Business & Economy

Army Equipment Costs for Two Wars Will Triple

Staff / Truthdig Jun 27, 2006 The annual cost of replacing, repairing and upgrading Army equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan is expected to more than triple next year to more than $17 billion, according to Army documents obtained by the Associated Press And we still can't find the money for schools, healthcare, environmental-technology research oh, never mind . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

House Votes to Cut Estate Taxes

Staff / Truthdig Jun 23, 2006 After the GOP-controlled Congress rejected an increase in the minimum wage, House lawmakers have now voted to exempt the heirs of millionaires from having to pay taxes on their inherited wealth. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

GOP Senators Kill Minimum Wage Boost

Staff / Truthdig Jun 22, 2006 Not even a week after the Congress voted itself a pay raise, the not-so-compassionate conservatives in the Senate voted down any bump in the $5.15 national minimum wage. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Oil Prices Could Triple Upon a U.S. Invasion of Iran

Staff / Truthdig Jun 21, 2006 That's according to Saudi Ambassador Prince Turki al Faisal. Not that that should be the reason that dissuades America from invading Iran, but it's at least worth noting. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Corporate Donations Shift Left

Staff / Truthdig Jun 20, 2006 Companies in the insurance, pharmaceuticals and tobacco industries are boosting their share of contributions to Democrats this year, an indication that the traditionally Republican-friendly donors suspect Dems may soon end up holding the reins of power. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Google Wants to Listen to Your TV to Place Ads

Staff / Truthdig Jun 18, 2006 OK, now this is getting just downright creepy: Google has apparently tested a system that allows your computer to "listen" to your TV, recognize what program you're watching, and then serve up ads related to that show. Freaked out? Check out Truthdig contributor (and Google book author) Mark Malseed on Google and privacy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Couple Signs Advertisers to Sponsor Wedding Day

Staff / Truthdig Jun 18, 2006 A marketing-savvy couple has lined up corporate sponsors to help pay for a wedding to be held in a Brooklyn minor league ball park. (Via Salon.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Working Conditions in China’s Apple iPod Factory Exposed

Staff / Truthdig Jun 15, 2006 The Mail on Sunday publishes an exposé on the conditions endured by iPod assemblers in China. Says a female worker: "We have to work too hard and I am always tired. It's like being in the army. They make us stand still for hours. If we move, we are punished by being made to stand still for longer." Salon link (reg req'd) Summary of article Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

House Rejects Net Neutrality

Staff / Truthdig Jun 10, 2006 The Nation's John Nichols explains how perilously close the U.S. government is to making a toll road out of the Internet--on which only the rich websites will be able to pay to have their content load move fastest. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

NSA Wants to Mine Data From Social Networking Sites

Staff / Truthdig Jun 9, 2006 The National Security Agency is funding research into ways to collect personal information from social networking websites like MySpace and Friendster, according to New Scientist magazine. The agency reportedly aims to combine the information with details from banking, retail and property records, allowing the NSA to build extensive, all-embracing personal profiles of individuals. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Wal-Mart Goes Organic

Staff / Truthdig Jun 4, 2006 Organic food is about to go mainstream. Michael Pollan explores what the globalization of organic food means, and finds it hard to separate the good from the bad. Also, see our interview with Pollan. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Jobs Report Indicates Economic Cool Down

Staff / Truthdig Jun 2, 2006 Weak employment gains in May (only 75,000 net new jobs) may be a sign of a faltering economy. According to NYT: "Anything below about 150,000 net new jobs a month is regarded as too slow to keep up with population growth, so in effect, workers are losing ground." (story | job report) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )