Is This the Big One?: For more than a decade, we Americans have been living on an economic San Andreas fault–a foundation of fracturing competitiveness covered by unsustainable consumer spending with money borrowed from foreigners. A financial earthquake was inevitable. We don’t know how high on the recession Richter scale the current crisis will take us, but it increasingly looks like, as they say in San Francisco, “The Big One.” [The Nation]
Heidelberg bans outdoor beers to stop fights: Hordes of foreigners hoping to enjoy a few cold German beers outdoors in the tourist hub of Heidelberg this summer could face fines as the country extends a crackdown on public drinking. A spokeswoman said that Heidelberg planned to stop brawls and carousing with an alcohol ban on its medieval streets and squares. [Times]
Anglo-Saxon attitudes: A poll that we commissioned suggests that Britain and America may have less in common than is widely assumed. [Economist]
Brain scan lie detectors ‘may already be in use’: A brain imaging technique called fMRI may be being used as a “lie detector” by US intelligence agencies, despite concerns over unreliability and the possibility of abuse, a leading academic has claimed. [Telegraph]
No Dutch smoking…except for cannabis: Cannabis will be exempt from a Dutch smoking ban that comes into force in two months. Restrictions on smokers in cafes and restaurants will not apply as long as cannabis is consumed neat, without tobacco. [Telgraph]
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