* 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
* 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
* 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
* 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
As we progress from smartphones to smart toasters, our things are becoming increasingly connected. Soon they'll be on Facebook alongside us. From there, it's only a few steps to tactful beds.
* 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
A 17th-century dandy’s wardrobe rises and falls with his fortunes.
* 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
