A reform-minded education secretary?
Barack Obama’s choice for education secretary offers hope for a change in America’s schools. Would Chicago Public School CEO Arne Duncan make a good secretary of education? There are reasons…
The educational reform we need most
Smarter teachers? More parental involvement? More computers? Better assessment? Healthier lunches? Nope. Try harder-working kids. School reform has become a real yawner. Even in the face of falling test scores,…
Gays angered by Pope’s stand on ecology
If we don’t trash the physical environment, do we have a right to trash the moral environment? If nominations for the best bright idea of 2008 are still open, I’m…
An indulgence of adult desires
Surrogate motherhood isn’t about forming families; it is about satisfying adult desires. Nothing like the Christmas season to remind us how selfish and adult-centred we should be. No, you’re right.…
Titanic China has an appointment with an iceberg
The headlines proclaim China’s growing financial power. But its ageing population may scupper its ambitions. China Rises, the blog of Beijing correspondent of McClatchy Newspapers, Tim Johnson, has a post…
Is there a natural right to same-sex marriage?
The people of California, Arizona and Florida recently voted to amend their state constitutions to defend the age-old truth that marriage is the life-long union of a man and a…
So Sexy So Soon
Communication critical: Want to help your children navigate a sex-saturated culture? They’ll need to learn your beliefs — not those all around them. For a generation, conservatives have discussed the…
The cold hearts of digital voyeurs
Earlier this month, the world witnessed the internet version of a man standing on a ledge threatening to jump. Instead of snarling strangers yelling “jump!”, digital voyeurs tapped away on…
Same sex marriage and its threat to religious liberty
Tactics used by gay marriage campaigners confirm believers’ worst fears. As wildfires blazed in California last week, anger at the outcome of the state’s referendum on marriage blazed across the…
UK government pushes contraceptive jabs for teens
Desperate to meet a target for reducing teenage pregnancies by 2010, the British government has instructed 21 local authorities to promote long-acting contraceptive injections or implants for girls in their…
China forced abortion dropped after US pressure
Forced abortions can still occur in China under the one-child policy, as a case that has been brought to international attention shows. An ethnic woman in the north-western Xinjiang Uyghur…
Happiness is not watching TV
Unhappy people watch more television, while people who describe themselves as very happy spend more time on reading, socialising and religion, a new American study shows. Researchers at the University…