Punitive measures enforced by Egypt and the incompetence of the ruling Hamas government have combined to make the humanitarian disaster in Gaza one of the most sickening around. The NYT reports that a shortage of electricity and cheap diesel fuel from Egypt has led the Hamas government to shut down Gaza’s lone power plant, causing […]

Riots erupted in August between Hindus and Muslims in Muzaffarnagar, a large city in the key battleground state of Uttar Pradesh. At the end of the several days of destruction, 43 people were dead and tens of thousands had fled their homes. Afterward, two politicians belonging to India’s main opposition party, the BJP (the party of controversial […]

So far, coverage about the Affordable Care Act has focused on rate shock and policy cancellations. But the next wave of bad news is coming, and it could wind up being even more fatal to public support for the law. Supporters of Obamacare can fight back against the rate shock stories by pointing to examples […]

In California, one college’s embrace of MOOCs has sent the faculty into open revolt. Under the leadership of President Mohammad H. Qayoumi, San Jose State has spent the year in the vanguard of early-adopting institutions. In January, the school announced a partnership with Udacity to offer a remedial math course at the university—one of the […]

Seismologists are tackling a troubling question with enormous implications for America’s—and the world’s—energy future: does fracking cause earthquakes? The debate is centered in Oklahoma, which has experienced a rash of earthquakes in recent years. The state has experienced more than 100 3.0+ magnitude quakes so far this year, more than five times the state’s 2009 […]

The number of people infected with AIDS in South Africa exceeds the population of Denmark, and people are dying at rates that are hard to wrap your head around: The country has the world’s most severe HIV problem, with some 5.6 million citizens – more than 10% of the population – currently living with the […]

Grassroots support for President Obama’s Affordable Care Act “fix” is coming from an unexpected source: insurance commissioners of states with Republican governors. The NYT has the breakdown: Of the 13 states that have so far said they will allow consumers to renew canceled plans, all but four are led by Republican governors and have generally […]

Washington, DC is two weeks away from ribbon-cutting ceremonies for its first two Walmarts. For the stores’ 600 available jobs Walmart has received 23,000-plus applications—38 per job. Matt Yglesias explains why this makes sense and should be celebrated: But when you’re talking about a city’s economy, it’s important to distinguish between two kinds of job growth. […]

When last we left it, Ukraine was snubbing Russian gas in the run-up to its landmark vote later this month on joining a free trade and association agreement with the European Union. Since then, Ukraine has restarted imports, though is still paying some of the highest prices in Europe for the privilege.Kiev has long played […]

A few weeks ago, Pervez Musharraf was released on bail for all the charges brought against him. He was a free man, and Dawn, Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, explained why: “the boys [Pakistan’s military] really do look after their own.”But things have rapidly changed within a few days, as charges of high treason—which potentially […]