Distracted Doctors, a Kosher White House, and Skin Care That's Good Enough to Eat

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Now that The New York Times pay wall is live, you only get 20 free clicks a month. For those worried about hitting their limit, we're taking a look through the paper each morning to find the stories that can make your clicks count.

Top Stories: After the furor over distracted drivers and iPads in cockpits, another danger is getting attention: distracted doctoring, with technicians, nurses, and surgeons using smartphones while they're supposed to be doing operations. A British, Jewish, conservative talk radio host is playing unlikely kingmaker in Iowa.

U.S.: Local communities fight for the right to place their own zoning laws on gas drillers, but may be overruled by states and the courts. How the White House kitchen quickly becomes kosher for the President's Hanukkah party.

World: Japan may declare the damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima shut down, even though many experts think it's not true and officals just want to make public think that everything is okay. Poland, which is part of the European Union, but does not use the euro currency, has avoided most of the region's economic problems. But how long can they keep them out.

Food: A restaurant in the West Village has pasta just like mom used to make — because it's literally made by the owner's mother, who he flies in from Italy to bake for him.

Opinion: A look at what's wrong with our federal judicial nomination process.

Sports: The town of Yaroslavl, Russia, is trying to rebuild its beloved hockey team after a plane crash took the lives of 37 players and coaches three months ago.

Health: A new generation of cosmetics come in pill form, rather than creams that get rubbed on the skin. More and more studies are examining the benefits of drinking caffeine before workouts.

Arts: Stephen Merchant, the quieter (and arguably funnier) partner of Ricky Gervais, is doing his first stand up shows in the United States.

Technology: A list of tech gifts that aren't your usual gadgets.