The effectiveness of official development aid is the subject of heated debate. This column argues that aid affects recipient economies in extremely complex ways and through multiple and changing channels. Moreover, this is a two-way relationship – realities in recipient countries affect the actions of aid agencies. 

The United States’ top envoy to Korea has decided to take a smart approach to his public relations ― putting his blog and dog at the forefront of his efforts to connect with South Koreans. 

The recent Hello Kitty Con–a massive gathering of the immortal Sanrio character’s biggest fans—only marked the beginnings of the pop culture icon’s celebration in Los Angeles. For another five months, until April 26, 2015, the city’s Japanese American National Museum hosts a pilgrimage-worthy exhibition: Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty.

Now a collection of unlikely diplomatic tools – more than 200 of Albright’s pins and brooches – is on display at the Truman Library in Independence. “Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection” is on display through Feb. 22.

How will the social science experiment of allowing wealth to settle so unequally between the top 1 percent and rest of the United States impact the foundations and contours of U.S. foreign policy?