The crisis that has engulfed the European Union (EU) is about much more than the euro. As government bonds, share prices and banks swoon and global recession knocks on the door, the first fear is of financial and economic collapse. But to understand what is happening to the currency you also need to look at what is happening to Europe. (The Economist)
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Negotiations over the national debt entered a troubling new phase Wednesday on Capitol Hill as lawmakers appeared to spend more time trading blame for the impasse than in talks aimed at developing a blueprint to reduce borrowing. (Washington Post)
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When it comes to small business, the nation is not created equal. But which region in the United States fared the best in the recession, which does the most business overseas, and which is seeing the most growth? (Portfolio)
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It is a tragic irony that there are over 3 million open jobs in the U.S. economy today, while over 14 million Americans remain unemployed. Incredibly, a majority of U.S. companies recently surveyed complain that they can’t find qualified people to fill their open roles.(Fast Company)
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It’s hard to forecast which jobs will be prized in the future. So to get an edge in your work, focus on what you can control: not the macro-economy or specific trades, but the way you steer your career. There are four principles – consider them navigational skills – that will serve you well regardless of what the future brings. These principles are habits of mind: How can you make better choices by thinking differently? (Slate)
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A Gallup study last year found that the longer a person's daily trek to work, the more likely it is that the commuter will experience health problems, including painful neck or back trouble. The study also found that the highest incidence of psychological stress, notably chronic worry (40%), occurred among people whose commute takes 90 minutes or longer. (Fortune)
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Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero made a direct appeal for intervention by the European Union and the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday as the country's borrowing costs soared to levels widely considered to be unsustainable.(The Guardian)
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When Joel Mwale was hospitalized with dysentery, his doctors advised him to focus his energies on making a full recovery. But as he lay in bed yearning for medication, Mwale, 18, came upon the idea that would provide his community with access to safe drinking water and put him on the road to becoming one of Africa's most promising young entrepreneurs. (CNN International)
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When it comes to hiring, business schools are running up against one of their most basic classroom lessons – the law of supply and demand. While thousands of new schools have opened around the world in recent years, the number of new Ph.D.s in business subjects has held relatively steady, and many schools are now facing a serious shortage of well-qualified faculty. (Wall Street Journal)
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With MBA students no longer assured of getting a better job at graduation, part-time and executive programs are thriving. (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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The National Black MBA Association Atlanta Chapter will award scholarships to high school and college students for outstanding achievements at the organization’s annual scholarship luncheon on Friday. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
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The University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business announced a new scholarship program targeting under-represented minorities. A total of 15 full-tuition scholarships – valued at $56,000 each at current tuition rates – will be awarded to improve access to the Full-time UST MBA Program and ensure a diverse learning environment for students. (MarketWatch)
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With sights set firmly on its Silicon Valley nemesis Apple, Google launched its music service at an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The move into the space signals Google’s aim to challenge the mighty iTunes head-on. (Wired)
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You could wade through dozens of reviews of the new Amazon Kindle Fire – or let us extract the best bits for you. Here's the most meta version of the story you will read online, offline, and everywhere else, each line taken from professional reviewers, tech bloggers, Tweeters and Amazon customers. (Fast Company)
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On the last day of the fourth quarter in 2008, BC Krishna was trying to clinch a deal with a large, name-brand company. The transaction would have put his small start-up, Memento, a fraud-detection company, on the map. When the deal fell through, Mr. Krishna worried about how his venture capitalist investors would react – especially because it meant that Memento was going to fall short of its performance targets. (New York Times)
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Members of the Millennial generation say they're ready to start companies, but the soft economy is stopping them. Bad excuse. (Inc.)
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The public discussion about the widening gap between rich and poor hasn’t been this loud since the Great Depression. Warren Buffett has condemned the disparity, Occupy Wall Street has inveighed against it, President Barack Obama cites it to justify higher taxes on the wealthy. Much of the debate, though, has focused on inequality’s moral dimension. Somehow it just doesn’t seem right that so many Americans struggle while a handful prospers. What many are missing is the actual impact rising inequality is having on the U.S. economy. Hint: It isn’t good. (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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U.S. banks face a "serious risk" that their creditworthiness will deteriorate if Europe’s debt crisis deepens and spreads beyond the five most-troubled nations, Fitch Ratings said. (Bloomberg)
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Shares of big, high-quality companies have been seriously neglected. These stocks are cheap and attractive. (Kiplinger Personal Finance)
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As Black Friday approaches and we start the holiday shopping season, all the "how not to go broke during the holidays" advice comes out. This advice obviously doesn’t work or 12 million Americans wouldn’t still be paying off LAST year’s holiday splurges. The reason this advice doesn’t work for many people is because there is a disconnect between the planning and the execution of holiday spending. (Forbes)
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The Occupy Wall Street movement continues to protest policies that have made the top 1 percent of income earners richer, while about 14 million Americans are out of work. Meanwhile, the Congressional supercommittee only has one week left to come up with a plan that will cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit. (NPR)
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A group of two dozen millionaires stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday, demanding lawmakers raise their taxes. "We want to pay more taxes," said California millionaire Doug Edwards, a former marketing director for Google (GOOG, Fortune 500). "If you're fortunate, and you make more than a million dollars a year, you ought to pay more taxes." (CNN/Money)
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What if much of what you know – or think you know – about the innovation process is wrong? That’s a question Eric von Hippel thinks many companies – and businesspeople – should consider. (MIT/Sloan Management Review)
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Giving 2.0 is notable for its lack of star power. It does not include extensive looks at what well-known philanthropists or foundations are doing with their money. Instead, It offers profiles of several "ordinary people with extraordinary generosity." She met the donors, who range in age from 10 to the mid-70s. (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
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Thanks to earlier-than-ever store openings, Black Friday has eaten into Thanksgiving Day, but that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice the holiday to get in on the best deals. Instead of standing on line outside of a big-box store on Thanksgiving eve or in the wee hours of Black Friday, you can watch football – or spend time with family – and nab many of the same doorbuster deals from the comfort of your couch. (CNN/Money)
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Don’t fasten your seatbelts yet. It could be a long and bumpy wait for your flight this Thanksgiving. Los Angeles International, Chicago O’Hare and Orlando International airports will be the busiest around Thanksgiving, according to a survey by travel website Orbitz.com. (SmartMoney)
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