What happens to a whistleblower after they blow the whistle? Are they considered heroes or villains? Do their actions inspire others, or are the personal risks too great? Those are some of the questions that are explored in a podcast(Mar. 11), by Julia Taylor Kennedy for the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. Taylor Kennedy begins her conversation by talking to...

The Dow Jones on compliance and ethics; BP on doing the right thing; and an action-oriented entrepreneur top the list this month. Who says nobody’s interested in Ethics? – A full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal publicized The Global Compliance Symposium to be held next month in Washington, D.C. Organized by Dow Jones, the purpose of the two-day conference is to...

Ted Nugent is a shameless hate-spewing demagogue. Nugent’s remarks – past, present and more likely future – are not poorly chosen, dumb or inappropriate. They’re dangerously wrong. Last month, Nugent defiantly called the president of the United States “a Chicago communist-raised, communist-educated, communist-nurtured subhuman mongrel.” This month, Texas attorney general and candidate for governor Gregg Abbott welcomed (that’s right, welcomed) the rocker to his...

While part of Wednesday’s commentary brought out the fact that not all members of Congress are corrupt, the perception of political corruption continues. According to the results of a survey by the campaign reform advocacy group United Republic, 51 percent agree with the statement that “most politicians” are “corrupt.” I’ve quoted ethicist Michael Josephson in the past as well as crediting...

Foodbabe – What’s the difference between the bread at your local Subway and a yoga mat? Apparently, not enough! Subway restaurants announced that it will stop using the same chemical used in the production of plastic yoga mats that they use in some of their bread. On her drive to improve what America eats as well as how they eat, Vani Hari,  » Read...

According to the most recent survey by The Ethics Resource Center, America’s oldest nonprofit for advancing high ethical standards and practices, “workplace misconduct is at a historic low.” (No, that’s not a set-up for a joke.) The 2013 National Business Ethics Survey, conducted every two years by the organization, “…shows that 41 percent of over 6,400 workers surveyed said they have...

In the category, “Something You Don’t See that Often,” the award goes to… composer Bruce Broughton! In surprise move, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rescinded composer Bruce Broughton’s nomination for the song, Alone, Yet Not Alone, from the little seen film of the same name. The decision was prompted by the fact that Broughton, a former Governor of...

If you think getting people to act more ethically is tough, try convincing the world to eliminate nuclear weapons. In his 2013 book, ZERO – The Case for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, founder and president of the Nuclear Age Peace FoundationDavid Krieger makes his case through a series of compelling and common sense essays. This one, a conversation between Einstein and Socrates, is...

… to hunt a rare and endangered species even if you pay a large sum earmarked to help that species? Dallas-based hunter Corey Knowlton and his family have been targeted for reprisals when the world learned that he paid $350,000 to the Namibian government to hunt and kill a rhino, an animal that’s been designated by the government and conservation...

Last week, a federal judge in Chicago sentenced Beanie Baby king Ty Warner to two-years’ probation rather than prison for hiding at least $25 million from the IRS. “Society will be better served,” U.S. District Judge Charles Kocoras said, “by allowing him to continue his good works.” Many news outlets, including Chicago Business, describe Warner as “The 69-year-old philanthropist and chairman and CEO...