海角大神

One of the biggest mysteries of the universe is whether life may be possible beyond our home planet. Two announcements from NASA today represent major steps forward in cracking that case.

If unverified information is linked to government investigations or other actions, should the media be allowed to publish it? A critical libel suit involving the "Trump dossier" and allegations about hacking of Democratic emails tests that premise. (P.S. Read to the bottom of the article if you鈥檇 like to see an example of journalism鈥檚 fair report privilege in action.)

On both sides of the Mideast conflict, the hard-line viewpoint appears to be the future of politics 鈥� in contrast to compromise and a two-state solution. Yesterday, we profiled Benjamin Netanyahu's heir apparent, who does not believe in a Palestinian state. Today, we look at a son of refugees who emerged from 22 years in prison committed to Israel's destruction.

Lack of consent is increasingly seen as a core element of rape. But less than a third of European countries have made it law, despite high-profile cases around the issue. Why is change so slow going?

When it comes to pollution, it can be difficult to imagine how any one individual's efforts can make a difference. But in the case of disposable plastics, activists insist that every choice carries weight.

In a June 7 statement, nearly 200 chief executives of major American firms put out a special plea through a group called the Business Roundtable. In essence, these titans of industry and finance gave their support to companies that are patient in growing their underlying value rather than continually panicked about producing quick results.

Specifically, they suggested executives not provide stock analysts with 鈥済uidance鈥� every three months about expectations for the company鈥檚 earnings and instead think more about the families and others who invest for retirement and expect profits over decades.

鈥淧ublic companies should be managed for long-term prosperity, not to meet the latest forecast,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淪uch short-termism is unhealthy for America鈥檚 public companies and financial markets 鈥� which are critical to economic growth and financial prosperity.鈥�

One 鈥渦nhealthy鈥� aspect of so-called quarterly capitalism is that executives sometimes distort or even lie about their company鈥檚 activities. They neglect investments in research or employee training. They don鈥檛 take the time to recruit top talent or create a consensus among all stakeholders about long-term goals.

The practice of offering earnings guidance really took off two decades ago. But as its downsides have become better known through studies, more companies have moved away from it. Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase, says only about 20 percent of Business Roundtable members still do quarterly guidance while about 60 percent now provide annual targets. The rest do something in-between.

A recent study of about 600 firms by the McKinsey Global Institute found that 73 percent of public companies are short-termist. Firms that are long-termist saw profits that were 36 percent higher between 2001 and 2014.

Investors are often told to be patient about a company鈥檚 stock, focusing more on fundamentals like innovative research than a stock鈥檚 volatility or temporary disruptions in a market. Now that virtue is being touted by America鈥檚 business elite. 鈥淧atient capitalism鈥� is difficult to measure or put in a financial report. Yet here鈥檚 a tip from some of the most successful companies: It works.