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Senate passes patients' rights bill (Saturday, 6/30/01)
President Bush earlier threatened to veto the version of the patients' bill of rights legislation that has been moving through the Senate, preferring a modified version, but the Democrat-controlled Senate has gone ahead and passed the bill anyway, hoping that the President will see a veto as too costly to him and his party. The Washington Post discusses how the risks have increased for the Republicans on this issue. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has agreed to decide if states can force HMOs to accept an independent second opinion before refusing to provide certain treatments.

Top Japanese and U.S. leaders meet in Washington (Saturday, 6/30/01)
Japan's newly elected prime minister enjoys widespread popularity, which may give him the political capital he needs to bring about reforms "thought to be impossible" in order to bring Japan's economy out of its doldrums. Prime Minister Koizumi has arrived in Washington to meet with President Bush. In fact, the latest government numbers provide little cheer, as Stephanie Strom reports from Tokyo. Indications are that the Japanese economy has once again fallen into recession.

OSHA ruling pleases many business leaders (Saturday, 6/30/01)
The government has decided that employers should not have to provide separate reports of nerve, tendon, or spinal disk workplace injuries. Critics feel that this will make it harder to identify repetitive motion health problems.

What that appeals court decision means (Saturday, 6/30/01)
David Francis of the Christian Science Monitor has been giving some sober thought to what many had perceived as an unqualified victory for Microsoft, and decides that the appeals court decision may have more limited implications. In effect, the Court is not saying that Microsoft should not be broken up, but only that Judge Jackson's conduct tainted the proceedings. This implies that if the judge's conduct had been different, the breakup order could well have stood. In effect, then, Bill Gates' company has dodged a bullet because of some fairly good luck, but, if the Justice Department decides to push ahead, a breakup of the company could still come. Odds still seem to be against it, though, given the current political climate. Efforts to reach an out-of-court settlement seem more likely, and Microsoft, apparently feeling that they have a political advantage at the moment, has announced that it will not accept any settlement that includes a restructuring of the corporation. That is, if the government still wants to break up the software giant, they'll have to re-try the case, and that could mean additional years and a possible clear victory for the company in the end. The Bush administration faces a dilemma.

HP asks its employees to help (Saturday, 6/30/01)
Hewlett-Packard tries to avoid layoffs by asking employees to take either pay cuts or some time off.

Bush's economic advisor thinks America should be thankful for the tax cut (Saturday, 6/30/01)
As reported yesterday, growth during the first quarter was more modest than originally thought, and Lawrence Lindsey expects the growth rate to be even lower for the second quarter that ends today. The Bush tax cut is a "lifeline," according to him.

Why farm income remains so low (Saturday, 6/30/01)
A survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis finds farmers in the upper-Midwest region still struggling under a heavy debt burden that needs servicing, as well as increased costs and low commodity prices.

Big Internet merger (Saturday, 6/30/01)
Monster.com and HotJobs.com have been major Internet job recruitment competitors, but not any more. The latter company has been acquired by the former in a deal worth approximately $460 million.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Microsoft vs. DOJ (Saturday, 6/30/01)
Here's a history of the Microsoft antitrust case, including the very latest, from ABC News.

What to do about Microsoft (Friday, 6/29/01)
An appeals court has overturned the order to break up the world's largest software company, which means either that a settlement must be reached out of court or the government must re-try the case. Several influential members of Congress are urging the Bush administration to negotiate a settlement, and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates says that he's interested, but not if it would involve a restructuring of the corporation. Rather than settling on that basis, Gates would prefer to try for a win in a second trial. Amy Harmon of the New York Times says that the appeals court ruling doesn't entirely slam the door on a breakup of the company, but most informed observers think it's unlikely to happen. Meanwhile, Chairman Bill feels that his company is free to push ahead on development of the next generation of its products.

First-quarter growth slower than estimated earlier (Friday, 6/29/01)
The American economy grew by only 1.2 percent during the first quarter of this year. The second quarter ends tomorrow, and some experts expect negative growth, which could mean the beginning of a recession.

Hoffa nominated for a second term (Friday, 6/29/01)
James Hoffa, President of the Teamsters, has been nominated for a second term, even though controversy has been swirling around a top aid.

An organization that GIVES AWAY down payments (Friday, 6/29/01)
For many people, a down payment is the only thing standing between them and home ownership. Nehemiah, a nonprofit organization, has been solving that problem for many people for five years. You don't necessarily have to have a low income in order to qualify.

Workplace reciprocity (Friday, 6/29/01)
Columnist Diane Stafford writes about a company that went to great lengths to avoid layoffs during a downturn and enjoys employee loyalty as a consequence. They also have no difficulty attracting new applicants, she says.

Word policeman (Friday, 6/29/01)
A Wisconsin business professor believes that vulgar language in work settings has important practical consequences.

More evidence that Americans are marrying later (Friday, 6/29/01)
Despite a blip on the graph, the longer-term trend has been toward later first marriages, and new Census data support what has been known for sometime. Later marriages narrow the "window of safety" for women who are concerned about the increased risk of birth defects when they have children at a later age. Also, later marriages mean an increase in the average number of years that women can expect to be single during their lifetimes. The high divorce rate plus the tendency of women to outlive their spouses by several years also adds to the total, which, among other things, emphasizes the importance of financial planning.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Population Index (Friday, 6/29/01)
Population Index contains an annotated bibliography of more than 46,000 books, journal articles, and other resources on global population topics.

First-time jobless claims decline (Thursday, 6/28/01)
Experts are surprised that first-time claims for jobless benefits declined a bit last week, but employers still aren't hiring in large numbers.

The world's poor are facing increased jeopardy (Thursday, 6/28/01)
A new report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says that poverty makes people more vulnerable to natural disasters, including those that can be expected because of global warming. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary O'Neill has made it known that he doesn't approve of the ways that the World Bank and the IMF have been trying to fight poverty.

It's a secret (Thursday, 6/28/01)
The Census Bureau says it won't give homeless data to states and cities. Here's an explanation from the New York Times.

Saturday strike deadline for actors, but... (Thursday, 6/28/01)
Most people in Hollywood don't seem to expect a strike. Here's more from Gary Dretzka of the Detroit Free Press.

Bulletin: cars attract the attention of young males (Thursday, 6/28/01)
Here's how the military is trying to use race cars in their recruiting efforts.

Tech visa holders get an extension (Thursday, 6/28/01)
What happens when people who have come to the U.S. on special visas get laid off from their hi-tech jobs? New rules will give them some additional time to find new jobs before their legal status expires. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor is being accused of neglecting to enforce wage requirements for foreign workers in American agriculture. Also, Steven Greenhouse reports that a number of Senators and bishops are in conflict over Labor Department enforcement of pay requirements for poultry workers.

Double-digit health care increases again (Thursday, 6/28/01)
Susan Kreimer of the Houston Chronicle reports that Houston-area employers are finding their healthcare costs have increased by 13 percent, the second year in a row that the increases have been in double-digits.

U.S. may lose its tech dominance (Thursday, 6/28/01)
A survey of people in 19 countries finds widespread agreement that the United States will no longer be the world's technological leader by 2025.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: New York Times: Working (Thursday, 6/28/01)
Here's the New York Times' special section on working and careers during the 21st century.

Fed cuts rates by a quarter point (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the sixth time this year. Many had expected a half point, some had hoped for three-quarters, but it turned out to be a quarter point, although more may come. How low can they go? Glenn Somerville has some thoughts on that. Meanwhile, many are frustrated that cuts so far haven't done their expected job in stimulating the economy, and here are some possible reasons, although some new reports may indicate better times ahead, particularly the rise in consumer confidence, given the major role consumers play in the American economy. Meanwhile, Alan Greenspan is trying to be the nation's therapist, according to columnist Robert Samuelson.

Americans aren't the only ones who would like to see the American economy do better (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
Mexico's President Fox says that the American slowdown is hurting his country. Meanwhile, the American House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that would require Mexican trucks to meet higher safety standards in order to have broader access to American highways.

House passes aid bill for farmers (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
A $5.5 billion aid bill for American farmers has gotten through the House of Representatives, but much lies ahead before it can become law. A new survey of Midwestern farmers indicates that the future for them still appears to be dismal.

Railroad workers strike in Germany (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
The people who do the repairs on Germany's railroads are engaging in warning strikes to protest the planned closing of repair shops and the elimination of thousands of jobs.

The new plan for reducing Bombay's slums (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
Is India a rich country or a poor country? Yes. Is it an advanced country or a "primitive" country. Also yes. Soon to surpass China in total population, India now contains more human beings than the total world population at any time in history up until about 1840, a few years before Abraham Lincoln served his single term in Congress. To put things into perspective, Lincoln's oldest son Robert was 17 when his father ran ran for president, and there are still people around who clearly remember conversations with Robert before he died in 1926. Major changes can happen fast.

At any rate, while India has a huge number of people living in poverty under primitive economic conditions, it also has a large number of highly educated, affluent people, as well as a rich intellectual tradition of its own over thousands of years largely rivaling that of Europe in most areas of inquiry. Against this backdrop, it is interesting to note that India's great commercial capital now has more than half of its people living in slums. Here's what the government is going to try to do about that, as described by Scott Baldauf.

Dot-com layoffs decline (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
The number of persons laid off from Internet companies has been decreasing quickly. Challenger, Gray & Christmas' research indicate that there was a 31 percent decline in June, and May's layoffs were fewer than April's. It doesn't mean that the Internet sector is doing better, but, instead that, sooner or later, all that will be shut reaches a point of being shut down. All the air will soon be out of the e-commerce startup bubble. Nonetheless, in the long-run, the Internet really will change everything.

An extra hour of work vs. an extra hour of school (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
David Francis of the Christian Science Monitor offers some additional perspective on the impact of education on earnings.

Replacing tires is likely to cut into profit-sharing for Ford workers (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
The UAW is trying to persuade the company to exclude the cost of replacing $3 billion worth of Firestone tires on its vehicles from the calculations that will determine the size of profit-sharing checks. Odds of success don't seem good, though, according to Jeffrey McCracken of the Detroit Free Press.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (Wednesday, 6/27/01)
The Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation is located in Australia and has been conducting research and advising on policy for ten years.

Bush will step in to prevent a strike at American Airlines (Tuesday, 6/26/01)
A possible strike by American Airlines flight attendants would be delayed for an additional 60 days following the expiration of the 30-day cooling off period on July 1.

Nurses' strike ends at two Twin Cities hospitals (Tuesday, 6/26/01)
Nurses at two hospitals in the Twin Cities have approved a new contract that ends their 23-day strike. Incidentally, a new survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health shows that minorities in the state are far less likely to have health coverage. Finally, United American Nurses is one of two unions expected to join the AFL-CIO, which has been trying to build membership following the departure of one of the largest construction unions from the big confederation.

More financial assistance for AIDS promised (Tuesday, 6/26/01)
Secretary of State Colin Powell has told the U.N. General Assembly that the United States will provide more money to support a global AIDS fund as well as research.

The business world has changed while these folks have been in school (Tuesday, 6/26/01)
The Internet bubble went from full inflation to collapse during the time that this year's graduating class at MIT's Sloan School of Management has been studying. It has changed their plans. For one thing, the new grads are meeting many other techies on their way back from failed dot-coms and are having to compete with them for places in the job market.

Reverse migration (Tuesday, 6/26/01)
Many African Americans who once moved north in search of jobs are now going back to the South, because that's where the job opportunities are. Here's more from Sara Miller of the Christian Science Monitor. Meanwhile, Jilian Mincer describes the challenges and obstacles facing minority women who try to climb the corporate ladder.

Gathering momentum? (Tuesday, 6/26/01)
Glenn Kessler writes in today's Washington Post that a desire to change the American Social Security system has been common among Republicans for a long time, but the move toward privatizing at least part of it has also gained ground among some academics and some Democrats as well.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: New York Small Business Resource Center (Tuesday, 6/26/01)
The New York Small Business Resource Center offers guidance as well as access to resources for those interested in starting a small business in New York.

Deal reached at American (Monday, 6/25/01)
American Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with its mechanics and ramp workers on a new three-year contract. However, the company may still be faced with a strike of its flight attendants. Over at America West, talks will resume between the company and its pilots.

Further HMO regulation seems to be on the horizon (Monday, 6/25/01)
President Bush has threatened to veto the patients' bill of rights bill that appeared to be moving toward the White House, but now Congressional supporters of the proposed legislation say that they hope to reach a compromise this week that should satisfy all the key parties sufficiently to become law. The most vigorous debate at the moment seems to be on the nature and extent of the liability of employers if workers are denied medical care.

When you're old, really old, and sick, will you be on your own? (Monday, 6/25/01)
The huge generation of young people that changed American society during the 1960s and '70s has been moving on through the lifespan. Before too many more years, there will be a tremendous number of old people, and they'll be the same people. Expect them to change society again. Patricia Rivera of the Dallas Morning News tells how this tremendous demographic shift could result in a crisis of care for the elderly. There's already a shortage of trained personnel. Expect it to get much worse.

Minnesota could be facing a recession all its own (Monday, 6/25/01)
During the boom period of the 1990s, Minnesota's economy did a bit better than the American economy overall, and unemployment remains lower at the present time. All that could change if the Minnesota government shuts down because of the budget deadlock in the Legislature. Here's more from Conrad Defiebre of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Bush pitches his "faith-based" plan to the nation's mayors (Monday, 6/25/01)
President Bush still wants to see partnerships developed between the government and "faith-based" organizations, rather than having government provide $250 billion worth of social services directly. The President is Christian, but he indicates that "faith-based" means synagogues and mosques, as well as churches, which seems to recognize the growing Islamic presence in the U.S.

However, America is becoming far more diverse than he seems to presume, given the assumption that "faith-based" seems to be confined to monotheistic traditions. Will Buddhists and Hindus be able to participate as well, and what about the newer groups that regard themselves as "spiritual" but not religious in a conventional sense? Some are worrying about church-state separation issues, while others may be calling their lawyers right now with discrimination suits in mind.

Speaking of diversity, new Census data show that the American suburbs, which, for a long time were mostly white, are becoming more diverse in a variety of ways. The increasing diversity in American life should encourage people to give up the old "black vs. white" dichotomy, as well as one of history's most influential and wrong-headed ideas--that "race" is a viable biological concept representing fundamentally different kinds of human beings, as well as the strong popular tendency to confuse biology with ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, and, perhaps most of all, cause with consequence. The clear reality, as we now know it, is that cultural differences can be great, individual differences are enormous, and, biologically, people are people; we're all made out of the same stuff.

If you're inclined to be a workaholic, hi-tech will help you...be a workaholic (Monday, 6/25/01)
John Gallagher of the Detroit Free Press adds to earlier reports of what it means to be in touch...constantly, everywhere.

New tax law won't help students in summer jobs (Monday, 6/25/01)
For the most part, dependent children won't enjoy benefits from the new tax cut. However, as Jeff Brown reports, the new tax legislation will benefit many students of the future, because higher ed nest eggs can be larger. There are built-in incentives that should make education IRAs much more popular. Meanwhile, many in Congress would like subsequent generations of Americans to be something better than financially illiterate. Legislation moving through Congress would fund financial curricula at elementary and secondary levels.

Balance training (Monday, 6/25/01)
Columnist Amy Joyce offers some advice on how to achieve the difficult task of balancing work with the rest of your life.

Time's almost up. Now what? (Monday, 6/25/01)
Nina Berstein tells about the nearly 40,000 New York City families who are about to lose their welfare benefits.

Grim commerce in China (Monday, 6/25/01)
Here's Elisabeth Rosenthal's New York Times report on China's thriving black market in women.

Why many miners are feeling fairly good about the President (Monday, 6/25/01)
President Bush's emphasis on coal in his energy plan may give new life to the United Mine Workers, which had 700,000 members a few years before the President was born, but has only 30,000 members now.

Finally...scientific literacy may be approaching the White House (Monday, 6/25/01)
America is a REPRESENTATIVE democracy, so, to a large extent over the long-run, the country can expect to get the leaders it deserves. It's probably safe to say that the majority of Americans confuse science (creating knowledge) with technology (using knowledge) and that most don't realize that science is defined, not in terms of its subject matter, objects of study, or conclusions at any particular time, but, instead, in terms of its methods. That is, what makes science scientific are the methods that it uses to learn about nature, including human nature.

Basically, then, it's about the means that are required for obtaining genuine verifiable knowledge, and "science" is just another name for the most trustworthy methods that have been developed over the past several centuries as alternatives to the means by which people traditionally have reached their conclusions. The only alternative to genuine verifiable knowledge is ignorance, and ignorance has had a horrible record over many centuries. Most genuine knowledge is a product of fairly recent years, which means that any randomly selected traditional idea has a high probability of being flat-out wrong.

At any rate, given the need for public opinion to catch up with modern realities, it should be no surprise that occupants of the White House are quite likely to represent popular scientific ignorance, which can be very dangerous during a scientific and technologically-driven age. President Bush appears about to obtain a scientific advisor, finally, and, if it turns out to be John Marburger, he will be a leading scientific scholar as well as a leading educator. It will be another thing for which Americans can be thankful as they celebrate the 4th of July.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The World's Richest People (Monday, 6/25/01)
Here's the new list of the World's Richest People from Forbes magazine. You can compare it with lists for previous years, if you like. Also, this year's list can be conveniently alphabetized so that you can check to see if you're on it. Incidentally, Bill Gates, while still the world's wealthiest individual, has lost almost half of his net worth during the past couple of years. For a brief period more than two years ago, his fortune was estimated to be at about $100 billion. If that's impressive, you may be interested to know that, at its peak, John D. Rockefeller's fortune, in current dollars, is estimated to have been at approximately $200 billion.

Another rate cut expected (Sunday, 6/24/01)
Barbara Hagenbaugh writes from Washington, D. C. that most experts are guessing that the Fed will lower interest rates for a sixth time this year on Wednesday, given suggestions that the American economy may already be in the beginning of a recession. The Treasury Secretary says he's still optimistic that a recession will be avoided, but that's part of the job of a Treasury Secretary, particularly when appearing on television. Top officials know that they cannot describe some conditions without influencing them, so don't expect them to say what may really be on their minds. We don't know that Secretary O'Neill is not optimistic in his heart, but many other people seem worried about the indicators, and we've seen no reason to believe that the Secretary is stupid.

The number of people living in poverty in Latin America isn't all that much smaller than the total U.S. population (Sunday, 6/24/01)
According to UN data, the percentage of Latin American populations considered poor is smaller than in 1990 but larger than in 1980. So, what is the relationship of poverty to free trade and globalization? Anthony DePalma of the New York Times examines these issues in relation to the huge free-trade agreement across the Americas that the President Bush would like to see.

Does freer trade make everybody better off? Not necessarily. Does freer trade ravage the environment? Not necessarily. Is "globalization" in the sense of a greater number of connections and relationships and less isolation inevitable? Probably. During most of mankind's history, people living on the other side of the earth might as well have been living on a different planet. On the other hand, these words will be read by people all over the globe only minutes after they are written, which seems to represent quite a difference that makes a difference.

Is it possible to have most of the benefits of more open trade, while, at the same time, minimizing the costs and risks that might be inevitable in a totally unregulated system? Probably. Are all of the possible benefits "merely" economic? Certainly not. As former British Prime Minister John Major has pointed out, despite centuries of military conflict between France and Britain, open trade between the two traditional enemies has made it inconceivable that these two countries will go to war against each other again anytime soon. The countries are simply connected by too many daily relationships at all levels.

The funny thing about unemployment (Sunday, 6/24/01)
The way unemployment is measured in the U.S. means that results require careful interpretation, suggests David Leonhardt. But, then, isn't that always the case? It's why basic education probably should be defined as readin', writin', 'rithmetic, and statistics. One cannot understand phenomena without understanding statistics if those phenomena are inherently statistical. It's like trying to make sense of pharmacy while leaving all the chemistry out.

The next time you overhear a barroom argument about current events, either among beer drinkers in a bar or among big-time politicians on television, ask them, "What information is required in order to make an informed judgment about this? Tell me quick--what information do I have to have before I can proceed, and what must I do to obtain that information?"

If one doesn't have a satisfactory answer to those questions, of course, there's no reason in the world to express an opinion, and certainly no reason in the world for anyone else to listen to it. If I go ahead and make a judgment or express an opinion without doing that very basic homework and clarifying those very basic issues, I quite literally won't know what I'm talking about.

In America, of course, people have a Constitutional right to express an opinion, but not a right to be taken seriously. However, your right to say something totally uninformed and perfectly stupid is protected by the First Amendment, and we wouldn't have it otherwise.

More on the "job gap" (Sunday, 6/24/01)
Is your work your life, and is your job who you are? Stephen Dunphy of the Seattle Times examines a new study showing that, even during the recent boom, the gap between the number of people seeking living-wage jobs and the availability of those jobs persisted.

Bush favors legislation prohibiting "genetic discrimination" (Sunday, 6/24/01)
The President says that science makes it possible for employers or insurance companies to deny people jobs or health coverage based on genetic information, and he's opposed to it. He would like to see legislation banning the practice. Here's more from Randall Mikkelsen.

Another shortage of technical experts (Sunday, 6/24/01)
Remember that technology, including high-tech, includes medical technology, and, as Victor Godinez of the Dallas Morning News reports, there is a shortage of med techs. Part of the problem is that students with technical aptitudes tend to be drawn to careers in which they think they can expect higher salaries.

The problems of not having the support of a wife (Sunday, 6/24/01)
Some male executives' wives aren't able to travel with them on business trips because they have careers of their own. Meanwhile, Mary Williams Walsh takes up the issue of support from the female executive's point-of-view.

Uranium workers laid off (Sunday, 6/24/01)
There is a glut of nuclear fuel, and that means layoffs in that industry.

With hi-tech, you can never really get away (Sunday, 6/24/01)
Hi-tech devices can mean that you're always in touch, but also that others are always in touch with you. So much for "getting away." Here's more from Lawrence Van Gelder of the New York Times.

Progress report on workplace equality (Sunday, 6/24/01)
In the first of a series in the Toledo Blade, Rachel Smolkin says that educated young women are entering a vastly transformed workplace, but there's still a long way to go.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Beige Book (Sunday, 6/24/01)
The Beige Book summarizes anecdotal information on the American economy gathered by Federal Reserve banks throughout the country and is published eight times per year.

Has a recession started? (Saturday, 6/23/01)
It takes two consecutive quarters of negative growth to qualify technically as a recession, and that certainly hasn't happened yet, but the National Bureau of Economic Research suspects that the second quarter, which will end soon, could be the start. Here's more from New York City.

A compromise may avoid a presidential veto (Saturday, 6/23/01)
President Bush doesn't like the patients' bill of rights bill that's moving through Congress, but Democrats are saying that changes that would limit the liability of employers might be okay with them, and that might change the President's mind. In Arizona, 3,000 small business owners and employees are about to lose the health coverage they've had from United Healthcare of Arizona. Finally, Robert Walker of the Calgary Herald has been visiting the Netherlands and finds much turmoil in that country's health care system. In fact, some people are urging doctors to block freeways to gain attention to their salary demands.

Japan's new PM prescribes essential medicine that will be hard for many to swallow (Saturday, 6/23/01)
Columnist Jerry Heaster says that it remains to be seen whether Prime Minister Koizumi will be able to stand up to the political firestorm that is likely to result from his taking action to flush the paralyzing debt out of the country's banking system, but he's the best hope the country has had in a long time. Meanwhile, the Diet has passed a law giving workers a pension alternative similar to 401(k) plans in the U.S. As in the United States, the Japanese population is aging, which is putting strong pressure on the existing pension system.

Fund could run dry (Saturday, 6/23/01)
There are more people than expected who were forced to work as Nazi slaves and, as a consequence, qualify for compensation, so Germany's fund for compensating victims could run out of money, according to the fund's trustees.

Wouldn't this be a bit like the old tariff disputes? (Saturday, 6/23/01)
International arrangements to promote free trade are based on the assumption that barriers to international trade, including tariffs, are counterproductive. However, as Marie-Louise Moller reports from Brussels, a big conflict is brewing in the World Trade Organization that could result in an escalation that would bring back painful old memories to a lot of free-trade advocates. A WTO ruling against the U.S. could set it off, and cost billions of dollars.

Media companies encouraged to diversify (Saturday, 6/23/01)
...To increase the diversity of their workforces, that is. The Chairman of the Federal Communication Commission would like to see new rules written that would encourage radio, television, and cable companies to hire more women and minorities.

Here's some of the latest airline industry labor news (Saturday, 6/23/01)
Talks between American Airlines and the company's flight attendants have broken off, and settlement before a July 1 strike deadline seems less likely. Tens of thousands of workers at United Airlines are being asked by their union to authorize a strike, but, at Comair, pilots have ratified a new contract, which ends a three-month strike at the big regional carrier.

Why teens are having a harder time finding summer jobs this year (Saturday, 6/23/01)
A tightening job market has put American teenagers in competition with college grads, among other things. Here's more from Stephanie Armour of USA Today.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Global Positioning System (Saturday, 6/23/01)
If you're wondering where on earth you are, the Global Positioning System can help, and here's an explanation as well as a history of the system from the prestigious National Academies. They estimate that a $30 billion industry will evolve out of the system, which, originally, was developed for military purposes.

Jury to begin deliberations in first of 76 lawsuits over beryllium exposure (Friday, 6/22/01)
The lawsuits have been brought by defense workers who claim that they became ill because Brush Wellman allowed exposure to beryllium in the production of nuclear warhead triggers.

Some may be able to be children again (Friday, 6/22/01)
Hundreds of Rwandan children have been working as combat soldiers, of all things. Now, they're home again for a tearful reunion with their families. Here's more from Jean Baptiste Kayigamba reporting from Gisenyi.

Persistent gender gap in Japan (Friday, 6/22/01)
The gender gap may be narrowing somewhat in Japan, but not as much or as quickly as in other major industrial countries, according to a new governmental report. Japanese women still have a long way to go.

Former air traffic controllers rebuffed by court (Friday, 6/22/01)
A federal judge has ruled that air traffic controllers fired by President Reagan in the early 1980s because of an illegal strike cannot bring a group suit against the government, but that doesn't mean that those seeking re-employment with the FAA are entirely locked out.

There's already a "guest worker" visa (Friday, 6/22/01)
It applies to temporary unskilled workers and isn't used very often, according to columnist L. M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle.

Opportunity for those still saddled with student loans (Friday, 6/22/01)
Loan consolidation can offer opportunities to cut interest costs and payments, but experts advise caution. Here's more from Glen Creno of the Arizona Republic.

New WTO code of conduct (Friday, 6/22/01)
The International Labor Organization is offering a new code of conduct for businesses, governments, and workers to help prevent discrimination against workers infected with HIV.

A takeover at Marks and Spencer (Friday, 6/22/01)
Striking workers have taken over the company's headquarters in France after talks broke off.

India's efforts to cope with its population problem (Friday, 6/22/01)
China has the largest population in the world, but India is gaining fast and is expected to become the most populous country sometime during the first half of the century. Celia Dugger reports that sterilization is being promoted by Indian politicians, and sometimes in fairly un-subtle ways.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's STILL the richest man of all? (Friday, 6/22/01)
There's no prize for the correct answer. Bill Gates still tops the new Forbes list as the world's wealthiest individual, but there have been a few changes of position near the top. For one thing, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been passed by Warren Buffet, although Paul still has more than $30 billion, according to the magazine's estimates.

The benefits to employers of maintaining a good place to work (Friday, 6/22/01)
According to a new survey, there are tangible financial benefits associated with being a good employer. Overall, companies identified as best to work for are also among the wealthiest and most successful, according to research done by Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

Americans perceive a growing divide (Friday, 6/22/01)
A new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that more Americans see a widening financial gap in the U.S., with the 1990s boom mostly helping the well-off get more well-off. Given the President's recent drop in the polls, it may be that he and his advisors have misread the public mood with respect to the big tax cut and what America's national priorities should be.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: United for a Fair Economy (Friday, 6/22/01)
United for a Fair Economy is an activist organization working to narrow what they regard as the destructive, limiting, and growing income and assets gap in American society. Among other things, the organization maintains a number of partnerships with church and labor organizations.

Delta pilots ratify new contract (Thursday, 6/21/01)
Pilots at Delta Airlines have approved a new five-year contract, making them the highest-paid in the airline industry.

Fed concerned that rate cuts haven't been having hoped-for effect (Thursday, 6/21/01)
Despite the most aggressive rate cutting in nearly two decades, the American economy remains sluggish, and this concerns Federal Reserve officials. Some experts feel this is because there's already a glut of many of the things that businesses might otherwise borrow money in order to purchase, and, in the increasingly tech-driven economy, greater economic growth may await a new generation of techology. In fact, Intel's Andy Grove has expressed this view by predicting the recovery of the tech sector, but not with the old technologies. Stand by and stay tuned. Actually, the Conference Board's Index of Leading Economic Indicators in May suggests that recovery is coming, but that it will be slow. Incidentally, speaking of the Fed, Alan Greenspan said at a hearing yesterday that he is not concerned that the Bush II tax cut will bring about a return to deficit spending.

Bush forms workforce advisory panel (Thursday, 6/21/01)
During Tuesday's Labor Department conference in Washington, the President announced formation of his Council on the 21st Century Workforce, which will include union officials.

China clears a hurdle (Thursday, 6/21/01)
China has made a deal with the European Union, which analysts say puts World Trade Organization membership within reach by the end of the year.

Annual economic conference opens in Israel (Thursday, 6/21/01)
Education and other issues relating to the development of "human capital" for the new economy have high priority in the annual conference in Caesarea. Here's more from Avi Shmoul and Moti Bassok in Ha'aretz.

The case for technology in the improvement of life (Thursday, 6/21/01)
20th century Communism arose in part as a response to the grimmer aspects of the Industrial Revolution, including Dickensonian squalor and environmental contamination in mid-19th century Britain. Some felt that the only way the masses of the population would be able to share in the benefits of tech-driven capitalism would be for the means of production to be seized in their name. None could have anticipated the important role played by labor unions within democratic capitalist societies during the 20th century, let alone "capitalism without capitalists" as Peter Drucker has termed the broad distribution of stock ownership and the key role played by pension funds in the financing of late 20th century corporations.

During recent years, have vs. have-not gaps appear to be widening again at the same time that another tech-driven industrial revolution transforms the world, and similar concerns about the distribution of the benefits of this revolution, as well as environmental concerns, have given rise to widespread anxieties about "globalization." Moreover, technology has become an easy target in other ways too, and, as every beginning science student should recognize, it is easy to confuse correlation with causation.

For instance, an increase in the incidence of some diseases has occurred at about the same time that technological and environmental changes have been occurring. But, is the one the cause of the other? University of Houston economics professor Thomas DeGregori provides an interesting defense of technology in his new book, Agriculture and Modern Technology--A Defense.

Meanwhile, economics writer Robert Samuelson examines the dilemma faced by President Bush, or any other major political leader in a popular democracy, when it comes to environmental issues and responses such as the Kyoto protocol, which has not yet been ratified by any nation, incidentally, including those which have been most critical of the Bush administration's rejection of it.

Despite limited curiosity and perspective, we believe that it's safe to assume that the President's SAT scores would be higher than his most enthusiastic enemies like to believe, but, whether he's essentially "brain-dead" when it comes to scientific issues and whether he has a tendency to surround himself with bright people with a similar selective disability are still open questions. The fact that he seems to trust science more in relation to exotic plans for missile defense than on environmental issues, even though the preponderance of professional scientific opinion seems to be the opposite, should at least cast doubt.

Still, if the President is truly naive and gullible on scientific issues, it won't make him different from a lot of Democrats.

"Bring your friend to work day" at Progressive (Thursday, 6/21/01)
Trying to live up to their name, Progressive Insurance Co. has enough confidence in their workers' satisfaction to make use of employees in their recruiting efforts. Here's more from columnist Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star.

One of the hazards of being rich (Thursday, 6/21/01)
If you have a lot of money, odds are pretty good that you will spend more time thinking about it and less time on the tremendous number of other life possibilities. Keep in mind, of course, that, in a few years, we'll all be dead, so choose carefully how you spend your time and precious life's energies. A new study of America's richest 1 percent finds that the very well-healed spend a lot of time worrying about money. Incidentally, if you're wondering if you're in that top 1 percent, you will need at least $300,000 in yearly income or at least $3 million in assets to qualify. Who was it who remarked that a person pursues either wisdom or wealth, and, having found the one, seldom seeks the other? We don't know either.

More on the "garbage in, garbage out" issue (Thursday, 6/21/01)
It is generally agreed that productivity is a very good thing, and, when it increases, a lot of problems tend to disappear. So, how is the American economy doing, and how can we tell? Alan Krueger reports on what researchers at the Bureau of Labor Statistics have learned about the measurement of productivity.

Employment in Wisconsin's manufacturing sector remains weak (Thursday, 6/21/01)
Here's Joel Dresan's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report on new employment data from the state's Department of Workforce Development.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: 21st Century Workforce Summit (Thursday, 6/21/01)
Here's the U. S. Department of Labor's site for last Tuesday's 21st Century Workforce Summit in Washington. New information is likely to be added.

Wal-Mart hit with what may be record bias suit (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Wal-Mart and Sam's Club are being charged with systematically engaging in sex discrimination for years, and it could turn out to be the biggest discrimination suit ever. Here's more from Andrew Quinn in San Francisco. If given class-action status, the suit could represent 700,000 current and former Wal-Mart employees. Ford also has been hit with several bias suits, including some filed by white, male workers. Meanwhile, thousands of Ford workers are showing support for their company in the controversy over the Explorer model vs. Firestone tires issue.

O'Neill sells Alcoa shares (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Like many other key figures in the Bush II administration, the Secretary of Treasury is a millionaire dozens of times over, and has spent quite a lot of his professional life helping to guide Alcoa. His retaining about $100 million in Alcoa stock after becoming a member of the President's cabinet has caused some concern about at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. The Secretary has been sensitive to these concerns, and has responded by selling all of his Alcoa shares.

The checks finally are in the mail (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Nazi-era slaves finally will receive some payment for their labor. Stephanie Flanders reports in today's New York Times that, following a series of delays, payments have begun.

Clearing away the remains of Communism (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
The old Soviet Union is dead, and China's government may be Communist in name only at this point. Despite some strong remaining totalitarian features in both societies, power has passed from one democratically-elected president to another in Russia, which would astonish Russians over at least a thousand years, and a genuine public opinion seems to be having at least some effect in China. In the economic sphere, both countries have given up on planned, centrally-controlled systems, but old patterns remain. Fred Weir reports from Moscow on changes about to come to subsidized housing, and today's Washington Post reports that, despite continuing losses, the pace of reform of China's state-owned firms has slowed a bit. One problem not lost on top government officials is the tremendous number of workers who are displaced when huge government-operated firms shut down, exacerbating an already severe unemployment problem. For the time-being, at least, the government, in its effort to tread softly over social dynamite, may prefer large financial losses to large job losses.

Transportation Secretary finds little enthusiasm for privatizing air traffic control (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Secretary Mineta says he's not willing to struggle against overwhelming opposition in Congress to privatizing the air traffic control system.

Greenspan on preparing 21st century workers (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
The Chairman of the Federal Reserve doesn't think traditional degree programs provide the flexibility that will be needed for preparing people for work in the new economy during the remainder of the new century.

Overwhelmed by hi-tech (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Efficiencies in the new economy are largely about the appropriate use of technology, with "appropriate" being the key word. Hi-tech can be used to manage a lot of information, but also can easily overwhelm by providing too much information to manage. A survey reported by London's Financial Times finds a significant shift during the past two years in the number of people who prefer email to face-to-face meetings now, with meetings increasing in popularity and email in decline. Email is so easy to send that many people end up with hundreds of messages to sort through, while there are anatomical limits governing face-to-face interactions.

The growing pension gap (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Ellen Schultz reports in today's Wall Street Journal that companies are cutting back on pensions for most workers, but strengthening them for executives. Today's Journal also reports on the significant drop in help-wanted newspaper ads.

Fewer perks for executives working in foreign locales (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Sherwood Ross reports in USA Today that multinational companies are trying to save money by cutting back on the number of people they're sending overseas as well as on costs associated with each.

Flash! You may not be indispensable (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Moreover, you may not make your position more secure by trying to do everything yourself. Here's more from Anita Bruzzese on the fine art of delegating.

New findings on the destructive effects of rudeness in the workplace (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
What many observers have recognized as increasing dehumanizing coarseness in American media and American life has hit the workplace, and a new study says rudeness at work is bad for individual well-being as well as for productivity. Andrea Kay says that both individual and company interests also suffer from arbitrary and obsolete rules and procedures that prevent people from doing their best in the new economy.

One less thing to worry about (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
If you've been tossing and turning over the possible consequences of gross gender imbalance in the United States, you can go ahead and get some sleep. New Census data show that the ratio of men to women is no longer shifting in the direction of women. Men are making a comeback, writes Laurent Belsie of the Christian Science Monitor.

The sobering effect of debt (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Americans, always big spenders, were spending as if there were no tomorrow during the recent boom, and record personal debt is the lingering consequence. It means that more income must go to make payments on existing debt than at any time during the past 15 years, and this is money that does not provide further stimulus to the economy.

Managers who resonate to poetry (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Managers are used to living in a practical world in which language is used to express things directly. However, as Heidi Schuessler reports, ordinary "here's-the-latest-news-in-30-seconds-or-less" language isn't adequate for expressing humanity's deepest concerns, and that's why poetry was invented thousands of years ago. Managers aren't an exception.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Science, Industry, and Business at the New York Public Library (Wednesday, 6/20/01)
Most American public libraries don't compare very well with major academic libraries, but the New York Public Library is a clear exception, since it is one of the great libraries of the world. Here's their Science, Industry, and Business section.

Historic disaster threatens (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
The UN Secretary-General warns today at an United Nations AIDS conference that a coordinated international effort will be necessary to prevent AIDS from becoming one of humanity's greatest disasters. Approximately 36 million persons either suffer from AIDS or are infected with HIV. Fifteen years ago, it was a few thousand. Forecasters have been suggesting for sometime that it may easily become history's worst pandemic, which is saying quite a lot, considering that European population levels required several centuries to recover from the "black death" of the mid-14th century.

Precedent in Minnesota (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
For many years, insurance carries have been required to cover the cost of mental health services up to a predetermined yearly cost level in return for doing business in Minnesota. Late last year, a lawsuit was filed against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota claiming that the company routinely denied mental health treatments. An agreement has been reached with Attorney General Mike Hatch which will put treatment decisions in the hands of an independent panel of experts. In other health-related Minnesota news, Dan Wascoe reports that 10 Twin Cities hospitals haven't decided yet how they will cope with the higher operating costs resulting from new contracts with formerly striking nurses. Finally, Jean Hopfensperger describes how many nonprofit organizations will be affected if there is a shutdown of state government operations because of deadlock on budget issues in the Legislature.

Two rail unions try to get together (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
The history of their relationship wouldn't suggest it, but the United Transportation Union and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers are exploring possibilities for a merger.

Is materialism declining among the newly educated? (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
A new generation gap may be developing on issues of income. A new survey indicates that this year's graduates seem to be giving less priority to the importance of earning a high income. Here's more from Christina Gostomski. For several years, we have discussed the impact of growing diversity of most kinds on the American workplace, and how a more diverse workforce complicates things for employers who must offer a variety of incentives to appeal to a variety of tastes. For some, the opportunity to earn more won't be enough to tap strong motivation. In fact, the new graduates surveyed in the current study indicate increased interest in opportunities for creativity.

While diversity increases in places like the U.S., the world as a whole may be becoming more "standardized" (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
Most of humanity's history so far has been spent in the stone age, and, for tens of thousands of years, human beings have been organized into fairly small communities largely isolated from one another. This has resulted in the tremendous number of creeds and tongues to which current generations are heir. However, the world has become a very different place in which nearly everything is connected to nearly everything else and people over the globe interact with one another continuously. One consequence: The Worldwatch Institute forecasts the extinction of the great majority of the 6,800 languages by the end of this century.

A look at the Chinese Evolution (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
China has been in the process of becoming a different place, and, by opening its economy to much greater freedom, it may be opening the door to greater political freedom as well. Twenty-two American journalists have been visiting the world's largest country, led by two Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial writers. Here is the paper's five-day series, as well as some editorial thoughts. Incidentally, some Americans continue to view China as if Mao were still in charge, even though others don't believe there are any true Communists left in the country, including the Chinese government. The choice is yours. You can choose to believe that those in power are committed totalitarians who are resisting the currents of change in the country, or you can choose to believe that they are encouraging the changes, but trying to manage them in order to avoid slipping back into the chaos and fragmentation that has afflicted China during much of modern history. If you're inclined toward the latter view, you may emphasize with those who may be trying the difficult task of dismounting from a tiger.

Prescription costs could lurch upward for many American workers (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
Many employers do feel the need to make health benefits available to their workers, but they're also trying to cope with rising costs, not the least significant of which involve prescription medications. Julie Appleby of USA Today tells about a plan that could result in significant co-payments for workers. Of course, one of the reasons many employers feel they must continue sponsoring health benefits is to keep another major cost under control--the cost of high turnover. Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star reports on a conference in her city.

The difference a father can make (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
Jilian Mincer, in her "Women at Work" column, describes the mission and successes of the Dads & Daughters organization.

The death of e-biz has been exaggerated, but whether exaggeration itself finally is out of style remains to be seen (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
Not so long ago, some persons seemed to believe that nearly all commerce of any consequence would soon shift to stand-alone Internet companies, and that success could be measured in terms of odd concepts like "burn rate," while profits weren't necessarily important.

Then, the speculative bubble burst, and it became apparent that huge amounts of money had been flowing into dot-comedies with little genuine value because of a resurgence of the "greater fool" contagion that has swept through a number of times before. It means that you may be willing to pay too much for something if you assume that you'll find a greater fool who will pay you even more for it. In the 17th century, it was responsible for the willingness of some people to pay the modern equivalent of several thousand dollars for a single tulip bulb, and it was responsible for Japan's speculative real estate boom a few years ago that resulted in a blizzard of bad debts that have weakened Japanese banks, hobbled the entire Japanese economy, and has been one of the principal root causes of one of modern history's greatest deflationary periods in which the country is mired at the present time.

But, back to e-business: does the dot-com blowout mean the end of interest in finding ways to employ the Internet in business, or does this attitude simply represent a second round of exaggeration? According to London's Financial Times, a new survey finds that more than half of the chief executives of large corporations report that they play a major role in the development of their companies' Internet strategies. A great deal of business is done on the web, but well-established conventional companies with real assets are doing a major portion of it.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: America's Deflation Hysteria (Tuesday, 6/19/01)
George Selgin of the Cato Institute agues in America's Deflation Hysteria that, contrary to widespread presumption, deflation is not necessarily destructive. Mr. Selgin's article was published in 1997.

Violent protests in Indonesia (Monday, 6/18/01)
Hundreds of students protesting fuel prices in Indonesia have clashed with police. Here's more from Achmad Sukarono in Jakarta.

Mexico has its own illegal immigration problem (Monday, 6/18/01)
Many people have been pouring into Mexico from the south with the intention of continuing on to the United States. The Mexican government is stepping up efforts to slow the flow. Meanwhile, a poor California county is paying welfare recipients to move someplace else.

More "salad" than "melting pot" (Monday, 6/18/01)
Diversity has been on the increase in New York City, but this doesn't mean that everybody's blending together. Janny Scott reports on the high degree of segregation in the big town, and the reasons are numerous.

Role of stock options declines in executive compensation (Monday, 6/18/01)
Yorene Yue writes in the Detroit Free Press that, in Michigan, at least, total executive pay during the year 2000 was less stratospheric because stock options played a smaller role than earlier. Scott Burns reports on the high rate of executive turnover and the large number of "golden parachutes."

Increasing EU competitiveness (Monday, 6/18/01)
Enda O'Doherty writes in the Irish Times about alternative visions for making the European Union the world's most competitive economic system.

Some reasons for turnover (Monday, 6/18/01)
Fourteen experts got together in Kansas City to discuss the various factors that seem to contribute to high employee turnover.

Special problems for boomers who lose their spouses (Monday, 6/18/01)
Lisa Singhania writes about why the loss of spouse can be even more traumatizing for people born between 1946 and 1964, given their stage of life combined with their financial circumstances.

The haves and have nots of Hollywood (Monday, 6/18/01)
If you think that everybody who appears in features films is rich, think again. Even among actors working in the big time film and TV industries, the gap between the rich and the ordinary has been widening, and contract negotiations are not about the A-list stars who make $20 million or more per picture.

That this law hasn't succeeded so far may be a major understatement (Monday, 6/18/01)
A four-year-old Michigan law intended to produce a large number of jobs for prison inmates hasn't produce a single one so far, and critics say it's because it's too restrictive.

These aren't the migrant workers you've been hearing most about (Monday, 6/18/01)
A growing number of older people in RVs travel the country working part-time and temporary jobs. Here's more from the Christian Science Monitor. Meanwhile, Henry Holcomb writes in the Seattle Times about the fairly receptive attitude toward older workers in today's economy, but with some caveats.

Here's help and advice if you've lost your job (Monday, 6/18/01)
Harriet Lessy of the Philadelphia Daily News says there are lots of things you can do to help yourself succeed in the job market from now on if a pink slip already has arrived with your name on it.

Full-time benefits for part-time work (Monday, 6/18/01)
Work-life issues have become a more prominent part of the new-economy dialogue, and many employers are deciding that it's in their enlightened self-interest to help their employees have a life outside their work. Mary Ann Milbourn of the Orange County Register tells about the Vista Rx program at Pfizer which can enable some people to work the equivalent of three days per week while keeping all their benefits. In Quebec, a special effort is being made to find ways to support worker efforts to strengthen family life, according to the Montreal Gazette.

The complex issue of religious discrimination on the job (Monday, 6/18/01)
Things can be simpler in homogeneous societies, communities, or workforces. American settings have always been a mix, but diversity of all kinds has been on the increase, and this means more religious diversity on the job as well. David Anderson of the Salt Lake Tribune tells why it can be difficult to determine just what one's obligations are in an effort to avoid religious discrimination on the job.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) (Monday, 6/18/01)
The SCSEP is a part-time employment program for low-income persons 55 or over and is conducted by the United States Department of Labor.

Unionization gains favor among American physicians (Sunday, 6/17/01)
Many American doctors who would have been independent practitioners during previous years are now employed by HMOs, and this has changed the thinking of many of them about becoming unionized, according to a new survey conducted by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. A majority of those sampled favor a change in the law to allow physicians to engage in collective bargaining. In other health-related news, an analysis by the Minneapolis Star Tribune has found that major insurance carriers doing business in Minnesota have been refusing to pay what is alleged to be their full share of the cost of various mental health treatments. Finally, in South Korea, agreement has been reached at five hospitals where workers had been on strike. Here's more from Seoul.

Why Marx would be unhappy with China (Sunday, 6/17/01)
If you think that China is the world's largest Community nation, you may not have been keeping in touch with the news during recent years. Kate Stanley says that the governing political party still refers to itself as Communist, but this may simply be a matter of semantics.

Pakistanis seeking work in Europe find tragedy instead (Sunday, 6/17/01)
Here's one in the Washington Post's series of articles on global migration, and it's a story without a happy ending, even though the general theme is familiar. Meanwhile, Ginger Thompson tells about the emptying out of large parts of the central region of Mexico as people head north to the U.S. In the United States itself, as we have reported repeatedly, parts of the Great Plains are becoming fairly empty as well, as the depression in American agriculture pushes more people off family farms. The reasons in all the cases cited are fundamentally economic.

Can Russians exhale yet? (Sunday, 6/17/01)
Sabrina Tavernis reports from Moscow that the Russian economy has been stable for three years, but wonders whether those who have been holding their breath can safely relax.

A perk you may not be expecting if you're being laid off (Sunday, 6/17/01)
Rick Gladstone reports that, for some few privileged corporate executives, there's not only a "golden parachute," even when they're being pushed out of the plane, but also a paid professional to tell a nice-sounding story about the landing. Here's more about PR as a perk.

Another demographic shift is noted on this Father's Day (Sunday, 6/17/01)
New Census data show that the number of single fathers with primary custody of their children has increased 50 percent since the last Census in 1990.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Pew Center on Global Climate Change (Sunday, 6/17/01)
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change was established in 1998 by the famed Pew Charitable Trusts based in Philadelphia. This non-profit, non-partisan organization seeks ways of dealing with global climate change while sustaining a growing global economy.

European Union to enlarge by 2004 (Saturday, 6/16/01)
Leaders have agreed at a summit in Gothenburg, Sweden that a number of central European and Mediterranean countries will be able to join the EU within three years. Violent protests at the summit have stunned many Swedes who aren't used to such conflicts in their country. Meanwhile, European economic experts have lost some of their optimism about the ability of European economies to grow at higher rates without producing inflationary pressures. In Ireland, experts are discussing the expected slowing of the Irish economy to a more sustainable level as well as the reasons for it.

Putin's land-reform legislation has been passed in the Duma, but not quietly (Saturday, 6/16/01)
More of the structure left over from the old Soviet Union will be dismantled as a consequence of the passing of the legislation. However, not only was the land-reform measure debated, violence broke out in the Duma.

Striking nurses turned away at other hospitals (Saturday, 6/16/01)
Nurses on strike at two Twin Cities hospitals have applied for temporary work at other hospitals and have been turned away, they say. They are claiming that this action is illegal, and have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. Also from Minnesota, Conrad deFiebre reports that a tentative agreement has been reached on how tens of thousands of unionized Minnesota state employees will be idled if the state government is shutdown because of the deadlock in the Legislature.

American labor unions try to influence Mexican president on "guest worker" issue (Saturday, 6/16/01)
Union leaders in the United States would like President Fox to support plans in the U.S. for the establishment of a "guest worker" category, but only with qualifications. They want legal status to be granted to undocumented Mexicans already in the United States.

Insolvency in South Korea vs. Australia (Saturday, 6/16/01)
Tim Colebatch, economics editor of Melbourne's The Age looks at the debt mess bedeviling many South Korean companies and the economy as a whole, and points out that, unlike in Australia, creditors in South Korea don't necessarily force insolvent companies into receivership. Many companies are allowed to function long after they have become hopelessly mired in debt because of fear of the consequences of allowing them to fail.

The "new economy" isn't dead, only sleeping (Saturday, 6/16/01)
Andrew Priest reports that many economists remain convinced that the productivity boom of the late 1990s was not a temporary phenomenon, but, instead, part of more enduring structural changes that will become visible again with additional interest rate cuts. One good sign, according to Jonathan Nicholson, is that consumer spending persists, despite the economic slowdown. That's important, because consumers account for two-thirds of the activity in the enormous American economy.

In case you've lost track... (Saturday, 6/16/01)
Here's a summary of major company job cuts over the past several months, courtesy of the Washington Post.

When to explain gaps in your resume (Saturday, 6/16/01)
A correspondent asks about how to deal with the several months without work when caring for his dying wife now that he's applying for a new job. Joyce Lain Kennedy says that, while employers are more than curious about gaps in employment history for what should be obvious reasons, there should not be a problem in this case.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Global Change Master Directory (Saturday, 6/16/01)
The Global Change Master Directory provides access to extensive information and technical data on environmental and climate change and comes from NASA.

Agreement at Comair (Friday, 6/15/01)
Comair, the large regional airline, has reached a tentative deal with its pilots.

Consumer Price Index up, but for specific reasons (Friday, 6/15/01)
The key measure of consumer inflation rose by 0.4 percent in May, but mostly because of gasoline and electricity costs. Here's more from Jeannine Aversa in Washington.

Some of today's job cuts (Friday, 6/15/01)
Nortel will cut another 10,000 jobs, while Xerox will eliminate 1,000 jobs when it shuts down its small business office equipment unit. There will be cuts at American Express as well.

The Japanese economy may be back in recession (Friday, 6/15/01)
Japan's top economic planner is indicating that his country's economy may be in recession again, given the latest discouraging numbers. Japan's once-mighty economy has been struggling to regain its former strength for the past decade.

Another milestone for California (Friday, 6/15/01)
The big American state has had one of the world's largest economies for a long time. Now, despite all its current troubles, California's economy has surpassed the economy of France.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Mint (Friday, 6/15/01)
The Mint hopes to teach economics to middle and high school students, as well as their parents, with multiple sections focusing on a variety of issues, including what it takes to start one's own business, government spending, personal budgeting, and more.

Why CEOs are paid so much (Thursday, 6/14/01)
Fortune examines the increasingly astronomical pay of many corporate heads, and concludes that compensation is too high because it occurs for the wrong reasons. Apple CEO Steve Jobs' $872 million in options seems to be a record. In a related story, David Gleason writes that the worldwide market for luxury goods is one of the world's largest, and that the World Wealth Report indicates that about 7 million persons with net worth of $1 million or more have a total of $25 trillion among them.

Incidentally, the psychology of all this is at least as interesting as the economics. Who decides what a luxury item is worth? It is an axiom of free-market economics that something is worth what somebody is willing to pay for it, so why are some people willing to pay so much for items that others might consider to be grossly over-priced junk?

The motivation underlying the pursuit of wealth, as well as how wealth is used, are non-obvious and require explanation as much as the motivation for any other human behavior. One person might be highly motivated to work to obtain $1 million in order to buy something that s/he has decided is "worth" $1 million, even though another person might not be willing to accept the same item as a gift. An individual who doesn't want that item in the first place is more free, in a sense, because that's $1 million that s/he won't need in the first place, thus freeing up time for more substantive use.

Moreover, while there is ample evidence that poverty is a powerful risk factor increasing an individual's vulnerability to a wide variety of undesirable ailments and other destructive conditions, there is evidence that wealth can be a risk factor too. It can complicate efforts to maintain personal well-being as well as to have a beneficial impact on others. It's probably a mistake to assume that economic development is simply a matter of encouraging poor individuals or poor countries to aspire to "standard of living" as defined by many of the world's most affluent persons. Alternatively, a preoccupation with ease, idleness, or luxury at the expense of other life possibilities could be seen as symptomatic of pathology.

China's market reforms make life more miserable for many prison workers (Thursday, 6/14/01)
Because of changes in China's economy, it is getting harder to sell prison-made products, and this has resulted in a deterioration of life quality for many Chinese prison laborers. Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times reports on the abuse of workers in the United States as well, but, in this case, it's domestic workers from foreign countries.

Two-parent families make a come-back (Thursday, 6/14/01)
There is evidence that the decline of the two-parent family in the United States may be reversing. Incidentally, some social critics seem to assume that many of the demographic changes that have occurred in the U.S. over the past 30 years are indicative of a breakdown of American society. However, some of the same trends can be found in a variety of countries across the North Atlantic.

Meager increase in inflation (Thursday, 6/14/01)
The Labor Department's Producer Price Index increased 0.1 percent last month after a 0.3 percent increase in April.

Do "supervisors" have to supervise anything? (Thursday, 6/14/01)
There has been much in the news over the past few years about the difference between calling somebody an "employee" as opposed to an "independent contractor," and why it can mean savings for employers. Now, Diane Stafford looks at federal labor law and why "supervisors" may not have to be paid for extra non-supervisory work.

Benefits evaporate with the closing of Kansas City-area steel mill (Thursday, 6/14/01)
GST Steel shut down a mill last month, leaving greatly-reduced benefits for its former workers and retirees. Meetings are being held this week on what the United Steelworkers of America has been able to retain of the bankruptcy settlement.

Job market for librarians expected to heat up (Thursday, 6/14/01)
The continuing development of information technologies plus a large number of expected retirements are likely to mean more job openings for professional librarians, as Kate Beem reports.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: refdesk.com (Thursday, 6/14/01)
If you like facts, you'll probably want to bookmark refdesk.com.

Big job cuts at Polaroid (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
It has been many years since Polaroid's instant photography changed the popular picture-taking landscape for consumers, but things are rapidly changing again. Now that the era of film-based photography seems to be relinquishing the market to digital imaging, Polaroid will try to become a different kind of company. A quarter of its 8,000-person workforce will be cut as part of the process. Fuji has been a major film company all along, and they intend to adjust to the changing market as well, but don't expect film technology to disappear altogether, at least for now. Meanwhile, companies making the digital cameras also are having to scramble in a highly competitive, rapidly-changing market.

Violence in Indonesia (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
Indonesian police fired warning shots and tear gas at workers protesting a government move to end severance pay .

Tech salaries decline (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
Average salaries for chief information officers are down more than a third compared to last year, and it's the first such drop since 1985.

Prescription contraceptives cannot be excluded from employee health plans (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
Tamar Lewin has details from a federal judge's ruling in Seattle yesterday.

The vast demographic implications of AIDS (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
The World Economic Forum met in Durban last week, and Botswana and Uganda are seen as leading the battle against AIDS on the African continent. A new model projects that 45 percent of South Africa's adult population will die of the disease unless major widespread behavioral changes occur. Also, Beata Pasek reports that AIDS is on the increase in Eastern Europe.

Resurgence of the business uniform (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
Standardization of most kinds has been more functional and highly valued in the old economy than in the new, and now that old-economy companies have been reasserting themselves, formal business dress has regained momentum, as well, according to this report from Amy Parnes. Formal dress leaves a better impression on bosses and customers, she says, but, of course, that depends entirely on who those bosses and customers are and what their expectations are. Expect continuing evolution as the new economy evolves, keeping in mind that "new economy" refers to something far more fundamental than Internet companies. But,, speaking of the Internet, a new study estimates that of the 6 billion persons in the world, about 429 million have access to the Internet. North American dominance is expected to diminish sharply within another year.

Sears makes deal with retirees (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
Some of Sears' retired workers have claimed that the company reduced the value of their life insurance policies, and filed suit in federal court. A tentative settlement has been reached, but no details are available.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: RetirementNet (Wednesday, 6/13/01)
RetirementNet is a portal for those interested in most things having to do with retirement planning and living.

Legislative deadlock could lead to state shutdown (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has formed a team to plan the shutdown of state services if the deadlocked Legislature has not reached agreement by July 1. The team believes that it would be far less expensive to furlough state employees without pay than to lay them off.

Who won't get a tax rebate (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
The checks will be in the mail to a lot of Americans, but a new report estimates that about a quarter of American adults won't get a tax rebate at all. Here's more from David Rosenbam of the New York Times.

New grads find that the job market has tightened considerably (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
The slowed American economy has made things more difficult for many of this year's new graduates. Here's more from Stephanie Armour of USA Today. Another sign of a sluggish economy and softening employment is the increasing number of Americans who are getting behind in mortgage payments.

New ergonomics guidelines are coming (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
The Bush administration quickly dispensed with Clinton administration policies on repetitive-stress injuries and their prevention, claiming that the were unworkable and too expensive. As Diane Stafford reports, the new administration's Labor Secretary expects to have defined a "final course of action" on the issue by September.

Forced labor in Myanmar (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
Myanmar's government has said that it banned involuntary servitude months ago, but there is evidence that people have been working as slaves as recently as last month. You might more frequently think of Myanmar as Burma, a next-door neighbor of Thailand in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, child labor, including involuntary child labor, continues to be a problem throughout much of the world, and, according to a new report, children aren't simply working in sweatshop factory situations. Hundreds of thousands of them are working as combat soldiers.

Immigration and productivity (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
Vast demographic changes are underway in the United States and are expected to continue throughout the 21st century. Among other things, these changes will mean that an increasing proportion of the workforce will be composed of immigrants, and the Federal Reserve expects this to impact worker productivity.

For those who haven't lost all their nerve (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
Actually, investing online isn't confined to day-trading, which seems far less popular now than during the increasingly hard-to-remember stock boom of such a short time ago. At any rate, today's Wall Street Journal contains one of those special reports, this time on online investing. Numerous articles.

Dealing with the retention and promotion gender gap (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
Jilian Mincer tells how Deloitte & Touche has been trying to remove obstacles in the career paths of many of their women employees.

The cost of raising a child has gone up (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
The Agriculture Department estimates that the average cost of raising a child to maturity increased by about $5,000 in a year.

Fidel's medical scholarships (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
David Gonzalez tells about Americans who are studying medicine in Cuba.

Social Security panel may propose politically unpopular changes (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
Richard Stevenson writes that President Bush's advisory panel on Social Security may tell him some things that he--and many other Americans--may not want to hear. His Social Security commission has been studying what it will take to secure the future of the system.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Social Security History (Tuesday, 6/12/01)
As Social Security's future is debated, you might be interested in its past. Here's the Social Security History page from the SSA's official site.

Japan's economy shrinks in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year (Monday, 6/11/01)
The Japanese economy got smaller by 0.2 percent, which means smaller than expected growth for the year as a whole.

Korean Air hit by nationwide strike (Monday, 6/11/01)
Korean Air's pilots plan to join the strike called by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Eighty percent of the carrier's flights will be canceled.

More foreign workers recruited (Monday, 6/11/01)
The American agricultural and hi-tech sectors have been relying pretty heavily on workers from other countries. However, hospitals in and around the District of Columbia also search overseas for the nurses they need. Sara Terry of the Christian Science Monitor reports that, despite all you've heard about the slower American economy, many firms are still having to make a special effort to retain the top talent, and employer and employee may be able to work together to maintain a longer-term relationship that remains satisfying to both. However, temps are being laid off in large numbers, and, as Max Jarman of the Arizona Republic reports, they're often the first to go.

Can severance keep you out of the job market? (Monday, 6/11/01)
A correspondent asks whether a former employer can rescind severance if another jobs is accepted, and is told that, in almost all cases, employers are not legally obligated to pay severance at all. Here's more from the Washington Post.

Who are the anti-globalization protesters? (Monday, 6/11/01)
They're easy to stereotype, Malcolm Foster suggests. Take a closer look, and you will find that they are a highly diverse group, and many don't fit the stereotype at all.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Office Ergonomics (Monday, 6/11/01)
Office Ergonomics is a research-based information resource from a training and consultation firm headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan where the University of Michigan is also located.

A major panel of economists sees delicacy in the American economy's situation (Sunday, 6/10/01)
The Blue Chip survey of economists finds consensus that there probably won't be a full-blown recession--meaning two consecutive quarters of negative growth--but, nonetheless, the economy's "skating on thin ice." Among the discouraging signs are the many corporate leaders who expect that second-quarter profits will be disappointing.

What the new tax law means for your retirement savings (Sunday, 6/10/01)
Famed financial columnist Jane Bryant Quinn looks at the implications of the new tax cut legislation for your retirement preparations. Meanwhile, Linda Stern offers some guidance about how to tell a good financial advisor from one who's not so good. Finally, in relation to personal finance, Louis Uchitelle of the New York Times discusses how housing expectations have changed over the past few decades, but not so much over the past few months, despite weakening economic realities.

Harassment on the job, but not necessarily what you might expect (Sunday, 6/10/01)
Sexual harassment at work has become a common issue in American life, but Reed Abelson says there are increasing complaints of men harassing men.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Covering Managed Care (Sunday, 6/10/01)
With renewed attention given to "patients' bill of rights" legislation in the Congress now, you're likely to be seeing a lot about these issues in the press. The Columbia Journalism Review offers Covering Managed Care as a resource guide for reporters and editors.

What it will take to keep American farmers in business and food on the table (Saturday, 6/9/01)
Farm product prices remain in a deep slump, so major supplemental assistance will be required to prevent the collapse of much of the American agricultural sector. Philip Brasher reports from Washington that the cost of farm assistance this time is likely to be more than $5 billion.

Bank workers may strike in Lebanon (Saturday, 6/9/01)
A dispute over pay could lead to a failure of contract negotiations, and that could mean that thousands of bank workers could be on strike over the next several months. Here are details from Dania Saadi of The Daily Star.

Nurses organize...against their union (Saturday, 6/9/01)
Nurses at a Twin Cities hospital where a contract vote was glitched that resulted in an "accidental" ratification of a new contract, as well as nurses at two other hospitals in the region, are forming a new group called "RNs for Change," and one of the things they would like to see changed in their union's leadership.

Early education (Saturday, 6/9/01)
A program to educate children about workplace safety will be conducted in Kansas City tomorrow. Here's more from columnist Diane Stafford.

Another labor shortage (Saturday, 6/9/01)
Gustav Niebuhr reports that an insufficient number of people are answering the call to become clergy.

"Manager" means not having to pay overtime (Saturday, 6/9/01)
Many workers believe that they have been managers in name only, and that employers have been using titles simply in order to cheat them out of overtime pay. Lisa Girion of the Los Angeles Times reports on the filing of numerous class-action suits alleging the maintenance of "white-collar sweatshops."

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Global Financial Crisis (Saturday, 6/9/01)
The New York Times tracks and explains the global financial crisis of the late 1990s.

Wages increase in Israel (Friday, 6/8/01)
Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics has announced that wages increased an average of 4 percent during the first quarter of this year compared to a year earlier.

More bad news in Japan (Friday, 6/8/01)
The once-mighty Japanese economy has been struggling for a decade, and those waiting for a recovery may have to wait a little longer. A new governmental economic report due out next Thursday will tell the sad tale of a stumbling economy that seems to be getting worse rather than better.

Possible exploitation of foreign workers in Ireland (Friday, 6/8/01)
Judith Crosbie of the Irish Times reports that the Irish government is investigating 108 possible employment law violations.

Back pay owed to hundreds of restaurant workers in Australia (Friday, 6/8/01)
An employer group made a mistake, and persons working for 88 restaurants are due almost two years of back pay. Here's more from Mark Phillips.

Bush moves ahead on ambitious outsourcing plan (Friday, 6/8/01)
The President wants to see more government jobs contracted out to the private sector. In part, he's responding to the fact that about half of current federal workers will be eligible for retirement during the next few years. Meanwhile, protests have been underway in Washington alleging discrimination in some federal government agencies.

Meeting yesterday on illegal immigration issue (Friday, 6/8/01)
Top officials from both sides of the border met yesterday to discuss possible solutions for the increasingly dangerous task of entering the United States illegally from Mexico. More than 300 persons died in the attempt last year, most because of heat and thirst. With respect to legal immigration, the INS has expanded the H1-B visa program. The new policy also excludes university workers and other scholars from having to acquire the so-called "tech visa" in order to work in the United States.

Internship market tightens up (Friday, 6/8/01)
While some new grads are finding it harder to obtain jobs this spring, and others are finding that jobs they've already accepted have been rescinded, an increasing number of college students are also having more difficulty getting into internships, according to columnist L. M. Sixel.

"You're fired!," he said in a cute, squeaky voice (Friday, 6/8/01)
The Los Angeles Times reports that Disney is about to slice the final 1,000 of a total of 4,000 jobs throughout the company.

Don't stereotype boomers, writer urges (Friday, 6/8/01)
NBC-TV's Tom Brokaw has written a great deal about "the greatest generation," and he's not talking about Americans born between 1946 and 1964. Still, there isn't total consensus about the superiority of the generation that fought World War II, and the "boomer" generation may not be as bad as commonly believed either. At least one author believes that boomers really don't deserve their selfish, self-centered image.

Incidentally, most of this relates to an ongoing argument over the relative roles of person vs. situation in determining behaviors or outcomes, examples of which are the old "great man" vs. situational theories in history and politics. Historians generally agree now that the generally-acknowledged "great presidents" would not have been great if they had not been faced with special situations; e.g., Washington the founding of the country, Lincoln the Civil War, Roosevelt the Great Depression and World War II, and so on. If Roosevelt had been president during a quiet, boring period of American history, he might be mostly a footnote at this point. Similarly, the conditions that allowed him to be great may be the same conditions that allowed Brokaw's "greatest generation" to be great.

Also, of course, it's easier to think in terms of stereotypes or caricatures rather than in terms of the complexity that almost always characterizes realities. Historically, mankind has greatly exaggerated differences among groups--"racial," ethnic, gender, generational--while greatly underestimating individual differences.

Twin Cities nurses who can choose either to picket or work...elsewhere (Friday, 6/8/01)
Jill Burcum writes in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune that striking nurses could easily find jobs elsewhere, a fact that puts a somewhat different spin on the current labor conflict and influences its dynamics.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Centre for Health Economics (Friday, 6/8/01)
The Centre for Health Economics specializes in health economics research at the University of York in the UK.

The big tax cut bill isn't a bill anymore (Thursday, 6/7/01)
The President signed the $1.3 trillion tax cut into law today. Peter Grier has details of what it will mean for whom and when. Among other things, much of it won't kick in for years. Meanwhile, Jeff Madrick of the New York Times says that the tax law changes will help the richer stay richer, but that's nothing new, he says.

Big increase in jobless claims (Thursday, 6/7/01)
First-time claims for jobless benefits increased by 13,000 last week, according to the latest numbers from the Labor Department.

Labor Department takes up ergonomics issue again (Thursday, 6/7/01)
The Bush administration quickly rolled back Clinton-era regulations intended to prevent repetitive-motion disorders at work. Now, the Labor Secretary has announced that public hearings will be held to determine what, if any, regulation is needed.

Here are a couple of things that may REALLY be incompatible (Thursday, 6/7/01)
...But, we'll have to wait and see. Michael Baker reports from Seoul on a plan for seeing how compatible free-market economics, to say nothing of free inquiry, might be with North Korean Stalinist regimentation. Here's more on the training of MBAs for what may be the last place on earth you would expect to find them.

China already is engaged in an historic experiment which, among other things, may determine whether freedom really is indivisible. Many in the West are hoping that economic freedom will eventually result in political freedom in the world's largest country.

Of more immediate interest may be the question of whether North Korea will be able to rebuild its catastrophic economy while maintaining its totalitarianism, or whether economic change will bring political changes that can head off a general collapse of the entire society. Many observers expect some form of eventual reunification on the Korean peninsula, but whether it will happen gradually or suddenly is an important question. It won't necessarily come soon. Many had expected a major change long before now.

The new workaholic champions (Thursday, 6/7/01)
A New York City marketing research firm says that the South Koreans work an average of more than 55 hours per week, which is the most for any country in the world.

More Indian tech workers are finding that the jobs are coming to them (Thursday, 6/7/01)
The economic downturn in the United States may be stimulating the process of exporting tech jobs to India in order to curb costs. Here's more from Rosemary Arackaparambil.

Whoops! Nurses angry about "accidental" ratification (Thursday, 6/7/01)
Nurses committed to a new three-year contract despite their voting to reject it are venting thei