All posts by Jonathon Bowes

About Jonathon Bowes

Jonathan Bowes started his career in banking. After a few years, he took courses in business and finance and worked his way up the corporate ladder. Today, while writing part-time for Business District, Bowes assists talented people to find jobs in the field of economics. Contact Bowes at Jonathon[at]businessdistrict.com

Putin Threatens to Retaliate to Additional Western Sanctions

News, , , ,

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday that his country was prepared to respond in kind to any additional sanctions that the US imposes on Russia.

The US Congress passed a law mandating restrictions on Russian weapons companies and investors in high-tech oil projects which is now waiting for President Obama’s signature to become operational. The new sanctions are a further response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine last March, and their support of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

“We will not be able to leave that without an answer,” Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying.

Russia has consistently denied supporting the rebels with arms or otherwise but that has not prevented the west, including the US and the EU, from imposing economic sanctions in increasing severity on large companies as well as individuals.

Russia has already reacted to past sanctions by restricting the importation of food from a wide range of Western countries. Russia responded with harsh words to the latest congressional action, the Ukraine Freedom Support Act. The Act mandates further sanctions, to which Russia responded by saying that the law will “destroy the carcass of cooperation” between the US and Russia.

White House Officials Worried About Russian Stealth

News, , ,
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin

A US official told the Wall Street Journal of the White House concern that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was able to hide his intentions towards Crimea from the National Security Agency.

The official said that the Obama administration is “very nervous” about Russia’s successful subterfuge; taking over Crimea and bringing troops to the Ukrainian border and hiding it from US eavesdropping equipment. “This is unchartered territory,” he said.

According to the WSJ US officials are in the dark about how Russia was able to hide its plans from the NSA, which spies on digital and electronic communications.

Apparently, says the Journal, Russian leaders either “deliberately avoided communicating about the invasion or simply found a way to do so without detection by the U.S.”
Another worry for US deterrence is whether this new secrecy is part of a wider trend in which Russia can act without US foreknowledge.

“All military combat operations depend on NSA contributions,” said former assistant command security manager in the US Navy, and consultant Robert Caruso during a discussion about documents potentially accessed by Edward Snowden. “[The Department of Defense] depends on NSA and the Defense Information Systems Agency to secure all its networks and others networks too.”

Poll Shows College Not Major Factor in Hiring

Education

Business leaders throughout the country were asked how important four different parameters of education are factors in hiring, including the amount of knowledge the candidate has in a particular field; his/her applied skill set; what the candidate’s major was in college; and which college he/she attended.

Gallup conducted the poll by telephone between November 25 and December 16, 2013. They inquired of 623 business leaders, on behalf of the Lumina Foundation, a private, independent foundation whose goal is to make higher education more accessible, to discover what the important factors are for business leaders when hiring new employees.

The poll showed an overwhelming preference for candidates with a good knowledge base in the field they will be expected to work in, as well applied skills in the field. Not as important was the potential employee’s college major, and of least importance of all was the college attended.
gallup pol

 

Groupon Elects Alexander Hamilton as President for President’s Day

Consumerism, ,
Alexander Hamilton portrait by John Trumbull
Alexander Hamilton portrait by John Trumbull

In what some might say is an embarrassing gaffe Groupon, the on-line discount company, released a coupon for President’s Day featuring President Alexander Hamilton as “undeniably one of our greatest presidents…”

Unfortunately, although their heart may have been in the right place, it is easy to deny, since Alexander Hamilton never actually served in the US’s highest office. Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers of the US; chief of staff to General Washington; an influential promoter and interpreter of the Constitution; the founder of the first American political party; and the founder of the country’s financial system. He has a great résumé, yes, but he was never President.

Groupon issued a $10 bill to be used with a $40 purchase, with Hamilton featured on the bill. Since Hamilton adorns real $10 bills it is easy to understand how Groupon could have made the mistake to think that Hamilton served as President, if you assume that our paper money only uses former Presidents as adornment.

The promotion for the coupon, which was released last Friday explained that, “Groupon Celebrates Presidents Day by Honoring Alexander Hamilton,” telling their customers to “Commemorate a man historically powerful enough to be on money with $10 towards $40 on a local purchase while they last.”

The rest of the release, which was still up on Groupon’s press page on Sunday continued, “The $10 bill, as everyone knows, features President Alexander Hamilton — undeniably one of our greatest presidents and most widely recognized for establishing the country’s financial system.”

Compounding the mistake on the website, there was also a picture of the $10 bill with the following caption: “President Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill.”

Recognizing Harris Freier

Companies, , , , ,

harris-freierAn associate at Genova Burns Giantomasi Webster’s Employment Law & Litigation practice group, Harris Freier was recently inducted in the 2014 Lead New Jersey (LNJ) Class. LNJ is an amalgamation of professional individuals that seek to achieve “a greater good” for the industry and communities.

Managing Partner at Genova Burns Giantomasi Webster, Brian W. Kronick spoke of the firm’s pride in Harris’s recent appointment as well as what he has achieved at the firm.  He said that having a representative from the firm in LNJ is exciting.  In addition, Kronick pointed out that Genova Burns has the same dedication to enhancing the quality of life and work in the state.  He said that he is “confident that Harris will excel at this mission as a member of the 2014 Class in the same way he excels every day in providing the highest standards of excellence to our clients.”

Currently, as a member of the Employment Law and Appellate Practice Groups at Genova Burns, Freier specializes in employment law cases with a focus on age, disability, gender, race and religious discrimination in state and federal courts. Included in the experience he brings to the firm was his handling of two labor arbitrations for NYC, labor related matters on plant closing and relocations as well as various employee grievances.  In his position he works alongside individuals such as Elnardo Webster (Partner), Rebecca Moll Freed (Counsel) and Douglas E. Solomon (Partner).