In Today’s List: Embattled Chief Executive Resigns at Home Depot | US chiefs feel the heat | Business-Friendly Reporting via XBRL: It’s Not Just a Pipedream! | Online Communities Drive Social Activism, suggests Study | Stock fraud suits plummet | Financial Accounting Standards Board Establishes Investors Technical Advisory Committee | Wal-Mart Puts Some Muscle Behind Power-Sipping Bulbs | The Ongoing Options Saga at Apple
Embattled Chief Executive Resigns at Home Depot
The unexpected departure of Mr. Nardelli caps a tumultuous year at the company, the nation’s second largest retail chain after Wal-Mart. Shareholders had begun to openly question the company’s direction and Mr. Nardelli’s leadership, and the board was under considerable pressure to make a change. See also: Citizen Investors 1, Fat Cat CEOs $435 million
US chiefs feel the heat
American chief executives are bracing themselves for a tough year, with corporate governance issues, shareholder activism, and a more difficult operating environment likely to test their leadership and business skills.
Business-Friendly Reporting via XBRL: It’s Not Just a Pipedream!
Because even though XBRL itself is championed primarily as a means to standardize and open up the reporting of financial information—admittedly a niche-use—a subset of the XBRL standard, or XBRL General Ledger (GL), has much greater potential applicability, at least for enterprise users.
Online Communities Drive Social Activism, suggests Study
Almost two-thirds of online community members who participate in social causes through the Internet (64.9%) say they are involved in causes that were new to them when they began participating on the internet. While 43.7% of online community members participate more in social activism since they started participating in online communities.
Stock fraud suits plummet
The number of federal class-action lawsuits alleging securities fraud plummeted in 2006, a sign that “tougher and smarter” enforcement may be paying off with better corporate behavior, according to a study released Monday by Stanford Law School.
Financial Accounting Standards Board Establishes Investors Technical Advisory Committee
Comprised of users of financial reports with strong technical accounting knowledge, ITAC members will serve as a standing resource for the FASB in obtaining further user perspectives and insights on Board projects.
Wal-Mart Puts Some Muscle Behind Power-Sipping Bulbs
That would send shockwaves — some intended, others not — across the lighting industry. Because compact fluorescent bulbs last up to eight years, giant manufacturers, like General Electric and Osram Sylvania, would sell far fewer lights. Because the bulbs are made in Asia, some American manufacturing jobs could be lost. And because the bulbs contain mercury, there is a risk of pollution when millions of consumers throw them away.
The Ongoing Options Saga at Apple
While the directors (fronted by former Vice President Al Gore who may appreciate the fine legal distinctions thanks to his front row seat at the White House during Monica-gate) reached these conclusions, it’s possible that the SEC or another body will not. As such, Apple will remain under a dark cloud for the foreseeable future.
Editors note: Instead of pushing stuff at you daily for no good reason, we’re going to compile Noteworthy stuff lists as and when we think there’s enough to tell you about. These new lists replace the old News Digests which half of you said you like, but which we hate. We hope you like this compromise. 
[...] As we highlighted in our Noteworthy list #1 last week, another study by USC-Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future has found that participation in online communities leads to social activism. [...]