The NYT published a story today on a poll that concluded that the United States is in the midst of an “isolationist streak” because Americans are largely opposed to sending the military to intervene in Syria and North Korea. We think this analysis misses the mark by confusing sensible prudence with isolationism.First, here are some of […]

In his first speech to parliament, center-left Italian PM Enrico Letta has charted the course his new, unwieldy coalition government will take. The way forward: new tax cuts along with increases in government spending. As for Europe? The FT reports: While Mr Letta promised that Italy would abide by fiscal commitments made to Europe he did not explain where the […]

Earlier this month more than 136,000 people pledged to telework as part of Mobile Work Exchange’s third-annual Telework Week. Today, Mobile Work Exchange (MWE), a telework advocacy group sponsored by several tech companies, released a report looking back on the results of this year’s Telework Week.This annual event accomplishes a couple of things. First, it […]

The Obama Administration is looking to privatize the crown jewel of the New Deal, the Tennessee Valley Authority, basically because with lots of capital expenditure in its future the agency could become a serious drain on federal finances. Selling it off to private investors could bring in some money now and would ensure that future […]

Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard might want to start putting her resume together. Australia fiscal outlook was revised downward substantially today, and it’s bad news for Gillard and the ruling Labor party. The AP reports: Australia’s government said Monday that its tax revenue has continued to fall in recent months as company profits declined and […]

A new EPA report punches all kinds of holes in one of greens’ chief concerns about the American shale boom: methane gas leaks.Natural gas is a relatively clean fuel source when burned, but acts as an extremely potent greenhouse gas if allowed to escape into the atmosphere during drilling or transport, and many greens predict […]

Young people have heard time and time again that going to college is the key to success in life. But this can only work if you graduate, and many don’t manage to do it. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 47 percent of low-income college students manage to graduate from a four-year institution within […]

Beyond the beaches and posh resorts, much of the Caribbean is plagued by drugs, gangs, human trafficking, and broke governments still struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. As the IMF’s Arnold McIntyre says, the entire region “faces its most formidable economic challenge since independence.” The FT has more: Although ferocious storms cause periodic devastation, the […]

The King of Thailand, the world’s longest-serving monarch, has been the lynchpin of the country’s political order for several decades, with his personal prestige and authority keeping Thai politics close to even keel for a long time. Thus the recent news of the King’s deteriorating health sent a shudder through the upper echelons of Thai politics.While […]

A new generation of Palestinian boys aged 15 to 17 will learn how to use Kalashnikovs and throw hand grenades to fight “the occupation” at a weekly youth program run by Hamas that will seek to train 37,000 boys in “resistance.” (An optional two week camp in which Palestinian youth are trained by militants in […]