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Articles
featured this month in The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition
INDEX OF BUSINESSES AND BRANDS
Retailing | Environment | Economics | Careers | Online | Personal Finance | On Campus | Opinion | Quote/Unquote
MAY 2009 | COVER STORY
LIVE NATION AND TICKETMASTER: IN CONCERT
In a music industry that’s changing fast, Live Nation and Ticketmaster are two companies that are competing hard, but just scraping by. Now the companies are planning to merge in a deal that would concentrate power in the music industry like never before, with potentially wide-ranging implications for how the business of live music works. We take a look at what’s behind the proposed Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, and what’s ahead. Article 
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RETAILING
IT'S ON
After finally burying its longtime competitor Circuit City, Best Buy is now gearing up to fight an even more powerful enemy: Wal-Mart. And the company’s new CEO thinks he has a critical advantage: a sales force that knows a lot about electronics. Article
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ENVIRONMENT
OUT OF THE SHADOWS
In L.A., an innovative new program is training former gang members and convicts for jobs in the green economy. One of them is 34-year-old Albert Ortega, who spent most of the past seven years locked up on drug-trafficking charges. Now he’s about to graduate from a course that prepares him to install solar panels, just the type of job that President Obama thinks will lead the economic recovery. Says Mr. Ortega: “Solar puts me on the cutting edge.” Article
LINKS
GREEN MEANS STOP: Local resistance to environmental initiatives. Article
SAVING GREEN: Are these green gadgets worth buying? Video
ENVIRONMENTAL CAPITAL: Daily analysis of the environmental business Blog
SILVER BULLET: The power of a simple caulk gun Article
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ECONOMICS
DOWN FOR THE COUNT
The recession could have a lasting political impact on our nation. Every 10 years, the Census Bureau’s population count is used by lawmakers to determine how to apportion seats in the House of Representatives and votes in the Electoral College. Because of population trends over the past few decades, Northeast and Midwest states have been losing seats to Southern and Western states, which attract more retirees, job seekers and immigrants. But the recession has disrupted that trend, and that could change the balance of political power for years to come. Article
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STAYING PUT: U.S. migration falls sharply Article
NEED NOT APPLY: U.S. deters hiring foreigners Article
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CAREERS
'REALITY TV IS MY LIFE'
How I got here: Sara Mast, executive producer on 'The Hills'. In this Q&A with Ms. Mast, she talks about her path from making documentary films to following Heidi, Stephanie, Spencer, Lauren and the rest of the cast around sunny Southern California. Article
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ONLINE
NEW KIND OF COLLEGE SEARCH
Wall Street Journal technology columnist looks at a new Web site called Unigo.com.It’s a college-search site that’s not like most others. Think of it as a mix of YouTube and Facebook, but with stricter editorial standards to filter out wildly biased or inaccurate claims. Article
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OFF-CAMPUS PARTY: Economies of college towns fare better Article
TRIMMING THE IVY: How the recession hits elite colleges Article
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PERSONAL FINANCE
A STIMULATING DISCUSSION
The stimulus bill that President Obama signed in February includes $116 billion in tax credits that will effectively put an additional $8 a week into Americans' paychecks.
So if you’re getting an extra $8 each week, and as a good citizen you want to do your part to get the economy going, what should you spend the money on, and why? We took a quick survey of leading economists to get some ideas. Article
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ON CAMPUS
PACKING LIST
In the final On Campus column of the year, Abby McCartney offers college-bound high-school seniors a handy packing list: What to take to campus, and what to leave behind. Among her suggestions: Leave your yearbook, Homecoming photo album, and your place in the social pecking order at home. Where you sat in the high-school cafeteria isn’t important anymore. College is a fresh start. Article
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FINAL FORUM: What do student-athletes major in? Article
ORDER IN THE COURT: Law schools offer refuge from the economy Article
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OPINION
THE COLLEGE ATHLETE: OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID
March (and April) Madness has come and gone, but a troubling reality lingers: The players who entertain us receive compensation that amounts to only a very small percentage of what they would have earned if they sold their services in a competitive market. Article
BOOK REVIEW: OUT OF Tune
In "Appetite for Self-Destruction," Steve Knopper, a Rolling Stone contributing editor, flays a bloated industry both for its legendary excesses and for its strategic short-sightedness. Mr. Knopper's story focuses on plenty of individuals, including Michael Jackson, whose 51-million-selling "Thriller" album in 1982 almost single-handedly revived the industry after disco died. But the central character in "Appetite for Self-Destruction" is technological change. Read the complete review
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR | Read
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QUOTE/UNQUOTE
Read the stories behind these words
—Bill Suitor Jetpack enthusiast
Mr. Suitor, a test pilot for an early jetpack developed for the U.S. military in the 1960s, is among a small group of enthusiasts who continue to work on perfecting and popularizing the technology, lured by the thrill of a fast, 30-second flight. Article
—Bob Hull Computer technician
Mr. Hull spoke out at a recent public hearing against a proposed seat-belt law in New Hampshire, the only state in the nation without any seat-belt requirement for adults. Article
—David Osgood Lawyer for Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling
Mr. Osgood is appealing a decision by the Washington state Department of Licensing to regulate Seattle Semi-Pro as a sports organization and hold the league to strict safety standards. SSP performs spoofs of pro-wrestling shows, featuring such absurd characters as Gorilla Sammartino and Kung Fu Banana. Article
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