Remembering Those Who Left Us In 2011

Nothing, many will agree, seems to be working in Washington these days. The degree of acrimony between the Democrats and Republicans appears to be at an all-time high. In looking at a list of those who passed in 2011, I’m struck by how many who believed in working across the aisle, believed more in getting [...]

No U.S. Troops, But An Army Of Contractors In Iraq

The U.S. troops have left Iraq, and U.S. diplomats will now be the face of America in a country that remains extremely volatile. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, along with several consulates, will have some 15,000 workers, making it the largest U.S. diplomatic operation abroad. Those diplomats will be protected by a private army consisting [...]

In Vermont, Gravel And Road Business Is Up

Federal, state and local spending on roadways is down nearly 6 percent. That’s made it a tough year for many in the road-building business — but not in Vermont. There, pavers, excavators and other companies have had one of their busiest years ever, thanks to a storm named Irene. For the past several months, Steve [...]

Early Florida Primary Could Sow Confusion, Not Clout

Four years ago, Florida played a key role choosing the Republican presidential nominee with a crucial early primary in violation of party rules. Next month, Florida Republicans are poised to do it again — once again breaking rules with an early primary. Only this time, their decision could confuse the race, rather than clarify it. [...]

Historic Ford Plant Site Likely A Tough Sell

The Ford Motor Co. recently closed its historic Twin Cities Assembly Plant on a scenic river bluff in St. Paul, Minn. In better times, the parcel of land might have made condo developers drool, but in today’s real estate market, redevelopment of the old factory could be a long way off. The industrial architect Albert [...]

What’s Holding Back One ‘Job Creator’? Not Taxes

There aren’t many people on the broad Kansas prairie, but there is industry. At G.L. Huyett, boxy machines jammed into a big metal building grind steel into heavy transmission parts. “We’re a supplier of last resort,” says Tim O’Keefe, who owns the company. If you have disruptions in the supply chain and someone can’t meet [...]

With ‘Occupy’ Protests, Police Aimed For Restraint

This fall American police were confronted with something they hadn’t seen in 40 years: prolonged, simultaneous political protests across the country. In most cities, police showed restraint. But there have been exceptions — sometimes involving copious amounts of pepper spray. Those flashpoints have become a cause for concern. Chuck Wexler runs the Police Executive Research [...]

Endangered Turtle Survives Trans-Atlantic Journey

On Florida’s Gulf coast Tuesday, there will be a celebrated homecoming. For a turtle. This is no ordinary turtle: Known as Johnny Vasco da Gama, after the 15th-century Portuguese explorer, it crossed the Atlantic twice — by sea and by air. Johnny, as his human friends call him, is a critically endangered Kemp’s ridley turtle. [...]

Paul Disavows Newsletters, But In ’95 Video He Seems To Claim Credit

Ron Paul’s struggles to distance himself from some decades-old controversial newsletters got a bit tougher over the holiday weekend. On Sunday, Buzzfeed posted a YouTube video of Paul seeming to take credit for the Ron Paul Survival Report. Buzzfeed says the footage is from a 1995 interview filmed for students in the MBA program at [...]

The Touchy-Feely Future Of Technology

In 1975, when then-composer and performer Bill Buxton started designing his own digital musical instruments, he had no way of knowing he was helping to spark the next technological revolution. But nine years — and a master’s in computer science — later, that all changed. “I wasn’t trying to make a computer interface, I was [...]