Recent grumbling by certain emerging powers, notably China and Brazil, has led to speculation that America’s 67-year claim on the presidency of the World Bank might be weakening. Declinists everywhere have been poised to add this item to their eulogies of American global prominence.The declinists will have to back down, at least in this case. […]

An American company, Envia, has tested a new lithium-ion battery that will allow an electric car to travel 300 miles at half the price of the current model. The battery has set a new world record in energy density, and the company aims to ready it for large-scale production in a mere 18 months. If it holds up […]

Via Meadia has closely followed the sordid spectacle of professional pundits who have allowed partisan passions to override good sense by attacking Mitt Romney for his Mormon faith. For these pundits, insinuations of theocratic ambition and taunts about Mormons’ “strange” beliefs were considered beyond the pale when the subject was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, […]

In a surprise breakthrough on the Korean Peninsula, Yahoo News reports the United States and North Korea have agreed to a deal that would see the North stop nuclear tests, halt uranium enrichment and allow inspections of its nuclear facilities by international monitors. The price? An initial 240,000 metric tons of food aid, with the […]

Despite the announcement of another massive bailout fund for the troubled Greeks, the eurogloom that has permeated the continent for the past year or so shows no sign of abating. Though there is increasing evidence that Brussels wants Greece out, an eye-opening on-the-ground report from Megan Greene (h/t Marginal Revolution) suggests that leaving the Eurozone […]

Here at Via Meadia we are exposed to some shocking news, but nothing more shocking than this: A group of Oxford-affiliated “ethics experts” have published an article finding that infanticide is acceptable and no different from abortion, giving the practice the charming name of “after-birth abortions.” We are practically at a loss for words, so […]

It’s not easy being Israel.While much of the world rejoiced at the removal of Egypt’s authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak, the world’s only Jewish state was understandably concerned about the instability of its most important ally in the region. Meanwhile, Israel’s other vital partnership in the Middle East, Turkey, has likewise soured in recent times. And […]

Adding to the “new normal” of global economic gloom, India’s growth has slowed to its most tepid pace in three years, according to Reuters. High interest rates, rising inflation, and a manufacturing sector hampered by expensive inputs and high borrowing costs mean that India is doing worse than other Asian economies, which are themselves slowing […]

The French Constitutional Council struck down a proposed law that would have attached severe penalties to denial of the Armenian genocide. The draft law, the Council decided, violated the French constitution. We can learn several things from this episode.First, France remains a republic that respects civil liberties and the rule of law. Those running afoul of […]

Via Meadia is happy to report that a ray of light may be breaking through the gloom pervading the U.S. economy. The Commerce Department today announced that the economy grew by 3 percent in the most recent quarter, the highest rate in 18 months—and energy looks to be the key.In an interview with Bloomberg News, […]