Topic: The MacArthur Foundation

10 biggest US foundations and what they do

What are the 10 biggest foundations in the United States? Here they are in ascending order, based on their assets, along with a little bit about what social problems each addresses.

Kremlin orders Russian pollster to register itself as 'spy'

Russian prosecutors say that the Levada Center must register as a 'foreign agent' – a term synonymous with 'spy' in Russian – because 3 percent of its budget comes from abroad.

Nigerian militant attack highlights Army's weaknesses

The latest attack by the Islamist group Boko Haram left 55 dead Tuesday. Experts say the fighting is unlikely to let up until the Nigerian military agrees to negotiate.

Chapter & Verse National Book Award finalists are announced

Junot Diaz, Dave Eggers, and Katherine Boo all made the cut for final consideration for the award.

Chapter & Verse Junot Diaz and other writers are awarded MacArthur genius grants

Pulitzer Prize-winner Junot Diaz, reporter David Finkel, and writer Dinaw Mengestu were honored by the MacArthur Foundation, each receiving a $500,000 grant.

MacArthur Foundation 'genius grants' for 2012 revealed

The MacArthur Foundation gave 23 people this year $500,000 each to pursue a creative vision. MacArthur 'genius grant' winners, who work in fields ranging from medicine and science to the arts and journalism, can spend the money any way they want.

Ornette: Made in America: movie review

'Ornette' is a maddening but fascinating, one-of-a-kind film about a jazz icon.

Many Russian NGOs face 'foreign agent' label

A draft law requiring NGOs that receive outside funding to register as 'foreign agents' will further limit their political independence.

Opinion Russia should be rewarded with NATO membership

Russia should be on the agenda for NATO summit in Chicago this weekend. In spite of recent tensions, the historically fractured relationship between Russia and NATO is the most ripe for transformation. Obstacles like missile defense and Eastern Europe can be resolved.

The Monitor's View Supreme Court sizes up teens who murder

Two cases involving life sentences for 14-year-olds who murdered will test the Supreme Court's past rulings that teens are not small adults and must be given a chance for redemption.

Change Agent ICNL promotes freedom of assembly around the world

The ICNL(International Center for Not-for-Profit Law) received $1 million from the MacArthur Foundation to advance its mission of creating a legal framework for the right of assembly and association in countries around the world.

Change Agent Crisis Action makes a big noise using quiet citizen diplomacy

Crisis Action acts like a coach or talent scout for humanitarian and other citizen groups – but always behind the scenes.

Tax VOX What tax reform would mean at the state level

Congress could go a long way towards fixing the federal system without destroying state revenue codes—but only if reform is done carefully.

Difference Maker David Carroll tracks turtles to reveal what nature has to say to humans

Scientist David Carroll doesn't publish academic papers but tells turtles' stories through his art and writings.
08/01/2011 01:02 pm

Write stuff: The workshop that shapes American literature

The Iowa Writers' Workshop, on its 75th anniversary, offers a window into the state of American letters.
06/25/2011 11:25 am

In Pictures Iowa Writers workshop 75th anniversary

Africa Monitor West Africa Rising: Why Indian firms are bidding to buy up Nigeria's decrepit electrical grid

More than 200 companies – including India's Tata Group, New Jersey's Honeywell Energy, and Nigerian conglomerate Dangote Group – have signed up to own a rusty piece of Nigeria's grid.
06/07/2011 05:05 pm

Change Agent Bill Drayton sees a world where 'everyone is a changemaker'

Bill Drayton founded Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, which now has put about 3,000 social entrepreneurs into the field all over the world, three decades ago. A college professor once described him as having "the determination of Job and the brains of a Nobel laureate." Says Drayton: "The life purpose of the true social entrepreneur is to change the world."
05/16/2011 05:23 pm

Broadway's Spider-Man may lose its genius, director Julie Taymor

After spending nine years shepherding 'Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark' to Broadway, theater phenomenon Julie Taymor reportedly no longer will direct the show.
03/09/2011 12:24 pm

Does Facebook boost civic engagement among American youths, too?

Participation in online communities increases civic engagement – but just socializing on Facebook doesn't, according to a new study of young Americans and the Internet.
02/24/2011 06:07 pm

Editorial Board Blog Is an Apple Mac-lash coming?

To some, Steve Jobs has created a 'walled garden' that ultimately must wither. Google represents an 'open' way that invites everyone to play. But there's no clear winner yet.
02/22/2011 03:33 pm

George Clooney-backed satellite project to monitor volatile Sudan

The border between Sudan's northern and southern regions will be under near-daily satellite surveillance under a new effort backed by the UN, Google, and George Clooney.
12/29/2010 07:55 pm

David R. Francis Cut America's debt, but spare Social Security

Congress can cut the budget without hurting Social Security, Medicare, and other social insurance programs.
12/28/2010 02:20 pm

Terrorism & Security India, Pakistan release prisoners ahead of top talks

India-Pakistan peace talks appear to be picking up, as both countries made 'goodwill gestures' of releasing prisoners ahead of a meeting between home ministers.
06/25/2010 09:41 am

Nuclear summit: How much 'loose nukes' material is out there?

The Obama nuclear summit is focusing less on nuclear weapons and more on more poorly guarded nuclear materials that could be used to build nukes.
04/13/2010 01:58 pm