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MORAL COURAGE: The new book by Institute president Rushworth Kidder is now on bookstands! To learn more or order online, simply visit: http://www.globalethics.org .

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In the January 18, 2005, edition of Ethics Newsline:

For the complete issue, click here: http://www.globalethics.org/newsline/members/currentissue2.tmpl

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1. Statline:

The 10 Best U.S. Employers, according to "Fortune" Survey

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517052472

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2. Commentary by Rushworth M. Kidder:

The Ethics of Punishment

Now and then, when the mental weather is just right, a topic that's been hovering unseen in the cultural atmosphere starts crystallizing and precipitating. This month, for no apparent reason, that topic is public penalties....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517062638

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3. What They're Saying:

Bad Things Happen

"There's a war on. Bad things happen."

-- U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Charles Graner, Jr., responding to a question about whether he felt remorse for abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Graner, who was found guilty after a court-martial last week, was sentenced to 10 years in military prison.....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517073010

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4. McKesson to Pay Nearly $1 Billion to Settle Fraud Charges

SAN FRANCISCO

Ending a six-year standoff over a massive accounting scandal, McKesson Corp. last week agreed to pay nearly $1 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the firm of defrauding investors in the late 1990s....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517075865

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5. Governance Experts Pin Blame on Nortel's Board and Outside Auditors

OTTAWA

The "Globe & Mail" is reporting that governance and accounting experts in Canada are laying the blame for Nortel Network's woes not only on former CEO Frank Dunn, but also on its board of directors and outside auditors....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517083838

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6. CBS News Ousts Four Execs over Failures in Bush Guard Story

NEW YORK

CBS News last week ousted four senior executives following the release of a report slamming the organization for sloppy reporting based on unverifiable documents concerning President Bush's time in the National Guard....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517090681

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7. Released Documents Detail Oversight Lapses in Oil-for-Food Program

NEW YORK

Oversight problems in the U.N. Oil-for-Food program were well known long before becoming publicized and sparking a scandal, according to documents released last week by independent investigators....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517093872

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8. U.K. Worker Fired over Comments Made on Blog

EDINBURGH, Scotland

U.K. book chain Waterstone's last week sacked a longtime employee over two unflattering comments posted on his web diary, known in Internet circles as a web-log or "blog," sparking debate over free speech and employee rights....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517100441

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9. Missouri Must Let KKK Participate in Highway Cleanup Program

WASHINGTON

The state of Missouri last week said it may shut down its popular "Adopt-a-Highway" litter clean-up program after the Ku Klux Klan won the last round in a legal battle to participate in the program....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517103192

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10. Georgia School District Told to Remove Evolution-as-Theory Stickers

ATLANTA

A federal judge last week ordered an Atlanta-area school district to remove stickers calling evolution a "theory" from science textbooks, saying the district had crossed the line separating church and state by apparently endorsing religion....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517110033

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11. Baseball Players Agree to Tougher Steroid Policy

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona

Under pressure from nearly all fronts, Major League Baseball last week announced a new and tougher testing program for steroids, though some critics faulted the deal as too little, too late....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517113072

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12. Iran, Kenya Accused of Regressive Press Crackdowns

TEHRAN

The governments of Iran and Kenya were accused last week of arresting and brutalizing reporters for criticizing officials and covering allegations of corruption. Among the developments...

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517120047

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13. Kraft Foods to Pull Junk-Food Ads Aimed at Young Kids

NORTHFIELD, Illinois

Kraft Foods last week announced that it would voluntarily curb snack-food ads aimed at kids between the ages of six and 12, saying the firm wanted to take a step toward helping kids make healthier choices....

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517122575

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14. Research Report:

"Fortune" Ranks 100 Best U.S. Employers

From "Fortune" magazine:

"Wegmans Food Markets, the Rochester-based grocery chain, tops "Fortune's" eighth annual '100 Best Companies to Work For' list. The unusual motto of this privately held company is 'Employees first, customers second.' The rationale? When employees are happy, customers will be too...."

Full story: http://www.globalethics.org/redir/nl.html?d=1/18/2005&;id=01170517132942

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15. Quote from the Ethics File:

When Men are the Most Sure

"Nothing can be more unphilosophical than to be positive or dogmatic on any subject. When men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken and have then given reins to passion without that proper deliberation and suspense which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities."

-- David Hume (Scottish philosopher and historian, 1711-1776)

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Full issue available here: http://www.globalethics.org/newsline/members/currentissue2.tmpl

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