President Obama just announced that he’s abandoned his plan to withdraw most U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2017. At least 9,800 troops will remain in the country through next year, after which the number will, Obama claims, drop to about 5,500.
Coyote Eats Tri-State Area Dog In Brazen Show of Strength

Was a coyote sending a calculated message to tri-state area humans this weekend when he snatched a small dog out of a backyard and presumably tore it apart with his sharp teeth? I’m not a coyote and I don’t profess to understand how they think, but if you held one to my head my answer would be, “Yes, this is possible.”
Tentative Nuclear Deal Could Lift U.S. Sanctions Against Iran
Representatives from six countries reached a tentative agreement today in Lausanne, Switzerland, that, if finalized, would limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the end of U.S.-led sanctions. The deal is set to be completed by June 30, though there are reportedly still important details to be settled.
FBI Charges Three Russians Living in NYC With Spying
The FBI accused three Russian citizens living in New York City of being Russian spies on Monday. Two of the suspects worked as diplomats and remain at large; the third suspect, a banker named Evgeny Buryakov, was arrested Monday.
Creme Egg Controversy Continues: Lawsuit Cooked Up to Ban Imports
Gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet: in the latest volume of the Great Cadbury Creme Egg Controversy of 2015 that has affected every single person living in England and America, imports of the British springtime chocolate have reportedly been banned from entering the U.S. by Hershey Co. Sounds like someone's…
China Agrees to Cut Carbon Emissions for the First Time in Landmark Deal
President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced from Beijing today a groundbreaking joint plan for both countries to cut carbon emissions ahead of the global climate treaty expected to be finalized next year. The pact is China's first-ever pledge to stop the country's carbon emissions from growing.
U.S. Sent Undercover Latin Youths to Cuba to Provoke Rebellion
According to an investigation by the Associated Press, the U.S. sent Latin American youths to Cuba to provoke rebellion, beginning in 2009. The workers—all Venezuelan, Peruvian, and Costa Rican—entered the country by posing as tourists, and in some cases, HIV educators.
Shots Fired: British Official Axes American Books From Exam Syllabus
Michael Gove, Britain's conservative Education Secretary, appears to be a bit ruffled by the quality of American literature: in a move encouraged by Gove, two works of American fiction have been removed from the national GCSE exam syllabus entirely.
Iran Nuke Pact Faces Battle in Congress
This weekend's nuclear deal with Iran—the result of combined negotiating efforts between diplomats from Iran, the United States, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany—is facing strict criticism, both in the U.S. Congress, where it has become a rare source of bipartisan agreement, and in Israel.
U.S. and Russia Agree on Deal to Secure Syria's Chemical Weapons
The United States and Russia have reached an agreement to remove or destroy Syria's collection of chemical weapons, possibly heading off a military strike by the U.S. against the Assad regime.
U.S. Intercepted Calls From Syrian Army Discussing Chemical Attack
According to a report in Foreign Policy, U.S. intelligence agents intercepted "panicked" phone calls last Wednesday between officials at the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the leaders of a Syrian chemical weapons unit. The calls, along with visual evidence, are the principal reasons the Obama administration believes…
Where's Snowden? Russia Rebukes U.S.: We Don't Have Him!
Wherever NSA leaker Edward Snowden is, one thing's for sure: It's not Russia's problem. "We are in no way involved with either Mr. Snowden," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday. "He has not crossed the Russian border." Wait... what? Didn't he land in Russia on Sunday? How is that possible?
A Rockefeller By Any Other Name Would Make Just as Much
Depressing information for the normal set: a new study from an economist at UC Davis has found that social mobility, while still a cool concept, is not really happening. By following the rare surnames of prosperous Swedes (prosperous Swedes wake up every morning, clad in their flaxen robes, singing "I am a prosperous…
Living People Coming to Stamps
The dying US Postal Service announced today that for the first time in like ever, living people will be appearing on stamps. To wit:
Brits Are Healthier Than Americans
New research by a team of American doctors indicates that people living in England are healthier than people living in the United States. And no one knows why!
BREAKING NEWS: Over the wires from Us Weekly comes this exclusive, breaking story, which the magazine immediately rushed to the top of its website: "Jennifer Lopez's Sister Has Baby Girl!" According to the magazine, sister Lynda "and her beau Adam Goldfried" welcomed their daughter into the world on August 28.…
Jennifer Love Hewitt Is Proud of Her Curves, Just Not Proud Enough To Keep Them
After paparazzi photos last winter revealed that she had a fuller figure than your usual Olsen twin, Ghost Whisperer star Jennifer Love Hewitt fought back, taking to the pages of People to declare, "Stop calling me fat!" Donning the weighty mantle passed down from Tyra Banks, Love Hewitt said, "To all girls with…
Re: The Condé Nast Elevator Chronicles
A reader writes, "My editor can kick your editor's ass. I work for [Us Weekly Editor] Bonnie Fuller."