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“Does Firestone believe it did the right thing? Yes.” That’s what the company says of its decision to do business with Liberia’s infamous warlord Charles Taylor as he led the country’s first civil war. While Firestone used its Liberia plantation for the business of rubber, Taylor used it for the business of war.

In Firestone and the Warlord, ProPublica and Frontline PBS examine role of a global corporation in a brutal African conflict. Read the story.

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We're wrapping up our investigation on internships. Here's a snapshot of what we learned. Tap or click for facts.

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"Europe has become an inadvertent underwriter of Al Qaeda." (Source: The New York Times)

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About a third of the contiguous U.S. was in at least moderate drought as of July 22.  (Source: The Upshot)

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Templand is growing, but regulations aren't. Follow our investigation into the U.S.' growing temporary workforce.

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"Say this, not that:" How charter schools are trying to direct their messaging. (Source: Washington Post)

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Rita Bender on Freedom Summer, her time as a civil rights worker, the murder of her husband, and why civil rights in America is a “work in process,” not progress.

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The number of people put on death row in the U.S., vs the number actually executed. (Source: The Upshot) 

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Our weekly roundup is coming to Tumblr. This week, from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the criminalization of homelessness, we're going by the numbers. Here are the most popular stories from our Twitter feed:  1. The New York Times is tracking the casualties of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reporting on Israel’s land invasion of Gaza. 2. Advocates say the number of cities banning begging, sleeping in public, loitering is rising. NPR has the story. 3. The settlement wiped out most of Citigroup’s profit for the second quarter. The Upshot on how Wall Street is changing, and Wonkblog explains where the settlement money is going. 4. Illinois became the first state to sue debt settlement companies helping those with student debt for predatory practices: The New York Times’ story. 5. Philadelphia schools were allotted $0 per student for textbooks. The Atlantic’s reporter on why schools don’t test well. + Yesterday a Malaysian Airlines commercial flight was shot down and crashed in Eastern Ukraine, killing all passengers. Washington Post reports.

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The New York Times is counting the casualties of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, day-by-day.

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Our Taste for Cheap Palm Oil Is Killing Chimpanzees

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Palm oil plantations want to expand to the same places that dwindling great ape populations call home. (source: The Daily Beast) 

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Do contraceptives prevent pregnancies or end them? Here’s what the medical community has to say. (Source: The New Republic)

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Researchers found that ages 14-24 is the most formative years for political opinion. (Source: New York Times' Upshot)

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We're in the middle of the sixth major extinction -- thousands of species are on track to be extinct in the next century. Take a look at every species that is in danger of disappearing by 2114.

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I taught at one school for special ed kids where restraining children and isolating them in a "timeout room" was done regularly even though it was clear that it wasn't effective for at least two of the children in the classroom that I observed. I taught in another school, same type of children, where restraining children was rare, positive reinforcement of desired behavior was the primary means used to control behavior, and the only "timeout room" was the administrator's office. The difference? Training and a competent administrator.

A teacher shared her experience in classrooms with special needs children who are often restrained, and what made the difference between a healthy and abusive environment. 

Our Heather Vogell recently reported on restraint and isolation of kids in public schools across the U.S. -- an often violent practice that is legal in many states. 

Parents and teachers: what do you think?

If you would like to tell us something about how restraints and isolation works at your school, give us a tip and help us keep reporting this story. 

The above comment was lightly edited for readability.

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I speak as the father of an autistic child. I know that sometimes she requires gentle restraint or monitored seclusion. Categorizing all manner of seclusion or restraint as child abuse would make it more difficult for the educators and therapists who are trying to help and teach her.

One reader and father talked about why restraints are sometimes necessary for his autistic child. 

Our reporter Heather Vogell reported on how restraints are used on students in U.S. public schools, and our readers have been sharing their experiences with restraints. 

Parents and educators: is this an issue at your school? Share what you know about restraints.

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We recently reported ambulance transportation companies are taking Medicare for a ride in New Jersey, billing Medicare in unusually large numbers.

A former employee of ambulance transportation companies from the state shared their experience both as an EMT and an office assistant in the comments section.

The worker said that in New Jersey, ambulance companies can often bill Medicare for unnecessary charges on ambulance transportation.

Are you a current or former ambulance industry worker? Join the conversation on our website.