U.S. News

The Best of the Beast, May 5-12

Recap

Our favorite stories for your weekend reading list.

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Murdered for Her iPhone

by Michael Daly

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Megan Boken was one of many slain by thieves going ‘Apple picking.’ But momentum is building to force manufacturers to install ‘kill switches’ that render stolen phones inoperable.

X-Men Sex Abuse Lawyer Says It Happened to Him, Too

by Tim Teeman

In a candid interview, Jeff Herman, the Florida lawyer suing director Bryan Singer and other Hollywood power players, reveals his own, very personal experiences of sexual abuse.

Exclusive: CIA Falls Back in Afghanistan

by Kimberly Dozier

A Bishop’s Decision to Divorce

by Gene Robinson

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All of us sincerely intend, when we take our wedding vows, to live up to the ideal of ‘til death do us part.’ But not all of us are able to see it through.

The intelligence agency’s irregular forces have been key to the fight against the Taliban since 2001. Now they’re being withdrawn—just as a bloody fighting season heats up.

The Volcano That Rewrote History

by William O'Connor

Thomas Jefferson went broke, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, and Arctic exploration got a new life, all because a massive volcano erupted in 1815.

So Many Jihadists Are Flocking to Libya, It's Becoming ‘Scumbag Woodstock’

by Eli Lake

Leaders from at least three of al Qaeda’s most virulent affiliates are now in Libya. What are they planning there?

The Sultan of Brunei Violated His Sharia Law With Me

by Jillian Lauren

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As a teenager, I was the mistress of his brother—who ‘gave’ me as a gift to the sultan. And in just one night, we committed at least two offenses under his newly implemented penal code.

God Save This Honorable Court

by Geoffrey R. Stone

The five justices in the majority in Monday’s First Amendment ruling showed no empathy for residents of a New York town who might not be Christian. But that shouldn’t surprise us.

The Elf Whisperer of Iceland

by Kevin Fallon

From the wild weather to the harsh landscape, Iceland has its fair share of mystifying phenomena. But none is more fascinating than the elves. They’re real. And this woman will save them.

Everything You Know About Fat Is Wrong

by Daniela Drake

Think a low fat diet is the key to health? Think again.

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