Fighting Communism, One Athlete at a Time | New York Times

A very interesting piece in The New York Times about tennis player Li Na and Chinese athletes generally.

Was first curveball thrown 2 million years ago? | Dayton Daily News

Very interesting piece about a recent study trying to figure out when ancient humans first threw (most likely spears) overhanded.

It’s Cory Booker’s race to lose | The Fix - Washington Post

"With Republicans unable to land a top-tier candidate, the real action is in the Democratic primary, and two new polls show Booker with a huge early lead.

According to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll, Booker leads Rep. Frank Pallone 55 percent to 9 percent, with Rep. Rush Holt bringing up the rear at 8 percent.

And a new Quinnipiac University poll shows very much the same picture, with Booker at 53 percent, Holt at 10 percent and Pallone at 9 percent."

Read more at The Washington Post's The Fix blog.

Behind the I.R.S. Mess: A Campaign-Finance Scandal | Steven Rattner - New York Times

Kind of really the point here:

“By way of background, the decision in 2010 to target groups with certain words in their names did not come out of nowhere. That same year, the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case substantially liberalized rules around political contributions, stimulating the formation of many activist groups.

In the year ended Sept. 30, 2010, the division received 1,741 applications from “social welfare organizations” requesting tax-exempt status. Two years later, the figure was 2,774. Meanwhile, the staff of the division tasked with reviewing these applications was reduced as part of a series of budget reductions imposed on the I.R.S. by anti-tax forces.

A far higher proportion of the new applicants wanted to pursue a conservative agenda than a liberal agenda. So without trying to defend the indefensible profiling, it wouldn’t be that shocking if low-level staff members were simply, but stupidly, trying to find an efficient way to sift through the avalanche of applications.”

How Geography Explains the United States - By Aaron David Miller | Foreign Policy

Very interesting article about how geography influences the American world view:

"Canadians, Mexicans, and fish. That trio of neighbors has given the United States an unprecedented degree of security, a huge margin for error in international affairs, and the luxury of largely unfettered development."

Obama announces Foxx pick, cheers transit supporters | Burgess Everett - POLITICO.com

Obama announces Foxx pick, cheers transit supporters - Burgess Everett - POLITICO.com

Does Light Rail Really Encourage People to Stop Driving? | The Atlantic Cities

More evidence that common sense really isn't all that common:

"...another reminder of the irrational love people have for their cars; getting city residents to give up driving often requires more than just offering them a ride."