Dec 2nd, 2008 · President-elect Obama has said he wants public employees to take back some of the work that the Bush administration has given to private contractors — and he wants to crack down on contractors' abuses. But Obama could find it difficult to shake things up.
Dec 1st, 2008 · The National Bureau of Economic Research says the United States has officially been in a recession since December 2007. A recession is sometimes defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, but the private group uses a more precise measure.
Nov 27th, 2008 · A group of suspected Muslim militants has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Mumbai, India. Reva Ballah is director of Geopolitical Analysis, at Stratfor, a private geopolitical intelligence company in Austin, Texas. She tells Steve Inskeep about the significance of the attacks.
Nov 24th, 2008 · The Bush administration has hired private industry to take over more of the government's work than any administration ever. President-elect Barack Obama says he plans to take on the issue, which an official at a congressional watchdog says is out of control.
Nov 21st, 2008 · Private law firms charge their clients a fortune in billable hours. Now, some firms are doing away with this way of billing because clients just can't afford it any more. With the economy failing, some lawyers are finding themselves out of a job too.
Nov 20th, 2008 · Washington Post reporter Steve Fainaru has extensively covered the "parallel army" of private security contractors. His book Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting In Iraq, details the tens of thousands of "mercs" who arrived in Iraq in the absence of sufficient levels of U.S. troops.
Nov 17th, 2008 · American experts are at work in Beijing's Forbidden City, helping preserve a long-neglected treasure: the elaborate private retreat of the 18th-century Chinese emperor Qianlong.
Nov 17th, 2008 · As the Obama family prepares to transition into the White House, one of the most pressing matters is choosing a school for their two daughters, Sasha and Malia. Mary Lord, of D.C. State Board of Education; Mark Gooden, an education professor and Jay Matthews, education columnist for the Washington Post talk about the sometimes complicated choice between public or private schooling for children.