* "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
The latest salvo from our Reading Roulette series of contemporary Russian literature—stories you'll rarely find elsewhere in translation, unfortunately. This month we bring you a contender for the Debut Prize, Russia’s preeminent award for young writers.
* 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,
Inspired by depictions of motherhood in Norwegian historical novels, illustrator Carson Ellis hollows out a dream world made of joys and sorrows—familiar territory for many mothers.
* 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&
* 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
* 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
I was so bored by last Sunday’s objectively thrilling Falcons-Saints game, I fell asleep. Never mind their storied rivalry; never mind the Saints’ surprising upset of the last undefeated team in the NFL. I don’t care about the excellent football I missed by dozing: That’s how
