They're all fabulous and wonderful! How to figure out what's real in an inflated letter of recommendation

Feb 25, 2020 13:06 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Over the decades that Ive worked in universities, Ive watched academic letters of reference become increasingly inflated. And letter inflation goes beyond the academy; friends who hire in business say they, too, have...

US under Trump Series

What the Trump budget says about the administration's health priorities

Feb 25, 2020 13:05 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The Trump administration recently released its budget blueprint for the 2021 fiscal year, the first steps in the complex budgetary process. The final budget will reflect the input of Congress, including the Democratic...

US-Taliban truce begins, feeding hope of a peaceful, more prosperous Afghanistan

Feb 25, 2020 13:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views

If a seven-day truce between the United States and the Taliban holds until Feb. 28, 2020, Afghanistans decades-long conflict may finally end. A peace deal could be signed as soon as Feb. 29, according to the State...

African countries aren't getting as much as they should from foreign direct investment

Feb 25, 2020 12:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Investing Economy

Economic growth is driven by a number of factors. These include foreign direct investment, national savings, household spending, fiscal and monetary policies. Since the late 1980s African governments have fully embraced...

Discrediting elections: why the opposition playbook carries risks

Feb 25, 2020 12:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

Malawi recently held its breath as the Constitutional Court took ten hours to painstakingly read out its verdict on the highly controversial 2019 presidential elections. When it finally became clear that the judgment would...

New DNA test that reveals a child’s true age has promise, but ethical pitfalls

Feb 25, 2020 12:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Epigenetic clocks are a new type of biological test currently capturing the attention of the scientific community, private companies and governmental agencies because of their potential to reveal an individuals true...

What we don't understand about young people's motivations

Feb 25, 2020 12:56 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Young people are demanding change. In the last few days, young Indigenous activists and their supporters blocked parliamentarians in Victoria, B.C., from accessing the provincial legislature and led waves of protest across...