* 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
The hoax at the Andy Kaufman Award show led to speculation the notorious comic faked his death—a joke that wouldn’t have been out of character. When a fresh-faced Glamour editor mingled with him the year before he died, Andy talked about disappearing.
* 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;
Travel is mostly boredom—and if you’re not bored, you’re pretty sure that everyone else is having more fun. Selected for “The Best American Travel Writing 2014,” the woes of professional travel writers.
* 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
A project to document Wisconsin’s broad variety of deer stands takes on new meaning after a round of chemotherapy.
* 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
* 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
This Saturday, the 2013 hurricane season will end—and with it, possibly, New York City’s final hurricane-less year.
