Informative and timely report about the U.S. Senate's decision to delay debate of its climate change bill to the spring of 2010. This short article provides factual information and cites key stakeholders, with helpful context about this important decision.

Insightful interview with Umberto Eco about lists, books, Google and education.

This strikes me more as a partisan opinion piece than a straight news analysis. Right off the bat, the anonymous authors show their liberal bias by calling Anita Dunn's criticisms of Fox News 'entirely justified.' While I applaud the depth of the research documenting prior GOP attacks against media outlets, it doesn't make up for the fact that this article is intentionally partisan. Until Media Matters adopts a more neutral approach to fact-checking, they will remain part of the ... More »

Interesting article about the challenges facing environmental lobbying groups as they look for a middle ground between their wish lists and the need to pick bipartisan support to pass new legislation in congress. This report is factual and cites many environmental stakeholders - but few independent perspectives or viewpoints from opposing groups.

Fascinating report on how racism affects political views, with a focus on attitudes towards President Obama's healthcare plan. This article cites two separate studies led by psychologists Eric Knowles of the University of California and Keith Payne of the University of North Carolina, which were just published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Factual overview, with helpful context about this important research, which "suggests the impact of explicit racism on voting ... More »

Informative summary of practices and metrics used by Google News to detect news quality. This report is largely based on public documents from Google, but provides a reasonable interpretation of the facts, with useful context on the topic.

Informative report about how lobbyists in Washington are working to influence climate change legislation under way in U.S. Congress. This article provides factual information such as the amounts spent on ad campaigns from business groups (Exxon Mobil, American Petroleum Institute), versus environmental groups (World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense Fund). The report also cites independent sources, as well as representatives from across the political spectrum, to offer helpful ... More »

Informative report on how environmental groups are adapting their message about climate change to appeal to more voters and members of U.S. Congress. This factual article points to recent environmental campaigns pitching new jobs and limits on carbon pollution -- rather than global warming doomsday scenarios. Well researched, with a variety of credible sources and useful context on this important issue.

Must-read report on how over 2,810 lobbyists are influencing the climate change debate in the U.S. Congress. This in-depth investigation provides extensive factual information, citing many credible and authoritative sources, to explain how legislation on global warming is being held back by the special interests that dominate Washington politics. This is the best story I've read this week on this important topic.

Insightful analysis on how the global debate about climate change rests on perceptions of fairness between developing nations and the Western world. This article points to the fact that countries like China or India think it is unfair to ask them to reduce their carbon emissions and slow down their economic development -- when the U.S. and European nations have done so much environmental damage already during their own development phases. The story cites a number of psychological ... More »

Interesting commentary about a new advertising technology recently patented by Apple, which has the potential to force people to watch ads on a variety of devices. This story relies mostly on Apple's patent application for its factual evidence, and cites with a related report about Microsoft's plans for ads in its software. Most of this article are about the author's speculations on how this technology might be used, which were not all that insightful or helpful to me.

Interesting article on how animal research can help us be better parents. The authors, academics from Yale University and Boston College, provide detailed examples of how parenting techniques like 'timeouts' are often based on research about the psychology of animals. Informative overview about a little-known topic. My only nitpick is that they do not cite many independent sources in this article, so we have to take their word for it.

Must-read story about improving the quality of health care in America. This in-depth report features health care reformer Brent James and a new collaborative method he's developed at Intermountain Healthcare in Utah and Idaho, where committees or doctors and nurses are scientifically adjusting and tracking medical treatments, saving thousands of lives per year in the process. This article cites copious factual evidence from many authoritative sources to show how this rigorous ... More »

Interesting report about a possible gender bias within the Republican party. This article points to several recent developments to suggest that moderate women are not being recruited by the GOP's growing conservative movement. While some of this seems speculative, the report cites some factual evidence and perspectives across the political spectrum to back its points.

Thoughtful report on why people tend to cling to the status quo, as seen recently in the health care reform debate. This story cites a study from New York University, which suggests that most people share a "motivation to perceive the status quo as the way things should be." This blog post could have benefited from presenting other viewpoints and different studies from more sources, but its main point is important and explained clearly.

Thoughtful report about moral differences between conservatives and liberals, based on University of Virginia professor Jonathan Haidt's work. This in-depth article provides good factual information and cites independent perspectives about Haidt's framework of political morality. Very helpful analysis of some of the root causes behind America's culture wars.