Award-winning writer and historian Jared Diamond has spent his career studying the rise and fall of civilizations. In his latest book, “Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis,” he examines major geopolitical events of recent decades, in search of lessons to navigate an uncertain future. ...

Colleges created remedial education classes to ensure students were sufficiently prepared for more advanced material. But increasingly, there’s a sense that remedial courses are hurting the prospects of the students they are intended to help. As a result, some California colleges and high schools ...