Must Reads : The Two-Way Some stories are just too weird, too funny or too sad to ignore. They may not be "serious news," but are so fascinating you must read them. NPR correspondents are on the watch for such tales. We pass along the best, from NPR and other news outlets.

The Two-Way

Must Reads

Monday January 31, 2011

Must Reads

Video: Pro-Bowlers In Action And From Their Point Of View

January 31, 2011 • Sure it's a little gimmicky, but the video really gives you a feel for how lightining-fast things move on the field.

International

Man Survives 1,000-Foot Slide Down Mountain

January 31, 2011 • It's a tale that sounds like something the fictional wizard might have been able to survive, not a landfill manager from Glasgow named Adam Potter. But that's what happened.

Thursday January 27, 2011

A pool that once stood within the House of the Vestal Virgins, part of the Roman Forum. Alberto Pellaschiar/AP hide caption

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Alberto Pellaschiar/AP

Must Reads

Walk With The Vestal Virgins

January 27, 2011 • The House of the Vestal Virgins is now open for inspection by tourists visiting the Roman Forum, where once it could only be observed from afar.

America

Bird Deaths Mostly Solved; Fish Kill Still A Mystery

January 27, 2011 • The birds were startled and then crashed into objects. What killed thousands of fish in another part of the state, though, may never be known.

Wednesday January 26, 2011

Must Reads

Hubble Sees Most Distant Galaxy Ever Observed

January 26, 2011 • A team of U.S. and European researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have captured infrared images of a blurry object they believe to be the oldest galaxy seen by man.

Must Reads

Top Dog: Labs Rule For 20th Straight Year

January 26, 2011 • You want a Labrador Retriever, you know you do. Or, maybe, a German Shepherd? No? How about a Yorkshire Terrier? That doesn't suit your needs for a four-legged companion? How could it not?

Tuesday January 25, 2011

Hawk Makes A Home At The Library Of Congress

When not swooping around the Main Reading Room, the hawk finds a ledge to perch upon. Abby Brack/Library of Congress hide caption

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Abby Brack/Library of Congress

Must Reads

Hawk Makes A Home At The Library Of Congress

January 25, 2011 • A Cooper's Hawk has been trapped in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress here in Washington, D.C., since last Wednesday.

Hawk Makes A Home At The Library Of Congress

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Opinion

America

If Forced To Choose, Some Would Stick With Pets Before Spouses

January 25, 2011 • When confronted with an "it's me or the dog" ultimatum, it looks like about 1 in 7 Americans would go with Fido.

Date On Lincoln Document 'Started To Look A Little Hinky,' Archivist Says

The altered "5." U.S. National Archives and Records Administration hide caption

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U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Opinion

America

Date On Lincoln Document 'Started To Look A Little Hinky,' Archivist Says

January 25, 2011 • The more he looked at a presidential pardon supposedly written on the last day of Abraham Lincoln's life, the more a National Archives researcher suspected it had been tampered with. Now, a historian has admitted doing just that.

Date On Lincoln Document 'Started To Look A Little Hinky,' Archivist Says

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Must Reads

And The Nominees Are ...

January 25, 2011 • Oscar nominations are announced.

America

Today's Agenda: State Of The Union, State Of The Oscars

January 25, 2011 • We'll begin the day hearing about the movies and actors nominated for Oscars. We'll end the day hearing from President Obama about the "state of the union."

Monday January 24, 2011

Oprah's Final Season Gets Bigger With Emotional Family Revelation

Oprah Winfrey arrives at a party in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan 6. Matt Sayles/AP hide caption

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Matt Sayles/AP

Must Reads

Oprah's Final Season Gets Bigger With Emotional Family Revelation

January 24, 2011 • The amazing tale that is Oprah Winfrey's life took another unexpected turn Monday when the media mogul and cultural touchstone introduced her TV audience to the half-sister she never knew she had.

Friday January 21, 2011

America

Bernice King Opts Not To Become President Of SCLC

January 21, 2011 • She and the group's leadership didn't see eye to eye about how to move forward, King tells the AP.

Oscar de la Renta Pans First Lady's State Dinner Dress

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive to welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao on the North Portico at the White House for a State Dinner. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

America

Oscar de la Renta Pans First Lady's State Dinner Dress

January 21, 2011 • The fashion icon has made not-so-nice comments about the First Lady's choices in the past.

9-Year-Old Boy Sells Toys, Bracelet To Help Out Giffords

Isaac Saldana. Screenshot KVOA hide caption

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Screenshot KVOA

Must Reads

9-Year-Old Boy Sells Toys, Bracelet To Help Out Giffords

January 21, 2011 • The boy's mother had no idea he had sent a get well card and the money to Giffords at the hospital.