Published from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, our headlines contain links to the most pressing, interesting, or odd stories and sites we find around the web.
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Iran’s oil and industry ministers out of work, Ahmadinejad cronies suddenly employed.
Design for new Minneapolis bridge goes ahead without much competition.
Head of Chinese company responsible for Mattel toy recall commits suicide on factory floor.
“I guess you could call it the family business.” Reagan aide and Bush friend caught running $25 million worth of PACs for profit.
Amnesty International drawing the Vatican’s ire as it refuses to re-consider pro-abortion stance.
Even PETA skeptical about the fate of animals in “no-kill” shelters.
Americans now shorter than the Dutch, consider purchasing wooden shoes.
Brits falling for reduced-alcohol wine, while Americans hiccup and giggle.
France’s champagne growers having the last laugh as they hold onto precious reserves.
In today’s Gallery, Martin Klimas breaks it, but doesn’t buy it.
Easily avoided hazards: Malian internet brides, self-induced caffeine overdose.
Stephen King on Harry Potter with plenty of em-dashes to go around.
Facebook source code accidently revealed; won’t you join our security-compromised group?
Effective at the end of the month, Karl Rove will depart the White House—and also politics. (more here)
What you did on your summer vacation: studied abroad, resulting in kickbacks and your teacher’s Audi; didn’t work, didn’t learn.
From the attic: What Kevin Fanning did on his summer vacation.
Laurie Lindeen will be reading in Portland, Ore., tonight and Seattle tomorrow.
On Nazi Pop Twins, the new BBC documentary about Prussian Blue. (video links included)
Hitchens reviews Potter, surmises seven-year-olds don’t give a toot about Orwell.
Explorer meets breed of two-nosed dog in Bolivia, figures they’d be good at sniffing out narcotics.
A collection of Guardian pieces about the late, great patron saint of Manchester, Tony Wilson.
Woody Allen on Bergman; Martin Scorsese on Antonioni.
Talk show host, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune creator Merv Griffin dies, age 82.