The dominos keep falling on the California ACA story. Last week the state released official estimates about the cost of premiums under Obamacare, and the law’s supporters were jubilant.One the one hand, wonks like Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein were happy that the estimates came in lower—in some cases, much lower—than the rates originally predicted by the Congressional Budget Office when […]

A pair of Russian opposition leaders is alleging that Kremlin cronies pocketed more than $30 billion in funds earmarked for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. This is hardly the first report of corruption related to the games, but these latest numbers, if true, are staggering. “The expenses for the Winter Olympics in Sochi turned out to be […]

The US Transportation Department has finally weighed in officially on driverless cars, and the verdict is good news for the tech’s supporters. Though officials don’t think the cars are ready for commercial use, they do recommend that states proceed with testing them. Moreover, the statement released by the department states that semiautonomous and driverless cars will significantly increase driver safety when they are eventually […]

After an abortive attempt by Governor Pat Quinn to pass a pension reform bill in January, it almost seemed like things were looking up: The Illinois House and Senate each passed different reform bills early this month.It didn’t take long for the news to turn sour again, however. Now it’s looking doubtful that the two bodies […]

What happened to the BRICS?India’s economy has grown at the slowest rate in a decade—4.8 percent in the year to March 31—according to a new government report. South Africa (which sometimes makes an appearance as the “S” in BRICS and is the largest economy in Africa) had just 0.9 percent economic growth in the first quarter […]

China is leading the solar industry in a race to the bottom, and concern about defective solar panels is growing. In one case in California, solar panels that were supposed to last 25 years began falling apart just two years after being installed, causing fires and disrupting business. The NYT reports: Most of the concerns over quality […]

Desperation has hit a new low in Detroit.Last week, Emergency Manager (and bankruptcy lawyer) Kevyn Orr decided to list the holdings of the Detroit Institute of Arts among the city’s assets in preparation for a possible bankruptcy. If the city goes through with it, it could be forced to sell off any of its assets—which […]

People are starting to realize the ACA may not let them keep their current plans, and they aren’t happy. This fall, many insurers will be canceling current plans because they don’t meet the standards imposed by the ACA. According to the AP, some don’t offer all the “essential benefits” Obamacare requires; others don’t do enough to limit co-payments […]

Weakened by ethnic conflict and poor governance, the South Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) are losing international significance. Moreover, the West is preoccupied elsewhere with economic challenges and crises in the Middle and Far East. To sustain the Western support the three countries expect and need, they must implement reforms and lessen regional tensions.Two decades ago, war between […]

In the spring of 2012, a State Department consultant sat at a bar on Capitol Hill watching a baseball game. Across the bar, a young, boisterous American woman solicited funds, so she claimed, for the rebels in Syria. The consultant had served in USAID under the Bush Administration and had been to Syria just before […]