In The News

Reflections on Change: The Life of a Newspaper

Serge Schmemann October 14, 2013
The International Herald Tribune recorded history and now is part of history, as the paper becomes the International New York Times. For some, it’s a name change and, for others, an end of an era. Newspapers document change and must deal with change themselves, explains Serge Schmemann, the Tribune’s editorial page editor, in the final edition. The essay reads like an obituary, marking end and...

Philippines Web Activists Show Power of Internet Campaigns

James Hookway, Joesphine Cuneta August 26, 2013
An internet campaign in the Philippines has shamed politicians on special-interest spending that directs funding to projects in specific districts. The president has taken steps to end legislative discretionary-spending budgets after an internet campaign blasted phony and unnecessary projects listed in the Priority Development Assistance Fund, reports the Wall Street Journal: “Philippine...

How to Keep the NSA Out of Your Computer

Clive Thompson August 21, 2013
Creating a regional “mesh” online connection, avoiding the internet, began as a cost-cutting move in rural areas of Spain, Greece and Africa to avoid costly connection fees. But activists in countries as diverse as Syria and the United States now create exclusive mesh networking systems as a way to avoid surveillance systems. “Scores of communities worldwide have been building these roll-your-own...

How the Wealthy Keep Themselves on Top

Tim Harford August 20, 2013
Inequality is pronounced and widening, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, but also Australia and Canada. People tend to care more about inequality during times of economic crisis, suggests Tim Harford. “The uncomfortable truth is that market forces – that is, the result of freely agreed contracts – are probably behind much of the rise in inequality,” he writes for the...

Rise of the Renting, Sharing Economy Could Have Ripple Effects

Matthew Boesler August 16, 2013
The global debt crisis devastated job and wage prospects for many young adults in the world’s wealthiest nations. But many young adults have adapted and are content to live with less: They’re in no hurry to purchase homes or take on debt, instead renting modest apartments and sharing services like wireless; they prefer living close to work, avoiding cars and long commutes; when they travel, they...

Why Major in Humanities? Not Just for a Good Job – For a Good Life

Mark Edmundson August 14, 2013
As individuals compete for high-paying jobs, many parents and educators question the value of a humanities degree. Professors in the humanities defend the degree for teaching skills in analysis, writing and logic and serving as a launch pad to practical degrees in medicine, law or business. In an essay for the Washington Post, Mark Edmundson contends that the humanities – including the study of...

The Growth of European Venture Philanthropy

Leonora Buckland, Lisa Hehenberger, Michael Hay August 12, 2013
Nonprofits and NGOs are growing in scale, creating banks and financing mechanisms that in turn review proposals and fund smaller efforts in target areas whether education, housing or health care. Venture philanthropy support, as explained by an article in Stanford Social Innovation Review, includes financing, mentoring, networking, performance measurements and more. The authors suggest that...