Ralph Macchio is 51, the same age as Pat Morita was when “The Karate Kid” hit theaters in 1984.

The regime we fought for in Iraq is now aiding the regime we’re fighting against (at least by proxy) in Syria.

Do we ask too much of our leaders?

Bonnie Franklin, star of “One Day At a Time,” has died from pancreatic cancer at 69.

The government of Malaysia paid a lot of money to get some blogs placed at various outlets.

Separate, it turns out, is not equal.

So, whoever approves cover art at Bloomberg BusinessWeek thought this was a good idea.

Bradley Manning has pleaded guilty to 10 charges stemming from turning classified documents over to WikiLeaks.

In “‘I Urge You to Drop E67-02’: Course Syllabi by Famous Authors,” Emily Temple collects actual syllabi for college literature courses taught by David Foster Wallace, Katie Roiphe, Zadie Smith, and others.

Bob Woodward once again has Washington abuzz with a White House scoop. This one is BS.

Coffee makes you smarter, burns fat, and is good for your liver.

The Hagel confirmation, like Obama’s election, was big news to some avid news consumers.

Jokes aren’t funny if you have to explain them. Explaining how the joke got written can be marginally funny.

Hundreds of illegal immigrants have been released from detention ahead of possible budget cuts.

There’s an innocent explanation for giving a huge bonus to a financial exec going into government. And it still stinks.

A federal judge poses an interesting question in a case over Obama’s contraceptive mandate.

In a bold move, the Census Bureau has removed “Negro” from its racial categories.

A diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, and wine is good for your heart.

The Chinese are hacking Washington institutions to unearth the secret plan under which the town operates.

“Who owns Sherlock Holmes?” The answer is . . . complicated.

Emory’s James Wagner sees the 3/5 Compromise as the price for achieving a more perfect union.

The Big Gulp ban won’t ban Big Gulps. But it’ll ban 2-liter Cokes with your pizza and pitchers at Chuck E. Cheese.

Ezra Klein argues that the voters already decided how the sequestration fight should play out.

An excellent essay by Adam Sternbergh “On the Enduring Appeal of ‘Die Hard.'”

The Obama administration is promising massive cuts in public-facing services in the face of minuscule “cuts” to the budget.

A Brazilian group is suing Apple for making its iPads better too quickly.

The Associated Press’ clear guidelines are unclear.

George Will declares solitary confinement tantamount to torture.

You can go to jail for running afoul of laws you had no way of knowing existed.

t’s been more than two-and-a half years since the United States passed major legislation.

Calls for more American kids to pursue STEM careers ignores the hiring realities.

Reclining your seat comes at the expense of your fellow traveler’s knees. Why is it an option?

The Fourth Amendment got even weaker yesterday.

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether limits on contributions to political candidates is Constitutional.

Ooops.

Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” popularized reggae in America 40 years ago this month.

The Cowboys’ first equipment manager and designer of the iconic blue star logo has died.

Senator Ted Cruz has alienated his colleagues in record time.

Rahm Emanuel is reportedly considering a 2016 presidential run. It’s a thin report.

While I’m sure President Obama has fantasies of launching drones on Congress, it’s not over his drone policy.

How he went from Juicebox Mafia member to the most important young journalist in DC.

NYT Magazine asks “Can the Republicans be Saved From Obsolescence?”

Olympic paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius has been arrested after the fatal shooting of his girlfriend.

American troops may now earn the fourth highest combat medal from the comfort of their desk chair.

We’re having trouble counting Hispanics. Should we be trying?

Obama To Hold Google+ Hangout After State Of The Union; Biden to take gun questions from Field & Stream.