current-events

The Week

8 Other World Leaders Who Got Divorced in Office

Sometimes, love and politics don't mix.... READ ON

Big Question

What Does a Foreign Service Officer Do?

The unfortunate and untimely death of a young Foreign Service Officer in a suicide bombing on April 6 in Afghanistan’s Zabul province has drawn attention to the careers of U.S. diplomats.... READ ON

The Week

How a Gang of Pickpockets Shut Down the Louvre

French museum workers walk out as the home to the Mona Lisa is plagued by increasingly aggressive thieves ... READ ON

Big Question

How Can US Citizens Legally Travel to Cuba?

Musical power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z jetted down to a tropical and somewhat-forbidden destination last week for their fifth wedding anniversary: Cuba. Because of travel restrictions to the country, the couple’s trip raised the eyebrows of some U.S. lawmakers.... READ ON

History

Kim Jong-Un's Less Responsible, Disney-Obsessed Older Brother

In 2001 a different Kim was in line for the throne: Kim Jong-nam. But then he tried to visit Tokyo Disneyland...... READ ON

The Week

The Biggest Cyberattack in Internet History Happened Yesterday

A spat between a Dutch webhost and a spam-fighting organization is crippling the Internet.... READ ON

Big Question

How Do They Make the "Pope Smoke"?

When the Catholic cardinals meet to pick a new pope in the “papal conclave,” they’re sequestered in the Sistine Chapel so that their deliberations aren’t influenced by the outside world and that their ballots, burned after each round of voting, remain secret. Updates from within the conclave, then, come not from press conferences or the pontifical Twitter account, but the chapel’s chimney.... READ ON

History

5 Famous Filibusters

After a mere 13 hours Wednesday, Senator Rand Paul ended his filibuster against the nomination of John Brennan for CIA director. While the thought of more than half a day of nonstop speaking may make the glossophobes among us (consider my hand raised) blanch, it’s just a drop in the bucket for filibusterers. Here are five of the most famous filibusters in history—all of which are hours longer than Paul’s baker's dozen.... READ ON

Big Question

Why Did Eating Horsemeat Become Taboo?

Despite the notion of horses as pets and companions, horsemeat is widely and willingly consumed in countries ranging from Mexico to China to Italy. So how, exactly, did eating horsemeat become taboo for the rest of us?... READ ON

List

7 Reasons to Never Ever Ever Vacation on a Cruise Ship

Cruises are often advertised as luxurious escapes from the grinding tedium of our everyday lives. These moving, all-in-one vacations boast entertainment, dining, adventure, relaxation, and a world of postcard-worthy sights. And of course, most cruises are terrific. But when the rare disastrous event strikes, those giant vessels of portable fun go from Jekyll to Hyde just like that, and can even become prisons of panic. ... READ ON