Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua have offered asylum to Edward Snowden.

New York is reducing the number of prisoners and the crime rate, and it seems to be due to the use of alternative forms of sentencing.

Private prison companies try to prevent such success. In fact, some of them fine the state if it doesn't imprison a certain number of people.

Meanwhile, the whole US could tremendously reduce the amount of incarceration by legalizing possession of drugs. It would probably reduce the rate of other crimes too.

A whistleblower reports that oil companies operating in the North Sea between the UK and Norway make a mockery of safety.

Limited available supplies of phosphorus and potassium for fertilizers could make today's farming impossible in 40 years.

Morsi may be prosecuted for "insulting the presidency".

There is no insult to the presidency like the president's own actions. If insulting the presidency were a crime in the US, we would prosecute Dubya and Obama.

However, I have a hunch that the Egyptian military does not see the irony of this, and must have dredged up some words Morsi spoke as an excuse to prosecute him.

Freedom of speech includes the right to insult any one, any thing, any view, and any institution. Including, of course, the presidency of any country.