Making social connections around learning is not a new idea, though social networks mean it takes less time and, given the potential for reaching around the globe for these networks, the difference in background of those involved can be refreshingly wide.

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"It really makes a difference what your background is, " says Till Marco von Wachter, a Columbia University economist who has studied the long-term effect of graduating during a recession.

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The difference is in the background stucture, the differences in that structure between the two countries.

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As I think about people who have made a difference, they come from a wide background.

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But while people think requiring more background checks makes sense, most don't think it will make much of a difference.

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The most notable difference between the Democratic and Republicans proposals is that it gives the government three days to conduct a background check -- rather than the 24 hours alloted by the Republican amendment.

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Once the Yankees look like the Yankees again, they will take their shot, with only one nagging question lingering in the background waiting to be answered: When they do return, will those aging stars have enough left to make a difference?

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