A top-level committee of the Federal Reserve, the US’ central bank, is meeting this week to discuss when it should begin raising interest rates.

Often when a central bank lifts rates, the country’s stock market falls. When the central bank cuts them, share prices go up....

In the Mediterranean climate of California, with its warm, wet winters and hot and dry summers, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains plays a critical role. It serves as a natural water storage system that feeds waterways and reservoirs during the dry...

Sunday, September 13 was Grandparents Day. Many grandparents will have received loving cards, calls and emails from their grandchildren.

However, a significant number of grandparents – approximately 2.7 million, as reported by the US Census – will have done exactly what they do every day,...

The rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran have routinely used external conflicts to divert public attention from domestic problems, deflect attacks, promote national cohesion, and repress their opponents.

As someone who has studied Iran’s political development and...

As the primary season heats up, few believe he can win the GOP nomination. The establishment choice is a shoo-in, but the upstart candidate believes the country is on the wrong path, well on its way to losing its greatness. The newcomer promises to reclaim America for...

Politics and advertising are closely intertwined. Like a good advertisement, a good politician needs to present a compelling case for why the voter should check his or her box on the ballot over all the other options.

Many good ads or politicians will make a direct...

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the US. The most common type is coronary heart disease, which occurs when there’s a buildup of plaque within the heart’s blood vessels. Smoking, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure can all...

From the big, stilted offshore guardhouse overlooking one of the six fishery replenishment zones in Bindoy, Philippines, local volunteer guards keep a 24/7 watch against illegal fishing. Recently, a hopeful sign has caught the guards’...

The big question these days is when the Federal Reserve will finally raise its target interest rate for the first time in almost a decade. Its monetary policy committee is meeting this week to decide whether to do just...

The new academic year is off to a start, and thousands of students have entered college for the first time.

I’ve been teaching college students for a long time, but this year, two developments have led me to think hard about my role as a...