Government

The issue: Your smartphone or desktop computer is not built from scratch by Apple or Dell. It includes parts made by subcontractors. But one sole subcontractor does not make every chip inside; that task is handled by yet another subcontractor, who may buy the needed tantalum from still another supplier who may have purchased the tantalum ore from a militia leader who forces children to work in dangerous mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Across the country, public restrooms have become the subject of heated debate as school district officials, state legislators, federal authorities and business leaders argue over the appropriateness of unisex bathrooms and whether transgender individuals should be able to use facilities that match the gender with which they identify.

How the federal government addresses issues of equality and diversity within its own ranks sends powerful signals across society. The federal government’s hiring practices in particular can serve as key indicators of progress.

College tuition costs, which have been steadily rising over the past few decades, may put higher education out of reach for many aspiring students. To provide more financial resources for these students, Congress has raised the ceiling on the amount qualified undergraduates could borrow from the federal Stafford Loan program.