Japan is the country that coined the word “karoshi,” or death by overwork. Now it wants companies to let workers finish early on the last Friday of every month, go out and have some fun. Questions: 1. What will this government campaign be called and when does it start? 2. How is this move expected… Read more »
Posts By: LuAnn Bean
International students save the day at U.S. state universities
Amid funding shortages, American colleges are turning to international students, who offer a lifeline to cash-strapped U.S. state schools. Questions: 1. How many international students were enrolled in U.S. Universities last year? 2. What percent increase have universities seen in the enrollment of international students since the 2005/2006 school year? 3. Discuss what is happening… Read more »
Venezuela’s Continuing Currency Crisis is Pushing the Country to the Brink of Collapse
As oil prices drop and hyperinflation encroaches, there have been wide-reaching consequences for the entire population of this country. Questions: 1. What are some of the limitations that citizens must live with? 2. In December, the Venezuelan president announced the withdrawal of the country’s largest banknote from circulation? Why did the government make this move?… Read more »
Who’s Scrooge this year? Ba-Humbug!
According to the Washington Post, who sources Senate staffers, the Treasury Department refuses to stop forcing permanently disabled people to pay taxes on student loans that have been canceled, leaving a vulnerable population susceptible to thousands of dollars in charges. Questions: 1. What is the financial problem associated with each dollar forgiven? 2. What is… Read more »
China Crash?
In China, outstanding loans have risen sharply to 40% of GDP but analysts fear the end of the credit binge could trigger a crisis for the wider world. Questions: 1. How fast has the debt per household risen over the last 5 years? 2. What is the Chinese household debt ratio compared to other countries?… Read more »
A Mysterious Amount of Net worth!
In 2012, Forbes dropped J.K. Rowling after eight years on its authoritative billionaires list, saying high British taxes and large charitable contributions had eroded her fortune. Questions: 1. Why should Forbes rethink that? 2. If Rowling gets equivalent of Universal Studios Park ticket sales equal to Spielberg, how much of that would a $100 ticket… Read more »
All I got was a Plaque!
In April 1967, hamburger lovers in Uniontown, Pa., south of Pittsburgh, met a newer, bigger burger. Introduced by a local McDonald’s, it was called the Big Mac, and for 45 cents it delivered, as a 1970s jingle would have it, “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun.” Questions: 1…. Read more »
The Story behind Dirty Linen
Major American retailers, including Target and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., have been selling premium-priced sheets purportedly made of Egyptian cotton — a byword for luxury in linens. However, these may in reality be woven with lower-quality cotton blends. Questions: 1. Briefly discuss the suits seeking to be certified as class-actions against these actions. 2. Who is… Read more »
Less than desirable health insurance
Terrible abdominal pain, while at a Florida conference, landed Doug Moore in an out of town emergency room (ER). While the emergency room charges were paid by his insurance as in-network charges, the doctors’ charges were billed at a much higher out-of-network rate. Questions: 1. On average, what percentage of patients that go to ERs… Read more »
How much are you worth?
According to the Washington Post, white and male victims often receive larger awards than people of color and women in similar cases, based on the Post’s research of more than two dozen lawyers and forensic economists, who make the calculations. Questions: 1. What are the two tenets of the American justice system discussed in this… Read more »
Team for Success
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