* 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
* 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-
* 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
* 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
* "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
* 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
