Commentary

Sonia Sotomayor’s public characterization neglects her quintessential American story of growing up in public housing and then going on to graduate at the top of her class at Princeton and serve as an editor of the law review at Yale.

A growing number of college grads are defaulting on their student loans as the economy worsens.

Attorney General Eric Holder artfully skirts Bush-era legal problems facing the Department of Justice.

Feeling burned by bank overdraft fees of $30 or more, or by credit-card interest rates that can top 25 percent, a growing number of consumers are turning to prepaid, reloadable “cash cards.”

A plan designed to help 400,000 homeowners modify their mortgage terms has only helped 25 borrowers.

Obama’s executive order strengthening the Freedom of Information Act, issued on his second day in office, signaled his intent to open up the federal government to greater public accountability. The harder part will come in delivering results, especially at the CIA.

Panetta’s approach to the future of intelligence will have far-reaching implications for U.S. national security, the rule of law, and global human rights. Here’s a guide to what to watch for in his answers.

Three top Obama Justice Department picks have blogged their legal theories — a practice about as far from writing secret torture memos as you can get.

TWI parses the myriad stimulus proposals and quizzed economists about which they expect the Obama administration and Congress use in their attempt to turn around the U.S. economy.

Investing in new education programs or hiring more teachers are worthy goals, but school construction is better suited for the stimulus package.