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

Will Arab leaders discuss Israeli airstrike in Sudan?

Arab League likely support Sudan's Bashir against war crimes charge, but discourage ties with Iran.
Cyber spy network with global reach raises alarms

University of Toronto researchers say that hackers, using servers in China, infiltrated government and private systems in 103 countries.
Blagojevich is still everywhere – and some can smile about it

Illinois' ex-governor, the subject of a hit musical, is relentlessly seeking the limelight. Will it help him if he ends up going to trial?
Obama wants more reform from GM, Chrysler

The two automakers seek additional $22 billion from the US, even as the president signals their plans aren’t adequate.
Turnover at GM, as US seeks greater auto reforms

CEO Rick Wagoner is said to be out. In assessing industry's plans for revival, Obama has asserted that the automakers 'aren't there yet.'
Classic book review: A Bright Shining Lie

The lies one man told himself about the Vietnam War.
Hillary Clinton to Mexico: The US feels your pain

The secretary of state's humility in reaching out to Mexico is part of Obama's plan to change sinking world opinion of the US.
Amid rising tensions, South Korea offers rare glimpse inside military bases

South Korean fighter pilots are 'ready to scramble' as North Korea prepares a missile launch.
Earth Hour: Limbaugh to turn on Christmas lights to celebrate
Letters to the Editor

Readers write about the need for sustainable, eco-friendly jobs, why it's time women took the lead in world affairs, why the US must take strong action against Mexican drug violence, and how sanctions reflect our values.
Opinion: 10 terms not to use with Muslims

There's a big difference between what we say and what they hear.
Opinion: The US exit from Iraq: how to steer clear of danger

The strategy must focus less on elections and more on political bargains that promote a new Iraqi national compact.
The Monitor's View: Obama's Afghan plan: Leave Al Qaeda to others

Despite the surge, he wants others to take over and to ease the US out.
A space station that finally looks like a lapel pin!
Review: 'Shall We Kiss?'

French comedy puts a philosophical twist on romance as two lovers weigh the consequences of a kiss.
Review: 'Monsters vs. Aliens'

3-D animation is an affectionate riff on 1950s sci-fi movies with some high-caliber voice-overs.
Clinton says US shares responsibility for Mexico's drug violence

The "insatiable" American demand for illegal drugs is part of the problem, she says, and hints at changes ahead in US drug-control policies.
Ahead of G-20 summit, Britons alerted to 'dirty bomb' risk

A new government report says that a terrorist attack is now more likely than ever.
US general: American forces may not leave key Iraqi cities

The top commander of ground forces in Iraq says that US troops may stay longer than the June deadline in Baquba and Mosul.
Jihadi dispute points to deeper radicalism among youths

A leading jihadi theologian – and adviser to the late leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq – is under fire for ‘moderating’ his views.
Japan prepares to blast North Korean missile out of the sky

The missile launch is believed to be a military test, though Pyongyang insists it is launching a satellite.
World
USA
Sri Lanka refutes UN casualty figures

Sri Lanka might be gaining the upper hand against the Tamil Tigers, but it now faces a diplomatic dispute.
Bombing of packed Pakistan mosque likely to further inflame region

At least 50 were killed in the suicide attack on the Sunni mosque in Khyber Agency.