* In light of Penn State's punishment, it's time to reread "The Shame of College Sports." * Physicists say you should run, not walk, to avoid the rain. * Sally Ride, first American woman to fly in space, dies at 61 from pancreatic cancer. * Brief report on
* Drug-resistant HIV in sub-Saharan Africa blamed on poor monitoring, lack of consistent treatment. * The end of the AIDS epidemic is in sight—worldwide infection rate has declined 20% since 2001. * With highly suggestible people becoming key to studies, hypnosis is making a comeback in scientific circles. * Bloomberg to
Now that Wimbledon is done and the Olympics are a week away, we’ve had a nice window of extreme American tennis. After Wimbledon, there are seven weeks of U.S. ATP events (branded the “US Open Series,” as if that means anything to anyone—tennis branding is a disaster)
* Study suggests tax havens hide $21 trillion. * Iraqi insurgents declare new offensive—13 coordinated attacks kill 93 people. * U.S. expands drug war to Africa to prevent traffickers destabilizing small and weak states. * Secular and Islamic, Western and Eastern, a regional superpower, growing fast: Whatever Turkey's doing is
Glossy paintings of young women in Iran inspired by Playboy magazines the artist found in her father’s closet
* Possible GOP veep candidate Rob Portman fights reputation as a dull, well-regarded wonk; does a mean imitation of a chicken, for example. * Why the fossil fuel industry is Public Enemy No. 1. * Spain is still investigating the baby-stealing phenomenon that resulted in 300,000 kids gone. * On average,
* At least 14 dead, 50 wounded at Colorado movie theater shooting, suspect in custody. * Yesterday was bloodiest day in Syrian conflict—government retook check-points, Damascus suburbs. * Number of phones will soon exceed world population, but a quarter of people still don't have one. * As an activist shareholder
* How North Korea set the world on edge for an hour this week. * The Aegean island of Ikaria wants to quit Greece and join Austria—1,242 miles away. * New research supports theory of plants that suck carbon dioxide to the ocean floor and ease climate change. * Anthony Doerr on
* Clashes overnight with many killed across Syria after the death of three ministers. * Slideshow of photographs from Hamas's summer camp. * No new malls have been built in the United States since 2006. * U.S. does surprisingly well on list of countries measured for sedentary lifestyle—unlike Malta. * Man
* Bomb kills Syria's defense minister and other top officials. * Inside the opening of the aptly named First Somali Bank. * On the global trade in human corpses—terms like "harvesting," "buying," and "human sock puppets." * Michele Bachmann releases document outlining how the Muslim
