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Civilization cannot live on anchovies alone. The ancient Norte Chico people of Peru were long thought to have built a complex society in South America while dining on a diet based on the tiny fish. But archaeologists now say they ate the food that fueled empires throughout the hemisphere — corn.

The House speaker wants senators to act. The top Senate Republican says it's time to work on a compromise. And the Republican National Committee says the cuts would be "negligible compared to Obama's disastrous fiscal record."

Syria is one of the most important backers of the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. If the Assad regime falls, Hezbollah will face an uncertain future. New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins discusses what shifts in Syria could mean for the future of the Middle East.

A government agency in Quebec, Canada, has come under intense criticism after attempting to get pasta stricken from a restaurant's menu. The move had nothing to do with the food: Officials said Italian words such as pasta, calamari, and antipasto should be replaced with French words.

We're living in an age obsessed with authenticity, says linguist Geoff Nunberg, but we often choose to nitpick the wrong details. Whether it's Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Lincoln or Argo, Nunberg argues, a historical novel or screenplay should give us a translation, not a transcription.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is married to former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan. The PAC has been pushing messages that try to draw connections between McConnell's politics and his wife's heritage. His spokesman calls those messages "disgusting."

Is the operating room staff Facebooking when they should be monitoring vital signs? The nurse anestheticists say that's a potential patient safety problem.

A report says there's reason to be optimistic about the market for recorded music around the world.

We'd all like to live the Norman Rockwell scenario, but for some families, the hectic pace of modern life means dinners are often more likely to channel The Simpsons. Studies suggest that regular family meals contribute to healthy eating habits. So what to make of this tradition in transition?

The Supreme Court is reviewing a key section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, originally designed to wring institutionalized discrimination from voting in the Old South. It follows an election season when the act was used to forestall proposed changes in several states.