Critics

WHAT WOULD you say if I told you that you could profoundly cut your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer? Significantly decrease your risk for Alzheimer's disease, too? And, better yet, that you could do all this without spending a single dime? Impossible, right? Wrong. All that and more may be possible simply by following the sage advice of Dr. Michael Mosley, a British medical journalist and co-author of The FastDiet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting . The "Fast Diet" is all the rage in Britain and could take flight here as well.

The hate sessions that George Orwell invented for enemies of the state in 1984 are a standard feature of theatrical gatherings. The object is always The Critics. When the collective attention turned to critics at the recent biennial meeting of nonprofit theaters at Smith College, the atmosphere crackled with hate. Delegates thundered denunciations of critics in general and some in particular. Critics, they complained, cover resident theaters on a production-by- production basis instead of taking the long view.

Steven Rea offers short takes, outtakes, information and interviews on films. @ ArtsWatch: Peter Dobrin tells you who's making news, noise and splash in the Philadelphia arts world and beyond.

WASHINGTON - A decision by Senate Democrats not to add protections for same-sex couples to a landmark immigration overhaul has angered gay-rights advocates and put the White House on the defensive. Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D., Vt.) agreed Tuesday to withdraw an amendment that would allow foreign, same-sex spouses and partners to apply for visas, after it became clear that fellow Democrats would vote against it to preserve GOP support for the bill. Several gay-rights groups did not accept that, arguing the issue was a matter of principle and fairness for the estimated 30,000 same-sex, binational couples that remain unable to unite in the country.

HARRISBURG - A brief exchange of comments videotaped during an effort to reach out to Latino leaders last week in Philadelphia has created a new wave of controversy for Gov. Corbett. In an hour-long interview Friday during a roundtable sponsored by Al Día News Media, a moderator asked Corbett whether he had any Latinos on his staff. Corbett said he did not, adding quickly, "If you can find us one, please let me know. " He went on to ask, with a smile, whether anyone in the audience wanted to come to Harrisburg.

@ On Movies Online: Steven Rea offers short takes, outtakes, information and interviews on films. www.inquirer.com/ onmovies @ ArtsWatch: Peter Dobrin tells you who's making news, noise and splash in the Philadelphia arts world and beyond. www.inquirer.com/ artswatch

Tenure and satisfactory evaluations are virtually meaningless for Philadelphia educators, and bad teachers can linger in the public school system too long. The Philadelphia School District shells out too much for the health care of its teachers, who tend to be absent too often. Teacher pay ought to be revamped to keep strong performers, and effectiveness, not start date, should guide layoff decisions. Those conclusions come via an analysis of Philadelphia teacher policies scheduled to be released Wednesday by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)

PETARE, Venezuela - Stern-looking soldiers clutching assault rifles wave down the beat-up Chevy Caprice entering this sprawling slum on the outskirts of Caracas. Flashlights in his face, the driver steps out and places his hands on the roof while the soldiers frisk him for drugs and weapons. He's clean, and a hand gesture from the commanding officer sends him off into the maze of ramshackle homes that is Petare, one of the most dangerous parts of Venezuela's notoriously crime-infested capital.

ATLANTIC CITY - In an unusually pointed response to Gov. Christie's frequent excoriation of the judiciary, state Supreme Court Justice Barry T. Albin asserted in a speech Friday that politicians' criticism of judicial decisions undermines democracy and weakens public confidence in the court. Albin, whom Christie has criticized by name, was the lead speaker at a New Jersey State Bar Association panel on judicial independence. Open criticism of judges' decisions could cause others to fear for their careers and undercut the ability of jurists throughout the system to render impartial judgments, he said.

Movies Coming This Week By Steven Rea The Hangover Part III The Wolfpack returns to Las Vegas and then ventures to the staid and sleepy town of Tijuana in the final installment of the guys-gone-wild trilogy. Lots of madness, lots of Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong), and, if the trailers are to be believed, lots of giraffe body parts splattered across the interstate. (Opens Thursday) R Epic Fairies and fierce little warriors, talking snails and a teensy-weensy queen (voiced by Beyoncé)

Now comes the difficult part. There was no problem for the Union getting up for a second game in five days, mainly because of the opponent. Now they must prepare for a third game in eight days, while bouncing back from a most difficult final 45 minutes. How the Union fare in Saturday's MLS matchup at PPL Park against the Chicago Fire at 7:30 p.m. will go a long way toward determining whether they have the ability to hang in there for the marathon of a playoff run. The Union began their journey with Saturday's 1-0 win over the host Fire.

Mud Matthew McConaughey has the title role - a mysterious fugitive discovered by two boys on an island in the Arkansas Delta - in Jeff Nichols' scary, magical, downright remarkable film. An instant American classic. R The Place Beyond the Pines Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes star in an epic drama about a motorcycle stunt rider/bank robber and the cop who chases him down. Boldly ambitious, with great performances from Ben Mendelsohn, Harris Yulin, and Ray Liotta. R Star Trek Into Darkness J.J. Abrams' reboot sequel is as good as (if not better than)