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The Bullpen

Dana Liebelson

CHART: 40 years later, Roe v. Wade is still under siege

Dana Liebelson

CHART: 40 years later, Roe v. Wade is still under siege

Edward Morrissey

Can the 113th Congress get anything done?

Matt K. Lewis

In four years, we'll be inaugurating President Marco Rubio

Paul Brandus

Why the GOP should embrace Obama

In this new science of "epigenetics," researchers are exploring how nature and nurture combine to cause behavior, traits, and illnesses that genes alone can't explain.

Epigenetics: How our experiences affect our offspring

January 20, 2013, at 3:50 PM

New research suggests that people's experiences, not just their genes, can affect the biological legacy of their offspring

Jesus probably wasn't born in a manger, but in "the main living room of a peasant house, where animals are brought in at night."

The real story of Christmas

December 23, 2012, at 8:15 AM

History suggests that Jesus actually wasn't born in a stable — or on Dec. 25

Demonstrators, including many senior citizens, protest against cuts to federal safety net programs.

Medicare and Social Security: Fixing the safety net

December 17, 2012, at 6:51 AM

As baby boomers retire and health costs soar, Medicare and Social Security are devouring the federal budget

A roller coaster destroyed by superstorm Sandy in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

After Hurricane Sandy: Is flood insurance bad for taxpayers?

December 8, 2012, at 8:12 AM

As bills mount for the superstorm, there are growing doubts about the wisdom of National Flood Insurance

Adolescents who smoked marijuana at least four times a week, lost an average of 8 IQ points between the ages of 13 and 38, according to a study from New Zealand.

Is marijuana bad for you?

November 24, 2012, at 10:37 AM

1 in 3 Americans admit to having smoked pot. 5 million use it almost every day. And experts say we still know surprisingly little about this drug

Fighters from the terror group Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb travel with a convoy in northern Mali on Aug. 7.

North Africa: The next Afghanistan?

November 18, 2012, at 7:20 AM

The terrorist group al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has seized control of a swath of North Africa. Is it a real threat?

A woman walks on the beach in Mantokloking, N.J., near homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy's lessons: How America can protect its coasts

November 11, 2012, at 12:32 PM

The superstorm's devastation has awakened urgent interest in protecting populated coasts. Is it really possible?

Could President Obama and Mitt Romney possibly get any closer? The polls suggest not.

Down to the wire: A brief history of close presidential elections

November 3, 2012, at 1:16 PM

This year's contest might well fit into a storied tradition of Election Day nail-biters

The earliest circumcisions date back to around 2400 B.C.

To circumcise, or not to circumcise?

October 27, 2012, at 2:15 PM

A practice that's been a religious obligation for millennia is now in dispute. Is circumcision "mutilation?"

A Taiwanese fishing boat comes close to the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Sept. 25.

The world's silliest territorial dispute

October 20, 2012, at 11:15 AM

Why are China and Japan threatening to go to war over a few uninhabited islands in the East China Sea?

Richard Nixon (left) debates John F. Kennedy (right) during a live broadcast of their presidential debate on Oct. 21, 1960.

Everything you need to know about presidential debate history

October 14, 2012, at 9:20 AM

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama's clash this week will be just the latest in a long tradition of presidential showdowns

No country currently backs its currency with gold, but many have in the past — including the U.S.

Everything you need to know about the gold standard

October 7, 2012, at 4:00 PM

Some Tea Party activists are calling for a return to the gold standard. How would it affect the economy?

Unless Congress intervenes to avoid automatic budget cuts, the Army may have to go from 569,000 active duty soldiers to 426,000. That would be the lowest number since World War II.

Downsizing the military

September 30, 2012, at 10:00 AM

Washington's looming defense "sequester" would slash the Pentagon's budget by $55 billion a year. Would that imperil the nation?

A firefighter walks away after setting a backburn in an attempt to control a raging wildfire in Nutrioso, Ariz., on June 10: Already this year, nearly 13,000 square miles of land — an area larger than Massachusetts — has been burned by wildfires.

America's war on wildfires

September 14, 2012, at 9:55 AM

Tens of thousands of wildfires ravaged extensive areas of the country this summer. Is this the new normal?

Le Trung Hong Phuc, a 9-year-old from Vietnam, was born with disabilities, presumably due to his parents' exposure to Agent Orange.

Agent Orange's shameful legacy

September 7, 2012, at 7:15 AM

Four decades after the Vietnam War ended, the U.S. government is finally cleaning up the toxic mess it left behind

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