Greens take heart: New data out of Norway suggests that the rate at which the earth is warming is less than previously feared. Bloomberg brings us the story: After the planet’s average surface temperature rose through the 1990s, the increase has almost leveled off at the level of 2000, while ocean water temperature has also […]

Even as national treasures are being destroyed by retreating Islamist radicals, liberated Malians in Gao are dancing in the streets, celebrating newfound freedoms. The New York Times reports: Residents of Gao, northern Mali’s largest city, poured out of their homes to celebrate the expulsion of Islamist fighters who had held their town for months, playing […]

A bipartisan “group of eight” (tired of that phrase yet?) senators announced a new plan to reform immigration today. As Obama prepares to give a speech in Las Vegas tomorrow outlining his plans for immigration, both parties seem willing to put aside their differences to chase the Hispanic vote. The document sketches out a comprehensive […]

Even at 76 years old and with countless scandals to his name, Silvio Berlusconi has not lost the ability to shock. At a recent event commemorating those killed during the Holocaust, Berlusconi defended the legacy of Benito Mussolini, remarking: “It’s difficult now to put yourself in the shoes of people who were making decisions at […]

The (digital) arms race is on. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is pushing to massively expand his department’s cyber command forces from 900 to 4,000, and to increase America’s defensive and offensive cyber capacities. According to the NYT, Panetta’s plan is a response to the increasing role cyber attacks are playing in warfare: In October, Mr. Panetta warned […]

If high-speed rail works anywhere, it should work in France. The compact Gallic “hexagon”, as the French often call their country, is densely populated, and many of its cities are in the sweet spot for high speed rail: close enough so that a fast train competes effectively with air travel yet far enough away that […]

French forces are coming closer to recapturing Timbuktu from Islamist and Tuareg militants, but the city may be minus a few priceless historical and cultural treasures when they get there. The Mayor of the city recently told the AP that Islamists torched the library there, destroying a number of ancient documents of cultural and historical […]

President Obama’s core health care oath was bogus. That’s the evaluation of the Economist, which calls the President’s oft-repeated vow, “If you like your health-care plan, you can keep it,” an “empty promise”: In 2014 the main provisions of Obamacare will come into force. The biggest uncertainty is whether the law will prompt employers, which […]

Two decades ago, the Commandant of the Marine Corps declared that women serving in the infantry “would destroy the Marine Corps.” General Robert Barrow explained that, “in three wars—World War II, Korea and Vietnam—I found no place for women to be down in the ground combat element.” He cited the 1950 fighting retreat from the […]

[UPDATED to reflect breaking news]The situation in Egypt continues to darken; President Morsi has just declared a state of emergency and announced a curfew in three provinces following widespread riots. Hundreds of Egyptians have hit the streets in recent days to protest against President Mohamed Morsi and the death sentence handed down to 21 people […]