Why the Twitter IPO Is a Win for Humankind, & 4 More Things to Know Today

Here's a quick rundown from the world of business and economics this morning: the things you need to know, and some you'll just want to know.

• On Thursday morning, Twitter will go public on the New York Stock Exchange. And even though it's a high-tech social media business, if all goes smoothly with the IPO, we can count it as a victory for good old human common sense over the raw power of computers in the stock market. Our friends at Quartz explain why.

• Starbucks (SBUX) has announced a new push to hire U.S. military veterans: The coffee seller said Wednesday it intends to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years. The move by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz follows similar hiring initiatives by Walmart (WMT), UPS (UPS) and JP Morgan Chase (JPM), among other large companies. It's also consistent in tone with previous grassroots moves by Schultz, such as his "Create Jobs for USA" campaign.

• Among certain segments of the pro-business population, "Atlas Shrugged," Ayn Rand's epic economic fantasy, carries nearly biblical weight. But our friends at Business Insider took a closer look at the tale of John Galt, and noticed something: Much of the business advice in "Atlas Shrugged" is fairly awful, and hazardous to the bottom line.

%VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks%• As we begin preparing in earnest for holiday gifting season, this column written by a former seasonal UPS worker offers some insider advice on how to get your package shipped to its destination mostly undamaged. Best hint: Never write "fragile" on the box.

• And finally, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll out today has good news for President Obama. Despite all the troubles surrounding its website, uninsured Americans are showing increased interest in Obamacare and the coverage offered under it, and less opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Maybe the old saying is true: There's no such thing as bad press.

(Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Twitter's IPO would launch Wednesday.)