Snapshot: Secretary of Selfies Snapshot: Secretary of Selfies
Secretary of State John Kerry takes a selfie while touring an elephant orphanage in Nairobi National Park. The trip was part of a three-country African tour that included stopovers in Kenya and Djibouti, and an unannounced visit to Somalia—the first time a US secretary of state has ever visited the country.
May 12, 2015 / Andrew Harnik
Puzzle No. 3363 Puzzle No. 3363
Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS 1 Chief competitor for the files storing letter of resignation (9) 6 Blog icon features circuits (5) 9 One opposed to some Christian doctrine takes train components and recycles them (4-11) 10 Cut alien’s caseload (6) 11 Russell’s ill-mannered brat and nerd (8) 12 Have difficulty perceiving plant, with orange and blue mixed up (3,6) 14 Persuade Franklin Delano early on (4) 16 Leaders of England’s nasty, violent youth commit a sin (4) 18 Novelist Paul to feel compassion, after losing power in economic squeeze (9) 21 Just before a jab, young woman said the wrong thing (8) 22 He represents the pope with sisters’ union? (6) 25 In the nick of time, two things a small shoemaker might be? (2,3,4,6) 26 Hello! Ruby’s offered a job (5) 27 Syrian obstruction leads to a show of pique (9) DOWN 1 Bill lies about fight with Oscar, perhaps (5) 2 Good looker holding two of clubs with part of finger (7) 3 Betrayed and Sabotaged (not rated) (6,2) 4 Ivan the Terrible is worthless (4) 5 Laggards might be sterile or disorganized (9) 6 Soldier appears in sign for shelter (4-2) 7 Test involving Apple computer yields expression of disgust (7) 8 Brand of soda pop swallowed by bird (6,3) 12 Penguins, for instance, stick in quiet sauna (5,4) 13 Criminal society or gang concealing shortage with heroin (5,4) 15 Gatherings to make quilts containing gold and titanium—they’re lovely (8) 17 Six flatbreads flipped for guest (7) 19 Embrace colored liquid and obscene sounds (7) 20 Book is covered with salt, pepper, and butter, for example (6) 23 Daisy is heard running through Bangkok, sighing (5) 24 Cat chasing a speck (4) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3362 ACROSS 1 ME + TERM + AID 6 JA(CO)B 9 alternate letters 10 TA(RANTIN’)O 11 RE-ACHING 12 A THEN S 14 “leak” 15 2 defs. 18 BACK + ETC. + ASE (anag.) 19 HUG + E 22 ARM A D.A. 24 A + COUST(I)C (stucco anag.) 26 [w]REC[k] + TANGLE 27 [r]ENTER 28 NO NET 29 DI’S SON + ANT DOWN 1 anag. 2 anag. 3 RH + YTHM (anag.) 4 AT + TEN + DANCE 5 anag. 6 J + UNCTION 7 CR(I’M)E[w] 8 B(ROWS)E + R 13 E(YES + OCKE)TS (Coke anag.) 16 anag. 17 2 defs. 18 hidden 20 EX + CERPT (anag.) 21 TU(XED)O (out rev.) 23 MA + CON 25 Dega[s] rev.
May 12, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto
Could Fast Track Ultimately Destroy Dodd-Frank? (Yes.) Could Fast Track Ultimately Destroy Dodd-Frank? (Yes.)
The White House has been going hard against Elizabeth Warren for making this claim—but she’s right.
May 12, 2015 / George Zornick
Why Afghan Women Carried a Funeral Casket for the First Time in Memory Why Afghan Women Carried a Funeral Casket for the First Time in Memory
Farkhunda was murdered on the streets of Kabul while thousands looked on. Now Afghan women are rising up.
May 12, 2015 / Ann Jones
‘The Iranians Are Coming!’ ‘The Iranians Are Coming!’
Apart from widespread fear of Iran, this year’s Al Jazeera Forum in Doha was mostly a display of the Arab world’s many deep fissures.
May 12, 2015 / Juan Cole
CIA Officer Jeffrey Sterling Sentenced to Prison: The Latest Blow in the Government’s War on Journalism CIA Officer Jeffrey Sterling Sentenced to Prison: The Latest Blow in the Government’s War on Journalism
It’s a warning shot—not only against whistleblowing but against basic communication with journalists by government employees.
May 12, 2015 / Norman Solomon
The Emerging Populist Agenda The Emerging Populist Agenda
The clear presence of a populist reform agenda might be the biggest surprise of the 2016 election season thus far.
May 12, 2015 / Katrina vanden Heuvel
It’s a Conspiracy! How to Discredit Seymour Hersh It’s a Conspiracy! How to Discredit Seymour Hersh
The veteran investigative journalist debunked the official version of the bin Laden killing—now there's a rush to smear him.
May 12, 2015 / Greg Grandin
May 12, 1820: Florence Nightingale, Founder of Nursing, Is Born May 12, 1820: Florence Nightingale, Founder of Nursing, Is Born
"There were not men in England strong enough or stupid enough or obstructive enough to stop her."
May 12, 2015 / Richard Kreitner and The Almanac
When TPP Meets the Populist Menace When TPP Meets the Populist Menace
The “reach across the aisle” was going according to plan... until the Populist Avenger showed up.
May 12, 2015 / Tom Tomorrow