Business
Prime Minister announces support for women entrepreneurs in developing countries
Women entrepreneurs in developing countries are creating jobs, advancing gender equality, and helping build economies that work for everyone. Despite the vital role they play, women entrepreneurs often face major obstacles to financing and growing
This is the Current State of the American Workplace
The world of work is changing pretty rapidly, but one thing has been pretty consistent over the past few years: Workers are feeling optimistic about their prospects. The U.S. economy keeps adding jobs at a
‘Future of Impact’ requires investment, philanthropy — and business as a force for good
The world of impact is large and contains multitudes: people working in diverse fields and organizations, ranging from nonprofits to foundations to impact investing funds, to government agencies to
Employee Ownership
Vermeer Great Plains becomes employee-owned through stock ownership plan
The employees at Vermeer Great Plains, which has locations in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, now fully own the dealership through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The company believes an employee ownership structure offers a more
Gorham contractor becomes employee-owned company
Knowles Industrial Services Corp., a specialty contractor based in Gorham, became an employee-owned enterprise last month. The company’s 78 employees now own stock in it, according to a statement from President Dan Maloney. “Now everyone
Bipartisan bill would make it easier for companies to give employees stock options
A bipartisan group of senators and members of the House introduced legislation today that would make it easier for businesses to give employees an ownership stake through stock options. Stock options are a right to
Environment
Slow earthquakes occur continuously in the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone
Seismologists at the University of California, Riverside studying earthquakes in the seismically and volcanically active Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone have found that “slow earthquakes” are occurring continuously, and could encourage damaging earthquakes. Slow earthquakes are quiet,
London startup Bulb to convince people to switch to renewable energy
London startup Bulb has a bigger aim than trying to convince people to download an app: It's trying to rethink how energy suppliers work. Bulb is a green energy supplier, with all of its electricity
Disappearance of species tells only part of the story of human impact
In the first such global evaluation, Stanford biologists found more than 30 percent of all vertebrates have declining populations. They call for curbs on the basic drivers of these losses. See video here. By Rob
Poverty and Prosperity
How Income Inequality Makes Economic Downturns Worse
Not only has income inequality surged in the United States and other advanced nations over the past couple of decades, it is worse in America’s largest, densest, most innovative and knowledge based cities and metro
World Population Day: Earth’s inequalities
There are 7.5 billion people on Earth, with 150 people being added to that every minute. July 11 is World Population Day, a UN-designated event focusing on resource distribution, overcrowding and the future. To get
Cities provide paths from poverty to sustainability
Understanding how cities develop at the neighborhood level is key to promoting equitable, sustainable urbanization. New international agreements commit all UN member nations to solving humanity’s greatest challenges over the next few decades, from eliminating
Health
Sleep, Alzheimer’s link explained
A good night’s sleep refreshes body and mind, but a poor night’s sleep can do just the opposite. A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Radboud University Medical Centre in the
Work suggests at least 75 percent of the genome is junk DNA
An evolutionary biologist at the University of Houston has published new calculations that indicate no more than 25 percent of the human genome is functional. That is in stark contrast to suggestions by scientists with
Older Americans don’t ask what meds cost
The majority of Americans over age 50 take two or more prescription medicines to prevent or treat health problems, and many of them say the cost weighs on their budget, a new poll finds. But
Impact Investing
How to Get Involved in the Impact Investing Sector
Impact Investing has become an extremely popular sector, providing both a stable career and an opportunity to make an impact. This relatively new field of impact is attracting young professionals all over the world and
History has steered folks to environmental, social and governance investing
In September 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused German automaker Volkswagen of installing computer software in 482,000 American vehicles to conceal nitrogen oxide emissions up to 40 times above the legal limit. The company subsequently
Hit or Miss: A Weak Critique of Impact Investing—and a Strong One
As impact investing gains steam, with the Ford Foundation recently swinging behind the trend in a big way, more critics are also emerging to question whether foundations should deploy endowment capital in this way. That’s
Financial Wellness (also on sister website PFEEF.org)
Companies offer “financial wellness” programs as a job perk
An increasing number of companies have started offering free programs to teach employees how to manage their own money. At a Waffle House south of Atlanta, Ashly Johnson stacks clean plates above a metal grill
How Student Loan Debt And Defaults Differ Across Red And Blue States
During the 2016 election cycle, it seemed like everyone was talking about student loans and college affordability. That's not surprising since the student loan crisis is affecting so many Americans. Currently, around 44 million Americans
Why Build Financially Inclusive Economies?
The lack of access to even the most basic financial services makes it difficult for an estimated two billion people to save money and effectively participate in the global economy. When G20 leaders meet in
Current News Feeds
- Video Appears to Show Baltimore Police Officer Planting Drugs July 20, 2017Drug charges were dropped and an officer was suspended after Maryland’s Office of the Public Defender released video from a police body camera.
- Police Shooting Rattles Somalis in Minneapolis July 20, 2017Somalis in his precinct welcomed Officer Mohamed Noor last year, but they’re now grappling with his having fatally shot an Australian woman who had called 911.
- Supreme Court, Republican Party, Poland: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing July 20, 2017Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.
- John McCain Has Brain Cancer, His Office Says July 20, 2017The medical condition was discovered after the Arizona senator underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot above his left eye.
- Trump Demands That Senators Find a Way to Replace Obamacare July 20, 2017A day after he seemed to give up his legislative push, President Trump summoned Republican senators to tell them not to leave Washington until they repeal and replace Obamacare.
- Beyond Shanghai: 5 getaways in the Yangtze River Delta July 20, 2017Shanghai is a destination in itself, but the countryside of the Yangtze River Delta is also worth exploring. Here are five getaways.
- Another John Wayne Gacy victim ID'd, ending family's 40-year agony July 20, 2017More than 40 years after serial killer John Wayne Gacy killed 33 young men and boys in the Chicago area, authorities have identified another victim.
- Trump says he wouldn't have picked Sessions if he knew he'd recuse himself July 20, 2017President Donald Trump said in an interview published Wednesday that he would not have chosen Jeff Sessions to be his attorney general had he known Sessions would recuse himself over matters related to the 2016 presidential campaign.
- China dominates World Interior of the Year shortlist July 20, 2017The World Interior of the Year shortlist has been announced, bringing together 2017's best designed hotels, restaurants, offices and retail spaces.
- HBO draws ire after 'Confederate' announcement July 20, 2017The announcement of a new alternate history drama in the works at HBO from "Game of Thrones" creators is already spurring a war of opinions.
- Oil stable after large fall in U.S. fuel stocks, but markets remain bloated July 20, 2017SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady on Thursday following solid gains the previous day when falling U.S. fuel inventories lifted the market.
- L3 Technologies CEO to retire, COO to take over July 20, 2017(Reuters) - Aerospace communication systems provider L3 Technologies Inc said on Wednesday that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Strianese would retire and Christopher Kubasik, who is currently the chief operating officer (COO), would succeed him.
- Asia stocks hit 9-1/2-year high, markets await BOJ, ECB meetings July 20, 2017SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares scaled near-decade peak on Thursday, bolstered by a surge in global stocks to a record high on strong U.S. corporate earnings, while investors awaited the Japanese and European central bank meetings for clues on their policy outlooks.
- Four Apple contractors accuse Qualcomm of antitrust violations July 19, 2017(Reuters) - iPhone chip supplier Qualcomm Inc faces a new set of antitrust allegations from a group of four companies that assemble the iPhone and other products on behalf of Apple Inc .
- After 17 years, S&P tech index breaks record July 19, 2017SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - It took 17 years, but the S&P 500 information technology index has finally recovered from the implosion of the dot-com bubble.
- Activist Jana cashes out of Whole Foods following Amazon deal July 19, 2017(Reuters) - Activist investor Jana Partners LLC cashed out of its position in Whole Foods Market Inc , a regulatory filing showed on Wednesday, after the upscale grocer agreed to be acquired by...
- Morgan Stanley claims another trading victory over rival Goldman Sachs July 19, 2017(Reuters) - Morgan Stanley beat Wall Street's profit expectations on Wednesday, reporting gains across most of its businesses and producing more trading revenue than rival Goldman Sachs Group Inc, a...
- In hedge funds, skin in the game is critical: James Saft July 19, 2017You might want to make sure your hedge fund managers have lots of skin in the particular game you are playing alongside them.
- Blackstone backs ex-TPG-Axon executive's new fund with seed investment: sources July 19, 2017BOSTON (Reuters) - Blackstone Group has written the first check from its latest seeding fund, sources familiar with the matter said this week, committing $100 million in start-up capital to a new...
- New banking regulator defends agency effort to regulate fintech July 19, 2017WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new head of a U.S. banking regulatory agency on Wednesday defended his predecessor's efforts to explore granting special federal charters to startup online lenders.
- Trump scolds U.S. Republicans on healthcare; CBO sees 32 million uninsured July 20, 2017WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump took Senate Republicans to task on Wednesday for failing to reach agreement on overhauling Obamacare, as a new report showed 32 million Americans would lose health insurance if senators opt to repeal the law without a replacement.
- Study finds slight autism risk link to antidepressants in pregnancy July 19, 2017LONDON (Reuters) - Children exposed to antidepressants during their mothers' pregnancies seem to have a slightly higher risk of autism than children whose mothers had psychiatric disorders but did not take antidepressants while pregnant, a study has found.
- 32 million people lose insurance under U.S. Senate Obamacare repeal plan: CBO July 19, 2017WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thirty-two million Americans would lose their health insurance by 2026 under a U.S. Senate plan to repeal Obamacare without providing a replacement, the Congressional Budget Office reported on Wednesday.
- Be prepared for ambulance wait times July 19, 2017(Reuters Health) - Bystanders should be prepared to give first aid during an emergency until responders arrive on the scene, experts say.
- Australia helps Sri Lanka to control dengue fever after 250 die July 19, 2017COLOMBO (Reuters) - Australia announced programs on Wednesday to help control dengue fever in Sri Lanka, where the mosquito-borne disease killed more around 250 people in the first half of this year.
