Source: The New York Times | Author: Micheline Maynard | Date: 22 May 2008

We long ago gave up on the notion of a free lunch, in the air or otherwise. Now American Airlines has announced that it will be charging passengers $15 to check their first bags. The airline, which has been hit hard by soaring fuel prices, also said it would be taking up to 85 aircraft out of its fleet by the end of the year. However, it's unclear whether the cutbacks will aid the ailing airline, as the parent company's shares fell nearly 25 percent in the first 24 hours after the announcement. A sad but useful primer on a significant player in a beleaguered industry.

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Source: Forbes | Author: Scott Woolley | Date: 20 May 2008

The television wars, and the billions in profit monopolized by cable and satellite companies, are upon us. Woolley explores Semzi, Philip Wiser’s innovative broadcast system. Services like Amazon Unbox and AppleTV feature an a la carte format; Semzi's set top box will provide full on-demand access to favorites like ESPN, CNN, and HBO at half the monthly cost of cable. How? Semzi has sublet digital broadcasting capacity from TV stations around the country and negotiated network programming contracts. Though Woolley is optimistic about Semzi's prospects, the headline "Cable Killer" may be a bit much -- the space is very competitive, a fact under-emphasized by the author.

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Source: The New York Times Magazine | Author: Rob Walker | Date: 18 May 2008

Walker's piece reads like a great "Consumed" column on steroids. Chicago-based River West Brands brings dead brands back to life. Founder Paul Earle sums it up: "There’s no retail presence, no product, no distribution, no trucks, no plants. Nothing. All that exists is memory. We’re taking consumers’ memories and starting entire businesses." Earle's firm trades in "brand equity." Thirsty? Fill it to the rim with Brim? Headache? Perhaps a little, yellow Nuprin. The brand nostalgia is interesting -- Salon Selectives, Underalls, Eagle Snacks -- but it's the insight into our own minds as consumers, and how we remember products, that makes this a fascinating piece.

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Source: Salon | Author: Katharine Mieszkowski | Date: 14 May 2008

Mieszkowski talks with Nan Mooney about her new book, (Not) Keeping Up With Our Parents: The Decline of the Professional Middle Class. Mooney discusses the rising fixed costs that are squeezing the middle class; housing, child care, health care, and retirement all cost far more than they did for previous generations. It is these fixed costs, and not frivolous "latte" spending, that are driving white-collar families into debt, Mooney says. Mooney's call for greater social responsibility is a bit vague, but her analysis of the problems facing middle-class families is convincing and timely.

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Source: Los Angeles Times | Author: Joe Mozingo | Date: 14 May 2008

Mozingo tells the story of first-generation Afghan immigrant Basir Beria, who owns a kite store cum convenience store on Lankershim Boulevard and dreams of making his living flying and selling kites. Beria, who immigrated to southern California 23 years ago, flies his homemade kites whenever he has a free moment, whether at competitions or just in front of his store. After DreamWorks hired him as a kite master for their production of The Kite Runner, Beria took the gamble along with all his savings and opened his little store. Mozingo tells a fascinating immigrant story; the attached video is also a treat.

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Source: Digg | Author: John K. Wiley | Date: 14 May 2008

Drivers aren't the only ones unprepared to handle the rising price of gas -- thousands of mechanical gas pumps across the country can't ring up prices higher than $3.99 per gallon. Some station owners have joined a long waitlist for electronic pumps that cost as much as $15,000 each. Those who can't afford this may upgrade their pumps to register up to $4.99, an option that risks the old machines breaking down. Some states have offered relief: North Dakota allows station owners to charge per half gallon, while Minnesota lets them cover the meter numbers and settle up by calculator. It's a well-researched tidbit, but more interesting than useful.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 14 May 2008

Commentator Todd Buchholz warns of a stock market crash due in 2011 -- that's when the first Baby Boomers hit 65. He predicts that for steady income, Boomers will dump their stocks and buy bonds, sending stock prices into a tailspin. The solution? Keep the capital gains tax low (he calls them "dividend taxes" to confound the issue). Buchholz makes sure to throw in reminders that the new retirees are likely to live into their 90s, and that it will be everyone younger left holding devalued stocks, but it's basically all a coating to make his agenda -- don't raise capital gains taxes, please -- innocuous.

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Source: Slate | Author: Daniel Gross | Date: 13 May 2008

How's an investor to make money off people's tendency to procrastination? By buying shares of companies known to fuel the habit, of course. Gross' piece is so tongue-in-cheek that it comes full circle to making perfect sense, as he staidly categorizes opportunities based on what kind of business cycles they capitalize on or whether they are business-to-business or direct to consumer. Coffee (Starbucks), smokes (Altria), and Internet distractions (eBay, Google, Apple, and more) of course win his recommendation, and the dry humor -- YouTube is best used at the workplace for its fast connection -- only adds to the quirky charm.

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Source: Fortune | Author: Fortune | Date: 13 May 2008

Fortune briefly highlights 25 people who answer the all too common question: "What's the best advice you ever got?" From General David Petraeus, who was told to move out of his "intellectual comfort zone", to Tina Fey, who wants to be the only person to sign her paychecks, people share the advice that helped them succeed. Much of the advice is customary -- use humor, don't panic, be yourself, pay attention -- and the people featured could be more diverse. Still, this may appeal to those in need of some entrepreneurial inspiration.

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Source: Marie Claire | Author: Gretchen Voss | Date: 13 May 2008

Voss explores why sexual harassment complaints against female bosses have doubled since 1990, even though the total number of sexual harassment claims to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has declined. She examines the double standards at play in the workplace, the increasing number of women in charge, and the social stigma attached to a man who complains about sexual harassment. In detailing several examples of extremely abusive behavior of female bosses toward male employees, and the pressures against the victims as they tried to report it, Voss reveals a troubling trend that illuminates gender bias in our society.

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Source: Fortune | Author: David Whitford | Date: 13 May 2008

Aubrey McClendon, the maverick CEO of Chesapeake Energy, and his partner Tom Ward, worked through many years and millions in debt, pioneering new technologies in order to make their product more viable, and Chesapeake is now raking in enormous profit as natural gas prices soar. McClendon's tactics are larger than life -- sometimes shady, sometimes downright unpleasant, but he bulls ahead and gets what he wants anyway. Case in point: He bought the Seattle SuperSonics and in spite of community outrage, plans to ship them down to Oklahoma. Whitford is humorous and informative, profiling a rough and tough CEO who'd rather have America talking about Big Gas than Big Oil.

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Source: Commentary | Author: John Podhoretz | Date: 13 May 2008

Billed as a "celebration of free speech," Podhoretz feels The Newseum, recently opened in Washington, is actually the news industry's tribute to itself, bearing little resemblance to the original, a much more modest facility. At a cost of $475 million, the Newseum, designed by James Polshek, features the world's largest LCD display. Promoted as "The World's Most Interactive Museum" (a Space Mountain of news media, Podhoretz writes), the Newseum's focus is the newspaper's vital role in American life, but Podhoretz convincingly warns that the newspaper is on the road to an apocalypse.

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Source: Fortune | Author: Barney Gimbel | Date: 13 May 2008

Gerard Arpey, CEO of American Airlines, believes the carrier is still competitive even though at the moment it is not very profitable, thanks largely to the unprecedented rise in the price of jet fuel. Raising passenger fares isn't easy or even effective as market-share losses can be even more devastating. Merger possibilities exist but any strategy that doesn't entail bringing together airlines already traveling the same routes is unlikely to ease difficult financial issues. Gimbel's incisive article covers both the unanticipated effects of expensive fuel and provides a glimpse of an executive under pressure to find viable solutions.

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Source: Fortune | Author: Geoff Colvin | Date: 13 May 2008

Aetna CEO Ron Williams compares the uninsured to bank robbers, who take from the health care system and force everyone else to pay. Insuring the 47 million Americans who presently have no health coverage would lower the cost for all participants, he says. So would connecting the entire system, from physicians to lab tests to prescriptions, into a personal health file for each individual. He talks about industry policies and standards, but is unsurprisingly reticent about privacy issues. It's an interesting interview from the industry perspective, but an exercise in hagiography.

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Source: Fortune | Author: Andy Serwer | Date: 13 May 2008

Though he commands quite a broad body of workers as president of Google, Larry Page recognizes the power of the individual, noting that "small groups of people can have a really huge impact" on making the world a better place. In this wide-ranging interview, he discusses how to motivate people to become less risk-averse so that they can embrace bigger opportunities, as well as the alternative energy options of the future. In this interesting interview, Page says he favors geothermal and solar thermal energy, arguing that "either one could generate all the energy we need," but it will take a bold, risk-taking spirit to set the movement in motion.

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Source: This American Life | Author: Ira Glass | Date: 13 May 2008

Glass and the crew produce an engaging "housing crisis for dummies" by drawing an aural map of a mortgage's "trip" from the giant pool of over $70 trillion (the entire world's savings) to the defaulting homeowner, and interviews the individual at each stop who gave it the green light to continue it's death march. Not surprisingly, the common theme of each participant's story was that they ignored their conscience, regulations, or traditional financial logic when they made their respective decisions. It's a riveting description of the crisis, and likely the most lucid, illustrative explanation of it you'll find.

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Source: Charlie Rose | Author: Charlie Rose | Date: 13 May 2008

Ambassador Susan Schwab, United States Trade Representative, discusses misconceptions about trade issues, benefits to companies and consumers of effective trade policies, and threats to US trade. Schwab highlights the strong export sector of the economy, how politicians "demagogue" trade and unfairly blame foreign workers for taking too many US jobs, the effect of opening markets of developing countries, and the why the threat of other countries shutting out key US trade opportunities is looming. Schwab, despite her own political perspective, clearly delineates that the trade issue is more complicated than the sound bites from the presidential campaigns.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 13 May 2008

Scammers are going retro. People are receiving mail offering checks for thousands of dollars -- settling the estate of a heretofore-unknown distant relative is usually the story -- but only if you agree to pay the sender "fees." The twist? It's not email spam; this junk mail is on good old-fashioned paper, delivered to your mailbox. Reporter Sally Herships investigates the phenomenon, finding that with an average $3,000 raked in per victim, the crooks can afford to use snail mail. One expert reminds people to be vigilant and police your mailbox just as thoroughly as you police your inbox.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 13 May 2008

Supporters of the planned Federal Housing Administration say its scheme to reinsure home loans could help 1.5 million people keep their homes and prop up house prices. The Economist backs this view to a point: In many cases, renegotiation is better than the time-consuming and costly foreclosure process. But the voluntary scheme will make little difference in practice, and in most cases foreclosure is the correct market outcome for people who can't afford to live in their homes. The real solution is to make foreclosure a quicker process, but that's probably politically untenable. This frank opinion should at least provoke discussion.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Jim Hoagland | Date: 12 May 2008

Hoagland argues that Chinese President Hu Jintao's five-day visit to Japan heralds a new era of friendliness between the two countries. He extensively cites an interview with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who emphasizes the importance of economic utility over traditional political enmity. Over the last five years, Japan's economic growth has been bolstered by its exports to China, which is now Japan's largest trading partner and potentially more important to Japan's economic future than the oversaturated markets of the West. In the years to come, Japan must strike a careful balance between promoting China's stability and preserving its own political and economic leverage.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Nick Wingfield | Date: 12 May 2008

Take-Two Interactive Software, the makers of Grand Theft Auto, are fighting their own turf war -- fending off the hostile advances of gaming giants Electronic Arts, who have offered $2 billion to buy out Take-Two. But a successful takeover wouldn't necessarily go smoothly: management at Rockstar Games, the division that makes GTA, is notoriously unsupervised, unruly, and uncorporate. It's particularly unlikely that games creator Sam Houser would be happy needing to seek approval from EA management over game content. Wingfield's article gives a vivid insight into the contrasting office styles of the two organizations.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: Deborah Howell | Date: 12 May 2008

Howell points out the Washington Post's tendency to misplace factual corrections to their stories. Examples include Eddie Araujo being called gay when he was really a transgender heterosexual; failing to distinguish between progesterone and progestin, similar but not identical drugs; and goofed statistics such as referring to Babe Ruth's "historic 715th home run" (he hit 714). The paper runs corrections, but they're not always seen by the readers. Howell's critique at time seems like nitpicking, but her ideal of accuracy and accountability should be what everyone can expect from such an esteemed newspaper.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 12 May 2008

As part of the ongoing Food Fight series, reporter Sam Eaton goes to a family-run tamale factory in Los Angeles to discover how rising ingredient prices are affecting the food industry. La Indiana Tamale's Raul Ramos has absorbed a threefold increase in corn costs in the past year, but he refuses to downgrade -- customers can tell the difference. On the other hand, Kraft, Nestle, and others have already begun using lower-quality ingredients: more water in Miracle Whip; lower-quality wheat in bread. The atmospheric sounds of the tamale factory and Eaton's diverse selection of interview sources make this segment shine.

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Source: The New York Times 'Week in Review' | Author: Jad Mouawad | Date: 12 May 2008

While many politicians have floated proposals to ease American oil issues, such as the gas tax holiday and "environmentally friendly" drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, Mouawad insightfully argues that "not much" can be done about high gas prices. Despite the fact that America is the world's biggest consumer of oil, the market is "largely immune to Washington's machinations," and the increased consumption of China and India has just as significant an effect on prices. The only real solution lies in reducing demand or increasing supply, but American policies promote just the opposite, encouraging consumption by attempting to keep prices low.

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Source: The Washington Monthly | Author: T.A. Frank | Date: 11 May 2008

Frank describes working for a Los Angeles firm specializing in "corporate social responsibility monitoring" -- in other words, checking that US suppliers around the world meet safety and other labor standards. He admits such inspections could be inconsistent -- he once missed a Thai firm hiding pregnant workers on the roof -- and details the difficulties of interviewing workers trained to lie about conditions. While Mattel and Nike impressed with their desire to root out bad practice, Wal-Mart seemed to always be among the clients of the worst suppliers. This surprisingly honest firsthand report brings a vivid reality to the issues of globalization and outsourcing.

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Source: Harvard Business Review | Author: David Silverman | Date: 11 May 2008

Amidst cutbacks, is lying by omission an egregious breach of ethics, or the right thing to do when deciding what to share about your struggling company? Silverman takes us through his travails leading a little typesetting concern laid low by his former partner, a lush who left a slew of bad business decisions in his wake. Plenty of drama here, but set aside the hide-all / tell-all advice from the author and drill down to the commentary from Kimberly Elsbach, a professor of management who counsels understanding the difference between interpersonal trust and competency-based trust, which can make all the difference in helping executives make ethical business decisions across industries.

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Source: Radar | Author: Sarah Horne | Date: 9 May 2008

Despite the recession, conspicuous consumption is alive and well for the ultra-rich. In this interesting-in-a-sickening-way article, Horne writes that although those making $200,000 to $500,000 are cutting back, multimillionaires are welcoming the chance to live more cheaply, and billionaires look forward to shaking loose from the "centa-millionaires" who dilute their privilege. Luxury sellers, such as fashion designers, yacht makers, and ultra-high-end realtors, aren't seeing any slowdown in their business. Although some of the rich are willing to tone down their "grotesque exhibitions" in public, Horne says in private not much has changed.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Michael Corkery | Date: 9 May 2008

Corkery reports on how officials in California, Florida, and other states have been stocking the abandoned pools of foreclosed homes with the Gambusia affinis, or mosquito fish, which eats mosquito larvae. This is an environmentally friendly alternative to pesticides, effectively curbing the mosquitoes and their diseases, such as the West Nile Virus. Meanwhile naysayers protest that the fish can attract birds, which splatter the area with droppings. The fish often die after new homeowners move in. It's a quirky article that thankfully falls outside the normal range of foreclosure articles.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: David Brooks | Date: 9 May 2008

For decades British conservatives took cues from their American counterparts, but no longer: the British have "moved beyond Thatcherism, while American conservatives pine for another Reagan." As Brooks intelligently explains, the main focus of political debate has moved from the economy to society at large, with a conservative focus on "community, relationships, civic engagement and social responsibility" taking precedence over financial matters. Brooks details some of the policies under consideration in Britain, such as smaller, decentralized, interactive institutions, and wonders when a stubborn Republican Party and American conservatives will embrace them -- sooner, or later, "after a decade or so in the wilderness."

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Source: Foreign Policy | Author: Serge Michel | Date: 9 May 2008

It seems like a perfect match: China is looking for new markets and oil, Africa is looking to complete a severely lacking infrastructure. But China is having difficulty maneuvering in democratic countries where corruption is rampant. Many African leaders, wary of the increasing Chinese presence, are more apt to leverage cheap Chinese construction bids to illicit competition from western companies. Michel, who writes an insightful and accessible article, notes that even as contracts evaporate, China is planning to invest another $20 billion in African nations over the next three years, which would make it the largest international interest in the continent.

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Source: Vogue | Author: Sarah Mower | Date: 9 May 2008

Mower profiles designer Patrick Robinson, the head of design for Gap, as he works to restore the brand's iconic status. Robinson's own "school of hard knocks" led him to Gap -- from reviving a struggling line at Armani to opening and closing his own label. Robinson shows a keen insight into Gap's classic image, how it was lost to a "fashion-reaction" design team, and how it needs to be restored. Mower effectively portrays Robinson as a confident and knowledgeable designer and businessman, invigorated by the challenge of "the most socially significant fashion job" in the country.

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Source: Inc. | Author: Leigh Buchanan | Date: 9 May 2008

This intriguing feature explores the establishment of Tranquilo Bay, an eco-adventure resort on the Panamanian island of Bastimentos. The lovely, "Somerset Maugham meets Martha Stewart" lodging isn't an impressively profitable venture -- this year's revenue projection is just $350,000 -- but the efforts of founders Renee and Jim Kimball set it apart from other startups. The two endured years of separation as Jim and friend Jay Viola labored tirelessly, taming the jungle in order to clear land for Tranquilo Bay. Buchanan speaks with the Kimballs about their trying experience and contrasts it with the leisurely resort life they now lead.

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Source: Inc. | Author: Stephanie Clifford | Date: 9 May 2008

Mitch Free is the classic archetype of a self-made man. Dropping out of college after just six weeks, he worked his way up from menial machinist at a factory to director of technical operations, and then he started his own company, MFG.com, which connects manufacturers with suppliers. Free expanded his business to China in 2005, providing a gateway to lower-cost Chinese manufacturing companies. Though he'd never traveled before, Free proved an apt pupil, quickly learning to build his business through social networking. Clifford's interesting glimpse of Asian business norms melds perfectly with his profile of Free.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 9 May 2008

While regular passengers undergo wanding and store approved amounts of liquids in see-through bags, foreign employees board planes at British airports without a criminal records check. British law does require background searches -- but only of UK records, not foreign records. Foreigners comprise an unknown number of Britain's 200,000 airport employees, and the security loophole looms large -- news that has caused an "absolute furor." Even so, the British government won't take any action until a security review is issued sometime in late summer. The news is not very comforting, as Scott Jagow comments in a remarkable understatement.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Elllen Nakashima | Date: 8 May 2008

The FBI issues around 50,000 demands for phone and Internet companies to hand over customer details each year -- but they recently withdrew a claim for what's thought to be only the third time. Normally firms receiving such "national security letters" (NSLs) must keep quiet about the request, but the Internet Archive (which stores archived copies of web pages) spoke out after appealing against the order, citing a Patriot Act provision exempting libraries. The gag rules are so tight that people served with an NSL are not even allowed to discuss it with colleagues via telephone. Nakashima gives a clear explanation of a complex and secretive process.

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Source: Inc. | Author: Norm Brodsky | Date: 8 May 2008

Brodsky adjusts from being one of the owners and an executive of CitiStorage, a storage company he founded, to a consultant for the new owners, Allied Capital. It's a difficult transformation for Brodsky to make -- he's still getting paid for less responsibility as CitiStorage moves into an area he's less qualified for, but he misses stepping into any part of the company's operations and getting a feel for the day-to-day business. And although Allied has kept the business's core philosophy, their more detail-oriented management style is slightly disconcerting. Interestingly, instead of triumph, Brodsky feels he needs to consider new challenges.

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Source: Inc. | Author: Max Chafkin | Date: 8 May 2008

Entrepreneur Sam Yagan has made a successful career out of delivering free of charge what other companies make customers pay for, from his establishment of CliffNotes copycat SparkNotes to the file-sharing tool eDonkey. So when he approached the online dating industry with OkCupid, Yagan was stunned by his lack of success while other similar services flourished. However, he recently sparked user interest in the venture with the launch of CrazyBlindDate.com, which allowed people to go on blind dates within hours of signing up. Though off-putting to some, the instant-hookup format has been a hit with others. In addition to chronicling Yagan's efforts, this interesting piece features the opinions of three industry leaders.

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Source: Inc. | Author: Amy Feldman | Date: 8 May 2008

There are few bigger milestones in the business world than one's first million-dollar sale, and this interesting feature details how four entrepreneurs accomplished the impressive feat. In the first account, Wellgate Products founder Sam Braunstein details how successfully stocking small retail chains with her orthopedic braces and supports for women led to interest from Wal-Mart in the form of a seven-figure deal. The endorsements of big businesses were the wind in the million-dollar sails of other companies as well, with Dillard's creating a fortune for Crocs, and Samsung offering antenna manufacturer Ethertronics their first seven-figure contract.

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Source: Monocle | Author: Anastasia Moloney | Date: 8 May 2008

The beautiful people who flock to Brazil's island city of Florianopolis are these days joined by "CEOs, property developers, white-collar workers and investors." Multinationals such as Siemens and GM have opened offices, while high-ranking universities and a hospitable environment for startups mean the capital of Santa Catarina is Brazil's rising high-tech star. Low crime and a high quality of life complete the perfect package. Jealous? Moloney is enthused about new public transport initiatives and a planned "urban biosphere reserve"; however, the giddy tone makes the piece read like a business pamphlet produced by the Brazilian government.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Bryan Caplan | Date: 8 May 2008

Most economists say proposals to suspend the federal gas tax for the summer won't work: With the supply of gas pretty much fixed, retailers will pocket the difference rather than cut prices. But Caplan argues that John McCain and Hillary Clinton's plan, while meaningless in practical terms, is a cheap and relatively safe way to answer motorists pleas that they do something, anything, to fix the problem. And letting oil companies cash in now will make it easier when government inevitably hits them later, likely through windfall taxes. The article is an intriguing display of what might be termed real-world economics.

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Source: Monocle | Author: Markus Albers | Date: 8 May 2008

If you imagined pneumatic mail ended with the Victorians, think again. Germany's CargoCap believes that the "future of logistics is subterranean," and hopes to revolutionize large-scale goods transportation with underground distribution networks. The rise in online shopping, combined with environmental concerns and overground congestion, could make the system viable: In the Ruhr testbed delivery trucks reach 15 km an hour, while CargoCap capsules would travel at 36 km an hour. An inverted system already works in Stockholm's Hammarby district, removing waste via a vacuum pump, and the developments in "trenchless pipe-jacking" -- which minimize surface disruption -- could mean a return to Victorian values, Albers reports clearly.

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Source: Wired | Author: Spencer Reiss | Date: 8 May 2008

It’s been called cloud computing, utility computing, or even HaaS (hardware as a service) but whatever the name, Amazon says it's the best thing since 1-Click shopping. The service in question lets customers lease storage space, servers and data processing -- all accessed online -- rather than shelling out for expensive hardware that may be too big for their needs. It's another step in Amazon's shift to being a middle-man as much as a retailer: A third of all product sales now come from third-party sellers. This fascinating profile details the technology behind Amazon's success, and readers won't need a geekspeak-to-English dictionary.

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Source: Inc. | Author: Inc. | Date: 8 May 2008

The current economic climate isn't a very enjoyable one for the business community, but this interesting feature offers some encouragement in the form of several stories about successful startups that began in recessions. The entrepreneurs behind companies such as Method, RF Micro Devices, and Clif Bar share their tales of hardship and hard work and detailing how they beat the obstacle of an ailing economy. In addition to the narratives, this article also offers several helpful suggestions any business leader can employ, covering areas such as hiring, pricing, sales, and bartering.

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Source: Wired | Author: Noah Shachtman | Date: 8 May 2008

Despite the satisfying start-up environment at iRobot, with employees constantly working and hanging out together, engineer Jameel Ahed was determined to move on to bigger and better things. But when he left the company to start producing law enforcement robots on his own, Ahed allegedly took iRobot's schematics with him, creating a robot called the Negotiator that was strikingly similar in appearance and ability to his former employer's PackBot. When Ahed earned the Army contract iRobot had been working towards, the company sued Ahed, exposing his underhanded activities and gaining the lucrative contract for themselves. It's an interesting read, though a little long-winded.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 8 May 2008

Farmer Richard Oswald joins the show with a commentary on how business is faring amid the global food crisis. For the first time in 40 years, he says, he's making enough money to save for retirement and pay for health care, thanks to booming commodity prices. He's sympathetic to the opposite pole, spiraling food prices, but notes that the cost of the grain in a bowl of cereal is only about 2 cents. The message -- don't begrudge the family farmer this temporary windfall -- succeeds, even though Oswald's folksy tone only reinforces stereotypes of the laconic farmer.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Eric Schlosser | Date: 7 May 2008

Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, details corporations that spy on protesters, most notably Burger King, who hired a private security firm to monitor members of the Student/Farmworker Alliance, which campaigns for better conditions for migrant workers in Florida. Schlosser points out that some corporations now have budgets larger than entire nations, and argues that they should face similar anti-snooping laws to those that affect governments. It's a thought-provoking piece, but the op-ed format means it's difficult to know how accurate it is without the firms having a chance to respond.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Tracy McMillan | Date: 7 May 2008

Plagued by desolate stretches of unused land, cities like New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, and others are lending their vacant lots to urban farmers: local residents who grow produce for their own use or to sell locally. McMillan profiles several of the gardeners and the nonprofit groups that train and work with them. Besides benefiting the local community with fresh food options in areas often devoid of supermarkets, urban farming also offers income opportunities -- from the $3,100 one couple made to the $220,000 a Milwaukee nonprofit earned selling urban-grown produce to local restaurants. Though McMillan crams in a few too many shining examples, the stunning slide show makes it worthwhile.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Patrick Fleenor | Date: 7 May 2008

High regional taxes create a black market for goods, so the taxes ought to be abolished. That's Fleenor's argument in a nutshell, as he explores the business of smuggling cigarettes into New York City. As cigarette taxes are raised (a new $1.25 per pack additional tax goes into effect July 1), organized crime responds -- not just the old-school mafia, but also street gangs and even terrorists, and their violent turf battles end in shootings and homicides. It's too bad Fleenor has such a heavy-handed approach to his subject; less fearmongering would have made his argument more credible.

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Source: New York | Author: Emily Nussbaum | Date: 7 May 2008

Nussbaum follows Sarah Jessica Parker through her home turf in Manhattan, exploring the neighborhood as they discuss Sex and the City, and the city itself. Parker, New York-bred if not -born, has a fierce nostalgia for the boroughs of her childhood, a feeling she shares with husband Matthew Broderick and their son. She has held onto her own peculiar personality, which is not at all like her character's on Sex and the City, even though the show's continuing popularity means she could certainly capitalize on the brand. Nussbaum's article, familiar without being overly friendly, nicely encapsulates Parker's dichotomous lifestyle and ideals.

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Source: Slate | Author: Shannon Brownlee & Jeanne Lenzer | Date: 7 May 2008

Brownlee and Lenzer investigate one recent episode of The Infinite Mind, a public radio show, in which four medical experts claimed that antidepressant dangers have been exaggerated. The dirt? The show's host and his four guests run a "consumer group" (read: industry mouthpiece) funded by drug companies, manage public relations for Lilly, Pfizer, and others, and have received research money aplenty from Big Pharma. Glossing over conflicts of interest is a disturbing trend in reporting, the authors warn, and their thorough investigation of an otherwise innocuous public radio episode provides ample evidence.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 7 May 2008

The burgeoning local food movement is suffering some growing pains as its popularity grows. Economies of scale throw a monkey wrench into the best laid plans: Small restaurants naturally have the agility to modify their menus for local produce and weather vagaries, but large food-service operations are finding that planning and close relationships with growers is key. Philadelphia's Farm to Institution project is one nonprofit filling this niche, working to wed institutional kitchens with local farmers. Though it seems an unreachable goal, this well-rounded segment makes it sound possible.

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Source: Barron's | Author: Andrew Bary | Date: 7 May 2008

When Warren Buffett eventually ends his 43-year run at Berkshire Hathaway, his successor will have quite a tough act to follow -- the company's stock is up 24 percent from last year despite the current economic turmoil. In this thorough piece, Bary points to MidAmerican Energy CEO David Sokol and Berkshire reinsurance division head Ajit Jain as the most likely successors. So enormous are Buffett's shoes to fill that he plans to split his job in two, with one CEO and one chief investment officer. Bary provides a head-to-head comparison of Sokol and Jain, noting that the former looks to be the more logical candidate, while the latter has said that he isn't interested in Buffett's job.

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Source: Barron's | Author: Alan Abelson | Date: 7 May 2008

After a particularly labored opening contrasting the dithering 2008 candidates with the impulsive White House incumbent, Abelson turns his attention to the latest labor statistics. Officially April saw just 20,000 job losses, with the unemployment rate actually falling a shade. In reality that's down to the "birth/death adjustment," a statistical trick designed to account for newly created firms not included in the figures. This month's adjustment, which includes the ridiculous assumption that 8,000 new posts appeared in the finance industry, hides the fact that genuine job losses in April almost totaled 300,000. Though unnecessarily long, this is an informative article that goes beyond the headline figures.

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Source: Barron's | Author: George Frey | Date: 7 May 2008

Despite the food crisis, Nestle is thriving with stocks nearly double their 2005 value and forecasts of a further 20 percent rise this year. As well as cultivating brand loyalty that allows them to pass on grain price rises to consumers, new CEO Paul Bulcke is aiming to develop more premium brands and to improve nutritional content across the group's range. But the packaged food market is extremely fragmented -- Nestle's $100 billion revenue represents just a 2 percent market share -- so mergers and takeovers are always unpredictable. Frey tackles most aspects of the company and industry well, though it's a surprise he doesn't mention the longstanding Nestle boycott movement.

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Source: Newsweek | Author: Paul Tolme | Date: 7 May 2008

Chinook salmon's going to be in short supply this year, with a 90 percent drop in fish resulting in shutting down the season entirely in California and Oregon. No one knows exactly why so few salmon returned to the Sacramento River last fall; blame is heaped upon pollution, water diversion, and lack of ocean food sources. But all is not dire: Alaska's well-managed salmon fisheries are still doing well, the only caveat being that diners will be urged to try other salmon species like sockeye. Tolme briskly visits several facets of the salmon issue in this well-written piece.

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Source: Newsweek | Author: Anna Kuchment | Date: 7 May 2008

It's a marriage of opposites: giant "fast casual" restaurant chain Chipotle and an Arkansas co-op of small-town pig farmers. Since 2000, Chipotle has committed to serving humanely raised meat and contracted with dozens of small suppliers. Kuchment talks extensively with Russ Kremer of the pig co-op, and smartly couches the partnership alongside the larger picture, especially the trend toward local, organic foods and the pressure on small farmers to implement "factory" type techniques. The growing pains, and ultimate success, of the relationships between corporation and farmer make for fascinating reading, particularly within the context of fast food.

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Source: Charlie Rose | Author: Charlie Rose | Date: 7 May 2008

Rose conducts a smart, timely interview with two technology writers about Microsoft's aborted takeover of Yahoo this week. Sorkin, a New York Times writer, speculates that we might now see an advertising deal between Yahoo and Google. TechCrunch.com's Arrington says Microsoft needs to figure out its Internet strategy; they could purchase AOL, MySpace, or Facebook to gain a foothold. Rose asks Arrington why Steve Ballmer didn't conduct a hostile takeover; Arrington believes Microsoft didn't want the negative publicity. Arrington says analysts still believe Yahoo's stock has value, because they believe a deal with one of the giants is inevitable.

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Source: Newsweek | Author: Fareed Zakaria | Date: 7 May 2008

A seismic shift in the geopolitical landscape since the break up of the Soviet Union has many Americans wondering what happened to the legendary prosperity that we were accustomed to. The answer has less to do with what America did wrong than what the rest of the world did right. Economies emerging out of India and China have proved to be powerhouses, and while Zakaria points out that in areas like education and military, America is still dominant, it was US international policy that led to the current state of the globe. The article, an excerpt from Zakaria's book The Post-American World, is a sobering reality check for the last superpower.

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Source: BusinessWeek | Author: Peter Coy | Date: 7 May 2008

The current federal funds interest rate of 2 percent, which followed the April 30 quarter-point slash, might have to go even lower to provide adequate stimulus for the economy, Coy writes in this jargon-free, neatly argued essay. Although recession fears have eased, new rumblings of inflation are giving rate-setters the jitters despite scant evidence of rising prices in sectors other than fuel and food, and no overall increase in the money supply. More significantly, financial services companies, hit hard by the credit crisis, are still not confident enough to expand lending policies necessary to rev up economic growth. Expect another cut.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 7 May 2008

"Candy man" Allan Sloan (blame host Scott Jagow for the nickname) takes a break from Fortune Magazine to chat about the Mars-Wrigley merger. In an interview worthwhile for its gossipy, relaxed tone, Jagow quizzes Sloan on the investors (Mars and Berkshire-Hathaway "may have more money than God"), the potential culture clash of privately owned Mars and public Wrigley, and the marketplace power the conglomerate will wield. As a bonus, Sloan puns it up, delivering zingers about chewing over a question and wishing Jagow a sweet day at the conclusion.

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Source: BusinessWeek | Author: Peter Burrows | Date: 7 May 2008

Apple has traditionally focused its products on educational and personal users, but Mac is now in a position to snag a slice of the corporate pie. Many employees have convinced their bosses to switch to Macs for good, especially as the popular iPhone becomes more corporate-friendly, and if Steve Jobs made the slightest effort to cater to corporate interest, Apple could smooth-talk its way into companies where Vista has disappointed and frustrated users. Burrows logically doesn't posit a complete Mac takeover, but he makes a solid case for a direction that Apple could grow in, if it felt like taking that step in the future.

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Source: BusinessWeek | Author: Steve Hamm | Date: 7 May 2008

Hamm estimates that one billion people worldwide will starve or suffer severe malnutrition as food prices skyrocket and supplies dwindle. Though more affluent countries can still afford to purchase food (and fuel, in the form of corn and sugar), people living on less than $1 per day have lost even that tiny purchasing power. For answers Hamm points to the World Trade Organization, which is working to lift trade restrictions so that poor countries can export food and gain technologies such as hardy hybrid seeds. This is a subject more suited to an in-depth examination than the cursory treatment it receives here.

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Source: The New Yorker | Author: James Surowiecki | Date: 6 May 2008

Toyota is poised to sell more cars than any other company this year, supplanting General Motors' 77-year reign as the world's leading auto manufacturer. Fueled by a philosophy derived from kaizen -- that is, slow and constant improvement as opposed to singular revolutionary innovation -- Toyota manages to hide in plain sight, while becoming the largest, most profitable car company in the world. Surowiecki, comparing the American model to an unsustainable crash diet, points at a foundering GM and unapologetically diagnoses the failing that may sink them.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Robert F. Worth | Date: 6 May 2008

Since Kuwait's unprecedented adoption of democracy, the nation has slipped from prominence in the Persian Gulf, overshadowed by its autocratic neighbors. As the nation nears its latest round of elections, many are alleging that democracy has created more problems than solutions, while nations such as Dubai, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are flourishing under absolute monarchies. Worth's intelligent, well-written piece analyzes Kuwaitis' main complaints -- the slow privatization of the national airline and the oil sector chief among them -- and speaks with citizens convinced that democracy is the source of all their frustration.

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Source: Los Angeles Times | Author: Joseph Menn & Jim Puzzanghera & Jessica Guynn | Date: 6 May 2008

The death of the Microsoft-Yahoo merger is great news for the leaders of the online advertising market; As one analyst put it, "Google can now go back to eating Yahoo's lunch uninterrupted." Google had done its best to scupper the planned takeover by trialing an ad partnership with Yahoo, while simultaneously claiming a Microsoft-Yahoo combination would be anti-competitive. But a full-fledged Google-Microsoft war seems unlikely, as they'll largely stick to online advertising and software production, respectively. The writers help readers make sense of the intricate Internet business rivalries.

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Source: Slate | Author: James Ledbetter | Date: 6 May 2008

Yahoo's decision to turn down a $44 billion offer from Microsoft -- which has led to Microsoft walking away from negotiations -- fits a historical pattern. In paying $5 billion apiece for GeoCities and Broadcast.com, Yahoo showed a vastly over-inflated valuation of online resources. Now they've rejected an offer more than 62 percent above market value and wound up with nothing -- except perhaps a lesson about realistic pricing. With a quick conversational rundown of the deal and bonus bits of context (apparently GeoCities still exists), Ledbetter shares an informative perspective on the Internet equivalent of poker bluffing.

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Source: Time | Author: Alex Perry | Date: 6 May 2008

It's common for resource-rich African nations to descend into corruption and social unrest once foreign firms exploit the natural wealth, but Botswana appears different. That's largely down to Debswana, an equal partnership between the country's government and the mining giant DeBeers, which has helped fund state education and health services. The firm is now transferring its main diamond-sorting facility from London to Botswana's capital, Gabarone. Perry's piece reads pretty close to an infomercial, but he does at least acknowledge DeBeers' extensive public relations efforts.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Erin White | Date: 5 May 2008

The Journal's recent compilation of the most influential business thinkers yields some unusual results, with top-ranked consultant Gary Hamel the only "traditional" business guru among the top five. Using a number of factors, including Google hits, academic citations and media mentions, the Journal's assembly of more than 100 business leaders also ranks two journalists, Thomas Friedman and Malcolm Gladwell, among the top five. As White explains, the increasing interest in globalization might have prompted Friedman's prominence as well as that of No. 6 Robert Reich, Bill Clinton's former labor secretary. Curiously, women are completely absent from the top 20. The results are intriguing, but White could have gone much deeper with the analysis.

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Source: The Washington Post 'Outlook' | Author: David Rothkopf | Date: 5 May 2008

While most Americans are focused on this year's election, they fail to realize that an increasing number of issues are being decided not by politicians but by the "superclass" -- an international network of wealthy business, government, cultural and military leaders. Rothkopf points to the inability of the American government to clean up its economic mess and argues the only way out is to get "the big boys of Wall Street and world financial capitals" to collaborate. Despite trying to coin a new term, Rothkopf presents little research and plenty of rehashed information about concentrated power and wealth.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 5 May 2008

The ranks of the uninsured and the self-insured are growing, finds a health care study by the Commonwealth Fund. Reporter Nancy Marshall Genzer finds out one big reason why: Companies, even large ones, are dropping health insurance for their workers. The net result is $45 billion paid by taxpayers for government-funded health care and unpaid hospital bills. Genzer uncovers only vague reasons for the increase, namely a tanking economy and skyrocketing costs. It's an unsatisfying story that would benefit from more details.

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Source: Los Angeles Times | Author: Don Lee | Date: 5 May 2008

Thanks to a weak dollar and cheap real estate and utilities, a growing wave of Chinese entrepreneurs is investing in the United States in what some have termed a "land grab." However, individual investors aren't the only ones taking advantage of the incentives -- larger players are playing the game as well, such as China's sovereign wealth fund, which last year took a $5 billion stake in Morgan Stanley. While some still harbor concerns about America's restrictive visa rules and the language and cultural barriers they will encounter, most investors realize that the opportunity to expand into America is a key component in being globally competitive. Lee's research flexes a wealth of surprising information.

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Source: The New York Times Magazine | Author: Virginia Heffernan | Date: 5 May 2008

The upfronts, a "propaganda jamboree" for the TV business, have been held every spring since the early '80s. It began as a network trade show for the ad world, which would determine where to place commercials based on the networks' fall prime-time schedules. Now they're basically a party for the TV industry, reporters, and advertisers, an "overblown tribute to a bygone style of salesmanship." This year, however, following 2007's lagging ratings and the writers' strike, the upfronts will be barely more than a meeting or presentation for the major networks. Heffernan adequately covers the hullabaloo but seems to be writing mostly for insiders.

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Source: Charlie Rose | Author: Charlie Rose | Date: 5 May 2008

Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria discusses his book, The Post-American World, in which he contends that the United States is focused on anti-Americanism, while the world has moved on to a post-American age and the "rise of the rest." He explains that the power of global economics trumps politics, that the US needs a radical rethinking of foreign policy and should end Iraq's "free-riding," and that both political parties have reacted foolishly to globalization. Zakaria's international perspective and his contacts with diplomats worldwide lend a global slant to domestic issues in this thoughtful discussion.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 4 May 2008

Britain’s Competition Commission and Office of Fair Trading are both following America's lead in cracking down on increasingly sophisticated cartels. The four dominant grocery store chains are feeling the heat, with the latest in a string of investigations centering on claims stores used food companies as intermediaries in fixing prices. Theoretically it should be difficult to manipulate branded goods in this way -- which makes it even more important that regulators get to the bottom of the allegations. The piece reads well but struggles to reach any real conclusion because the investigation is at such an early stage.

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Source: The Economist | Author: The Economist | Date: 2 May 2008

With markets stabilizing and gold prices coming back down, it seems financiers have passed the panic stage -- perhaps in relief at the Bear Stearns bailout, which showed the Fed wouldn't allow systemic collapse. But the outlook is still shaky: banks still must pay uncomfortable premiums to borrow cash, corporate bond defaults are becoming a familiar sight, house prices are still slumping, and consumers are facing real pain from fuel and food hikes. This clearly written leader article offers a wealth of evidence to support its assertions.

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Source: Harvard Business Review | Author: Jean-Pierre Garnier | Date: 2 May 2008

It's not often that CEOs lay their business plans out for the public, but Jean-Pierre Garnier of GlaxoSmithKlein has done just that here. He is convinced that research & development is Big Pharma's best hope to weather the financial and confidence crises that plague the industry. R&D, he says, can't "perform as a ballet dancer and a football player at the same time," and needs to split its one giant mass trying to execute all tasks at once into smaller, more specialized segments. Simplifying will hopefully encourage more zeal and creativity in a workplace that lacks both. Garnier's writing is engaging, detailed, and passionate.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Marcus Walker | Date: 2 May 2008

Icelanders love extreme winter sports, so it's no surprise to learn about their propensity for playing in the snow with souped-up, supersized trucks -- or to find out how much money they spend on the hobby. But Iceland is not immune to the world's economic problems: gas costs $7.84 a gallon; the krona is down 27 percent since last winter; the real estate market is frozen; and food prices are rising. Walker uses fun details and a great slideshow and video to illustrate the downside of conspicuous consumption.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: David Brooks | Date: 2 May 2008

Globalization is a real trend, but politicians exaggerate its effects to make foreigners an easy scapegoat for America's woes, Brooks writes. US manufacturing output, both in raw figures and as a worldwide share, is actually rising. It's largely a product of technology, which means employers, both here and abroad, need fewer but better-skilled workers. Brooks tells politicians to stop using globalization as an excuse and concentrate on training people for today's needs. The language of the piece gets overly philosophical at times, but the overall point is clearly made.

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Source: Slate | Author: Dan Schar | Date: 2 May 2008

Schar explores Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's attempts to secure a horse to win the Kentucky Derby. Since 1999, Sheik Mohammed has started five horses to try to capture the coveted crown, but none finished better than sixth. Money is no object for the sheik, as his most recent entry cost $2.3 million, and he recently acquired a prospect for $11.7 million (though that horse has yet to race). Schar provides some interesting background on the Derby to explain why it's so desirable, but one can't help but wonder what a $6 million race can offer that Sheik Mohammed's billions don't provide.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Stephen J. Dubner | Date: 2 May 2008

The former labor secretary pokes fun at his own party, declaring "Democrats aren't disciplined at anything; that's why they're Democrats." He advises against getting an MBA, saying the surplus of business degrees is hampering the economy. Calling trickle-down economics "a cruel joke," he says most of President Bush's tax cuts have gone to the very rich and thus widened inequality; instead he prefers expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to help those with low incomes. It's a lengthy piece, but the commentary is particularly relevant given the economic climate and impending election.

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Source: Harvard Business Review | Author: Werner Reinartz & Wolfgang Ulaga | Date: 2 May 2008

For many firms looking to increase value, adding ancillary services seems like a reliable way to secure a competitive advantage. However, succeeding as a service business isn't a simple process, as this well-researched piece indicates. Using evidence from a survey of 18 companies in a variety of industries, the authors identify the key steps manufacturing companies must follow to succeed in the service business. The simplest strategy is to begin charging for services that used to be free, while another effective effort is creating a service-savvy sales force. The authors also recommend focusing on customers' processes and industrializing the back office.

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Source: Harvard Business Review | Author: Byron Reeves &Thomas W. Malone & Tony O'Driscoll | Date: 2 May 2008

As the face of global business changes, management strategists have begun to think outside the boardroom to develop the corporate leaders of tomorrow. Among the unlikely candidates for developing CEO skills are online massive multiplayer games. In games like Blizzard's popular World of Warcraft, players regularly join forces to overcome in-game challenges, often as part of digital organizations or teams. Looking at the players who run these volunteer organizations, the authors offer up a fascinating glimpse of how digital play could shape corporate mindsets, noting that gamers are especially willing to accept temporary leadership in the pursuit of a short-term goal, and value the structures that shape good leadership as much as the qualities of those in command.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 2 May 2008

Individual investors who want to practice leveraging in their investments are required by law to put up at least 50 percent of their own money. Laws only apply to the little people though, and a critical cause of the financial industry meltdown is that banks and brokerages have wagered, in many cases, only 3 percent of their own money. When investors began clamoring for their cash -- which didn't exist -- the banks began feverishly working to raise capital, with some success. Reporter Amy Scott talks about Wall Street's dryout process with financial experts, who laconically point to similarities between today and 1929, yet maintain the markets will right themselves without regulation.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Kayleen Schaefer | Date: 1 May 2008

In a slow economy, women will "boost their mood with inexpensive lipstick purchases instead of $500 slingbacks," Schaefer suggests. Industry data, economists, and psychologists all agree: Lipstick serves as a small indulgence that a consumer can easily justify, even when gas and food prices are high. The author talks to women on the street about cosmetic purchases as morale boosters, and looks at how beauty companies hope to bolster the trend with new lipstick formulas and colors. At a time when gloomy articles are the norm for economy news, Schaefer offers a pleasant look at real people adjusting in a downturn.

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Source: W | Author: Gordon Bennett | Date: 1 May 2008

Bennett's suggestions for how "squillionaires" can save time might actually be applicable to the average wage-earner, too. Sure, only the super-rich can hire a psychologist to sort through the household staff's complaints, or book every available island for next year's vacation and then cancel as the mood suits them. But why not stock an extra closet with pre-packaged gifts or opt for affairs over the mess, stress, and time-wasting of going through a divorce? It's to Bennett's credit that it's almost impossible to tell if his article is satire or serious, but regardless, it's funny.

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 1 May 2008

Politicians are proposing a gas tax holiday this summer, saving Americans 18 cents a gallon, and commentator Robert Reich thinks it's an awful idea -- people will simply drive more, which will only drive oil prices even higher, and it will cost taxpayers $10 billion. The real solution, he says, is two-pronged. Strengthen the dollar, which will help stabilize oil prices, and institute a windfall profits tax on oil companies to fund research into alternative energy sources. Though Reich always seems to prefer raising or creating a tax rather than cutting them, in this case his argument is persuasive.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Eric Wilson | Date: 1 May 2008

Steve & Barry's, the recession-friendly bargain clothing chain, says its 300 stores cut prices by running on teeny-tiny margins and exploiting the way cheap fashion has become respectable and even trendy, particularly among youths. They buy no paid advertising, use second-hand office furnishings, and locate most of their "264 barnlike stores" in struggling malls where they can negotiate cheap rents -- yet somehow they've done deals with celebrity designers such as Sarah Jessica Parker. Wilson covers plenty of ground but avoids making this puff profile read like a commercial.

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Source: Salon | Author: Edward McClelland | Date: 1 May 2008

The US government began tightening security on the country's northern border after 9/11. By June 2009, all entrants to the US will be required to show a passport -- no exception for Canucks. After exploring opinions from America's neighbors to the north, McClelland sympathetically sheds light on some negative results of the shut door: Trade is suffering, tourism to Canada is down, and people must show government documentation just to visit family members across what used to be an imaginary line. Equally worrisome, McClelland smartly points out, is the United States' ignorance of Canada's wishes for the shared border, which weren't considered in the new legislation.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Julie Jargon | Date: 1 May 2008

American purists might revolt at the thought of a thin, four-layered, stick-shaped Oreo covered in low-sugar chocolate, but it's helped Kraft gain a 23 percent share of China's $1.3 billion biscuit industry. It's the latest in a series of product redesigns for local markets which have seen the firm selling iced-tea-flavor Tang in the Philippines and marketing Carte Noire ice cream as an upscale brand in Russia. Varying tastes aren't the only issue -- cookies sold in China must be able to withstand a wide range of temperatures when shipped across the sprawling country. Jargon's article uses a fun cultural reference point to make a serious business point.

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Source: Newsweek | Author: George F. Will | Date: 30 Apr 2008

Judging by this hard-hitting column, Will would make a great debate moderator, as the columnist illustrates that he's willing to ask the tough questions -- such as why insurance companies and drug companies should be expected to "give up their profits," since such action would likely result in "much preventable suffering and death." Will also points out that Obama criticizes John McCain for watching home prices decline, and wonders whether the candidate's disapproval of such a strategy indicates his support for the government propping up prices.

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Source: The Washington Post | Author: Robert J. Samuelson | Date: 30 Apr 2008

With oil prices soaring to $120 a barrel, it has become obvious that America can do little to influence OPEC, so Samuelson suggests that the US start producing its own oil instead. Surprisingly, the US is the world's third-largest oil producer, and could be producing up to 30 billion addition barrels if not for the outlawing of drilling in areas off both coasts, Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. By increasing our supply and limiting demand, Samuelson convincingly suggests that the price of foreign oil would drop and perhaps even encourage a surplus of production capacity.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Keith Bradsher & Andrew Martin | Date: 30 Apr 2008

Bradsher and Martin reveal an additional twist in rising global grain prices -- the soaring cost of fertilizer worldwide. The going rates for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium have doubled in the past year, due in part to the rising use of industrial fertilizers in the third world, where one pound of chemical fertilizer can replace tons of animal manure. Despite the rising price, the incentive to use fertilizer will continue to increase as farmers struggle to meet rising demand for food and biofuels. The authors provide informative insight into the complexities of the mounting food crisis.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal | Author: Kelly Evans & Sudeep Reddy | Date: 30 Apr 2008

As government rebate checks begin rolling in, this interesting feature checks in with economists and average citizens to find out exactly where the funds will end up. Though some retailers, such as Sears and Radioshack have initiated marketing efforts to lure buyers, many Americans intend to use the rebates to catch up on previous payments or pay down credit card debt. In addition, a large portion of the money will most likely go toward gas, as the cost for a typical motorist has risen $600 this year, the exact amount of the rebate.

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Source: New York | Author: Joe Hagan | Date: 30 Apr 2008

A self-described "alpha female," Zoe Cruz ascended from Morgan Stanley's trading floor to management's upper echelons, earning the sobriquet "Cruz Missile" for her unapologetically aggressive style. As heir apparent to CEO John Mack, Cruz was poised to make history as the first woman to head a Wall Street firm. Then, with the mortgage crisis looming, Mack fired her, citing subprime investment losses. Cruz's supporters say she was scapegoated, felled by the intense hatred reserved for powerful women. Hagan's article offers a gripping tale of corporate intrigue, and a sobering reminder that the glass ceiling still exists for women in the business world.

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Source: The New York Times | Author: Susan Catto | Date: 30 Apr 2008

A spate of fine dining restaurants are opening in airports around the globe, from Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food in Heathrow to Nicolas Le Bec's Espace Le Bec at the Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport. The restaurants are a lure for business travelers who can have preflight meetings and fancy food without fear of missing their flight -- staff are trained to pace themselves to customers' needs and can give travelers two courses and the bill within 20 minutes if needed. Catto successfully encapsulates this business idea, an inevitable one in today's all-inclusive airports.

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Source: Rolling Stone | Author: Matt Taibbi | Date: 30 Apr 2008

Taibbi's pointed feature blasts Hillary Clinton for her controversial campaign finance strategy, which involves doling out as much federal pork as possible to secure future favors. Taibbi goes behind the headlines to find the real reason behind prominent black pastor Calvin Butts' endorsement of Clinton, revealing that she had directed $1.5 million to his Abyssinian Development Corporation. However, Butts wasn't Clinton's only beneficiary, as the senator has dished out more than $2.2 billion in earmarks between 2002 and 2006. Thankfully, Taibbi provides some comic relief to go with the anger he incites, noting that "the thing that's really vile ... is how cheaply we all get sold out."

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Source: Marketplace | Author: American Public Media | Date: 30 Apr 2008

If you like being treated like a child at work, Sam Chapman, owner of Empower Public Relations, has a job for you. Chapman banned gossip in his office, though it took three gossip-related firings for the lesson to sink in. While it's an admirable goal, Sandra Crowe, author of the best-titled book in years ("Since Strangling Isn't an Option") believes it could backfire: "Whenever you ban something, people have a resentment." Chapman, however, claims morale has never been better, enforcing the gossip ban by relying on employees to tattle on one another -- and, like good children, they do.

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Source: Time | Author: Dana Kennedy | Date: 29 Apr 2008

Pier Luigi Loro Piana has transformed wool and cashmere into hot luxury items, molding a family textile business into an international franchise. Kennedy paints an intimate portrait of Loro Piana as she travels with him to the sheep farms in Australia where his pursuit of woolen perfection begins. A mixture of obsessive perfectionism and revolutionary innovation, Kennedy shows Loro Piana to be a uniquely driven personality, "always the last one at the bar at night and the most energetic one in the morning." Additionally, his passion seems infectious as Kennedy finds herself completely entranced by the intricacies of wool.

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Source: The Nation | Author: John Nic