There are two great centers of unaccountable power in the American political-economic system today -- places where decisions that significantly affect large numbers of Americans are made in secret, and are unchecked either by effective democratic oversight or by market competition.

For those who think I'm exaggerating, look at one of the most horrifically incompetent efforts in recent years, the attempt to clean up sexual misconduct in the armed forces. Why haven't chiefs of staff been fired? Why haven't service secretaries resigned?

I understand that there is a rich culture of guns in the United States and that weapons are often passed on to children as heirlooms. Also understandably, parents want to teach their children how to use those guns safely. But none of this training needs to start at the age of five.

Honest feedback is vital. But to hold back a third-grader next year based on a wildly new test that neither he nor his teachers were prepared for isn't the right way to start. And what do we need to add to the agenda?

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It is with great sadness that I reflect on what is a significant anniversary for all involved in the struggle to advance human rights: this year's 25th anniversary of the United States signing of the UN Convention Against Torture.

It's not just Bush and Cheney who violated international law; now it's Obama, too. The report is blistering about the cover-up. The end result is a society in moral disarray.

Texans realized early on that for their kids to compete against students from Beijing and Bangalore, they needed to take rigorous classes in high school. However, after several years of steady progress, state lawmakers are poised to gut what Texas got right before anybody else.

The investigative journalism outfit finds . . . that there is none. The report starts with anecdote about Claude Stuart, a city prosecutor who lost...

Real progress comes from young renegades thinking outside the box willing to take risks to challenge the status quo. It is this kind of science that gets lost in the shuffle every time the giant pork machine dispenses its largesse to the usual suspects.