ACCIN lands federal grant for new HQ - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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The funds come from the federal Economic Developmenr Administration through the American Recovery andReinvestment Act. is a nonprofir lender that provides micro-loans and technicalo assistance for smalland minority-owned businesses. The state’d congressional delegation applaudedthe grant. U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman said ACCIÓh has played an importanf role in supportingsmall businesses. “Durinb the economic downturn, it has been a lifelins for small businesses who have had nowherer else to turn for capital and he said.
“The funding will not only create jobs in the shorty term by constructing a new headquartersin Albuquerque, it will allow ACCIÓN New Mexico to expand its economicx development reach.” Between Januaryu and May, ACCIÓN’s loans increased by 95 percengt to 142 from 73 in the same period last year, said Lynn vice president of advancement for The organization has also increased the dollarw lent by 119 percent to $1.7 million. Its totap loan portfolio has grown by 32 percentg to morethan $6 ACCIÓN purchased land at 2000 Zearing NW last year for the buildingg with cash, thanks to a $500,009 bequest from the late Dr. Joseph J. Jacobw Jr.
, the founder of the in San Diego. desigb the building, which will be LEED-certified (Leadership in Energ and Environmental Design), Trojahj said. ACCIÓN will issue seek contractor bids and plans to bream groundin August. The organization plans to move in bySprinv 2010.

Power Book Accounting Finalists - Business First of Columbus:

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In 2007, Brake started a business valuatiojn departmentfor GHB. Stilp active in the traditional areas of tax compliance and consulting, Brake also provides business valuation services for acquisitions, divorce, estate and gift valuations, family limite d partnerships and discounts. Brake has been with GHB since 1986. She reduced her hours for about six years in the working from home while raising two but returned full steam in taking over the Boulder office as a newcomeer tothe community. In five years, she has established the firm’s presence and become involved incivic endeavors.
She receivec her certified valuation analyst certificatee from the National Association of Certified Valuatio n Analystsin 2003. She’s treasurer of the Coloradlo State Chapterof Gordon, Hughes & Banks LLP www.ghbcpa.comj When Kim Higgins joined Gordon, Hughes Banks as a governmentao and nonprofit partner in 2004, the firm had no governmenta l entities department and no name recognition in the field. In four Higgins has changed the governmental and nonprofit practice froma one-persom department with no clien base and less than $100,000 in revenues to a team of 20 In 2007, governmental and nonprofit revenues amounted to $1.
3 7 million and constituted one-third of the firm’s audit practice. Befors joining GHB, Higgins was a practiced partner at another public accounting firm in where she specialized in taxationand audits, with a specia l emphasis on not-for-profit organizations, local government entities, utilitiesa and government contractors. She graduated magna cum laude witha bachelor’s degree in accountinyg from Murray State University in She’s a member of the Colorado Society of Certifiex Public Accountants, GASB 44 Statement Implementation Advisoryg Committee, the and the Coloradko Nonprofit Association. Gordon, Hughes & Banks LLP www.ghbcpa.
con When Peggy Jennings joined Gordon, Hugheas & Banks LLP as an audit partnerin 1995, the firm was a traditional tax service s firm with a small audiyt practice that contributed between 2 percent and 5 percen t of the firm’s revenues. Jenningd was the sole member of theaudit Today, the audit department counts 30 professionals under supervision, and audit revenues make up 40 percentr of the firm’s total revenues. Jennings is director of the firm’s audi services division, and GHB’s lead audit partner for retail, construction and softwarw development niches.
Before joining GHB, Jennings spent 17 years with a large public accounting firm in where she provided audit and small business consulting to a variettyof industries. She is licensed to practice in Colorado, Louisiana, Wyoming, Idaho and Southy Dakota. She has a B.S. degree from Montana Statre University. She is on the peer reviesw board of the Colorado Societt of Certified Public Accountants and a membe of the Alliance of Professionapl Women and the ColoradoNonprofigt Association. www.cliftoncpa.com As managinvg partner for Clifton Gunderson’s Rocky Mountain client servicer center, David Laundy draws on more than 20 years of accounting andconsulting experience. Peoria, Ill.
-based Clifton Gundersobn is the sixth-largest certified public accounting firm in theDenver area, based on number of Clifton Gunderson acquired Denver-based accountinb firm Levine, Hughes and Mithuen in further strengthening its position as a provider of servicess to mid- to large-size privately owned In 2007, the presidenf of the Community College of Denverd was fired after an audit by Clifton Gunderson foundr serious financial mismanagement on campus. Laundy is a membedr of the Colorado Society of CPAs and Americah Institute of CertifiedPublic Accountants.
He also serves as a director ofthe , a membet of the executive committee of the and directoe of The Presidents Leadership Class at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a forme r director and treasurer ofthe , former directof and treasurer of Boulder County Dental Aid, former director and treasurer of the Foothillas Nature Center, former volunteer public relationsx committee member of the Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools and a formee member of the Management of Accounting Practice Committere at the Colorado Society of CPAs. Laundy hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting from anda bachelor’s degrese in sociology from Southern Illinois University in Ill.
Principal, business adviser Gordon, Hughea & Banks LLP www.ghbcpa.com Richard Kendall joinedc Gordon, Hughes & Banks LLP in 2005 to star a business advisoryservices department. Only two yearss later, Kendall became a principal and has hirex a senior business advisor to help with a growintclient base. He has worked with more than twodozemn companies, helping them implement growth and profity strategies.

Adams

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RealtyTrac records indicate that a notice ofa trustee’s sale has been filed on homes matching the description of Adams’ North Portland Kenton neighborhoode homes. The notice indicates that the home s will be put upfor auction. , which brokee the story, noted that Adams’ lende r has filed a “notice of default,” meaning he’s defaulted on his loan agreement with his Adams told thepaper he’as catching up on his mortgag e after paying “significant” legal bills. The houses that face foreclosurre are at2131 N. McClellan and 2121 N. Adams lives in the 2121 He also owns a triplex at2031 N. McClellan.
who makes $118,144 yearly, is facing an impendinb recall, scheduled to kick off in early after admitting he had a sexualp relationship withBeau Breedlove. The pair met beforde Breedloveturned 18. Adams said the sexual relationship begannafter Breedlove’s 18th birthday. Oregon’s attorneyh general is investigating whether Adams didanything improper. The mayor conceded that he lied aboutwhether he’xd had sex with Breedlove when a politica l opponent first made the charge duringf the 2008 primary campaign season.

Tonight at the Subterranean: A saxophone sisterhood - Berkeleyside

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Berkeleyside

Tonight at the Subterranean: A saxophone sisterhood Berkeleyside “The main criteria is music that really expresses soul,” says Tiptons alto saxophonist Amy Denio, an internationally esteemed composer and multi-instrumentalist who has received commissions from numerous modern dance companies. “Wherever it comes from, ...

Philippines Flood Death Toll Nears 1000 - Voice of America

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USA TODAY

Philippines Flood Death Toll Nears 1000 Voice of America December 20, 2011 Philippines Flood Death Toll Nears 1000 VOA News Philippine President Benigno Aquino declared a state of national calamity on Tuesday, as authorities work to recover the bodies of those killed by flash floods on the southern island of ... Death toll from flash floods in southern Philippines tops 1000 with more missing Washington Post Philippines residents dig out days after flooding from typhoon msnbc.com (blog) Philippines flood toll tops 1 000 News24 USA TODAY -gulfnews.com  »

Barrios resigning from BCBS Foundation - Boston Business Journal:

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Barrios, a former state senato r from Cambridge, Mass., was named presidenty of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusettss Foundationin 2007. During his the foundation launched programs including CareBeyond Coverage, designeed to identify non-insurance related barriers to healthb care access. “Jarrett has been a strongt leader for the foundation in this transitiojn period from the enactment of healtnh care reform in 2006 to the presenyt where we continue to work to find ways to expanc access to health care forthe commonwealth’x low-income and vulnerable populations,” said Philip W.
chairman of the Blue Croszs Blue Shield of Massachusetts in a prepared written Barrios was the first Latinlo state senatorin Massachusetts. He also was one of the state'ds few openly gay lawmakers. Barrios also previouslyu served as a member of the Massachusetts Houseof

Matrixx must refile Zicam application, stock plummets 70 percent - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The news sent shares plummeting nearly 70 percenyor $13.46 cents per shared to close at $5.78 Tuesday. Matrixx must file a new applicationh with the FDA for its Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Zicajm Cold RemedyGel Swab. The FDA said those productd must contain warnings of the risk of possible which is lossof smell, said Siobhan spokeswoman for the FDA. “They are to stop marketingy the products,” she said. “They have to provider us with a plan forinventory that’s already out there. If they want to continuwe marketingthis product, they need to bring us a new drug applicatiobn with studies and data to prove safetu and efficacy.
” Matrixx officials did not returj telephone calls, but in an announcement “The company believes the FDA action is unwarranted and is in the procesa of determining its response, which may include removing thes e products from the marketplace,” the statementy said. “These products constituted approximately 40 percent ofthe company’s net salesw in 2009.” DeLancey said the FDA does not have the authoritu to tell companies to recall theit products. “All recalls are voluntary by the she said. “Generally, we tell the company we have a concernj and they usually work with us and do avoluntaru recall.
” Matrixx’s stock (Nasdaq:MTXX) closed at $5.78i on June 16. That set a new low for the company’a 52-week range, which had been trading near the $19.74 For the fiscal year ended Marcn 31, Matrixx reported $13.8 million in net incomes on $112 million in net up from $10.4 million in net incomw on $101 million in net sales a year ago.

Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. Company Profile | PHHM Company Information

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Based in Dallas, Texas, Palm Harbor Homes is one of the nation'sd largest marketers of factory-built homes. The company's vertically integratesd operations set it apart from others inthe industry. Palm Harbord builds, sells, finances and insures the best manufactured homesavailable today. Palm Harbor'ss focus is the high-end, customized niche of the manufacturexdhome market. Four out of five homee produced in its 18 manufacturing facilitiexs across the country are customizedwith owner-selected features. Palm Harboe sells its homes throug h115 company-owned superstores and more than 350 independentr retailers.
The company's insurance Standard Casualty, offers a wide range of insuranc packages with a specialty inmanufactured homes. Palm Harbor'ds Nationwide Homes subsidiarybuilda high-quality modular homes. And its CountryPlace Mortgage subsidiaruy offers a variety of financing options to suitany Together, these companies represent the vertical integrationn plan established by Palm Harbor'x founder, Lee Posey.

Catch the Wind secures $18.8M - Business First of Columbus:

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million in a private placement financin g to help push more salexs of its new wind sensordfor turbines. Manassas-based Catch the which trades on the Toronto Venture soldroughly 16.7 million shares at a pricd of Canadian $1.30 apiece in what it hopew to be its last major equity financing before generating enough revenue from its laser wind-sensing product, Vindicator, to pay for Company officials also participated in the investment round, along with institutional bringing its total equity fundraising to date to nearly $35 , Research Capital Corp. and Canaccord Capitaol Corp.
served as placement agents for this latesr fundraising in return for 6 percent of the gross proceeds and additionalstock options. Spun off last year from LLC, a fibe r optics laser company that still sharesw the sameheadquarters space, Catch the Wind has been developing similat technology that senses when wind is imminent, helpinh reorient a turbine to capture that wind beforr it passes. Most wind turbinexs can realign its blades only after itfeels wind, so they’red often too late to actually benefift from gusts, company officials “Before, it was the horse-and-buggy approach to measuring wind,” said Phil who founded Optical Air Data Systems nearlyu 20 years ago with his wife before leavingt recently to serve as CEO for Catch the “Think about increasing the gas mileage of your he said.
“You’ve already bought your car. But if I can sell you somethingt that doubles the gas mileage ofyour car, you woulsd save more money.” He estimatex the Vindicator can capture 10 percentt to 30 percent more wind for which in turn helps generate more cleaj electricity and ultimately revenue for their operators. Catch the Wind recentlyu sold its first unitto , a Canadian environmental monitorinh equipment maker, while starting its first two-mont field test with the Nebraska Public Powerd District on its largest wind farm with 36 wind The local company, which said it’as also talking to federal agencies, hoped to use that trial’s results later this summeer to market to other wind turbine manufacturersw and wind farm With six full-time employees, Catch the Wind expects to at leasty double that count by the end of this The company, which had $5.
5 milliob in cash and equivalents on hand as of Marc 31, is also considering whether to list itself on an Americanj exchange later this year. “We aspire to that,” Roger said. “I just can’t say when.”

Looking south for visitors - Houston Business Journal:

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After a year punctuatedr with one bit of bad newsaftef another, this year’s travel industry Pow Wow held May 16-20 in Miami Beach, offered the industry caus for hope. The annual event, which connects U.S. destinations and businesses with overseastravel agents, drew more than 4,600 attendees and created connections that coulrd lead to billions of dollars in South American nations generally have sufferedf less than others in the global recession, and Pow Wow participant s said tour operators and travel companies from Brazil, Colombia and other countries in the region were eagerf to discuss deals with U.S. travel industru representatives.
This year, the local visitors bureau, a major enginwe for driving travel to Central is waging a major publicity campaignin Brazil, an efforr bolstered by a new direct air route to Sao Orlando gets about 300,000 visitors a year from Brazil, and the bureahu expects that number to reacj 350,000 next year. As air links expand, Sain the ability to strike new traveldeals “There’s no question that as we go South America will get a lot of our We have to make sure we have good lift — many schedulex and charter airline flights to keep us connected.
” The fresh emphasisx on Latin America comes as recessions in Europer cut into a key source of Orlando’s international business. The U.K. is the biggesty source of international visitors comingto Orlando, so the 10 percent to 15 percent slowdown in visitors from therre has hit Central Florida’s attractions and hotels hard. however, expects gradual improvement as economies on both sides of the Atlantic recover from Pow Wow, which will be held in Orland o next year, attracts about 1,500 international buyeras and about 500 travel writers. The in its 41st year, is responsible for about $4 billiojn in deals, said its sponsor, the U.S. Travel U.S.
destinations use booths at Pow Wow to make contactds that can lead to increased busines incoming months. David spokesman for Wet Wild onInternational Drive, helped man his company’ws booth at the show. “We made so great contacts this year. We came away with the impressionj that things will turn arounsdnext year. We’re seeing a strongv emergence of interest from Brazil and Things are starting to look betteer intheir markets, and that’s good news for Orlando.
” Bruc Bommarito, the Travel Association’s chief operating officere and general manager of the Pow Wow agreed: “International travel has been down 6 to 8 percenyt this year, but I have some cause for That’s because changes in U.S. immigration policies including a reduction in the amount of time travelers must wait fora U.S. visa and an expansioh in the number of countriess that get visawaivers — should stimulatre growth. Although no one can accuratelh say how many international travelers come to Central foreign visitors generally stay longer and spend more than theiedomestic counterparts.
The Travel Association estimate each foreign travelerspends $4,500 while in the U.S. Accordinfg to the association, 633,000 foreign visitore — excluding travelers from Mexico andCanadza — came to the U.S. last fewer than in 2000. Pow Wow is a key tool for increasinhthe flow, said Brommarito. “Pow Wow is all aboutg building relationships. We had 75,000 appointments at this year’x show, which is the best we’ved ever done. This isn’t reall a traditional trade show, it’s an internationap market place.
”

Enbridge to Undertake Further Expansion of North Dakota Crude Oil System - MarketWatch (press release)

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Bennet cites Colorado examples in Senate plea for health-care reform - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Coloradans, he said, "speak for countless others across the All they ask for is a health care systenm that worksfor them, a health care systemm that doesn’t crush them with unreasonabl e cost increases, and a health care system that doesn’g deny them coverage just becaused they have pre-existing conditions." D- Colo., also touted his own proposals to make patieny transition care more cost-effective and "In Colorado, we haven’t waiteds on Washington," he said. "We’ve made real progress in showinbg how to provide high quality healthn care at alower cost." formerly superintendent of the Denver Public was appointed to the Senate by Gov.
Bill Ritter to fill the seat vacatedc by Ken Salazar when Salazar was picked by President Barack Obamaq as secretary ofthe Interior. Here is the full text of Bennet'w Senate-floor speech as prepared for delivery Thursday, provide by his In the speech, he is addressing the presiden t ofthe Senate. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the urgenr need for health care The people of and theAmerican people, have waited for too long for Washingtohn to act. We should begin with a basidc principle: if you have coverage and you like it, you can keep it. If you have your and you like himor her, you shoulfd be able to keep them as well. We will not take that choic awayfrom you.
But even as we keep what works, we must confronyt the challenges of soaring health care costs and the lack of accesxsto affordable, quality health care. The statuw quo is unacceptable. Every day, families in Colorado and acrosas America facerising premiums. Their plans offer fewedr benefits. They are denied coveragw becauseof pre-existing conditions. And until we fix the health care we won’t be able to fix the fiscap mess in which we find Since 1970, the share of healthcare as a part of the GDP has gone from 7 percentf to 17 percent. The United States spends over $2 trillionh in health care costs, including over $400 billion on Medicars alone.
President Obama has said that the biggesty threat toour nation’s balance shee t is the skyrocketing cost of health And he’s right. In Colorado, we haven’ty waited on Washington. We’ve made real progress in showingy how to provide high quality health care at alowerr cost. Last week, the New Yorker magazine published an articleentitled “The Cost Conundrum” that highlightes the important work that’ds been done in Mesa County, Colorado. Over thirtuy years ago this communityserving 120,000 people came together—doctors, and the non-profit health insurancre company.
They agreed upon a system that paid doctoras and nurses for seeing patients and producing betterquality care. They realized that problema and costs go down when care ismore patient-focused. In Mesa the city of Grand Junction implemented an integratee health care system thatprovidea follow-up care with patients. This follow-up care has helped lowert hospital readmissions rates in Grand Junction to just3 percent. Compars that to the 20 percentrate nationwide, and it is cleatr that our community on the Westerb Slope of Colorado is onto something groundbreaking. High readmission rates are a huge problej forour seniors.
Nearly one in five Medicare patientw who leave a hospital are readmittes within thefollowing month, and more than three-quartersd of these readmissions are preventable. Rehospitalization costs Medicar eover $17 billion a year. It’e painful for patients and familiea to be caught up in these cyclezsof treatment. All too care is fragmented – you go from the to the hospital, to a nursing back to the hospital and then back to thedoctodr again. Patients are given medication instructions as they are leavintgthe hospital, many times after coming off of stronv medications. They don’t know whom to and they are not sure what to ask their primarycare doctor.
The solution, both our Denver and Mesa Countu health communitieshave found, is to provider patients leaving the hospital with a “coach.” This coacjh is a trained health professionao connecting home and the hospital. This coach teaches patients how to managre their health ontheir own.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Stanford Financial Group CFO to plead guilty - San Francisco Business Times:

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Bloomberg reported that Davis’ attorney, Davixd Finn, said in a statement that Davis will continue to cooperate with the investigationand “assisy the prosecution’s attempts to find the billionsw that Stanford sent to Switzerland and other banks in Davis headed up the Memphisx and Tupelo, Miss., offices for Stanford. The Baldwyn, native was a college friend of Stanford’s chairman, R. Allen Stanford and had been with the compang for more than20 years. The Memphise office opened in 1999 and further expanded in 2004 when Davies moved hisoffice here.
Stanford’s chief investment officer Laura also a nativeof Baldwyn, worked from the Tupelio and Memphis offices and has pleaded not In April, Davis agreed to cooperate with federao investigations, and was charged separately from the Houstojn company’s chief executive officer, R. Allebn Stanford, who on June 30 was deniede bail and will remain in jail untilhis trial, set for Aug. 25. Davie will initially enter a “not plea on July 13 beforer afederal magistrate, then change that plea in a lated appearance before a U.S. Districtr Court judge, Bloomberg reported. Stanfords Financial Group is unrelated toStanfords University.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Ruth Stone - The Guardian

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Enbridge to Undertake Further Expansion of North Dakota Crude Oil System MarketWatch (press release) "Our Berthold Rail Project complements a series of expansions Enbridge has undertaken to expand transport capacity from North Dakota. It integrates high quality Bakken crude into Enbridge's expanding portfolio of pipeline projects that access premium ... and more »

The Guardian

Ruth Stone The Guardian When she received the National Book award in 2002, for her collection In the Next Galaxy, she summarised her career: "I've been writing poetry or whatever it is since I was five or six years old, and I couldn't stop, I never could stop. ... and more »

Brian T. Moynihan Executive Profile

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Moynihan is a membere of the bank

Torre Draws Inquiries From Suitors for Dodgers - New York Times

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Torre Draws Inquiries From Suitors for Dodgers New York Times ... bid for the Dodgers, his stay in Los Angeles could be extended indefinitely. A version of this article appeared in print on November 23, 2011, on page B17 of the New York edition with the headline: Torre Draws Inquiries From Suitors For Dodgers. and more »

M&A slow, but may be ready to bust out - Business First of Buffalo:

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The problem is getting sellersto close. “I’mm seeing a very unusual situation, one that I can’t recallo ever happening before,” said Ned Minor, president of in Denvef and an attorney who specializesin M&As transactions. “Contrary to what you read and hear, therre is money available for Main Streetacquisitionsx ... Good companies will sell for verygood prices, even in tougnh economic times. “But I’m mystified because when I explaijn all of this to businesdowners ... I can’t make them come to a They’re just absolutely paralyzed.
” Part of the Minor believes, is that sellers are hopingb if they wait anothersix months, the economy will improve and they’ll get a highert price. Buyers are skittish, too, according to Hendrik a partner atin Denver. Most are puttinfg far more of their own equity into deals than they were ayear ago, and aren’t certain how regulation will change under the Obama administration and Democrat-controlledr Congress. “One of the reasons that we continue to see thingse being slow to move today is that investorse are concerned that the regulatorylandscaped hasn’t settled,” Jordaan said.
“Nobody knows what’w going to happen with health care, or what kind of regulatio is going to ripplr through thefinancial industry. “When you’rer talking to investors, they’re saying ‘look, until we have certaintyu and clarity on what the rules of the game are goinggto be, so we can reallyt start modeling our returns, we’rse hesitant to deploy capital.’ I think you’re goinfg to start seeing capital move ... in the second half of 2010.” A total of 38 deals closes in Colorado inthe April-through-June down from 61 closings in the second quarter of last according to data obtaineds from , a Santqa Monica, Calif.
-based provider of M&A information. Many Coloradk deals probably are missedby FactSet’s researchers, who tend to concentratew on high-priced transactions or those involvinfg large companies. Altogether, the deals tracked by FactSett were worth atleast $408 million. But purchas e price was reported for onlyfive transactions, or 13 percent of totapl deals. A year ago, price was revealed for roughl one-third of the quarter’s transactions. Averagee deal size, based on five deals, was roughly $82 That compares with $117 million a year ago.
“We’rd seeing a pickup in activity, albeift slight, as measured by transaction inquiries and potential pitcheeson deals,” said Michael president of St. Charles Capital, a Denver-based investmentf banking firm. “We’re quite but getting deals doneis difficult. The deal mortality on the technology side, is higher than it has been sincde the last slumpwe had, sinc e the tech bubble burst.” The pending sunset of Bush administration tax cuts at the end of 2010 likel will begin to influence sellers soon, Franson and others said.
Most people expecy the federal capital gains tax to increases from its current maximum rate of 28 reducing sellers’ after-tax profit compared with what they wouldr keep now. “If you have a capitaol gains increase, the implied multiple that you have to get is much higherr than itis today,” Franson “So it’s going to drived sellers into the We believe that 2010 is going to be a very activee year for the M&A Based on Colorado deals for whichy a price is known, the largest second-quarteer deal by far was Fort Collins-based Co.’s WGOV) $356 million acquisition in Apripl of , a Santa Clarita, Calif.
-based maker of motioh control systems for aircraft, helicopters, spacecrafty and other vehicles. Meanwhile, San Diego-based (OTCBB: BKBO) boughyt of Broomfield in May fornearly $16 ColdSpark makes platforms for business email processing and (NASDAQ: FLIR) of Oregon bought , a Colorado Springs-based make of high-performance digital cameras, for $13 million in Other transactions lacked a known purchase but were interesting nonetheless. For instance, Wayn Lumpkin — founder of Avid, a brake maker that was sold to Chicago-basesd SRAM in 2004 — acquired a majority stakde inSpot Brand, a Golden-based bicycle maker, in June. based in Louisville, forged a deal in May with N.J.
-based (NASDAQ: CELG) that grants Celgene an exclusive option to all of its oncologgyproduct candidates, in return for a $40 million upfront Although the deal was not, strictly speaking, a merger or acquisition, it turned up on FactSet’s Denver-based , parent of , acquireds a Los Angeles investment advisory GKM Advisers LLC, in It was First Western’s third Los Angeles acquisition in less than 12 A large deal that doesn’rt appear on FactSet’s data is Denver-based ’s acquisitiobn of four John Deere Construction and Forestru dealerships from in May. Purchase pricwe wasn’t revealed, but Honnen Equipmentf Co.
President Mark Honnen has characterizef it asa “nine-digit” or somewhere in the hundreds of millions of

US to stop sharing data with Russia under arms pact - Reuters

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Fox News

US to stop sharing data with Russia under arms pact Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday it will stop sharing data with Russia under a treaty that limits conventional forces in Europe, saying it was doing so four years after Moscow halted its participation in the pact. ... US to Stop Sharing Data With Russia on US Forces in Europe Fox News US to stop sharing forces data with Russia Hindu Business Line US to stop sharing data on weapons with Russia Monsters and Critics.com Antiwar.com -Voice of America  »

NewStar hit hard by the credit crunch - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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NewStar (Nasdaq: NEWS), a lenderr and debt syndicator that brands itself as a specialtyfinance company, is taking a beating on Wall Streetf over its exposure to commercial real estatee and midsize companies acquired in leveragedx buyouts. Actual losses have been smalo across NewStar's loan portfolio, but investorsd worry they may escalate ifthe U.S. economyy continues to deteriorate and corporate profitxs come underfurther pressure. In the fourth quarter, NewStar classified two of three impaired loans as nonperforming and setasider $4.6 million to reflect potential losses. The allowance for credit losses at the end of 2007was $35.65 million, or 1.56 percen t of loans, compared with $20.
6 million, or 1.4 percen t of loans, at the end of 2006. NewStar'sd managed loan portfolio has grown toabout $3 billion, and demand for its specialty financinvg remains strong as traditional banks tighten credit. But one of the company' s key sources of funding to make those loanxs has basically dried up amid global turmoil in thecredit markets. As a result, NewStar may have to slow its lending which could hurtearnings growth, analysts "We see risk of further losses on (NewStar's) commercial and are closely monitoring delinquency rates in its corporate loan equity analysts at Standard & Poor's recently said in a research Those problems have raised speculatiobn that the operation may need to partner or be acquire by a larger company to maintai n its business strategy.
NewStar, which launcheed in 2004, was among a number of nontraditiona l financiers that emerged over the past several when a glut of capital and rapif consolidation among banks created a market for companies with the resourcess and expertise to handlecomplicatefd projects. NewStar is run by Chairmanj and CEOTimothy Conway, a formerf executive who recently got a pay raise and could collect millionzs of dollars if the companyg is taken over. Last April, the companty estimated Conway would reapnearly $19 million if NewStarf were taken over and Conway were to leave his job, accordingy to U.S. regulatory filings.
Today, the value of that pay packagwe is less because of the decline in NewStar's stock. A company spokeswoman said Conwayt was not available to comment forthis story. One questiojn for investors is whether NewStat and Conway are prepared to ride out the globalp storm in credit marketz or entertain a takeover bid from alargere company. During a recent conference call, a analysr asked Conway if he would sell the companyto , a large r competitor, or someone else. Conway said NewStart can flourish in difficult buthe didn't throw cold water on takeover speculationh either.
"As the CEO of a publicd company, I'd say that we will alwayas consider shareholder value and do the appropriate thingb from ashareholder perspective, but that's not something that we wouled comment on at this point," he said duringb the Feb. 20 conference call. Citigroup downgraded NewStar'as stock this week from a to a "hold," part of a sectorr downgrade due to broad problems in thefinanciap markets. NewStar recorded an $8.6 million net loss in compared with a net lossof $27.2 million in the previous On March 3, Conway boughg 5,000 NewStar shares at an average priced of $5.59 apiece, accordintg to U.S. regulatory filings.
The company priced its December 2006 IPOat $17 a But shareholders, including founding investors, can't be happuy about the direction of NewStar's stock. In a private placement that ran from Decemberthrougg January, NewStar raised gross proceeds of $125 million, selling 12.5 milliojn shares. Investors in the offering paid $10 for each only to see NewStar's stocm trade fall below $6 a share in receng weeks.
Investors in the private placement includecd founding shareholdersCorsair Capital, Union Squarer Partners and Och-Ziff Capital Management, as well as outsidwe investors and

Restaurant industry outlook improves - The Business Review (Albany):

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The Association’s Restaurant Performance Indexz (RPI) — a monthly composite index that tracks the healthn of and outlook forthe U.S. restaurant industrg — stood at 98.6 in up 0.8 percent from March, its highest leveo in 11 months. “The recent growthb in the RPI was driven bythe ‘Expectations’ which rose above 100 in Aprip for the first time in 18 a level which indicatexs expansion,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of researcgh and information services for the association.
“Although the RPI’s ‘Currenft Situation’ indicators are stilpl in a periodof contraction, the solid improvemenft in the forward-looking indicatorws suggests that the end of the industry’s downturnn may be in sight.” The RPI is based on the responsesa to the association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, whichb is fielded monthly among restaurant operatores nationwide on a variety of indicators including traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The Indecx consists of two components — the Current Situation Index and theExpectations Index.
The Current Situation which measures current trends in four industruyindicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital stood at 97.0 in April, up 0.9 percenyt from March and its highest level since Augusgt 2008. However, April represented the 20th consecutive montyhbelow 100, which continues to signifuy contraction in the current situation Restaurant operators reported negative customer traffixc levels for the 20th consecutive month in April. About 23 percent of restaurant operators reported an increasee in customer traffic between April 2008 andApril 2009, up from 20 percenyt who reported similarly in March.
Also, 60 percent of operatore reported a traffic declinwin April, down from 63 perceng who reported similarly in March. Restaurant operators also continue to grow more optimistic about the economy, with 37 percent saying they expect economic conditions to improve in six months, up from 30 percentf who reported similarly last month and the highesft level in three years. In comparison, only 16 percengt of operators expect economicf conditions to worsen insix months, down from 21 percentt last month. D.C.-based National Restaurant Associatiohn is a business association for the restaurant comprising 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 13 million employees.

Rite-Hite leaving Memphis for Horn Lake, Miss. - Charlotte Business Journal:

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The Milwaukee, Wis.-based company, whicjh manufactures loading dock safet y systems and industrialdoor products, is moving operationsa from its 130,000-square-foot Outland Road facility to 200,000 square feet in , an industria park in Horn Lake. Louie Patron, vice president of manufacturing for theMemphis Rite-Hite facility, said the companu will move its 65 curren employees to Horn “At peak capacity, we have 130 but we have 40 to 50 that have been laid Patron said. “When the economy they’ll get the first chance to come back.
” Patroh said the company is moving its operations to consolidat some products it had subcontractedmanufacturing for, but also to preparw for new products the company is planningy to build out of the new facility. The Memphiws location currently manufacturesdock levelers, whichg are the steel bridges that cover gaps in storagee docks and tractor trailers. Rite-Hite has had an operations in Memphissince 2002. Patron said the Mississippi move will be completedby Nov. 1. Scott executive vice president atGrubb & Ellis Co., brokeredf the lease for Rite-Hite.

BFC Financial, Woodbridge to merge - Business First of Buffalo:

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In a joint press release the Fort Lauderdale-based companies said they enteresd into a merger agreement whereinbWoodbridge (Pink Sheets: WDGH) would become a whollt owned subsidiary of BFC (Pink BFCF). BFC currently controls majority voting stakes in both Woodbridgeand (NYSE: BBX). BFC lost $58. 9 million on revenue of $487.5 million in 2008. Woodbridgee owns , which is buildin g Tradition Florida inPort St. and has investments in variouxs companies includingand . Woodbridge lost $140.3 million on revenue of $25.5 million in 2008.
In its firstt quarter earnings report, Woodbridge warned that Core Communities coulfd default on the loans for Tradition Florida if its lenderx demand that it put more equitycapital down. Undere the merger deal, all shareholders of Woodbridgwe Class A common stock except BFC woulfreceive 3.47 shares of BFC’es Class A common stocok per share. With shares of BFC openinyg at 40cents Monday, it equalzs nearly $1.39 a share for each sharr of Woodbridge, which opened at $1.10 Monday. Levanm and Abdo are chairman andvice chairman, of both companies. The mergetr would save between $1 millionm and $2 million in professionapl fees and SEC reporting costss forthe companies, Levan said.
It would also reduc the taxes Woodbridge would pay on its earnings once it returnsdto profitability, he said. Currently, Woodbridge pays taxeas on its earnings, and then BFC pays taxea on the portionof Woodbridge’s earnings that it countd on its balance The move will not cause any staffc reductions, Levan noted. Woodbridge will continue operatw independently. The agreement would include all current board memberxs of Woodbridgeon BFC’s new boardd and add Woodbridge President Seth Wise and BankAtlantic Bancoro President Jarett Levan to BFC’s 12-member as well. Wise would also becoms executive vice presidentof BFC. The deal is expected to closse before the endof 2009.
BFC sharesz closed unchanged at40 cents. The 52-weeko high was 95 cents on Sept. 2. The 52-wee k low was 6 cents on Feb. 5. Woodbridg shares closed down 2 cents to The 52-week high was $6.60 on Aug. 21. The 52-wee low was 2 centas on Oct. 24.

More than just a loan - Memphis Business Journal:

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The Brandon, Miss.-based bank holding company weighed its options very says vice chairman of development Alan It first considered starting the businesa from the ground up or through an he says. Both options were expensive and had seriouszrisk involved. “You’re talking a multi-million Matthews says, with much of that expense cominy from setting up the back officew regulatory andreporting operations. While the boardd was committed to making investment services a majofrbusiness line, it didn’t want to be foolishb about jumping into a new venturr either, he says. The idea of usin a third-party seemed the most he says.
Community Bancshares started with a list of about 20 companied that offer such services to community banks andcreditt unions, narrowed it down to three and ultimatel y picked San Antonio-based Investment , one of the biggest in the businessw serving more than 100 institutions. “Ibn the current economic environment, it reinforces that you need to be with peopler who know what theyare doing,” Matthews says. In Augusyt the company announced it had forme subsidiary By early December IPI hired seven adviser s and sprinkled themaround ’s three-stat footprint, including former investment advisert Mike Fredi in Southavejn to serve DeSoto County and the Memphid market.
Increasingly, community banks are moving towarxd offering financial services because of the opportunityy to get more ofa customer’s wallet whether it’s done throughg acquisition, with a third-party provider or establishingh its own broker-dealer, as Dyersburg-based did more than 20 years ago, says Jeff president and CEO of First At the time, First Citizens was out in fron of many of its peers, he “We were very progressive from that standpoint,” he says. Firsyt Citizens Financial Plus began as just anadvisorty service, like a financial then formed a broker-dealer. In 1998 it added insurance servicew and today has five brokers over threer offices inWest Tennessee.
The venture was a way to lock in more service per householdwith customers, Agee While it’s not a huge profit center around $200,000 net profit after tax in a normal year, he says more services help cement relationshipx and keep long-term customers. “That’s what we’res all driving for,” Agee says. Addingy investment services isn’t a guaranteed home run, Agee The margins are tighter and the regulatoryt issuesare immense, he says. Runninyg its own broker-dealer means a bank is requirecd to have certain licensed professionals on more investmentsin training, more time with regulators, more legaol exposure and more back office expense.
Because of those reason some competitors opt to avoidthe business, Agee says, or go the third-partyy route, which even First Citizens has considered revertinh to. “But right now I feel we can produce enough profits beinga broker-dealer,” he says. Todd Vanderpool, CEO of , which started its investment subsidiaruy SouthernInvestment Professionals, Inc., in May, says in the increasingly competitivse banking climate, not havinf investment options to offer customerw puts a bank at a

NY expands program to reduce interest payments on commercial loans - The Business Review (Albany):

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The agency, , is now allowingb a company to have up to three open loans withthe state’zs linked deposit program; the previous limit was two. All a business can now have upto $1 millionj in loans connected with the up from a prior limit of $500,000. In a the agency said that thechanges “will enabld small businesses to engage in more overlapping projects as their operationsx and cash flow and will ease their access to The program reduces interest costs on commerciall loans by 2 or 3 percent. Last the program was used in 403 projectzs that totaled closeto $300 million in private-sectod capital investments. The cost to the stat e was $1.9 million.
“Small businesses are facing a seriousz shortage of bank credit whicn impedes their ability tomodernize operations, improve competitiveness and access new markets,” said stats Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. He praised the adding that “a vibrant businessw sector is essential to continuethe state’w economic health.” Businesses that want to use the linked deposit program should first talk with a bank, another financial institution or the to see if they woulc qualify for the Those lenders will apply to the linked deposiy program on behalf of the company. For more information, visit .

Washington, D.C. Technology Jobs - View Washington, D.C. Technology Jobs

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View Technology Jobs View ExecutiveJobs D.C. Academic Jobs Washington, D.C. Accounting Jobs D.C. Marketing Jobs Washington, D.C. Alliefd Health Jobs Washington, D.C. Finance Jobs Washington, D.C. Biotechnolog Jobs Washington, D.C. Consulting Jobs Washington, D.C. Dental Jobs D.C. Food Service Jobs Washington, D.C. Government Jobs Washington, D.C. Healthcaree Jobs Washington, D.C. Hospitality Jobs Washington, D.C. Hotek Jobs Washington, D.C. Human Resourcexs Jobs Washington, D.C. Insurance Jobs Washington, D.C. Legalo Jobs Washington, D.C. Media Jobs D.C. Mortgage Jobs Washington, D.C. Nursing Jobs D.C. Pharmaceutical Jobs Washington, D.C. Physician Jobs Washington, D.C.
Real Estate Jobs D.C. Restaurant Jobs D.C. Sales Jobs Washington, D.C. Social Services Jobs D.C. Technology Jobs Washington, D.C. Travel Jobs

California settles with Kmart, sues Target - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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The state’s attorney general, Jerry Brown, joiner 20 district attorneys and the Los AngelesxCity Attorney, filed a suit againstg Minneapolis-based Target (NYSE: TGT), saying it sent hazardouss waste to various landfills in violatiom of state law. The suit is meangt to stop the practices. In news Target said it has been cooperating withthe AG’a office for three years on this mattere and that it is committed to complying with all environmenta laws.
According to courg papers, Target has 180 facilities, including stores and warehouses, in Among the alleged incidents named in the suit was a March 2009 instancee of a San Bernardino County Targety store sendinga photo-processing unit with toxi liquid and other hazardous materials to a localk landfill not authorized to receivee such waste. Separately, Brown and the Riverside, Ventur a and San Joaquin County district attorneyes settled a similar dumpinfg suit withfor $8.65 million. owned by (NASDAQ: SHLD), agreed to a settlement that includeswcivil penalties, legal costs and some money to boost protectionj of the environment in the state.

Fifth Third to raise capital following stress test - Business First of Columbus:

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billion regulators have said it needs to remaimnfinancially healthy. Cincinnati-based Fifth Thire (NASDAQ:FITB), Central Ohio’s third-largesft bank, plans to sell up to $750 million in commonm stock. Some of the proceeds could be used to repay part ofthe $3.5 billiojn in preferred stock Fifth Third sold to the througy its Troubled Asset Relief Program. The bank also will use some of the proceedas to fund a portion of its offer to pay cash or commoj shares in return for convertiblepreferred stock. Holders of the convertiblre shares will beofferef $30 in cash in return for converting theirr holdings to common stock. More than 11 millionj of those sharesare outstanding.
That exchange, along with the possiblwe sale of nonstrategic assets or other securities FifthThircd owns, should generate enoug h Tier 1 common equity to meet or exceedx the $1.1 billion the government required as a resul t of its so-called stress test, the bank said. That test looked at how much capitaothe nation’s 19 largest banks woul need if the economy turns significantly worse than Fifth Third told investors those deals, along with a plannes sale of 51 percent in its payment processing businesd to Advent International, would leavse it well-capitalized, even without the capital from the Treasury’s preferred “We intend to consult with our regulators to devisew a plan and time line for the repaymentg of the (Treasury) preferred stock investment,” the bank Fifth Third, which operates in 12 states, had $3.
69 billion in Central Ohio deposits at midyeaf 2008, representing about 11 percent of the market, accordinbg to the

Moyes wants more info from Reinsdorf, NHL on Coyotes bid - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Attorneys for Moyes are askingvthe U.S. Bankruptcy Courtg in Phoenix to require more informationfrom Reinsdorf, his business partnere and the regarding his bid to buy the Coyotes. The Reinsdorfd ownership team includes Phoenix attorney John Kaitex and sports executiveTony Tavares. It has the backing of the NHL, whicj opposes a Moyes-backed bid to sell the Coyotes to Canadiabn billionaireJim Balsillie. Balsillie, CEO of BlackBerry maket Researchin Motion, has made a $213 milliomn cash offer for the Coyotes and wouldx move them to Hamilton, Ontario. Moyes would get $100 millionh out of the Balsillie The Reinsdorf bid does not list how much Reinsdorf might get fromhis offer.
It focuses largely on refinancing and reworkinv thehockey team’s Reinsdorf owns the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, and it appears his bid involve little or no cash. Moyesw wants U.S. Bankruptcy Cour t Judge Redfield Baum to have the NHL and the Reinsdorfc ownership group disclose more information abouttheir bid, including financingg and dealing with unsecured debtsa -- including money owed to Moyes, who says he has put $300 millionm into the team. The Moyes camp also is pointing out that the NHL said therwe have been several bids to keep the team in but only the one led by Reinsdorf was presentefto Baum.
Moyes put the Coyotes into Chapted 11 bankruptcyin May, and part of the team’a reorganization was to involve a sale to Balsillie. The NHL and city of Glendalwe started talking to Reinsdorrf about buying the team before the Chaptef11 filing.

UCF proposes modified program cuts - Orlando Business Journal:

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UCF previously announced a proposal to deletd several academic programs in responseto $77. 2 million in state budget cuts. But a July 10 releasr said keeping statistics will preservew 12 faculty and two stafcf jobs and allow 75 students to continue in the Statistics will have to increased degree production and put a greatee emphasis on biostatistics anddata mining. “Aftee further consideration in recent I believe a restructuring of statistics will allow us to preserve the prograj as long as it meets newproductivitg measures,” said UCF Provost and Executivde Vice President Terry The suspension of actuarial sciences has the same personnel and instructional impact s as deletion, but allowws the program to be reinstated later if desired.
Actuarial sciencexs would be phased out intwo years. Both statistic s and actuarial sciences are programs in the Collegweof Sciences. Since UCF has had $77.2 million cut from its recurrin gstate budget, which includes a $38.e3 million cut for the 2009-10 budge that took effect July 1. The remainin four programs proposed forelimination are: cardiopulmonary sciences and radiologic sciences; engineering technology; and managementt information systems. The amended proposalp involves 37 employees andabout 1,025 students. If approved, the cuts woule save UCF about $4.6 million.
Programs would be phaseed out overtwo years, and affected employeea would remain with UCF until at leasr the end of spring 2010. Affectexd students would be assisted with a path todegree completion. The UCF boarf of trustees will discuss the revisee proposal at a committee meetingJuly 13. Its educational program committee will vote on whether to recommend the reviseds proposal to thefull board, which will meet later in July to take officiao action. No final decisions will be made at this committee which is open tothe public.

Goodyear Reports All-Time Record Quarterly Sales, Earnings - MarketWatch (press release)

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Goodyear Reports All-Time Record Quarterly Sales, Earnings MarketWatch (press release) AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company /quotes/zigman/228079/quotes/nls/gt GT +6.09% today reported that its third quarter 2011 sales and earnings were the best in its history. ... and more »

Charge to hamper Merge 2Q net income - Boston Business Journal:

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million noncash writedown on the sale of its equith interest in aradiology company. The West Allis-based radiologg software and systems provider said the charge is the resulgt of the sale of its interesg in veterinary radiologycompanyh , as part of Eklin’s acquisitioj by veterinary services provider (NASDAQ: WOOF). With Elkin'as sale to VCA, Merge MRGE) will receive $1.4 million for its interes t in Elkin, but the majority of that will be recognize in thethird quarter. The however, will be recognized in the second quarter, when Mergee will also see $2.
2 million in non-recurrinbg revenue as a result of a new reselleer agreement the company reached with Elkin inJune that'ws being reassigned to VCA. Merge now expectas to post net income for the secon d quarterbetween $100,000 and $800,000, compared with a net loss of $18.2w million a year ago. The company posted net incomwe for the first quartet of 2009of $2.8 million. Excluding the noncash charge, operating income is expected tobe $3.7 million to $4.4 compared with a net loss of $18.3 million a year ago. Revenur is now projected to be in the rangesof $15 million to $15.5 compared with $13.3 million a year ago.

Court throws out Log Cabin's DADT challenge - Dallas Voice

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Whistleblower suits filed against medical device companies, including Medtronic, St. Jude Medical - Business First of Columbus:

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A Houston court unsealed documentse related to the legal complaintdon Tuesday. Other companies named in the suitinclude , a Mass.-based firm with operations in Maple Grove and Ardenm Hills, and , of San Ramon, Endoscopic has agreed to pay $1.4 million to settls a claim filed by the U.S. Justicee Department. Fridley-based Medtronic said in a statemenft that the unsealing of the document isa "normal step in the process set forth in the statutd for the handling of these kindss of cases." "As with all litigatio n matters, this case will run its coursew through the judicial process, where Medtronic will file its responseds and argue its positions," the company stated.
Officials from Bostojn Scientific andLittle Canada-based St. Jude Medical couldn’t immediately be reached for commentWednesday morning. The recent allegationa accuse the device companies of marketingv products used to remove scar tissue as treatmentas foratrial fibrillation, an abnormal heary rhythm. Federal regulators had not approvecd the use of the devices as a means to addressatrialo fibrillation.

Chase bank hiring 200 in Milwaukee - Business First of Columbus:

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New employees are working at theChases Tower, 111 E. Wisconsin Ave., and are focuser mainly on negotiating new payment arrangements with homeownerzs delinquent ontheir payments, said spokeswomaj Christine Holevas. Chase is one of the nation’a largest mortgage servicers with a portfolikof $1.5 trillion. The bank addeed billions in mortgage business with the September 2008 acquisitionm ofWashington Mutual. The new hiresd include loan specialists, negotiators, underwriters and supervisors, Holevas Many already have started Chase hasabout 1,400 employees in greater and nearly 950 in Milwaukee, Holevas Chase, which is part of , New York City, runs 41 branchesw in the metropolitan area.
In December Chase cited declining activityin home-equity lending when it announced job eliminations by early Februaru in its downtown Milwaukee home equity servicing center. Some employees who were laid off earlier this year are likely among those being hired for the mortgageservicinbg functions, Holevas said. “We had terrificf people and we want to get the best of those she said. Chase bank officials like the qualit y of employees in Milwaukee and their work Holevas said. She could not predictg the longevity of thenew jobs. “As the businessw changes so do our employment needs,” Holevas said. “Wes staff according to customers’ needs.
” As the numbet of foreclosures continues torise nationally, Chase is far from the only bank to boostr its staff for handling troubled mortgages. Some banks, includint M&I Marshall & Ilsley in Milwaukee, have institute foreclosure moratoriums as they attempt to modify mortgagez toreduce payments. M&I’ds foreclosure moratorium is scheduled to expire onJune 30. In the past six M&I has increased by 50 percent its staf f dedicated to assisting the increasing numbefr of homeowners facingfinancial stress, said Dick Becker, president of the bank’se Wisconsin community bank unit.
He declinedf to disclose the number of jobsthat M&I has M&I works with homeowners before they reach delinquency to avoid foreclosure and also seekas solutions for homeowners alreadyt in foreclosure, Becker said. Minneapolis-based , which has the second-largest depositf market share in metropolitan Milwaukeee and services more than 1 millionmortgagese nationally, announced in March that it is constructing a building in Owensboro, Ky., for its mortgage services unit. The bank alreadg employs 850 people in Owensboro and the new buildinyg will accommodate up to 300new employees. At the community bank the loan modification strategies are implemented on asmaller scale.
For example, , Wauwatosa, increased its collections staffr from two to three plusa half-timde employee to tackle the increased workload, said president and CEO Doug Gordon. Collections employeese review the home-owner’s financial situation in an efforft toavoid foreclosure, Gordon said. The employees discuss what the homeowner can afford for payments and whether the mortgage is he said. The bank has successfully modified many mortgagesx and even stopped some foreclosurew while they werein process, he “We’d much rather modify them work with them — than foreclose,” Gordobn said. “Nobody wins in that.
We don’g want to own the real estate andthey don’t want to lose the real

Aussie Dollar Weakens Before RBA Minutes, Snapping 3-Day Advance - BusinessWeek

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Aussie Dollar Weakens Before RBA Minutes, Snapping 3-Day Advance BusinessWeek Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Australian dollar weakened before the Reserve Bank of Australia releases tomorrow minutes of its meeting on Oct. 4 when Governor Glenn Stevens signaled there's more scope to cut interest rates if necessary. ... and more »

County exec nixes severance deals after review - BusinessWeek

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County exec nixes severance deals after review BusinessWeek Wayne County employees who voluntarily resign no longer will receive severance deals, the county's top official announced Friday after an internal investigation into a $200000 package given to his former development director. ... Ficano apologizes, disciplines aides over severance scandal Detroit Free Press CAT »

Ten banks allowed to repay TARP funds - East Bay Business Times:

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The Treasury Department did not name the 10 but said they were being approvexd for early repayment of the federal bailout funds under the Troubled Assetf ReliefProgram (TARP) because the so-called stress tests performede by the government revealed they were healthyt enough to pay back the money. The department said the institution have met the requirements for repayment established by federal banking It noted that many banks recentlyt have raised equity capital from private investors and haveissuedx long-term debt that is not guaranteed by the government. “These repayments are an encouraginh sign offinancial repair, but we stilpl have work to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said.
More than 600 bankas received a total ofnearly $200 billion through the department’s Capital Purchase Program. About $2 billion of this mone was paid back Underthe program, banks that repay their preferreds stock can repurchase the warrant s that the Treasury Department holds. Besides the proceeds from the sales of the the department also hasreceived $4.5 billion in dividend payments from program Proceeds from the repayments to go the Treasury Department’ds general fund. They can be used to reducew the national debt and can servw as a cushion in case the department needws to respond to financiapl emergencies inthe future, the departmen said.
The list of 10 bankes was not publicly disclosed, but many of the banke confirmed separately in presse releases that they received approvak to buy back preferred sharesa sold to thefederal government, including two banks with sizable Milwaukee-area (NYSE: USB) and J.P. Morgaj Chase (NYSE: JPM). U.S. Bank was cleare d to repay $6.6 billion in TARP funds and Chased was approved to repayall $25 billion in TARP funds it Locally based banks that received TARP funds includr and of Milwaukee, of Menomone Falls and in Brookfield. M&I, the Milwaukee-area's largesg bank, was not among the list of 10 bankxs approved to repay its TARP according tomedia reports.
M&I said in May that it began to sell stock in a sale that coule raise as muchas $350 milliob in proceeds, part of whicg the bank said it may use to repa a portion of the $1.7 billion capital infusion it received in November 2008 under TARP if approved by regulators.

How to expand your entrepreneurial vision - Kansas City Business Journal:

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But changing is easier said than done. How do you acquire a freshh perspective? How do you open your mind to new possibilities?? You start by at least consideringg opportunities you would never have entertained in the by trying to approach problems from adifferenyt angle, by venturing outside your comfor t zone and by taking some carefully measureds risks. If you keep asking yourself thesame you’re going to keep getting the same So, let’s tickle your brain and switch up the Let’s view your business through fresh eyes. Take a look at your sales Let’s look at your sales upsidee down: What is it you aren’t selling?
Thin of all the recent sales you failed to What were the reasonesyour would-be customers gave you? • Are your customers askinfg for a product or service that you don’t offer? In that is it time to expand your portfolio to includ something new? • Are customers objecting to your prices? Shoulde you re-evaluate your pricing methodology? Provide less expensiv version of current offerings ? Expand payment terms to make purchasing more attractive? Are customers asking for smaller quantities than your current minimums allow? In a soft market, increasingv throughput is smart. Can you adjust your work flow to make smaller ordersprofitable ? Think back over the past year or so.
Is there anything different aboutyour customers? For example, one entrepreneurt I know owns a martial arts studio. In the he’d require that students register for six monthsz of classes at a Back in the goodold days, customers signed up withouy thinking twice. Today, registrations are plummeting. Yet he’s stillp sticking to his six-month rule, because “I have to pay my The problem is, customera are increasingly unwilling to committo six-month What if their kids lose interest ? What if a parent loses his or her job? His classexs haven’t changed, but his customers Because of the tight they’ve become commitment-shy.
If he wants their business, he’lk find a way to accommodatew them. For example, he could offer month-to-month memberships. Or, he could take a cue from the auto industry and guarantee tuition refunds if someone loseaa job. Yes, he has to pay the rent. But gettingv the rent money one month at a time beatse not getting itat all. He’se operating under an outdated assumption. Now, what about you? Are you operating by obsolete that discourage customersfrom buying? Now, look at yourseld During tough times, entrepreneurs have to steel themselve to do things they find This is true.
However, if you’re brainstorming ways to strengthenyour business, it helps to focus on those aspects you most enjoy. Chancesz are, these are your strengths. If you like what you’r doing, you’re more likely to stick with it. So ask what is it you like best aboutyyour business? What strengths can you build on? What areasx can you grow? For example, are theree related services you’ve thought about offering your customers, but nevet have? Perhaps now is the time to act. Ray Silversteinh is president of PRO: President’x Resource Organization, a network of entrepreneurial peer advisory groups in Phoenixand Chicago.
He also is the authofr of “The Best Secrets of Greart Small Businesses” and a columnist for Entrepreneur.com. You can reacg him at 800-818-0150 or

Crucifix that survived violent 1980 New Mexico prison riot finds new home at ... - Washington Post

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Crucifix that survived violent 1980 New Mexico prison riot finds new home at ... Washington Post By AP, SANTA FE, NM â€" A crucifix that survived one of the most violent prison riots in US history has been permanently relocated. KOAT-TV reports (http://bit.ly/nfrYPw) the crucifix provided a symbol of survival for hundreds of inmates and prison ... and more »

Filling NCR headquarters space to be difficult - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Brokers said donating NCR’s (NYSE: NCR) 1.3 million-square-fooyt building to an education institution or the city of Daytonm may be thebest bet. The brokers said tryinfg to market the space to another corporate user woulcd be difficult as there are few singles users out there needing that much It could be parceled into an offics complex formultiple users. NCR intends to sell the a companyspokesperson said. The five-storu property is among the largest office buildingsz in theDayton area. Paul owner and broker with Dayton-based , said a good option woulsd be to donate the building tothe .
NCR woulsd gain the benefits of atax write-off and the universituy would have a business campus, complete with a cafeteria and plenty of space for to mold for its needs. “kI bet they’ve already talked about donating itto UD,” Hutchins said. “Giving it to UD is a NCR gets a hugetax write-offv and UD gets a high-tech technology center.” Mark owner of Centerville-based , agreed. “It would be really nice if they give it to Fornes said. “It would be a nice gesture in return for taking theirheadquarters out.” NCR’ds headquarters, at 1700 S. Patterson Blvd.
, sits on 54

The 2011 Maximum Warrior Competition Tests Special Ops Operatives & Civilians ... - PR Newswire (press release)

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The 2011 Maximum Warrior Competition Tests Special Ops Operatives & Civilians ... PR Newswire (press release) Presented by MAXIM, in partnership with the Jeep® Brand, Maximum Warrior is broken down in to two separate programs â€" the authentic Maximum Warrior Competition that pits special ops operatives against one another; and the inaugural Maximum Warrior ... and more »

Barbash back at state post - Business First of Columbus:

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Mark Barbash returned to the economic development post Mondat after agreeing to repayment plans for overdue taxe with the and the Ohio Departmentof Taxation, and makingg payments on a mortgagw he had fallen behind on. Barbash, 60, stepperd down from his post to take a personal leave May 15 aftet Columbus Business First reported on his tax debts and that had initiatedx foreclosure proceedings on his Bexley The IRS in April filedf liens against Barbashtotaling $146,313 in back taxes and penalties datingv from 2000 to 2004 as well as 2006. The Ohio Departmen t of Taxation in March fileca $12,460 tax lien against him.
“Thw governor is satisfied that Mark has addressedr his personalfinancial issues, and he’s please to have Mark back,” said department spokeswomam Kelly Schlissberg.

Boca Raton Community Hospital turns profitable - Boston Business Journal:

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BRCH Corp. earned $8,434 on revenue of $96 millionb in its fiscal third quarter endeedMarch 31, improved from a $20.9 million loss on revenue of $92.t million for the same period of 2008, accordinyg to the nonprofit’s report to its bondholders. The turnarounf happened quickly for a healtb care provider in the midst ofa recession. The hospital’s board hired Jerry Fedele as CEO in October ashis Brentwood, Tenn.-based , worked on a consultingb deal with the hospital to improve its operations. Fedele immediateluy embarked on an expense reduction plan that includerd laying off 38 employees andrenegotiatinvg contracts.
Fedele said BRCH’s results were consistent withhis “This progress is extraordinarily significant,” he said. “Ther e is no question about our long-terkm success at this hospital.” BRCH’s operating expenses of $84. million in its fiscal third quarterwere $13.4 milliom less than the year-ago quarter. Those savingsw more than covered the restructuring fees the hospital paid totheifr cost-saving consultants FTI and of $1.4 milliomn and $3.2 million, respectively, during the Even as it reduced expenses, the hospitapl attracted more patients and was more efficient in collectingh bills – the area Stockamp focused on.
However, its numbere of surgeries dipped. BRCH’s income also included a $4.7 milliohn gain on its For its next step toreducw costs, the hospital’s executives are negotiating for more favorablwe contracts with managed care planas and its oncology and infusion therap physician group. Yet, it returned to hirinvg in some areas. The hospital is looking into developing an employe primary care physician network by the early part of fiscalkyear 2010, which starts in July. Fedelee said its Boca Care network would employ 25 to 30 primargycare physicians, plus support staff, withinm three years in offices in the Boca Raton area.
The firsrt office should open this summer with four tosix physicians, he Fedele said the hospital is opening this officde because there’s a shortage of primary care physicians and ther e aren’t any private primaryu care physicians referring patients to the hospital in that part of A location has not been finalized. In another the hospital will spend $1 millionh to buy an electronic medical records system for itsemergench room. Fedele said BRCH would still report a loss for the 12 monthw endedJune 30, but it should be significantly less than the loss reporter for the previous year. For the nine-monthg period ended March 31, BRCH lost $9.5 million on revenue of $259.
3 million, improved from a loss of $44.3 million on revenuw of $254.4 million in the same periodc ayear ago. “It’se not done yet,” Fedele said. “The whole story isn’t based on one

Equifax Inc. Company Profile | EFX Company Information

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Equifax empowers businesses and consumers with information they can A global leader in information we leverage one of the largest sourceas of consumer and commercial along with advanced analytics andproprietary technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers. Customers have trusted Equifax for over 100 yeara to deliver innovative solutions with the highest integrity and Businesses

Somerset begin believing in themselves - NDTV.com

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Somerset begin believing in themselves NDTV.com Hyderabad: Somerset still consider themselves underdogs in the Champions League Twenty20 but believe they can win the tournament. Despite the five wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here Sunday night, Somerset captain ... and more »

Patrick proposes fee hikes to cover cost of reform - Boston Business Journal:

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­­­• Tweak the fair share which currently requires businessexs with more than 10 employeesthat don’t offer “fair and reasonable” coverage to pay $295 per employeew per year, or pay at leas t 33 percent toward individual coverage or have 25 percent of theirf employees in the company health plan. The change would require both the 33 perceny and 25percent thresholds. Estimated funds $33 million.
• Require hospitals to pay a one-time, $20 millio increase in their assessment for the freecare • Make insurers pay a one-time assessmen of $33 million based on their • Take $35 million from the Medical Security Trust Fund, which was created to pay health coverage for unemployes residents. ­• Reduce payments for specialty doctorse byabout $8 million. Business groups have statedc their opposition to fee increases sincwe the specter first rose that the health care reformn law would be pricier than anyone President and CEO Rick Lord told State Houswe News that the additional feesare “just a bad The state’s health care reform law requires nearly everyy resident to obtain coverage.

Valley surgeon heads up test of aneurysm treatment - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Rodriguez, the director of peripheral vascular services at the ArizonaHearty Institute, has been named the national principa investigator for the Phasde II study, which is required by the to enroll 160 patients. The Arizonas Heart Institute is one of 14 centers involvedc in thestudy nationwide. “Wd are looking to include at least six more centersd to complete 20 centers in the Rodriguez said.
The endoluminalp graft is manufactured bynear Glasgow, Called the Anaconda Stent Graft it allows the surgeon to repositio the device once it has been placed across the So far, nearly 4,000 patients in Europe have receivex the Anaconda device, but it must get approval from the FDA beforw it can be used in the U.S. Rodriguez said the minimallyy invasive procedure onthe study’s first patient went saying the device is very easy to use. “He was up on his feet the next morningbhaving breakfast,” Rodriguez said of the patient. “You can’t do that when you open the This eliminates the need for openheart surgery.
” Abdominal aortic aneurysm, or “ballooning” of the body’s main is a serious condition prone to rupture and lead to suddenb death. Actor John Ritteer died of an aortic rupturein 2003. Symptoms can occudr suddenly with severe, sharp pain in the Patients who experience these symptomzs should seek immediatemedical attention, Rodriguez said. Early detectiobn can prevent sudden death. Patient with a family history of aortifc aneurysm or other connective tissue disordersa should notify their physician aboutg their risk ofaortic aneurysm, he said.

Lennar Climbs After Reporting Higher Orders, Improving Traffic - BusinessWeek

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Globe and Mail

Lennar Climbs After Reporting Higher Orders, Improving Traffic BusinessWeek 19 (Bloomberg) -- Lennar Corp., the third-largest US homebuilder by revenue, climbed in New York trading after reporting an increase in orders and improving customer traffic amid the economic slowdown. Orders for new homes jumped 11 percent in the ... Lennar Earnings Slump 31%, Home Deliveries Down W »

Human Capital: People on the move, July 1 - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Signature Healthcare of Brockton hires Steve Friot as directofr of health carefacilities management. He previously servedd as director of facilitiea operationsat . , a design and construction firm with locakl officesin Worcester, appointed Robert Stephensx director of business development, health Stephens has more than 20 years of experienc e marketing and selling design and construction services. Matthew Teppere joined CB Richard EllisInvestors , a real estate investmenft management firm, as an associatwe director for the global multi-manager business.
Tepper, formerluy of , is based in Davis, Malm & D’Agostine PC , a Boston-based law added Elise Wald as an associat e in the trusts and estatespractic area. Wald was previously an associate at Blankstein and LundLLP . Rob MacElhine y , vice president of in Weymouth, was name d to the board of directors atthe .

Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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million to settle lawsuits that alleged Hawaii’s largest hospital overbilled government health care programas for prescription medications, federal prosecutorzs said Wednesday. The settlement was the result of two whistleblowe r lawsuits brought by formerpharmacyt technicians, who alleged that Queen’s overbilled the state’a Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as the federal health insurance program for militar y dependents, according to a news release from U.S. Attorneu Edward H. Kubo Jr.
The lawsuits were filede under the federal and state FalseClaims Acts, which allowq the government to claim up to triplre the damages, plus penalties, for submitting falss claims to government programs. The two formed employees allege Queen’s submitted fake bills for anti-psychoticv medications that were dispensed by the hospitak pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorizedx bya doctor, but not necessarily by a as required. The hospital was also accused of billinh from 1999 to 2006 for services providede by medical residents who were supposerd to be supervised by other but that the supervision didnot Kubo’s office said.
Under the Queen’s paid $2 million to the federal whichshared $400,000 of the proceeds with the two formed employees, and $500,000 to the attorneyxs for the two employees. Queen’s will also maintain a compliancd program to ensure its billings conform to the rules for five yearsz under a corporate integrity agreement withthe U.S. Department of Healtu and Human Services. Queen's issued this statement: denies any intentional wrongdoing, but after five years of discussionsd and negotiations withthe government, has agreed to settle this matter so that its resources may be spent on providingb quality health care rather than on legal fees.
"

Clifton Gunderson selects Wauwatosa as new headquarters - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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McMasters is a partner in the Wauwatos office at 10001 Innovation Drivre in the Milwaukee CountuyResearch Park. She took over the management reinas of thecompany Monday. Very few employeese from Clifton Gunderson’s former headquarters in Peoria, Ill., will be transferreds to the Wauwatosa office, said Jen Dirks, a spokeswomanj for firm who islocallg based. Clifton Gunderson currently occupies 27,5009 square feet of office space at theResearch Park, and may be in the markert to expand its offices eventually, said Dirks. The companyh employs 130 professionals in Wauwatosa and 230 at thePeoriz office, its largest in the nation.
The accountint firm’s professional staff totals morethan 2,000 in 45 U.S.-baseds offices. Clifton Gunderson has 10 officesin Wisconsin.

Deal on Emergency Funds for San Francisco Court Hotly Debated - Courthouse News Service

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Deal on Emergency Funds for San Francisco Court Hotly Debated Courthouse News Service SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - Recrimination and rancor abounded at a meeting of California's Judicial Council where members eventually voted unanimously to give a $2.5 million bailout from the branch's emergency fund to the financially strapped ... and more »

NovaStar CEO Anderson moves to at-will employment - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Anderson agreed to be paid the same base salary as under hisprevious agreement. The changw was effective Wednesday. Also, Kansasd City-based NovaStar (Pink NOVS) said in a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchang e Commission that Chief Investment Officer Michael Bamburg resignedeffective Dec. 31 and won’t receivw a severance payment. In the filing, NovaStar said that it signed a one-yeare agreement with , to manage NovaStar’s mortgage-related portfolio assets. NovaStar said it will pay Credentia a monthly fixed feeof $45,00p0 and reimburse Credentia for any reasonabled out-of-pocket expenses.
“Credentia is a recentlt formed entity to which certain current and former personnelof (NovaStar), with substantiakl experience managing the portfolio asseta of (NovaStar), are transitioning,” NovaStar said in the SEC NovaStar Chief Financial Officed Rodney Schwatken said Anderson is not affiliatefd with Credentia. Schwatken said Bamburgb and David Farris are principalsat Credentia. “Essentially, we don’r need the full services that they did inthe past, so they are going out and doing their own thing,” Schwatkejn said.
“They’ll be doing this for other but we want to be able to have their skills and experiencs for a periodof time, so we thought this was a good arrangemenr to have them accessible to us, yet alloaw them to do theie own thing.”

Sandra Bullock and children - family facts - MadeForMums (blog)

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Sandra Bullock and children - family facts MadeForMums (blog) "My love and want for their future and their happiness, for their homework to be done and for them to know how smart and beautiful they are is no less than if I had a child on my own," said Sandra about her stepchildren in an interview at the time. ... and more »

DynCorp lands $915M aviation contract - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Falls Church-based DynCorp (NYSE: DCP) will provide the Departmenyt of State with aviatiomn and aviation support services in Iraq undedr the terms of the deal which has one base year andfour one-yeat options. If all options are exercisedc the total value of the projectis $915 DynCorp reported $813 million in its latesft quarter. “This award is a tremendously important opportunity for DynCoro International to support the safety and securityof U.S. diplomatic personnell serving in Iraq,” said DynCorp CEO William L.
“It’s an honor to contribute to our government’sw efforts to promote peace and stability in for us as a company and for every persomn who serveswith us.” DynCorp said the to provide personnel, grounr and flight operations, as well as basing and maintenancwe of rotary wing and fixed air assets, beganh with a transition period June 15, 2009 and will reacy full operation on September 4, 2009.

Exact to raise $8.2M, signs MAYO deal - Business First of Buffalo:

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million through a privatw stock sale and that it inked a licensingv deal for exclusive rightsto cancer-diagnostic technologied developed by the for Medical Education and The company said it had commences on June 11 the sale of 4.31 million sharese of its common stock at a purchase price of $1.90p a share. Meanwhile, Exact (Nasdaq: based in Marlborough, Mass., announced a plan to acquirer the worldwide licensing rights tothe blood-- or stool-based cancer diagnostics and screening technologies develope the MAYO Foundation, which is baseed in Minnesota.
Under the deals terms, Exact will: make upfront payments of $80,000 and a milestonse fee of $250,000 upon the commencemen t of certainclinical trials. • pay a milestone fee of $500,000 if the approves any of the productsz covered bythe agreement. • pay a minimum of $10,00 on the deal’s third anniversaruy • pay a minimumm royalty of $25,000 on the fourth anniversary of theagreemen • support certain research projects to the tune of $500,000 at a minimum — in the agreement’sx first year. Exact is also obligated to gran t MAYO two warrants topurchase 1.25 million shares of its commonh stock.
The warrants have six-yea r terms and are exercisable at a priceof $1.99 per share, according to a regulatory

Business owners innovate to keep employees engaged in rough times - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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Asked how current economif conditions have affectedtheir employees, 48 percenr of respondents to a Robert Half Internationalp survey cited increased stress. Furloughs, pay cuts, hirint freezes and layoffs all result in employerx asking workers to do more for lesswith less. Combinexd with potential mortgage woes on the home front and the challengw of makingends meet, the average employee’s workday can be a powderd keg.
“Companies are doing what they can toimproved work-life balance,” says Andy Decker, staffing service firm regional vice “They are thinking outside the box for ways to alleviate stress and improv e morale without it costing them a lot of To that end, several small businesses are going on the giving their employees opportunities to decompress throughn a variety of innovative options. In the employees of , a 56-year-old family-owned business, approachedr president Ted Benning about including a fitness componenf in their employeebenefits package. a fitness buff, decided to turn unused warehousde space intoa state-of-the art gym.
Aftet consulting with personal trainer Randy Nicholsomn of TheFitness Firm, Benning outfitted the 1,000-square-fooft gym with weight machines, stationary bicycle and ellipticals, as well as shower facilities. In addition to providinh the equipmentand space, Benning provides his employees accesw to a trainer free of charge. Twelve employeesx out of 23 in the office initiallh joined Nicholson fora 40-minutew workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays afted work. The cost to the companyg was characterized by Benning asbeing “lese than $10,000,” but it has paid off in increasedx employee wellness and morale.
“Our philosophy is to be proactive rathefr than reactive tohealth issues,” says Benning. Not all stresss originates in the workplace. Receptionist Georgia Hood began workingb out afterher divorce. “Ik was very hesitant at first, but as my weighg loss continued I realized this was agood thing, [helpingt me] to get my mind and body in a good place,” says While the Benning employees get in physica shape, the owners of another Atlanta businesas are working on their employee’s mental For Craig and Liz co-founders of the online gamingb companyElf Island, their company culture mirrorsa that of their digital domain.
Elf Islane is a gaming site that introduceas children to the world of philanthropy through a concepttcalled “Gaming for Good.” In essence, childrebn play games online that have very real charitabld outcomes through the company’s partnerships. In one instance, houseds built by children in a game online translatedr to real houses being builtby . The couple exhibitsd the same ingenuity in their office of 16 The duo and Manager of Operations Melanie Ford have developed inventive ideas to keep their workers engagedand entertained. Theme where employees dress up. Formal attire, “Wear the oldest thingg in your closet” and Mexicamn Fiesta are recent examples.
“Tchotchke Thursday” where Ford collect s small toys and objects from local storees as well as souvenirs collectedfrom employees’ travels in a smalo bag. Every Thursday, employees get to select an item fromthe bag. Kronenbergetr likens the company’s philosophy to its Web “We are running a sociap network online, and our office is just like she said. “Our feeling is to createw an environment that parallelsElf Island’s valuesw with a twist of fun.” Souper Jenny restaurant owned Jenny Levison uses the same basi premise to keep her staff engaged and productive, but she reliez on a wrinkle that others have perhaps surprise.