The dismal science of economics is, by most definitions, about finding the most efficient allocation of resources. And that goes for individuals, companies, governments and — yes — criminals. Edward Miguel is an expert on that last category. He's the co-author, with Raymond Fisman, of “Economic Gangsters: Corruption, Violence and the Poverty of Nations.” Published in late 2008, the authors use new data, innovative number-crunching and various pattern recognition models to plumb the worlds of kleptocrats, corruption, black marketeers and violence.

BAQUBA , Iraq — Months after U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Yvonne Smith and Staff Sgt. Kevin Smith got married, they deployed to Mosul together as part of the same military unit. At the time, Yvonne worked in the brigade headquarters and her husband, an infantryman, provided security for the headquarters element, so they often went on missions together. “People used to kid around with us our first deployment that it was a honeymoon in Iraq. We were the biggest novelty: The Smiths in Iraq,” said Yvonne,  currently on her second deployment with her husband.

WASHINGTON — Sen. John F. Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says he will hold far-ranging oversight hearings on the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. “End of summer, early fall, we are going to take a hard look at Afghanistan,” Kerry said in an interview with GlobalPost.