My autistic son vanishes (again) When Mike wanders off, there's no telling where he'll wind up. I never know why he goes -- or when he'll come back Joe Blair
What to make of second-graders having sex There's understandable shock over the Oakland, Calif., case. But is our sexual culture really to blame? Tracy Clark-Flory
My sister's in AA but secretly drinking She's living in my house and said she'd pay rent. Now the mortgage is due and she hasn't paid a dime! Cary Tennis
Riots erupt in Egypt as protesters demand end to Mubarak regime Violent demonstrations across Egypt on Tuesday underscore the magnitude of the country's anger at President Mubarak Peter Finocchiaro
State of the Union 2011 liveblog Our continuously updated analysis of America's new Sputnik moment Alex Pareene
The skewering of Sal Russo Live by the Tea Party, die by the Tea Party. The GOP flack falls apart defending Michele Bachmann's slavery history Joan Walsh
The 5 best State of the Union drinking games We're not saying you should get drunk watching tonight's speech, but if you want to ... Justin Spees
Second wave of housing bust hammers more cities Seattle and Portland are among the places where home prices are at their lowest levels since peaking in 2006-07 Salon/ALEX VEIGA and CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP
U.S. students not proficient in science Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the results are not good enough to ensure future American competitiveness CHRISTINE ARMARIO, Associated Press
State of the Union liveblog tonight! Check back at 8 for thrilling live coverage of the most important speech of the year Alex Pareene
Why the GOP should be worried about England The British government announced huge spending cuts and economic growth promptly went into decline Andrew Leonard
In defense of Jane Eyre A British author claims she's not a real "hero" -- but he gets Brontë's creation tragically wrong Laura Miller
Kelley Williams-Bolar: Mom jailed for wanting to give kids a better life A poor black woman broke the law to send her children to a rich white school. Is her punishment really justice? Elon James White
House GOP votes to return to pre-Obama spending levels Over at the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid rejects president's call for banning earmarks in spending bill ANDREW TAYLOR, AP
France, Russia sign deal on warships The U.S. and Georgia, among other countries, are apprehensive about the agreement AP/Salon
The secret math behind the Super Bowl How the NFL's economics and game schedule actually helps underdogs flourish -- and win Tobias J. Moskowitz and L. Jon Wertheim
Ohio to put prisoners down like dogs, literally As more and more EU countries ban the exportation of crucial execution drugs, states begin to take drastic measure Christopher R. Walker
Obama State of the Union: Spending, but restraint In his speech tonight, the president will announce a five-year freeze on discretionary spending BEN FELLER, Associated Press
Dan Burton explains why Congress must hide in a literal bubble One representative's plan to save our nation from a very real and not at all silly threat Alex Pareene
Four Loko, drugs found with bodies of 2 teens Two California teens were found dead along with empty cans of the infamous alcoholic energy drink last Friday Associated Press