World
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Oscar Pistorius achieves Olympic dream, advances to 400-meter semifinal
Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius raced in a heat for the 400 meter sprint at the London Olympics Friday, making history and more – finishing second to move on to the semifinal Sunday.
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Olympic ping-pong: When North and South Korea meet, it's more than a game
North Korea and South Korea faced off in table tennis today. It's one of the few areas in which the bitter rivals are fairly evenly matched.
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UN to start food aid to flooded North Korea as access eases
The UN World Food Programme will start emergency food aid to isolated North Korea, which has been pummeled by a typhoon and flooding.
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Weirdest sights of the London 2012 Olympics? Welcome to the Velodrome.
To the American eye, there is much to befuddle at the London Velodrome during these Olympics. But for Britons, it is the place to be and that makes it pretty cool.
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Roger Federer, in three-set marathon, shows the heart of an Olympian
Roger Federer won the longest tennis match in Olympic history today. He's a sporting legend, but what truly sets him apart is his sporting spirit.
USA
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Romney tax returns: Could Reid’s unsubstantiated attack hurt Democrats?
Harry Reid, the Senate's top Democrat, says Mitt Romney paid no income tax for 10 years. His source, he says, is a Bain Capital investor. But he won't say who. The tactic could backfire.
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Chick-fil-A: Will the controversy hurt chain's expansion plans?
Chick-fil-A used to be known for chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. Now, say marketing and branding experts, it will be known for the COO's comments on gay marriage. For how long is the question.
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How culture and politics collided over a Chick-fil-A sandwich
Two days after thousands lined up at Chick-fil-A restaurants to stand in solidarity with its CEO, Dan Cathy, gay activists plan 'kiss-ins' outside its outlets to confront what they see as antigay bigotry. Today, brand solidarity crosses from economics into culture, even politics.
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Jobs report has something for both Obama and Romney
Friday's jobs report had some good news for Obama to trumpet, in the number of jobs created, but the rise in the unemployment rate gave ammunition for Romney as well.
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Illinois Megabus crash: Bus made in 2011, inspected days ago
Investigators on Friday were looking into passenger reports that the bus blew a tire just before it crashing.
Commentary
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Whispers of peace in Syria
With the resignation of Kofi Annan as UN peace envoy, Syrians must now find their own solution. Reports show a 'silent majority' quietly turning against Assad – and toward peace.
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Vast humanitarian crisis in Sudan – again
Hillary Rodham Clinton's brief visit to South Sudan provided an opportunity for the United States to show leadership in countering a vast humanitarian crisis in the border region between Sudan and South Sudan. Once again, the world is looking away.
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'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' denies origin and legacy of slavery
The film wishes away responsibility for America’s most horrific events, because no one is to blame for these tragedies but vampires. America should examine its appetite for this fantasy, when Hollywood transforms the most eloquent statesmen into an axe-wielding action hero.
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India blackout flips a switch
A two-day blackout for half of India was caused in large part by a massive theft of electricity. Many countries have yet to break the link between wholesale corruption and the stealing of power. Such widespread dishonesty can slow a country's growth.
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Tony Blair: Europe needs a grand bargain to save the euro
We are used to periodic crises that somehow resolve themselves. This crisis is different. All the choices are ugly, but the least ugly for Europe, and for Germany in particular, is to save the euro.
Business
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US jobs report eases global gloom
The better-than-expected US jobs report suggests US is not following Europe into recession. But some analysts worry that headwinds will keep growth anemic.
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Fact sheet: How much does fracking really affect climate change?
When it comes to the fracking debate, too many people on both sides use 'motivated reasoning' in their arguments.
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Stock market jumps at news that economy added 163,000 jobs in July
Wall Street reacts with glee to higher-then-expected job growth in July, led by the auto sector and restaurants. But for the millions of jobless, the key figure in Friday's report may be the unemployment rate, which ticked up to 8.3 percent.
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US jobs added, but report details aren't so rosy
The US payroll survey showed an increase in jobs by 165,000 but the household survey tells a different story.
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The MINI Olympics: Meet the games' tiny auto helpers
BMW is the official car sponsor of the Olympic games, and tiny electric MINIS have been helping out by picking up javelins, discuses, hammers and other throwable items from the field events, saving time for athletes during the competition.
Environment
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New breed of ranchers shapes a sustainable West
These green cowboys try to marry good stewardship of the land with making money.
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How summer thunderstorms could be punching new holes in the ozone layer (+video)
A study looking at conditions in the lower stratosphere, where the ozone layer resides, suggests a link between climate change and the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching Earth's surface.
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Thanks to North Dakota, US waste of natural gas grows rapidly
The United States is posting rapid growth in the waste of natural gas in new oil fields where the fuel is either burned or vented into the atmosphere. Experts say the process damages the environment and fails to maximize the return to investors.
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Rising sea levels: Is global warming making the US East Coast a 'hot spot?' (+video)
The pace of sea-level rise along much of the East Coast is accelerating three to four times faster than the worldwide average, a US Geological Survey study says. Global warming is the chief suspect.
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West Coast sea levels: New report estimates greater rise by 2100
The estimates from the National Research Council, taking advantage of more recent research, range from 19 to 55 inches. The study is expected to become a common frame of reference that coastal communities can use in planning.
Innovation
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EA sues Zynga for allegedly ripping off its games
Electronic Arts has sued Zynga for making an "unmistakable" copy of "The Sims Social."
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Leaked version of Windows 8 reportedly hits Web
Microsoft may have sprung a leak. Meanwhile, the Windows 8 'Metro' moniker will be tossed out the window.
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World of Warcraft loses a million subscribers. Can pandas save it?
World of Warcraft remains atop the online roleplaying game market. But publisher Blizzard says subscriber numbers have slipped.
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Facebook in the record books? Add an asterisk.
Facebook is well on its way to a billion users. But a sizable percentage of its membership consists of spammers, duplicates, and misclassified accounts, Facebook disclosed today.
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iPhone 5 displays will ship this month, says Sharp chief
The display on the iPhone 5 could measure 4 inches – substantially bigger than the 3.5 inch display on the current model Apple smartphone.
Science
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How to escape from a black hole
Escaping from a black hole is easy, as long as you're an elementary particle, say physicists.
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Five myths about Mars
No planet in our solar system has been linked to more misconceptions than Mars, where NASA's Curiosity rover is scheduled to touch down on Sunday night. Here are the five most persistent myths about the Red Planet.
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'Seven minutes of terror': Mars rover landing will be a nail-biter
Scientists are utilizing a complicated new 'sky crane' technique for landing the car-sized Curiosity rover on Mars Monday. The hope is that the good luck NASA has had with Mars missions will hold up.
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How will the Curiosity Mars rover phone home? (+video)
A pair of orbiters circling the Red Planet will help signals from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on their long journey to Earth.
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NASA awards $1.1 billion to Boeing, SpaceX, Sierra Nevada Corporation
Three private companies – Boeing, SpaceX, and the Sierra Nevada Corporation – will share $1.1 billion from NASA to help restore the US human spaceflight program.
The Culture
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A tobacco moment, a fiscal cliff, and a Grexit
It's great to have such memorable shorthand phrases for the complex financial problems we're going through; but a few years from now, will we even remember what they meant?
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Top Picks: The History Here phone app, Missy Higgins' new album, and more
'High Noon' is still powerful on Blu-ray, Julia Child fans celebrate her birthday through PBS, and more top picks.
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Tanning mom pale: Patricia Krentcil says she's done with tanning
Tanning mom pale: Patricia Krentcil, a New Jersey mom charged with child endangerment for allegedly letting her 6-year-old daughter go in a tanning booth, tells In Touch magazine that she is done with tanning.
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Olympic viewing: The sparks of family bonding can reduce ‘withdrawal’
Olympic viewing, says one expert, is a rollercoaster dream that creates family bonding in the daily date with excitement and 'Olympics withdrawal' when it's all done. This mom says the 2012 London Games have sparked a revelation about one son's dream to compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2016 – so there will be no withdrawal as the Olympic dream keeps going.
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The Imposter: movie review
'Imposter' has a few too many reenactments but is an unsettling mystery.
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Never say always?
A Christian Science perspective.
Books
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Harry Lipkin, Private Eye
Harry Lipkin is the genuine article – an 87-year-old gumshoe, sporting dentures.
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Marilyn Monroe: Anything but a dumb blonde
Writer Sarah Churchwell says the real Marilyn was smarter, tougher and a better actress than we think.
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Resilience
While some of the language is cumbersome, Andrew Zolli's book is a good place to start to understand the global economy.
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Former NBA player Dennis Rodman will publish children's book
Dennis Rodman's book is currently titled 'Dennis, the Red Bull.'
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F. Scott Fitzgerald short story is published 66 years later
Fitzgerald's grandchildren found the story, 'Thank You for the Light,' among the author's papers.