* 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
* 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
* 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
* 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
