Rural Education on the Rise
USDA | READ STORY

Rural education achievement numbers are improving. The percentage of the population in non-metropolitan areas without a highschool degree has dropped in the past ten years, such that the rural numbers are approximating the metro numbers. Rural areas still show significantly fewer bachelor's degrees than metropolitan areas, however.

The Decline of American Mobility
Atlantic Cities | READ STORY

This story by Atlantic Cities reports on data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, showing that mobility in the United States is at its lowest since the 1940's. This trend has been exacerbated by the recent economic recession, but is due in larger part to a rapidly aging population and increasing rates of home-ownership.

Rural Communities and Income Inequality
Daily Yonder | READ STORY

This report by the Daily Yonder provides a mixed picture of income inequality in rural areas. Although the income gap between rich and poor in rural areas has increased over recent decades, it is nevertheless the case that income inequality in rural areas is less severe than it is in metropolitan areas.

Global Consensus on Inequality
Pew Research | READ STORY

This report by the Pew Research Fact Tank analyzes data on recent trends in global income inequality. The report also shows that high-income elites from around the world feel that income inequality is one of the most pressing contemporary social and economic problems -- an attitude unreflected in public policy.

The End of the Climate Change Debate?
Stanford Woods | READ STORY

Contrary to popular conviction, attitudes toward climate change do not map cleanly across party lines. This study by Stanford Woods shows that a majority of residents surveyed in every U.S. believe that global warming has been occurring, and that the U.S. should take action to limit its greenhouse emissions.

Ocean Acidification

IGBP | READ STORY

The rate at which the world's oceans are acidifying is "unprecedented," scientists warn in this new report. The rate may be faster than at any time in the last 300 million years, they say. This summary for policymakers reports on the state of scientific knowledge on ocean acidification, based on the latest research presented at The Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World, held in Monterey, California, in September 2012.