Brian Gongol
Why wasn't the Japanese earthquake last week a bigger news story?
A magnitude 7.2 quake hits Japan, which is one of the most densely-populated countries in the world, and the death toll amounts to less than a dozen. China, which is less than half as densely populated, experiences a magnitude 8.0 quake, and 80,000 people die. The difference? Japan is a wealthy country, and China is still relatively poor. Economic growth saves lives.
Grand Island resumes normal water service
How much ought voters to trust Senator Obama?
Note to Joan Rivers: Sometimes, they don't have you on 7-second delay
Busch family splits on whether to sell out
InBev has made a $46.3 billion unsolicited offer for the company, and different factions within the family disagree on whether they should take it. Of course, the family only owns 4.5% of the company anyway, so the real decision is probably out of their hands anyway. A family business is a funny thing; the Johnson family has made a fortune off their wax business for over 120 years. But the Ford clan hasn't done that well at keeping their car company at the top of its game. Some family businesses can stay intact for centuries, far longer than most public companies, but that longevity is far from guaranteed -- especially if the family gets lazy and uses nepotism rather than skill to keep themselves rich. Families like the Rockefellers chose to sell out of their original family business and now they have a family investment company that holds a huge portfolio of stocks in trust for the family and ships them the profits.
