The Quest to Save AM Radio
In the days before television and the internet, and even FM radio, the AM frequency was America's go-to spot for entertainment and news. Even as late as 1978, half of all radio listeners tuned in to...
View ArticleWorld Population Set to Reach 10 Billion By End of Century
In 1960 there were 3 billion of humans on planet Earth. In 2011, the world population surpassed 7 billion, according to the official United Nations estimate. By 2100, the world population could reach...
View ArticleSolutions for Curbing the Shadow Government
The world is a dangerous place: Threats from terrorism, chemical weapons or all out nuclear warfare. Natural disasters like hurricanes or tsunamis could wipe out whole cities. And with the click of a...
View ArticleU.N. is Tested as Syria's Fate Hangs in the Balance
The United Nations Security Council has so far been unable to organize a response to the crisis in Syria.Secretary of State John Kerry’s so-called diplomatic accident, which made the relinquishment of...
View ArticleUnited Nations Report Confirms the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria
The United Nations' long-awaited report on the use of chemical weapons in Syria came out on Monday—it confirmed the use of chemical weapons in the nation, which the United States says killed as many as...
View ArticleMajor Companies Change Health Plans in Anticipation of ACA Roll Out
“If you got health insurance, you like your doctor, if you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan," President Barack Obama proclaimed back in 2009 when he was trying to win...
View ArticlePope Francis: Church 'Obsessed' with Abortion, Gays & Birth Control
In his first extended interview since the conclave selected him for the papacy, Pope Francis says that the Church has become "obsessed" with abortion, gay marriage, and contraception."It is not...
View ArticleOne Mother Considers Racial Connotations of Naming Her Child
It’s O.K. to admit it—you’ve probably Googled your name before. But when you type your name into the search box, what do you find? Maybe a handsome photo of someone who shares your name, or perhaps a...
View ArticleBo Xilai Sentenced to Life in Prison
Former Chinese Communist Party heavyweight Bo Xilai has been found guilty of corruption, embezzelment and bribery charges. A court in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China, sentenced...
View ArticleThe Role of Names in Racism & Cultural Pride
We've started a discussion about names and race. Specifically, how names may identify our racial and economic profile. The Takeaway talked to Nikisia Drayton about her decision not to name her child a...
View ArticleNairobi: A Young and Bustling City
The target of the Al Shabaab attacks—the Westgate Mall—is a popular destination not only for well-off Kenyans, but also for expats and international tourists. Among those killed last weekend were the...
View ArticleSenate to Vote on House Budget Defunding Obamacare
The Senate has taken up a House funding plan that would defund Obamacare. And it's no surprise that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) isn’t too thrilled with plan.“The ransom demanded by House...
View ArticleAs Sen. Ted Cruz Enters Hour 16, The GOP's In-Fighting Worries Some Republicans
The showdown over the budget continues in Washington."I intend to speak in support of defunding Obamacare until I am no longer able to stand," said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in remarks on Tuesday.Cruz’s...
View ArticleDrawing The World's Most Wanted
When hearings began for Guantanamo Bay inmate Omar Khadr in 2006, no cameras were allowed inside the courtroom. Instead the Associated Press sent sketch artist Janet Hamlin to illustrate court...
View ArticleU.N. Panel: Humans to Blame for Climate Change
"This is the global threat of our time, and for the sake of future generations, our generation must move toward a global compact to confront a changing climate before it is too late," President Barack...
View ArticleGovernment Shutdown: A Sign of Failure or Success For Democracy?
The fight over the government shutdown continues in Washington.“Congress doesn't just have to end this shutdown and reopen the government, Congress generally has to stop governing by crisis," President...
View ArticleSmall Businesses On the Impact of the Shutdown
The economic consequences of the government shutdown are being felt by small businesses across the country.It's not just folks in Washington, D.C. that are taking a hit—the closing of parks, national...
View ArticleCan the President Issue More Debt Without Congress?
The standoff over the budget continues in Washington and experts are debating what can be done to avoid a government default. Article I of the Constitution clearly states that only Congress controls...
View ArticleSyrian War Journalist Shares the Last Moments of Marie Colvin's Life
The regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad is cooperating with United Nations weapons inspector to the satisfaction of the Obama administration, according to Secretary of State John Kerry. The...
View ArticleThe U.S. Budget Battle: The End of American Prosperity?
The budget battle in Congress continues in Washington. As the government shutdown enters its ninth day, we are nowhere closer to a resolution that would end the stalemate.What’s worse, the bigger issue...
View ArticleSpecial Ops: The New Go-To U.S. Military Policy?
U.S. Special Operatives captured a senior Al Qaeda leader in Tripoli, Libya last weekend—a man that was thought to be the mastermind behind the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania....
View Article2013 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Chemical Weapons Watchdog
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)."The work of the OPCW have defined the use of chemical weapons as...
View ArticleInternational Community Urges U.S. to Raise the Debt Ceiling
After talks broke down this weekend between the Speaker of the House and President Barack Obama, the ball is in the Senate’s court for a debt ceiling deal.And we may just be approaching a deal. As...
View ArticleStates Anxiously Hope for Federal Budget Deal
While House Speaker John Boehner spars with President Barack Obama, the shutdown continues, the debt ceiling deadline looms and states are scrambling to fill in the gaps.In the wake of the Great...
View ArticleIran Nuclear Enrichment Talks Enter Day Two
Talks over Iran’s nuclear program enter their second day today in Geneva.“We have to reach a situation at the end where they have proven—and verifiably proven—that there is no nuclear military...
View ArticleGOP Suffers in Polls Over Budget Battle Tactics
The shutdown may be over, and the debt ceiling raised for now, but the effects of the last two weeks could be long-lasting—both economically and politically.Americans are not happy with the shutdown...
View ArticleCrisis Averted: Congress Ends Government Shutdown, Raises Debt Ceiling
It has been a roller coaster ride on Capitol Hill the last few weeks. Was Congress going to prevent a shutdown? It didn't, despite what many believed. But more importantly—would Congress raise the debt...
View ArticleStudy Abroad: A Rite of Passage or a Waste?
Study abroad has become a rite of passage of sorts for so many of today’s youth. Our partner The New York Times started a debate on the merits of study abroad, provoking a wide range of opinions.Some...
View ArticleA New Career for Jeopardy Supercomputer Watson
It has been a couple of years since IBM’s supercomputer, Watson, became a champion on “Jeopardy!" Though Watson is off the game show circuit, the supercomputer has not been idle since beating the game...
View ArticleNoise: The Defining Sounds From Human History
History is visual: You can see a photo from a century ago, visit a room filled with artifacts, and even gaze at paintings in an ancient cave where humans stood 30,000 ago.But what would it sound like...
View ArticleRift Grows Between Saudi Arabia and U.S.
The apparent rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran might have some people feeling hopeful. But the easing of tensions with Iran, and a perceived lack of leadership on Syria, has some of America’s...
View ArticleProblems With Healthcare Exchanges Highlight Government's I.T. Obstacles
In Washington, the frustration continues over the federal insurance exchange website, where many users remain unable to sign up for health insurance. The latest chapter in the saga: some Republicans...
View ArticleRoundtable: Navigating Healthcare Changes Across the Country
More than three weeks after the launch of the federally facilitated and state-based health-care exchanges, things are clearly not going as well as some had planned.There are any number of variables in...
View ArticleSenator Bernie Sanders Weighs In on the Latest NSA Spying Scandal
The outrage continues over revelations that the NSA has spied on some of America’s closest allies. Members of European Parliament will travel to Washington today for a three-day visit—they are likely...
View ArticleRep. Alan Grayson: Congress Doesn't Trust the NSA
Members of the European Parliament finish their three-day long visit to Washington today-- a response to the revelations that the NSA has allegedly been spying on European citizens and leaders.The...
View ArticleReport: NSA's MUSCULAR program taps Yahoo, Google data centers
The latest revelations from NSA leaker Edward Snowden about the agency's surveillance practices involve a program called MUSCULAR. By tapping into the data centers that connect Yahoo and Google to...
View ArticleWhy Some Americans' Health Insurance Policies Are Being Cancelled Under the ACA
Tomorrow marks a full month since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges went online. It has not been going well. Many have been unable to sign up for a plan.President Obama tried to assuage...
View ArticleHow the ACA is Changing Mental Health Care
Though the federal insurance exchange site is still be plagued with technical bugs and people are continuing to receive policy cancellation notices from their insurers, there are still plenty of...
View ArticleTeam USA Lost, But Has American Soccer Finally Won?
Team USA will not be back on the World Cup stage—the men's national team was defeated and eliminated from the tournament by Belgium yesterday.We might continue to cry about it, but in a way, has...
View ArticleNASA Plans Life on Mars by 2030
This weekend, many Americans are planning getaways around the country—nearly 35 million Americans will be driving more than 50 miles from their home this long weekend, according to Bloomberg News.But...
View ArticleSoviet Spy Secrets Revealed
In 1992, a scruffy KGB officer named Vasili Mitrokhin traveled to the Latvian capital of Riga, carrying with him bundles of top secret material. It was information that he had acquired through his job...
View ArticleWas the World Cup Worth It for Brazil?
Yesterday was a tough day for Brazil. Team Brazil lost to Germany 1-7 in The World Cup semi-finals. The upset is especially heavy, given that the country invested greatly in hosting the 2014 World Cup...
View ArticleWater - A Human Right?
Today, The Takeaway takes a two part look at our most precious resource, water. It's a resource that thousands in Detroit now find themselves without. Back in March, officials in the cash-strapped city...
View ArticleBrazil's World Cup Defeat: A National Trauma?
Brazil suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Germany earlier this week. Saturday they play Netherlands to determine if they will take third or fourth place in the tournament.The loss is being...
View ArticleU.S. Intelligence Official Kicked Out of Germany
The year-long tension over U.S. electronic spying on diplomats has created tangible tension in the U.S.-German relationship. The German government expelled the chief American intelligence official in...
View ArticlePipeline Leaks A Million Gallons of Brine Into Native American Land
North Dakota is suffering yet another pipeline leakage—this time into a bay on a Native American reserve. As of Friday, the pipeline had leaked one million gallons of saltwater brine, an unwanted...
View ArticleCalifornia Court Ruling Shakes Up Fate of Death Penalty
The death penalty in California has been on the rocks since a 2006 moratorium halted all executions. But on Wednesday, a federal judge went a step further. U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney ruled that...
View Article40,000 Palestinians Now Displaced in Gaza
Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are seeking shelter since the Israeli ground invasion began on Thursday. But a larger number of Gazans are effectively trapped, unable to seek refuge across...
View ArticleThe Flip Side of The Right to Be Forgotten
Our brains are wired to forget. The internet, not so much. That mismatch is a risk to our humanity. Now that the the European Court has ruled that there is a so-called 'right to be forgotten' online,...
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VOTE: America's Greatest Innovation
We want you to help us celebrate American ingenuity with our new series, "The Search for America's Greatest Innovation." Cast your ballot for one of nine fantastic innovations, or can nominate one...
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