For years, it’s been widely understood that housing in good school districts is more expensive than others. A new study by the Brookings Institution (h/t Wonkblog) shows exactly how much: houses in high-performing school districts cost a whopping $205,000 more on average than their counterparts in low-performing areas—nearly 2.5 times more, in many cases.The big-box […]

One of the biggest political stories of 2008 was the rise of the Millennials as an electoral force. As “Obamamania” swept the nation, college students across the country abandoned their usual political apathy and volunteered for the Obama campaign in droves, canvassing, phone banking and harnessing the power of social media. This youth enthusiasm paid […]

The first round of the French election is only days away, and political junkies are getting excited: President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist challenger Francois Holland are currently neck-and-neck.Neck-and-neck represents an improvement for Sarkozy, who recently trailed Hollande by double digits, but his long-term prospects still look rather bleak. Polls show that Hollande is well ahead […]

Much like his father, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is proving to be a thorn in the side of the international law community, albeit for slightly different reasons. After meeting with Libyan officials, the International Criminal Court again requested the right to try Muammar’s son in The Hague. According to Reuters, Tripoli reiterated its refusal: The ICC this […]

In a shocking, shocking! turn of events, it would appear that the Egyptian military has absolutely no intention of ceding power to the country’s rank and file. The Washington Post has the entirely unexpected details: The Muslim Brotherhood’s disqualified presidential candidate, Khairat el-Shater, said Wednesday that Egypt’s military rulers have no intention of ceding real […]

In the heady days of 2008, starry-eyed pundits predicted that the election of Barack Obama would lead to a complete rehabilitation of America’s image in the world. President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, less than a year into his first term, reinforced this narrative.Three plus years later, that shiny new president smell is gone, and the […]

Myanmar continues to reap rewards from its gradual transition toward democracy—and away from dependence on China. Earlier this month, the U.S. announced it would lift some of the many sanctions it had placed on Myanmar over the past two decades. Today, the BBC reported that the EU is planning to go even further. A meeting […]

As America goes post-blue, the shape of American workplace is changing dramatically. Thursday’s Wall Street Journal has a story on the latest trend in post-office environments—hotel lobbies: More consultants, bloggers and other creative non-office types are latching on to the comfy chairs, free Wi-Fi and other amenities to be found in chic new urban hotels. […]

North Korea’s recent attempt at testing a long-range missile may have ended in embarrassment, but India has been been more fortunate. On Thursday, India tested a long-range, nuclear-capable missile with the ability to hit major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. According to AJC the test was a success, and New Delhi is now […]

It’s the middle of spring, and while the Republicans have finally settled on their nominee to challenge President Obama, the general election campaign has yet to truly heat up. The Phony War, however, has begun, and strategists from both parties are poring over demographic data to determine where to allocate resources and how to shape […]