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Petitions have been a common form of protest throughout modern history, often bringing attention to a cause through little more than handwritten letters and word of mouth. But like a lot of other things, petitions are going viral. And one website in particular has contributed to the phenomenon.

A year ago Sunday, protests were held in Daraa against the arrests and beatings of a group of young people who spray-painted graffiti on the walls of their school. And so began the uprising, which in some parts of Syria has turned into an armed insurgency and seen government troops respond with untold brutality.

Our critic is down at the SXSW music convention, trying to take in as much of the action as she can.

A year after the Syrian uprising began, an estimated 8,000 people have died, and it's still not clear how the situation will play out. A family talks about one of those deaths.

Footnote is set in Jerusalem's Hebrew University and deals with the implacable rivalry between two scholars of the Talmud, the complex and sacred text of the Jewish religious tradition. These competitive scholars, the misanthropic Eliezer and the gregarious Uriel, also just happen to be father and son.

The Taliban has announced it is suspending peace talks with the U.S. At the same time, Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded the U.S. pull troops out of rural areas by next year following a deadly shooting spree by an American soldier. These signals have come at an already difficult time for the U.S. in Afghanistan and further complicate the U.S. exit strategy.

In NCAA men's basketball action Thursday night, Iowa State defeated the the University of Connecticut 77-64. The Huskies were last year's champions. Also, VCU beat Wichita State 62-59 to advance to weekend play.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has been "suspended for one season without pay for his involvement in the team's bounty program," NFL.com reports. Gregg Williams, the assistant who ran the program, has been suspended indefinitely.

Tebow became expendable after the Broncos signed Peyton Manning.

The Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network went live in 1979. Its founder, Brian Lamb, became a pioneer in cable television when he pushed for public access to government proceedings. Congress at first resisted, but the House eventually opened its doors to cameras, and the Senate later followed.