Astounding story about the obstacles--thugs, secret prisons, beatings--Chinese citizens face to lodge a complaint about the government. Bad paintings of Barack Obama. Bush lawyers find themselves too toxic for employers; Gonzales blames "partisan politics" for his unemployment. Instapaper for the co...

L.A. mayoral election gets dismal turnout, fails to make front page of the L.A. Times. Instapaper for the commute: It remains unknown whether time will stay steady or melt away. Alan Moore talks about his bad influence on comics and movies. The other tragedy to befall the cricket world this week: th...

Business is booming for people who can give good voice to debt-collection. Cohen: It's worth recalling that hateful, ultranationalist rhetoric is no Iranian preserve. "How Jew-Friendly Persia Became Anti-Semitic Iran." Tutu: African leaders opposing the arrest of Sudan's al-Bashir forget that his vi...

Treasury advisors preparing "the largest bankruptcy loan ever" in case GM and Chrysler declare need. Sachs must-read: There is little reason to fear a decade of stagnation, much less a depression. If you are OK with the FDIC, you are OK with nationalization. Many elderly are joining the unemployed r...

Bank leaders go on the charm offensive, say they have every incentive to lend and are lending. Some representatives call bankers heroes, others say they're connivers. Op: Settle down. Obama's start is actually going rather well. Africom says the U.S. advised, but didn't run, the Ugandan attempt to k...

Timeline of dirty secrets and scuttlebutt behind the Merrill/Bank of America marriage. Short answer to the big question: How did this economic crisis really come about? Op: Save the economy by not humiliating your local investment banker in public. Defining the Arbesman Limit: "the maximum number of...

Measuring the blood from January's massacre: 211,500 job cuts so far. Notes on the wooing, lobbyists, and millions of opinions involved in the nearly $900 billion stimulus package. One opinion: Restore NASA's mission statement of service, please. How to prepare yourself for Obama's failures. Obama p...

Barack Hussein Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States of America. Text of President Obama's inaugural speech. Two million visitors fill the National Mall; how much longer before Warren shows his tattoo? The new (virtual) White House has a blog. Adam Levine's aunt texts that her rock-s...

Everybody backs Egypt's cease-fire plan; Obama calls mounting civilian deaths "a source of deep concern for me." Analysis of Gates's recent media appearances to measure his appetite for finding opportunities in Russia. By laying low now, Hezbollah can use the Gaza attacks later on for political gain...

Russia uses Gazprom to pull Europe into its tangle with Ukraine. When it comes to anticipating death, doctors would do well to trust patients' instincts. Instapaper for the commute: Incisive David Cole essay on what we should do with those who made torture American. "Alien vs. Predator" by Michael R...