Of 577 key federal jobs requiring Senate confirmation, only 106 have had nominees put forward by President Trump. That’s according to the count by the Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service. Those vacancies include leadership roles at NASA and NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. With no one at the helm, science-based […]

Today the retail industry got a small piece of good news in the form of some data from July that was better than expected. The government announced this morning that retail sales last month were up 0.6 percent during the previous month and more than 4 percent from this time last year. Not bad for […]

Netflix, the big video on demand company, committed what amounts to a raid on the content stable of Disney. It has signed a multiyear production contract with Shonda Rhimes —creator of hit TV series such as “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal.” With more than 50 original shows under its belt just this year, Netflix is doubling […]

Think about the hardest negotiation you’ve ever done — maybe over a salary or buying a house. Maybe some big deal at work. Those are like the simplest kiddie-puzzles compared with the 5,000 piece jigsaw that is a trade negotiation. Then, imagine you had to start all over once it was done, and maybe add […]