SEPTEMBER 14, 2002

Full News Archive

• Headline: HealthSouth Under Investigation for Medicare Fraud. Impact: This lawsuit against HealthSouth set off a chain reaction of corporate vigilance. Suddenly, companies started hiring more compliance officers than actual therapists. Who knew watching a bunch of patients group-therapy their way to recovery could be so financially risky? The over-correction led to a boom in the 'Therapy Compliance' industry, which is now a thriving yet utterly confusing field.. Fact: Did you know that the term 'HealthSouth' sounds like a wellness retreat but is actually more like a bad trip to the dentist?.
• Headline: Merrill Lynch Analyst's Gift Scandal Explained. Impact: The exchange of gifts between analysts and corporate executives kicked off a new era of questionable ethics in finance. Suddenly, Wall Street was filled with more birthday parties than investment strategies. As a direct result, we now have more rules about insider trading than we do about actual trading.. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing analysts traded more than gifts was their credibility. Shocking, I know!.
• Headline: Lucent Plans To Eliminate More Positions. Impact: Lucent's job cuts not only led to a company in freefall but also inspired a generation of employees to pursue careers in either job-hunting or motivational speaking on the perils of tech stock investments. It's a win-win for those who love sharing tales of corporate despair at dinner parties.. Fact: Did you know that Lucent once had more employees than the entire population of some small countries? Now they could probably fit their workforce in a single conference room!.