Strong market for subprime bonds
The market for securities backed by subprime mortgages has roared back from its 2008 collapse. Subprime bonds not backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac currently yield 5 to 7 percent, well above the 3.5 percent yields available on U.S. government bonds.
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Indian companies abuse visa program
Outsourcing companies from India are abusing a U.S. visa program intended to allow companies to bolster their U.S. workforces with highly skilled foreign workers, immigration experts say. Companies such as Infosys and Wipro are importing workers with ordinary skills under the H-1B visa program and using them to replace higher-paid Americans.
The New York Times
Transocean executives receive bonus for safety record
Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded last spring, killing 11 workers and unleashing the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, has awarded its top executives big bonuses for making 2010 its “best year” ever for safety. After disclosing the bonuses, Transocean, which leased the rig to BP and helped supervise the drilling, acknowledged that the reference to its best safety year might appear “insensitive” to some.
CNN.com
A good year for CEO paychecks
Median pay for CEOs of large U.S. corporations rose 27 percent in 2010, according to federal data. Three quarters of CEOs received raises in 2010, to a median salary of $9 million, including $2.2 million in bonuses. Pay increases for all workers in private industry averaged 2.1 percent in 2010.
USA Today
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Why has the U.S. scaled down its stance on human rights?Today's Big Question The Trump administration has curtailed previous criticisms of human rights violations
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August 14 editorial cartoonsCartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include Donald Trump and JD Vance at a summit, Putin's 'peace' plan, and Jeffrey Epstein haunting the White House
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Weapons: Julia Garner stars in 'hyper-eerie' psychological thrillerThe Week Recommends Zach Cregger's 'top notch' new film opens with 17 children disappearing at exactly the same time
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The bottom linefeature Sedentary habits keep rising; A new home for Twinkies; Taco Bell's new hit; Companies stretch the workweek; Women's wages still fall short
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The bottom line
feature Where to stash your cash; Facebook's tax refund; The value of old phones; The wealth of America's megabanks; Grateful alumni
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The bottom line
feature High cellphone taxes; Companies shore up pension funds; The bite of high gas prices; More dads stay home; Americans' scarce savings; Clorox sales hit a peak
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The bottom line
feature Taxi drivers with college degrees; Morgan Stanley's revealing nicknames; Sleep deprivation and lost productivity; A retreat for Barnes & Noble; Signs of a stabilizing economy
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The bottom line
feature Companies cut spending because of fiscal cliff; Administrative bloat and tuition costs; Market for new and existing homes improves; Annual federal deficit as share of GDP decreases; Federal rules for contracts get flouted
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The bottom line
feature No-growth small businesses; Swift sales for Taylor's new album; Predicting doctors' costs; Airlines face shortfall in qualified pilots; Will Japan slip into recession?
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The bottom line
feature Apple's corporate tax rate; A housing market still in the tank; Boeing's Dreamliner earns rave reviews; Billions owed in child support; Goldman Sachs trims its ranks
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The bottom line
feature No new jobs in August for small business; Lowest corn harvest in 17 years; Louboutin wins battle over red soles; The growing American lower class; U.S.'s competitive ranking drops; The expanding wealth gap