Why the Yemeni Gitmo Detainees Aren't Going Anywhere (for Now)

REUTERS

In his much-anticipated national security speech on Thursday, President Obama will reportedly revisit his longstanding pledge to close Guantanamo. And in the coming weeks, Obama will reportedly announce the restart of detainee transfers to Yemen

By Adam Clark Estes

Apr 7, 2013

Anonymous Hits Israel with a Massive Cyber Attack, Israel Attacks Back

To ring in this year's Holocaust Memorial Day, the classy hackers at Anonymous took down a bunch of Israeli government websites on Sunday and say they caused over $3 billion in damage.

Comments | 32,960 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 7, 2013

Botched Attack Kills State Department Employee in Afghanistan

An assassination attempt in Afghanistan on Sunday resulted in the first death of a State Department employee since the war there began. 

Comments | 1,978 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 6, 2013

What We Didn't Know About the Start of America's Drone War Killed Thousands

The details of the bloody back-room deal between Pakistani and American officials that led to the U.S. regularly carrying out unmanned strikes in Pakistan have been shrouded in secrecy, until now, and the reports of the first strike are strange to read now, in retrospect. But what does retrospect mean in America's drone war, anyway?

Comments | 9,699 Views

By Sara Morrison

Apr 6, 2013

The College Final Four You Don't Want to Miss

Forget Louisville and the other three basketball teams competing this weekend whose names some do not wish to know because they weren't in your bracket: the real Final Four action is in Rockville, Maryland, where four teams will battle for collegiate chess supremacy.

Comments | 2,686 Views

By Sara Morrison

Apr 5, 2013

Obama's New Budget Would Fund Asteroid Lassoing

The budget for 2014 that President Obama will propose next Wednesday bears all the hallmarks of a man who no longer has to worry about winning an election. There's something in there to piss off everyone — except people who love science! Space science.

Comments | 2,148 Views

By Sara Morrison

Apr 5, 2013

The Future of the Morning-After Pill Is the New Reality of American Catholics

The new Pope is hard at work doing the humble thing and trying to stop sex abuse, but that might not be enough to resolve the gap between the views of the Obama administration — and, increasingly, American Catholics — on contraception and the Church's vehement stance against it. 

Comments | 895 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

The Problem with Torrington Is the Problem with Rape, Not Twitter

Everyone can agree that it's sickening: Students at a Connecticut high school continue to blame the victim on social media, even as the star athletes and accused rapists sit in prison. But does blaming the problem with rape culture on the new problems of the Internet ignore the cruel way rape victims have been treated in the past? Torrington, it seems, is about to find out.

Comments | 3,060 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

How to Talk About the Final Four

Because you probably didn't go to Wichita State, and because you'll probably find yourself talked out when it comes to Louisville's Kevin Ware, here's a (not particularly avid) fan's guide to the rest of the weekend in college hoops.

Comments | 358 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 5, 2013

Math Says That Senator Susan Collins May Be Next to Support Gay Marriage

Since senators' announcements of support for gay marriage have gotten dull, the hot new trend in politics is to try and predict which senator will be next to come out into the open on the issue. We looked at the data.

Comments | 1,968 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 5, 2013

The Joy of Spring Starts Right Now

Winter. She's gone, right? She's left us be, and in her stead, here is intelligent, gentle, nurturing, witty, beauteous, sun-on-your-face, breezes-in-your-hair, delightful Spring. 

Comments | 179 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 5, 2013

Yale Averts Grading Curve Apocalypse

The faculty of Yale University has decided to postpone voting on a controversial modification to the school's grading system — essentially, instituting a grading curve — thus averting a major outcry from Yale's undergraduate body. But still, nearly two-thirds of their grades are getting A's and A-minuses, total. What now?

Comments | 9,459 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

Four Mystery NFL Players May Be Ready to Come Out of the Closet

According to Brendon Ayanbadejo, the outspoken gay rights advocate and now former Baltimore Raven, there are at least three more gay players ready to speak out than previously believed. The Baltimore Sun sort of buries the lead, but there is a vague plan in place for as many as four players to announce publicly that they are gay, and on the same day.

Comments | 4,853 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 5, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Friday Columns

Michael Phillips on the late Roger Ebert, Michael Lind on Obama's Social Security offer, Aaron Ross Powell on the beneficience of government, Matthew Zeitlin on the promise of Bitcoin, and Irin Carmon on Obama's comments on Kamala Harris.

Comments | 1,071 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 5, 2013

Fired Rutgers Athletic Director Says He Wanted to Fire Coach All Along

Tim Pernetti reportedly has been forced to resign, but says that if it was up-to-him, coach Mike Rice would have been fired a long time ago.

Comments | 2,499 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 5, 2013

Stop Listening to Advice About When to Get Married

Will women ever stop giving unasked-for advice to other women about when to get married? And why do we insist on engaging in this cycle? A reflection on the end of the sad "Princeton Mom" meme.

Comments | 4,105 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

Judge Opens Up Morning-After Pill Access for All Teenage Girls

Consider this a win for women's health advocates: U.S. District Judge Edward Korman has ruled that the U.S. government must make the "morning-after" pill available over the counter and available to all ages.

Comments | 714 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 5, 2013

The Economy Added a Shockingly Low 88,000 Jobs Last Month

The unemployment rate dropped from 7.7 to 7.6 percent in March, according to data released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics — but that was the good news.

Comments | 714 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 5, 2013

The Avian Flu Containment Is Reaching 'Contagion' Levels of Precaution

Six people are dead from the H7N9 strain. The number of infected has grown to to 14. A new scare just hit Hong Kong. The U.S. has begun early research for a vaccine. And now China has slaughtered 20,000 chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons to try and cut off the health risk at the source. So: Is it time to panic yet?

Comments | 714 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 4, 2013

James Holmes' Psychiatrist Definitely Told Authorities He Was Dangerous

According to newly released court documents, the shooter's psychiatrist contacted University of Colorado authorities about his having "homicidal thoughts" 38 days before he shot and killed 12 people in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

Comments | 2,677 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 4, 2013

Escaped Shoelace Killer Tripped Up by U.S. Marshals

Two Texas inmates — one accused of strangling someone with a shoelace — enjoyed little more than two days worth of freedom before U.S. Marshals busted them roughly 20 miles from the prison from which they escaped — and neither man was wearing any pants. 

Comments | 892 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 4, 2013

With Apologies to North Korea, Bomb Shelter Sales Are Not Rising in the U.S.

Despite the threats of a nuclear-armed dictator, it doesn't appear that America is ready for a new Cold War. At least, not if bomb shelter sales are any indicator.

Comments | 5,354 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Apr 4, 2013

Michelle Malkin and Sean Hannity Are the Defenders Mike Rice Didn't Ask For

Even the Rutgers coach himself said after his termination that "There is no excuse — I was wrong." But that didn't stop Hannity and Malkin from making excuses and saying that the coach's treatment of his student-athletes wasn't that​ bad. 

Comments | 1,606 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 4, 2013

Debunking the Myths of the 2013 Law Enforcement Assassination 'Trend'

Recent killings of law enforcement officials are horrible, shocking news. But there's little reason to think that it marks a new trend, despite the media's shark-attack-style coverage.

Comments | 535 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 4, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Thursday Columns

Ta-Nehisi Coates on Ben Carson's sudden fame, Amy Davidson on David Brooks's philosophy of freedom, Jeremy Kessler on the national character of gay marriage, Lionel Tiger on the abusive Rutgers basketball coach, and James Kirchick on being a provocative art exhibit.

Comments | 1,601 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 4, 2013

Colorado Murder Case Leads to More White Supremacist Connections

Even though the man who is believed to have killed the head of Colorado's prison system was also shot and killed by police, authorities say they are now on the lookout for two more members of his white supremacist gang. 

Comments | 2,839 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 3, 2013

After Selling See-Through Yoga Pants, Lululemon's Looking for a New Product Designer

Lululemon, the upscale yoga clothing retailer, is letting their chief product officer go after a high-profile mishap in mid-March involving the company's yoga pants, thousands of which were pulled from stores after the company discovered a manufacturing error that had rendered the pants's fabric too transparent.

Comments | 4,986 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 3, 2013

A Glazed Donut-Bacon-Egg Sandwich Isn't as Bad for You as You Might Think

Is the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich unhealthy? Or rather, just how unhealthy is it? According to a spokeswoman for Dunkin Donuts, the item weighs in at ... 360 calories. Which, considering its ingredients, is actually surprising!

Comments | 3,740 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 3, 2013

Artisanal Won't Die

A long, long, long time ago (like, last year) I wrote an obituary for the word artisanal. It seemed high time to declare it dead and get on with our lives. And yet, it has become clear in the months that have followed that artisanal is not dead. Artisanal may, instead, be undead.

Comments | 2,671 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 3, 2013

It's a Crime for 12-Year-Olds to Read The New York Times Online

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a word of warning: many teenagers are wantonly breaking the law every day by reading news sites on the web because the Department of Justice's weird implementation of vague laws has left a number of media outlets with odd age-based legal prohibitions.

Comments | 13,548 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 3, 2013

Chart of the Day

Figure Out Where You Fall in the British Class System

Any reader of George Eliot is familiar with Britain's class system, by which Britons sort themselves, either ironically or seriously, into rigidly-defined castes, based on things like education, type of employment, and wealth. In order to sort out the confusion inherent to such a system, the BBC wrote an interactive calculator to determine which class you belong to.

Comments | 3,918 Views

By Maria Yagoda

Apr 3, 2013

It's Different for Girls with ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder does not look the same in boys and girls. Women with the disorder tend to be less hyperactive and impulsive, more disorganized, scattered, forgetful, and introverted. The misunderstanding stem from the early studies of the disorder which, a research says, "were based on really hyperactive young white boys."

Comments | 48,943 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 3, 2013

North Carolina Has Some Ideas About the Constitution and Jesus

Let's say you're a state and you want, for some reason, to declare an official government religion. Simple: Decide that your state gets to interpret the Constitution however it sees fit.

Comments | 6,945 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 3, 2013

What You Really Need to Know About Office Drinking

Drinking in the office is really not all it's cracked up to be. Drinking in the office sort of sucks, and not only because none of your coworkers are Roger Sterling and Don Draper.

Comments | 3,561 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 3, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Wednesday Columns

Ben Howe on the quality of conservative entertainment, Donna Brazile on Susan Patton's advice for women, Marin Cogan on Rubio's immigration plan, Michael Wolff on Christopher Hitchens's legacy, and John Podhoretz on academia's attraction to danger.

Comments | 1,067 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 3, 2013

Police Have a Person of Interest in the Texas DA Murder Case

Texas authorities have identified a "person of interest" in their investigation of the slayings of two district attorneys, but this new lead could take the case in another direction.

Comments | 2,312 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 3, 2013

North Korea Blocks Southern Workers From Crossing the Border

Every day hundreds of South Korean workers make their way across a special border crossing to work at a North Korean industrial complex that is jointly run by both nations. But not today. 

Comments | 1,245 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Apr 2, 2013

Oops, Harvard Actually Spied on Its Dean Even More Than We Thought

Well, this is embarrassing. Three weeks after trying to contain a scandal involving spying on administrator's email accounts, Harvard College dean Evelynn Hammands just admitted to spying spying on faculty too. 

Comments | 4,624 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 2, 2013

Beyond Fat-Shaming: Why This Airline's Pay-by-Weight Scheme Wouldn't Work

When the obscure airline Samoa Air announced on Tuesday that it would begin charging passengers by how much they weighed, you had to wonder: Would such a practice ever catch on at, say, American Airlines? Could it? Think not of the emotions. Think of the logistics.

Comments | 2,846 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 2, 2013

TARP Is Mostly Dead and Fannie Mae Is Alive

Fannie Mae, the government-funded mortgage lender, paid $7.6 billion back into the government's pocketbook in 2012. That's good news, and it inspired us to check in on the government's other semi-willing recession-era investments. With charts.

Comments | 1,956 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 2, 2013

Will Kevin Ware Ever Play Basketball Again?

The short answer, after he left an Indiana hospital Tuesday to join the Cardinals in Atlanta this weekend, is yes — but not for a while, and the fallout could have been worse for another player.

Comments | 9,071 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 2, 2013

12 Million Americans Believe Lizard People Run Our Country

About 90 million Americans believe aliens exist. Some 66 million of us think aliens landed at Roswell in 1948. These are the things you learn when there's a lull in political news and pollsters get to ask whatever questions they want.

Comments | 71,084 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 2, 2013

Y.A. for Grownups

The Author Who's Teaching Boys How to Talk About Rape

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and today marks the kickoff of a new program focused on Laurie Halse Anderson's classic Y.A. novel Speak, which tells the story of a high school girl coping in the aftermath of being raped.

Comments | 21,912 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 2, 2013

Shoelace Killer Sprints to Freedom from Texas Prison

Two inmates — one accused of strangling someone with a shoelace — used their feet to make a mad dash to freedom Tuesday when they successfully broke out of a Texas prison.

Comments | 6,577 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 2, 2013

What We Know About White Supremacist Links to the Texas & Colorado Shootings

After three assassinations in two months, top law enforcement officials are concerned that white supremacist prison gangs may be targeting them.

Comments | 3,198 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Apr 2, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Tuesday Columns

Catherine Rampell in The New York Times on paid paternity leave, Francesca Mari on Jill Lepore's American history, Farhad Manjoo on technological cynicism, Alison Gash on gay adoption, and Megan McArdle on college admissions.

Comments | 1,599 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Apr 1, 2013

The NRA's Next Assault on Gun Control

Despite a brief spike in interest after the Sandy Hook shootings, Americans care less about gun control than ever, even as gun control passes in Connecticut and stumbles through the Senate. Sounds like a great time for the NRA to stage another PR stunt! And that's exactly what the NRA is doing on Tuesday.

Comments | 4,978 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Apr 1, 2013

Colorado Accidentally Releases Man from Jail, Man Allegedly Kills Prisons Chief

The case of the white supremacist suspected of killing the head of Colorado's prison system and a pizza man just got weirder. Apparently, a clerical error enabled the alleged killer to leave jail four years early.

Comments | 3,538 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Apr 1, 2013

How on Earth Could Arianna Huffington Do $275,000 Worth of Damage to Her Chelsea Loft?

The owner of a New York City apartment is accusing former tenant Arianna Huffington of trashing the place, leaving bloodied mattresses, gouged wood floors and a very expensive scratched up table. 

Comments | 29,087 Views

By Philip Bump

Apr 1, 2013

Conservatives Can't Agree on Which TV Show Brought Us Gay Marriage

According to Bill Kristol and Rick Santorum and other pundits, there's one reason for a surge in American support for gay marriage: television. But the question is: Which television show? We crunched the numbers. Sort of.

Comments | 8,155 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 1, 2013

April Fools' Day News Stories That Weren't Jokes but Should Have Been

On a day full of enough bad jokes across the Web, and stunts from Google, and accidents in newspapers, and horrifying bunnies at the White House, these nine stories cut through the debate on April Fool's Day — whether they seemed fake or not, believe it: They were just patently absurd enough headlines from our world to be the actual news of April 1, 2013.

Comments | 9,927 Views

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