Challenges Faced by Multinational Corporations

Challenges Faced by Multinational Corporations Multinational Corporation (MNC) is one of type of potential firm in the world nowadays. A corporation can be categorized as MNC if there are 20% to 50% or more of its net profit from directs investment in one or more in foreign countries. (Iamsam, n.d).[ http://hubpages.com/hub/Multinational-Corporations-MNCs]MNC are managed from one home country. With well- manage structure and due business firm good performance, it able to expand its products and services to foreign country. The growth of multinational corporations is measured by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). When business firm make an investment in a second nation, the investment is counted as part of the outward direct investment from the source country. FDI is an investment in foreign firms where the foreign investor owns at least ten percent of the ordinary shares. 1.2. Coca-Cola Company History Coca-Cola is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups that invented by Dr. John Stith Pemberton in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia in 1886. Today, Coca-Cola owns or licenses more than 500 brands, including diet and light beverages, waters, juice drinks, tea, coffees, and energy and sports drinks. It has already marketed 2400 beverage products in more than 200 countries globally at a rate of approximately 1.5 billion servings each day. E. Neville Isdell leads the Coca-Cola Company into the new century with a firm commitment to the values and spirit of the worlds greatest brand. Today, Coca-Cola is recognized as the world s most valuable brand. Coca-Cola Enterprises established in 1986, is a young company by the standards of the Coca-Cola system. Yet each of its franchises has a strong heritage in the traditions of Coca-Cola that is the foundation for this company. The Coca-Cola Company traces it s beginning to 1886, when an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John Pemberton, began to produce Coca-Cola syrup for sale in fountain drinks. However the bottling business began in 1899 when two Chattanooga businessmen, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead, secured the exclusive rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola for most of the United States from The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola bottling system continued to operate as independent, local businesses until the early 1980s when bottling franchises began to consolidate. In 1986, The Coca-Cola Company merged two large ownership groups which are John T. Lupton franchises and BCI Holding Corporations bottling holdings to form Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. In December 1991, a merger between Coca-Cola Enterprises and the Johnston Coca-Cola Bottling Group, Inc. (Johnston) created a larger, stronger Company, again helping accelerate bottler consolidation. As part of the merger, the senior management team of Johnston assumed responsibility for managing the Company, and began a dramatic, successful restructuring in 1992. 1.3. Management Structure To create an effective organizational structure is one of the important tasks for top managers. In the International division structure, the abroad branch of the company is the attachment of the parent company. The international unit is responsible for controlling all of the international activities of the company. The division can be based on geography, product or function. There is an international division head which is responsible for controlling all of the activities of these units. This division structure allows the multinational companies to freely explore resources internationally. Whenever there are changes in internal business environment, the companies which have this structure undergo some changes.   Coca-Cola Company as the biggest non-alcoholic beverage concentrates which also a multinational company has to handles the enormous capacity of its business by international division structure. Coca-Cola is geographically operating segments; the five groups are North America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Eurasia and Middle East and finally Latin America. These five groups can explore their own ideas as to upturn the performance and continue success of Coca-Cola. 2. Globalization The process of globalization has impacted on the world s business operation which is mostly driven by the development of MNCs. According Macmillan Dictionary, term of globalization defines as concept a single economy and culture are developed as a result of advance in technology which easier the communications between two corporation and globalization mostly influence by multinational companies toward economic, financial, trade and communication. Besides, the United Development Program (1999) announces globalization is the most important integration of economy, political and cultural phenomenon across nation frontiers. (cited in Kiggundu 2002). Our world is increasingly becoming global, not only has increased in interconnected of countries in the area of economics and political but also culture Coca-Cola is a good example of a business which truly international in scope. Coca-Cola reported that 67% of its total net income from non- U.S. source. Various tactics used to expand globally: By setting up facilities and developing a global market which gives foreign markets easier access to our goods. Establishing transnational corporations to reduce production costs, and gives the companies cheaper labor. Competition-based pricing Product branding and positioning The idea of globalization can be simplified by identifying several key characteristic: Improved technology in transportation and telecommunications Movement of people and capital Diffusion of knowledge Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Multinational Corporations Impacts of Globalization 1.) Establishment of international alliances The establishment alliances or coalitions which link firms of the same industry based in different countries. MNCs commonly engage in international alliances such as joint ventures and licensing agreements with foreign firms. Coca-Cola formed global joint venture with many industries to strengthen its company buy launching new products. These are the few joint ventures for Coco-Cola which doing well and earned huge profit on it. a. Coca-Cola joint venture buys Philippine drink company San Miguel, the Philippine food and beverage company, and its joint-venture partner Coca-Cola agreed yesterday to pay 14 billion pesos ($269 million) for the Philippines second-largest soft drink company, Cosmos. The purchase, which defeated a bid by PepsiCo, will give the joint venture, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, a 90 percent share of the Philippines $1-billion-a-year soft drink market. The deal was approved when Cosmoss majority owner, the RMF Corporation, agreed to accept a lower offer after San Miguel discovered that some Cosmos equipment was below Coca-Colas standards. Wayne Arnold (NYT) b. Joint venture between Coca-Cola and Nestle to tap rapidly growing beverage segments   Coca-Cola and Nestle Refreshments (CCNR) is their highly successful joint venture formed on 1991 which operates directly in 24 countries and enjoys a strong position in the ready-to-drink tea category. On 30Jan2001, CCNR rename as Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW) function as an entrepreneurial unit dedicated to tapping the growth potential of emerging beverage segments, actively expand into new beverage particularly ready-to-drink coffee, teas and beverages with a healthful positioning. BPW also focus on expanding its geographical with existing products include Nestea and Nescafe and new products inclusive of Tian Yu Di tea and Yang Guag tea businesses undertaking by Coca-Cola. c. Joint venture of Coca-Cola Company and Illycaffe Spa They introducing three premium ready-to-drink (RTD) espresso-based coffee products. The products are: Caffe full-bodied character, real Italian chilled caffe. First ready-to-drink coffee to offer black (no milk) espresso-based coffee. Cappucino intense uplifting aromas of illy espresso, blended with milk and dark cacao. Latte Macchiato smooth fresh illy espresso experience, swirled with milk. The product will be available in stylish premium can to attract the consumer. The RTD first launch in 10 European countries including Austria, Croatia, Greece and the Ukraine as the firm aim of their joint venture. After 1 month, the additional countries in Asia, North America, Eurasia and the Pacific as the expansion of the sales and will be delivered through the Cola-Cola system. The highly profitable RTD coffee category globally is valued at just under $16 billion and has experienced several years of growth that is expected to continue. Globally (excluding Japan), the ready-to-drink coffee category has grown at an average rate of 10.1 percent over the past five years.

Dolphin

New research suggests that dolphins are second only to humans in smarts. – MRI scans indicate that these marine mammals are self-aware. – Researchers think dolphins are especially vulnerable to suffering and trauma. When human measures for intelligence are applied to other species, dolphins come in Just behind humans in brainpower, according to new research. Dolphins demonstrate skills and awareness previously thought to be present only in humans.New MRI scans show that dolphin brains are four to five times larger for their body size when compared to another nimal of similar size, according to Lori Marino, a senior lecturer in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University, and one of the world's leading dolphin experts. Humans also possess an impressive brain-to-body ratio. â€Å"If we use relative brain size as a metric of ‘intelligence' then one would have to conclude that dolphins are second in intelligence to modern humans,† said Marino, who p erformed several MRI scans on dolphin brains.Marino will be presenting her findings at next month's American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting. â€Å"Size isn't verything,† she admitted, but she says at least two other lines of evidence support her claims about dolphin intelligence. First, various features of the dolphin neocortex the part of the brain involved in higher-order thinking and processing of emotional information are â€Å"particularly expanded† in dolphins. Second, behavioral studies conducted by Marino and other experts demonstrate that dolphins exhibit human- like skills.These include mirror self-recognition, cultural learning, comprehension of symbol-based communication systems, and an understanding of abstract concepts. The Navy's Marine Mammal Program began in 1960 with two goals. First, the Navvy wanted to study the underwater sonar capabilities of dolphins and beluga whales to learn how to design more efficient methods of detecting objects underwater, and to improve the speed of their boats and submarines by researching how dolphins are able to swim so fast and dive so deep.In addition to this research component, the Navvy also trained dolphins, beluga whales, sea lions and other marine mammals to perform various underwater tasks, including delivering equipment to divers nderwater, locating and retrieving lost objects, guarding boats and submarines, and doing underwater surveillance using a camera held in their mouths. Dolphins were used for some of these tasks in the Vietnam War and in the Persian Gulf. The Marine Mammal Program was originally classified, and was at its peak during the Cold War.The Soviet Union's military was conducting similar research and training programs in the race to dominate the underwater front. At one point during the 1980's, the U. S. program had over 100 dolphins, as well as numerous sea lions and beluga whales, and an operating budget ot $8 million dollars. By the ‘s, howeve r, the Cold W was over, and the Navvy's Marine Mammal project was downsized. In 1992, the program became declassified. Many of the dolphins were retired, and controversy arose over whether or not it would be feasible to return unnecessary dolphins to the wild. pecific Tasks Navvy marine mammals are trained to perform many underwater duties, including Bottlenose dolphins detect and mark of underwater mines. The animal locates a mine and then deposits a weighted buoy line near the mine in order to mark it. California sea lions attach grabber devices to underwater objects for etrieval. This system is used extensively in training exercises with divers for Explosive Ordnance Disposal units. Practice mines are placed on the sea floor; those not found by the divers during the exercise are retrieved by the sea lions. Bottlenose dolphins are used to detect and defend against enemy swimmers.This procedure was used in both the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf to protect Navvy anchored vessels from enemy swimmers seeking to plant explosives. The dolphins would swim slowly, patrolling the area with their sonar, and alert armed trainer guards if they located a swimmer. They are also trained to â€Å"tag† the enemy swimmer with a marker so that Navvy personnel can apprehend him. During the Vietnam War, rumors circulated about a â€Å"swimmer nullification program† in which dolphins were also being trained to shoot at enemy swimmers with a device similar to the tagging device.The Navvy denies that any such program existed or that any dolphin has ever been trained to attacka human. 1960's naw begins use of marine mammals 1965 sea lab II In 1965, the Marine Mammal Program began its first military project: Sea Lab II. Working in the waters off La Jolla, California, a bottlenose dolphin named Tuffy ompleted the first successful open ocean military exercise. He repeatedly dove 200 feet to the Sea Lab II installation, carrying mail and tools to naw personnel. He was a lso trained to guide lost divers to safety. 965-75 dolphins used in Vietnam The Navvy sent five dolphins to Cam Ranh Bay to perform underwater surveillance and guard military boats from enemy swimmers. Although during this era rumors circulated about a â€Å"swimmer nullification program† through which dolphins were trained to attack and kill enemy swimmer, the Navvy denies such a program ever existed. 1975 ntroduction of sea lions and beluga whales With the success of the dolphin program, the Navvy began working with sea lions, training them to recover military hardware or weaponry fired and dropped in the ocean.The sea lions could dive and recover objects at depths of up to 650 feet. The Navvy also began exploring the use of beluga whales, which, like dolphins, use sonar to navigate. Beluga whales could operate at much colder temperatures and deeper depths than either dolphins or sea lions. naw builds up collection of dolphins The Marine Mammal Program reached its heyday in the 1980's, with an expanded udget and increased number of dolphins.In 1986, Congress partially repealed the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act by letting the Navvy collect wild dolphins from for â€Å"national defense purposes. † The Navvy planned to use the dolphins to expand its mine disposal units and to stock a breeding program. 1986-88 dolphins in the Persian gulf The naw sent six dolphins to the Persian Gulf, where they patrolled the harbor in Bahrain to protect US flagships from enemy swimmers and mines, and escorted Kuwaiti oil tankers through potentially dangerous waters. One of the dolphins, â€Å"Skippy,† died ofa bacterial infection. ssile guarding project in Bangor abandoned In the late 1980's the Navvy began a project through which dolphins would act as guards at the Bangor Washington Trident Missile Base. Animal activists opposed the project, and filed suit against the Navvy under the National Environmental Protection Act claiming that the Navvy must do an environmental evaluation to determine whether deployment in the cold northern waters off Bangor would harm dolphins originally captured in the Gulf of Mexico. A Judge ruled that such a study must be completed before the project could continue.The Navvy abandoned the project. By 1994, the Navvy policy on moving dolphins to environments with radically different water temperatures changed; a spokesperson said that in general, the Navvy would only move dolphins between environments with a 20 degree difference in temperature, except in emergency situations. 1990S downsizing, declassification, retirement With the end of the Cold War, the Navvy's budget for the marine mammal program was drastically reduced, and all but one of its training centers were closed down.Of the 103 dolphins remaining in the program, the Navvy decided it needed only 70 to maintain its downsized operations. Much of the project was declassified, although certain details remain protected. This raised the question of what to do with the remaining dolphins. In the 1992 Defense Appropriations Act, Congress alloted a half million dollars to the Navvy to â€Å"to develop training procedures which will allow mammals which are no longer required for this project to be released into their natural habitat. The Navvy held two conferences of researchers and experts and determined that a reintroduction program would not be cost effective. In an attempt to downsize its dolphin troops, the Navvy offered to give its surplus trained dolphins o marine parks However, interest in the tree dolphins was low because many marine parks by this time had developed successful in-house breeding programs. The Navvy only got only four requests, but pledged to care for the unclaimed dolphins until their deaths.Later in 1994, the Navvy agreed to send three dolphins to Sugarloaf sanctuary, near Key West in Florida, a rehabilitation facility run by Ric O'Barry. O'Barry planned to reeducate the dolphins so they could be safe ly released into the wild, once the necessary federal permits were granted. 1996 illegal release of Luther and Buck Two of the dolphins being held at the Sugarloaf Sanctuary, Luther and Buck, were being prepared for life in the wild while awaiting federal permits for their release. In May, before the permits had been issued, O'Barry released the dolphins into the Gulf of Mexico.He believed that the dolphins were ready for release and that the bureaucratric requirements for a permit were designed to prevent the release of the Navvy dolphins. He thought that to wait any longer before letting them go would jeopardize their chances of successful adaptation to the wild. read O'Barry's defense f his actions, and criticism of the release from Naomi Rose The dolphins were recaptured less than two weeks later and returned to the Navvy. All three of these dolphins are now back with the Navvy. One of them is still in Florida; the other two are back in San Diego in the Navvy facility there. 997 Ukrainian dolphins trained by the Soviet Navvy for military operations are now being used for therapy with autistic and emotionally disturbed children. Mahalia Jackson Mrs. Harvey English 093 (1 :OO) October 29, 2013 Dolphins Dolphins are very interesting creatures. There are many things about a dolphin you may not know about. They do many ditterent things witn humans, and they do many different things in their everyday lives. There are many peculiar amazing creatures in the ocean, but none of them compares to the dolphins.In the beginning of time about 50 million years ago research shows that dolphins were once a land animal. They looked like a wolf, as this animal they hunted in the shallow waters, and eventually they learned how to adapt between land and water. Research says, â€Å"That their forelegs became flippers, the hind legs disappeared and the fluke evolved, and their fur disappeared and the nostrils moved to the top of their head. This how they breathe today. Even thou gh they surface ever few minutes in the water, they can stay under water up to 15 minutes.Now in order to navigate they use echolocation to find their way around the ocean or the sea. In order to find food the uses clicks to send out to return off of an object in the water researchers say, â€Å"It's just like an echo. † This is how they find their food, dolphins. And other threatening animals or rocks. Just like humans have a family; well, dolphins have families that they live in. The families are usually or mostly lead by a female dolphin. Just like in a society of humans the females primarily are the head of the house hold or family.Every dolphin in the family help each other out, sometimes several families might come together to make a school of dolphins. Jackson 2 Dolphins are very intelligent, they are the second-smartest animal in the world. Research shows that dolphins shows skills and awareness that for many years they thought only humans had. They gave them MIR scan s, and they found out that a dolphin's brain is four to five times larger than their own bodies when it is compared to another animals of a similar size. Dolphins has been in the U. S. Navvy for more than forty years.The Navvy's Marine Mammal Program began in 1960 and they had two reasons for this program. It was that the Navvy wanted to study the underwater sonar capabilities of dolphins, and to learn how to design more sufficient methods for detecting objects underwater, and to also improve the speed of their boats and submarines by researching how dolphins are able to swim so fast and dive so deep into the water. Dolphins Just didn't Join the Navvy or became a part of it they had to be trained to do the Jobs they were going to be assigned to do. In order to help the Navvy in upcoming wars to come.They was trained to deliver equipment to divers underwater, locating and retrieving lost objects that the Navvy thought was important, guarding boats and submarines, and doing underwater surveillance using a camera to hold in their mouths. Researchers says, â€Å"The dolphins were trained to attack and kill the enemy in the Vietnam War. † Lastly, Dolphins are many things on this Earth. They are intelligent, they are used in the U. S. Navvy. In order to help them discover enemies and to protect the ships. They are descendants of wolves and that they ave hair it's Just on the top of their head.Female dolphins are the head of the family, and several families might come and Join them. All together Dolphins are amazing creatures, they can be your friend and protect you to the end.

What You Dont Know About Samples of Essay about Myself Could Be Costing to More Than You Think

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About the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

The FISA court is a highly secretive panel of 11 federal judges whose primary responsibility is to decide whether the U.S. government has enough evidence against foreign powers or individuals believed to be foreign agents to allow for their surveillance by the intelligence community. FISA is an acronym for the  Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The court is also referred to as the  Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISC. The federal government cannot use the FISA court to  intentionally target any U.S. citizen, or any other U.S. person, or to intentionally target any person known to be in the United States, though the  National Security Agency has acknowledged  it inadvertently collects information on some Americans without a warrant in the name of national security. FISA, in other words, is not a tool for combating domestic terrorism but it has been used in the post-September 11th era to gather data on Americans. The FISA court adjourns in a bunker-like complex operated by the U.S. District Court on Constitution Avenue, near the  White House and Capitol. The courtroom is said to be  soundproof to prevent eavesdropping and the judges do not speak publicly about the cases because of the sensitive nature of national security. In addition to the FISA court, there is a second secret judicial panel called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review  whose responsibility to oversee and review the decisions made by the FISA court. The Court of Review, like the FISA court, is seated in Washington, D.C. But it is made up of only three judges from the federal district court or appeals court. Functions of the FISA Court   The FISA court’s role is to rule on applications and evidence submitted by the federal government and to grant or deny warrants for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"electronic surveillance, physical search, and other investigative actions for foreign intelligence purposes.† The court is the only one in the land that has the authority to allow federal agents to conduct â€Å"electronic surveillance of a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power for the purpose of obtaining foreign intelligence information,† according to the Federal Judicial Center. The FISA court requires the federal government to provide substantial evidence before it grants surveillance warrants, but the judges rarely ever turn down applications. If the FISA court grants an application for government surveillance, it also limits the scope of the intelligence gathering to a specific location, telephone line or email account, according to published reports.   FISA has since its enactment been a bold and productive tool in this country’s fight against the efforts of foreign governments and their agents to engage in intelligence-gathering aimed at the U.S. government, either to ascertain its future policy or to effect its current policy, to acquire proprietary information not publicly available, or to engage in disinformation efforts, wrote James G. McAdams III, a former Justice Department official and senior legal instructor with the Department of Homeland Securitys  Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. Origins of the FISA Court The FISA court was established in 1978 when Congress enacted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. President Jimmy Carter signed the act on Oct. 25, 1978. It was originally intended to allow for electronic surveillance but has seen been expanded to include physical searches and other data-collection techniques. FISA was signed into law amid  the Cold War and a period of deep skepticism of the president after the Watergate scandal and disclosures that the federal government used electronic surveillance and physical searches of citizens, a member of Congress, congressional staffers, anti-war protesters and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. without warrants. The act helps to solidify the relationship of trust between the American people and their government, Carter said in signing the bill into law. It provides a basis for the trust of the American people in the fact that the activities of their intelligence agencies are both effective and lawful. It provides enough secrecy to ensure that intelligence relating to national security can be securely acquired, while permitting review by the courts and Congress to  safeguard the rights of Americans and others. Expansion of FISA Powers The  Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been expanded beyond its original scope several times since Carter placed his signature on the law in 1978. In 1994, for example, the act was amended to allow the court to grant warrants for the use of  pen registers, trap and trace devices and business records. Many of the most substantive expansions were put in place after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. At the time, Americans indicated a willingness to trade some measures of freedom in the name of national security. Those expansions include: The passage of the USA Patriot Act in October 2001. The acronym stands for  Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. The Patriot Act broadened the scope of the governments use of surveillance and allowed the intelligence community to act more quickly in wiretapping. Critics including the American Civil Liberties Union, however, pointed out the allowed the government to obtain the personal records of ordinary Americans from libraries and Internet Service Providers even without probable cause.The passage of the  Protect America Act on August 5, 2007. The law allowed the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance without a warrant or approval from the FISA court on American soil if the target was believed to be a foreign agent. In effect, wrote the ACLU, the government may now scoop up all communications coming into or out of the United States, as long as it is targeting no one American in particular and the program is â€Å"directed at† the foreign end of the communication.  Whether the target or not, American phone calls, emails and internet use will be recorded by our government, and without any suspicion of wrongdoing.  The passage of the FISA Amendments Act in 2008, which granted the government the authority to access communication data from Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. Like to Protect America Act of 2007, the FISA Amendments Act targeted non-citizens outside of the United States but concerned privacy advocates because of the likelihood average citizens were being watched without their knowledge or a warrant from the FISA court. Members of the FISA Court Eleven federal judges are assigned to the FISA court. They are appointed by the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and serve seven-year terms, which are nonrenewable and staggered to ensure continuity. FISA Court judges are not subject to confirmation hearings such as those required for Supreme Court nominees. The statute that authorized the creation of the FISA court mandates the judges represent at least seven of the U.S. judicial circuits and that three of judges live within 20 miles of Washington, D.C., where the court sits. The judges adjourn for one week at a time on a rotating basis The current FISA Court judges are: Rosemary M. Collyer: She is the presiding judge on the FISA court and has been a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia since being nominated to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2002. Her term on the FISA court began May 19, 2009, and expires March 7, 2020.James E. Boasberg: He has been a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia since being nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2011. His term on the FISA court began May 19, 2014, and expires March 18, 2021.Rudolph Contreras: He has been a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia since being nominated to the federal bench by Obama in 2011. His term on the FISA court began May 19, 2016, and expires May 18, 2023.Anne C. Conway: She has been a U.S. District Court judge for the Middle District of Florida since being nominated to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Her term on the FISA court began May 19, 2016, and expires May 18, 2023.Ra ymond J. Dearie: He has been a U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of New York since being nominated to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. His term on the FISA court began July 2, 2012, and ends July 1, 2019.Claire V. Eagan: She has been a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma since being nominated to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2001. Her term on the FISA court began Feb. 13, 2013, and ends May 18, 2019.James P. Jones: He has served as a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Virginia since being nominated for the federal bench by President William J. Clinton in 1995. His term on the FISA court began on May 19, 2015, and ends May 18, 2022.Robert B. Kugler: He has served as a U.S. District Court judge for the District of New Jersey since being nominated for the federal bench by George W. Bush in 2002. His term on the FISA court began May 19, 2017, and ends May 18, 2024.Michael W. Mosman: H e has served as a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Oregon since being nominated for the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2003. His term on the FISA court began May 04, 2013, and ends May 03, 2020.Thomas B. Russell: He has served as a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Kentucky since being nominated for the federal bench by Clinton in 1994. His term on the FISA court began May 19, 2015, and ends May 18, 2022.John Joseph Tharp Jr.: He has served as a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Illinois since being appointed by Obama in 2011. His term on the FISA court began May 19, 2018, and ends May 18, 2025. Key Takeaways: The FISA Court FISA stands for the  Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The act was established during the Cold War.The 11 members of the FISA court decide whether the U.S. government can spy on foreign powers or individuals believed to be foreign agents.The FISA court is not supposed to allow the U.S. to spy on Americans or others living in the county, even though the governments powers have expanded under the act.