• Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior—Writing in the New York Times, Nicholas Wade provides a fascinating and thought-provoking article on the belief among many contemporary biologists that “the roots of morality can be seen in the social behavior of monkeys and apes.”

• Civilian toll: Iraqis exhibit more mental health problems—Writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, James Palmer offers a sobering report on how “Iraqi psychiatrists are seeing what they call a disturbing spike in mental health disorders as the war passes its fourth anniversary — a problem compounded by Iraq’s lack of mental health workers, facilities and services.”

• Capitol Visitor Center a lesson in ‘congressional boondoggles’—Writing for the McClatchy Newspapers, Matt Stearns explains why Washington’s “latest monument might best be described as one to excess and narcissism,” in large part because it is “more than three years behind schedule and, at $600 million, nearly nine times its original expected cost.”

• WWF Says Pollution, Dams Threaten Rivers—From the Associated Press (via the Environmental News Network) comes a discouraging story about how “pollution, global warming and rampant development could destroy some of the world’s most iconic rivers in the coming decades,” according to a recent report from the World Wide Fund for Nature.