Accessibility links
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

The Two-Way

Must Reads

Monday

Saturday

Love Lists? We've Got 'Em, For Better & Worse

The mysterious, most-interesting, super-sexy North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (And if you believe all that, you may be reading too many reports from Chinese media.) Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

Must Reads

Love Lists? We've Got 'Em, For Better & Worse

We sifted through so you don't have to and found some of the best (and worst?) of the best and worst lists: Craziest stories; biggest scandals; happiest countries; worst gaffes; and more.

The Two-Way

Peter Parker's Dead, But Spider-Man Will Live On (Sort Of)

Marvel Comics has killed off the iconic web-headed superhero — or to be more precise, they've killed off Peter Parker. Spider-Man will continue web-slinging, albeit with a twist that has earned writer Dan Slott the ire of many fans.

Peter Parker's Dead, But Spider-Man Will Live On (Sort Of)

Listen · 0:01
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/168245518/168248960" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Thursday

George Carlin, Van Halen & '27 Yankees Land On One Great 'Best Lists' List

George Carlin in 1981. The comedian's seven dirty words made the list of best lists. Ken Howard/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Ken Howard/Getty Images

Must Reads

George Carlin, Van Halen & '27 Yankees Land On One Great 'Best Lists' List

If you put together a list of the 100 "best lists," what might you mention? The New Yorker suggests they include Carlin's seven dirty words, Van Halen's famous "no brown M&M's" contract rider, and the lineup for baseball's greatest team. Is there a list to be made of the lists that were missed?

Wednesday

'Thunderbirds' TV Show Creator Anderson Dies At 83

Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson has died at age 83. Here, he poses with puppets Parker and Lady Penelope from the series, shortly before a 2001 auction in London. Dave Caulkin/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Dave Caulkin/AP

Must Reads

'Thunderbirds' TV Show Creator Anderson Dies At 83

Gerry Anderson, the man who created the iconic TV series Thunderbirds in the 1960s, has died, the BBC reports. Anderson, whose work was honored by a special set of moving-image stamps in Britain last year, had suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.

Monday

Forget About Chimneys: Think Wormholes If You Want To See Santa

Science says Santa's been tricking us with that reindeer stuff. Martti Kainulainen/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Martti Kainulainen/AFP/Getty Images

Must Reads

Forget About Chimneys: Think Wormholes If You Want To See Santa

That jolly old elf has fooled NORAD, Google and others trying to track him, says astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The "science of Santa" makes the most sense if you figure he's getting to the homes of good girls and boys via wormholes, not down the chimneys.

Sunday

Mug Shot Websites Charge When You're Charged, For Now

Philip Kaplan and Debra Jo Lashaway were both arrested, then cleared of their charges. Their court files were sealed, effectively removing the arrests from their public record, but their mug shots linger on websites that make money by charging people to remove their arrest photos. Now, they're part of a lawsuit that argues their right to publicity has been violated. Courtesy of Scott Ciolek hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of Scott Ciolek

Must Reads

Mug Shot Websites Charge When You're Charged, For Now

If you've been arrested in the last 10 years, there's a good chance your arrest photo ended up on any number of websites. You'll have to pay to make them take it down, but one lawyer aims to make the websites pay instead.

Mug Shot Websites Charge When You're Charged, For Now

Listen · 3:41
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/167916738/167925588" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
'Gangnam Style' And Other Best Memes Of 2012 Say Something About Us

That's a meme: President Obama and gymnast McKayla Maroney struck her "McKayla is not impressed" pose when members of the Olympics team visited the White House in November. Pete Souza/The White House/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Pete Souza/The White House/Getty Images

Must Reads

'Gangnam Style' And Other Best Memes Of 2012 Say Something About Us

The things that catch on and get copied or parodied across the Web often catch fire because they let people share themselves in unique ways, say the trend trackers at Know Your Meme.

'Gangnam Style' And Other Best Memes Of 2012 Say Something About Us

Listen · 5:16
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/167803289/167903985" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Is That A Dancer Or A Traffic Cop? Wait, He's Both

Retired police officer Tony Lepore performs his dance routine while directing traffic in 2004 in downtown Providence, R.I. Darren McCollester/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Must Reads

Is That A Dancer Or A Traffic Cop? Wait, He's Both

For nearly 30 years, Tony Lepore has worked as a traffic cop in Providence, R.I. But he doesn't just beckon, wave and blow a whistle; he dances — and he's got some serious moves.

Is That A Dancer Or A Traffic Cop? Wait, He's Both

Listen · 3:00
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/167898485/167904058" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday