The federal government moved within a day of shutting down for the first time in 15 years Thursday, though House and Senate leaders said after a nighttime meeting with President Barack Obama that they had moved closer to a deal ahead of a deadline of Friday at midnight. (Wall Street Journal)
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The president’s late entry into direct talks was a calculated strategy, they say, to avoid overexposing Democrats’ sole marquee star and to gain maximum leverage after House Republicans and Senate Democrats fell short of an agreement. (Politico)
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Would a federal government shutdown harm the still-fragile U.S. economy? A shutdown will be in effect starting Friday night if Congress can't agree on a budget. Of course, the longer the government is shut down, the more devastation it could cause. (The Atlantic)
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Some assumptions make sense. You see clouds rolling in, assume a storm is coming, and bring your boat in off the water. You read a gloomy earnings report, assume a stock will lose value, and sell. Assumptions like these provide useful information, and lead to sound decisions. (International Business Times)
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The latest in job search technology? The QR code, which stands for "quick response." These codes, which you may have seen in magazines, websites, or ad campaigns, provide digitally encoded information a user can interpret by using an application downloaded to a smartphone. Anyone with the right application can scan and use the QR codes by taking a picture of it. (U.S. News and World Report)
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Japan’s economy is in a "severe condition" with no quick recovery in sight following a triple disaster triggered by the March 11 earthquake that has sent service-sector sentiment plummeting the most on record, the government said on Friday. (Montreal Gazette)
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Portugal's caretaker government, led by Jose Socrates, Wednesday admitted his country needed financial aid from the European Union. It would be the third eurozone country to get financial assistance after being unable to fund its debts. Socrates stood down as prime minister on March 23 after being unable to push through austerity measures. (CNN/International)
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MBAs are going where few MBAs have gone before. In public schools, business smarts and finance skills are suddenly in demand. (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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MBA students are increasingly looking to use their qualifications in jobs which will have a positive impact on the world. (UK Telegraph)
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New Google CEO Larry Page, who stepped into the job this week, believes that Google needs to go "social" to compete. To that end, he sent out a company-wide memo last Friday, alerting employees that 25% of their annual bonus will be tied to the success or failure of Google's social strategy in 2011. (Business Insider)
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There has been much speculation recently about the role Facebook Credits could play in becoming a global virtual currency, and even the possibility of Facebook becoming a bank. In many ways, it already is becoming a bank – just not in the traditional sense. Facebook is harnessing the power of the social graph and has certainly adopted an expanded definition of what 'currency' means. (Fast Company)
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Well, not all of your customers – just the ones who ask for more than they give, compelling your employees to start checking job boards. (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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The government's 2 million civilian workers – up to 800,000 of whom would likely be furloughed – are in the dark, wondering if their jobs count as "essential" and if not, if they'll be paid retroactively for the days they're barred from working. For contractors, the uncertainty is even worse. (CNN/Money)
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Consumers can now order their credit scores from more than 20 web sites, up from around five just a few years ago. But while consumers tend to think of one, uniform credit score, there are actually seven different scores for sale, each of which relies on its own magic mix of payment history, credit applications, debt and other factors. In at least one instance, whether consumers understand the difference between credit scores is now a matter for the courts. (SmartMoney)
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I'm 39, single and earn a good salary. I'd like to retire with $2 million at age 65, then travel and teach some college courses. Am I on track? What else should I be doing? (Money)
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Southwest Airlines' move to ground dozens of planes last Saturday, just hours after learning of possible structural problems, was an unusual move in the industry. Typically, airlines wait for regulatory direction and manufacturer recommendations before removing planes from service. In this case, that was a tricky proposition. (Wall Street Journal)
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Whether they are buying music, listening to the radio, reading newspapers or watching television, media consumers are aging even more quickly than the overall population. Rather than trying to reverse this trend by attracting younger people, many companies are attempting to profit from the greying of media. (The Economist)
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House Republicans passed a largely symbolic stopgap spending bill on Thursday, as congressional leaders met again with President Obama to try to hammer out a compromise that could keep the government from a partial shutdown. (NPR)
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Surveys show both Democrats and Republicans could be blamed if the stalemate over the budget causes a government shutdown. There are political 'landmines left and right,' says one pollster. (Los Angeles Time)
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Inadequate career development has kept women from reaching the top ranks of the corporate ladder, according to a report set to be released Tuesday by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. (Wall Street Journal)
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When you coach someone or conduct a performance appraisal, where do you tend to focus? Probably on "opportunities for improvement," right? Sure, you mention some positive things, but we'll bet you spend much more time talking about faults and shortcomings. (Harvard Business Review)
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You’ve got to carve out your own work-life balance. If you don’t, according to conference panelists, it’s your fault (at least in part.) Forget blaming your boss for bombarding you with "urgent" emails after-hours or your co-workers for pestering you in your cubicle so that you never seem to get anything done during the workday. It’s up to you to set limits and expectations. (Wall Street Journal)
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