In The News

Chinese Remake the “Made in Italy” Fashion Label

Rachel Donadio September 16, 2010
An influx of Chinese to Prato transformed the Italian city into a center of low-end garment manufacturing. Trading in on the cachet of “Made in Italy,” Chinese firms increasingly connect to global production chains, quickly and cheaply meeting changing tastes, creating the “fast fashion” now so popular in Europe. Throughout Prato, new signs and specialty stores cater to the immigrants. Organized...

The Presidency, Chained to the World

Matt Bai September 14, 2010
The US has plenty of problems at home, including high unemployment, a deteriorating infrastructure and a voter base polarized over basics like health care, financial regulation and energy needs. But pressing crises from all parts of the globe repeatedly demand attention and take priority. “[P]owerlessness in the face of economic free fall has emerged as a hallmark of the modern presidency,”...

Food Production: Agriculture Wars

Javier Blas, Leslie Hook September 13, 2010
A hostile bid for the world’s largest listed fertilizer company highlights the role of food production in a world experiencing population growth. For decades, an illusion of overabundance prevailed. But the global fertilizer sector has been a focus of merger-and-acquisition activity this year, as alarms over food scarcity, punctuated by short-term price hikes, renew interest in food production....

Light Bulb Factory Closes; End of Era for US Means More Jobs Overseas

Peter Whoriskey September 10, 2010
The original light bulb has a long history with many nations and patents – starting with an English chemist in 1809 and perfected over the years by Scottish, German, American and Russian scientists – before Thomas Edison purchased some patents and devised the long-lasting filaments in 1879 and 1880. His name is associated forever with light bulbs. The last major GE factory making traditional...

Illegal Immigration to US Slows Sharply

Miriam Jordan September 8, 2010
Because of recession and high jobless rates, illegal immigration to the US has contracted sharply, by more than half, in recent years, suggests the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. “The mortgage crisis and ensuing economic slump have slashed jobs in construction, tourism and other sectors that are the mainstay for low-skilled Latin Americans,” writes Miriam Jordan for the Wall Street Journal. “...

If Only China Were More Like Japan

John Lee September 8, 2010
Rapid economic growth, an over-reliance on exports, can lead to troublesome bubbles. And national leaders are wise to strengthen institutions that provide economic security against such developments. As China overtakes Japan as the world’s second largest economy, John Lee compares the two nations for Businessweek. During Japan’s heady period of growth followed by a decade of stagnation, Lee...

Silicon Valley Expats Spur Innovation in India

Sean Randolph September 2, 2010
As the US tech industry saw rapid growth during the 1990s, immigrating students and workers from Asia heeded innovation’s call. Engineers and programmers from India settled in Silicon Valley and enjoyed immediate success. About one out of six tech startups was launched by immigrants from India. Now some of these tech workers return to India, explains author and trade specialist Sean Randolph....