In The News

The notion of the US as a “melting pot” that welcomed immigrants of all nationalities is familiar, but does not accurately describe the history of the country’s immigration patterns. Early on, the government encouraged quick populating of the young nation, and European immigrants came in droves. By the 20th century, however, cities teemed with poor, unskilled refugees, and politicians introduced...

In describing terrorism’s threat, US government and military officials evoke the specter of the seventh-century Islamic empire that stretched throughout the Middle East and included areas of Southwest Asia, North Africa and Spain. Historically, the empire was known as the “caliphate,” and US leaders warn that the ultimate goal of Islamic militants is to reestablish it. The word “caliphate”...

In recent years, large job layoffs and short-term cost cutting have become a commonplace in many American corporations. The managers of these businesses defend these changes as necessary in the face of globalization and competition from lower-cost operators abroad. But as business journalist Jim Jubak writes, budget cuts made in the name of improving global competitiveness are doing nothing to...