A recent study shows that in 16 states, drugs now kill more people than auto accidents. Experts say this reflects two trends: "Driving is becoming safer, and the legal and illegal use of powerful prescription painkillers is on the rise."

For two years, reporter Sarah Kliff has covered abortion-related issues for Newsweek magazine. In those two years, despite penning thousands of words on the topic, she had never witnessed an actual abortion. That all changed when she visited a clinic in Omaha. (Note: The article is a troubling read—as most articles on abortion are.) Her reaction to the procedure caught her off guard. Though it initially struck her as somewhat banal from a medical standpoint, she was soon rattled to her core over the depth of what happened in the moment. The next to last paragraph is especially potent. Watch how her pro-choice friends and colleagues "bristled" at her willingness to do what she did. The whole experience left her with this conclusion: "The majority of Americans support Roe v. Wade's protection of abortion, about 68 percent as of May. But my experience (among an admittedly small, largely pro-choice sample set) found a general discomfort when confronted with abortion as a physical reality, not a political idea. Americans may support abortion rights, but even 40 years after Roe, we don't talk about it like other medical procedures." (Kliff has since written a brief companion piece about the massive amount of feedback she received on this article and another related piece on abortion.)

David Brooks recently wrote an op-ed piece for The New York Times that points out how the slide in economic morality afflicted Red and Blue America equally. (As a side note, regardless of how you feel about his views and his politics, Brooks consistently raises interesting cultural issues in his columns.)

In his book NurtureShock, authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman argue for the return of tough love in parenting. To listen to an interview with Bronson about his convictions—and to read an excerpt of his book—click here.

A look at how being a bad guy can be good for your career. What's humorous about this piece is that some of the proposed "bad guy" moves ("standing up for what you think is right for the company or team" or "standing up for yourself") are actually "good guy" moves. Still, I get what they're getting at: sometimes playing the role of the "good guy" will make you seem like a "bad guy." But here's something to think about: if you choose to be the "good guy" who is graciously, selflessly willing to sometimes be mistaken for a "bad guy," but you ultimately do so only because it will advance your career, doesn't that sort of make you a selfish "bad guy"?

I've been pointing you in the direction of quite a few evolution-related stories. Why? It seems the debate is reaching a boiling point again. Maybe it's the spate of atheistic literature from Dawkins and the like. Maybe it's the new movie about Darwin that's about to be released. Or maybe it's because of an odd, little skeleton named "Ardi." Ardi is the closest thing folks have found to the ever-elusive "missing link." But here's the catch: Kent State University anthropologist C. Owen Lovejoy points out that "it's clear [from studying Ardi] that humans are not merely a slight modification of chimps, despite their genomic similarity."

I'm sure you're well aware of the string of public outbursts in the last few weeks: Jim Wilson. Serena Williams. Kanye West. Robin Abcarian, of the Los Angeles Times, reflects on how all of this might point to a deepening social dysfunction. (HT: Challies.com)

We'll end this batch with a light-hearted link. Sharon Robinson, daughter of the great Jackie Robinson, has written a children's book about her father's bravery. But it's not about how the baseball legend broke racial boundaries in sports. It's about the consistent bravery he showed in all areas of life as a man, as a father. Check out NPR's story on Jackie Robinson's willingness to "test the ice" for his children.