Postcards

Where in the world is the biggest risk?

Lots of people are now seeing light at the end of the global recession, but it pays to keep the dark clouds in sight. My Fortune colleague Shawn Tully does that in his just-published story about Ireland. As he notes, Ireland's economy is suffering the deepest plunge of virtually any country outside of Iceland. And it's not over yet.

To get a broader view of global risk, I called Ian Bremmer, MORE

Power Point: Trust is not enough

"We are hearing, 'Trust us,' but we are not willing to let $180 billion go just on trust. We will question; we will inquire; we will verify."

-Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, in a hearing with AIG (AIG) on Wednesday. The embattled insurance giant, which recieved a $180 billion-dollar bailout, claimed it had made "substantial" progress, but Congress wanted more proof. CEO Ed Liddy failed to MORE

Guest Post: The last newspaper generation

by Esther Wojcicki, journalism teacher and newspaper adviser at Palo Alto High School

Reading the newspaper these days makes me sad about journalism. "The American Press on Suicide Watch" was the headline of Frank Rich's New York Times column this past Sunday. "Legendary brands from the Los Angeles Times to the Philadelphia Inquirer are teetering," Rich said, adding that the New York Times Co. (NYT) might shutter the Boston Globe. Maureen MORE

Power Point: Ignore the critics

"There's always going to be someone out there like that movie critic, who doesn't believe in you or who thinks your head is too big or you're not smart enough or whatever. But those are the people you need to ignore, and those are the times you need to just keep doing what you love doing."

-- Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC's (GE) Late Night and SNL alum, in a commencement MORE

Amex CEO Ken Chenault: Define reality and give hope

by Jessica Shambora

It's a given that when corporations suffer, so do the charitable groups that rely on them for support.

Amidst the financial crisis, many strapped non-profits face funding losses as the need for their services rises. And unlike their counterparts at for-profit corporations, not-for-profit execs haven't had the proper leadership training do what's needed -- restructuring, staff cuts, even mergers with other organizations. A recent study by Bridgespan Group shows MORE

Power Point: See the possibility

"If you can see the possibility of change in your life -- see the possibility of what you can become and not just what you are -- you will be a huge success."

-- Oprah Winfrey in her address to Duke University grads on Sunday. After picking up an honorary doctor of human letters, Oprah began by quipping: "I'm gonna have everyone call me 'doctor' now."

How did Duke score the media MORE

Ten tips from Google...on Googling

by Beth Kowitt, Fortune reporter

The folks from Google (GOOG) came into Fortune's offices last week to offer tips for journalists. As a Googler and Gen-Y-er, I expected the talk from Jane Bliss, a Google manager of global communications and public affairs, to help me brush up on some search skills -- maybe learn about a just-launched tool. But most of what Bliss and her colleague Jennifer Bloch, Google's senior manager MORE

Power Point: Simple doesn't mean easy

"If you are in the investment business and you have a high IQ, sell 30 points to the next person. You do not have to be a genius at all. But you do have to have emotional stability, and you have to have some peace about your decisions. I don't know how much is innate and how much can be taught. If you have that quality you will do very MORE

Bits of inspiration to end the week

This is a short post on a Friday to close an inspiring week. I told you about going to the Time 100 gala on Tuesday evening. What a high. The biggest names there were influential women, starting with Oprah, who wrote the piece about Michelle Obama in the Time 100 issue. At the dinner, the First Lady talked about social entrepreneurship and the best-of-breed innovators, like Donors Choose, whom we MORE

Power Point: Moving beyond the stress tests

"The cost of credit remains exceptionally high. We have more work to do, and recovery will take time. But we are starting to see some signs of progress toward financial repair."

- U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, announcing bank-industry stress-test results Thursday afternoon. Ten of the 19 largest banks in the U.S. must raise a total of $74.6 billion in capital. Leading the list: Bank of America (BAC) with a $33.9 MORE