WASHINGTON Sometime over the next several years, the next U.S. president could confront a genuinely dangerous threat from a faraway place — a North Korean missile that can hit U.S. territory with a nuclear warhead. Led by an impulsive and brutal young man, North Korea may pose the most direct nuclear risk for the United States. Kim Jong Un …

  Calls are growing to preserve existing nuclear power plants through investing in new designs to replace the old ones when they retire. This development will help produce more clean energy tofight climate change. The renewed interest in nuclear energy led to developing the cutting-edge “fourth-generation” reactor designs that are safer. If left unattended, they would safely halt. But the …

  The U.S. economy remains weak, with inflation expected to remain below the Federal Reserve’s target for years to come. When the central bank holds its policy-making meeting next week, it should take decisive action to end the malaise. Charles Evans, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, has suggested a good plan: Hold off on any further interest-rate …