Since the United States is withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban will be a major player in the country’s future. Negotiations are a way of brokering the transition. Any promises made, however, are unlikely to last once the Americans are gone. Historically, peace agreements work only when one side has decisively defeated the other or both sides are exhausted. Neither seems to be the case here.

These events point to the failure of our legal system to keep up with modern technology. In particular, current law is based on the increasingly blurred distinction between the content of communication and its metadata, a distinction which allows dramatic violations of user privacy without benefit of a warrant, or in this case, without even specifying the targets of the investigation. All Americans are being caught up in an enormous, secret fishing expedition for information that might, some day, prove useful to law enforcement.

Facebook's attraction to youth is based in part on being connected, but also on being an ‘ingroup’ and ‘cool’ thing. To the degree that the cool of Facebook wears off, we should see some migration of teens to other platforms. People are unlikely to fully leave Facebook but simply to diversify their tools for accomplishing social interaction. Instead of Facebook being the Walmart of social media, it will become just one platform in a big ecology, including photo sharing with Instragram, broadcasting with Twitter, etc.

The use of wearable computers and devices for augmenting our senses is becoming more widespread. Google Glass is another step in the evolution of wearable computing. We can expect to see the proliferation of personal devices being used to document and monitor our daily lives and overlay information on the world around us. The potential, and the risks, are enormous.

AP Twitter hack is yet another reminder that social media isn’t simply banal messages about breakfast between teenagers, but that it can have massive, real world consequences. This response also highlights that humans have a built in truth bias to believe what others say. Although there is a lot of suspicion about the Internet in general, the truth bias is alive and well with social media.

Most public discussion of the nation’s continuing financial and macroeconomic troubles focuses rightly on debt. It focuses wrongly, however, on public debt. The true source of the nation’s ills is private debt overhang among millions of American households below the top of the wealth distribution.

If we continue to do what Europe has been doing then we will get the results that they are getting. Washington, wake up!  There is an excellent course in macroeconomic policy up here at Cornell and I would be happy to let you sit in on it any time!

What happened in Cyprus has implications beyond its borders. That the ECB would even consider taxing the savings of ordinary, non-wealthy citizens was another instance that suggested that the EU and the eurzone was willing to move forward without considering how its actions would play outside the realms of EU power centers. But most importantly this latest move cannot help but fan the flames of nationalism and euroscepticism across the continent.

About the soda policy: In some ways it is very odd that this targets consumption in restaurants and ballparks. The overwhelming majority of soda is bought in grocery stores. In some ways this targets only the occasional soda consumer rather than the regular consumer. It would be difficult to see how this could have much of an impact on overall calorie intake.

One of Chavez's main legacies will be the political polarization among Venezuelans. During his presidency, politics became very divided between Chavistas and anti Chavistas. It is hard to find today a Venezuelan that does not feel strongly one way or another about Chavez.

One of Chavez's main legacies will be the political polarization among Venezuelans. During his presidency, politics became very divided between Chavistas and anti Chavistas. It is hard to find today a Venezuelan that does not feel strongly one way or another about Chavez. This political cleavage is likely to continue many years from now between those seeking to continue his project and those opposing it. Internationally, Chavez was able to put together an important bloc of Latin American left-wing governments that attempted to serve as a counterweight to U.S. influence in the region.

Gasoline prices at this level will be more and more common due to underlying market determinants, namely growing oil demand from emerging economies and stagnant production capacity. In other words, this is something that the consumer will have to get used to

Gasoline prices at this level will be more and more common due to underlying market determinants, namely growing oil demand from emerging economies and stagnant production capacity. In other words, this is something that the consumer will have to get used to

Reforms in the way the Postal Service is operated must occur to allow it to reduce its costs. This includes closing unneeded sorting centers and post offices. Congress needs to allow the USPS to make cost-cutting decisions without political interference. In the longer term, the Postal Service should be made more like a typical business, which includes reforms such as de-monopolization and privatization.

The last time Congress tackled major immigration reform, it took nearly 10 years from the time the first bill was introduced in 1981 until legislation was finally enacted in 1990. Moreover, Congress operated more efficiently then. I doubt immigration reform legislation will be enacted this year, but I hope I am wrong. Immigration reform, like tax and Social Security reform, is very complex. Even if everyone wants reform, it may still take a long time to get a bill through Congress

Forty years after Justice Blackmun wrote his famous majority opinion in Roe v. Wade, our country remains divided on the question of abortion. Anti-abortion activists have, to great success, used societal ambivalence to press for regulations that have made it increasingly burdensome for poor women living in isolated parts of the country to exercise this constitutional right.

If Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling within the coming weeks, it will present the President with a ‘trilemma’ in which he cannot not faithfully execute all of the mutually contradictory laws regarding spending, taxing and borrowing.  Yet each of the three realistic options open to him – unilaterally cutting spending, increasing taxes, and issuing new debt – would unconstitutionally usurp legislative power.

For all other agricultural support programs, the extension simply changes dates from 2012 to 2013, meaning that programs applied to corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar, peanuts and cotton for the 2012 harvest will apply to the 2013 harvest. It is extremely unlikely that any action of Congress in 2013 would change those programs and conditions in mid-stream. So, crop growers should plan on the familiar programs continuing for another year.

Now that the fiscal cliff and the election are behind us, policymakers should refocus their attention on the fundamental issues behind the unemployment situation, as fairly unchanged unemployment numbers released this morning continue to suggest a jobless and insufficient recovery

Anything that can move online, will. It is just a matter of time

Anything that can move online, will. It is just a matter of time.

Even though the revolution is alive and well in Cairo, the danger of revolution fatigue threatens to curtail the opposition’s efforts.

You know that saying, ‘It takes a village’? It’s actually really true. Emotionally, psychologically, we are evolutionarily designed to respond to the look and feel of babies, and hearing about them. It’s so ingrained in our genes that it’s automatic.

The Maya also tracked events and cycles long before 3114 B.C. and long after 2012. Like all Maya cycles, this one is continuous: Dec. 21 marks the completion of the current cycle, but it will also be the zero day of a new cycle that will run for another 5,000-plus years.

The domestic auto industry has turned the corner and is on the road to a full recovery in the United States. Lower interest rates, increased incentives and improved quality all have helped.

Palestinian bid for U.N. may be only card Abbas has to play

The heart of the land grant idea is that what we do in our labs and classrooms matters to the world. And what happens in the world should matter and influence what goes on at this university.

Obama is not as closely tied to Wall Street interests as Romney is. Yet, he still has to prove that he is willing to take the tough steps necessary to rein in Wall Street and police against fraud, speculation and excessive risk taking, and so get our financial sector back to where it should be – a reliable source of long-term capital for real investment.

Would this monster hybrid storm have emerged without the effects of global climate change? I don’t think we will ever be able to answer that question without some ambiguity. What I will say is that the climate system is now predisposed to favor the development of such unusual storms both this week and in the future.

Ford's monthly sales reports are not robust, but it has been better able to keep incentives and discounts lower than previous years, making higher profits per sale. Going forward, Ford may lose some sales for lack of discounts – but the resale values and profits per vehicle are strategically more important. Ford also has been aggressive in cutting capacity in Europe. These very difficult and painful decisions are necessary for long-term success

To produce a quality crop economically, New York growers need varieties that will thrive here, as well as better tools for insect and disease management. That’s where Cornell faculty and extension specialists come in. By offering workshops, resources, and the best varieties and production methods for this part of the country, we can help growers overcome obstacles and meet the growing demand.

There is simply no other political program that has such widespread support from so many quarters of American society and yet so little support amongst our citizenry, given that only about a third of American citizens support it. It is one of those issues — like ending slavery in the 19th century, voting rights for women in the 1920s and civil rights during the 1960s — that will never win an American Idol-style popularity contest, but is nonetheless the right thing to do for the country as a whole

Not only is the drop in unemployment under 8 percent a very pleasant surprise, but upward revisions to the employment increases reported for July and August show stronger underpinnings to this month’s numbers

The billion user mark for Facebook provides yet another piece of evidence that we now live in a digitally networked world that is fundamentally different from how we left the last century only 12 years ago

Price and access to food, along with peripheral factors such as mindless habitual eating behavior, are key influencers of eating behavior. Ultimately, these and the eating environment have a greater impact on calorie intake than many have believed.

It’s clear that religious identity strongly motivates upper-income white voters, but does not seem to drive African-Americans or lower-income whites headed to the ballot box. Heading into Election 2012, there’s no doubt religious worldviews will continue to play an active role in presidential politics, and little evidence to suggest that this role will diminish in the near future.

The prognosis for this year's coloration is not good. And the yield of many fruit crops will probably be lower than usual. We will suffer economically because tourist and many crop yields will be diminished.

The decision by McDonald’s to post the number of calories on their menu boards is a welcome first step toward taking accountability for the role of their products in shaping the health of Americans. The decision shows leadership and is likely to promote similar changes from other large fast-food chains.

This situation in Chicago is a real test case. A test for how angry the public will get when the union tries to maintain job security in the face of massive reductions in force in other sectors. But also a real test for the idea that teachers should agree to put their job on the line based, at least in part, on tests that aren't fully up to the task of differentiating individual teacher quality. Aggregate school or district quality, perhaps, but individual-level difference? I doubt it.

I believe that colleges and universities must do more to promote the health and well-being of our students. As self-reliant as many of them may seem, undergraduates are still ‘emerging’ adults, susceptible to peer pressure and inclined to engage in risky behavior. And like all of us, they can make poor decisions, suffer from injuries, stress and emotional turmoil.

These days, when barriers to international commerce have all but disappeared, America’s outdated immigration policy has become a drag on our national economy. Thousands of immigrants earn advanced degrees from top US universities every year. They train under our best faculty (many of whom are also immigrants), conduct cutting-edge research, and leave with the skills and knowledge necessary to power our innovation economy. But with a dysfunctional immigration policy, America is now losing these creators of tomorrow’s great companies to competitors abroad.

Google’s purchase of Frommer’s is yet another example of constantly changing and intensifying competition in the distribution channel of hotels. Customers these days are looking for price-parity but also reliable sources of information about hotels.

The Northeast’s seven-month average – from January through July – of 49.9 degrees was the warmest such period since 1895, when record keeping began. In July, new maximum temperature records were set at many of the region’s first-order stations during the month as the mercury soared into the upper 90s and low 100s.

The Postal Service defaulted on a $5.6 billion payment due to the Treasury to pre-fund its retiree's health care costs, and Congress did not react. But the Service's fiscal woes are a sign of a much deeper problem: its business model does not match the new electronic communications marketplace.

Climate change above the Arctic Circle has been dramatic during the past 25 years; however, 2012 is about to distinguish itself from all of the other years.

Militant Islamic groups now control an area the size of California in the north of Mali, and this is likely to precipitate a significant humanitarian emergency and has big security implications for Africa. Yet, no one seems to have noticed.

Nature has thrown farmers a few curve balls in the 2012 growing season already, between early warmth leading to frost damage in many fruit crops, and now a fairly prolonged period of hot temperatures combined with dry conditions

"I would expect the reduction in income to hit nutrition hard. Households will cut back to account for the loss of income, but that cut will be more focused on food budget than other items. This will lead families to cheaper, higher calorie meals."

"The world has changed and will keep changing. But land-grant colleges will fulfill their distinctive public mission in the 21st century the same ways they have in the past: by providing and interweaving both liberal and practical education for the common people, on and off their campuses, and by working directly with the people and businesses of their states – and beyond – to advance not only economic but also cultural, ecological, and civic ends and values."

"The Court's decision upholding the Affordable Care Act as a tax demonstrates the power of law. Although political and ideological factors invariably play a part in the decisions of Supreme Court Justices, a cross-ideological majority ruled today that the signal legislative accomplishment of a president's term should not stand or fall on whether Congress used the magic word ‘tax.’”

“If the Court strikes down the Arizona law, pressure will increase on Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform. If the Court upholds all or part of the Arizona law, other states will be emboldened to enact their own immigration laws: some pro-immigrant, some anti-immigrant.”

“Almost any intervention by the U.S. would eventually demand ‘boots on the ground’ in Syria, and the situation on that ground would look more like Iraq did in 2007 than Libya did in 2011.”

"People are living longer. I know I went to my 70th, and I never thought I'd make the 75th, but here we come."

For African American workers, who are already almost twice as likely to be unemployed as white, the numbers just got a little worse. The unemployment rate increased over half a percentage point among African Americans in the labor force, from 13 percent to 13.6 percent. The unemployment rate of Hispanics also rose, from 10.3 percent to 11.0 percent.

"People in their 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond endorse taking risks when you’re young, contrary to a stereotype that elders are conservative. Their message to the new graduate is ‘Go for it!’ They say that you are much more likely to regret what you didn’t do than what you did. As one 80-year old, successful entrepreneur told me: ‘Unless you have a compelling reason to say no, always say yes to opportunities."

“Inflow of foreign capital is critically important, but the ongoing land grabbing by multinational corporations and foreign countries in many African countries is pushing poor, small land holders off their properties with disastrous food security consequences. International rules are urgently needed to protect the rural poor and their food security in areas subject to land grabbing.”

“What we really need to do is figure out the best way to attract the Facebook-like firms popping up all around the world to go public in U.S. markets.”

"A silver lining to this cloud is that the spillover costs of obesity have led various stakeholders to conclude that helping obese individuals lose weight can be a win-win proposition. For example, the Humana health insurance company has implemented the Vitality program that offers enrollees, in exchange for healthy behaviors, reward points that can be cashed in for prizes."

"We shouldn't expect a crackdown on "market manipulation" to have much of an effect because the market isn't being manipulated in any systematic way."

"The CornellNYC Tech campus has captured the imagination of New Yorkers. It will be very exciting to work on such an important project in the service of a world-class institution like Cornell."

"The situation has been made worse as this data has become a commodity. Some service providers are charging fees in return for providing their subscribers’ personal information without telling the subscribers about the transactions. All consumers should be annoyed – and alarmed." 

"Thus, evaluated through the frame of ordinary doctrine, the litigation looks like a slam-dunk for the government. But because the political stakes are so high, the litigation looks more like Bush v. Gore, making the result about as predictable as a 7-10 first-round matchup in March Madness."

“I’d like to correct a great misunderstanding among the public about swarms of honey bees, which will start appearing in three to four weeks. These swarms of bees won’t pose a danger.  Each one is just a bunch of bees hanging out somewhere for a day or two looking for a home."

"We currently spend tens of millions of dollars on making fruits and vegetables more available in schools. One of the key problems is that almost two-thirds of children don’t like fruits or vegetables. In addition to availability, we need to fund the programs that have been proven to get kids to try the foods and promote better eating habits."

"The transportation, energy and economic systems are closely related: Transportation is movement, movement requires energy and the use of energy has a price. Transportation is the single largest consumer of energy, and oil is the dominant energy source, with a share of about 95 percent, which is roughly 70 percent of the total oil demand."

"With its decision to require Catholic employers to provide health insurance that covers contraception, the Obama administration has done something few thought possible. It has managed to unite liberal and conservative Catholics in opposition. Whatever one thinks of the decision on policy or legal grounds, it is sure to have political consequences that reverberate through the election."

"With its decision to require Catholic employers to provide health insurance that covers contraception, the Obama administration has done something few thought possible. It has managed to unite liberal and conservative Catholics in opposition. Whatever one thinks of the decision on policy or legal grounds, it is sure to have political consequences that reverberate through the election."

"In the masterpieces of his later years, Dickens attacked social injustice with a thoroughness and passion rarely equaled. Wherever he went during his visit to the U.S., he was mobbed, and he responded with similar enthusiasm to his fans; on the other hand, he despised slavery, and he held the slave owners he met–an argumentative, boastful sort–in contempt."

"In the masterpieces of his later years, Dickens attacked social injustice with a thoroughness and passion rarely equaled. Wherever he went during his visit to the U.S., he was mobbed, and he responded with similar enthusiasm to his fans; on the other hand, he despised slavery, and he held the slave owners he met–an argumentative, boastful sort–in contempt."

“For African Americans, there was a very welcome and notable decline in the unemployment rate. A drop from 15.8 percent down to 13.6 percent is significant, recognizing of course that this is still much higher than the overall unemployment situation of Americans. Unemployment also fell among Hispanics, down to 10.5 percent from 11.0 percent last month.”

“For African Americans, there was a very welcome and notable decline in the unemployment rate. A drop from 15.8 percent down to 13.6 percent is significant, recognizing of course that this is still much higher than the overall unemployment situation of Americans. Unemployment also fell among Hispanics, down to 10.5 percent from 11.0 percent last month.”

“Woodchucks typically hibernate from late October through February. With milder weather and little snow cover, they may be active a few days earlier than usual. The same may be true for black bears, so damage to birdfeeders in spring could start earlier than usual. Bears could be out of their dens in late March and seeking food sources.”

“Woodchucks typically hibernate from late October through February. With milder weather and little snow cover, they may be active a few days earlier than usual. The same may be true for black bears, so damage to birdfeeders in spring could start earlier than usual. Bears could be out of their dens in late March and seeking food sources.”

"Government spending directed toward investment increases productivity. History supports this as the only route to lower deficits in the future. We should hope those in Congress who oppose government spending can see the wisdom of investing in our future productivity.”

"Government spending directed toward investment increases productivity. History supports this as the only route to lower deficits in the future. We should hope those in Congress who oppose government spending can see the wisdom of investing in our future productivity.”

“Really crusty gardeners sometimes say that they need to kill a plant three times to be certain it won't grow in their area. Especially with herbaceous perennials, which are relatively inexpensive, one should try to push the hardiness rating. You never know what might survive.”

“Really crusty gardeners sometimes say that they need to kill a plant three times to be certain it won't grow in their area. Especially with herbaceous perennials, which are relatively inexpensive, one should try to push the hardiness rating. You never know what might survive.”

“The northward march of the hardiness zones illustrates continued warming. By 2080, the hardiness zones that currently cover the area from southern Virginia to Northern Georgia, may replace those that we see across New York in the current update.”

“The northward march of the hardiness zones illustrates continued warming. By 2080, the hardiness zones that currently cover the area from southern Virginia to Northern Georgia, may replace those that we see across New York in the current update.”

"Gardeners like to experiment, and can lead the way in exploring what it is possible to grow in a changing climate. On the down side, some local favorite garden species may suffer, while invasive weedy plants like kudzu are likely to expand their range northward."

"Gardeners like to experiment, and can lead the way in exploring what it is possible to grow in a changing climate. On the down side, some local favorite garden species may suffer, while invasive weedy plants like kudzu are likely to expand their range northward."

“Today's solar flare is class S3, implying a radiation hazard for passengers on high-latitude airline flights and astronauts on EVAs. Electromagnetic radiation from the sun can briefly interfere with cellular communications and satellite navigation systems like GPS.”

“Today's solar flare is class S3, implying a radiation hazard for passengers on high-latitude airline flights and astronauts on EVAs. Electromagnetic radiation from the sun can briefly interfere with cellular communications and satellite navigation systems like GPS.”

"Any one country banning oil doesn’t make much difference in a global market like oil. It will only begin to really bite if everyone bans Iranian oil.  Even then I would expect widespread cheating from the less scrupulous."

"Any one country banning oil doesn’t make much difference in a global market like oil. It will only begin to really bite if everyone bans Iranian oil.  Even then I would expect widespread cheating from the less scrupulous."

"Dogs and cats live in our homes and reflect the human situation. Their eating habits are directly related to ours and as a result their weight is climbing along with ours. As our companions, dogs and cats are subject to many of the same problems associated with obesity in people."

"Dogs and cats live in our homes and reflect the human situation. Their eating habits are directly related to ours and as a result their weight is climbing along with ours. As our companions, dogs and cats are subject to many of the same problems associated with obesity in people."

"Even those who defend Romney's 'vulture capitalist' days at the Bain Capital private equity fund are apt to balk at the revelation that he has been stashing millions of dollars in sheltered accounts in the money laundering capital of the world. That somebody who wishes to be President of the United States would funnel his money to such places is, to say the least, surprising."

"Even those who defend Romney's 'vulture capitalist' days at the Bain Capital private equity fund are apt to balk at the revelation that he has been stashing millions of dollars in sheltered accounts in the money laundering capital of the world. That somebody who wishes to be President of the United States would funnel his money to such places is, to say the least, surprising."

"Iran has one of the largest known deposits of remaining conventional crude oil resources. The potential disruption of those supplies, and especially a security threat at the Strait of Hormuz, is a significant threat to the world crude oil market."

"Iran has one of the largest known deposits of remaining conventional crude oil resources. The potential disruption of those supplies, and especially a security threat at the Strait of Hormuz, is a significant threat to the world crude oil market."

"Information about a customer can be used to 'de-anonymize' other databases on other Web sites, further invading customer privacy. Correlation attacks enabled by such data have been shown to strip anonymity from NetFlix, AOL and other databases that were assumed safe.

"Information about a customer can be used to 'de-anonymize' other databases on other Web sites, further invading customer privacy. Correlation attacks enabled by such data have been shown to strip anonymity from NetFlix, AOL and other databases that were assumed safe.

"Legalized casino gambling encourages people to pin their hopes on games of chance that are stacked against them. Those who are determined to gamble will find some way to do so, but why lend government's imprimatur to predators' efforts to exploit people who can least afford to bear the inevitable losses?"

"Legalized casino gambling encourages people to pin their hopes on games of chance that are stacked against them. Those who are determined to gamble will find some way to do so, but why lend government's imprimatur to predators' efforts to exploit people who can least afford to bear the inevitable losses?"

"The core idea would be that Romney is willing to say or do anything to promote his own interests. In this approach, the flip-flopping manifests the political dimension to Romney's personal ambition, while the plutocrat-favoring shows the economic dimension."

"The core idea would be that Romney is willing to say or do anything to promote his own interests. In this approach, the flip-flopping manifests the political dimension to Romney's personal ambition, while the plutocrat-favoring shows the economic dimension."