November 23, 2012 | Institutional Investor

The venture capital business model is broken, says the Kauffman Foundation. And the only fix may be to return to the past — to small, focused funds that are local in nature and creative in their strategy. Venture capital funds are simply not delivering, experts now argue. The ten-year returns for venture funds ending June 30, 2012 averaged 5.3 percent, compared to 6.0 percent for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and 7.2 percent for the Nasdaq Composite, reports Cambridge Associates, which tracks alternative asset performance.

November 23, 2012 | New York Times

Along the Alabama and Mississippi stretch of the Gulf Coast, the net drift of sand is from east to west. When sand from further east falls into the Mobile Ship Channel, the Corps dredges it out to keep the channel clear – and then, Dauphin Island residents and some scientists contend, dumps it in spots far enough away that the sand is lost to the littoral drift. The Corps does so to save money, under a mandate from Congress to conduct its operations in the most cost-effective way.

November 24, 2012 | Christian Science Monitor

More adults might be completing college degrees because it’s been so hard for young people to find jobs during difficult economic times. But the rise is also part of a historical trend. The portion of young adults in the United States who have completed a four-year college degree hit a record high in 2012. A full third of 25-to-29-year-olds now hold degrees.

November 22, 2012 | Washington Post/Venture Beat

The Startup Genome has analyzed 50,000 startups around the world to create what it is calling the first “data-driven ranking” of the top 20 tech hubs on the planet. And to highlight just how important startups are to national and global economies. Here are the top 20 technology hubs, as defined by the Startup Genome.