Topic: Stanford University

At Calif. gay marriage trial, marriage is not the only flash point

Lawyers for two same-sex couples, over nine days of testimony, have examined general attitudes about modern marriage, homosexuality, and whether sexual orientation warrants special legal protection. They seek to overturn Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in California. Defenders of the ban are up next.

Want an MBA from an entrepreneurial hot spot? Look to Israel.

An Israeli MBA doesn't have the prestige of better-known programs, but it offers American-style academic rigor, a dynamic entrepreneurial atmosphere, and a lower price tag.

Opinion: Obama’s Race to the Top competition won’t fix public schools

Competition may bring out the best in business and sports, but that logic doesn’t necessarily apply to public schools. The practical way to mend the educational system is by implementing economic and social reforms that focus on the children.

'Farouk1986': what Christmas bombing suspect wrote online

Online posts by 'Farouk1986,' thought to be the Christmas Day bombing suspect, suggest a student preoccupied by university admissions and English soccer clubs, but who was also apparently lonely and conflicted.

Global warming will cause plants and animals to migrate

A new study estimates that animals and plants will have to migrate, on average, nearly a quarter of a mile each year to keep up with shifting climate belts caused by global warming.

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is censured, but won't be impeached

A panel of lawmakers voted to rebuke South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford for disgracing the office, but stopped short of impeachment. Sanford says he won’t resign, vowing to fill out his term through 2010.

Squid invasions signal changes in the Pacific Ocean

In the Pacific, jumbo squid have moved to new waters, signaling changes in the ocean, scientists observe.

Joel Salatin advocates a better way to raise food

Farmer/lecturer Joel Salatin champions 'moral farming' as a better way to raise food. 'What is a moral way to raise a chicken?' he asks.

Free books used as tools to fight evolution

Saving wildlife in a warmer world

A warmer world will have adverse effects on wildlife. We can help save animals, but it will take savvier approaches, scientists say.

Could Fort Hood visit redefine Obama's relationship with the military?

Recent Democratic presidents have had an uneasy relationship with the armed forces. Obama’s visit to Fort Hood’s memorial service could set the tone for a new rapport with those in uniform.

Is global warming melting the ice on Mt. Kilimanjaro?

Melting ice on Mt. Kilimanjaro is mirrored on other tropical summits around the world affected by global warming.

Five things you don't know about top MBA programs

Top-flight business schools are in high gear from California to Hong Kong. Here are five things to consider from the Economist's study of the top 100 MBA programs.

Symphonies gingerly embrace digital performers

Pushed to cut costs and attract new audiences, some experiment with laptops.

The Monitor's View: Obama's salute to a New Orleans charter school

The president's visit to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. school helps validate America's nearly 20-year trend of charter schools.

The future of college may be virtual

Bricks-and-mortar universities should prepare for a jolt as high (and still rising) costs push students online.

Parole holds key to California prison overcrowding

Between 60,000 and 70,000 California parolees return to custody annually for violations, many of them minor. Reforms passed this month could help cut prisoner tallies.

Dugard case: Is California's parole system overstretched?

Jaycee's abductor was a parolee, Phillip Garrido. His story is now framing the debate about how the state should relieve overcrowded prisons, and who should be watched most closely.

California Assembly passes diluted prison reform bill

Lawmakers stripped out crucial reforms such as a proposal for an independent panel to review tough sentencing guidelines.

Japan's next PM: change agent, but he's no Obama

Yukio Hatoyama comes from four generations of politicians from the ruling LDP, which his DPJ party just ousted from power.

Opinion: Grade for charter schools? 'Needs improvement'

Without safeguards, they could become martyrs in the reform movement, instead of pioneers.

Japan ready to vote in major shift in leadership?

National polls Sunday could oust the long-ruling Liberal Democrats. Voter participation is expected to be high.

Public service is cool again

Peace Corps and others see ’60s-style interest from recent grads.

Tough times lead to more worker furloughs – just ask Chicago

Tightening belts this way costs businesses and government less than layoffs. But it’s tough on families.

Do Iran’s hard-liners really believe ‘velvet revolution’ plot?

The indictment of more than 100 Iranians being tried en masse for opposing the regime opens a window onto the world view of those who fear change most.