Newsweek articles from July 2008

Newsweek archives from July 2008

Summertime Blues.(Summer Double Issue)(Anna Quindlen; THE LAST WORD)(US economy)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Anna Quindlen Sometimes big events shake the nation's sense of self. But sometimes it is the small things, like the sound of jingle mail. The symbol of the summer of 2008 may well be the FOR SALE sign swinging wildly in a...

True Or False: The Hottest New York Art Exhibit Is So Big, It Won't Fit In A Museum.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(The New York City Waterfalls)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Cathleen McGuigan The buzz on "The New York City Waterfalls" was loud enough that a boatload of reporters chugged out into New York Harbor one recent steamy morning with the installation's artist, Olafur Eliasson, and Mayor Michael...

To Live in the Sky, Try Dubai.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008; Global Literacy 20088)(Dynamic Tower)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Susan Elgin Think New York City is the best place to see tall buildings? Think again. Dubai has skyscraper fever--and 25 percent of the world's cranes. More than $310 billion in construction is underway or planned, including the...

True or False: The Power to Fix the Economy Rests With the Next President.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Daniel Gross As the presidential campaign kicks into gear, housing, energy and rising unemployment have thrust the economy front and center. Whether they are talking about the need to drill off the coast of South Beach (John...

Green, or Greenwash?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008; BUSINESS)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Temma Ehrenfeld When Kermit the Frog sang "It's not that easy being green" for the hybrid Ford Escape, he wasn't kidding: the eco set blasted Ford, noting that it plans to produce three times as many gas-guzzling pickups as hybrid...

Hollywood's New Deal.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008; BUSINESS)(movie production budget cuts)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Johnnie L. Roberts Once upon a time, A-list actors wishing to go behind the camera could count on the "vanity" production deal. But after losing fortunes on such multimillion dollar pacts (think Kevin Costner's "Waterworld"), ...

They Can't Hide Their Pryin' Eyes.(privacy and electronic communication)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Ordonez An appeals court ruling makes it more difficult for employers to sniff around in workers' electronic communications. For desk jockeys everywhere, it has become as routine as a tour of the office-supply closet:...

Slaughterhouse 1945.(Summer Double Issue)(Turning Point)(Kurt Vonnegut)(Reprint)
July 14, 2008... Before he was a noted author, Kurt Vonnegut was a POW in Nazi Germany. A letter from those years. The following is a letter dated May 29, 1945, published in the new book "Armageddon in Retrospect," a collection of writings on war and peace...

True Or False: The Internet Is The New Sweatshop.
July 14, 2008... Byline: N'Gai Croal When an executive wants to sound humane during a public address to the staff, he or she will trot out the well-worn phrase, "Our most valuable assets leave the building at the end of the day." Cliches are generally...

Is There a Hybrid Auto in Your Future?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(hybrid cars)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Keith Naughton With gas above $4 a gallon, hybrid cars are hotter than a laptop battery. But is gas-electric propulsion the future of personal transportation? It's definitely on the fast track. Federal forecasters predict hybrid...

Who Was More Important: Lincoln or Darwin?(Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Malcolm Jones How's this for a coincidence? Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born in the same year, on the same day: Feb. 12, 1809. As historical facts go, it amounts to little more than a footnote. Still, while it's just a...

Defining Moments.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... They each touched off a revolution that changed the world. Some key moments in the lives of Darwin and Lincoln: Charles Darwin Feb. 12, 1809: Born in Shrewsbury, England 1831: Graduated from Cambridge and began a five-year...

Further Reading.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
July 14, 2008... CHARLES DARWIN "From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books," edited and with an introduction by E. O. Wilson: Includes the Beagle log and the original version of "The Origin of Species," uncluttered by his responses to critics....

Churchill and the 2008 Presidential Race.(Summer Double Issue)(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 14, 2008... 'What Would Winston Do?' Readers endorsed Evan Thomas's take on the legacy of Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill. One reader said Thomas "rightfully balances the positive aspects of appeasement with the negative components of diplomatic...

The Editor's Desk.(Editorial)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Jon Meacham One of the pleasures of my job is tormenting--or at least trying to torment--my friend and colleague Marc Peyser, our arts editor. Marc is a brilliant man, a keen writer and a gifted editor, but he also has a strong...

True Or False: We Need A Wartime President.
July 14, 2008... Byline: Fareed Zakaria George W. Bush is fond of describing himself as a "war president." And he has made many decisions involving soldiers and battle. But does this make the description an appropriate one? For many people the answer is...

The Man Who Might Lead Tibet.(Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje )(Interview)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje holds a special place among Tibetans: both Beijing and the Dalai Lama recognize his legitimacy as the Karmapa, Tibetan Buddhism's third highest leader. He spoke to NEWSWEEK's Sudip Mazumdar in Dharamsala. Excerpts:...

The Other Contest: Who Will Be Iran's Next President?(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Maziar Bahari Less than six months after the next American president takes office, Iran will hold its own Election Day. To win that race takes not only popular acclaim but the approval of one man--Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah...

Multiple Choice: How Much Did 'Taxi to the Dark Side' Earn at the American Box Office?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)
July 14, 2008... Byline: David Ansen A - $275,000, B - $2.7 MILLION, C - $27 MILLION, D- $270 MILLION It was only a few years ago that everyone was proclaiming the box-office triumph of nonfiction films. "Winged Migration," a movie about birds in...

How to Act For Woody.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Woody Allen)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Patricia Clarkson just finished shooting two Woody Allen movies-- the first is "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," debuting Aug. 15. She spoke to Ramin Setoodeh. Does he give a lot of direction? He's completely hands off, and that's the beauty...

Homer's Next Move.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Homer Simpson)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Some TV characters are just too big for the small screen. Thus, the TV-show/movie adaptation. Here are the top-10 grossers: 1. "The Simpsons Movie," $183 million 2. "Mission: Impossible," $181 million 3. "Scooby-Doo," $153.3...

True or False: Candidates Think Flip-Flopping is the Only Way to Win Elections.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(John McCain, Barack Obama, U.S. presidential election)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Evan Thomas; With Holly Bailey, Sarah Kliff, Michael Isikoff, Richard Wolffe and Suzanne Smalley The fund-raiser was unremarkable, by L.A. standards. Under enormous chandeliers at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, wealthy donors...

Multiple Choice: Recent Supreme Court Decisions Show:.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(gun-control law)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Stuart Taylor Jr. A - Liberal justices are politicians on the bench, B - Conservative justices are politicians on the bench, C - Liberal and conservative justices regard each other as hypocrites on this question, D - All of the...

You Can Party With the Pols!(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Elway's, St. Paul Hotel)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: April Yee You know you're not going to the nominating conventions just for love of country. Where to mingle with the politicos: In Denver (last call: 2 a.m., officially), they'll be at (John) Elway's, a swanky steakhouse in the...

True or False: Candidates Should Never Flip-Flop.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(presidential candidates)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Jonathan Darman So it has already come to this. At the end of its first month, the great and noble general-election campaign of 2008 has been defined by a single question: who is the biggest flip-flopper? Barack Obama has reversed...

Multiple Choice: The Voters Of Appalachia --.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Steve Tuttle A - Are Hicks, B - Are Hillbillies, C - Are Rednecks, D - Don't appreciate where you're going with this "Hick." "Hillbilly." "Redneck." "Inbred." "Cracker." "Ridge Runner." I heard and self-effacingly used them...

True Or False: Evangelicals Are Crucial To Winning The 2008 Election.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(2008 US presidential election)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Lisa Miller The leaders of the religious right don't have great affection for John McCain. They think he's too moderate on immigration, embryonic-stem-cell research and campaign-finance reform, and they think he doesn't do enough...

Speaking the Same Language.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Latino voters)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Arian Campo-Flores Latinos could prove pivotal come November, but they're frequently mischaracterized. Four myths: 1. All they care about is immigration. In fact, immigration typically ranks far down the list of the most...

Election Day: Will My Vote Count?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Sarah Kliff In 2000 it was hanging chad in Florida; in 2004 it was disputed provisional ballots in Ohio. Possible polling problems this year: Two thirds of voters will use a different method to vote than they did in 2004....

Obama: Christian, Not Muslim.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Barack Obama)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Richard Wolffe Barack Obama has never been Muslim and never practiced Islam. But rumors about his religion intended to frighten some voters persist, and they mostly return to one point of fact: his name. "Barack" is the candidate's...

You're the Inspiration --Or Not.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(oratorical skills)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Brian No This year's candidates may have the greatest gap in oratorical skills since FDR and Hoover, says historian Allan Lichtman. But do great public speakers make great presidents? Top orators--FDR, JFK, Reagan--tend to be great...

Everything Old is New Again.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008; VEEP WATCH)(vice-presidential candidates)
July 14, 2008... The veepstakes is usually a guilty pleasure. One moment, everyone with access to makeup and a minute on cable TV is obsessing over shortlists. The next, they're quoting FDR's first No. 2, who claimed the gig wasn't "worth a bucket of warm...

Crossover Cabinet Candidates.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(future cabinet officials)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Richard Wolffe, Holly Bailey And Karen Breslau Since locking up their parties' presumptive nominations, Barack Obama and John McCain have emphasized their bipartisan cred. How might that translate when the winner assembles his team?...

Scorecard: Boning Up on the Body Politic.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Barack Obama, John McCain)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... There are many ways to predict who'll win the White House in November. The most fun? Physical appearance. A feature-by-feature face-off: Height: Contrary to the CW, the shorter candidate has actually won four of the last nine elections....

Multiple Choice: What Should Have Tipped Anne Hathaway That Her Ex-Boyfriend Was Big Trouble?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Raffaello Follieri)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Tony Dokoupil; With Barbie Nadeau A - Crooked dad. B - Bad checks, C - Alleged pope scam, D - All of the above The downfall of Italian playboy Raffaello Follieri was as dramatic as his climb. Before his arrest in June on...

What Does a Publicist Really Do?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Howard Bragman)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Howard Bragman is a Hollywood publicist whose clients include Isaiah Washington and Ed McMahon. He spoke to Ramin Setoodeh. What is a publicist? A liaison between a high-profile person and the media. Who was the first publicist?...

Perspectives.(Summer Double Issue)(Perspectives)(Quotation)
July 14, 2008... "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him." Charles Black, John McCain's chief campaign strategist, discussing how a hypothetical terrorist attack on U.S. soil would affect his candidate's chances in the general election "You might...

An Underground Diary.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; ELECTION IN ZIMBABWE)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Rod Nordland Some details, such as timing and description of movements, in the following are altered for the safety of NEWSWEEK's reporter. For longer versions of each entry, visit NEWSWEEK.COM. Wednesday, June 25: Arriving...

Headway On Tapes Probe.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; CIA)(videotape records of CIA interrogations)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Mark Hosenball A criminal investigation into why the CIA destroyed hundreds of hours of videotapes recording harsh interrogations of two Al Qaeda leaders will stretch on at least another six months--and could ultimately result in...

Mrs. McCain, San Diego County Would Like a Word.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; REAL ESTATE)(Cindy McCain)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Suzanne Smalley, Andrew Murr, Mark Hosenball and Nathan Dinsdale When you're poor, it can be hard to pay the bills. When you're rich, it's hard to keep track of all the bills that need paying. It's a lesson Cindy McCain learned the...

A New Color Clash On The Catwalk.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; Fashion)(eastern European models)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Allison Samuels Chanel Iman Robinson, a 17-year-old model from Los Angeles, is celebrated enough in the industry to drop her last name, in the style of Naomi, Cindy and Tyra. But she still gets passed over for jobs. "I will fly to...

Back to New Hampshire.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; CONVENTIONAL WISDOM WATCH)(Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... For different reasons, it must have been hard for Obama and Hillary to go back to N.H.: he lost there, she seemed on a comeback. Obama UP-Surging in national polls. But beware looking like just another politician. Hillary UP-Scores...

Here Comes the Sun.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; A CW LOOK AT SUMMER FASHION TRENDS)(summer attire)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... The CW likes to take off its neckties and pantsuits as much as anyone. Here's what's hot for this year's hot weather. Bejeweled sandals SIDEWAYS-Like bling for your toes. But some can look -- cheap. Maxidress DOWN-Perfect for a summery...

Speak The Language.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; Fast Chat)(Janet Murguia)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Jamie Reno Hoping to sway voters in a crucial demographic, both John McCain and Barack Obama will speak in July at a conference for the nation's largest Latino advocacy group, the National Council of La Raza. Its CEO, Janet...

No Storybook Ending Here.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; Books)(books about presidential candidates)
July 14, 2008... Byline: April Yee Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to fly among the planets and stars. She had blond locks, pink cheeks and (says this storyteller) blue, blue eyes. Her name was Hillary, and she tried to fly to the highest...

I'm Sorry, But There's Someone Else.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; ANALOGY CHECK)(Joe Lieberman, Zell Miller)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Adam B. Kushner History repeats itself, but not without a few wrinkles. We make the connections--then we pick them apart. The Comparison Sen. Joe Lieberman, the self-styled "independent Democrat," has campaigned for his...

'Jump the Shark,' Meet 'Nuke the Fridge'.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; LINGO)('Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull')(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Sarah Ball Early in the new "Indiana Jones" sequel, our creaky, 65-year-old hero stumbles onto a nuclear test site, and the warning siren is blaring. Panicked, surrounded by Potemkin houses, he folds himself inside the lead-lined...

Remembering A God. A God Who Cussed.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; Transition)(George Carlin)(In memoriam)
July 14, 2008... George Carlin, 71, Comedian The funnyman arrived as a comic during the Vietnam era, peaking with his 1972 routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television." He died last week of heart failure. Director Kevin Smith shared these...

Guillermo Del Toro.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; A LIFE IN MOVIES)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... One of the most imaginative filmmakers around, Mexico's del Toro made the sumptuous "Pan's Labyrinth," which earned three Oscars in 2006. He returns to fantasy this month with "Hellboy II." His picks: My Five Most Important Movies 1....

We're Messin' With Texas.(Summer Double Issue)(Periscope; THE DIGNITY INDEX)(T. Boone Pickens, Shawn Chacon, Karl Rove)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... A weekly mathematical survey of dubious behavior that measures, on a scale of 1 to 100, just how low a person can go. Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens reneges on his vow to pay $1 million to anyone who provides proof that the Swift Boat...

Let's Shoot the Speculators!(Summer Double Issue)(Robert J. Samuelson; JUDGMENT CALLS)(US politicians)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Robert J. Samuelson Tired of high gasoline prices and rising food costs? Well, here's a solution. Let's shoot the "speculators." A chorus of politicians, including John McCain, Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Lieberman, blames these...

True Or False: Global Warming Is A Cause Of This Year's Extreme Weather.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Sharon Begley It's almost a point of pride with climatologists. Whenever someplace is hit with a heat wave, drought, killer storm or other extreme weather, scientists trip over themselves to absolve global warming. No particular...

Multiple Choice: What Condition Could Stem Cells Help First?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Sharon Begley; With Jeneen Interlandi A- Loss of vision, B - Spinal-cord injuries, C - Limb Circulation The answer almost doesn't matter, because stem-cell research has become the latest casualty of a plague sweeping biomedical...

Creating Life in the Lab.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(David Deamer)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... David Deamer, an artificial-life scientist at UC Santa Cruz, spoke with NEWSWEEK's Jeneen Interlandi about his research. How far are we from creating a multi cellular organism? Quite a ways. But the race is definitely on to be the first...

True Or False: The Obese Should Have To Pay More For Airline Tickets.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Jerry Adler; With Karen Springen And Joan Raymond It's one of the last untapped energy sources, and one in which the United States leads the world. It's not just renewable, but almost impossible to get rid of. We're talking about...

Procedures: Who Gets What Cut.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(plastic surgery)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
July 14, 2008... Americans underwent more than 1.9 million plastic surgeries in 2007, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. His nose: Among men, nose reshaping was most popular, with 74,090 procedures performed. Her breasts: Among...

True or False: Having Kids Makes You Happy.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Lorraine Ali When I was growing up, our former neighbors, whom we'll call the Sloans, were the only couple on the block without kids. It wasn't that they couldn't have children; according to Mr. Sloan, they just chose not to. All...

You Never Call Me.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(married couples have less contact with other people)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Lorraine Ali Parents should think twice before pushing their children toward the altar. According to "Marriage: The Good, the Bad and the Greedy," a paper published by the American Sociological Association, married people are...

Single Mom With Kid Needs Break.(Summer Double Issue)(Tip Sheet Family Travel; FAMILY)(trips for single parents)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Anna Kuchment; With Meredith Karp Two years after her 2003 divorce, Lisa Gentile took her daughter, Claudia, then 6, to Las Vegas. "Somebody told me how family-friendly Las Vegas had become," says Gentile, 44, a legal specialist...

Take It Nice And Sloe.(Summer Double Issue)(Tip Sheet; Drinks)(sloe gin)(Recipe)(Brief article)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Ron Givens Sloe gin suffers from a smarmy reputation in the United States--harsh products used in saccharine drinks with lurid names. But now a world-class sloe gin has arrived from England, produced by one of the great gin...

Checklist: Our Top Picks For The Week.(Summer Double Issue)(Tip Sheet)('Baby It's You', 'The Day is Brave', 'The Carbon Age: How Life's Core Element Has Become Civilization's Greatest Threat')(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Book review)(Video recording review)
July 14, 2008... Rent "Baby It's You." Twenty-three-year-old Rosanna Arquette burns up the screen in this story of a smart, ambitious Jewish girl from New Jersey and the sharkskin-wearing townie she loves. This honest, class-conscious depiction of high-school...

Think Before Tapping a 401(K).(Summer Double Issue)(Tip Sheet; CAPITAL GAINS)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Jane Bryant Quinn; Reporter Associate: Temma Ehrenfeld You're allowed to take money only for things like paying medical bills, buying a home or warding off foreclosure. When you're up against the wall, there may be a pot of cash...

Multiple Choice: Who Exports the Most TV to the U.S.?(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 20)(Israeli television shows)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Joshua Alston A - Italy, B - Sweden, C - Israel, D - India Borrowing television formats isn't new; some of our most successful franchises--"American Idol," "Survivor," "The Office," to name three--started in Europe. But with...

The Stories We Tell Ourselves.(Summer Double Issue)(Cover Story: Global Literacy 2008)(Editorial)
July 14, 2008... Byline: Jon Meacham; With Jeneen Interlandi, Sarah Kliff and Richard Wolffe History has always been a tactile thing to me, and I like to think that I come by it honestly. I grew up on Missionary Ridge, a Civil War battlefield where you...

The Woman Who Died in the Waiting Room.
July 21, 2008... Byline: Jeneen Interlandi; With Karen Springen Instead of helping her, they ignored her. The story behind the videotape that shocked the country. Esmin Elizabeth green fell out of her chair in the waiting room of Brooklyn's largest...

'I Am A Big Believer In Not Just Words, But Deeds And Works'.(interview with Barack Obama)(Interview)(Cover story)
July 21, 2008... Barack Obama talked to NEWSWEEK's Lisa Miller and Richard Wolffe about how faith plays into his everyday life. Excerpts: NEWSWEEK: Do you and Michelle talk to your girls about having a God? Jesus? Obama: Well, we do, but we don't have...

Write and Wrong.(discipline of a teacher and censorship of The Freedom Writers Diary)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Anna Quindlen A teacher who is psyched about engaging struggling students learns that bureaucracy is more important than pedagogy. Each year in the state of Indiana, librarians, teachers and students compile a list of 20...

Unhappily Ever After.(children's fantasy fiction literature)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Karen Springen Remember when children's books frolicked through tales of ponies and princes? The latest kid-lit craze is stories about living through the apocalypse--now. If you haven't heard of Jeanne Duprau's "Books of...

Last American (Wireless) Virgin.
July 21, 2008... Byline: Daniel McGinn Phones aimed at kids allow parents to set limits on texts, turn off the device during school hours or block calls from bullies. It's becoming a rite of summer: as the mercury rises, Apple introduces a new version...

Life at $200 a Barrel.(oil prices)(Brief article)
July 21, 2008... Saber-rattling by Iran drove the price of crude as high as $147 a barrel last week, and some analysts now fear more price spikes ahead. Beyond pain at the pump, soaring oil prices could have surprising consequences. (graphic omitted) ...

Learning More About a Private Lady.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 21, 2008... 'Behind That Smile': Readers were intrigued to learn more about Cindy McCain, who many acknowledged has gained their respect and admiration. "I'm afraid I had drawn an unfair impression of Mrs. McCain based on nothing but stereotype," one said....

The Editor's Desk.(Barack Obama's religion)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Daniel Klaidman It is never easy to discern a person's core spiritual beliefs. Even Barack Obama, who has written two acclaimed memoirs and speaks comfortably about his faith, remains opaque on the subject. Still, religious...

A Smarter Way To Fight.
July 21, 2008... Byline: Michael Hirsh; With Michael Isikoff In Washington He was the brains behind 'Charlie Wilson's War.' Now his tactics are hot, from Pakistan to Colombia. Strange things are happening in the jungles of Colombia. After years of...

Why Vietnam Loves Mccain.(John McCain)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Ron Moreau; With Holly Bailey With The Mccain Campaign They jailed him for five years. Now they want him in the White House. John McCain might not recognize Nguyen van Sy, but they used to be neighbors. Back in the 1960s, Sy...

A Tesla In Your Future?(Interview)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Fareed Zakaria PayPal's cofounder hopes to produce a practical $30,000 all-electric car in four years. The electric car has been pronounced dead many times, but Elon Musk is out to resurrect it. The South African-born Musk left...

Bluegrass With A Red Tint.(Sparrow Quartet)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Brian Braiker Abigail Washburn's sound is a mash-up of old-timey Americana and Chinese tradition. Abigail Washburn is sitting on a bench in New York's Battery Park City on a recent afternoon, the Statue of Liberty standing at...

Bat Trick.(The Dark Knight)(Interview)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Devin Gordon With 'The Dark Knight,' Christopher Nolan tried for the near-impossible: a bigger, better sequel. Despite the smothering 90-degree heat and the brilliant afternoon sun, despite being interviewed on his own back...

Gotham City's Grave New World.(The Dark Knight)(Movie review)
July 21, 2008... Byline: DAVID Ansen This Batman has wings, but he doesn't always soar. Even darker and more relentlessly serious than "Batman Begins," Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" pits the troubled superhero (Christian Bale) against his most...

Bringing Home Mom And Dad.
July 21, 2008... Byline: Anne Kennedy Rickover; Rickover Lives In Lincoln, Neb. I knew it was the right time for my parents to move closer to me. But I had no idea how to prepare for it. I hadn't been pregnant in 20 years, but this was planned just as...

Finding His Faith.(Barack Obama's religion)(Cover story)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Lisa Miller And Richard Wolffe; With Sarah Kliff So much has been made about Barack Obama's religion. But what does he believe, and how did he arrive at those beliefs? In 1981 Barack Obama was 20 years old, a Columbia University...

The Truth About Torture.
July 21, 2008... Byline: Stuart Taylor Jr. To get a full accounting of how U.S. interrogation methods were used, the president should give those accused of 'war crimes' a pass. Dark deeds have been conducted in the name of the United States government...

Obama's No-Brainer on Education.(Barack Obama)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Jonathan Alter Moderates would respond to a Democrat willing to slip the ideological strangleholdof a liberal interest group. One of the best things about the democratic primaries was that horse-race-obsessed reporters rarely...

More A Matter Of Mystery Than Magic.(Barack Obama's faith and religious beliefs)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Jon Meacham It seems that, for Obama, faith is about enduring questions. As first chronicles in the Hebrew Bible comes to an end, David--king and general, a favorite of the Lord's and the dominant figure of his time--is growing...

At Arm's Length.(Barack Obama and Jesse Jackson)
July 21, 2008... Byline: Allison Samuels They used to be close. Kind of. Jesse and Barack's awkward past. There was a time when Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama were, to all appearances, good friends. In the '90s, as Obama was rising in Illinois...