Don’t Expect Soda Tax to Curb Obesity
A new study finds only the middle class — not the rich or the poor — are likely to change their behavior with a soda tax.
Browsing Tag
The Idea Lobby
248 posts
Of Course the Civil War Was About Slavery
Concrete concerns about saving and expanding slavery, and not the nebulous theology of states’ rights, ignited the U.S. Civil War. Why does that message keep getting lost?
How Much Am I Bid on This Donkey (or Elephant)?
Asked what they would pay to guarantee representation in Congress by one party of another, a majority says not a red (or blue) cent.
Obama’s Sputnik Analogy Still on the Pad
Looking to goose American participation in science, math and technology, President Obama's "Sputnik moment" lacks the urgency and clarity of the original.
Walking Backward Out the Schoolhouse Door
Desegregation of public schools peaked about two decades ago, and no one at the federal level is doing much to reverse the decline.
Reweaving Tax Nets to Nab Online Shoppers
American shoppers owe sales taxes on online purchases whether Amazon and its friends assess them or not. States are trying various gambits to recoup those lost dollars.
Hey TSA, Racial Profiling Doesn’t Work
Looking at the math behind profiling meant to nab terrorists, computer scientist William Press realized it may be less effective than purely random sampling.
Teacher Training Too Academic, Not Practical
In examining what's ailing American teaching, a blue-ribbon panel decided that teachers should be trained the same way we train doctors — through clinical practice.
Bad Times Help Rust Belt Retain Power
A better economy saw people leaving the Midwest and Northeast in droves, taking their votes with them. But bad times mean they stay put — just in time for redistricting.
Deficit Death by a Thousand Cuts
The U.S. government's deficit was created piece by billion-dollar piece. The bipartisan debt commission's suggestions offer specific incremental steps to reverse that process.