海角大神

The spikes in the US political news cycle formed a jagged saw this week, as they have .

One writer鈥檚 roundup yesterday took the form of 鈥� what else? 鈥� a tweet: 鈥淧resident鈥檚 campaign chairman is waiting to find out if he鈥檚 going to prison. Architect of bin Laden raid is daring president to take his clearances. Reality show contestant/WH employee has tape of $180K offer she got to stay quiet. Years of chaos in one day.鈥�

That鈥檚 a formula for exhaustion, division, and dismay. Where to look for some unity and affirming values?聽To stories that show our humanity.

A 14-year-old in Vermont figured out that he met the requirements to be on the primary ballot. He鈥檚 . Why? 鈥淚f I can get one person who wasn鈥檛 involved in the political process before involved now,鈥� he told a reporter, 鈥渢hen my campaign will have been a success.鈥�

In London, a onetime refugee,鈥� 鈥媤ho now has two engineering degrees, 鈥媤as holding a work-for-hire sign outside a subway station鈥�. 鈥婣 straphanger tweeted his photo and has generated .

And some residents of fire-ravaged Redding, Calif., have a few words for the individuals authorities say sparked the blaze with the exposed rim of a trailer tire gone flat. The messages are overwhelmingly . 鈥淲e鈥檝e had people who鈥檝e lost everything,鈥� a resident said, 鈥渁nd they are even saying 鈥榠t's not your fault.鈥� 鈥�

Now to our five stories for your Friday, including shifts in thought on guns鈥� in Canada, on an old-conqueror in Siberia, and on our collective place in the universe.聽