Accountability Central Alert for May 9, 2011 - Where Were You When You Heard the News?
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There are certain historic events which are so huge in importance to us that we long remember and can recall where we were and what we were doing when they occurred. Among these most people would rank news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. Or for older generations, the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 (and the entrance of the US in WW II would follow). And of course many of us will never forget what we were doing back on September 11, 2001 when the terrorists attacked the US on our soil, with loss of life in New York City, Washington DC and in Pennsylvania.
Will the news from Sunday night May 1st that Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden had been killed also qualify? Only time will tell, but it sure did turn the news budgets of the world’s broadcasting and print media upside down for the past week. Suddenly, the issues we had been hearing and reading so much about -- the debate over the federal deficit, the aftermath of the tornadoes in Alabama, the struggles in Japan, Donald Trump’s hair -- were relegated to little or no news coverage.
The major media says they had no choice that the Bin Laden story was the dominant event of the week, maybe the year. We agree and we get it.
That’s why the G&A Institute launched Accountability Central several years ago: To provide a constant source of news, commentary and research on a wide variety of important issues, all related to accountability. “Accountability" -- the word is becoming ever more important to leaders in the private, social and public sectors. The term "held accountable" is ever-more prevalent in news reports and media commentary.
Expectations of greater "accountability" are key factors in shaping public opinion and public perception of organizations.
Our AC editors focus on global news, commentary, research, trends, and actions of key players shaping "accountability" and the impact on individuals, business organizations, public agencies and social institutions. No matter what the “breaking news” may be, we deliver important content to you every day through specific accountability "channels" and “hot topics” focusing on corporate governance, social investing, shareholder activism, financial reporting, ethics, and others.
During the past week, while the media world was focused on the Bin Laden drama, and other coverage was often squeezed out, we’ve offered you a variety of important articles to our readers and subscribers. Here’s a sample of what you may have missed:
Largest Public Pension Fund Thrives After Crisis
(Source: National Public Radio) The California Public Employee Retirement System, CalPers, the largest public pension fund in the nation took a big hit during the financial crisis. Today, their chief investment officer is reporting double-digit returns.
Bernanke Says Regulators Must Avoid Rules That Are ‘Burdensome’ to Banks
(Source: Bloomberg) Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke says the government must avoid imposing burdensome rules on financial companies as it carries out the biggest regulatory overhaul in seven decades.
Wal-Mart remains atop Fortune 500 list
(Source: Associated Press) Wal-Mart remains atop the Fortune 500 list even as it struggled to keep its U.S. customers coming in the door. The world's largest retailer held onto the top spot for the second year in a row thanks to gains at its international stores.
FDA Puts Into Effect Laws That Directly Protect Nation's Food Supply
(Source: Medical News Today) New FDA rules are designed to protect the nation against potentially unsafe goods from entering the food supply chain and to prevent contamination such as a rise in salmonella outbreaks. The regulations are the first to be issued by the FDA under the new authorities granted the agency by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law by President Obama in January of this year.
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