President Barack Obama promised a new day in foreign affairs. The president’s vision would inspire bold initiatives to take the world beyond the false choices — and resulting quagmires — of the past. Friend and foe alike would see the U.S. in a different light and, riding our newfound popularity, we would reshape the world. Read More

Wealthy and well-connected developer Bruce Ratner wants to bulldoze an old neighborhood in Brooklyn and turn it into high-rise apartment buildings and a basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets. Many locals — including the hipsters who live in Park Slope and the firemen who work at FDNY Squad No. 1 — don’t want this steel hulk, named Atlantic Yards, casting a shadow over their neighborhood and filling their streets with traffic. Read More

Proving once again that police chiefs are like baseball managers and school superintendents — no matter how many losing teams they lead, they still land other job offers — word out of Washington, D.C., is that Heather Fong, the recently retired head of our own tarnished cop shop, is up for a top slot at the Office of Community Oriented Police Services, the federal grant-awarding agency that funds police departments. Read More

Even before this week’s report of a jump in retail sales and industrial production, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession is “very likely over.” This has central bankers around the world mulling possible exit strategies — ways to begin to withdraw cash and support from the economy and various players. And now, President Barack Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner are figuring out what policy modifications a nascent recovery requires. Read More