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

Thursday June 30, 2011

Report Details How One Principal Hypnotized Students For Years

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Sarasota County Schools

Must Reads

Report Details How One Principal Hypnotized Students For Years

June 30, 2011 • A Sarasota, Fla. school district began investigating after the principal admitted he had hypnotized a student a day before he committed suicide. Two other students, who died months apart, were also hypnotized by the principal.

Love It Or Hate It: Few Are In Between About 'Tree Of Life'

Part creation epic and part family drama, The Tree of Life stars Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt as the parents of three boys in the '50s. Merie Wallace/Fox Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Merie Wallace/Fox Searchlight Pictures

Must Reads

Love It Or Hate It: Few Are In Between About 'Tree Of Life'

June 30, 2011 • Theater owners say there's a trend: A small percentage of moviegoers always seem to leave before the highly acclaimed film is over. Some even want their money back. Have you ever done that?

Love It Or Hate It: Few Are In Between About 'Tree Of Life'

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Men Now Have More 'Work-Life Conflict' Than Women, Study Says

Dads feel stretched thin too. (A father and child hold hands.) iStock Photography hide caption

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iStock Photography

America

Men Now Have More 'Work-Life Conflict' Than Women, Study Says

June 30, 2011 • This "New Male Mystique" may come as a surprise to stressed-out working moms.

Fearing 'Carmageddon,' Los Angeles Police Ask Celebs To Tweet

The Mulholland Drive bridge over I-405 in Los Angeles is coming down, and that's going to create problems in mid-July. Reed Saxon/AP hide caption

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Reed Saxon/AP

America

Fearing 'Carmageddon,' Los Angeles Police Ask Celebs To Tweet

June 30, 2011 • From the evening of July 15 through the early hours of the 17th, 10 miles of the 405 Freeway will be closed. Officials hope Lady Gaga, Ashton Kutcher and others will help urge folks to stay away from the area.

Wednesday June 29, 2011

Why Do Fingers Wrinkle When They Get Wet?

Wrinkly fingers. Raelene Gutierrez/via Flickr hide caption

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Raelene Gutierrez/via Flickr

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Why Do Fingers Wrinkle When They Get Wet?

June 29, 2011 • Common knowledge says it's because skin absorbs water, but a scientist proposes a new, evolutionary theory.

The 'JFK Turtles' Are Back, And This Time They're Tweeting

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twitter.com/JFKTurtles

Must Reads

The 'JFK Turtles' Are Back, And This Time They're Tweeting

June 29, 2011 • It's a summer tradition: Hundreds of turtles on the runways of New York's Kennedy International Airport, forcing flight delays. And now, the little guys are on the Web.

Dents On Car From Elderly Victim's Cane Lead To Robbery Suspects

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WPXI.com

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Dents On Car From Elderly Victim's Cane Lead To Robbery Suspects

June 29, 2011 • Police say that when two would-be robbers snatched an 82-year-old woman's purse in New Castle, Pa., they also left the scene with some dents in the trunk of their car — courtesy of a well-wielded cane. Those dents are now evidence.

Tuesday June 28, 2011

L.A. School District Decides To Go Easier On Homework

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Carsten/Getty Images

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L.A. School District Decides To Go Easier On Homework

June 28, 2011 • A new policy that goes into effect next month dictates that homework can count for only 10 percent of a student's grade. The move is meant to level the playing field for students who have little or no educational support at home.

Pope Benedict XVI uses a tablet in his private office at the Vatican on June 28, 2011 to launch a new website making it easier to access all Vatican news online. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP/Getty Images

Must Reads

Pope Sends His First Tweet

June 28, 2011 • The 84-year-old pontiff introduced a Vatican news site and praised Jesus in his tweet.

Must Reads

Iowa's 'Butter Cow Lady,' A 'Born Artist,' Has Died

June 28, 2011 • Norma "Duffy" Lyon was such a legend in her home state that in 2007 then-candidate Barack Obama sought — and won — her endorsement before the Iowa presidential caucuses.

Iowa's 'Butter Cow Lady,' A 'Born Artist,' Has Died

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Texas Legislature Approves Anti-Pat-Down Bill

A Transportation Security Administration agent performs a pat-down check on an airline passenger at a security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Jeff Topping/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeff Topping/Getty Images

America

Texas Legislature Approves Anti-Pat-Down Bill

June 28, 2011 • The bill makes invasive pat-downs a crime. A previous version of it put Texas at odds with the federal government, which threatened to shut down the state's airports if the bill became law.

Monday June 27, 2011

Original Globe-Trotters: Tomatoes, Coffee And Pepper

Original varieties of tomatoes from South America are believed to have been small, like today's cherry tomatoes. Today's large, plump tomatoes are the result of years of selection. Sean Gallup/Getty Images hide caption

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Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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Original Globe-Trotters: Tomatoes, Coffee And Pepper

June 27, 2011 • The Food Chains map traces the evolution of key foodstuffs as they traveled around the world. If you're a fan of coffee, tomatoes or black pepper, it's a chance to learn how they became ingrained in much of the world's cuisine.

TSA Defends Decision To Make 95-Year-Old Remove Adult Diaper For Screening

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CNN

Must Reads

TSA Defends Decision To Make 95-Year-Old Remove Adult Diaper For Screening

June 27, 2011 • The Transportation Security Administration said their officers acted "according to proper procedure" when they asked a 95-year-old cancer patient to remove her adult diaper during a security screening at Northwest Florida Regional Airport.

Watch Out! Small Asteroid Will Narrowly Miss Earth Today

Earth, in a photo taken by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972. U.S. National Archives hide caption

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U.S. National Archives

Must Reads

Watch Out! Small Asteroid Will Narrowly Miss Earth Today

June 27, 2011 • 2011 MD, which is about the size of two buses, will be closest to Earth at around 9:30 a.m. ET. The near-miss and short notice has gotten some thinking about how well prepared we are for an asteroid threat.

Friday June 24, 2011

Stranded Emperor Penguin In New Zealand Faces A Struggle

An Emperor penguin walks along Peka Peka Beach in New Zealand after it got lost while hunting for food. The young Antarctic Emperor penguin took a rare wrong turn and ended up stranded. Richard Gill/AP hide caption

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Richard Gill/AP

International

Stranded Emperor Penguin In New Zealand Faces A Struggle

June 24, 2011 • Veterinarians at the Wellington Zoo found the emperor penguin was badly dehydrated and had a belly full of sand. One expert said it would be "amazing" if it pulled through.