From all four corners of the US

Let's assume that you are the kind of globetrotter who has a few minutes to spare, the San Francisco International Airport has just the machine for you. US immigration (INS) has installed ATM-like machines in the International Terminal that will measure your hands and confirm your identity so that at customs you won't have to answer many more questions than "what is the purpose of your stay." It is a system that US Congress has proposed with a law of this year, the "Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act." This states that all responsible places must implement an entry control system based on biometric data identifying all foreign tourists, effective after October 26, 2004.

However, a small problem remains. The machines have never been activated to this day.

The director of the biometric research institute of the San Jose University, James Wayman, explains that even though the biometric scanners work perfectly, they don't save costs because they are too expensive. The so-called SFO machines are part of INS' INSPASS system (INS Passenger Accelerated Service System) as a response of the requirements of the immigration act of 1990 stating that the waiting times for immigration controls may not exceed 45 minutes. Since 1993, the INSPASS machines have been set up at ca. eight airports. At these kiosks, as the INS calls them, the biometric data of a person who already has INSPASS, meaning whose physiognomy has already been scanned, similar to the new acquisitions. Wayman is convinced of this form of admission control - it doesn't cost anything, it only takes half an hour to register for the first time and after that you never have to stand in a waiting line again.

Wayman explains the fact that the old system that has never really been activated after installation in December of 2000 by saying that the costs for the 30-minutes registration procedure apparently are higher than the personnel costs for interviews saved by the INSPASS system on the other hand. The spokeswoman of the administration justifies the measures by explaining that the old system will now be used as the basis for developing a new technology. The INSPASS system has not been living up to expectations so far and this should be a warning for future projects.

Lawsuit against administration's arbitrariness for driver's licenses In Minnesota, the local "American Civil Liberty Union" has sued the state. The reason for the lawsuit is that the union that the new restrictive regulations for aliens who wish to obtain a driver's license are "fundamentally unfair." According to the new regulations, the applicant will now have to present two instead of just one identification document, and for non-immigrants (persons with temporary visas, e.g. students, tourists or foreign workers) the driver's license will also expire at the same time their stay granted at border upon admission expires.

Decreasing number of students US providers of high school student exchanges are complaining about rapidly decreasing numbers of participants and US host families who want to take in foreign participants. Ever since September 11 the numbers have been quickly decreasing, different providers explained. Several factors contribute to this, for example the weak economy, US military actions abroad and an increasingly negative attitude towards foreigners. The numbers have decreased by approximately 20 percent, according to the statements.

Smoking ban in cigar bars The US pride themselves on being the Land of the Free. But this freedom quickly doesn't count anymore once the American reaches for the cigarette. The city of New York is now planning a further step to make things harder for smokers.

Having a cigarette in the US is not so easy. In restaurants, smokers only get the least favored table near the toilets. In public buildings such as offices or government buildings, smoking isn't allowed at all. Anyone who wants to smoke anyway has to find a wind-protected area on the streets. And still gets angry looks from non-smoking passers-by. Smoking is also banned from football stadiums, train stations and airports. The last refuge for smokers were the bars. But this also is going to end. According to CNN, New York is making an attempt to ban smoking from all bars and restaurants in the city, which would make New York's anti-smoking laws the strictest throughout the US.

Currently, the law of 1995 makes all restaurants with more than 35 seats smoke-free zones. Bars are exempt from the regulations up to now. According to the new anti-smoking laws, a smoking ban would be placed on 13,000 further bars within the city. The law will even apply to cigar bars. The tobacco concern Philip Morris immediately announced resistance. "A total ban is too much and violates the rights of bar owners," says a spokesman.

According to the report, New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg is responsible for this new initiative. According to studies about potential damage to passive smokers, barkeepers are breathing in the equivalent of half a pack of cigarettes during an eight-hour shift without smoking themselves. Bloomberg had already succeeded in raising tobacco taxes from eight cents per pack to $1.50. Ever since then a pack of cigarettes costs roughly $7.50 in the city at the Hudson River.

It is expected that the bill to change the anti-smoking law will already be introduced on Monday. There is already a law banning smoking from all public places in the states of California and Delaware.

The MBA course - to be discontinued? New surveys are posing the question of whether the expensive MBA program is really worth the effort for US students. Approximately 100,000 MBA graduates are flooding the US labor market every year. The additional qualification often makes them older and poorer, but not professionally more successful than other economics students.
The education for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can cost roughly $100,000 at a good US university. Jeffrey Pfeffer wanted to find out whether the education is actually worth that. The professor at the business school of the renowned Stanford University looked at studies of the past 40 years, and most of all examined internal surveys of business consultancies and investment banks. After all, both are preferred employers of MBA graduates.

The result is amazing and not very pleasant for MBA graduates - they are making the same money as other graduates in the same sector, altogether the degree hardly had an effect on the future career and income, according to Pfeffer's study "Harvard's great rival." "Usually, it just makes them a few years older," is the laconic conclusion of one expert quoted by Pfeffer.

And still the MBA program does have several advantages, according to "The Economist." Usually, the students are learning at well-established schools that can count on their good reputation and a network with sponsoring companies. Because they like to bait the young academics at the business schools - MBA students are said to be "smart, ambitious, ready to make sacrifices, and they are itching to enter the world of business," says another Stanford professor.

Also very interesting is the result of another study by the organization AASCB, which accredits MBA courses in the US - MBA graduates seem convinced that communicative skills are vital for their career. But only six percent of business schools actually train their students communicative skills at least halfway effectively - not really a very good evaluation.

Nevertheless, 40 of the 100 largest companies in the US are being led by MBA graduates by now, according to The Economist. Not necessarily in a successful way - Henry Mintzberg, professor in Quebec and long-time MBA critic, followed the career of 19 Harvard MBA graduates - 10 of them either lost their jobs or their companies went bankrupt.

Fear of September 11, 2002 Apparently, passengers are afraid of flying to the US on September 11, 2002. British Airways already had to cancel one third of all transatlantic flights on the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks due to low demand. Air France as well has cancelled two flights to the US on that day.

On the first anniversary of the attacks, the airspace over the US will be significantly emptier. The demand at British Airways and Air France is so low that several connections have already been canceled for that day. And also the American airlines American Airlines, Delta and Continental, the Scandinavian SAS and Air France are planning to cancel flights.

"It is difficult to find out the exact reason for the lack of bookings that day, but it is understandable that the passengers don't want to fly that day," said the spokeswoman of British Airways. 24 of the 78 planned transatlantic flights have already been cancelled, among them London to San Francisco, Washington, Philadelphia, Miami, Phoenix and San Diego. The Concorde, however, would start on its daily flight to New York.

Also Air France announced that its Concorde would fly that day. Usually, the airline offers eleven flights a day from Paris to New York and Washington. One connection each has been cancelled due to low demand. There is a significant lack of bookings for this day, said a spokesman.

Lufthansa as well noticed a decrease in bookings. So far, no flights have been cancelled, however, said Thomas Jachnow, spokesman of Lufthansa. Maybe they would just use smaller planes rather than canceling flights. Usually, Lufthansa flies from Germany to New York six times a day.

And even Scandinavian SAS has cancelled two out of three flights to New York on September 11. Affected are one connection from Copenhagen and one from Stockholm, the company said on Friday. It confirmed a report of the Flemish newspaper "De Standaard," about a noticeable fear of flying on the date in question. The newspaper also reported that the Dutch airline KLM had registered a slight decrease in bookings as well. However, they would not cancel any flights. "We will fly same as always that day."