Supreme Court may raise hurdles to class actions again

'Class certification' might become more difficult because of an antitrust case against Comcast.

By Roger Parloff, senior editor

FORTUNE -- In a followup to its landmark class-action ruling in the Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes case last year, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing an antitrust case Monday in which it could, once again, raise the hurdles plaintiffs must vault before they can win "class certification"—i.e., the right to bring a case MORE

5 reasons to worry regardless who wins

An economy on four years of life-support has left a growing portion of the American labor market tired and anxious, seemingly sapped of initiative, embracing a new normal of limited horizons.

By Nina Easton, senior editor-at-large

FORTUNE -- In this uncertain presidential race, we can be certain that Tuesday night's victor will be proclaiming his own version of "Happy days are here again." But after the champagne and balloons and displays of MORE

Iger: Disney will "protect" Star Wars

Apprehensive Star Wars fans should take note of recent Disney history.

By Jennifer Reingold, senior editor

FORTUNE -- You've probably seen at least one of the memes related to the October 30th, $4.05 billion purchase of Lucasfilm by the Walt Disney Co. by now. Was it Mickey in Darth Vader's suit, saying "That Jedi Mind Trick Sh*T Really Does Work" on Tumblr? Peter Pan and Tink floating in silhouette in front of MORE

A New Way to Bet on Disasters (Fortune, 1997)

Insurers have begun to stake billions of dollars on computer forecasts of disaster losses. But what if Mother Nature knows something the computers don't?

Editor's note: Every week, Fortune.com publishes a story from our magazine archives. This week, we turn to a 1997 article about changes in the U.S. insurance industry following Hurricane Andrew, one of the costliest disasters in American history. Earlier this week, Superstorm Sandy ripped through the nation's East Coast, MORE

The San Francisco tech scene, fictionalized

Robin Sloan's buzzy novel Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is set in an old-school bookstore, sure, but it is packed with startup name-dropping and exciting technology.

By Daniel Roberts, reporter

FORTUNE -- What happens when a startup veteran decides to write a novel? You get something like Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, a hip sort of paean to San Francisco and its brainy, fast-paced technology scene.

Robin Sloan wrote the book while working as a media manager at MORE

The real winner in the China-Japan row

Many automakers are reeling from the two countries' fight over a few small islands. Except for one.

By Doron Levin, contributor

FORTUNE -- The dispute between China and Japan over a few small islands in the East China Sea is wreaking havoc on Japanese automakers selling vehicles in China. The row has provided an unexpected dividend to non-Japanese competitors, notably Hyundai, South Korea's largest automaker.

Toyota (TM), Honda (HMC) and Nissan (NSANY) have MORE