In a conference on Wednesday, the Obama administration unveiled a new strategy to combat the theft of U.S. trade secrets. The plan includes placing “sustained and coordinated diplomatic pressure” on offending countries like China and Russia, and the use of “trade policy tools” to protect U.S. companies.This news comes during a week in which China has […]

3Doodler, billed as “the world’s first and only 3D printing pen,” has received an extraordinary infusion of investments on the crowd-sourced funding platform Kickstarter: 3Doodler is the world’s first and only 3D Printing Pen. Using ABS plastic (the material used by many 3D printers), 3Doodler draws in the air or on surfaces. It’s compact and […]

For the first time in nearly 70 years, the GED is going to have some real competition. McGraw-Hill and Educational Testing Services are both rolling out new tests to fill the adult testing niche currently occupied by the GED, and they’re already getting some traction: New York State, among others, is planning to switch from the GED […]

Estonia just opened the world’s first national electric vehicle fast-charge network, and its success or failure could impact the future of electric vehicles globally. Estonian World: The network, consisting of 165 fast chargers, was officially opened for use today; a single operator is responsible for the administration of all stations and the clients can use the […]

A commander of the Free Syrian Army issued an ultimatum to Hezbollah yesterday, threatening to attack its positions inside Lebanon if it did not cease its operations in Syria. Hezbollah supports the Assad regime, and its fighters have consistently participated in attacks on the Syrian rebels. It even controls a number of villages on the […]

A well organized group of powerful interests in Russia shipped $50 billion of the state’s revenues abroad in 2012, according to the widely respected and straight-shooting head of Russia’s central bank. The disclosure is another indicator of the rampant corruption in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Reuters has the story: “You get the impression that they are all […]

Readers who want a better grasp of the major structural flaws in American health care should get to know David Goldhill. Goldhill first made waves with “How American Healthcare Killed My Father,” a 2009 article in The Atlantic that questioned the wisdom of funding health care through an insurance payment mechanism. He later published a […]

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Washington this week, and the Financial Times has a good piece on the complicated political and economic currents affecting his agenda: Mr Abe’s meeting with Barack Obama, the US president, on Friday is expected to focus on economic issues and, as ever, the US-Japan military alliance, cornerstone of Asia’s […]

Ahead of Obama’s first trip to the Jewish state as President, a famous peace process dove has joined Israel’s new government. Hatnuah leader Tzipi Livni, who campaigned on reviving peace talks and unseating Netanyahu, is Israel’s new Justice Minister and head of future peace talks with the Palestinians. The FT reports: The appointment of the […]

Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. has pleaded guilty to using political campaign funds to support a lavish lifestyle. Between 2005 and 2012, Jackson Jr. and his wife conspired to siphon off an impressive $750,000. The Chicago Tribune reports: Prosecutors said $60,000 was spent on restaurants, nightclubs and lounges; $31,700 on personal airfare; $16,000 on sports clubs […]