Headlines from March 8, 2013
- Highly sought al Qaeda militant—Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law—detained in U.S. operation in Jordan.
- Ahmadinejad: “I have no doubt that [Chávez] will return alongside Jesus Christ…to establish peace and justice in the world.”
- Pentagon required to find other methods of training Army medics than shooting goats and pigs.
- UN report says some autism and rehab treatments—including some in the U.S.—are equivalent to torture.
- Seventeen out of 18 major banks passed Fed’s annual stress tests.
- Mississippi has America’s highest rates of teen childbirth and young-adult HIV; it also forbids contraception demonstrations in the classroom.
- Various places considered “more British than Britain” assessed for actual Britishness.
- When Merkel smiles on budget restraint, Britain claims victory; when she frowns on bankers’ bonuses, Britain is defeated.
- Fewer people drinking heavily in the UK in the last five years.
- “Neolexic portmanteaus”—e.g., chillax, techpreneur, bootylicious—have killed the great American pun. #opinions
- “Desensitization” being applied as radical new treatment for children with severe food allergies. #longreads
- List of the 21 comments you’ll find appended to every article ever published online about food allergies.
- If you read contemporary fiction, and enjoy getting dirty with it, check out the ToB’s comments section. #tob13
- Pablo Neruda’s body to be exhumed next month for murder investigation.
- Study finds caffeine-laced nectar of some plants enhances the learning process for bees.
- Stores “listen” for smartphones to figure out how many people are shopping.
- Six lost David Bowie clips found on YouTube. #video
- Meticulous study of global temperatures finds current levels warmer than at any time in at least 4,000 years.
- Rand’s filibuster over drones yesterday may have been silly, but at least he had the guts to stand there and filibuster.
- See also: Brief history of robot planes.
- Forget drone strikes in America; we should worry over the steady encroachment of the anti-terrorist security state. #opinions
- Coates: America is full of good, moral, racist people—after all, racism is at the heart of our society.
- Thirty percent of girls in South Africa raped by the time they’re 18.
- A woman’s chances of being killed by her abuser increase more than seven times if he has access to a gun—and other facts for shooting down pro-gun myths.
- Egypt’s “Supermakh” helps young women avoid the pressing demands of strange Santa Clauses.
- “Iowa City schools ask state for an audit,” and other messages from the weird side of Twitter.
- Today in the Tournament of Books, Bernadette meets Orphan Master. #tob13
- Author spends seven and a half pages thanking 140 people for contributing to her 172-page book. via
- Infographic maps key moments in the history of the Heimlich maneuver.
- Red Cross now recommends five blows to the back prior to the Heimlich for a choking victim.
- Sale on McDonald’s french fries in Japan leads to public bingeing.
- Columbia University students eat up to 100 pounds of Nutella per day; officials reluctant to also offer lobster tails.
- Ex-Zuzu’s Petals lead singer finally gets around to listening to Liz Phair’s first record, and likes it. #tmn