Regulation - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Cyberattack on T-Mobile Compromises Tens of Millions of Accounts

August 20, 2021

This week, T-Mobile announced that hackers obtained the personal information of millions of customers in a ransomware attack. While the telecommunications giant said that 40 million users had their data compromised, the thieves themselves claimed they made off with information from more than 100 million people. This includes customers’ names, phone numbers, and addresses as well as other sensitive data such as social security numbers, drivers license information, and PIN numbers.

T-Mobile added that no passwords or account numbers were Continue reading →

Regulation, Security, Consumer Protection, Ransomware, Cyberattacks, T-Mobile, Data Breach

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Large Companies Overtook Smaller Rivals during Pandemic

August 17, 2021

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The economic disruptions of the past year and a half caused small businesses to lose an average of 11 percent of their revenues. This was not the case for the globe’s big corporations, though. According to a McKinsey study of 5,500 “big, highly productive” U.S. and European companies, all surveyed firms reported that they experienced no declines in sales during the pandemic.

Although large companies had already been overtaking their smaller rivals before 2020, economists say that the pandemic widened Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Regulation, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Antitrust, Corporations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] Why the Western Drought Will Have Major Ripple Effects

July 21, 2021

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Over the last month, communities across the Western United States have imposed restrictions on water use as a major drought wreaks havoc on the region. This video looks at how the drop in the supply of surface water has hurt California farmers and why their pain could soon ripple out across the country.

Questions:

How has the drought in the Western U.S. affected farmers in the region?
Do you think regulators should place restrictions on the use of groundwater Continue reading →

Farming, Supply & Demand, Drought, Regulation, Supply chains, Operations Management, Product Distribution, Ethics, Agriculture, Natural Disasters

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

FTC Investigation Reveals that MoviePass Deceived Thousands of Users

June 10, 2021

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In 2017, the startup Moviepass offered film buffs a deal that seemed too good to be true. For $9.95 per month, subscribers could see up to one movie per day at all major theaters located throughout the country. Moviepass hoped to offset the costs of purchasing so many tickets by brokering bulk deals with theater chains and by monetizing users’ data. None of these plans ever came to fruition, however, which left the company with more than three million subscribers Continue reading →

Marketing, Product Development, Ethics, Promotions, Entrepreneurship, Entertainment, Regulation, Startups, Product Distribution, Movies

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

New Unemployment Claims Gradually Begin to Drop

May 6, 2021

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The widespread disruptions caused by the pandemic resulted in millions of Americans losing their jobs last year and subsequently applying for unemployment benefits. In one especially bleak week in spring 2020, new unemployment claims topped out at more than six million as businesses locked down to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Although the amount of new claims steadily began to decline after this historic high, hundreds of thousands of Americans have nevertheless applied for unemployment week after week since the Continue reading →

Regulation, Economics, Hiring, Ethics, Coronavirus, Human Resources, Stimulus, Unemployment, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Airlines Prepare for Travelers to Return This Summer

April 27, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last year, the onset of the pandemic devastated air travel as lockdown orders kept planes on the ground all over the world. After numerous airlines nearly collapsed as a result, the federal government provided the industry with three bailouts amounting to tens of billions of dollars in relief. This allowed airlines to keep many of their employees on the payroll while they waited to see if travel would recover. And now with ticket sales on the rise once again, analysts Continue reading →

Transportation, Hiring, Travel, Global, Layoffs, Human Resources, Coronavirus, Airlines, Regulation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Latest Stimulus Bill Looks to Provide Relief for American Households

March 18, 2021

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Last week, Congress passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package aimed primarily at easing the financial burdens that many Americans have felt during the pandemic. While previous stimulus bills were directed more towards businesses, this latest package provides $960 billion in aid towards individuals through $1,400 checks, unemployment coverage, and provisions for child care. The bill also includes tax credits as well as programs that seek to make rent, food, and healthcare more affordable.

According to economists, low-to-middle income Americans will Continue reading →

Crisis management, Unemployment, Layoffs, Coronavirus, Economics, Ethics, Regulation, Human Resources, Health, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Google Will Stop Selling Ads Based on Browsing History

March 4, 2021

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In recent years, tech giants like Google have faced increasing scrutiny from international legislators and privacy advocates for tracking users across the Internet. Companies take this information and use it to personalize advertising based on someone’s previous browser history. Faced with building opposition to these potentially invasive practices, Google announced this week that it would stop using and investing in tracking technologies.

“If digital advertising doesn’t evolve to address the growing concerns people have about their privacy and how Continue reading →

Regulation, Marketing, Advertising, Ethics, Mobile, Google, Digital advertising

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Why Some Texans’ Electricity Bills Went Through the Roof

February 25, 2021

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A couple of weeks ago, Texas’ power grid failed after a historic snowstorm and cold snap overwhelmed the state. As millions struggled without electricity or heat, those who had power potentially faced exorbitant electric bills because of changes Texas made to its utility system more than 20 years ago. Back then, much of the state switched from using regulated utilities to a deregulated market where customers could choose from a variety of power providers. As a result, nearly 60 percent Continue reading →

Product Development, Regulation, Operations Management, Utilities, Ethics, Entrepreneurship

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] How Regulators Are Investigating GameStop’s Stock Volatility

February 19, 2021

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The recent frenzy surrounding GameStop stock caught even the most careful market observers by surprise as shares in the struggling retailer skyrocketed to unbelievable levels only to fall again soon after. This video looks at how regulators at the SEC are looking into the matter and the possible consequences that could fall on companies like Reddit and Robinhood.

Questions:

Why is the SEC investigating the recent stock market volatility surrounding GameStop and other companies?
Do you think federal regulators Continue reading →

Coronavirus, Ethics, Pandemic, Regulation, Stocks, GameStop, Stock Market

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media