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Society

Climate strikes give governments cover to act

20 Sep 2019

Millions are downing textbooks and tools to demand more action against global warming. People power fueled a mass aversion to plastic. And many ideas and financing vehicles to enable the climate fight already exist. The worldwide protests allow politicians to take a tougher line.

U.S. antitrust effort cries out for a monopoly

19 Sep 2019

The U.S. Department of Justice and FTC admit to squabbling over turf as they target the likes of Amazon and Facebook. Both agencies also could use more money and people to take on deep-pocketed tech giants. Pooling resources and power through a merger is a natural solution.

Data turns from asset to M&A liability

17 Sep 2019

Minority stakes in U.S. firms with sensitive information on Americans may soon be subject to national security reviews – a sensible acknowledgement that data has value. There’s a cost though. Casting the net that wide will put a chill on inbound deals, and not just from China.

U.S. unions are in need of reinvention

30 Aug 2019

Labor Day originally celebrated full-time and fairly paid employment. The unions which helped win such jobs have declined, in part because the people doing them are now mostly comfortable. Organising workers who are left behind is harder, but would be good for the U.S. economy.

Uber labor bill risks straying from righteous road

29 Aug 2019

The ride-hailing giant’s home state of California wants gig-economy firms to give workers paid vacation and sick time, following similar cases in Europe. Yet some old-school industries may get carve-outs. That would be a pity. It’s a chance to rethink protections for all earners.

Climate-denying magnate stoked potent opposition

23 Aug 2019

Billionaire David Koch’s funding for anti-global warming causes helped delay a response to a mounting crisis. He died as record fires beset the Amazon. But governments, companies and investors have already consigned his belief that free markets cure all ills to the scrap heap.

American CEO pay inflation is down but not yet out

16 Aug 2019

A new study shows top company bosses made 278 times an average employee’s pay in 2018 – a quarter less than the 2000 peak. At this rate, it will only take another 50 or so years to get back to the 30 times ratio of 1978. There might be an anti-elite revolution before then.

Epstein case shows lingerie giant’s fraying seams

8 Aug 2019

Leslie Wexner, CEO of Victoria’s Secret owner L Brands, is in the spotlight for letting the financier charged with sex trafficking manage his money. His firm needs scrutiny, too. For investors, Wexner’s slow response to online threats and falling margins are another worry.

Top Trump beneficiary gets it from the other end

7 Aug 2019

Few stocks have surfed the president’s term like the New York Times. Far from “failing,” the publisher tripled in value and is nearly halfway towards its 2025 goal of 10 mln total subscribers. But as Q2 results show, dopey headlines are less of a threat than Trump’s exit.

Breakdown: Silicon Valley privacy caught in a jam

29 Jul 2019

IBM is the latest to call for changes to a 23-year-old law that exempts the likes of YouTube and Facebook from lawsuits over content on their sites. The provision no longer encourages the kind of policing their platforms need. Yet scrapping it wouldn’t solve that, either.

Viewsroom: UK’s new PM looks for the exit

25 Jul 2019

Boris Johnson helped persuade Britons to vote to leave the EU. London’s former mayor now leads the country – and may find his pledge to quit the European bloc hard to keep. Meanwhile, U.S. watchdogs are circling Amazon, Alphabet, Apple and Facebook. Plus: Protests rock Hong Kong.

Puerto Rico leadership change offers second chance

25 Jul 2019

Governor Ricardo Rossello is resigning after mass protests over crude chat messages and a corruption probe. Political turmoil has stymied efforts to restructure the U.S. territory’s debt and strengthen fiscal oversight. The next leader can’t afford to waste Puerto Rico’s crisis.

Hadas: U.S. slavery reparations might just work

24 Jul 2019

In terms of race, American society remains stubbornly separate and unequal 155 years after abolition. Much of the economy still works as if racial attitudes had not changed. One way to reduce the black-white social gap is a womb-to-tomb campaign of well-targeted incentives.

Weak Facebook penalty mirrors weak U.S. watchdog

23 Jul 2019

The social network will pay a $5 bln fine and must form a privacy oversight panel after accusations it mishandled user data. The Federal Trade Commission doesn’t have enough powers or staff to punch harder. Unless Congress acts, Big Tech can expect more slaps on the wrist.

Amazon’s data deal invites D.C. scrutiny

16 Jul 2019

As its executives appeared at an antitrust hearing in Congress, the e-commerce giant offered customers $10 to track their web browsing. It’s a smart way to grab business from rivals, and the price low-balls the value of user data. It’s also a demonstration of how dominance works.

Uber adds useful numbers to solve gender equation

15 Jul 2019

The ride-hailing app is tying executive compensation to targets for increasing the share of women and minorities in its ranks. Linking pay to worthy diversity goals is one concrete way for Uber to rehabilitate its toxic image. It also paves the road for others to follow.

Facebook sets diversity goals for others to follow

10 Jul 2019

The $570 bln social network wants at least half its staff to be women or from minorities in the next five years. Aside from being more representative, a more inclusive staff can help the bottom line. Facebook is not aiming for the stars, but it’s doing more than many companies.

U.S. soccer’s unsporting pay is an own goal

8 Jul 2019

The American women’s team that clinched the World Cup title on Sunday is fighting for equal wages. As with similar battles playing out in the corporate world, arguments about metrics and comparability cloud a simple point: closing the pay gap is good for long-term profit.