Topic: United States

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Bestselling books the week of 5/19/13, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best in independent bookstores across America.
Test your Gangnam style?

Pop music sensation Psy has taught his signature horsey dance to everyone from the UN’s Ban Ki-moon to Britney Spears. But how much do you know about the artist?
Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes

Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
Bestselling books the week of 5/12/13, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best in independent bookstores across America.

All Content

Olive Press Ultra-Orthodox insider invites outsiders in through the big screen

Director Rama Burshtein's film is a rare insider's look at Israel's ultra-Orthodox, without criticism or obsessing about what sets them apart.
Culture Cafe 'Fast & Furious 6' has some plot holes but is an entertaining ride

'Fast & Furious 6' will doubtless be satisfying to longtime fans of the franchise.
Backchannels Obama rhetorically ends the 'war on terror'

... while vowing it will go on by other means.
Opinion: How Moore, Okla., can cut through FEMA's red tape and build safer schools

On March 1, 2007, an EF4 tornado killed eight students at Enterprise High School in Alabama, where I was principal at the time. I would urge Moore, Okla., officials to assess how they handled Monday's tornado, yes, but also look forward to how they can rebuild safer schools.
Decoder Wire Michelle Obama vacation: Will critics slam this trip too? (+video)

Michelle Obama vacation plans this summer reportedly may include a lengthy stay with Sasha and Malia on tony Martha's Vineyard. That's in addition to accompanying her husband overseas.
Wayne Miller dies, leaves legacy of photos and forests

Wayne Miller dies: His photography documented moments of World War II, black Americans living on Chicago's south side in the late 1940s, his family and redwood forests. Some of Wayne Miller's images are now held in collections at museums around the country.
Galaxy S4 now at the center of latest Apple, Samsung legal battle

The ongoing legal showdown between Apple and Samsung enters a new phase.
Dinosaur chomped like a bird of prey, say scientists

A study of an Allosaurus fossil found that the massive dinosaur dined more like a kestrel than a crocodile, tearing flesh from carcasses by pulling its head straight back.
Ang Lee quits 'Tyrant' TV pilot

Ang Lee quit the TV pilot for the FX series 'Tyrant,' which he had planned to direct. Ang Lee quit the TV pilot after stating that he 'need[ed] some rest.'
The Monitor's View: Helping China end its cybercrime spree

When Obama meets China's new leader next month, he should show how the rapid rise in Chinese cybercrime not only hurts the US but China's economy as well.
Energy Voices Keystone XL: Hot topic in D.C. Ho-hum in rest of US.

The House of Representatives issued another symbolic vote Wednesday in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. But after years of debate, a new poll shows half of Americans have never heard of it. Is anyone listening to the Keystone XL pipeline debate?
Opinion: Is Washington too 'broken' to handle big problems such as immigration reform?

Many Americans worry that Washington cannot handle big problems such as immigration reform and the debt. But the country has been here before, and overcome a supposedly 'broken' political system. Government is divided because 'we the people' are divided on the issues.
USA Update FBI kills Chechen man during Boston bombing probe: What's known of him? (+video)

An FBI interrogation, part of the Boston bombing probe, ends in shooting death of a Chechen immigrant in Florida. The man reportedly knew suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. FBI claims self-defense.
Chapter & Verse J.K. Rowling's 'Potter' first edition raises $228,000 for charity

The auction benefiting the organization English PEN sold a first-edition copy of Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' as well as works by Roald Dahl, Hilary Mantel, and Ian McEwan.
Oklahoma tornado: In Moore, shock, kindnesses, and blessings counted

Disbelief and relief are etched into the faces of folks in Moore, Okla., as they take stock of their lives after taking the brunt of Monday's tornado. Acts of kindness, small and large, prompt many residents to count blessings.
Modern Parenthood Diaper-free babies and co-sleeping: Global parents use techniques we shun

In 'Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us,' author Christine Gross-Loh reminds us that our ideas of parenting are products of local culture. What's nixed in one locale trumps in another.
Culture Cafe Alice Eve discusses 'Star Trek Into Darkness' and the role of Dr. Carol Marcus

Alice Eve, a newcomer to the 'Trek' films who stars in 'Star Trek Into Darkness,' talked about how she prepared for her role and how she tried to stay focused despite massive anticipation for the film from fans.
Jamie Dimon scores big win in bank shareholder vote

Jamie Dimon's chairmanship of JPMorgan Chase easily survived a vote from the bank's shareholders Tuesday. The vote was a major victory for Dimon, but shareholders sent a message that the bank needs better oversight by giving only narrow approval to three of the bank's board members.
Change Agent Dana Frasz wants to see a Food Shift – away from waste

Forty percent of all the food produced in the US is wasted. But a number of efforts in the US – such as Food Shift – and others abroad are taking on the problem.
Stir It Up! Korean kimchi pancake with chicken

Savory, crunchy and often spicy, pickled kimchi is the Korean national dish. It’s also the delicious heart of this weeknight-quick pancake.
Boy Scouts of America to vote on allowing gay members

The Boy Scouts of America are meeting in Texas today and tomorrow to decide the whether to allow gay members. The vote by 1,400 Scout leaders is planned for tomorrow.
Why 'spokesperson' still irks me

Not all gender-specific language is sexist.
Oklahoma tornado was stronger than Hiroshima bomb: How?

When the conditions are exactly right – and they were, for the tornado that devastated Oklahoma City yesterday – a tornado can unleash more power than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Energy Voices Oklahoma tornado: Energy dodges a bullet

A devastating Oklahoma tornado left a trail of destruction Monday. How and why did the state's vast oil and gas infrastructure emerge seemingly unscathed from the Oklahoma tornado?
'Bishop' gets 37 years: He could have gotten 200

'The Bishop' gets a 37-year sentence after his conviction for 12 counts related to his construction and mailing of pipe bombs. The bombs failed to explode, but 'The Bishop' still faced up to 200 years in prison.