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A night surfer is seen against glow-in-the-dark waves caused by bioluminescent phytoplankton in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

San Diego's 'dazzling' glow-in-the-dark waves

October 6, 2011, at 3:49 PM

California's beaches are gleaming like a "beautiful hallucination" — and surfers are stoked. What's behind this nocturnal lightshow?

more on Nature Gone Awry

Cartoon View: Springing chaos

Residents of a small Wisconsin town have had trouble sleeping this week, their dreams interrupted by loud inexplicable noises they've compared to thunderclaps.

Instant Guide: Wisconsin's 'baffling' booms: A concise guide

Thanks to the warm winter, bears are waking up from their months-long hibernation earlier than usual... and they're hungry.

The List: The 'freakishly warm' winter: 4 unwelcome side effects

The military's new mule-like robot, LS3, can carry up to 400 pounds over 20 miles without refueling.

Robo-mule: The military's rugged new wilderness beast

February 9, 2012, at 5:52 PM

Thanks to a sure-footed mechanical pack animal, U.S. troops could soon shed their bulky backpacks as they trek through treacherous terrain

more on U.S. Military

Cartoon View: Pet drone

Weighing in at just over a pound, these tiny robots can be thrown into enemy territory to scope out the scene.

Best Video: The military's new weapon: Mini spy robots you throw like grenades

Out of the 11,000 people the military has tested this new "pain ray" on, only two required medical attention.

Instant Guide: Ready for action: The U.S. military's 'pain ray'

A Goldman Sachs trader on the New York Stock Exchange Floor: The financial firm is conducting an internal review following a damning op-ed from a former employee.

Goldman Sachs' 'muppet' probe: A serious effort to reform?

March 23, 2012, at 12:01 PM

The firm undertakes a new internal investigation, but critics suspect it's just a whitewash to contain the fallout from a hugely embarrassing New York Times op-ed

more on Goldman Sachs

Cartoon View: Goldman's goons

Despite the controversy and criticism surrounding Lloyd Blankfein, nearly 19 in 20 Goldman Sachs employees approve of their CEO.

Burning Question: Will Goldman Sachs' CEO survive Greg Smith's 'devastating' rant?

The Goldman Sachs headquarters in lower Manhattan: Former executive Greg Smith's public rant gives an inside look at the investment bank's allegedly toxic internal culture.

The List: Greg Smith's 'devastating' Goldman Sachs resignation rant

U.S. soldiers take pictures before their departure from Iraq in July: On Friday, President Obama announced that the rest of U.S. troops will be home by the end of 2011.

Is America getting 'kicked out' of Iraq?

October 24, 2011, at 9:20 AM

President Obama announces that all U.S. troops will leave Iraq by year's end. Actually, says Michele Bachmann, Iraqis are giving us the boot. Is she right?

more on Iraq War

Cartoon View: Soldiers out, drones in

Peter Moore, pictured in 2009 at the British embassy in Baghdad, after being released by the Shiite terrorists who held him captive for more than two years.

Essay: A survivor's tale of torture in Iraq

Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr calls the country's "emo" youth a "plague."

Fact Sheet: The brutal stoning of Iraqi 'emo' kids

According to critics, "Oprah's Next Chapter" finds the "master interviewer" back on her game, no longer "um-hmming" robotically.

Oprah's Next Chapter: Will Winfrey's bid to save OWN work?

January 2, 2012, at 3:50 PM

The former Queen of Daytime is back in front of the camera in a new reality series on her struggling cable network

more on Oprah Winfrey

Cartoon View: When Westboro goes too far

Before it was canceled, Rosie O'Donnell's "The Rosie Show" was drawing just 150,000 viewers per week.

Analysis: Oprah cancels Rosie: Who's to blame?

After 25 years of guests, Oprah Winfrey said goodbye on her own, addressing her loyal fans directly for an hour.

Best Video: Oprah's 'brave' solo finale

'Evolution Fresh': Can Starbucks rule the juice market?

March 20, 2012, at 1:05 PM

In a bid to expand its empire, the java king tries its hand at smoothies

more on Starbucks

Cartoon View: Starbucks' sick days

If you need a toilet break after finishing that venti coffee, too bad: Starbucks is reserving bathrooms at its Manhattan locations for employees only.

Wit: Starbucks closes its public bathrooms: The best wisecracks

Starbucks may be ideal for self-absorption, but the seemingly homey, laid-back atmosphere is also the perfect setting for petty thievery.

Petty Controversy: Is Starbucks a thief magnet?

Foreigners interested in staying in the U.S. can do so (for three years) if they buy American real estate worth at least $500,000, according to a new proposal.

Buy a house, get a visa?

October 21, 2011, at 1:55 PM

A bipartisan Senate bill would give foreigners who buy U.S. homes worth at least $500,000 a residence visa. Could this gambit kickstart the housing market?

more on Real Estate Trauma

Cartoon View: Diving for loans

Lynn Szymoniak, a lawyer and fraud investigator, uncovered a massive mortgage scandal when she noticed something fishy about the paperwork in her own foreclosure process.

Fact Sheet: The foreclosure victim who scored an $18 million settlement

Taking a cue from her real-estate-agent mother, Willow Tufano bought a foreclosed home and is now renting it out for $700 a month.

Instant Guide: Could a 14-year-old girl become a real-estate mogul?

In an effort to curb rising employer health care costs, some companies are making employees who smoke pay higher rates.

Should smokers and obese workers pay more for health care?

November 1, 2011, at 10:05 AM

Companies have long tried to get workers to quit smoking and start exercising. Now employers are aiming where it hurts: The paycheck

more on The Battle over Smoking

Cartoon View: Hazy free speech

A new anti-smoking ad features former smoker Teri, who wears false teeth, a hands-free tracheotomy device, and a wig.

Best Video: The CDC's shocking new anti-smoking campaign: Will it work?

3.6 million American teens smoke cigarettes, according to a new report.

By the numbers: America's teen smoking 'epidemic': By the numbers

The number of NCAA championships won by Kemba Walker (one) equals the number of books the star guard has ever read cover to cover.

Kemba Walker's 'ridiculous' reading admission

April 20, 2011, at 1:28 PM

UConn's star guard concedes that he's only read one book cover-to-cover in his entire life... and yet somehow managed to complete college in three years

more on "March Madness" Madness

Cartoon View: Wildcats duke it out

President Obama shoots some hoops at the White House: The sports-loving commander-in-chief thinks North Carolina will be crowned champion in this year's NCAA tournament.

The List: Obama's NCAA tournament bracket: 4 ways it panders to voters

Roughly 50 million Americans are expected to participate in office pools for this year's NCAA men's college basketball tournament.

By the numbers: How March Madness distracts workers: By the numbers

President Obama delivers his statement on the death of Osama bin Laden last Sunday; A new conspiracy theory that the al Qaeda leader is still ticking is obsessing ex-birthers.

Are 'deathers' the new birthers?

May 6, 2011, at 4:19 PM

Skeptics who think Osama bin Laden's still alive are piping up just as conspiracy theorists who doubt Obama's birthplace have subsided

more on Birther Movement

Cartoon View: Whittled down to a Trump stump

More than half of Mississippi Republicans (incorrectly) think President Obama is a Muslim, according to a new PPP survey.

The List: 'Obama is a Muslim' and 6 other persistent conspiracy theories

Donald Trump may have been the loudest member of the birther movement but he's not alone. Prior to this week, 45 percent of Republicans believed Obama was born in Kenya, according to a poll.

In-depth briefing: The origin of the birthers

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange: The Dow Jones Industrial Average has surprisingly climbed 19 percent since October.

The stock market's 'melt up': Will the rally end painfully?

January 24, 2012, at 1:24 PM

The Dow is on a tear, but with economic storm clouds looming, complacent investors may be in for a rude awakening

more on Dow Ups and Downs

Cartoon View: The Dow's scream machine

Traders applaud in February as the Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks the 13,000 barrier for the first time since May 2008.

Instant Guide: The 'epic' bull market: Why are investors shunning stocks?

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday morning: Bracing for another September of Doom?

By the numbers: The stock market's history of September swoons: By the numbers

Coffee addicts beware: That comforting cup of joe, when consumed in excess of five servings a day, may turn you into a hallucinating fool.

Coffee: The new hallucinogenic craze?

June 10, 2011, at 10:43 AM

A new Australian study says that a serious coffee habit can make people see and hear imaginary things (involving Bing Crosby). Time to put down the java?

more on Hallucinogenic Drugs

A sheet of perforated printed blotter paper soaked with a solution of LSD: New research claims dropping acid can help cure alcoholism.

Fact Sheet: Should we use LSD to treat alcoholism?

Concentrated bath salts are being used to get a high that mimics cocaine: Nine people have reportedly died in the past year after using such synthetic drugs.

Controversy: Bath salts and fake pot: America's new drug war

This 1950s housewife seems to have encountered a different reality that was "so beautiful and lovely and alive" after taking LSD.

Best Video: The 1950s housewife on LSD

Jersey snore: After last season's Italian misadventure, Snooki and gang relentlessly return to their seaside home in Thursday's premiere of "Jersey Shore"

Time for the world to rid itself of Jersey Shore?

January 5, 2012, at 1:02 PM

Season five of MTV's confoundingly popular reality series begins Thursday, and even fans are getting fed up with the overly tanned guidos' drunken antics

more on Jersey Shore

Cartoon View: Reality in repeat

Snooki and fiance Jionni Lavalle: The "Jersey Shore" star's surprise pregnancy puts the future of the hard-partying reality show in jeopardy.

Burning Question: Will Snooki's pregnancy kill Jersey Shore?

According to comedian Sean Klitzner's analysis, Snooki is a pawn of scene-orchestrating producers.

Best Video: Proof that Jersey Shore is staged?

The ancient Italian town of L'Aquila was devastated after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed 309 people in April 2009, and now, scientists are on trial for failing to warn the public in advance.

Should scientists be held responsible for earthquake deaths?

September 21, 2011, at 11:04 AM

In Italy, six scientists are being tried for manslaughter after failing to predict a 2009 earthquake that killed 309 people

more on Natural Disasters

Cartoon View: Showing Mother Nature up

Ridgeway, Ill., residents look over the remains of the 110-year-old St. Joseph's Catholic Church after tornadoes ripped through the South and Midwest last week.

The List: The Midwest's deadly tornadoes: 5 miraculous stories

A park ranger on guard at the Washington Monument in August clutches her chair and looks skyward as the 5.8-magnitude earthquake shakes the obelisk.

Best Video: The 'terrifying' earthquake footage from inside the Washington Monument

A made for TV biopic about Lady Gaga is in the works, even though its producers won't be able to depict her later performances or notorious costumes.

A Lady Gaga biopic: Too soon?

October 6, 2011, at 11:16 AM

Lifetime is reportedly developing a made-for-TV movie based on the shock-pop superstar's inimitable life... even though she's only 25

more on Lady Gaga

Cartoon View: Lady Gaga's case for chastity

Lady Gaga has been the most followed person on Twitter since August 2010, when she surpassed Britney Spears.

By the numbers: Lady Gaga's 20 million Tweeps: By the numbers

Lady Gaga in the opening scene of her new video "Marry the Night," a bizarrely conceived biographical account of her struggle to become famous.

The List: Lady Gaga's 'epically weird' 'Marry the Night' video: 5 talking points

Since her last hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live," Lindsay Lohan has made more headlines for her stints in court than her rather scant filmography.

Will hosting SNL save Lindsay Lohan's career?

February 21, 2012, at 3:35 PM

After six years of headline-making personal woes, the troubled actress will attempt a comeback by hosting a March episode of Saturday Night Live

more on Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan hosting "Saturday Night Live": The trouble-prone starlet relied heavily on cue-cards to make it through the evening.

Burning Question: Lindsay Lohan on SNL: Did she blow her comeback?

During her "Today" show interview Thursday, Lindsay Lohan said she is clean and sober, a "homebody" who has mostly sworn off nightclubs.

The List: Lindsay Lohan's 'no holds barred' Today interview: 5 talking points

The troubled star will step into some very big shoes if she plays Elizabeth Taylor in a proposed Lifetime project.

Analysis: Could Lindsay Lohan pull off playing Elizabeth Taylor?

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