Reader staffers share stories that fascinate, amuse, or inspire us.

Hey, did you read:

• That Israel may launch a ground invasion in the Gaza Strip as part of "Operation Protective Edge"? —Ben Sachs

• That Dinesh D'Souza thinks teaching children about slavery and civil rights makes them hate America? —Drew Hunt

• That Mayor Emanuel's minimum wage panel recommends raising Chicago's hourly minimum to $13 by 2018? —Steve Bogira

• That food stamp fraud isn't actually a big problem? —Will Greenberg

• About guayusa, the healthy Ecuadorian leaf that brews like tea and yields a caffeine jolt like coffee? —Tony Adler

• Christopher Nolan on the future of movies? —Ben Sachs

• About the unexpected return of Braid and the Jazz June? —Leor Galil

• This ridiculously entertaining obituary of a small-time con man? ("What to say about George? Certainly, no one could accuse him of having been a loving son, brother, or father. He'd gladly have stolen the shirt off your back and he was generous to a fault with other people's money".) —Aimee Levitt