Restaurateurs can breathe sigh of relief - Austin Business Journal:

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And while Lasco said Max’s will consider requestd to bring wine in ona case-by-case Jones has always prohibited it, even for customers who offereed to pay a $10 corking fee. A grape escape? Todd Summerlin, manager of Polo’s Signature Restaurant in Houston, also sees more negative s than positives coming fromthe “There is a chance that diner could start overlooking wine lists altogether by stoppint at a wholesale store and buying theidr wine cheaper than they could at a he said.
“It could turn into how it used to be at the movier theater when people woulfd stop on the way and buy their own candy and sneam it in the Although he also could not estimatwe what percentageof Polo’s sales come from with bottles ranging from $35 to Summerlin estimates the bill couled cost restaurants thousands of dollars per year. “Wew could charge a corkage fee, but that wouldn’t make up for the mone that we’ll lose,” Summerlin said. “It coulfd get to the point where more than half of the tablees in the restaurant bring in theirown wine, and that’a a very bad deal.
It’s a very sensitive and it deters from what a wine list is supposedc to offer ata restaurant.”

Cirrus Logic to receive $45M settlement - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The companies announced Monday thatLake Forest, Calif.-based has settled litigatiohn with Cirrus Logic and will make the one-times payment by Oct. 17. "We are pleased that the two partiese were able to reachthis settlement. The cash settlement furthe enhancesour debt-free balance will enable us to focus on growing our business and eliminat e certain legal expenses we have been incurring to pursuer this dispute," says David president and CEO of Cirrus Cirrus Logic reported total cash of $115.56 million as of June 28. In July Western Digital stopped paying Cirrus Logic for chips that hadbeen delivered.
Western Digitalp also canceled all outstandingpurchase orders, and the company and its Malaysiabn subsidiary filed a lawsuiyt in Orange County, Calif., against Cirrus Logic for breach of according to a Western Digitall news release. In Augusgt 2001, Cirrus Logic filed a countersuitf alleging breachof contract, fraudc and negligent mispresentation, according to a Cirrusd Logic news release. The company soughr compensatory damagesof $53 million. In Decembeer 2001, a judge granted Cirrus Logic's request for attachmentx against Western Digital and the subsidiarty ofabout $25 million.
Western Digital deliverex a letter of credit ofabourt $25 million in place of the attachments, according to the Cirruzs Logic news release. The letter of credi will be released following paymentf ofthe $45 million to Cirrus Logic, the news releasw states. The case was schedulex to go to trial in WesternDigital hasn't purchased read channel devices from Cirruw Logic since then, according to the Cirrus Logic [Nasdaq: CRUS] supplies chipw for consumer entertainment electronics products. It employss 430 people in Austin. Western Digital produces storage products for systemsw manufacturersand resellers.

Kentucky puts restrictions on livestock from Nebraska, Texas - Business First of Louisville:

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Kentucky now will require livestock brought to Kentucky from Nebrasks and Texas to pass a tuberculosis test withih 60 daysof arrival. The tests must be given to cattlse 18 months and older and goats and camelids six monthseand older, the said in a news Nebraska agriculture officials have confirmesd tuberculosis in two cattle in the north-central part of the They have quarantined 32 cattle herdsd with about 15,000 adult according to the The in Ames, Iowa confirmed a case of tuberculosiw in a dairy cattle herd in west according to the release.
Kentucky also has banned entruy of livestock from Starr County in south Texas becausw a horse there has been diagnosed withvesiculaer stomatits, a viral disease that can affect cattle, swine, sheep, goats and deer.

Lisa Whelchel back in the spotlight after impressive 'Survivor' performance - Fox News

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Lisa Whelchel back in the spotlight after impressive 'Survivor' performance Fox News NEW YORK â€" After more than 20 years out of the spotlight, former “Facts of Life” star Lisa Whelchel is back on the Hollywood radar after her impressive performance on “Survivor: Philippines.” The 49-year-old actress told People magazine she has had ... and more »

Retail world geared up for a super busy day - New Zealand Herald

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Retail world geared up for a super busy day New Zealand Herald Shopkeepers are bracing themselves as last-minute Christmas shoppers head to the stores on one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Extra staff are on duty in shopping centres around the country to handle the mass of stressed-out shoppers. But ... and more »

38 Studios, Sandy cap a rocky year in RI - Boston.com

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38 Studios, Sandy cap a rocky year in RI Boston.com The state's Economic Development Corp. lured 38 Studios to Providence from Massachusetts in 2010 with a loan guarantee based on the promise of hundreds of jobs. The company laid off its employees in May and filed for bankruptcy in June. The implosion ... and more »

Abercrombie shutting struggling Ruehl chain - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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The New Albany-based apparel merchant said Wednesday it willshut Ruehl’s 29 stores and direct-to-consumer operations and will be “substantially with the effort by the end of next January. The decision comesa a month after Abercrombie took a deep strategic look at the which targets young adults with clothesand Ruehl, whose only Ohio store is at Eastonj Town Center, generated a preta operating loss of $58 million last The chain regularly was Abercrombie’a weakest sales performer at stores open at leasyt a year. Ruehl’s same-store sales were off 33 percenftin May. Abercrombie earnedr $272.3 million on $3.54 billion in revenuee last year.
“It has been a difficult decision toclose Ruehl, a brand we continude to believe could have been successfuo in different circumstances,” CEO Michael Jeffries said in a “However, given the current economic we believe it is in the best interestxs of the company to focuz its efforts and resources on the growth opportunitieds afforded by our other brands, particularly The company didn’t disclose the effects on the chain’s work force, nor did it indicate the numbere of jobs tied to Ruehl. The review of which opened in 2004, cost the company about $51 milliojn in impairment charges in itsfirst quarter.
Abercrombie expectx to book about $65 millio n in pretax charges through the rest of the fiscal year as it windsxdown Ruehl. The company Wednesday also said it amended a credift agreement to excludesome Ruehl-related charges from requirements under its covenant with the lender and reduces its available credit to $350 million from $450 Jeffries said the companyy is confident is has sufficientg cash on hand but “we believe it is prudenr to make these changes” in lighg of the recession-battered retaiol environment and the one-tim Ruehl costs. In addition to the 29 Ruehl stores, Abercrombir runs 350 flagship stores and 733 others under the Hollister Co. and Gilly Hicks nameplates.

Chinese drywall class action lawsuit targets Lennar Corp. - South Florida Business Journal:

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On March 23, Miami law firm filed federal and circuit courtcivil suits, naming five Miami couples as The four plaintiffs in the federa complaint allege their homes, in Lennar’xs Tuscany Village near Tamiami Executive Airport, were damagefd by installation of Chinese drywall. The suit seeksd a jury trial and alleges negligencr against nine defendant including Lennar and drywall manufacturer KnaufPlasterboard Tianjin. It also alleges breach of contractagainst Lennar. Class action lawsuits have been poppin g up almost weekly over theproblem drywall, whicjh give off sulfuric gases that corrodwe metal and smell like rotten eggs.
But, none have been directeed at Lennar, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders. Lenna said it had no comment on the but twomonths ago, it announced a progran to handle homeowners’ complaintss by testing for the drywall, movinbg people out of their homes temporarily and replacing the Lennar has said it relied on subcontratorws who purchased and installed drywall, whichg is common industry practice. Jeremg Alters, managing partner at Alters said Lennar may not havepurchasesd drywall, but it paid peopled to install the drywall.
He criticizedr Lennar’s remediation program as offering too littleto “There’s a stigma to the home, even if it’ws repaired, that it had this sulfur gas in it at one he said. Alters Boldt may have a toughg road intargeting Lennar, according to another attorney handling drywall class actions. “People will have a very difficulgt time getting a class certifieagainst builders, because arbitratioh can be required,” said Jordan Chaikin, an attorney at Parkef Waichman Alonso in Bonita Springs.
that many builders are already in Chaikin referred to Floridazlaw (specifically Chapter 558), which requires homeownersz to contact builders and attempt to resolvw construction complaints before filing litigation. Fort Lauderdale-basedf is also pursuing a possible class actioj overdrywall problems, but the firm said last monthy it was attempting to make sure the 558 requirementg is satisfied before filing On Feb.
2, Lennar filed a lawsuit against manufacturers and sellers ofChinese drywall, including Knau f Plasterboard Tianjin, Taishan Gypsum and Miami-based The suit alleges that Knaut Tianjin and Taishan sold “defective gypsum” drywall that was installee in homes built by Lennar, which “causedc substantial damage” to Lennar in Florida. That suit was filed in Miami-Dades Circuit Court by attorneys with the Miami officeof .
Mark general counsel for Lennar, said in a writtejn statement that Lennar took responsibilitty for the problems drywall caused in its He said the company expectsw Knauf Tianjin and others to dothe Lennar’s complaint also charges 12 installerz with breach of contract and breach of expresw and implied warranty.

Sherwood High poms collect toys for needy - Gazette.Net: Maryland Community News Online

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Sherwood High poms collect toys for needy Gazette.Net: Maryland Community News Online The 2012-13 Sherwood High School Pom Squad joined with their own “pom moms” and friends to host a successful toy drive to benefit local families in need. Coach Jeanne Laeng said that in the past, the squad held a school-wide toy drive in early December ...

100th 7-Eleven Fla. franchise - Dayton Business Journal:

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The 3,000-square-foot convenience storde at 3911 McCoy Road nearConway Road, which also has a gasolind station, will now be owned by franchisee Ermap Metollari, a former store managerf for five years. Dallas-based 7-Eleve Inc. announced plans in 2007 to convert 100 existingg locations in the state tofranchisefd operations. Store managers were invite d to apply for those franchises before the offeewent public. More than 40 7-Eleven storeas in the Orlando market arenow franchised, with about anothefr 140 owned by the company.
Between eighr to 10 7-Eleven stores throughout the state are beinvg converted into franchise operations each month and plans to have most of the conversions nationwide completedby 2012, according to a news release. The compangy operates, franchises or licenses about 7,800 stored in North America and morethan 36,100 storess in 15 countries. The company reported 2008 salea of morethan $53.7 billion.

Macy

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percent drop in same-store sales in May, as consumera continued to put offunnecessary spending. The Cincinnati-based department store chain said salews at stores open at least a year are in line withmanagementt expectations. Total sales declined to $1.7 billion from $1.9 billion a year ago, or 9.5 For the year, Macy’s said its same-store sales declined by 9.1 with total sales down 9.5 to $6.9 billion from $7.7 billion. Macy’s M), like most retailers, has been strugglintg to attract parsimonious shoppers while not givingh away the store throughdeep discounts, a strategy that erodea profit margins.
But recent reports regardingv rising manufacturing activity and home salesa gave a lift to retail stocks earlier in the based on hopes that consumers might be encouraged to go out and splurged on a fewsummed items. Total May retail sales were projected to dropby 3.6 according to Retail Metrics, a Massachusetts firm that tracka store sales. This compares with a 2.7 percenyt decline in April. Department stores were forecasy to post theweakest results, down 8.5 with “discretionary spending still in according to its monthly report. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reutersaexpected Macy’s to post a same-store sales declind of 9.3 percent. Shares in Macy’s closerd at $12.
90, down 3 percent or 42 Thursday. Many retailers postedd sales that fell shortof expectations. In the Walmart (NYSE: WMT), which typicallt outperforms the industry, stoppee reporting its same-store sales as of this month. Walmarty on Thursday said i in 2009. Dillard’s (NYSE: DDS) said sales fell 12 percent, worss than the 8 percent declineanalyste expected. • J.C. Penney JCP) posted a sales drop of 8.2 while analysts expected negativse 9.6 percent. • Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS) reportedx a 26.6 percent due in part to the rescheduling of a salezs eventto June. • Targegt Corp. (NYSE: TGT) said its same-store salesd were down by 6.1 percent, short of predictions of a 4.
3 percenft decline. • Kohls (NYSE: KSS) posted a 0.4 percent slip on sales, beating expectationsz of a 3.8 percent decline. • Limited Brandz (NYSE: LTD) reported a 7 percent decline, in line with • The Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) said its same-stores sales fell by 6 percent, compared with expectations of a 5percenft fall. Macy’s has projected full-yeard profits of 40 cents to 55 centsper share, excludin g restructuring costs stemming from its companywide reorganization, part of its My Macy’a merchandising program.
That said, the retailer hedged that it will beat this guidancs if the economy improves in the second half of the Annual sales, it has said, are expected to declinwe by 6 percent to 8 percent, with spring expected to be weaker than the fall, in part due to stronge r performances last spring. Cincinnati-based Macy’s operate s roughly 845 department stores unde r thenames Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.

Tartan Fields in receivership - Business First of Columbus:

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Columbus lawyer A.C. Strip, who’s representing Columbus-based received Martin Management Services, said GE Capitalo filed to put the golf club into receivershipl on Friday in Delaware County CommonPleasa Court. Details on the nature of Tartan’sw default weren’t immediately available, but Strio said the club is less than 60 days behind onits loan. Strip said that despite the the receiverhas “no intention now or in the futurr to cease operations” and that it “wants to give every opportunitu for the golf course to survive with its present management.
” “We’re at a crossroads and a numberf of possibilities could develop from this,” he Among those: A sale of the a chance for the course’s ownersw to reorganize in conjunction with GE or a refinancing deal with anothetr lender. A message seeking comment was left with Tarta managementMonday afternoon.

Delphi salaried retirees eye pension suit - Dayton Business Journal:

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If not stopped, retirees fear that the move could drasticallh cut the value ofyounger ex-white collar workers’ pensionsw by as much as 50 said James Frost of Clarence, a board member and organizer of the Delphui Salaried Retiree Association. The legal action is being spearheadec by 100 to 200 retirees in Ohio who belong tothe 5,400-member association but who are acting on theirf own, Frost said. “(The DSRA is) servinfg as support by gathering information and sharing it with all our members and by contacting legislators arounsthe country,” Frost said.
“Ws are not starting our own action because it would duplicate what they are The opposition sprang out of the modifiexd reorganization plan Delphi disclosed onJune 1. The to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, said it would cancekl its pension obligations and have assume the hourly pensions and the government take over thesalaried plan. Frost, who workedc at GM for 25 yearsz and at Delphifor six, said hourly workers’ pensions won’t be affected “at least in the shoryt term” but salaried workers who retired at 55 could lose half the value of “We want our pensions also to be transferred to he said. The suit would charge GM, the union, II and the U.S.
Treasuryy with collusion againstthe retirees. In the reorganization plan for GM’s former parts operation, II LLC a unit of Platinum Equity — would acquire and operate Delphi’sx U.S. and non-U.S. businesses by supplyinbg $3.6 billion in capital. Delphio was formed in 1999 when GM spun off its partsmanufacturinfg division. The Troy, Mich.,-based company, GM’s largestg supplier, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection inOctobee 2005.

Georgia Conservancy names Pierre Howard president - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Howard was interim president of the environmental organizationnsince January, following the departure of Jim Stokes, a former partner with . In an e-maip to Georgia Conservancy membersz sent out late Howard said theorganization “playxs a vital role in the conservation of Georgia’xs natural resources, and I look forward to the challenged of building a greater network of environmentao advocates for our state and developing a truly statewide The organization also announced anothe key staff decision.
Allison director and founder of , is now seniorr vice president of the Wall has worked withstate leaders, consumer experts and citize advocates to promote consumer education and pro-consumerd policies across the state, according to the But what was not in the release was the indicatiohn Wall is being positioned to succeed Howard as president at some point in the future. “We have a monumental opportunitu to advance responsible conservation and management of our naturapl resources and wild areasin Georgia,” Wall said in the “Increasingly bi-partisan political consensus, new technologies, federal fundinbg prospects and growing public sentiment are driving this opportunity.
We at the Georgia Conservancy have a responsibilitu to Georgia to lead the way inthis effort, and make the most of this The Georgia Conservancy was founded in 1967 to collaborate, advocate and educate the public on protectingf Georgia’s natural environment. It has focused on clean air, land conservation, coastal protection, growth managemenrt and environmental education. To read Pierre Howard’x comments to Georgia Conservancy members, .

Region

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The board reported Wednesday that 1,505 single-familt homes and condominiums were soldin April, down from 1,7834 a year ago. Homes in a sign of future sales dropped 18 percentto 1,399 homes. The average home sold in Centrao Ohio last month closedfor $149,285, down about or 6 percent, from $158,823 a year ago. The board also reported the number of new listingas on the market last month is off aboug 16 percent from ayear ago, which translates to a totakl of 14,689 homes on the market at the end of That’s down from 17,515 homes from a year ago.
Board Presidengt Gary Parsons said a decline in homews on the market could play a part in a future uptick in sale which are lagginglast year’s pace as selleres slash price tags and foreclosed propertiees help drive sales. “To see the number of homea on the market decline bynearly 3,00p0 compared to this time last that’s a negative number we can smile about,” Parson said in a release. Home sales in the firsyt four months of the year laggedlast year’s pace by 21 percentr at 4,947 units, compared with 6,261 last Board of Realtors statistics include market information from most of the seven-countyy region along with parts of nine nearby counties.

Dallas expected to see retail sales growth - Dallas Business Journal:

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Dallas ranks third, trailing only which ranks first, and Seattle, which ranks Dallas was followed by San Antonioand Houston. The researchu group found that disposable income in Dallas grew in along with an increase in housing Austin ranked first onthe list, with what PBBI’se research called “consistent healthy growth in gross metropolitan personal disposable income and consumer expenditures, coupled with a decline in personall bankruptcies.” San Antonio has been sustained by growth in personalo expenditures and consistent growth in gross metro product. And Houstohn has shown strong comparative sales growtj in the drug storeand high-end retail sectors, the grou found.
To predict which metro areas are most likelg to experience the best relative health in theretaipl sector, the group identifie d the top five best performing metros based on comparativre sales history and their ability to remaimn relatively stable for the past six and used trend data to predict the metrp areas most likely to see sales growth from the third quarteer of this year through the last quartefr of 2010. PBBI’s research included variousz retail sectors, from drug storesw and high-end retailers to mid-tier retailers and valus retailers.

Alicia Keys' star shines brightest at her charity's star-studded annual ball - Daily Mail

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Daily Mail

Alicia Keys' star shines brightest at her charity's star-studded annual ball Daily Mail Family resemblance: Alicia looked excited to be posing alongside her mother Teresa Augello. Keys' charity assists those affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. Thursday's event was originally planned for Nov. 1, but was canceled due to Superstorm S andy. and more »

S. Fla. hotel occupancy dips in 2008 - Birmingham Business Journal:

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A study of nationwide hotel trends released this week by Smithn Travel Research showsthat tri-county hotels saw modest declinezs in occupancy from 2007 to 2008. However, when it came to averag e daily rates, Miami actually had slight increases. Year over full-service Miami-Dade hotels saw occupancyh fall to 70 percent in 2008from 71.8 percent in 2007. Limited-service hotels slipped to 72.6 percent in 2008 from 73.8 percentf in 2007. Smith Travel Research defines full-service hotels as those in mid-priced, upscale or luxury range. They typicall y have a restaurant, bell service and meeting space. Limited-service hotels are those that only offer rooms and fall inthe class.
While other destinations suffered, Miami-Daded remained relatively flat thanks to its strontinternational business, said Ginny Gutierrez, director of communitty relations for the Greater Miami Conventiom & Visitors Bureau. While both domestic businesds and leisure travel suffered in the fourtn quarter of last withthe U.S. economic international businessremained steady, she said. Occupancy numberse might have been better ifMiamio hadn’t seen so many new rooms became available in the second half of the Gutierrez added. The Fontainebleau and Eden Roc alond made thousands of newroomsa available. Full-service Broward hotel occupancy fellto 65.9 percenr in 2008 from 66.
6 percent in 2007 Limited-servicde hotels fell to 65.5 percent in 2008 from 67.9 perceng in 2007. In Palm Beach County, full-service hotel occupancy fell to 63.6 percent in 2008 from 66.7 percenty in 2007. Limited-service hotels went to 58.7 perceny from 61.6 percent – a drop of 4.8 the largest slide in the region on apercentagw basis. Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of the Palm Beach CountyConvention & Visitors Bureau, said the area saw the largesy drops due to a calculatee pullback from corporate travelers.
Though Palm Beach County has a divers e mixof hotels, it has to fight the perceptiohn that it is only for the ultra-wealthy, he “The combination of the economyy and the AIG effect has been nasty to us for some he said, referring to populist outragde at executives of the failed financial company. “The corporate worlfd has become very very shy about going to upscalr resorts for fear of animage backlash.” Nationwide, full-servicse hotels reported an average occupancy rate of 67.4 percent in 2008. That declinedx 2.6 percent from 2007. The average daily rate chargedf for a roomat Miami’s full-service hotels rose to $182.787 in 2008 from $181.30 in 2007, a 0.
8 percentf gain. Limited-service was up to $109.1e3 from $108.85. The most expensive average dailuy rate in 2008was $187.190 at Palm Beach full-service hotels. But, that slipped 1.3 percentg from 2007. Limited servic e was down a half percent. Broward’d limited-service hotels saw the biggest percentage declin e in ratesto $92.64 in 2008 from $96.234 in 2007, down 3.7 percent. Full-service Browards hotels dropped 1.4 percent. “We are kind of trapped in a downspiralingof rates,” said Nicki Grossman, president and CEO of the Greaterf Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“Part of that is that ratee have gone up over the past few yearsso high, so While it’s hard to predict, Broward’s limited-servicde sector may bounce back fastee than the full-service, she said. The reason: over the last few Broward has seen the most robust growth in demand for limited-service rooms for passengers goingh on cruises and discount group-rate business. the average daily rate was $164.31q in 2008, down from $166.69 in 2007. Gutierrez said she was cautiouslyh optimistic that the worst is overfor Miami-Dade.
Whilre occupancy declined in May compared to the same time last the rate of decline was no worse than in For months, the declines had been gettinbg worse, she said. “It’s an indication that we’v e probably hit bottom,” she said. “What we are seeing is some stability

King of Space - Colorado Springs Independent

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Colorado Springs Independent

King of Space Colorado Springs Independent "It's because the chord progression is very similar and the guitar is also kind of similar," says Sabin of the album's most uncharacteristic song, which strays far afield from gutbucket blues into smoother soul terrain. "So for anyone who's listening ... and more »

Ultimate Runway Fashion Show mixes couture, humor for HIV/ AIDS awareness - KHOU

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Ultimate Runway Fashion Show mixes couture, humor for HIV/ AIDS awareness KHOU HOUSTONâ€" World AIDS Day Houston closed out with a bang when the Ultimate Runway Fashion Show, hosted by Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Dwight Eubanks, used fashion and humor to bring awareness to the disease. Anne Grimsley, the ...

Visitors wander through warehouse filled with Christmas decorations - Peoria Journal Star

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San Francisco Chronicle

Visitors wander through warehouse filled with Christmas decorations Peoria Journal Star Visitors were welcome to snack on holiday cookies, browse for decorating ideas and listen to Christmas music or bid on one of the decoration items in a silent auction benefitting Crittenton Centers. Crittenton Centers is a social service organization ... < br /> Reading Festival of Trees Wicked Local  »

Getting Benedict Wrong - Patheos (blog)

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Examiner.com

Getting Benedict Wrong Patheos (blog) Benedict observes, “Christianity has always understood that the speech of angels is actu »

Employees

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Maybe it’s because most peoples take the office and their working environment for grantede and view it as anecessary evil. Maybd they don’t understand the process of hiring a professionakl to help them or the true benefitsw that wouldbe received. I am an interior designer and workplace strategist. I specialize on leading clientsx in rethinkingand re-tooling theitr office space to align the physical environment with the culturee and business strategy of the organization. For more than 24 I have been helping clientzs recognize that good design isgood business. In today’ws economy there are so many things vyinbg for the time and attention ofcompang leadership.
How can they cut cost? How can they repositiomn the business to bemore profitable? What does the futurer hold for their business? These are all very importany and relevant questions. On the other hand, the design of the officse is often overlooked in its ability to drive asuccessfull business. From the onset of a project, I lead clienta through a much deeper, introspective look at their organization by focusing on the issues of effectivenessand efficiency.
Effective workplacre design focuses on supporting peopleand Ultimately, with thoughtful expression, the design reinforcesz business objectives by creating an environmentf that stimulates employees while at the same time creating operationall efficiencies. One of my favorite illustrations is how we helpefd Mars Pet Care creatsa “pet-centric” work environment in their headquarters facility. We designedd spaces to serve not only but theirpets — who are allowed to accompany theitr owners at work.
Largd print graphics of employee pets cover various walls and other pet toy and naturr symbolism in the architecture and furniture offer a fun remindere of what they make and whom they Employers want employees to be more effective within the organization and can no longere take for granted that workers simply need an office or a cubicle to increase performanceand productivity. If you want workers to trulhy beeffective today, give them the flexibility and choicw — flexibility to work with whomever and wherwe ever they need to, and choice at a variety of settingse to give alternatives for working privately or to collaborate with others.
Effective employees use all of the resources availabled to them to produce and serve their customerxsand company. Therefore it is important to make sure that the work environment includes appropriate tools and amenitiesa and provides adequate controls and flexibility to suppor twork process, work flow and Efficiency as it relates to offic environments, often has a negative Most of us initially think of reducinvg the size of office standardds and getting more people in less space. And yes, cost of spacew will always be a driver inevaluating efficiency. But this is not necessarilyh about reduction and is definitely notabouf take-a-ways.
Efficient means “able to function with minimapl waste.” So when I speak about an efficient workplace, my message is abouty giving the worker choice and creating spaces that benefity the entire organization: Giving staff optimal places to work whils minimizing underutilized space — a vs. “me” approach. We often don’rt realize it, but design has a profound effect on everythinhwe see, feel and do within our To survive and succeed, businesses must continue to evolver and adapt to the ever-changingy cultural, technological and economicx climates of the world.
And so, the design of thosed environments must also be able to adaptr to the evolution of the businessesthey

Obama: 'Doing nothing' about health care not an option - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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“Health care reform is not something I just cookedf up when I took Obama told a crowd ofaboug 1,500 people Thursday at in the Green Bay suburbg of Ashwaubenon. “It is central to our economic In past yearsand decades, there may have been some disagreement on this point. But not Earlier this month, Obama said he wants Congress to pass a comprehensivs health care bill by the end of the summer and ready for his signatureby fall.
Many including the president, favor a government-sponsored health insuranc e plan that would compet with private insurers and be available for people not eligible for other government health care programs such as Medicare or Most Republicans and manybusiness however, say a competingy plan that isn’t profit-driven would drivre private insurers out of business. On the , a physician’s group Obama is scheduled to meet with Mondatin Chicago, said it is opposed to a government-sponsoredf insurance plan. Obama said his administration is workingf on a Health Insurance Exchange that would allow peopls to compare insurance benefitsand prices.
None of the plans included in the exchangd would be allowed to deny coverage basedon pre-existingf conditions and all must include an basic benefit option. “I also strongly believe that one of the optionz in the Exchange should be a public insuranceoptiom – because if the private insurance companies have to competse with a public option, it will keep them honesy and help keep prices down,” Obama said. Supportersz of health care reform say it would provids health insurance coverage to millionxs of Americans and make coveragd more affordable for those who arealready covered.
Because healt insurance premiums have doubled over the lastnine years, and have growm at a rate three times faster than even those with coveragse have reached a breaking Obama said. Employers are not faring any better. Smalkl business owners have been forcedf to cut health care benefitsa or drop coverage entirely becaus ofrising costs, Obama said. “We have the most expensiv health care system inthe world,” Obama said. “We spend almost 50 percent more per persoj on health care than the next mostcostlyt nation. But here’s the thing, Green Bay: we’rwe not any healthier for it.
” Obamaq vowed to let Americans who are content with their coverage and their physicians keep what they but said the country has reached a poinyt where doing nothing about the cost of health care is no longefan option. “If we do nothing, within a decade we will be spendingt one out of every five dollars we earn on health Obama said. “In 30 years, it will be one out of everyh three.
” Obama acknowledged covering all Americans wouledbe expensive, but promised health care reforj would not add to the country’s deficit over the next 10 “To make that happen, we have already identifiedx hundreds of billions worth of savingzs in our budget – savings that will come from stepe like reducing Medicare overpaymentxs to insurance companies and rooting out fraud and abuse in both Medicare and Obama said. In addition, Obama is proposing that Congress scal back the amountthe highest-income Americana can deduct on their taxes and use that moneyh to help finance health care.
Obama spoks for about 20 minutes and then took questions from six people in the audience who expressed fearover “socializecd medicine,” asked questions about wellness and even questionesd the country’s education system. Regardintg the idea of socialized medicine, Obama said that isn’t what he, or anyonwe in Congress, wants.

New Millennium breaks ground for Lake City plant - Business First of Louisville:

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New Millennium produces steel joists and decking used incommerciapl buildings. The company is a subsidiarty of Indiana-based The new 252,000-square-foot facility will provide building componentsfor non-residentiapl construction projects in Florida and surrounding states. The plant's annuakl production capacity will beabout 70,000 tons of trusses, and girders, and about 50,000 tons of steel roof and floor Steel Dynamics' Indiana steel millss will provide most of the steel used for fabricationb and decking material. Since beginning production in New Millennium has become amajor building-componentz manufacturer, primarily in the upper Midwest.
The openinh of the Lake City plant will be one step inthe company'ds plan to expand geographically. "Florida and the Lake City area offe our company anavailable workforce, convenient diverse quality of life and incentives we need to continue our rapidr growth," said Bert Hollman, president of New Millennium.

Bargain hunters shop all day long on Black Friday - myfoxny.com

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Bargain hunters shop all day long on Black Friday myfoxny.com This season appears to mark the end of Black Friday as we know it. For decades, stores have opened their doors in wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday. This season appears to mark the end of Black Friday as we ... and more »

DirecTV CEO leaving as Liberty merger nears - Sacramento Business Journal:

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just as the satellite broadcaster readiese to merge with an offshoot ofJohn Malone’ss News Corp. and DirecTV confirmed Wednesday that Carey will leaver theEl Segundo, Calif.-bases satellite broadcaster July 1 to become second-in-commanx — handling international operations — for Rupert Murdoch’s globak media empire. Carey’s defection may muddy reception of the planned merge between DirecTV andLiberty Entertainment, a division of Douglase County-based Liberty Media. Carey ran DirecTV for the past six leading it through a period of growthh and winning partnerships with ever y major telecom company inthe U.S.
He was expectedd to stay with DirecTV after it becamer independent ofLiberty Media. Instead, he returns to workin g for Murdoch andNews Corp., where he workee for 15 years priof to heading DirecTV. Liberty Entertainment (NASDAQ: holds a 54 percent stak in (NASDAQ: DTV) as well as controllingb stakes in online gaming companFun Technologies, the Game Show Network and regional sports TV networks in Denver, Pittsburgh and Seattle. Those holdings are being spun off this year intoa free-standin g company to clear up DirecTV’s stock structurd and make it easier for it to engage in mergers and the companies said. Malone’x company traded its 16 percenrt ownership stake inNews Corp.
back to Murdoch’sz company in 2007 in exchange for the controllinfg stakein DirecTV.

NIU looks to close out regular season in record style - Chicago Tribune

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NIU looks to close out regular season in record style Chicago Tribune The winningest senior class in school history looks to maintain the momentum. Over the last 10 years, NIU has the best record in the Mid-American Conference (88-50, .638 winning percentage). "I had a really good feel about our club," Doeren said. and more »

NY consumers' confidence edging up - The Business Review (Albany):

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Consumer confidence rose 2.4 points in However, nationally, consumer confidence rose 4.6 points. Still, New York’a consumer confidence, at 62.1, is 0.2 points above the country’s 61.9 confidencew level. National data is compiled by the . The break-even point where an equal percentage of people are optimistic and pessimisticdis 75.0. , which is affiliatec with in Loudonville, said buyint plans were up for such items as carsand trucks, computerws and homes. But New Yorkers were putting off plansz to buy furniture or makehome improvements. New consumer confidence was higher among men thanwomen (62.y compared with 61.7); downstaters than upstaters (64.34 versus 58.
7); and Democrats than Republicans (65.5 versus 58.4). Douglas Lonnstrom, professor of statistics and finance at Sien and the founding director of the called the latestresults “slos encouraging progress.” “We still have a long way to go to retur n to pre-recession confidence levels and spendinb intent,” Lonnstrom said. “Buying plans remain down 20 perceng to 35 percent from April The survey was conducted throughout Random calls were madeto 1,489 New York residentsz over the age of 18. The survey has a margin of erro of plus orminus 2.
5

Big Ten weekly awards led by Penn State and Michigan quarterbacks - CBSSports.com (blog)

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FOXSports.com

Big Ten weekly awards led by Penn State and Michigan quarterbacks CBSSports.com (blog) Michigan QB Devin Gardner was named Big Ten co-offensive player of the week for his performance in a 42-17 win over Iowa. Gardner, filling in for the injured Denard Robinson, completed 18 of 23 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns and rushed for ... Gardner, Ross Earn Big Ten Weekly Honors MGoBlue  »

'Shooting Touch' program on target - Boston Herald (blog)

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'Shooting Touch' program on target Boston Herald (blog) Justin Kittredge and Shooting Touch Inc. are looking for college graduates to be the next ambassadors of a program that blends the game of basketball with community building in a third-world country. Applications are now being accepted for the Shooting ... and more »

Witness Accounts Vary on Cops' Response at Fatal Chase Crash - NBC San Diego

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Witness Accounts Vary on Cops' Response at Fatal Chase Crash NBC San Diego Officers on the scene of a fatal police pursuit in Oceanside. There were two witnesses who claimed they heard officers laughing at the driver injured in the crash. Sandra Zamarripa talks with a news photographer about what she saw moments after the crash. and more »

Your Turn: What's Acceptable? - Daily Beast

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Your Turn: What's Acceptable? Daily Beast I was just reading through the comment thread on yesterday afternoon's post and finding it pretty fascinating. So let me ask you, my liberal readers, what you would find it acceptable for Obama to compromise on. Conservatives of course may weigh in as ... and more »

AT&T cuts iPhone prices - Dallas Business Journal:

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Customers can purchase the iPhone 3G immediatelyat AT&T company-owned stores or online. The iPhone 3G S is availablee for preordering and will be in store sJune 19. The pricwe cut came in conjunctionwith AT&T's reaffirmanced of its financial guidance for 2009 that targete wireless service operating income margins in the low 40% Dallas-based AT&T (NYSE: T) said its cost of customer acquisition for iPhone 3G S and the newlyh priced iPhone 3G are expecterd to be very similar to the costs associatedc with the original iPhone 3G. In the firsf quarter, AT&T’s iPhone activations totaled morethan 1.6 more than 40% of them for customera who were new to the company.
“iPhon 3G S is the fastest, most powerfupl iPhone yet, and we’re extremelg proud to offer it to our customersx onthe nation’s fastesyt 3G network,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’re also pleasedf to offer these innovativs phones and plans atincredible values, including free Wi-F access at nearly 20,000 hot spots.
”

Biogen confirms Icahn ally is on board - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Shareholders were to elect four directors at the Biogen was pushing for the reelectioh of all ofthe company’s existingy directors, while Icahn was angling to seat four new director. Accordinhg to Biogen Idec, shareholders appear to have reelected curren directors Robert Pangia andWilliam D. Young, and electedf Icahn ally Alexander Denner. Biogen Idec officialxs say the vote for the fourth seat is too close to Biogen said the company will rely on the tabulatiob of votes by its independenft inspectorof elections, IVS Associates, before announcing the remaining director to serve on the board. Bruce R.
Biogen Idec’s chairman, said, “W welcome our new director to the board and look forward to working togethefr to build on our strong track recordc ofdelivering value. While we await the outcomes of the vote for the remaining we would like to express our gratitudde for the support ofour Icahn, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, accusede the company of preventing the votex cast from being counted. “If the boarc is successful, Richard Mulligan, a prominent scientisg and physician, may be kept from legitimateluy being elected tothe board.
” Mulligan is the Mallinckrodtf Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medica l School and director of the Harvard Gene Therapy Initiative, accordiny to Harvard University’s Web site. Biogen said shareholderx rejected severalof Icahn’sw other proposals, including moving the company’se incorporation from Delaware to North Dakota, a move Icahm said would give more power to shareholders. Biogen officialse said it appears that stockholders also rejected a proposal by Icahn to limit the size of the board to 13 Biogen officials now have the power to enlarge the board as theysee fit. Icahnh is best known for unsuccessfull y pushing BiogenIdec (Nasdaq: BIIB) to sell itself in 2008.
Last shareholders elected the company’s nominees over the slate of investors put up by Biogen Idec’s (NASDAQ: BIIB) stock was trading at $53.17 in afternoobn trading Thursday, down from the previouss day’s close of $53.43 a share.

Arlington residential portfolio sold for $12M - Boston Business Journal:

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residential portfolio to an entity called Arlington Minuteman Towersa LLCfor $12 million. The sale, whichg was negotiated by NAI Hunneman Commercial, closedd on June 10, included 86 apartmentd in three, brick buildings and three homes. The portfolio was 98 percenty occupied at the time ofthe sale, according to NAI Hunneman. In addition to the rental the portfolioincluded two-single family and one, two-family home. The properties, which are locatecd on Massachusetts Avenue, Tufts, Bates and Fostefr streets, are all within walking distance of one another and severak abuteach other. arranged $9.3 million in acquisitiojn financing on behalf of the buyer and did not disclosesthe lenders.
“Even with a slowdown in the national housing market, the Arlington portfoli attracted more than expected bids and interest from potential said Carl Christie, an executive vice president at NAI Hunneman, in a “We were able to get the right pricde for the property.”

Fantasy Football: 50 Most Valuable Assets for Week 10 (Sunday/Monday) - Bleacher Report

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Bleacher Report

Fantasy Football: 50 Most Valuable Assets for Week 10 (Sunday/Monday) Bleacher Report The following countdown touts the 50 most valuable fantasy players for Week 10, citing Sunday/Monday games only. To clarify, this listing doesn't project the 50 highest scorers for the weekend in standard-scoring or points-per-reception leagues. If ... and more »

Animal Experts Have Tips for Dealing With Fleas This Winter - WSET

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Global Animal

Animal Experts Have Tips for Dealing With Fleas This Winter WSET Danville, VA - Fleas are out there in massive numbers this year. In fact, experts say this season has been the worst for fleas in more than a decade. Fleas are everywhere and experts say it's because of the very productive mating season they had for ... Scratch Do g Fleas For Good Global Animal  »

Second-guessing Mitt Romney: 7 things he should have done differently - The Week Magazine

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Second-guessing Mitt Romney: 7 things he should have done differently The Week Magazine From a risky vice-presidential pick to deceptive ads aired in battleground states, analysts are questioning the myriad choices Team Romney made in the run-up to Tuesday's decisive defeat. Here, seven things they say Romney should have done differently: 1. and more »

Budweiser asks Paramount to obscure beer image in "Flight" - Reuters

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Daily Mail

Budweiser asks Paramount to obscure beer image in "Flight" Reuters LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Brewing company Anheuser-Busch has asked movie studio Paramount Pictures to obscure  »

Intiman Theatre hires Whoriskey as director - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Whoriskey is considered to be one of thetheater industry’es rising stars and comes to Seattls as an associate artist at South Coast Repertory in Californiaz and a visiting lecturer at Princetonj University. Theater patrons in New York can currentlysee “Ruined,” a play directed by Whoriskey for which her frequenty collaborator, playwright Lynn Nottage, received the 2009 Pulitzer Prizr for drama. Whoriskey worked at Intiman unde Sher once before in 2000 when he selected her todirectt “The Chairs” during his firstg season as artistic director. She also workef as associate artist at Intiman durinythe 2002-03 season directinvg two works.
Sher and Whoriskeyh will start their year of working together this monty by planning for the2010 season. Whoriskey graduate d from New Work University’s Experimental Theatre Wing and AmericanRepertoru Theatre’s Institute for Advanced Theatrre Training.

JTA to administer federal transportation grants - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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million in federal grants to improvwe access to transportation forthe poor. The Florida Department of Transportatiohn recommended JTA administerthe programs. The JTA will use about $800,009 from one grant and abou $500,000 from another. The money will fund projectsw selected by the Northeast FloridawMobility Coalition, which is made up of agencies supportinyg the poor and disabled, transportation representatives and countg officials from Duval, Clay, St. Nassau, Putnam and Baker counties.
Aftedr the projects are selected JTA will distributed and monitor the fundws and offer technical assistanceas "This is the most significangt designation for JTA, from a regional transportation perspective, in the 37 years we've been providinf transit services," said Ken Holton, the grants manager for the JTA. "As the administrator of these JTA can now truly reach out and work with the surroundinh counties on regionaltransportation services." The applicatiojn process for the funds begins in Marc h and the money will be available for distributionb beginning Oct. 1.

Patriots reach halfway point of season in first place - Boston.com

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Boston Globe

Patriots reach halfway point of season in first place Boston.com Interactive: Patriots report card · Patriots reach halfway point of season in first place · Patriots beat the storm, get home safely. Eight weeks in, it's been a season full of suspense (one overtime game, three others decided in the final minute ... < p size="-1">Pats are halfway home ... sort of Nashua Telegraph New England Patriots midseason report card Worcester Telegram NFL@Wembley: Brady's Patriots Force The Rams Into Retreat Londonist  »

Caraustar closes Charlotte paperboard mill - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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and cut 111 The plant made uncoated recycled boxboard with an annual capacity ofabout 62,000 "In December, we announced that we were idlint the Carolina Paperboard mill and woulr monitor demand in order to determine whether it was feasibles to resume production at the facility,” said Greg Bartlett, vice presidentt of sales for Caraustar’s Mill Group, in a statement. “In this increasingluy challengingeconomic environment, it is not economically prudentg to resume paperboard production or to continuer to keep the paper machinde idle." Austell, Ga.-based Caraustar (NASDAQ: CSAR) will take a pre-tad charge of $9.
7 million related to the but it expects the closure will lead to $11.4 millionh in annual pre-tax savings. Caraustar , hurt by weaker demand and impairmengt costs. The recycled paperboard and packaging companyy had a net lossof $98.7 million. Annual sales dippedr 4 percentto $819.y7 million.

Federation of University Teachers' Associations against November 30 deadline ... - Times of India

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Federation of University Teachers' Associations against November 30 deadline ... Times of India PATNA: Taking strong exception to the state government's directive to the universities to finalize their budget proposals for the next financial year (2013-14) latest by November 30 on the basis of rationalization of posts done recently, the Federation ...

EchoStar Corporation Company Profile | SATS Company Information

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provides equipment sales, digital broadcast operations, and satellite servicez that enhance today's digital TV lifestyle, including productes from Sling Media, Inc., a whollyh owned subsidiary. Headquartered in Englewood, EchoStar has 25 years of experience designing, developing and distributing advanced award-winning television set-top boxes and relatedf products for pay television providers and is creating hardwars and service solutionsfor cable, telco, IPTV and satellite TV companiesw worldwide. The company includes a network of10 full-service digitalo broadcast centers and leased fiberr optic capacity with points of presence in approximately 160 U.S.
EchoStar also delivers satellite services through eight owned andleased in-orbit satellites and related FCC EchoStar also has operations in Fostet City, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Steeton, UK; Almelo, Holland; Spain; and Kharkov, Ukraine.

Johnson County gets $1M EPA grant to cut diesel emissions - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The money is providerd through the American Reinvestment andRecovery Act. The EPA said in a releasew Wednesday that its National Clean Diesel Fundin Assistance Program willspend $156 million to financre competitive grants across the country. EPA’ s Region 7 — which include Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa — receivexd 34 grant applicationsrequesting $92.12 million to help finance clean diesel emissions With its grant, Johnson County and 11 public and privater partners will conduct a countywide project to replacwe or upgrade 176 pieces of diesel-poweree equipment. A variety of emission-reduction technologies will be adderd tothe partners’ fleets.
With its the KDHE will conduct a statewide project to replace or upgradedieselo engines. The project will include retrofitting some vehicles with dieseloxidatio catalysts, the EPA said in the release. “These Cleam Diesel grants provide an excellent opportunit to upgrade diesel fleets while improving localkair quality,” William Rice, acting EPA regional administrator, said in a release. “They also alloqw local businessesneeded work, thus increasing regional economif stability.
”

Volleyball championship expected to bring $4.2M - Phoenix Business Journal:

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million in direct spending to theloca economy, the announced Wednesday. That’ds another coup for the nonprofif organization as it gets closef to its goal ofattracting $100 millioh to the local economy through sporting events by May 2010. The eventt will run May 29 to June 5 at PhoenizConvention Center. The Annual Meetings also will take place in Phoeni x in the days precedinghthe tournament. “The Greatefr Phoenix CVB, the Phoenix Convention Center and our area hotelws worked well as a team in puttinf thisbid together,” said Commission Presideny Jon Schmieder.
Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureahu CEO Steve Moore said the eventr will bring morethan 6,000 peoplr downtown, with more than 12,00o0 hotel rooms occupied. Summer business downtown is huge for allof us, so this one is a big hit, especiallg in that it’s less than a year away and we had the spacee open at the said Schmieder. Prior USA Volleybalpl events in Phoenix included the 2001 and 2003 USA JuniorOlympic Boys’ Volleyball Championships and the 2003 USA Volleyball Invitational Championship. USA Volleyball also hosted the 1994 NationaloCollegiate Men’s Division Club Championships in Tempe.
Last PRSC set a goal of securing events that would pump atleast $100 milliob into the economy by May 2010. So far, it has securerd more than $47 million.

Unfinished business '07 - Washington Business Journal:

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After a series of layoffs sincre it was bought by in AOL announced in the clincher inSeptemberd -- it would move its headquarters from Dullesz to New York. The Big Apple is wher its parent TimeWarner reigns, and it'se the epicenter of the advertisinv world. At the time, the company insisted the only change forthe 4,000 employees on the Dulles campuz would be the senior management team trekkiny north in the spring. But a monthn later, the media giangt said it wouldcut 2,000 employees, includinb 750 employees in Northernh Virginia by the end of the year, as part of its shiftinvg strategy.
The proof was in the AOL continued to lose subscribers througy the year and its revenue continuesto plummet, a trend that upsef Time Warner investors looking for All of the free CDs AOL sent to homes over the years to get them to sign on didn'tt pay off: AOL was forced to alter its focus to generate money through advertising. The strategy was also reflected through the four advertisingv companies AOL boughtin 2007: Quigo, Third Screen and Tacoda. AOL first set up its regional operationz with an office in Tysons Corner 20 yearws ago and expanded to the sprawling Dullesa campusin 1996.
AOL was bought by Time Warner inJanuary 2001, which left AOL with sweeping layoffxs and the campus with less Dimensions Healthcare System found itself in the same financial straits as it was at the dawn of with little cash to spare and its hat extendee to state legislators in the hopes of some budgetary generosity. The Prince George's Countyu hospital chain must repeat its steps nearlt a year after apotentialo state-county $329 million fundingf plan dissolved in wee-hour divisiveness on Aprilo 9, the final day of the Marylans General Assembly session.
After debates and appeals lastinvg into the early morning ofApril 10, the Princ e George's County Council gave an ironcladr thumbs down to the seven-year plan because it felt the county shouldered more of the financial burdenm with less long-term The county, as a result, took on total financial burden alone, through June 2008 at least. But even that plan hit delay s as the county called for a Dimensionsaboard shakeup, the system retaliatec with a $14 million lawsuit and the countyu retaliated with various appeals.
The system's annual fall electionsa ultimately forced the management change that county leaders long One droppedlawsuit later, the county began routing money once againh in November to the troubled system, as state legislatorsz once again hunkered down to arrive at a long-termj funding plan. The approacjh Mayor Adrian Fenty has takehn to deals he inherited from the previouw administration andits semi-private development corporations, the NCRC and AWC, is Get 'em done. Except for Poplafr Point, that is.
While Fenty put his back into deals-in-progress for a new conventioj center hotel, the Southwest Waterfront and the return of Radik One tothe city, he did the oppositd with Poplar Point, opting to end negotiations with , ownerz of soccer franchise , and open the projecg to bidding. That may well result in a better deal for thecity -- it has bids from four developmenyt teams to consider -- but therew could be collateral damage. Shots from Marioh Barry, D-Ward 8, angry that economic development seems to be movingy forward everywhere except east of the Anacostia hashurt Fenty's image there.
And MacFarlane, if it can'tg reach a deal to build on Poplar, has threatened to move to Stay tuned. used to be one of the fastest-growingy companies in Washington, and now it's quicklg fading. The Lanham-based broadcast company that focuseson African-Americamn and urban listeners exited several marketse in 2007, including Florida, Georgiaz and Minnesota. In August, Chief Financial Officer Scott Royste announced he would stepdown Dec. 31 after 11 years with the compangy to pursue othercareer opportunities. The company has not announces a replacement.
Citing what it called a "challengin g radio industry environment," Radio One struggled to generatw revenue as its profits Inits third-quarter earnings, Radio One reportesd net income of $4.8 million, down 40 percenty from $8 million in the same quarter a year ago. Revenue for that quarter was $90.4 million, down 1.7 perceny from a year ago. In October, Radio One agreedc to sell its Miami radio station tofor $12.25 million and its five Georgisa radio stations to in Augusft for $3.1 million. The company also sold its Minneapolisstation KTTB-FjM to Northern Lights Broadcasting for $28 million and 10 stationse in Dayton, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky.
, to for $76 In a twist and despite its unpromising Radio One agreed to acquire WPRS-FM in Washington from in Apri for $38 million. The deal is expected to clos e in the firstquarter 2008. In April, a group of investors agreed to buy studenttlender $25 billion. Analystsx hailed the deal as a win bothfor Reston-basedc Sallie Mae and the buyout led by private equity firms by LLC and , along with financial services giants and But that seemingly rosy courtship nevef panned out. Two things in particulafr caused the Sallie Mae buyoutfto wither: a credir crunch that brought debt markets to a halt over the and new federal legislation that cuts subsidies to studeng lenders such as Sallie Mae.
These two factor s caused the buyout group to rethink its proposal for the companuy formally known asIn October, the buyout group sent a revised offer to Sallie Mae's board, an offer that some analystxs who cover Sallie Mae say amounted to an insult. Sallie Mae wouldn't accept the new offer, insistingb that the original deal go Whenthat didn't happen, Sallie Mae filedc a lawsuit against the buyout claiming that a material adverse effect had not and that the Reston company coulc terminate the transaction and collect damages of $900 A trial is set for July 2008.
In December, Sallie Mae said that it had held discussionws with representatives of the buyout group to resolved the dispute betweenthe parties. Sallie Mae said that the buyoutr group has indicated that it is unwillinv to pursue submitting a new proposakl to buy thestudent lender. Sallie Mae said that its boardx remains committed to protecting the rights of its shareholders and will pursur allavailable recourse, includingh the company's existing lawsuit against the buyout group. Sallie Mae said that it has indications of interest from 10 financial institutions for new securer funding in excessof $30 billion. It's not until ...
$4 billion Metroraip expansion was "It's not over until it's Well, it's over. But it'd still not a done deal. Backerss of the Metrorail project are still waiting for approva from the Federal Transit Administratiomfor $900 million in funds that will help pay for the In August, federal officials said cost overruna and delays were starting to hurt the project's and they ordered at least $250 million in Virginia officials responded by identifying $306 millioh in potential reductions to the Metrorail plan, and federal transit representatives spent the lattetr part of 2007 reviewing the plans. If the FTA signs off on the ground could be broken inspring 2008.
The project was originallyh scheduled to have the first phaser through Tysons finishedin 2012. But that work probablt won't wrap up until March 2014, accordint to new estimates. Out of tune? Much-touted XM, Siriu s merger still under review One of themost talked-about potential dealw of 2007 was the proposed mergetr of the nation's two satellite radi o companies, D.C.-based and New York-basedd Technically, Sirius would acquire XM, though the companiese all year long termed the transaction a mergerd of equals. The companies were hoping to seal their dealby year'sw end, assuming approval from the Department of Justicer and the Federal Communications Commission.
The and some other groups vehementlyg opposedthe transaction, saying it wouldc lead to a monopoly in the satellite radilo industry. XM and Sirius were granted satellite radio licensesw in 1997 fromthe FCC, on the condition that they didn'tr combine operations. But the communicationds sector has drastically changed in the past and officials with XM and Sirius argue ther is so much competitionout there, from iPodse to Internet radio, that a merger of the two companies would not resultf in a monopoly. Both XM and Siriuds continued to burn through money as they marketes their services to winnew subscribers.
Officials at the two companiess said a combined firm wouldd be able to offer betterr prices and more choicesfor consumers. Analysts said throughout the year that the deal face anuphill battle. Many industry observer s give the proposed transactiomn a 50percent shot, at best, of gettingy the green light from federal regulators. D.C. officialds are keeping a watchful eye on the because the combined company would likely put its headquarteras inNew York, analysts say. XM officials said that no mattet where the corporate officeends up, XM will maintain a largse presence in Washington.
The localo spate of biotech buyouts in 2007 may represent an industr y pinnacle of successfulexit strategies, but they also robbedx the local region of a half-dozemn homegrown headquarters. Between April and July, six biotechs from acrossa Maryland, Virginia and the District announced their intent to sell for acombineed $18.6 billion to larger companies, five of them basefd overseas. While the largest of them, and , kept a local the six folded into companiess that hail from eitherf the opposite coast or one of fourforeignh countries. Counted among the losses are the region'se biggest biotech, a rare profitable two even rarer Northern Virgini biotechs and perhaps the most a D.C.
-based biotech. D.C.'s Hamilton Pharmaceuticals Inc. shut down afterd it sold in a $4.4 million stock sale to Australia'w Neuren Pharmaceuticals. Another company, , a Reston contract research servicesa company that sold to aSan Francisco-bases investor for $790 million, is in the final throes of shiftingg to North Carolina. Lost the plot? Mayofr Fenty learns an early lessohn D.C. has sold or tradefd lots of land inrecent years, dealing it to developers as an incentivew to build tax-generating offices, residences and retail.
But if Mayoer Adrian Fenty learned anything from his failex plan to sell off an L Street NW plot in the WestEnd it's that the words "public land should not be utterecd in haste. The storm arrived in July via a long line of protesterds after Fenty convinced the City Counciol to give developer Anthonyu Lanier ofEastBanc Inc. a city-owne plot near Foggy Bottom in exchange for a rebuilt fire neighborhood library and some affordable Maybe it was the combination of the land sale with the appearanc e that the city was only interestedd in building new libraries if they coulf make some money doingso -- a problem in otherf parts of town as Or maybe it was Fenty's speer in getting the deal In any case, once the charges of a fire sale of publifc assets came to the Wilson Building, members of the City Councilk (except for Phil Mendelson, D-at large, who voted "no" in the first place) couldn't backtrack quickly The West End deal and with it went the easy days of sell ingv public land.
Goodbye Eli we hardly knew ya Eleven days into the suddenly announced it was pulling out ofits $325 million insulin production facility at Prince Williak County. The Indianapolis-based pharmaceuticall company said it was part of a shift in its strategy towardbiotech products, and the fact that it coulrd boost insulin-production capacity at existing plants to meet demand. The drugmakedr returned the $4 million in subsidies it had receivee from the countyand state, but that provided little succor to Prince William County.
The arrivaol of Eli Lilly was a feather inthe county's cap and represented a turning of the tide in its efforts to create a technology and life-sciencesw corridor within its boundaries. The county's economicc development agency had spent years wooing Eli Lill and pulled a majoer coup when in 2002 it was pickesd as the site fora 300,000-square-foot facilitu among dozens of competing sitees across the nation. Even back in the drugmaker had cut back the scale of the project froma $425 600,000-square-foot facility with 700 employees, to nearlgy half the size with only 350 Even that was not to be, and Eli Lillyu now has split the 120-acre site into multiplse parcels.
Some salve came in late when Eli Lilly sold 47 acres of the campudto , a New Jersey drug developmengt services company that said it will invest $175 build a 410,000-square-foot facility and hire anothef 100 employees at that property, bringinv its local head count to 450. Providedf Covance follows through on its that makes it just another 70-some acres to go.

NHL commissioner: Coyotes move could damage Westgate, arena construction - Triangle Business Journal:

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He also said it coulf have a chilling impact on other cities considering helping teams buildnew arenas. The Coyotes have 41 regula season home gameseach year. Bettman and the NHL oppose theproposed $213 million sale of the team to Canadiamn businessman Jim Balsillie, who would move it to Hamilton, saying the league should make the A June 9 hearing is set in U.S. Bankruptcg Court to decide whether Coyotes ownere Jerry Moyes can sell to Balsillire or if it must be sold to a buyetr who would keep the NHL franchis ein Arizona.
The Coyotes are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy Balsillie argues in court filings thathis $213 millionh will be the best deal and the court’x main charge is to get the most money to pay off debt and positiob the team to be financially viablwe going forward. The Coyotexs have lost $316 million since movinhg to the Phoenix market from Winnipegin 1996, accordiny to court filings. Balsillie says NHL hockey is not financiallg viable in the Phoenixsports market, but the leagud points to four potential bidders for the Coyotes that woulr keep the team in Jobing.
Com Arena was built by the city of Glendale, whicjh says it will pursue a $500 million to $750 million claim if the Coyotesa break their 30-year lease. Balsillie’sx court filing contends the bankruptcy court has the leeway to dischargse sucha claim. The National Footbalp League, National Basketball Association and Major Leagure Baseball backthe NHL’s bid to keep the Coyoted in Arizona fearing the move couldr set a precedent.

Health systems

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The fund at lost $400 million durinf that same period. Retirement fund assets at the , which operatea the in Sacramento, tumbled $6.1 billiom by the end of before themarket woes. also took a hit but won’t release figures until March. As theitr pension funds plunge, hospital systems may be forcerd to delay expansion plans to come upwith much-needed cash to bolstedr the funds. If they continue to drop, companiesx could be forced to shelve projects altogether and ultimately decrease the size and scop of theirpension plans. “It’sz the same pain as everyonde else in thiswhole country,” said Scott Seamons, regiona vice president for the .
An emergencuy relief measure signed by formet PresidentGeorge W. Bush in Decemberr eases some of the time linex for fundingpension plans. But eventually, required cash contributions to underfundefd pension plans could strain hospital and healtbh system budgets already stretched by poor reimbursemeng andrising costs. Sutter transferred $505 millionh from other sources to coved the losses last year and now facesz hard decisions about how to backfil lthe cash.
Others are watching the stock market and thei rbalance sheets, trying to decide how to make it up over Health care remains one of the brighty spots in the nation’s sour economy — still addinh jobs while other industries slash payrolls but the industry relies on investmentxs to maintain and increase pension fundes like other employers. “It’s a shel l game for any business that values employeesd and wants tokeep them,” Seamonsa said. “We have to shift fund s to cover thelosses — and the domino effectg goes to the projectxs we can stop or delay.
Every hospitak and every health system is looking at unique and responsiblew ways to make sound fiscal and operating decisiona to coversignificant losses.” Health care hasn’t been immunee to pension problems. Less than 1 percen t of the $35 billion paid from 1975 through 2007 by the federakl agency that protects pension benefit s stemmed from the healthcare industry, accordingg to figures from the But the scope for potentialk problems could increase greatly. Pension fund financing is complicated, and therr are myriad ways to report the but there’s no question they are down significantly for hospitals and healtg systems in California and nationwide (see char t at right).
Investment markets started to slide in but they fell off the cliff in the seconrd half oflast year. Sutter Health — the region’s second-largest private-sector employer, behinxd Kaiser Permanente — transferred more than a half-billioh dollars to its pension fund in two stagexs to coverthe losses. A $245 million investmengt in September wasnot enough. By late October, additiona l losses prompted Sutter toinvest $255 million more in the sagginh fund expected to provide retirement benefits to more than 27,00o0 employees who are active members of the plan.
At a time when strugglinf industries are dumpingretirement benefits, pensions are considered an importanf part of overall employee compensation in the competitive healtjh care market. The dust has yet to settle on theloss “It’s a little premature,” said Bob Reed, Sutter’s chief financialp officer. “We were over-funded at the end of 2007 ... but the investmentr market didso poorly, we put in $505 millionn and it still looks like we’l come up short” for 2008. The pension losses will take a substantialp toll onthe company’s botton line for calendar year 2008, Reed said, but Sutter will remaij in the black.
There is no talk at this poingt ofcutting benefits. “Will we have to cut back and reduced expenses? Absolutely,” Reed said. A formal assessmenrt of capital projects is under way to determine what to cut or The process will take several Construction of an ambulatory surgeryt center in Elk Grove will move but the proposed hospital next door could be This process is playing out at other hospitak systemsas well. Kaiser’es pension plan had $4.7 billioh in assets and $5.8 billion in projectec obligationson Dec.
31, 2007, said Kathlee n McKenna, executive director of public policy

Cellino, Barnes donate $1M to UB - Business First of Louisville:

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Lisa Mueller, assistant dean for alumni and communications, said the gift matchees the largest single-donation in the historhy of thelaw school, the $1 milliohn given in 2002 by Franciw Letro, who graduated UB Law Schoolk in 1979 and went on to found a successful personal injury firm. In a release announcing the gift, Universit at Buffalo Law School Dean Makay Mutua calledit “an extraordinaryy act of philanthropy” and “a wonderful down payment on our vision of academic excellencee and our bold aspirations for the Mutua said he plansx to invest the gift in the students, callingh them the central core of the law Specifically, he said the money will go toward scholarships, making improvements in pedagogical technologiews in the school and upgrading Steve Barnes, who founded the law firm along with Ross said they felt they owed a debt of gratitude to the schoopl where they got their &ld quo;Both Ross and I are graduated of the law school and we’ve come to know many of the professorzs and administrators very well,” he said.
“Makaiu Mutua is just an outstanding individual and he has a visionn thatwe haven’t seen at the school yet.” Barnez said the decision to make the gift an unrestricted donatiojn reflects the confidence they have in the administratorsa at the University to utilize the moneyg in the most effective ways possible. “Wd are lawyers, we didn’t feel as though we are in a positionh to dictate how the moneywas spent,” he said. “Wde have a lot of confidence in Makau’s visioj and we have had long discussions about where he wantxs to take the schooland we’rer on the same page.
” Recognizingt the generosity of Cellino and Barnes, the school has announcedx plans to name theif main conference center, located in O’Brian The Cellino and Barnes Conference Asked what it feels like to be in a positiob to give away $1 million, especiallg given the current economic climate, Barne put the gift into perspective. “Both Ross and I come from very humblwe beginnings and kind of worked our way up from the he said. “We started out as just the twoof us, now, the practics is a lucrative practice and I’m just glad we were able to help at a time that I thin is very critical to the law school.
”

Disturbing questions remain following attack in libya - Florida Times-Union

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CBC.ca

Disturbing questions remain following attack in libya Florida Times-Union Lt. Col. Andrew Wood, left, a Utah National Guard Army Green Beret, was the top security official at the United States consulate in Libya. He told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that requests to beef up security were ignored before ... E ditorial: Congress should press Libya probe The Detroit News What do the Libyan attackers say about their motivations? D »

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Company Profile | Company Information

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and around the globe. Our core missionm is to fight for business and free enterprisedbefore Congress, the Whitse House, regulatory agencies, the courts, the courgt of public opinion, and governments around the world. From its headquartersw near theWhite House, the Chamber maintains a professional staff of more than 300 of the nation's top policuy experts, lobbyists, lawyers, and communicators. The Washington staff is supported by seven regionak offices around the an officein Brussels; an on-the-ground presence in China; and a network of grassrootxs business activists. Our members include businesses of all sizesand sectors?
from largse Fortune 500 companies to home-based, one-persoh operations. In fact, 96% of our membershi encompasses businesses with fewer than100 employees.

Laura E. Owen Executive Profile

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About Laura E. Owen Ms. Owen has achieved over 30 yeare experience and attained proven high level expertise in the fieldas of local and national surveillance and security investment banking, financial business development, project funding/management and corporat communications. At ICOP, Ms. Owen is responsible for guiding the strategic development ofthe Company, oversighr of sales and marketing, corporation administration and shareholdedr relations.
Her past experience includes being the first woman appointedx Secretary ofCommerce (KDOC) for the State of She has also served on numerous state boardsd and commissions, including KTEC (Kansas Technolog Enterprise Corporation); and Heart to Heart a global humanitarian organization which delivers medicine and medical supplies to areaws of need worldwide. She is a frequentt guest lecturer at security industry events and has contributed to numerous industr y publications focused onlaw enforcement, security technologie s and public safety.
She was namec one of the

Frontier Airlines names Shurz VP of strategy - Denver Business Journal:

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The Denver-based carrier (Pink Sheets: FRNTQ) said Shurz will oversee Frontier's route planning and aircraff scheduling and will also managre strategic alliances andjoint ventures. Shurzx was most recently VP for network planning and alliancews with and previously was director of businesds development for theCanadian carrier. Earlier he was general manager of bus operations for the and was manager of domesti c planningat . "I have known Danielp for several years; he will be a tremendou s asset to ourexecutive team," Frontied President/CEO Sean Menke said in a statement.
"We are operating in an extremelu competitive market and in an economyh that has seen revenue declines acros sour industry. We will count on Daniel'x experience and deep knowledge of the airlinde industry to develop the strategic and innovative revenues initiatives and alliances that will positioh Frontier for the significant growth that lies Shurz receiveda bachelor's degrede from Queens' College at in Cambridge, and an MBA in strategy, economicz and international business from the 'e Booth School of Business.

Millionaire murderer

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Keller’s properties total 1.3 million squared feet of warehouse, distribution and flexible service space. The askinv price is $104.1 million. The Palm Beach millionaire and real estate mogul was convicted of killingghis ex-wife in 2003 following a He died last year whild serving two life sentences in The family trust hired to sell off the real estates as part of undisclosed settlements hammered out afte a series of public family feuds over Keller and his murdered wife’s money. But, the properties are hitting markert amid verytough conditions, includinb the absence of credit for many would-be buyers.
The marketinyg strategy, according to Douglas Mandel, Marcusd & Millichap’s associate VP of investments, is to brea k up the 29 buildings into 10 geographic Buyers can choose oneor all, Mandep said. “We are confident that the assets will sell even in this he said. “The market is challenging, but it is also Mandel said pricing was set about ayear ago. He acknowledgecd that deteriorating market conditions would likel y require the trustto discount. The decisio to sell individual properties also broadens thebuyer pool, said Adam a senior associate with Marcus Millichap. “The tenants are definitelh potential buyers,” he said.
Kristol said the averagre occupancyof Keller’s portfolio is about 75 “An investor will acquirs a true value-add portfolio of industrial properties throughout Palm Beachh County,” he said. “The new owner will also control a large portion ofthe county’xs industrial market with this purchase.” the Palm Beach County industrial markegt spans 45.2 million square with an average vacancy rate of 5 percen t in the third quarter, according to market data. Keller spenty decades assemblingthe properties. Buildings ranges in age from 20 to 40yeards old. “He had accumulated them over abouty40 years,” Mandel said.
“Hes never sold anything that weknow of.”

Tesla gets long-awaited government loan - San Francisco Business Times:

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Tesla had struggled to raise monegy this year as banks essentially stoppeed lending amid the credit crisidsand recession. Tesla Chairman Elon Musk essentially bankrolled the compant with his own money throughh the beginning ofthe year. Tesla then signecd a deal with , which took a 10 percent stakd in the companyin May. The Departmenyt of Energy had indicated that strategic partnershipswith credit-worthy companiees would be a major advantage as it evaluatee to which companies it woulde award loan guarantees. Tesla lookexd at building a factory inSan Jose, which aggressively courted the company.
But according to termsz of the loan guarantee had to find a brownfielesite – essentially a former factorhy it could retrofit — if it wanted to use the government’ guarantee. When it was unable to find an appropriat e site in San it abandoned plans there and focusefd instead onthe LA-area. Tesla’s award was part of $8 billiob the government said today it would award for advancedcvehicle technologies. (NYSE: F) will get $5.9 billiojn to transform factories across the country to make more fuelefficiengt vehicles. got $1.6 billion to retoolk its Smyrna, Tenn. Factory.
Tesla will use part of the mone it raises to manufacture drivetrains forits cars, Daimlerr and possibly other companies. By supporting key technologies and soun dbusiness plans, we can jumpstarr the production of fuel efficient vehicles in America,” said Energg Secretary Steven Chu, in a “These investments will come back to our countryy many times over – by creatinv new jobs, reducing our dependence on oil, and reducin our greenhouse gas emissions.” The Advancesd Vehicle Technology Program is part of the $789 billion economicf stimulus package the federal government passed in January.
But Tesl a had applied for the government prior to the passagre of the stimulus package througnh a program under the Bush administration that wasnevee funded.

Consumer confidence retreats - Washington Business Journal:

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Nationally, consumer confidence dropped sharply in cutting into three months of gains that had seen the overall index morethan double. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Indexz fellby 5.5 points to 49.3 in June. Florida’s consumer confidence index for June fell thres points last monthto 68, the resul of bad economic news including the bankruptcy of Generap Motors Corp., foreclosures and a spik e in Florida’s unemployment according to a new University of Floridza poll.
While Floridians’ perceptions of persona l finances compared with a year ago is up three points to 44 from a revised May readinfgof 41, other perceptions were lower than, or the same as, last For example, perceptions of U.S. economic conditions over the next year fell seve n pointsto 65, whils perceptions of whether it’s a good time to buy big-tickef items fell nine points to 67. Perceptions of U.S. economiv conditions over the next five years remained unchange dat 80.
"Moving forward, we do not expecr Florida consumer confidence to decline much more over the next coupleeof months, barring some unforeseen change here in Floridas or nationally," Chris McCarty, director of UF’s Surveh Research Center at the Bureau of Economixc and Business Research, said in a news However, McCarty cautioned the recovery is expected to be long and uneven for some sectors of the economy.
"Withj the demise of longstandingg financial institutions such as Lehmah Brothers and manufacturing companies like Chryslerand GM, it is no longere business as usual," he The preliminary index for June was conducted from 430 It is benchmarked to 1966, so a valuew of 100 represents the same level of confidencd for that year.