The Torch
5:30 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

Photos Of Day 6 From The London Olympics

The best Olympic images of the day include snapshots from swimming, gymnastics, rowing, judo and cycling competitions.

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All Tech Considered
4:40 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

Its Financial Future In Question, Facebook Tries To Tell A Different Story

Credit Facebook/Vimeo video screengrab
Mayank Sharma of New Delhi lost his memory. A video by Facebook shows how he used Facebook's "people you may know" feature to rebuild his life.

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 6:39 pm

On its first day as a public company in May, Facebook's stock traded for more than $40 a share. On Thursday, investors could pick up a share for less than $20. Facebook has lost nearly half its value during its first few weeks on the Nasdaq. Institutional investors such as Fidelity are selling their stake. Facebook executives are now desperate to change the conversation about the company.

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The Salt
4:39 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

Extreme Makeover, Potato Edition

Originally published on Mon October 15, 2012 11:12 am

The sizzle seems to be gone from America's long-term relationship with the potato. Consumers are eating fewer of them, especially the kind that's not fried in a vat of hot oil. But what if a new and different potato arrived in town? A stylish one, with colorful flesh that was good for you, too?

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Election 2012
4:27 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

New Target In Voter ID Battle: 1965 Voting Rights Act

Credit J Pat Carter / AP
A voter casts his ballot in a West Miami, Fla., fire station during the Republican primary in January.

Originally published on Fri August 3, 2012 9:49 am

A landmark federal law used to block the adoption of state voter identification cards and other election rules now faces unprecedented legal challenges.

A record five federal lawsuits filed this year challenge the constitutionality of a key provision in the Voting Rights Act. The 1965 statute prevents many state and local governments from enacting new voter ID requirements, redistricting plans and similar proposals on grounds that the changes would disenfranchise minorities.

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It's All Politics
4:25 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

Head Of Embattled ATF Says Running Bureau 'Testing All Of My Skill Sets'

Credit Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images
B. Todd Jones, acting director of the ATF, speaks in Washington in 2010 while Attorney General Eric Holder looks on.

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 8:00 pm

Nearly a year ago, Justice Department leaders turned to B. Todd Jones to solve one of their most urgent problems: a crisis at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The former U.S. Marine answered the call to duty and agreed to serve as ATF's acting director. His mission: to turn the bureau around in the face of congressional investigations that have shaken ATF to its core.

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The Two-Way
4:22 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

At 'English-Only' Hearing, Rep. Conyers Delivers His Statement In Spanish

Credit Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

It was a controversial hearing to begin with. This morning, a House subcommittee was looking into a bill that would make English the official language of the United States and require that government functions like naturalization ceremonies be conducted in English.

Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan was not a fan, so he decided to deliver his opening statement in Spanish.

First he thanked the chairman, then he proceeded to assail the measure.

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Book Reviews
4:18 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

A Moody Tale Of Murder In A 'Broken' Dublin Suburb

Mid-20th-century mystery master Ross MacDonald is credited with moving hard-boiled crime off the mean streets of American cities and smack into the suburbs. In MacDonald's mythical California town of Santa Teresa, modeled on Santa Barbara, evil noses its way into gated communities, schools and shopping centers that have been built expressly to escape the dirt and danger of the city.

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Author Interviews
4:18 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

Not A Feminist? Caitlin Moran Asks, Why Not?

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 9:03 pm

Writer Caitlin Moran believes most women who don't want to be called feminists don't really understand what feminism is. In her book How to Be a Woman, Moran poses these questions to women who are hesitant to identify as feminists:

What part of liberation for women is not for you? Is it the freedom to vote? The right not to be owned by the man that you marry? The campaign for equal pay? Vogue by Madonna? Jeans? Did all that stuff just get on your nerves?

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Shots - Health Blog
4:16 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

The Science Of Ritual: Why We Seek Help And Healing In Repetition

Credit Ricardo Cardosa / DPA /Landov
Devotees take part in rituals and offer gifts in celebration of Yemanja Day, in Salvador, Bahia state, Brazil, in February.

Originally published on Thu August 9, 2012 4:21 pm

A few days ago, I found myself sitting in a room full of cross-legged yogis with my sweaty hands resting on the sweaty knees of the people beside me, bellowing a mantra in unison over and over again. What united us at that yoga studio was empathy for yoga instructor Michael Joel Hall, who was savagely beaten as he walked home earlier that week with his boyfriend.

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Africa
4:11 pm
Thu August 2, 2012

At Age One, A Tattered Reputation For South Sudan

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 7:45 pm

There were hopes that the new rulers of South Sudan might somehow break the African mold of big men lining their pockets with big money. But the trend in Juba, the capital, is alarming. The infant nation of South Sudan is barely a year old, and it's already engulfed in scandals over top officials allegedly looting the treasury.

Many South Sudanese citizens are outraged by the conduct of their new leaders, former guerrilla commanders who fought many years for independence.

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