Is shunning the use of the term "radical Islam" helping or hurting U.S. President Barack Obama's effort to combat violent extremism?

As Pope Francis was returning from the Philippines to Rome last month, he raised the issue of whether it is legitimate for outside agencies to promote family planning in developing countries. There are several reasons why it is.

Many of the highlights of surfing have more to do with experiencing the splendor and power of the waves than with the competitive ability to ride them.

The refusal to pay ransoms to terrorists can seem callous, but in truth it is the only ethical policy. Governments that pay ransoms to save some of their citizens' lives put the remainder of their citizens — and others — at greater risk.

The tiny number of Ebola cases in rich countries — and the ensuing panic-inducing headlines and quarantine measures — have brought home the global nature of infectious disease today.

For people who do not want to live on when their mind has gone, deciding whether and when to die is difficult, and likely to meet resistance from loved ones.