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The article focuses on an examination by the New York Times of mass shootings since the Virginia Tech attack in 2007 which reveals that credit cards have become a crucial part of the planning of these massacres. It notes that the killers have used their credit cards to acquire firearms and finance the attacks. Some steps that banks and credit card companies can take to prevent gun violence in the U.S. are suggested.

The article reports on the sale of the National Enquirer, the tabloid that backed Donald Trump's U.S. presidential campaign. Topics discussed include the role of David J. Pecker, who led the tabloid, in Trump's candidacy, through American Media Inc.'s deal to buy a story from Playboy model Karen McDougall who said she had an affair with the president and the claims by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, that he had been threatened by American Media.

The article reports that China decides to take a step back from buying U.S. Treasuries. China is considered to be the biggest holder of U.S. foreign debt with over 1 trillion U.S. dollars. It is said that China selling Treasuries would severely damage the value of its own Treasury holdings. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence accused China of using political, economic, and military tools to benefit its interests in the U.S.

The article reports that California passed a law mandating that every publicly traded company based in the state will need at least one woman on the board by the end of 2019 and as many as three by 2021. Topics discussed include why the way the rule was enacted is so misguided that it might do more harm than good, why California's law could turn out to be unconstitutional law and how the law could have a chilling effect on genuine efforts by boards to seek more balance.

The article discusses the U.S. chief executive officers' (C.E.O.s') influence on their employees's attitudes on U.S. politics and the 2016 U.S. presidential election, including technology company Apple C.E.O. Tim Cook's influence over his employees. An overview of C.E.O.s' donations to political candidates is provided.

The article discusses the cities' appeals to the International Olympic Committee to host the Summer 2024 Olympic Games, within the context of cities' financial losses and lack of profit from their hosting of the games. An overview of Los Angeles, California's bid to host the Summer 2024 Olympics is provided.

The article features recommended business and technology books including "Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley," by Antonio Garcia Martinez and "Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business," by Rana Foroohar.

The article discusses the projection of a near-term economic downturn in Great Britain, with loss of value for the pound and a new realm of volatility for stocks, as it reconstitutes its separation from the European Union in June 2016.

The article discusses the possible reasons why LinkedIn chief executive officer Jeff Weiner decided to sell the firm to Microsoft for 26.2 billion dollars, and one of the reasons is the company's struggling stock price and its over reliance on stock-based compensation.

The article reports views expressed by Nick Denton, founder of online media firm Gawker Media, regarding possible financial supporters of lawsuits filed by professional wrestler Hulk Hogan against his company.

The article informs that Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, backed out of a planned investment conference set to be held in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the disappearance and suspected killing of a Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as of October 2018.

The article discusses the motivations of activist shareholders such as Carl C. Icahn, Nelson Peltz, and William A. Ackman and whether they make long-term investments or attempt to make short-term financial gains. It examines the relatively short periods of time during which such investors hold stocks in companies such as Apple, General Electric, and Dell and campaigns by activist investors to persuade companies to change strategy. The article presents comments from Icahn.

The article discusses the European telecommunications (telecom) company Altice's acquisition of the American cable company Cablevision, including in regard to the U.S. government's regulation of the purchase. An overview of the French-Israeli billionaire executive Patrick Drahi's plans to expand his business operations into the U.S. is provided.

The article discusses the tax reform plan proposed in September 2015 by former Florida governor and 2016 U.S. presidential candidate Jeb Bush, particularly the plan's call for raising taxes on investment gains from private equity and hedge funds known as carried interest. According to the article, private equity investors contributed a significant amount of money to the Bush campaign, and Bush's plan could have a significant impact on industries such as private equity and real estate, which rely on transactions known as leveraged buyouts (L.B.O.s).

The article discusses how more U.S. politicians are considering whether corporate stock buybacks should be regulated or made illegal. Information is provided on profits made by companies by purchasing their own stocks since 2004. Particular attention is given to the views of Hillary Rodham Clinton, a 2016 Democratic presidential candidate.

The article focuses on U.S. presidential candidate Hilary Clinton and how she plans to transform corporations and the securities industry within American if elected president. The author discusses her proposal to rewrite the tax code, examines how she would end quarterly earnings reports, and analyzes her introduction of a capital gains tax "six-year sliding scale."

The article discusses concerns about the credibility of the U.S. Supreme Court following the disclosure that justices have ruled on cases in which they have potential financial interest in the outcome. Noting that it is legal for judges' to own individual stocks, the author cites the example of Chief Justice John G. Roberts ruling on cases involving media company Time Warner and technology company Hewlett-Packard despite owning stock in both.

The article looks at a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposal to extend clawbacks, or rules requiring executives to repay incentive bonuses based on earnings if those earnings are later restated, from the banking industry to all public companies. It says clawbacks may have unintended consequences such as higher executive wages and executive compensation arrangements less tied to shareholder interests.

The article discusses the financial crisis ongoing in Greece as of June 2015, focusing on how the confrontation between the European Union leadership and Greece could lead to a strengthening of the European organization. Topics addressed include an overview of the country's debt crisis since 2012, the views of U.S. economic policy maker Timothy F. Geithner on the crisis, and forecasting on the future of the negotiations.

The article discusses the role of the U.S. Affordable Care Act health care legislation in driving a trend of an increasing number of merger and acquisition efforts amongst U.S. health insurance companies. Topics addressed include views that consolidation within the industry will not drive down costs for consumers, as well as health insurance company Cigna's rejection of a takeover bid from health insurance company Anthem citing fears of antitrust law violations.

The article discusses United States Court of Federal Claims Judge Thomas C. Wheeler's ruling in favor of Maurice R. Greenberg, the former chief executive of insurance company American International Group (A.I.G.), in a class-action lawsuit in which Greenberg argued that the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) mishandled its bailout of A.I.G. during the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The author discusses the potential far-reaching implications for the handling of possible future bailouts.

The author analyzes the implications of a trend of increasing mergers and acquisitions in 2015, highlighting the possibility that the growth in mergers and acquisitions may not be indicative of an optimistic outlook for economic growth. Topics addressed include the possibility that companies have pursued mergers due to declining prospects for revenue growth, as well as a report by financial services firm Citigroup on Mergers and Acquisitions (M.&A.)

The article discusses a trend of unexpected deaths and suicides amongst young bankers and other employees working at financial services firms on Wall Street in New York City. the author highlights the death of former Goldman Sachs employee Sarvshreshth (Sav) Gupta, and he discusses the stress and long hours associated with Wall Street jobs.

The article discusses a 2015 report by the University of Notre Dame that indicated that financial professionals' do not believe the U.S. financial industry experienced significant reform following the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Topics addressed include professionals' witnessing of unethical behavior and experiences of pressure to violate the law in order to succeed, as well as the centrality of risk-taking behavior to the financial industry.

The article looks at privately held start-up companies in technology industries with valuations over one billion dollars, known as unicorns, reporting on the extent to which mutual funds held by ordinary investors have invested in such firms despite the fact that they have not yet gone public. It suggests that some such firms are overvalued and that a financial bubble may be developing. Mutual fund companies cited include Fidelity, T. Rowe Price, and BlackRock.

The article discusses the growth of media company Vice, highlighting the company's efforts to maintain its reputation for brashness as it expands the its television offerings. Topics addressed include a deal in which Vice will acquire its own cable television network from cable television company A&E Networks, increased investment in Vice and revenue growth, and a deal between television network HBO and Vice to broadcast a daily news program. Vice founder Shane Smith's views are noted.

The article discusses author Justine Musk's response to a user's question on the question-and-answer website Quora regarding the characteristics that lead to the success of billionaire entrepreneurs such as her former husband, Elon Musk, the founder of electric car company Tesla and space exploration company Space X. Topics addressed include her emphasis on the role of obsession and a unique viewpoint in achieving extreme success, as well as her comments on such entrepreneurs' views on money.

The article discusses former U.S. Treasury secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.'s warnings that China could face a financial crisis, highlighting Paulson's analysis in his book "Dealing With China: An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower." Topics addressed include Paulson's concerns that the Chinese real estate market could collapse, as well as his critique of China's trust companies and shadow banking sector and the artificial inflation of the Chinese economy through infrastructure spending.

The article reports on a letter sent by Laurence D. Fink, chief executive officer (CEO) of the asset management firm BlackRock, to the CEOs of 500 large U.S. companies warning them against catering to investors at the expense of their firms' overall financial health. According to Fink, practices such as paying dividends and buying back stock may result in short-term stock price increases but may also inhibit long-term growth and innovation. The taxation of gains on investments is discussed.

The article discusses conglomerate corporation General Electric's (G.E.'s) decision to sell off its GE Capital financial services operation as part of a corporate reorganization that began during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. Topics addressed include the sale of GE Capital's real estate assets, the return of funds to G.E. shareholders through a stock repurchase, and the expansion of GE Capital in the early 2000s.

The article discusses the increasing involvement of bankers in the Internet and technology industry in California's Silicon Valley, highlighting entrepreneurs and venture capitalists embrace of bankers' involvement. Topics addressed include technology companies such as Google and Twitter's hiring of former bank executives, banks such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan's involvement in venture capital pursuits, and initial public offerings (I.P.O.s).

The article discusses the impact of a lack of competition within the airline industry on high airfares in the United States, noting that airfares have not declined in accordance with global declines in oil prices. The author argues that mergers within the industry have left only four major U.S. airlines: Delta, United, Southwest, and American-US Airways, and he discusses U.S. senator Charles E. Schumer's calls for antitrust investigations of the industry.

The article discusses complaints from banks using technology company Apple's Apple Pay mobile payment system due to unusually high fraud rates from stolen credit card numbers being used on Apple Pay. The author considers whether Apple or the banks involved are to blame for the fraud, and he notes the impact of failing to enact strict security measures in order to offer simplicity on Apple Pay.

The article discusses a criticisms of the banking and financial services industries by investor Warren E. Buffett, chairman of conglomerate corporation Berkshire Hathaway, in his 2015 letter to shareholders. Topics addressed include Buffett's concerns about investment bankers' role in mergers of publicly-traded companies, as well as Buffett's praise of some investment bankers and executives such as Lloyd Blankfein, Jamie Dimon, and Byron Trott.

The article discusses the U.S. federal court ruling against credit card company American Express that stated the company took part in anticompetitive practices. Topics discussed include court judge Nicholas G. Garaufis, the fee charged of retailers by American Express, and the possibility that the court ruling will not benefit consumers.

The article discusses U.S. business leaders' reactions to U.S. president Barack Obama's budget proposal in 2015, highlighting Obama's plans for corporate tax reform. Topics addressed include chief executives' resistance to Obama's proposals despite statements that they support corporate tax reforms, as well as proposals on taxation of the repatriation of foreign profits of U.S. companies operating in other countries.

The article discusses that the 2015 World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland will for the first time address gay rights. Topics discussed include the role of hedge fund managers Paul Singer and Daniel S. Loeb in having gay rights discussed at the forum, the role of the organization Human Rights Campaign, and government policies around the world for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.

The article discusses ethical considerations regarding investments in marijuana companies, noting the implications of venture capitalist Peter Thiel's investment in Privateer Holdings, which owns the marijuana database company Leafly and the cannabis brand Marley Natural. Topics addressed include considerations of how the marijuana industry fits into a trend of investors pursuing socially responsible investments, as well as the views of investor Geoff Lewis, a partner of Theil.

The article discusses activist investor Nelson Peltz's and his Trian Fund Management investment firm's targeting of chemical company E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (DuPont), noting the firm's nomination of candidates for the board of directors of DuPont. Topics addressed include Peltz's criticisms of DuPont's corporate governance, as well as DuPont's plans for corporate spinoffs.

The article discusses controversy over a paper by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) member Daniel M. Gallagher and law professor Joseph A. Grundfest that was critical of Harvard University law professor Lucian A. Bebchuk. Topics addressed include the paper's critique of Babchuk's opposition to staggered or classified boards in which shareholders cannot overthrow an entire board at once, as well as allegations that Babchuk's Shareholder Rights Project committed securities fraud.

The article provides humorous assessments of the activities of various executives and companies over the course of 2014. The author discusses executives such as Jack Ma of electronic commerce (e-commerce) company Alibaba, Jeff Bezos of e-commerce company Amazon, and Travis Kalanick of ride-sharing service Uber, and special attention is paid to the financial services industry. Activist investor Carl Icahn and U.S. senator Elizabeth Warren are discussed.

The article discusses concerns with financial services firms' compensation packages for executives who leave firms to work in government positions, noting a letter sent by Heater Slavkin Corzo, the director of labor union federation A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s office of investment. Topics addressed include the nomination of investment banker Antonio Weiss as the under secretary of the U.S. Treasury for domestic finance, as well as the impact of firms' compensation policies on shareholders.

The article reports on the plan of the coffee giant Starbucks on February 1, 2017 to announce the addition of three new directors to its board such as Rosalind Brewer, Satya Nadella, and Jorgen Vig Knudstorp.

The article discusses United States Senator Elizabeth Warren's criticisms of U.S. president Barack Obama's nomination of Antonio F. Weiss, a former official at the Lazard investment bank, to become the U.S. under secretary of Treasury for domestic finance. The author argues that Warren is misguided in criticizing Weiss' advising role on a merger between fast food company's Burger King and Tim Hortons, and he argues that Weiss' private sector experience should not disqualify him from nomination.