Like the Death Star, the federal government remains fully operational. Staring at a budget shutdown, Republicans blink and abandon demands to limit medical services for needy women and roll back environmental laws. Not that Democrats ought to be feeling good (except for Earl Blumenauer, who, as Sarah notes, deserves a mighty high five). They still savaged America's safety net with $38 billion in painful cuts through the summer—with another budget fight still on the horizon.

And then House Republicans used the cover of the budget drama to ram through another extemely partisan vote, approving a bill that would strip away "net neutrality" from our communications infrastructure—meaning Internet providers would be free to wall off their wires to any content they don't personally like.

When BP's oil well blew into the Gulf of Mexico, the US Coast Guard was yet another in a long line of agencies and outfits woefully and tragically unprepared, a new report finds.

Egypt's military=Egypt's former dictator. Protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square are shot dead in a morning raid by the same military that lent them the muscle they needed to topple strongman Hosni Mubarak. Meanwhile, protests in Egypt's former sister state, Syria, have surged to their bloodiest state yet.

Sorry about all that radiation, guys!

Still scarred, and wearing a weird plastic mask, Bethany Storro appears in court and receives a suspended jail sentence for faking an acid attack that almost landed her on Oprah and then pocketing a bunch of charitable donations.

Anyone want to be mayor of Newberg? Somebody? Anybody?...

Serpico. Dog Day Afternoon. The Wiz. Network. Sidney Lumet is dead. He was 86.

It happened again, this time in New York City, at Radio City Music Hall. Yeah, I don't really care anymore, either.

Free Britney. That is all.