All From the Editors
- CommentaryOil, gas, and the Saudi factor
Saudi Arabia's oil wealth gives it enormous influence in the world. Decisions made in Riyadh are felt from Moscow to North Dakota, Venezuela to Iran.
- CommentaryCaring for our food at its source
The pleasures of dinner can be quickly spoiled when you consider where it came from. But that consideration is behind the ethical food movement.
- CommentaryMining character for clues
We study people's pasts – especially the pasts of people who rise to prominence – hoping to understand how they will act in the future. But humans can always surprise us.
- CommentaryFinding faith's common core
Coexistence is more than a bumper sticker. It is a vital need in a world with 7.1 billion different ways of seeing things.
- CommentaryEasing barriers helps us all
Making the world more accessible for the disabled has brought them into the mainstream -- and improved everyone's lives.
- CommentaryWhat we owe our veterans, and ourselves
No matter what they face on the battlefield, warriors often find that their toughest fight comes afterwards.
- CommentaryMayor Tom Menino: A tireless public servant
- CommentaryGiving our representatives room
Transparency is crucial in a healthy democracy. But the relentless, 24/7 spotlight we now shine on elected representatives has compromised their ability to compromise.
- CommentaryWhy walls rise -- and must fall
Some walls are necessary, but before building any wall it is important to understand what is being walled in and what is being walled out.
- CommentaryThe power of patience
Kids constantly test parents -- and often just to get a reaction. Whatever that reaction is, experts say, parental patience is essential.
- CommentarySaving the humans
The late 20th-century shift away from whale hunting to whale saving didn't just help those endangered creatures. It was an historic human leap in the direction of environmentalism.
- CommentaryThe 'country cousin' in us all
From music to comedy, literature to reality TV, country culture has long amused, fascinated , and even educated Americans.
- CommentaryHow the past can power the future
Hydrocarbons play a crucial role in today's economy. They are also crucial in fueling the transition away from hydrocarbons.
- CommentaryPractical planet care
You don’t have to believe in the detrimental effects of human industry on the environment to be green today. Reducing dependence -- on big government, big utilities, and big energy -- appeals to rugged individualists as much as to tree-huggers.
- CommentaryScottish vote: preserving the essence of enlightenment
The Age of Empire is over. But the Age of Enlightenment -- born in England -- remains a work in progress in a world still struggling with intolerance, superstition, fear, and aggression
- CommentaryA talent for taming a primal force
The war on forest fire is just over a century old. It has had heroes, tragedies, and shifting strategies about when and how to send young men and women into harm's way.
- CommentaryThe complex world of simplification
Like most issues, the immigration issue in America looks simple. It's worth looking more closely.
- CommentaryIn modern education, metrics 'r' us
Measuring achievement is the hallmark of the current approach to education. But is passing tests the only point of learning?
- CommentaryThe calm trust that pays dividends
We can hover and worry about the economy or our finances, about the weather or our tomatoes. We can also just do our due diligence and then trust what takes place.
- CommentaryWhat it means to restore, and repair
The 21st century may be the moment humans leave the 'use it up and throw it away' mentality behind.