Government debt is in the news again. Recent national headlines ranged in tone from the breathless to cataclysmic. First, Detroit asked Christie’s Auction House to value its museum collection, should the city need to pay creditors with its Rembrandts and Cezannes. Then, President Obama told “This Week” that he would Read More…
Student debt is a growing economic and moral crisis. The average U.S. college student today graduates with more than $25,000 in debt, and nationally, unpaid tuition debt approaches $1.2 trillion. That’s trillion with a T. Twelve zeros. Here at UC Berkeley, our tuition has increased 300 percent since 2002, and Read More…
The threshold for military action that violates international law should be high indeed and must at a minimum be actually capable of helping Syrian citizens who are victims of civil war. Read More…
He stepped on stage followed by a dull silence. It felt like something phenomenal was going to happen; something extraordinary was going to pop out of the ground and shake the earth. But only words came out of his mouth; words that seemed politely appropriate for an occasion of remembrance Read More…
It is common knowledge that American higher education is need of repair. Recognizing the immediacy of the issue, President Barack Obama laid out a plan last week that aims to create a system of affordability ratings for colleges nationwide. The announcement is a positive development, in spite of some serious Read More…
President Barack Obama signed a bipartisan bill to reform the federal government’s student loan system Friday afternoon, following the expiration of subsidies on some loans July 1 and a resulting month-long legislative battle in Congress. Read More…
Taking bracketology to brackenomics, PayScale.com recently put UC Berkeley’s basketball team in the championship game if pairings were accorded to median alumni salary. Using language like “fat wallet four,” “top earning 8” and “salary 16” to denominate bracket tiers, the infographic puts a zingy twist on an American pastime. The Read More…
UC Berkeley has joined a nationwide initiative launched Oct. 2 that was designed to increase the graduation rates at the country’s public universities. Read More…
A resolution supporting the closure of Guantanamo Bay will go before the Berkeley City Council at its meeting next Tuesday, and would include a letter addressed to President Barack Obama demanding that the prison be shut down. Adelyn Baxter covers city government.