“Welcome to ISIS Land” was in some ways a breakthrough for the U.S. government after years of futility in attempting to compete with the propaganda of al-Qaeda and its off-shoots. The video became a viral phenomenon — viewed more than 844,000 times on YouTube — and a cause of significant irritation to its target. But the minute-long recording also became a flash point in a much broader debate over how far the United States should go in engaging with a barbaric adversary online.

For the first time, climate change has received full treatment in an important State Department planning document, joining terrorism, democracy, and the global economy among the nation’s top diplomatic priorities. It’s the clearest sign yet that the warming climate has the full attention of the Obama administration.

On May 1 UW-River Falls hosted two Indian teachers as part of a cultural exchange program established by President Barack Obama. Designed to strengthen collaboration between American and Indian higher education institutions, students and faculty at UW-River Falls College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) listened to a discussion about India’s school systems and their techniques for educating disabled children.

West Africa’s medical system was brought within an inch of its life by a devastating epidemic. But Cuba could nurse it back to health.What follows is a modest proposal. It endeavors to solve three crucial problems all at once: U.S.-Cuba relations; the post-Ebola human resources deficits in physicians for Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia; and the scarcity of skilled nurses in those same countries.

It was the latest move in what had already been a tumultuous week for the network. Since last week, three top officials have announced their departures from the company and another former employee has sued the network, claiming wrongful termination. 

On May 9, the European Union embassies in Washington open to the public as part of a programme known as "Shortcut to Europe". If you happen to be in Washington this Saturday, I would urge you to take a look at the programme, as it offers what are technically known in the art world as "hidden gems". 

The move is part of President Barack Obama’s strategy to normalize relations with Cuba by engaging in direct talks with the government of President Raúl Castro. Reviving a mode of travel between the two countries that was common in the 1950s would ease the people-to-people contact that is a cornerstone of Mr. Obama’s policy of engagement.

On May 11, the Department of State’s Office of Art in Embassies (AIE) American Artist Lecture Series will feature noted artist Glenn Ligon in conversation with London-based designer and curator Duro Olowu at the Tate Modern in London. AIE’s lecture series, in collaboration with U.S. Embassy London and the Tate Modern, has featured artists Brice Marden, Maya Lin, Richard Tuttle, Spencer Finch, and Julie Mehretu.