Topic: University of Washington

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Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Environmentalists

They are explorers and activists, artists and educators, farmers and faith leaders – even mayors. And they have trenchant suggestions on how to improve the world.
The Fed speaks: Five times Federal Reserve chairmen made waves with words

The Federal Reserve, the institution tasked with guarding the economy against inflation and financial instability, has long made headlines for its words as well as its actions. Here's a look at some moments when a Fed chairman has made waves with his words.
5 books on understanding/preparing for natural and manmade disasters

The mix of natural and man-made disasters unfolding in Japan is almost incomprehensible. But it’s just at such moments that we most want to understand what can happen in our world. This history is still in the making, but my regular reading list is taking a break while I search out material on disasters past and future. What are you reading in the wake of the tragic events of the past few days? Here are a few potential places to start:
In Pictures: The Dalai Lama's career
Gallery: Election Photos of the Week 10/17 - 10/24

All Content

Did a copying mistake give rise to human intelligence?

New research suggests that a copying error found in humans seems to distinguish human brains from those of primates.
Will Saturday's 'supermoon' destroy the Earth?

No, it won't. You people really need to learn to calm down.
Greenland's glaciers melting faster, say scientists

Greenland's glaciers are melting 30 faster than they were a decade ago, satellite images reveal.
Plastic pollution underestimated, say scientists

There's more plastic polluting the world's oceans than previously thought, according to a new study. Earlier studies failed to include the role of wind.
Chapter & Verse
Festival of Faith and Writing: the conference that brought John Updike, Salman Rushdie to western Michigan

This year's Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College included Jonathan Safran Foer, Marilynne Robinson, Chimimanda Ngoze Adichie, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Leila Aboulela.
Chapter & Verse
Amazon hears from hometown critics

A four-part series in the Seattle Times charges Amazon with aggressive business practices and a lack of philanthropy.
Robert Reich
How to stop starving public colleges and shrinking the middle class

America is  making it harder and harder for young people of modest means to attend college. But affordable public higher education is essential to preserving the middle class.
Amanda Knox family not worried about Italian acquittal appeal

Amanda Knox and her family say they aren't concerned about an Italian prosector's plan to appeal her acquittal last year. The attorney for Amanda Knox said he's not surprised by the legal maneuver.
Washington State headed toward gay marriage: a sign of shifting attitudes

Lawmakers voted to make Washington the seventh state to allow gay marriage. Opponents vow to force the measure onto the November ballot, but obtaining a voter veto of the new law will be an uphill battle.
College savings plans: Is prepaid tuition still a good idea?

College savings plans are struggling in many states because of rising tuition costs and declining returns. About half of prepaid college savings plans have stopped accepting new money.
Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Environmentalists

They are explorers and activists, artists and educators, farmers and faith leaders – even mayors. And they have trenchant suggestions on how to improve the world.
Stratfor cyberattack adds an exclamation point to ‘Year of the Hack’

The 'hack and extract' attack on the strategic think tank Stratfor will only contribute to the public and media awareness of cybercrime that has grown throughout 2011.
Paul Allen plans to replace space shuttle program

Paul Allen is planning on building the world's largest plane intended to offer space travel to paying customers and possibly to the international space station.
Will airborne launch pads replace the Space Shuttle program?

Stratolaunch Systems, founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is planning to build a huge carrier aircraft that will launch unmanned rockets into space.
An appreciation: longtime Monitor journalist Guy Halverson

Guy O. Halverson was a Monitor correspondent with a varied writing career that spanned more than 35 years. His award-winning journalism led the way against drunk driving and Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Who wants to become a lawyer when you can report on Watergate?
Amanda Knox hires attorney in search of book deal

Amanda Knox was cleared of a murder conviction and released from an Italian prison in October. A Washington, D.C. attorney will represent Amanda Knox in discussions with book publishers.
Tea Party Tally
Tea party fuels rise of Herman Cain. So how can it be racist?

Herman Cain surged to the top of the GOP presidential field in one poll on Thursday, buttressed by strong tea party support. Tea party backers say that shows the movement isn't racist.
Amanda Knox dealing with emotions and new-found freedom, dad says (video)

Amanda Knox is a strong person, according to her father. But the events of the past four years have taken an emotional toll on her.
Crowdsourcing science: how gamers are changing scientific discovery

Computer gamers who cracked a decades-long AIDS mystery in three weeks embody a rising trend among researchers: enlisting the skills of everyday people to help with scientific discovery.
Hope for Afghanistan – with its new generation of law students

For Afghanistan to stabilize, it doesn't just need new buildings and better police forces. It must have educated citizens who can fairly run government, implement laws, and work in the courts. Based on our work with Afghan law students, we have hope for the future.
Terrorism & Security
Will Yemen's fierce fighting push protesters to take up arms?

After three days of rocket attacks, shelling, and shooting that have killed 60, some worry Yemen's protesters – who have so far used sticks and Molotov cocktails – may take up conventional arms.
Will striking Tacoma teachers be ordered back to work?

At issue in Tacoma: class sizes, potential salary cuts, and – most important to some – the district’s desire to transfer teachers between schools based on criteria other than seniority.
SpongeBob study: Do fast-paced cartoons impair kids' thinking?

SpongeBob study: A study published Monday found that 4-year-olds performed worse on tests requiring focus and self-control after watching just nine minutes of 'SpongeBob SquarePants.'
China: Ethnic minority music finds an advocate

Laurent Jeanneau roams the ethnic minority villages of China recording the 'unofficial' music.
Extent of Arctic summer sea ice at record low level

New data indicates the continuation of a long-term decline in summer ice underway since at least 1979. Researchers say roughly half the decline can be attributed to global warming.