Politics & Current Affairs

As research budgets tighten at universities and federal financing agencies, a new crop of Web-savvy scientists is hoping the wisdom—and generosity—of the crowds will come to the rescue.

High unemployment in the U.S. has sharply decreased illegal immigration rates. The U.S. should respond by accepting more legal immigrants, says Nobel Laureate Gary Becker. 

The Arab revolutions have emboldened Palestinians to ask for more, both from Israel and from themselves, even if that means preparing for a much longer struggle.

Now that Rupert Murdoch’s British tabloid News of the World is the subject of an official police investigation over bribery and hacking claims, it has been shut down. Is the move smoke and mirrors?

Currently under house arrest in England, revolutionary journalist Julian Assange is fighting to avoid being extradited to Sweden. The popular Swiss art curator Hans Obrist interviewed him. 

Oil leaked from an Exxon Mobile pipeline near Laurel, Montana, has spread fifteen miles from its source, five miles further than previously thought, contaminating the Yellowstone River.

The State Department is hosting technology camps in regions of the world with dictatorial governments, teaching protesters how to keep safe while using social media. 

A poll on the eve of Independence Day confirmed that more Americans see the nation as less powerful and more vulnerable. They want leaders to focus more on the challenges at home.

Comparing Chicago’s healthcare system to Toronto’s, columnist Margaret Wente sees an American medical industry run amok with too much money and too much business influence. 

Just after ascending to the head of the nation’s largest school system amid a leadership crisis, Mr. Walcott worked to improve the system with school visits and contact with unions. 

When President Obama asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to stay at his post, Gates made clear he would do so out of a sense of public duty, not an affinity for Washington D.C.

In the case of education, the only question is – and always must be – what skills young people will need in the future to lead happy and successful lives, and how best we can ensure that they acquire them.  

Yet again, Very Serious men at an international organization seem determined to justify tightening monetary policy despite a continuing deep slump. Paul Krugman finds it scary.

As they adjust to the world’s ongoing global financial difficulties, some business chiefs are moving towards ‘conditional conservatism’ in accounting. Research shows it makes sense.

Could ‘peace talks’ end the ‘climate war’? A call for a meeting of moderate minds as a means to ending the climate debate stalemate.

The New York State Senate has voted to legalize gay marriage, a major milestone for the gay rights movement in several respects. After Governor Andrew Cuomo signs the bill into […]

The global economy has bounced back strongly from the nadir of 2009, but recent data in key advanced economies have been disappointing. So where is the global economy headed?

The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan has responded sharply to President Hamid Karzai’s escalating denunciations of American and N.A.T.O. forces and aid efforts in Afghanistan.

Polls have shown that public opinion is clearly trending in favor of gay marriage. And yet, it will take bipartisan action to pass legislation in New York this week.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has strongly criticized N.A.T.O. for becoming a tiered alliance where some members enjoy the benefits without being willing to pay the costs. 

With President Saleh convalescing abroad, there is an urgent need to establish a clear political order not only for Yemen’s security but also its economy, which could collapse within months.

A victory for Turkey’s ruling party likely indicates that it will push through constitutional reform, but many are worried reform will be anti-democratic and restrict the freedom of information. 

Hackers attempted to create a mysterious ‘insider presence’ at the International Monetary Fund, which is investigating with the F.B.I. to find the source and reason for the breach. 

An Army investigation after the suicide found the man had been  subjected to “cruel, abusive and oppressive treatment.” But his superiors weren’t made to leave the service.

Rep. Anthony Weiner’s tearful apology for sending revealing pictures of his chest and underwear-covered genitalia at his press conference yesterday was agonizing. Painful for him, sure, but much more so […]

The Columbia Nobel laureate says that who the International Monetary Fund chooses as its next leader will determine who will pay for the world’s economic crisis: banks or ordinary citizens. 

Should companies be forced to adopt document management systems to help ease the legal discovery process? Some litigants face a nightmare amid shambolic info management.

It is past time to celebrate Iraq’s veterans with a welcome-home parade, says Lawrence Kaplan. America has broken its promise to not repeat the Vietnam-era disrespect of its soldiers.

Tim Harford, known as the “Malcolm Gladwell of Britain” shares two lessons that illustrate the virtue of dissent: the War in Iraq and the Bay of Pigs invasion. 

The arrest of former Serbian military chief, Ratko Mladic finally begins to draw a line underneath the unspeakable savagery that characterised the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. Mladic was the […]