The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates 10,000 products ranging from apparel to household appliances, inspects less than 1 percent of imports under its jurisdiction. With the odds stacked against being detected, cost-cutting foreign manufacturers continue to supply dangerous goods to U.S. retailers.

Shipping losses worldwide have declined by 50 percent over the past decade, but 75 ships were lost in 2014, according to a recent study.

Corporate America usually hasn't viewed hot-button social issues as any of its business. Then came Indiana. The controversy over the state's religious rights measure signed into law recently has been striking for the parade of well-known businesses that not only joined in the opposition to the law but took the lead in voicing their disapproval.

Senior executives at businesses of all sizes understand all too well that today's global economy is still not adequately protected against cyberattacks, despite years of effort and spending in the multibillion-dollar range each year. But until recently, many CFOs may not have been considered an integral part of an organization's security team or understood how to respond to security risks and the implications for their organizations. But times have changed and many CFOs are being called upon to help promote cyber security and identify threats.

Drop a pebble into a fishpond and it creates a tiny ripple. What starts as a local event instantly surges outward, causing a ring of disturbance that grows as it travels across the water. Beneath the surface, the goldfish scatter as a mallard above beats a rapid retreat. And for those who may be dozing on the shoreline, a chain of events has begun that forces change in every direction.

With the current boom in U.S. oil and natural gas production, it might be tempting to put aside the notion of shifting to more sustainable fuels for commercial transport. Why venture into this unknown area when traditional supplies are so plentiful?