Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords is responding to simple commands, even though she remains in critical condition, her doctors have said. Killed in the attack? A federal judge, a third-grader (born on September 11, 2001), a Giffords staffer, and three senior citizens. We're learning more about the murky, violent politics espoused by her shooter, a 22-year-old named Jared Loughner. There are the chilling reports of heroism. And there are reports of a hunt for a possible accomplice in the attack. There's also this question: Is this the end of our national roll in the rhetorical muck? Or just the beginning?

Abruptly changing topics...

John Kitzhaber sat down with the O on the eve of his third term as governor and tried to pour readers a fresh, cold, half-full glass of milk: Things are looking up! Apparently. Kitz also is talking tough about spending cuts and ripping apart the bleeding state budget, and he's been reaching across the aisle to court Republicans in a closely divided Salem.

Snow job, you say? Yes, but not in Salem. Here. Actual snow is dusting the hills around the valley today. But later in the week? NINE INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY... WITH MORE COMING WEDNESDAY. Whee.

Holy shit! Fifty people, out of 95 passengers, have survived the crash of a Boeing 727 in Iran.

Another generation of maps could soon become obsolete. The southern Sudanese, who control a sizable cache of crude oil, are voting to ditch their poorer relations in the North, thus forming Africa's newest country.

It will still be made by the same Chinese preteens, but possibly, according to reports, your next iPhone will come with special guts that fit Verizon's network instead of AT&T's. Tuesday could be the big reveal.

Click here to see what a 39-year-old cat looks like. (It's not nearly as scary as you might imagine.) Guess your cat's longevity.

How to press on your child's brain, like a boil, and squeeze out all the joy and light and fun festering inside—all for the sake of success!

The government's legal strategy for collaring WikiLeaks' Julian Assange is emerging. Officials have subpoenaed Twitter for details about Assange's account, as well as the accounts of a select few WikiLeaks' collaborators and programmers.

Seems they should just fight it out like these guys. Nothing says Sunday like uncouth, trashy, flabby ballet.