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The article examines attempts by Internet retail company Amazon to prevent a law that would allow states to charge sales taxes on Internet purchases in 2013. The lack of regulation on Internet purchases has caused states like Texas to allegedly lose millions of dollars in uncollected revenue even as U.S. states appeal to the federal government to change the laws. Other topics include how Amazon fought claims that the Texas state government should legally be allowed to tax Amazon sales, the possibility that the U.S. government will pass a law mandating electronic commerce (e-commerce) taxation, and a discussion of Amazon's finances.

The article profiles Wang Jianlin, founder and chairman of real estate company Wanda Group, who is one of China's richest men. Wang has been responsible for the Chinese purchase of American media company AMC Entertainment, and is interested in expanding Wanda Group into other American business ventures. Other topics discussed include his meeting with Hawk Koch, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to expand his holdings in the U.S. entertainment industry, a discussion of Wang's corporate culture at Wanda Group, and Wang's reputation as a businessman in China and internationally.

The article profiles technology company Apple Inc., which appears on "Fortune" magazine's list of the 500 largest companies in the U.S. in 2013. It examines the company's finances in 2012 and 2013 after Apple's stock prices suffered from massive rises and falls in 2012 and initiated a small buyback. Other topics include how chief executive officer (CEO) Tim Cook is managing the company's uncertain finances, a profile of Apple's board of directors, chosen by founder Steve Jobs, and entrepreneur Warren Buffett's advice to Jobs on handling the company's stock.

The article profiles Michael Corbat, who was hired as chief executive officer (CEO) of Citigroup in October 2012. Corbat is the company's fourth CEO in less than ten years, and was hired after working for thirty years in banking operations. Topics include how Corbat's history as a banker rather than a businessman could benefit the company, which has struggled to find direction, how Corbat's work divesting Citigroup of 650 billion dollars worth of toxic assets granted him the position of interim CEO, and a profile of the company's success under Corbat, discussing its revenue, employee count, and increased stock price.

The article discusses John Schnatter, founder and chief executive officer of the Papa John's pizza chain. Particular attention is paid to a controversy stemming from remarks he made in a media interview that were widely reported as indicating his company would reduce the work hours of its part-time employees to avoid having to pay for their health insurance, in accordance with the 2010 U.S. Affordable Care Act. In response to a barrage of negative reactions from bloggers and other media sources, Schnatter hired public-relations notable Michael Sitrick, who has aggressively defended Schnatter and his company.

The article discusses Vitol Group, the world's largest private trader of petroleum. Since Ian Taylor assume the chief executive's role in 1995, Vitol's revenues have grown from $13 billion to $303 billion in 2012. Vitol's size and expertise in risk management give it the confidence to do business with parties that rivals might avoid. In addition to trading, Vitol has begun to diversify into ownership of assets such as pipelines, refineries, and oil terminals. The author illustrates Vitol's business by describing a transaction involving the purchase of 720,000 barrels of crude oil from a seller in Russia.

The article discusses the business management strategy of the consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) under chief executive officer (CEO) Bob McDonald, with a focus on the company's efforts to resume financial stability following poor quarterly earnings in 2012. Topics include how company procedures became prioritized over product innovation and marketing, the loss of several senior executives to industry competitors, and McDonald's plans to revitalize the company through cost-cutting, centralizing technological innovation efforts, and employee layoffs.

The article examines the growing distrust among investors in the stability of Wall Street stock companies. It notes that investors are withdrawing their funds from mutual funds, stocks, and bonds over concerns regarding financial crises and corruption. Particular attention is given to former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) members Keith Woodwell and Ross Moore, as the author explores Moore's attempts to recruit Woodwell to a real estate investment firm that ultimately failed.

The article profiles several businesspeople who are on "Fortune" magazine's list of the 50 Businesspeople of the Year for 2012. Among those mentioned are Ajay Banga, chief executive of credit card company Mastercard; Frank Blake, chief executive of home improvement chain store Home Depot; and Carol Meyrowitz, chief executive of retail store TJX Cos.

The article profiles Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive of the Internet retailer Amazon.com and "Fortune" magazine's 2012 Businessperson of the Year. Topics include his use of memoranda in business meetings, the Kindle Serials program Amazon began in 2012 that delivers electronic books in episodes, and the firm's strong focus on customer satisfaction. The firm's moderate employee salaries and restricted stock options are mentioned.

The article focuses on the skin care company Nu Skin and how it has been affected by memoirs published by Adam Baker and Diederik van Nederveen, ex-husbands of the company's co-founder Sandie Tillotson. Information is provided on the success of Nu Skin between 1996 and 2012 and its prosecution by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for making false claims. Topics include the practice of short-selling, the increase in the company's stock price in 2012, and the success of multilevel marketing schemes.

The article focuses on Alphonse Fletcher Jr., a hedge fund manager, and Ellen Pao, a venture capitalist, and their marriage. Information is provided on Fletcher's boyfriend Hobart Fowlkes, Pao's allegations of gender discrimination at the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), and the allegations that Fletcher mishandled clients' funds. Topics include Pao's performance as a venture capitalist, her Ivy League education, and her claim that she suffered retaliation for ending a relationship with a work peer.

The article profiles New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. It recounts his background, including his deployment as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam, his advancement through the ranks of the New York Police Department (NYPD), and his law and public administration degrees. It describes law enforcement administration in the city as a two-part task, crime control and counterterrorism, saying he has been successful at both. Topics include a possible mayoral candidacy and controversy over police tactics including stop-and-frisk and surveillance of U.S. Muslims.

The article discusses the illegal testing of the bone cement Norian XR on humans by Synthes, a medical device company. The author reports that the U.S. Department of Justice charged four executives with a violation of health care law called the Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine, and that they pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor of running unauthorized clinical trials and for engaging in off-label marketing, or promoting products for unapproved uses. Topics include Synthes vertebroplasty animal studies and non-compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning about the bone cement mixture SRS-R. Also discussed was Synthes' failure to comply with FDA mandatory reporting requirements for the death of human test subjects and a list of case evidence.

The article reports on the financial influence of J. Joe Ricketts, founder of the brokerage TD Ameritrade, on the 2012 U.S. presidential election. It discusses his $10 million campaign to unseat U.S. President Barack Obama through his super political action committee (PAC), Ending Spending Action Fund, and his belief that the federal government should cut spending and taxes in order to deal with the debt crisis. The author indicates that under U.S. campaign-finance law, corporations may independently donate to political candidates or groups, such as Americans for Tax Reform. Other topics include Ricketts' founding of what was brokerage First Omaha Securities and the political activism of his children, Laura, J. Peter, and Todd Ricketts.

The article discusses Nick Saban, the college football coach at the University of Alabama, with a focus on his contributions to the team's multiple national championship wins in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and wins of the title at the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Topics include his involvement in recruiting high school students for the university football team; his record as a coach in the NCAA; and increased revenues for the athletic department during his tenure as coach. Saban comments on his organizational methods; his approach to management; and the similarities between coaches and chief executive officers (CEOs).

The article discusses U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's plans to improve the American economy and examines their likelihood of success. The details of Romney's plan, which includes development of domestic energy, negotiate new overseas markets for American products through trade agreements, and reducing the federal deficit through budget cuts, are commented on. Romney's assertion that his plans would create new jobs, increase gross domestic product (GDP), and revive the housing market is also touched on.

The article presents a profile of computer company Hewlett-Packard, focusing on the company's downward spiral under the leadership of former chief executive officer (CEO) Léo Apotheker, and also provides a chart which depicts several of the company's CEOs, directors, and other executives between 1999 and 2012, including former CEOs Carly Fiorina and Mark Hurd, and board director Joel Hyatt. A 2007 lawsuit filed against the company by technology company Oracle is mentioned, along with businesswoman Meg Whitman's replacement of Apotheker as CEO.

The article focuses on Andrea Jung, former chief executive officer (CEO) of the beauty company Avon. It states her previous experience was in high-end retail companies such as Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus and mentions she took a job as a consultant by then-CEO Jim Preston at Avon to look into the feasibility of retail outlets. It comments on her efforts while CEO to shift Avon away from direct sales to retail sales and talks about how profits went flat in 2005 after three years of double-digit growth. It also mentions restructuring efforts that demoralized employees and talks about how its efforts to expand into emerging markets ran into difficulties including a direct-selling ban by the Chinese government and problems with implementing an information-management system in Brazil.

The article focuses on oil company Exxon's investments in shale gas. It states that in 2010 Exxon chief executive officer Rex Tillerson engineered the acquisition of natural gas producer XTO Energy for 35 billion dollars. It mentions that in 2012, Exxon gets around 50 percent of its production from natural gas, where it also has 50 percent of its reserves. It comments on the use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to access natural gas and oil trapped in shale rock. It talks about environmental concerns about freshwater aquifer contamination, greenhouse gas emissions, and earthquakes. It also mentions how the collapse in natural gas prices in the U.S. has diminished Exxon's profits and comments on Exxon's investments in facilities in Qatar to produce and export liquefied natural gas.

The article discusses the economic and social aspects of living alone and being single, adapted from the book "Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone," by Eric Klinenberg.

The article looks at Blackstone Group (BG), the private equity firm. Topics discussed include how the 2008 recession in the U.S. hurt BG's competitors including Cerberus, KKR, and Carlyle Group, the way BG's management from chief executive officer (CEO) Steve Schwarzman and chief operating officer (COO) Tony James pushed for an initial public offering (IPO) before the recession, and how BG foresaw the burst of the housing bubble. The effects of Schwarzman's tendency toward micromanagement are noted.

The article focuses on the increase in prescriptions and abuse of opioid drugs in the U.S. in 2011. Information is provided on how overdoses on prescription painkillers outnumbered those of both cocaine and heroin overdoses combined in 2011, how opiates such as OxyContin were once thought to be nonaddictive, and how the pharmaceutical company Purdue has had to reformulate their opioid drugs to prevent drug abuse ingestion in the form of snorting, injecting, and smoking. It is noted that Purdue also pays for the operation of addiction hotlines, disseminates brochures to aid police, and offers height charts to pharmacies to help identify robbers.

The article focuses on Richard Rainwater, an billionaire entrepreneur and businessman, and his struggle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative, incurable brain disorder. An overview of his businesses successes are listed including his founding of the investment firm Rainwater Inc. Information is provided on how the degenerative disease has forced him into 24-hour care, how many of his friends have attempted to find a cure for the disease, and how doctors have advised him that he will likely not live beyond the year 2013.

The article focuses on the multinational corporation Cargill and its ubiquitous presence in the U.S. food supply through fast food restaurant items, food additives, and modified ingredients. Topics include fears that the company will grow too large and have too much influence on pricing within the commodities market, how their global food operation affects the environment in developing countries, and how the company is able to return large profits each year. An overview of the company's business strategy is presented including how they adapt to the global demand whenever necessary.

The article discusses the railroad industry in the U.S., the lack of competition against railroad companies, including CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and the effect antitrust laws have on the railroad industry. An overview the U.S. railroad industry is given, including political, financial and legal aspects. The four companies listed above earn more than 90% of the entire industry's revenue and conflicts with other businesses, such as M&G Polymers, a plastics and polymer resins manufacturer, are common, because the business has no other choice but to use the railroad available and in turn no choice but to pay whatever that railroad charges.

The author discusses the economic conditions in the U.S. in 2011 and how fanatical political groups are contributing to the recession by injecting partisan ideologies into fiscal decisions. He believes the blame for the confusion over the correct way to resolve financial issues such as the debt ceiling, economic stimulus, and unemployment initiatives lies with both Republican and Democratic politicians for pandering to their political bases instead of taking action. He notes that Standard & Poor's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating was warranted.

The article discusses pharmaceutical company Pfizer's ousting of Jeff Kindler as Corporate Executive Officer (CEO). The article notes Kindler's history as a corporate lawyer, with his acute attention to detail and tendency toward micromanaging, may have hurt him as a CEO. Former CEO Bill Steere chose Kindler for his outsider status, though Kindler's temper and erratic behavior later alienated Steere and Kindler's executive team. Kindler's support of Human Resources manager Mary McLeod's excesses and his rejection of general counsel Amy Schulman's ideas contributed to this alienation in a time when Pfizer was losing money because generics were outselling Pfizer drugs Viagra and Lipitor, leading to Kindler's resignation.

The article discusses the success of the U.S. government's bailout efforts in response to the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. Analysis by the publication indicates U.S. taxpayers will gain at least a $40 billion profit from the $14 trillion in federal interventions, and perhaps as much as $100 billion. Although the government could lose up to $130 billion on its bailout of government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, these and other losses will be more than offset by profit and income from a variety of sources including mortgage-backed securities bought by the Federal Reserve.

The article discusses financial company J. P. Morgan Capital Markets' efforts to mine gold and other minerals in Afghanistan. An estimate by the U.S. Department of Defense puts Afghanistan's underground mineral wealth at $1 trillion. U.S. General David Petraeus, it is noted, believes economic development spurred by mining could play an important role in the U.S. strategy to withdraw its forces from that country. Special attention is paid to Ian Hannam, the J. P. Morgan executive in charge of his company's mining initiative.

The article discusses the corporate culture at consumer-electronics maker Apple Inc. Chief executive Steve Jobs is a demanding leader, the author notes, who sets high standards within the company and has little tolerance for failure. Within Apple accountability is established by assigning responsibility for individual projects to specific individuals. Only the chief financial officer is responsible for financial results at Apple, with all others focused on making quality products. Each year Jobs holds a three-day retreat with the company's top 100 employees to discuss strategy.

The article focuses on petroleum company Petrobras, which is spearheading the development of deepwater oil reserves discovered off the coast of Brazil. It states that it is estimated the oil reserves are between 50 billion to 100 billion barrels and that Brazil has not opened the region to bids from international companies. Petrobras chief executive officer Sergio Gabrielli said that by 2015-19, the company will have a reserve of over 30 billion barrels.

The article presents an investigative report by the publication on events leading up to the April, 2010 explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that caused a massive oil leak from a well owned by British petroleum company BP PLC. The authors find that during the ten years prior to the accident BP compiled a record of frequent mishaps followed by avowals to improve safety. However, neither chief executive Tony Hayward nor his predecessor, John Browne, made good on that commitment.

The article profiles Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. of the U.S. Supreme Court. Roberts was the youngest man appointed to that position since John Marshall in 1801. He is among five conservative members of a Court that is generally seen as supportive of business interests. The author discusses Roberts' background in government and the judiciary before joining the Supreme Court.

The author reports that there is nothing that the U.S. government can do to immediately fix the country's economy as of 2010. Topics discussed in the article include that even though the recession is over the economy has not been completely fixed, the amount of time the author feels that it will take for the economy to be completely fixed, and differences that exist between this recession and recessions that proceeded it, such as the impact that cutting interest rates had on the recession. The impact that the U.S. Federal Reserve Board has on the country's economy is mentioned.

The article profiles the Wal-Mart chief executive officer (CEO) Mike Duke who was assigned as CEO in early 2009. Duke's implementation of a Wal-Mart store overhaul called Project Impact is described including some redirection that was needed to restore products the company had decided to remove from its display shelves. Duke, an engineer, is said to maintain a low profile and to prefer evaluations of sales and other quantitative business data. Wal-Mart's plans for international expansion and profit growth are discussed. INSET: Wal-Mart: The CEOs.

The article discusses a scandal involving the Galleon Group hedge fund and its founder Raj Rajaratnam. It focuses on the arrest of Robert Moffat and a love affair he engaged in with hedge fund analyst Danielle Chiesi that exposed Moffat to criminal accusations. Moffat's background is discussed including his participation in school athletic competition, his marriage to Amor Boullosa, and his career development at International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). Chiesi's background is noted as well, including her bachelor's degree in economics and her experience as a brokerage analyst.

This article presents information about a philanthropy plan that was created after meetings between billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet and others. The Gates and Buffett originally met in May 2009 and, after several more meetings, announced that they are trying to convince the 400 American billionaires named on the "Forbes" 400 list to donate 50 percent of their net worth during their lifetimes or at their deaths for charitable purposes. Although America is the most generous country for charitable donations, American billionaires donate a much smaller portion of their net wealth to charity.

The article offers several tips on how to fix the U.S. financial system. It is suggested that the reform plan should include an increase in financial institutions' capital requirements. The U.S. government should claw back five years' worth of stock grants, option profits, and salaries for any financial institution that needs a government bailout. Derivatives should be handled by clearinghouses. Other tips on bankruptcy laws, mortgage-backed securities, and credit agencies are discussed.

An excerpt is presented from the book "Rough Justice: The Rise & Fall of Eliot Spitzer," by Peter Elkind.

The article profiles Ellen Kullman, the chief executive officer of the DuPont Corporation, the chemical company. The central focus of the article is on Kullman's performance in the job and whether she can return DuPont to a pre-eminent position in American industry. A number of topics are addressed in the article including DuPont's corporate history, its corporate revenue and profits in 2009, and the invention of important products by DuPont including rayon, nylon and Teflon. Among other issues the article explores Kullman's career at General Electric. INSET: DUPONT: THE PRODUCTS.

The article discusses Terralliance Technologies Inc. Chief executive Erlend Olson managed to attract almost $500 million in capital from investors including the company Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. seeking to exploit the firm's novel algorithm for locating oil underground.

The article discusses business management that relies on recruiting military veterans, said to be battle-tested, and junior military officers (JMO). It relates Wal-Mart's hiring of 150 JMOs who are helping the company manage its significant growth. The article speaks of the warm reception that JMOs receive when hired by companies and their abilities in leadership and innovative and adaptive thinking. U.S. General David Petraeus is quoted regarding the management skills obtained by young military leaders. The story of military veteran Steve Mumm, a project manager at GE Oil & Gas is told. INSET: General Petraeus on Leadership.

The article focuses on Max Holmes, a Wall Street celebrity who specializes in distressed debt and founder of Plainfield, a hedge fund that once managed $5 billion. It explains how the fund is struggling and why the fund is a casualty of the very investment boom it created. Details are offered about Holmes and an investigation into Plainfield's failed investments.

The article focuses on the litigiousness of Revlon chairman Ronald Perelman. The author discuses Perelman's suit against Robert Cohen, the father or Perelman's late ex-wife, journalist Claudia Cohen. The author reports that Perelman wanted to take control of half of Cohen's worth and have it go to his daughter with Claudia Cohen, Samantha Perelman.

The article discusses how Steve Jobs, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple, has transformed business in the U.S. and been named "Fortune" magazine's CEO of the Decade. The author suggests he is a rare businessman, as well as a world-wide celebrity, who is all about business. Topics include his early struggles in the computer industry, what Apple is worth, the challenges he faces, his approach to speaking publicly about Apple, his health, and possible successors when Jobs finally decides to leaves the company.

The article focuses on Robert E. Lowder, chief executive officer and chairman of Alabama's Colonial Bancgroup. Shortly after his retirement, federal and state regulators have taken control of the firm which he founded and spend 28 years building. It is the sixth largest bank failure in U.S. history and has pushed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. into a crisis mode. The article outlines Lowder's personal and financial setbacks.

The article presents information on Dina Wein-Reis, who was conspiracy and wire fraud after her townhouse in the Manhattan borough of New York City was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Wein Reis is accused of having orchestrated an elaborate scam involving obtaining wholesale goods and reselling them to retail under false pretenses. INSET: THE SHADOWY BUSINESS OF DIVERSION.

The article discusses the U.S. Social Security system. An argument is presented that its existing methods of operation are unsustainable, and that it will collapse unless its finances are rectified. Topics addressed include means testing, benefit formulas, early retirement, and problems with solvency projections. INSET: WHITHER MEDICARE?.

The article discusses over-the-counter derivatives and their role in creating a financial crisis in the U.S. and abroad. The author discusses the collapse of Bear Stearns & Co. Inc. and American International Group Inc. (AIG), noting how the complexity of derivatives makes them difficult to regulate. In her view regulatory proposals under consideration in the U.S. may not prove adequate to the task.