As part of its ongoing series “Remade in America” which explores American life from the perspective of new immigrants, the NY Times has created a number of great interactive graphics that show how our increasingly diverse population is reshaping staid institutions from education to healthcare. The above map depicts immigration’s role in changing the face of the American workforce, charting its impact across various industries ranging from administrative and technical fields to manufacturing and service sectors. As we continue to look for ways to innovate in the midst of a stalled economy, it’s exciting to see that the US has the [...]

Citing the rising cost of healthcare in the United States, several insurers have taken a page out of travel guides for “medical tourism” and begun toying with the idea of sending their patients abroad for routine surgeries. In essence, these large providers with recognizable names – Aetna, UnitedHealth and Blue Cross Blue Shield – are attempting to create global health systems by buying up networks in far flung locations from Thailand to Costa Rica. In an effort to cash in on the significant savings – some estimates place the number at $33 billion – insurers are prepared to go the [...]

I like Bruce Nussbaum’s list of what he’d like to see in The Stimulus Bill recently featured in BusinessWeek. The premise of his piece is that INNOVATION got a bit left out in the discussion and writing of the bill i.e., the process to get us to a healthy economy. Nussbaum does believe Obama has a vision for an America that is “green, urban, tech-centric and young”, but that much more than writing about a vision is needed to get us there. I agree.
The down payment on the new ‘green economy’, which includes investment in domestic and public buildings, tax [...]

Thought the Cash 4 Gold Superbowl ad was strange? Turns out a lot of you didn’t: suburbanites from Oregon to New Jersey are trading their stereotypical Tupperware parties for gold-selling parties. Guests bring their unwanted jewellery (from previous fashion fads or ex-husbands) to a MyGoldParty, enjoy the company and maybe a glass of wine, and leave with a check. USA Today investigated:
[MyGoldParty founder January Thomas] says many women don’t like going to pawn shops. “At a party, they’re less embarrassed about asking how much their jewellery is worth,” Thomas says. “Besides, it’s a form of recycling and [...]

HOK pointed us to this eye-opening way of looking at the $780 billion stimulus package. The pictures speak for themselves.

… And you’re not even halfway there.
[via Life at HOK]