The first quarter of 2012 was a record-breaking one for the financial markets. The S&P 500 gained more in one quarter than it has since 1998 and the NASDAQ had the best quarter in its history, though still below its all-time high of 5,000. more

So much for the easy part, if you can call convening more than 300 people from the private sector with a few weeks notice on a Friday and Saturday the week of Labor Day easy. more

Health care reform promises to change the way Ocean State citizens access and pay for health services. But it also is going to change dramatically Rhode Island’s delivery infrastructure. more

Recently, two reports underscored the potential for improving the value of health care in the United States. more

More than 2 million U.S. college students this fall will be spending a good bit of their time reviewing what they were supposed to learn in high school or even earlier. They are taking “remedial” education courses. more

It’s no surprise the late Steve Jobs’ favorite music was written and performed by Bob Dylan and The Beatles. I just finished his biography and it was as compelling a book as “Atlas Shrugged.” more

To the Editor: more

I have always been somewhat apolitical, never registering with either major party, spreading votes among both, and even others occasionally. And I realize that many people feel strongly about their political positions these days. Still, it seems to me that life goes on regardless of who gets elected. I am more comfortable focused on pragmatism, what will actually work, than any political ideology. more

I just read an article about someone’s totally bogus opinion of “job burnout.” It made me realize some people actually are (or think they are) “burned out.” more

It’s been a long time coming, but finally Massachusetts has received the federal go ahead to declare Mt. Hope Bay a no-discharge zone for boaters. more