Business & Economy

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 )

New Book: Gay Bosses Outperforming Their Straight Counterparts

Staff / Truthdig May 31, 2006 That's the conclusion of a career development expert with a new book about gay leadership in the workplace. He found "job engagement, job satisfaction and workplace morale among employees reporting to white-collar gay men to be upwards of 35% higher than nationally reported statistics." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Tempers Rising Along With Gas Prices

Staff / Truthdig May 31, 2006 Drivers are taking out their frustration at sky-high gas prices by yelling at clerks and sometimes driving off without paying. Could this be the locus of a populist uprising against the administration that abetted this situation? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Goldman Sachs CEO Nominated as Treasury Secretary

Staff / Truthdig May 30, 2006 Finally, after months of hanging in the pink slip rumor mill, John Snow can move on. The White House has named Henry M. Paulson as the newest Treasury secretary; here's what we know according to the Washington Post and NYT: He was reluctant to accept the job. He worked in the Pentagon as a young man. He "has been a Goldman Sachs executive since 1974, pulling down a compensation package in 2005 of $37 million." He is "a birdwatcher who can often be found in Central Park with his binoculars." Thank you mainstream media for your thorough profile of this very important man. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )