It’s like a Dickens novel come to life. The Economist has an eye-opening write up on the rise of “debtor’s prisons” in the American criminal justice system. Here’s how it works in a nutshell: people who can’t afford to pay fines for things like expired license tags and speeding tickets are put on probation under the supervision […]

Health care apps are slowly becoming an established feature of our health care system. The WSJ has a good list of some of the most popular ones already being used by doctors and patients. Some improve or aid diagnostics on the doctor side, others empower the patients by encouraging preventative care. Here’s one that can help […]

It’s been a while since the civil war in Syria descended into a bitter stalemate, but things took a definite turn for the worse for the rebels this weekend with the death of Abdelqader Saleh. Saleh was one of the most prominent, charismatic, and successful rebels in Aleppo. He reportedly commanded 10,000 men—the Tawhid Brigade. […]

California Governor Jerry Brown has had some noteworthy success in dealing with the state’s deficit and unemployment rate, but it’s still not clear whether he has found long-term solutions, or has temporarily steered the state away from the brink.Governor Brown has commanded victories that have eluded many of his fellow Democrats: California’s credit rating is […]

Sixteen years ago, Japan hosted international climate talks and was a key driver for the Kyoto Protocol that emerged. It had been making strides toward targets set for emissions reductions when the Fukushima disaster promptly sank those plans in devastating fashion.In the wake of the ongoing nuclear disaster, the country shut down its nuclear reactors […]

The Postal Service has just announced plans to install automated kiosks at Staples locations across the country, allowing customers to buy stamps and send packages without having to go to a Post Office. The pilot program will service 82 stores, with more to follow if successful. Coming on the heels of its announcement of Sunday […]

American energy policy got smarter last Friday, as the EPA announced a plan to cut next year’s biofuel mandates by roughly 16 percent. The new targets reflect a growing understanding of the many problems brought on by annually increasing biofuel quotas, as set out by the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). That law requires American […]

The largest delegation of Japanese business executives to visit China in more than a year got a cold reception when it arrived in Beijing today. Hoping to meet with Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping, the group of almost 200 Japanese businessmen were instead shunted off to meet lower officials.As the Japan Times reports, “The business community […]

Everyone keeps telling me that short posts sprayed out more frequently are vastly better in the blogosphere than long-form, more deeply considered analysis less often offered.  But they never say better for what, or for whom. Well, never mind that for now. I’m so busy  with other, higher priorities, that I’m in a rare mood […]

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a rapid expansion of new education technologies, from MOOCs to test-grading robots to traveling screens with cameras attached that allow sick or disabled students to participate in classroom life from home. All of these innovations are important, but sometimes even very simple programs can make a big difference in […]