In The News

Measuring the Human Cost of an iPad Made in China

John Bussey June 6, 2011
Lower standards in workplace protections in China, along with the ample supply of low-cost labor, minimize manufacturing costs for Apple and other technology firms. Consumers demand low prices, companies pursue profits and the Chinese want jobs and economic growth. John Bussey of the Wall Street Journal describes how contract manufacturers satisfy those goals while shielding governments and...

Sony Chief Stringer Blindsided by Hackers Seeking Revenge

Cliff Edwards, Michael Riley, Joseph Galante June 1, 2011
Unpredictability and intrigue are the appeal of great video games, but Sony Corp. PlayStation Network customers are getting more delayed satisfaction than expected. Services were unavailable for nearly a month with more than 100 million accounts compromised worldwide, reports Bloomberg. The revenge hacking began after the corporation sued a 21-year-old customer for disassembling his PlayStation...

Coral Reefs Twice Size of Manila Destroyed

Philip C. Tubeza May 26, 2011
Black-coral colonies are thousands of small animals that grow slowly over centuries, in subtropical and tropical waters, at a rate of about one centimeter per month. The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora bans the harvesting of Antipatharia, which has 245 species in seven families. But coral taxonomy is lacking in detail. Confusion emerges with...

The War Over Lipitor

Katherine Eban May 16, 2011
A generic version of the world’s top-selling prescription drug – Lipitor – was anticipated this fall, and Katherine Eban, writing for Fortune, suggests that “Generic-drug companies are now feuding like greedy relatives at Lipitor's graveside.” Exclusive rights to sell drugs end 20 years after the patent application is filed. The first generic maker to file patent for a viable substitute – in...

Financial Regulation: Facing a Global Challenge

André Lévy-Lang May 13, 2011
Without global interventions, the outcome of the recent global crisis could have been far worse. Finance is an essential tool for unlocking capital, economic development and innovation, and writing for ParisTech Review, André Lévy-Lang outlines features and weaknesses of modern finance and its assessment of risk. Capital requirements since the late 1980s led to incentives for banks to engage in...

Sorry, We're Closed

Leo Cendrowicz May 11, 2011
Citizens of 25 European nations can cross those borders freely without delay, thanks to the Schengen Agreement of 1985, which abolished internal borders in lieu of a single external border and applies common rules on visas and border controls. But with unrest in North Africa, illegal immigration to Europe has climbed, and leaders of Italy and France have called for temporary imposition of border...

Sky Wars: Europe Battles to Erase Borders in the Air

Daniel Michaels May 9, 2011
Money does not necessarily guarantee safety or efficiency, and Europe is trying to reduce airline industry costs by eliminating national boundaries and bureaucracy in air-traffic control. Iceland’s 2010 volcanic eruption, spewing ash into the sky, demonstrated haphazard rules and need for coordination. “The battle for Europe's skies – which directly affects every traveler, economy and air...