush to
U.S. changes direction, seeks legal pact with Russia to reduce nuclear arsenals. Cluster bombs, used by U.S. forces in Afghanistan, injure indiscriminately after fighting's stopped. Bush shuts down east side of Manhattan to fund-raise. Congressman restores use of "donnybrook;" Judge fears implications of "
Bush submits $2.1T budget, emphasis on deficit spending: increased military, more tax cuts, weakened domestic programs. A full review of budget changes in Federal departments. Bloomberg grapples with Giuliani's 11th-hour, unnoticed law to close bookstores with "ongoing focus on sexually explicit material." A heart-warming story
Due to illness, The Morning News will not be posted today. There most likely will be updates, but unfortuately, no news. For a cursory glance at the headlines, may we recommend The Google Headline Sorter. While this is a poor substitute for our award-winning reporting, it's the best
Bush proposes bill to diversify employee pension plans, still misses Enron problem of holdings concentrated in employer's stock. White House declares embryos eligible for health care, establishing legal basis to repeal Roe v. Wade. Elizabeth Dole gets whacked for Enron allegiance; Jeb Bush targeted for $325M loss from
Ari Fleischer says Bush's "Axis of Evil" not meant to allude to WWII's Axis Powers, widely seen as evil. General Accounting Office to sue White House over energy papers. Tears, resolve, and weaponry in Japanese politics. Wynton Marsalis's cousin--principal trumpet player for
In state of union address, President calls Iran, Iraq, and North Korea "axis of evil." Full text of state of the union address. Art dealer charged with stealing antiques from Egypt; British Museum thankful its acquisitions took place before 1983. Horrific health scandal shakes Poland's faith
Ashcroft spends $8,000 to cover nude statues displayed behind him in press conferences. EU complains to Israel, protesting damages to Euro-funded aid projects in Palestine. Bush reconsiders status of war captives, perhaps to grant protections of the Geneva Convention. Bloomberg, already well-heeled in Washington politics, increases city lobbying on
Ashcroft spends $8,000 to cover nude statues displayed behind him in press conferences. EU complains to Israel, protesting damages to Euro-funded aid projects in Palestine. Bush reconsiders status of war captives, perhaps to grant protections of the Geneva Convention. Bloomberg, already well-heeled in Washington politics, increases city lobbying on
Bush plans to pay his way through a recession and a war, with a total spending increase of nine percent. Cheney refuses to hand over energy policy documents for investigation into White House energy proposals. Presidential speeches composed in Starbucks, says speechwriter. Hillary Clinton spends 90 percent of her day
House forces vote on campaign finance bill against soft money in wake of Enron collapse. U.S. may cut ties with Arafat as advisers reassess Middle East policy. India tests short-range nuclear missile, says good for security; Pakistan sees deterrent to stability. China finds opportunity in war on terrorism to
Bush asks for massive defense boost: annual budget of $380B, much larger than Congress expected. White House expects to run $106B deficit this year, in wild, frothing, ape-like swing from last year's estimation for this year of $231B surplus. Enron chief quits, citing federal inquiries as too distracting
India blames Pakistan for yesterday's shooting in Calcutta; FBI holds off on judgment. Supreme Court rules states have limits on extending confinement on sexual criminals after sentences expire. FTC plans national "Do Not Call" list to protect Americans against telemarketers; telemarketers say it infringes on free
Five police officers killed as gunmen fire on U.S. offices in Calcutta. Deployment of troops in Philippines seen as symbolic involvement, not heavy strike. Israel seizes Palestinian city--Tulkarm-- first city taken over in 16 months. After volcano eruption, gas station explodes in Goma, kills 30 to 60. Amazon.com
Israeli warplanes destroy West Bank compound in retaliation for bat mitzvah attack. Ground Zero contractors denied insurance in dangerous work site. Mounting criticism for EPA's endorsement of Ground Zero air as clean. Bag screening begins at airports, increased delays expected. NYFD to consider new statue in lieu of
Politicians give back Enron funds, dumping thousands into charities. Bloomberg begins giving clues to where his focus lies, standing on his "social liberal" claims. Four Symbionese Liberation Army radicals charged with murder. Good summary of atrocities in Zimbabwe; U.S. and EU consider sanctions against Mugabe. Alan Greenspan
Two students shot in Manhattan school. Relatives of Sept. 11 victims meet relatives of American bombing victims in Kabul. Enron's collapse and political scheming reveal deep, expensive influence in House. A look at the fraud and greed that fueled Enron (is your 401k matched in cash or stock?
Zimbabwe's Mugabe vows free, fair election despite continued violence against opposition parties, barring of international journalists. Israel's Sharon says bulldozing of Gaza homes necessary for security. Pakistan holds 1,430 in custody during crackdown on extremists. Banner guidelines to be released today with new measurements for
GOP fear PR nightmare with Enron disaster. A story of politics setting policy as U.S. missile defense proponents found nations to fear. Scalia given top post in Labor department, despite dismissal of ergonomics as "junk science." EPA ombudsman challenges chief Whitman, claims she favoured Citigroup in cleanup
Fires blaze around Sydney, Australia; 5,000 tourists and residents trapped between parks and sea. ACLU & Consulates find legal thickets, little way in helping people detained in manhunt. Asbestos in dust near ground zero feared harmful once airborne; 25 percent of firefighters who worked rescue have been ill with
Argentine President de la Rua resigns; violence and looting ongoing; 21 protesters dead since Wednesday. Powell says, once again, Iraq is not the issue; now points finger at Somalia. Hamas orders end to suicide bombings, no word from other groups. Arafat faces public revolt as citizens align him with Israel
Despite post-Sept. 11 claims by media that celebrity-worship was waning, candidate for most inane article of year appears, pledging press's continued support of narcissism and mediocrity. Iraqi civil engineer describes multiple sites for constructing weapons. Argentina declares state of siege, to last at least 30 days; Economy minister
Indian politician accused Pakistan of trying to "wipe out" its leadership. U.S. threats against N. Korea have S. Korea worried about retaliations and curbing of progress in relations. A look at John Walker's attorney's strategy to prevent his client from being executed for
Palestinian militants reject Arafat's appeal, ambush civilians in the West Bank. Israel Tourism Minister: "If Palestinians lose war, they will be expelled." Putin expects prior consultation if U.S. attacks Iraq. Five-alarm fire at St. John the Divine; if completed the largest cathedral in the world.
No comedians here: Gunmen attempt coup in Haiti. In last stand measure, Arafat calls for end of all attacks against Israel. India vows consequences for attack on parliament. Clinton & Schumer chase after the $20M Bush promised in his stature-making catcalls to firemen. The political brokering, compromising, and deal-moving that
Powell says U.S. withdrawal from ABM Treaty was orchestrated with Russian cooperation. Arafat stops crackdown on extremist groups after Israel breaks ties. Israel approaches full war with Palestinian Authority. India blames Pakistan group for attack on Parliament, "hot pursuit" of suspects considered in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. AIDS groups
Israel disavows Arafat, attacks swiftly after bus explosion killed 10. Terrorists--including suicide bomber--attack Indian Parliament. U.S. continues heavy attacks on al Qaeda: is annihilation the goal? Two California men from Jewish Defense League arrested for bomb-making, plotting against mosques and congressman. U.S. Army has been making Anthrax since
U.S. will pull out of ABM treaty. U.S. files criminal charges against French man believed to 20th hijacker, four of six counts eligible for death penalty. House to pass election overhaul bill, offering millions to states. The Sotheby's price-fixing trial offers an interesting look at how
U.K. to lead peacekeeping force in Kabul. Debate over construction of new stealth bombers: Air Force against, Rumsfeld for. U.S. Taliban soldier leaves weird trail of identities in usenet groups. American spy mission begins in Somalia. Online journalism has same free-press protections against libel as other outlets. Saddam
U.S. and Russia stick with positions of disagreement on missile defense system. Israel rejects truce offer from militant groups, attacks car with missiles. Hamas receives increased support, new members in war with Israel. Departing Merrill Lynch analyst Blodget under investigation for hyping dot-stocks. [wsj] Swedish modern art museum closed
Mullah Omar to relinquish control of Kandahar tomorrow. American bomb injures new Afghan prime minister, killed three U.S. soldiers. Ashcroft loves his gun rights: Justice Department refuses to let the FBI perform gun checks on the 1,200 detained. Sharon gives Arafat 12 hours to arrest militants. Hamas fights
Talks end, agreement reached on post-Taliban Afghan government. Ethel Rosenberg's brother admits lying during trial that sent her and her husband to death. bin Laden's assistants believed to be killed in cave-bombings. Bush chats up lawmakers as vote nears for "Fast Track" trade authority
Israel attacks Arafat's headquarters, damaging buildings and helicopters; Arafat not injured. Bush freezes assets of three groups linked to Hamas. U.S. issues alert of terrorism attacks during final weeks of Ramadan. Fearing exodus of space-arm scientists, Canada and U.S. tighten border. Cockfighting back in Afghanistan. War
IDF helicopters fire missiles near Arafat's headquarters in retaliation to weekend bombings. U.S. focuses on Somalia in hunt for terrorists. Sri Lanka's election marred by violence, strife. Museum underway for crash site of Flight 93. Hearst suspected to back out of Talk Magazine. U.S.
George Harrison--my favorite Beatle--died. House passes insurance bill to provide big loans to insurers, restricts claims by victims. U.N. passes move to impose new sanctions on Iraq. Zimbabwe moves closer to election, Mugabe cracks down harder on perceived threats. South Africa's high rates of rape increase spreading
CIA confirms first American fatality in Afghan combat. American masses support all things Bush; Bush keeps moving on back of masses. Pentagon says Taliban no longer controls its troops, bin Laden's location identified. Arab academic claims 14 al-Qaeda fighters flown by U.S. to Wake Island in Pacific;
Congress to hold hearings today about administration's plan to have military tribunal courts. Ashcroft releases names of 93 detained; nationalities and charges of 548. Ex-FBI agents and executives criticize Ashcroft's investigation. Two Pakistani nuclear scientists detained after anthrax-as-a-weapon papers found in their Afghan offices. Details of
Bush ominously warns Hussein of consequences for development of unconventional weaponry; Powell assures Larry King that "many options" are available for action. U.S. doubles ground forces in Afghanistan, possibly to 1,000 troops. Michigan law enforcement invites Middle Eastern men to be investigated. Harvard professor--expert on dangerous
U.S. marines arrive near Kandahar, Afghanistan in first major wave of ground troops. 300 killed when Taliban prisoners start revolt in prison. Bush and friends push for oil drilling in Arctic refuge, citing questionable statistics on amount of resources. Nepal in danger of civil war. Vladimir Putin finds fame
U.S. marines arrive near Kandahar, Afghanistan in first major wave of ground troops.300 killed when Taliban prisoners start revolt in prison.Bush and friends push for oil drilling in Arctic refuge, citing questionable statistics on amount of resources.Nepal in danger of civil war.Vladimir Putin finds fame
22 nations, including U.S., pledge billions to re-build Afghanistan.Connecticut woman, 94-years-old, has inhalation anthrax.Montgomery County smokers face fines for exhaling at home if their neighbors are bothered.Xbox and Gamecube sell in large numbers.Hugh Hefner launches "Operation Playmate" email campaign for soldiers.New Jagger
Pentagon builds case for bombing Iraq.Powell outlines U.S. Middle East policy: cool-off period first, then negotiations on settlements, terror, occupation.Bush's recent power-grabs continue to expand in scope.CIA-sponsored team broke terrorist group in 1998 with brutal means. [wsj]Spanish Judge indicts secret terror group, possibly
Afghan opposition groups to meet outside country in discussion of new government.U.S. accuses Iraq and five others of violating treaty banning germ weapons.Kabul vaccine-and-germs-lab toured by The Mirror.Powell endorses Mitchell plan for strategy in Middle East.A day in the life of Anthony Romero, head of
Pakistan warns of lawless bloodbath as Taliban deserts Kabul. As Taliban leave, men shave, light up, and watch Titanic. No evidence of terrorism in crash of American Airlines Flight 587. U.S. agents were told to back off from investigating the bin Ladens before September 11. Stimulus package proves to
Federal government will hire and manage 28,000 screeners for U.S. airports.Bush continues exploration of Putin's soul, finds no progress on missile defense program.Warlords take control in Afghanistan's power vacuums.In reverse of policy, White House decides to keep smallpox around until new
Nuclear plans for fission device found in bin Laden safe house.Special forces comb Afghanistan for traces of bin Laden, with no gains in tracking him down.Blair uses video as proof of bin Laden's guilt; U.S. still hasn't released evidence condemning bin Laden.October
Taliban leaves Kabul, either in flight or tactical retreat. Bush signs order to personally select terrorists to be tried in military tribunals. Bush and Putin agree to reduce nuclear warhead stockpiles. Though it's unclear how many warheads will be stored versus destroyed, the dismantling process requires a screwdriver,
Pakistan warns of lawless bloodbath as Taliban deserts Kabul.As Taliban leave, men shave, light up, and watch Titanic.No evidence of terrorism in crash of American Airlines Flight 587.U.S. agents were told to back off from investigating the bin Ladens before September 11.Stimulus package proves to
American Airlines flight 587 crashed in Queens.If Florida recount had gone as prescribed, Bush would have won; if all disputed ballots were counted, Gore would most likely be President.Three foreign journalists killed by Taliban.European authorities uncover evidence of planned chemical attacks by North African terrorist groups.China
President Bush urges U.S.: "My fellow Americans, let's roll"; neglects to mention whether indos or a gang of Tanqueray will be supplied.Pakistan arrests mullahs calling for the army to overthrow the government.Three killed by police in pro-Taliban protest in Pakistan.Officials confirm 135
Iraqi intelligence defectors say they worked in terrorist-training camps run by the Iraqi government.Blair appeals to Bush not to bomb Iraq; Bush says, "Peace or no peace in the Middle East, we'll bring al-Qaida to justice."Bush maintains 89 percent approval rating, with nine out
Michael Bloomberg was elected the 108th mayor of New York City.U.N. warns of global disaster from growing population.Relief effort in Afghanistan described as food crisis, not refugee story.Bush threatens to veto Congressional bill for additional emergency funds past $40B.Reversing Clinton policy, Ashcroft authorizes federal agents
Bush says al Qaeda on hunt for chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.Mayoral candidates Green and Bloomberg go neck and neck in last hours.Germany offers 3,900 troops for U.S. war on terrorism.Putin warns that world must avoid double standards on terrorism.Heavy fighting continues in Chechnya
Listening for Islam's silent majority amidst calls for jihad.Anthrax found in Pentagon post office.Rumsfeld says war in Afghanistan won't take years, getting more effective each day.Advocacy of torture as investigative tool begins appearing in media.Secret CIA site was destroyed along with WTC.
House approves Bush's bill to place Fed in charge of airport security without turning employees into federal workers.U.S. ground troops seem necessary to topple Taliban.Arrested Pakistani nuclear engineer admires the Taliban and wants to solve energy crisis with djinnis.California Governor warns of threat against
Disease detectives scour New York for clues in anthrax mystery.Bloomberg's senior advisor calls Mark Green anti-Reagan, pro-Stalin.White House agrees to Clinton rule of 80 percent reduction in drinking water's arsenic.New agreement being discussed to cut two-thirds of U.S. and Russia's
New York hospital worker becomes fourth to die of anthrax in last month.U.S. asks Turkey for troops; Turkey responds favourably.First British casualties, on Taliban's side.Bin Laden's chosen biographer says Al Qaeda's power rests with Egyptian al-Zawahiri, not bin Laden.New
Afghan opposition gathers North of Kabul, ready to take the capital.Ashcroft warns of imminent attacks against U.S., citing credible information.Possible inhalation anthrax case shuts down N.Y. hospital.Iran's supreme leader rejects any relations with U.S.G.W. Bush to attend Yankees game tonight.
U.S. diplomats met with Taliban representatives over three-year period, failing to have bin Laden turned over.U.S. considers building base inside Afghanistan to support Northern Alliance.Taliban tells armed Pakistani tribesman--ready to enlist in holy war--they're not needed at this point. Pakistan intelligence had strong connections
The Times reports bin Laden has nuclear materials obtained in Pakistan.Rumors are inevitable during war: the stories of bin Laden's death. Pentagon postpones missile defense tests in order not to violate ABM treaty.New York Times now questions legitimacy of the "10,000 orphans" figure,
Five die in scaffolding collapse; building's manager is Mark Green's brother.Bodies recovered from Swiss tunnel disaster.White House dogged by imprecise language and public confusion over global terrorism.Pentagon switches direction in assessment of war, now calling Taliban "a tough foe" as U.
U.S. suggests ground troops may pursue soldiers in residential areas.U.S. hopes to block supplies from reaching Taliban leaders.White House advising caution in speculations of Iraq's involvement in WTC/Pentagon and anthrax attacks.English pot smokers will no longer be arrested.The IRA arms gesture
U.S. attacks continue North of Kabul; Northern Alliance and Taliban in heavy fighting.Pakistan closes border to Afghan refugees, in defiance of U.N. demands.Unless objectives are already achieved, U.S. plans to continue bombing through winter and Ramadan.White House calls for Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian areas.
U.S. attacks Taliban front lines, hoping Northern Alliance will take Kabul.Taliban accuses U.S. of genocide, claims 100 dead in bombed hospital.CIA authorized to kill in order to dismantle bin Laden's network.Saudi defense minister questions bin Laden's involvement in WTC-attacks, suggests more
U.S. Special Forces deployed within Afghanistan.Taliban has new truce plan, currently in review with Pakistan.U.S. may not want to topple the Taliban too quickly, for fear of upsetting Pakistan.Sharon says "the era of Arafat is over," threatens war in a week; PLO suspects
U.S. radio broadcasts in Afghanistan: "You are condemned. Did you know that? The instant the terrorists you support took over our planes, you sentenced yourselves to death."Four men--convicted of involvement in 98 embassy bombings in Africa-- sentenced today amidst tight security.Israel demands Arafat turn over
Palestinian radicals killed Israeli Tourism minister.War continues: Heavy bombing; Appeals for aid; Opposition forces close in on key city.China bans airline ticket sales to 19 different nationalities, including all Muslims.CNN has submitted interview questions to a bin Laden representative.White House considers lifting ban on military equipment
Transcripts of communications between hijackers and controllers made public.Russian news agency reports Al Qaida tried to buy nuclear material through the Russian mafia.Powell & Pakistan President Musharraf agree on makeup of future Afghan government, including moderate members of the Taliban.Iran sends "secret message" to U.
Bush refuses Taliban's conditions for surrender of bin Laden, repeating "no negotiations."Ferrer stays optimistic as Board of Elections officials reveal overcount in results of Democratic runoff.Congress overwhelmed by costs of protecting the nation.Business strike in Pakistan to protest Colin Powell's imminent
Bush offers Taliban "second chance" if it "coughs up" bin Laden.Taliban invites Western journalists to site of 200 dead.U.N. Human Rights Commissioner calls for suspension of strikes against Afghanistan.India uses teargas on thousands of Muslim protesters.Green wins NYC Democratic nomination for
Sesame Street producers upset over Bert's background in terrorism.Attacks on Afghanistan continue with sustained bombing.Taliban has received approx. $100M cash from bin Laden over last five years.V.S. Naipaul wins Nobel Prize in literature.China and U.S. restart human rights talks.Ashcroft calls Anthrax
Al Quaeda appeals to Muslims everywhere to attack U.S. interests; WTC attacks called "good deed"; British Muslims asked to kill Blair.Pentagon prepares for risky helicopter raids over Afghanistan.Anti-terrorism bill stalled in Senate, feared corrosive to civil liberties.Investigators suspect anthrax in Florida originated in Iowa
Airstrikes continue in daylight, 4 civilians killed, Taliban leader's house struck, Taliban prepared to sacrifice 2M lives.Pakistan requests meetings with Indian Foreign Minister.National Enquirer publisher, with three employees exposed to Anthrax, suspects former intern's departure present.Natural cause seems unlikely in two anthrax cases.
America and U.K. begin week-long bombing campaign in Afghanistan.114 dead in plane crash at Milan airport.First attacks aimed at air defense, training camps.Defense Secretary Rumsfeld calls first attacks "very successful."Taliban claims 20 civilians killed, backs call for holy war.Second man in Florida
U.S. deploys 1,000 troops to Uzbekistan/Afghanistan border.Sharon tells Bush, "Do not try to appease the Arabs at our expense."FBI, CIA tell Congress of high probability of second attack on American targets.Bush announces $300M in food and medical supplies for Afghan people.Taliban
Russian plane, flying from Tel Aviv to Siberia, exploded, then crashed into the Black Sea; Israel suspends all flights.Ebola-like virus confirmed on Afghan/Pakistan border.Pakistan satisfied with evidence of bin Laden's involvement; strikes seem nigh.Bush calls for $75B economic stimulus plan, including many projects unpopular
CIA trained and equipped Pakistani commandos to capture or kill bin Laden in 1999.IDF kills six Palestinians in response to Hamas killings.New York City budget gap now estimated at $4B.Some New Yorkers respond to tragedy with acrophobia; others climb the outside of buildings.Six people killed in
NATO says evidence points to Al-Qaida and bin Laden, meaning U.S. has support of 18 allies.Bin Laden called his mother, saying he could not meet her because "something big" was about to happen, on Sept. 10.Blair declares war unless Taliban hands over bin Laden.White
Taliban now claims to hide bin Laden, U.S. continues military build-up.Britain freezes 61M pounds linked to Taliban rulers.Arafat faces open revolt as ceasefire is disobeyed.U.S. warns that more terrorism is likely, including the use of biological weapons.Smell from attacks lingers downtown, reminding New Yorkers
Pakistani Muslim clerics arrive in Afghanistan, asking for bin Laden to be handed over.Large protest in Peshawar, Pakistan, denounces America, plans national defense policy based on soles.Black caucus urges caution over crusade.Giuliani wants longer term; Green and Bloomberg say yes, Ferrer says no.Spiritual and terror guide
Pentagon says military strikes are not the primary piece of America's retaliation. Israel/Palestine truce marred by gunbattle in Gaza. Jesse Jackson asked by Taliban to lead peace mission. Giuliani considers extending term by months, to "maintain unity." Gunman in police uniform kills 14 in Switzerland.
Bloomberg wins G.O.P vote in mayoral primary; Green and Ferrer in run-off.FBI starts records check on all Hazmat truck drivers.Builders, planners, and architects debate on what to build in the WTC's crater.Bush and other G8 leaders were targeted by bin Laden at Genoa
House approves payment of $582M to U.N. for back dues.Saudi Arabia breaks ties with Taliban.Pakistan will keep ties with Taliban.U.S. seeks Afghan rebels to help destroy and replace Taliban.U.S. considers recruiting Iran into international coalition against terrorism.Newspapers concerned about war reporting under
Bush signs order to freeze assets believed to fund terrorism.Taliban refutes American Mid-East policy.Saudi Arabia under many influences as America hopes to fight again from its soil.U.S. response to terrorism to be silent, invisible, not massive.Gas masks sell out in New York.Giuliani has "
Unless provided with evidence of crimes, Taliban will not turn over bin Laden.Pakistani paper reports bin Laden has left Afghanistan.Giuliani announces increase in number of missing: 6,333.French police arrest 8 extremists, suspected of planning attacks on U.S. Embassy in Paris.White House has support--91 percent--of
Grand council of Afghanistan's Islamic leaders urges bin Laden to leave, threatening jihad if U.S. attacks.Bin Laden ready to stand trial if evidence is presented.Bush sends carriers and jets towards Afghanistan.Paperless trail left by terrorists on Internet.Japan reconsiders principles to participate in anti-terrorist
ABC to end parade of WTC imagery.Doctors use robot to remove gall bladder from woman in France.Clinton says he did "what we thought we could" to stop Bin Laden.Iraq denies role in WTC attack.Old, interesting article about opium growth in Afghanistan.Terrorism coverage criticized
CIA asks London City regulators to inspect short-selling of airline and insurance stocks, pre-attack.Bush wants Bin Laden "Dead or Alive" and preps Americans for war casualties.Taliban senior cleric calls for restoration of the jihad against America.Chirac and Blair on their way to U.S. in
Stocks fall sharply at market's opening.Afghanistan deploys troops, 20-25,000, along border, closes airspace and exports foreigners.U.S. seeks global coalition against terrorism; NATO partners welcome collaboration but anxious over proportions of action.EU announces summit to discuss terrorist attacks.A review, thus far, of the
Congress approves 40B for aid and reaction.Rain slows relief effort.Taliban will retaliate against military action.An overview of the Taliban.190 believed dead in Pentagon attack.How passengers on the planes were able to make cell phone calls.Congress concerned over Bush's grab for power.Northwest
Thousands are missing as rescuers continue search in World Trade Center wasteland.Afghanistan's Taliban says Osama bin Laden is under house arrest.FBI identifies 50 people who aided NYC/D.C. attacks.Muslims and Arabs attacked across America.Mayor Giuliani has done an incredible job; a review of
The World Trade Center has been attacked and destroyed.
AOL/TW/CNN/NS makes bid for AT&T cable TV.Israel/Palestine talks to to go ahead despite continued violence."Recession" declared illegal word by newspapers and White House; users will have tax-refund revoked.Disco in former tannery outside Auschwitz to close.African leaders express dismay
The White House has stopped pursuing the breakup of Microsoft: follow the press's takes to see the different meanings.North Korea demands that U.S. troops leave South Korea.George Washington University will close down, and force its 5,400 students to move, during the World Bank/IMF
South Africa re-words draft document; Non-African Diplomats at U.N. Race Conference avoid making "apologies" for "crimes against humanity" for fear of lawsuits.English cardinal says that Christianity almost dead; killed by environmentalists, yoga, paedophiles, and capitalists.Mexico's Fox to address congress on the
Loyalists protesting Catholic school replace rocks with bomb, wounding policemen.More rioting expected in Belfast after Protestant boy killed while cycling.The Durban race conference is not going smoothly: an overview.Bush doesn't commit--as Republicans want--to vetoing spending bills that will spend next year's Social Security
Palestinian suicide bomber wounds 15.Aerial patrols begin in North Carolina on the hunt for man-eating sharks.Protestant protesters hurl stones at Catholic girls on their way to school in Protestant territory.Janet Reno signals she's ready for the governor's seat in Florida.HP will acquire
American middle class was relatively unchanged by 90s economy, except for increasing, looming debt.Norway breaks impasse by offering to take in some of the 400 asylum seekers floating off Christmas Island.Bush's missile defense program could drop nuclear missiles on Europe, Canada, or middle America, warn Army
Israeli Army withdrew from Beit Jala after two days, leaving tanks nearby.Two years after tragic elections, East Timor votes for "constituent assembly."U.S. government and environmental groups compromise on dying-species protection.Milosevic rants in court and has a lawyer assigned against his will.40,000 tax
Violence intensifies on both sides in West Bank; U.S. calls for Israeli withdrawl from Beit Jala.NATO calls arms-gathering in Macedonia a success; government sees it as a "theatrical harvest."Australian troops board Norwegian freighter loaded with 438 refugees.U.S. warns Israel that use of American-made
Peruvian congress votes to charge Japan's ex-President Fujimori with responsibility for two massacres; Japanese officials pledge cooperation.U.S. continues mixed-message middle-east policy, now against Israeli seek-and-destruction.Chicago citizens called on to read "To Kill A Mockingbird" simultaneously.Open mouth, withdraw foot: Publishing companies listened to
Taiwan's Presidential panel calls for new trade with China.Israel kills leader of PFLP, a radical PLO faction; Palestinians call for "comprehensive, unlimited war."Borders bookstores in U.K. use face-mapping security cameras to track shoplifters.Established media giants increase their audiences on the Web as
"Waiting for Guffman" edition"It's like in a Hitchcock movie, you know, where they tie you up in a rubber bag and throw you in the trunk of a car.": Bush says U.S. will withdraw from AMB Treaty, though at "a time
NATO troops begin collecting weapons from ethnic Albanians.Brooklyn tenant charged with beating and burning city marshall sent to evict her.Israel continues seek-and-assassinate plan.General Accounting Office issues warning on Bush's move to cut federal environmental enforcement.50+ music publishers and songwriters file suit against MP3.com.
NATO launches Macedonia mission--to last 30 days--with Brits at helm.Senator Helms to announce that he will not seek re-election, and that he's gay!White House says surplus down forty-four percent from original estimates.Citizens in South-Western Germany hear buzzing; some fear U.S. plan to make people
White House considers backing out of plans to remove 50 tons of plutonium from warheads.Portugal favors treatment over incarceration for drug addicts.Bush calls on Congress to approve his education and defense spending immediately.Amazon will allow some purchased items to be picked up at Circuit City stores.A
Unless the White House redoes the numbers, it will spend billions from Social Security, and the Democrats can't wait.Hamas vows suicidal-revenge on Israeli-sponsored assassinations.America sold half of the weapons bought last year.Bush announces new initiative to destroy vampires.Estimates say 60 percent of China has
"Caddyshack" edition"It's easy to grin / When your ship comes in / And you've got the stock market beat": Five Hollywood studios announce joint venture to rent downloadable films."When you buy a hat like this I bet you get a free
The article that got its editor arrested: Zimbabwe police involved in pillaging.Tentative peace in Macedonia before 400 U.K. troops arrive.IMF believes Bush's tax cuts to be twice as costly as the White House predicts.White House education plan makes schools into businesses and education a
Israel plans a second ground attack at Palestine, suggesting war.Japan's PM Koizumi visited Yasukani, a shrine that honors former military masterminds, to court conservative votes but gained national wrath instead.Bush decides to soften federal rules that would ensure basic care for those on Medicaid.Floridians warned
Israel raids West Bank town Jenin; Palestine appeals for U.N. protection.Charleston, SC, plans slavery museum.America's eldery head to Tijuana for cheap prescription drugs.Leading South African businessman warns of Zimbabwean-style-attacks if white business doesn't share more.Eighteen percent of personal pages use Web
Zimbabwe farmers evacuate as mobs take over, with federal approval.Another suicide bomber strikes Israel, injuring 15.The secret of Wintour's confidence: Teen Vogue, unlike all other teenage girl magazines, begins accepting breast-enlargement ads, claiming teenagers know difference between ads and ads-nots.School principals fear the days of
Bush backs partial stem cell funding.Israel strikes back with occupation of PLO hq in E. Jerusalem.Heat wave pushes metro-area energy to utmost limits.Mother of real "bubble-boy" calls for boycott on new Disney film.Print is alive! Dan Rather claims tv-journalism too light-weight for explaining stem-cell
U.S. broke child-porn e-business Landslide and arrested subscribers.Palestian suicide-bomber killed at least thirteen people in Jerusalem pizza parlor.China admits AIDS crisis by sending health officials into the field.The Times has a thin-coverage article on digital art, but at least mentions Jon Haddock's "Screenshots.
Federal judges dismantle federal snooping software on their computers.Gore Vidal, convinced of secret police, calls McVeigh a hero.NYTimes, in a very strange move, calls Bette Midler a "homo-name."Salon used Aeron chairs to measure dot-com delirium; readers responded, citing the chairs as better than the jobs
Euro RSCG declares "Dark, leathered big-hair preppies cooking fatless beef" IN, "Blond, anorexic models in tweed, playing video games and using VCRs" OUT.Microsoft Chief asks to have it "given up" for him, imitates coked-up monkey.Italian scientist to impregnate eight British women with
Palestine rejects Israeli's most-wanted list after ten people wounded near Israel's Defense Ministry.Nearly 10,000 inmates in NY have Hepatitis C.Bush takes month-long vacation in Texas, calling it "Heartland Tour."In the world of recent lay-offs, multi-tasking becomes managers' new golden
"The Big Sleep" edition"You're not very tall, are you?": U.S. man to amputate legs with homemade guillotine on Web broadcast."Not bad looking. Oh you probably know it.": Gore prepares his re-entry into politics and grows a beard while in
American scholar, accused of drug dealing and espionage, may be released on Friday.House endorses Bush's energy plan with limited arctic drilling.White House heralds new deal on patients' rights; co-author of bill says he was never consulted.As people cry wolf, Code Red still remains a
EPA rules that GE must spend half a billion dredging the Hudson River.Italy orders media to hand over film of G8 protests.Serb police chief keeps finding freezer trucks full of bodies.House bans human cloning, but what are the side effects?Woman returns first edition of Darwin'
The Internet will be destroyed by the Code Red virus, or at least clogged by warning emails.India's Prime Minister offers to resign over mutual fund crisis.Canada legalizes marijuana; Olympic snowboarders disgusted.WTO given warning to change rapidly in order to host more talks.New atomic clock
Armstrong wins Tour de France third time in row, first American to do so.U.K. orders investigation into stories of farmers infecting healthy animals with hoof and mouth disease.Congress will no longer repeal many of Clinton's last mandates.There are now Web-cams on Mars, on Earth.
Business executives blame the Internet's design for their failures.Powell pressures Russia to pressure N. Korea to resume talks with Southern neighbor.The Economist makes the case, again, for legalizing drugs.NYTimes names Gerald Boyd managing editor.MIT Physicist says Pentagon is out to get him for criticizing
If you have purchased a Verizon cell phone online, your personal data may be flowing across chat rooms right now.Chinese scholars, with addresses in the U.S., get popped from prison prior to Powell's visit.Indonesia completes first peaceful leadership transition.U.S. rejects biological weapon ban,
With AOL's $100M investment in Amazon, it can now bid a buy-out.NYC Mayor candidate Bloomberg has resigned from four WASP clubs, as acknowledgement of "the obligations of running for public office."Credit Suisse follows Merrill in forbidding its analysts to hold stock in companies they
178 countries reach climate agreement, while Bush & Co. disagrees.AOL/TW invests $100M in Amazon, part to pay for its shopping technology.Lucent announces more cuts, between 15,000 and 20,000.As the dot-coms perish, life returns to normal in San Francisco, which isn't saying much.
Pope tells Bush that stem-cell research is evil.Two faces, no coin: Bush & Putin agree to consider cuts in nuclear arsenals, while Bush plans to abandon biological weapons ban.Pop-under ads are annoying and growing, reports the Times, while sneaking one right under my browser.Pro-anorexics meet, greet, and
A tale of riches, hoors, and diaries: Lord Jeffrey Archer off to jail for four years.Could Archer's downfall have been predicted in his books? The Guardian Unlimited investigates.G8 convention begins in Genoa amidst protest and anarchy; Bob Geldof condemns violence.Berlin planning publicity campaign, denying Holocaust,
Against his campaign rhetoric, Bush denies U.S. Isolationism during Europe tour.General Accounting Office demands Cheney's information on White House energy policy development.Egypt arrests 52 suspected homosexuals, citing religious rule.Fortune claimed Apple's Jobs was given $872M when he was given $0.CBS finally
Washington Post's Katharine Graham passes away.House committee approves drilling in Alaskan refuge.Why you shouldn't trust the police with Photoshop: The MeFi thread on the Chandra Levy mock-ups.U.S. warplane crashes in Eastern Turkey.India/Pakistan talks end with dispute over Kashmir.Napster to
Russia and China sign cooperation treaty, billed as "an act of friendship against America."Cheney, who first described conservation as a "personal virtue," now sees it as "a must."Cheney has a $186,000 power bill this year for his 33-room mansion.Parcel bomb
Times review of Bush's winning ballots shows flawed votes passed over, despite GOP claims that Democrats re-wrote rules.Bush has Bush Sr. call Saudi Crown Prince to assure that Dub Jr. has "heart in right place" and will "do the right thing"; claims inspiration
Abner Louima receives $8.7M in brutality case.U.S. Defense will no longer be able to fight two wars at once.100-plus officers injured as Irish Catholics riot, in response to Protestant marches.Beijing will host the 2008 Olympic Games.Western leaders--Bush, Chirac--embrace Putin while Russian troops increase brutal
Microsoft opens Explorer's bundling, but keeps its more recent technologies locked together.Israel defends demolition of Palestinian buildings, despite international protest.Scientists make argument for stem-cell research by posing with Ben Affleck.Apple reclaims education market with AirPort, iBook, and PowerSchool.Napster will stay shut down until it
Bush changes mind, says charities can't discriminate in hiring.Russia terrorizes Chechen villages after four soldiers were killed by mines.Condit's apartment gets searched, though he's not a suspect; police prepare to detect for lies and DNA.Missile shield set as primary defense for
Salvation Army cites Bush's aid in preventing gays from getting jobs.Pentagon asks for money to build missile defense test site.Japan and South Korea sharply divided over Japanese text books' treatment of history.NPR commentator Douglas Rushkoff invites readers to footnote his open-source novel.Ximian hopes
England suffers worst race riot in 20 years in Bradford.Comcast offers $44.5B for AT&T's Cable TV business.U.N. can't decide who had, didn't have, or never had the tape of Israeli soldiers being kidnapped.Webvan files for bankruptcy.Bush
U.S. grants dead children medical coverage, despite many live people denied.Air Force rape suspect delivered to Japan.U.N. considers classifying Zionism as "movement based on racial superiority."CBS begins charging for Big Brother Web feeds.Freelancers sue NYTimes again, this time for fear of blacklisting.
Women are top North American Web surfers.Japan calls for Air Force sergeant, accused of raping local citizen, to be turned over.Macedonia and Albanian guerillas use NATO to broker temporary cease-fire.Diesel Jeans: Stay young, stay hip, drink urine.Baskin Robbins ice cream explodes in child, causing hospitalization and
Greenpeace activists break into U.K. spy base to protest involvement in U.S. Star Wars program.The case for Mr. Trimble: The Irish Times considers his contributions.Bush helps Bush by drilling in Alabama, not Florida.In British experiment, Brixton residents won't be prosecuted for smoking pot.
Trimble has resigned as the IRA has not disarmed, and the Protestant marching begins soon.Amid political back-slapping for Milosevic's imprisonment, nail-biting begins over Macedonia.Monster.com buys HotJobs.com for $460M in stock.United ends U.S.Air acquisition.Tampa begins using street-cameras to match faces against
Microsoft, though abusive, will not be broken up for now; lynching for Judge Jackson prepared in Redmond.Milosevic is put in U.N. prison cell until his trial.Speaking for Italy, Prada demands the return of ties for men; hurrah!Catch all international news with the Reuters News Summary.Not
Microsoft will remove Smart Tags--automatic links--from Windows XP.Sharon, used to American coddling, is offended over Bush's unclear commentary on Palestinian progress.500 anarchists beat Italian G8 blockade by chartering a French train.86 percent of Californians don't believe there is an energy shortage, though most
New patent takes the wind out of Windows XP's sails.More Windows XP news: it seems the new OS has the nasty habit of unexpectedly shutting down every now and then.New technology will allow you to share music files among your computer, your stereo, and your car.
Hang up: New York is the first state to ban cell-phone use in cars.Yahoo! adds video to its instant messaging service.Steve Jobs wants teachers to know how cool his computers are.The purpose behind those BMW films? Why, to sell cars, of course.Freelancers' copyright court decision:
The irresponsible Pearl Harbor opens to mixed reactions in Tokyo.Girls at IBM's EXITE summer camps will learn to build Web pages and set up computers.McVeigh execution merchandise pulled off eBay.File-sharing links for you.Artifacts of West African religious practices found within colonial slaveholder's
Web rights worldwide may be compromised by global treaty.Michael Goldberg's daily report at Neumu is, in our opinion, very much worth your precious time.The story behind '.ua', the country code with a past.Actor Carroll O' Connor, television's Archie Bunker, dies
Gardening at Alcatraz.Don't forget your goat leggings: Stonehenge parties for the Summer Solstice.Minimalist artist Rachel Whiteread.The first total solar eclipse of the millennium.We want to go there: the new Apple retail stores.Despite rumors, no, the new "Real World" on MTV is
When you love seafood and you live in New York: you need a plateau de fruits de mer.The search for the sexiest geek alive.Beatles for Sale: the childhood home of John Lennon and the original score for "Yesterday" to be sold over the Internet.Luxury draws
Four-year-old boy drowns in drummer Tommy Lee's backyard pool."Okay, we're through." "Uh...scratch that." Netscape jumps back into the browser game; Morning News still looks bad in the browser. Forbidden Fruit: The Church of Satan shows its support for Apple. Planned
There are 39M miles of fiber-optic cable laid in the ground, and only three percent is used. [wsj]Texas Governor rejects ban on executing the mentally retarded; ban on gramatically retarded beheadings still in place.G8 summit may be moved to warships under threat of anarchist-led violence.Three firefighters killed
White House education (or, testing) bill passed, including Helms's amendment to block funding to schools that block boy scouts for discrimination.Mbeki, looking for investments in South Africa, rules out sanctions against Zimbabwe.Riots follow Bush's trail at EU Summit.Apple and The Church of Satan
White House cancels bombing on Vieques; Sharpton upgraded to "chicken and water" status.Directing the spin: Bush claims official George Lucas status for Star Wars appeal, despite NATO-majority disapproval.University of Iowa apologizes for making orphans stutter.Protesters swarm Goteborg, Sweden for EU meeting.The roaming, revivalist eBay
Seattle judge rules birth-control must be covered by health insurance.Israel and Palestine agree on cease-fire; Hamas rejects Arafat's acceptance.Russian journalist goes undercover in England to find how hard it is to work illegally.Diplomats rock out until Iraq gets tired of The Jam.Covad employees supposedly
Israel and Palestine are close to agreeing on cease-fire, despite Israel's reservations about Mitchell-plan and Palestine's objections to Israeli ideas.U.S. continues to reject Kyoto pact, arguing it will solve global warming problem by funding research and letting the market find profits in preservation; Greenpeace
Feed, Suck, and Word Magazines are gone."Women on Waves," a private Dutch ship, will perform abortions in international waters.Bush concedes global warming issue--plans to spend millions--but still sets bar well below international levels.Macedonia launches new attack against Albanian insurgents, encouraging guerrilla response.The British call
With brash, sustained naivety, Rumsfeld will install Star Wars systems before they work; Bush considers sending first man to moon by 2005.Belgian jury convicts four Rwandans for Hutu/Tutsi slayings.Big surprise: Blair's Labor sweeps the Tories, Producers style.Treasury Secretary O'Neill may have made
After dismissing Kyoto protocol, Bush commissions his own report and now believes global warming is bad; Rice claims nothing will be done that impacts American economy.HMV shoppers lament decline in album cover quality; White House consults HMV shoppers for international policy.Bush's image problem is founded on
Bush changes his mind and intervenes: CIA Director to preach in Middle East.Governor Bush finds everything wrong with a Civil Rights Commission report that said everything was wrong with Florida.All things Bush: Bush twins' cousin, American Icon, scolds media and insists all Americans have been arrested twice
Supreme Court reverses Texans' decision to execute retarded man.Brooklyn court orders Big Tobacco to pay for NYC smokers' healthcare.One in every four computers has been assaulted by its owner.Study finds black voters were penalized in Florida election.White House will provide account of Clinton'
Record industry threatens Princeton professor with legal action if he presents a paper on how to circumvent music-protection systems.The biggest gain becomes the biggest loss: TheGlobe.com gets de-listed from the NASDAQ.Lucent finds revenue slipping $1B since this time last year. [wsj]Protests planned for schools in NYC
Giant Cryonics plant planned as the next Noah's Ark.Gates loses richest-man title to the King of Wal-Marts.Dropped dot-commers and multimedia makers move into the porn industry.The man who beat Kasparov will now go against a machine, though one that's made more human than
Earnings: eBay surprises with a strong showing in Q1. More Earnings: Microsoft beats forecasts. But: Advertisers swear the party's over. Layoffs:Ericsson to cut 12,000. Fashion: Stella McCartney moves to Gucci. Music: Listen to the Daft Punk DJ mix. Literature:Martin Amis grows up. Design:Equipment Stores
IBM stays afloat with profit up 15 percent.Apple returns with titanium profitability.Q&A with the man who saved Blogger.Michael Chabon, Pulitzer-winner, has his own website.The Aibo gets dissected and explained, part by part.NASA is building the Hyper-X to go from NYC to London in
Bikers, Bakers, and other crazy Europeans have their own take on E-commerce.Financially-naive Microsoft engineers have margin-loaned their way to bankruptcy, and some blame Salomon Smith Barney for leading them down the path.With a name like Ducati, your products roar off the Web in record time.Yahoo hopes movie
Yahoo picks Warner Bros. co-CEO for Chief Yahoo.Ellis Island publishes its immigrant lists online today.Blogger is saved by Trellix.China puts up website for killed pilot.Now with MarchFirst gone, we can move on to MarchSecond.Sarnoff shows off new digital video for cell phones, built for U.
With the idea of direct buying, Michael Dell built a business model that few can afford to copy.Tech workers who exercised options but never sold owe a great deal of taxes.Amazon may survive by providing the back-end for Wal-Mart & Co.Attention drug dealers: don't ride
MarchFIRST files for bankruptcy.Yahoo will pull its porn off.Law Professor calls news filtering poisonous for democracy.In the gilded theaters of NYC, people now pray where movies once played.Dana Carvey entertains cryptologists who find special connection to Garth.When coders can't get jobs in San
The ethics of cloning: a level-headed approach is necessary.Kozmo shuts down early in order to give severance pay to 1,100 employees.Yahoo reports first quarterly loss in two years and plans to lay off 12 percent of 3,510.WIRED magazine picks up new editor from The Economist.
When homicide seems justified: Microsoft plans ad campaign around the death of Clippy.Amazon will handle Borders's book selling online.Tapping those masses: Yahoo turns to porn for new revenue.Judge threatens to shut down Napster unless it complies with a court-ordered filtering mandate.Germany's techno-topian
Amazon declares best financial quarter ever, with smaller loss expected.Amazon will publish e-books with Adobe software.The hat problem, conceived by a computer science professor, has coding experts foaming at the bit.Bridget Jones will call you on your cell phone: the first author-wireless deal.If you feel Bush
IBM launches Web-based air conditioning in Europe, where users can turn on and off their cooling systems with the net. [wsj]The next to fall will be VCs without ties to the Rockafellers.Only psychopaths love Verizon (is this new to anyone?): a history of wireless product placement in Hollywood,
Donny, you're out of your element!: Lehman Bros. gives Yahoo a buy rating because its executives decided banners weren't good enough.You're entering a world of pain: Sony & Universal will sell song-subscriptions through Yahoo.He's a good man, and thorough: AOL
MTVi and Rio will sell MP3s from the big 5 record companies.A manager ruins his stock price when his bombastic email gets released to the public.IXL claims it's not hurting and offers sympathy after its big stock buyout.Ted Turner plans to leave AOL/TW.After
Dumb Will Hunting should have used a computer: MIT's class materials are now free on the web.Dell attacks Apple's hold on the university market in foreign countries. [wsj]AOL/TW increases its stake in cash-starved Oxygen.Emails will soon interrupt you if they're
The web is no longer free: Yahoo will charge 9.95/month for financial services.EBay may merge or be bought, and it will share your information in the sale.Bertelsmann, EMI, and AOL TW partner with RealNetworks to face off against Sony and Universal.The Internet is growing much
NY residents can be removed from all telemarketers' lists.New York hosts Browser day but the work displayed is anything but interesting.Divine will pay $10M for a part of MarchFirst, including 2,100 employees.War Driving: hacking from your mom's Taurus with a LAN card.New
Tell him about the twinkie: DSL provider NorthPoint, now bankrupt and acquired by AT&T, has screwed more than 100,000 people when its customers were dropped in the deal.Dogs and cats sleeping together, mass hysteria!: IBM, MS, and Pfizer to develop software that keeps your system rock-solid
NYTimes and other publishers invoke out-dated law to prevent freelance writers from collecting what's due.Fiber-optic cable was to be the invincible market of the next decade, but now there's too much cable, and not enough technology; a good review of the situation.With $6B in
Doom'd for a certain time to walk the night: Iridium returns, slowly and painfully, and its new phones promise the same attributes.That he is mad, 'tis true; 'tis true 'tis pity; And pity 'tis 'tis true: Amazon-town-crier gives up public declarations for
MarchFirst will fire half its work-force: 3,500 more people.Kozmo kills Starbucks partnerships; will still ship decaf lattes.Are creative anxieties specific to women, or general to all?Baseball fans will be charged to listen to Internet broadcasts of games.Organic displays will challenge LCD to make tiny, tiny
MTV plans big stakes on its new website, with music downloading being the highlight as Napster dies.In bad economic times, people turn on the "genetically inferior."Once the party's over, the apartments open up: SF post-boom. Companies love to advertise and promote with the Internet,
Digital art may be groundbreaking, but it can still be bland: The Whitney Twins.Complete Control: AOL makes pacts with Movietickets.com and Ticketmaster.When links become illegal: The Better Business Bureau refuses friends on the Net.With Bush ready to drill, Alaskan Federal websites get edited, no matter the
Writers take their stories to the supreme court, for millions of dollars.Reuters, with Microsoft's .NET blessing, is introducing an open-standards IM for finance industry, hoping to have traders someday buy by IM.When Madonna's new video (directed by Stocker Guy Richie) got banned from the
Salon begins to charge for "premium" content: more stories and no ads.New Pepsi ad, with Britney Spears, will have a sneaky preview on Yahoo.All New Yorkers have cell phones, and hate themselves for it; now they're scared they'll start using them on
MIT Futurist blames net-economy on badly-designed computers.Fed may cut interest rates today; should we consult the Greenspan briefcase index?AOL/TW & Sun tell the Fed that MS's Hailstorm is a "choke-hold".AOL spam fliter rejected 100,000+ emails from Earthlink.Palm purchases Peanut Press
Microsoft will unleash a hailstorm to turn dot-net into dot-net-profits.Verizon will use Lucent to build always-on wireless Web.Previous tech growth won't be duplicated because it simply didn't exist."I know there's demand for this because I get calls from VCs"
Salon and Inside look for buyers as Web zines lose their attitudes.Shill bidders get busted for false auctioning; 1,100 counts.Loudcloud raises $150M at $6 a share.Bezos gets probed for stock trades.Ang Lee tends to cry at good movies; now you can watch one with him.
Yahoo loses its CEO and warns of worse sales in Q1 than predicted.The Dot-com economy was based on venture greed and ego (among other things).What does music look like? Algorithms applied to sound.Great photography at Pixelgraphy.OSX goes to Gold Master and prepares for the March 24
Where portals have failed, blogs have succeeded: the secret behind the phenomenon.Judge orders Napster to curb copyrighted trading in two days (burn! burn! burn!).AOL launches a Netscape-navigational toolbar on its sites (time.com, etc.)The first web-cam ever, of a coffee pot, is going offline.The 5K competition
Bertellsman's black helicopters prepare: Canadian maverick moves Napster-clone off-shore to data haven.Andreessen will launch another IPO, with no chance of Netscape's glory.Amazon-owned site, Bibliofind, gets hacked with 98,000 customer records on the loose.Hotmail chooses for you to receive spam.ESPN pulls in
Fade to Black: Metallica wins with the new Napster filter as songs disappear off the lists.Vivendi may sell its stake in AOL France.Amazon and Wal-Mart plan "strategic alliance."The 8th Wonder, Atari: One million Atari games are stored in a limestone mine, 300 feet underground.It
Pirates in the waters: Yahoo adopts anti-takeover strategy. S.E.C. finds 23 to blame for dot-com stock price pumping.Oracle's earnings won't meet forecasts.Using Aimster to swap files prevents the RIAA from snooping.With Napster close to shutting down, blank-CD sales skyrocket.Some sweatshops
Dub-Dub earmarks $100M for online government.Watch how Bill Gates reacted to the earthquake.Direct Marketing can have horrible results when the gifts go bad. [wsj]Amazon gives away free MP3s in order to inspired CD-sales.Gunshot tracking system installed in LA's worst neighborhoods.Living with 32 Web-cams
Sweatshop sneaker prank increases sales and awareness for Nike. [wsj]AOL saves Andreessen again: AOL/TW taps Loudcloud for infrastructure.Smarter companies use technology and people to their best ends, instead of haphazard layoffs.Random House sues start-up over e-book rights.Napster offers indie labels $50M to swap songs; offer
Dear god: a Napster rip-off that looks for unprotected hard-drives on the Web.EToys files for bankruptcy.AOL accounts for 1/3 of all time Americans spend online.Targeting is hard to do: The Catch-22 of internet advertising.Bertelsmann's back-up plan: Snoopstar, the Napster clone.The official t-shirt
Napster's new business plan is the path to the future, and the RIAA knows it.The Future of Flash, part II: Publishers get all worked up over Cnet's new banner ads; expect new standards.Nokia predicts multi-media messaging as the future of wireless.RIAA twists the
Record industry begins to move against Napster clones. [wsj]Oracle's advertising succeeds by describing how it uses its own products.Keep your balance low: PayPal is aggressive about anti-fraud, perhaps too much.Priceline's founder stops building his own Xanadu when the stock tumbles.Zagats sells their
Ugly as Hell: Jobs shows off trippy new iMacs with CD-RWs.Michigan considers building a cyber court to attract tech companies.Amazon.com Customer Service, The Musical!Italian tech companies settle in Sicily, under a volcano."There will be no new architecture for computers for the next 1,000
Napster will become a fee-service in the summer and offers $1B to record companies.Intel announces delayed raises instead of lay-offs to counter slow economy.Supreme Court investigates 4th amendment's application to police's use of thermal imaging.AOL to invest $100M in India as foot in
"Don't kid yourselves, the Internet is still our future," says Clinton, the paid Oracle.Companies set their earnings expectations low in order to beat Wall St. by a penny.NYTimes signs five-year agreement to publish print version on the web (subscription-based).Dot-commers, in NYC, stay at
Windows XP will be Gates's first product as chief software architect.More than half of America used the Internet last year.There's a three percent chance that when Mir crashes in March, it will hit land.The New Yorker hopes to have a lasting website. Too
Belgian police raid Napster users.Paul Allen will cash in Microsoft stock for $64.25M.Larry Ellison cashes in Oracle stock for $895M.Prudential cuts Amazon's forecast in half and slaps on a sell sticker.The Law Extended: The Napster ruling suggests that users have been looting.Giuliani
Sorry about the day off, but we all had a lot of making out to do. Now wash your hands! Sorry, here's your news.CRM experts get bogged down in jargon and miss the point.The nation's wealthy urge G-Dub-Dub to keep their money.You save
In honor of Valentine's Day, The Morning News will not appear today, since it is currently making out with its s.o. But here's a little something, anyway:Windows XP released, to protests that it looks an awful lot like Mac OS X.51 Million Users:
The day the siphon died: Federal appeals court rules against Napster.Corporate America, with axe in hand, must choose which costs to cut.Amazon now sells downloadable software.Google buys Deja, the Usenet archive.19 yr. old tennis star infects worldwide systems.With the EU upset over Bush, Britain is
There are dark days ahead for California and the Pacific Northwest.The CIA partners with SafeWeb in order to mask its movements.B2M's: Back to Mom's and other examples of stupid marketing jargon.E-commerce sites get rid of inventory by bartering with each other.IBM warns
Marketers invade Napster users' hard-drives.Silicon Alley lay-offs seen as good for New York industries.American Express launches a free ISP for its a customers, a move seen as an expensive failure for other companies.It takes one fat pipe: Fresno, CA builds an e-village.Razorfish posts first operating
Money over Suicide: Sega President pays $750M to company to cover Dreamcast loss.KPMB Consulting launches IPO today.Will the new economy create a new style of recession?The profits in patterns: E-commerce companies slowly realize the power of hardcore data mining.Razorfish took in $51M; read the memo.This
Lehman Brothers rings death bell for Amazon.King opens his books and shows "The Plant" was a financial success.AOL Europe considers an IPO.Microsoft will launch an IM that works with Yahoo and others.Amazon will charge publishers to promote their books by email.Publishers declare war
Amazon gets into payment services with one-click honor system.How to evaluate e-commerce when the signs seem confusing.iVillage will acquire Women.com for $27M.Etoys will shut down on April 6.The future of Flash: CNET defends its new banners as "new ad experiences" that "protect
Lycos uses net surfing patterns to predict trends.Ralph Lauren's son wants to turn Polo into a media company.Vanderbilt University funds lab to study AmIHotOrNot.com.The secret of web porn: the spam-king is opening new windows.Time Magazine partners with BlackPlanet.com for black history month.
Bezos says "Get the crap out" and Amazon starts to trim its inventory. [wsj]Unemployment hits 4.2 percent. [wsj]Bulls are rarely brilliant, bears are rarely idiots: online businesses can be successful.Verizon builds Silicon Alley office to serve complaints.Ex-Amazon workers can talk trash and still
Champagne for the campaign: As Bertelsmann plans for future acquisitions, trust-buster Joel Klein is brought behind lines.Come on, y'all wanna floss wit us: Will Sony buy BeOS?Baby, I got your money, don't you worry: AOL/TW plans to rebrand CNNfn as CNN Money.Now
Amazon sets up trust fund for laid off workers.Andreessen's LoudCloud gets rained on like the rest of us.AOL/TW posted earnings that exceeded the street's expectations.The dream is over: Sega kills Dreamcast and will now produce software.Sony applies to build an Internet
Hate groups use the web to build cells, and raise wolves in them.Palm invests in pint-sized printers.Nokia posted strong profits in 2000, but Finns forsee decline in sales.As predicted, Disney lets Go. Expect layoffs.Yahoo is an open garden; AOL is a closed pen.iXL sells its
Amazon's 4Q results are on track and treading water.Disney considers dropping Go.com.The spread of news is becoming news for email trackers.Bertelsmann plans for Napster-subscriptions this summer.People are dying for DSL, and realizing that Verizon is Satan.Sticky paper sold out in Williamsburg: scientists
America is in massive debt, and so was Japan in 1990.Qualcomm beats earnings forecast by a penny.Oracle's Ellison cashes in for $160M.Powell wants to scrap most U.S. sanctions.You can buy "Ginger" on Amazon.Dig deep into the Web with specialized search
There will not be any news today because I worked until 4:30am last night and had to present this morning. I'm not asking for your sympathy, but your patience. Morning News tomorrow, after I sleep.
Tech stocks lead Wall St. gains.Microsoft will pay $20M for its use of Sun's Java.Verizon's penalties in NYC grew 700 percent this year, possibly totaling $43M.Career experts offer first-aid to recently laid-off twenty-somethings. [wsj]After killing its entire business software portfolio, IBM calls
FTC clears DoubleClick.For the first time in two months, more money is flowing into tech mutual funds than is flowing out.Travelocity exposes thousands of customers' information.Startup.com sells hopes and misery to Sundance.Twins adopted through Internet will stay with the British govt. for now.Computers
Television is dying: fewer ads, striking actors, and the lurking threat of the Internet.MP3.com says going it alone will make it profitable.Ebay launches live bidding in 300 auction houses worldwide.The Onion moves to NY and plans a weekly paper.IBM creates software to prevent server crashes.
Our industry has problems; see how people are coping.EBay's fourth-quarter earnings exceed expectations.Yahoo's stock rises ten percent over Viacom-buyout speculation.Clinton will announce his last pardons in his last hours.Microsoft has never had layoffs and now is snatching up employees.Jakob Nielsen: infamous
Customers sue Verizon over delayed DSL installations.Apple posts $247M loss for first quarter.Walmart.com acquires Garden.com.Bezos, and other tech leaders, endorse Ashcroft.IBM beats fourth quarter earnings expectations.Self-organizing sites gain ground and publish all pundits, but make their mustard (the proof in the pudding) by
Beware the Borg: Murdoch plans for $40B acquisition of DirecTV.Ebay will raise fees for listing auction items.The Internet may be to blame for California's energy woes.Macromedia creates Flash advertising alliance to make annoying motion banners, that take forever to load, the standard.Security hole found
Dot-coms begin to be evicted from the NASDAQ.Fours equal death: Chinese cell phone numbers sell high for significance.Laid off or on the lam? Pink-slipped dot-commers don't get to say goodbye to their friends or email. I.e., back up now.AOL surpasses 27M members.Xpedior joins
The Morning News will not appear today. Check back for more fun, frivolity, and general friskiness tomorrow. Thanks.
AOL-TW is approved.Taking the offensive against offensive cell phone users.Napster goes to bed with CDNow."Ginger" is paid $250K for her book about something.Los Alamos has a hacker inside the fold.NASA may have found the first evidence for black holes.Counter-Strike says users want
The Psychic Friends Network is better for customer service than Microsoft.The case for Verizon: a foolish combination, or a steady business plan?Yahoo announces 10-30 percent drop in profits.What questions have disappeared from the world?'Lord of the Rings' uses the Web to build the fervor.
Black, red, or titanium? Apple puts the money on black turtlenecks and titanium powerbooks.The Janus Fund has a sleazeball at the helm who pays his employees well.NYC pays $50M for 50K illegal strip searches.The Vatican puts its valuables up for sale online.Disney pays 50K to destroy
Hollywood studios prepare to protect their films online.Amazon met its sales figures, but not profit margins.Time plans (again) a magazine about your life: The Internet Life.Help build the Pseudo Dictionary.Hamlet never considered his OS: Sony's net appliance chooses to Be.The Industry Standard chops
Roger Black makes a move for the "renaissance" in Latin America.Should America suffer a recession, Canada and Mexico are in trouble.The Nerd and The Rock share The Stage with The X-Box.WTO-protestors hijack domains to get their point across.Carat Group, the media titan, launches a
MP3.com moves from the court to your living room.Apple, facing first loss in three years, now lives for "killer apps."What everyone wants to know: how did Amazon do this holiday?Bill Gates feels comfortable as a software architect, uneasy as a super mario.8 giants
Bill Gates seen as fashion icon in South Korea.With increased popularity but decreased funding, Blogger asks for a hand-out.AT&T exposed account information for thousands of businesses.Barnes & Noble gets hot over digital books and publishes a new one by Dean Koontz.Six percent of surfers
Yahoo bans hateful material.At least 210 dot-coms closed this year.Apple makes huge price cuts as inventory piles up (buy that cube now!).AOL members spent $4.6B during the holidays.Microsoft is sued for racism by present and former black employees. [wsj]One-third of the Russian prison population
Where marketing begins: Brand Camp.Tech billionaires moved to peasant-status with NASDAQ's slide.Tech insiders sold heavy this year; Scient founder Greenberg cashed in $168M.Authors Guild upset with Amazon over new purchasing method of new books.Americans used the Web more for holiday greetings and research than
A well-condensed history of the year as a tale of young vs. old.Lucent lowers expectations for the 3rd time.Game Boy sales clobber every other console.iXL will raise cash by selling one million shares.Bush names a senator who lost to a dead man as Att. General.'
Every school and library must now (beginning Winter '01) filter Web content.Fearing layoffs and scorn at the racquet club, consultants run for the business schools.Kozmo gets another $30M from Flatiron Partners.Bids for FCC Wireless reach $9.3B.Motley Fools prove foolish enough to follow their own
Email is being heralded everywhere as the next best thing.Cometh the hour, cometh the man: with no reaction on Wall St. to the President-elect, enter Greenspan.Sony moves forty thousand fake dogs in four weeks.Apple may take the most heat, but it's still the strongest.Two
The year in technology: layoffs, sales, and platforms. [wsj]How AOL plans to unify the media cosmos.Can Apple survive and still be revolutionary?How the brain knows what it knows: the extraction of meaning in steams of information.Rep. Dick Armey moves to investigate Carnivore, despite the Justice Department&
Telemedicine is already a reality and it's saving lives.The FCC will approve the AOL/TW merger if AOL opens up its IM.Shockwave.com will acquire AtomFilms.Web executives look ahead to the future; none mention "flying cars" as viable business plan.The Post Office
The story of an accidental president in the most anti-American of elections.The season of giving is upon us, and a good place to start is the neediest cases fund.AOL & TW gain FTC approval for merger, but with strict conditions.Microsoft warns of lower earnings.Oracle exceeded expectations.
FTC approves AOL/TW merger.Change that password! Companies are frequently hacked by former or current employees.How X will work with W: the new President's initiatives for online smut (he favors library filtering).Organic (270), RealNames (1/3), and Bigstep (34) pass out pink slips.MarchFirst finds
