Topic: Focus
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Focus
Republican Party 2.0: 4 GOP leaders share ideas for political upgrade
In the aftermath of election 2012, four prominent Republicans share their visions for how the GOP can adapt its messaging to reflect a diversifying US electorate.
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Violence against women in Latin America: Is it getting worse?Across Latin America, women are confronting a rise in brutal attacks – as advocates struggle to sustain the progress that's been made in curbing violence against women.
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Turn on the TV? How telenovelas help people cope with real lifeTackling sensitive topics through entertainment and fictional characters can make it easier to get people talking about how to deal with complicated or stigmatized problems, like domestic violence.
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Putting a price tag on violence against women in Latin AmericaA first-of-its-kind study quantifies the intergenerational price tag of domestic violence. In a region of emerging economies, where GDP growth is paramount to success, could this motivate policymakers?
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How water could bring Israelis, Palestinians togetherA sole joint committee between Israelis and Palestinians survives 17 years after the Oslo Accords: the one on water.
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Surging storms: Can the US adapt in time to avert coastal damage?Damage from severe storms such as Sandy is likely to escalate by the end of the century as the population grows and people continue to build along the Eastern Seaboard.
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How will New York keep out a rising sea? Dikes, huge sea wall, oyster beds?After superstorm Sandy, New York officials look for long-term solutions against future floods from storm surges. Many options, little consensus.
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Veterans Day: When vets run afoul of the law, these courts careModeled after local drug or family courts, veterans courts are springing up, stressing rehabilitation and mentoring over jail time. Is it special treatment, or deserved consideration?
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Japan's leaders give up on quitting nuclear powerAlthough Japan's 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster set much of the public against nuclear power, politicians are not convinced.
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Japan's nuclear dilemma: Is geothermal the answer?Japan's hot spring operators were once vocal opponents of geothermal power, which, along with other forms of renewable energy, is now being considered as an alternative to nuclear power.
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Japan's nuclear dilemma: What to do with all that nuclear waste?Japanese citizens are balking at the lack of information and supervision of waste stored in public places, such as playgrounds.
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What will the Afghanistan war legacy be?Much of the Soviets' development work got wiped out by a civil war in the 1990s. But the scope of the effort then was limited compared with the work today.
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Crunch time in Ohio, as Obama, Romney blitz to get out the voteBoth campaigns are swarming Ohio, knocking on doors and making phone calls to potential voters. In these last crucial days, getting out the vote in what may be the deciding state of Election 2012 is paramount.
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MS-13 labeled transnational criminal organization. Who are the 'Maras?'The MS-13 gang is one of many 'maras,' or street gangs, that started in the US and spread into Central America, particularly El Salvador. Here's a brief history.
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Can a gang truce in El Salvador open the door to lasting peace?For years El Salvador battled gangs with prison sentences and an iron fist. But a gang truce brokered in March has lasted longer than anyone expected, with homicide rates plummeting.
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Covered in tattoos, can El Salvador's gangs reintegrate into society?With tattoos even on their faces, members of El Salvador's rival Ms-13 and 18th Street gangs may not be able to hide alliances they've forsaken. That's just one challenge they face.
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Obama or Romney: Whose debt reduction plan does history favor?The two presidential candidates would pursue different paths to lead the US out of debt. Here's how debt-saddled countries of yore have dealt – successfully and unsuccessfully – with the problem, and how those lessons might apply today.
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As sanctions crush rial's value, Iranians point fingers at AhmadinejadWestern leaders may finally be seeing the result of stringent sanctions as Iranians blame their government, not the US and EU, for the precipitous economic decline of the oil-rich country.
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Iran sanctions: playing the long gameIran has endured three decades of US sanctions. Have they worked? Yes and no.
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Are ballot initiatives broken? California offers cluesDo ballot initiatives put power in the hands of the voters, or are they another tool for special interests to dominate politics? California's experiences – both good and bad – make it an important laboratory for 'direct democracy.'
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Election 2012: Ballot initiatives reflect nation's moodThe 174 propositions on state ballots point to evolving opinions on marijuana, same-sex marriage, health care, and more. Do the initiatives show the power of direct democracy or lack of legislative leadership?
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Vladimir Putin 2.0: A harder, eastward-looking presidencyVladimir Putin, once again in the Kremlin's top post, faces a far more divided Russia than he did during his first stint, and he's taking a more authoritarian line to match.
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Anti-Putin opposition groups still finding their wayDespite the Russian opposition's ability to rally tens of thousands of protesters, it remains an eclectic mix of parties both left and right. Will opposing Putin be enough to keep them united?
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Obama's new program for young illegal immigrants: How is it going?More than 82,000 young illegal immigrants have applied for a work permit under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). But the November elections could be key to what happens next.
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Election 2012: Can Democrats retake the House?The Democrats 'drive for 25' is unrealistic as analysts predict Republicans will lose only 12 House seats in Election 2012. One GOP advantage: Conservative 'super PACs' will spend 'tens of millions.'
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