In The News

Civil society transcends right-left gap

Severyn T. Bruyn September 16, 2005
Sociologists ponder how the current US social and political climate will influence the future – and some experts predict a backlash to the polarization, suggesting that responsible global governance will restrain excessive national power and capitalist markets. The catalyst for such an outcome, the force of civil society, can reinforce common values in an age of partisanship. Civil society has...

Ford Looks Abroad for Half of Parts

Daniel Howes September 14, 2005
When auto executive Mark Fields takes his position at the head of Ford's North and South American operations next month, he will face losses of US$1 billion per quarter and corporate debt rated "junk." To spur the company's recovery, industry analysts have revealed that Ford will double the number of parts that it outsources to low-cost countries. According to Detroit News...

Invisible Earth

Annalee Newitz August 31, 2005
Technology giant Google has recently extended its global reach. It's new product, Google Earth, is a 3-D mapping program that allows users to view any point on the planet at the click of a mouse. With detailed satellite photos, Google Earth is touted as a tool not just for education, but also for communication; special features include comments "tagged" to specific locations, as...

US Wants Changes in UN Agreement

Colum Lynch August 25, 2005
Just weeks before an upcoming UN summit, the United States has proposed more than 750 amendments to an agreement to be signed at the meeting. Organized as an effort to better address world poverty, terrorism, and human rights abuses, the summit is slated to host leaders of 175 nations. The Bush administration's last-minute changes, designed to better reflect US concerns, have received much...

Airlines Outsource Upkeep

Sara Kehaulani Goo August 23, 2005
The struggling airline industry, continually seeking ways to cut costs, has seen a rise in outsourcing of maintenance services. According to The Washington Post, more than 50 percent of all service tasks are performed by contractors – many of whom are outside the United States. For many, this trend has brought about safety and security concerns, given the difficulty in assuring contractors...

America Should Ditch its Tyrant Friends

T.K. Vogel August 16, 2005
"Grand rhetoric about democracy and freedom only resonates when it is supported by actual policy," write commentators T.K. Vogel and Eric A. Witte. In essence, they suggest that the Bush administration foreign policy has failed to adequately "walk the walk" in promoting democracy. While villainizing certain regimes, the US has allied itself with other leaders – for instance,...

FBI Sees Big Threat from Chinese Spies; Businesses Wonder

Jay Solomon August 12, 2005
David Szady, assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division claims, "China is the biggest (espionage) threat to the US today." Yet, the bureau's recent campaigns to combat Chinese corporate espionage are receiving mixed reactions, at best. The prosecution of several accused workers has led to anger within the Chinese and Chinese-American communities, as well...