Portside

Researchers are cautiously optimistic that the slowdown in health care spending is here to stay. Two factors potentially contributing to the record slowdown in growth to 3.1 percent during 2007-11: job loss and benefit changes shifting costs to the insured. Other fundamental changes, including less-rapid development of imaging technology and new pharmaceuticals may have led to the majority of the slowdown: 10 year savings may equal $770 billion.

Just how bad is the state of public defense in America? The charts below detail some of the biggest challenges plaguing the system.

Unemployment crisis, chemical weapons, climate change, Bangladesh and more ...

A cynical pawn to move a more diabolical agenda

The young are idled; their hopes crushed. Americans are paying a terrible price for Washington’s folly.

In our convoluted world of constantly flowing disinformation, governments tell us the Web is a “privilege” to be paid for and lost if we misbehave, corporations tell us they invented it, and most of us use it without really thinking much about its intent.