Is Leggett & Platt a Cash Machine? - DailyFinance

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Is Leggett & Platt a Cash Machine? DailyFinance Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. and more »

Barclays Has 'Big Questions to Answer': Cameron - HispanicBusiness.com

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HispanicBusiness.com

Barclays Has 'Big Questions to Answer': Cameron HispanicBusiness.com Pressure mounted Thursday on the head of Britain's Barclays Bank to resign, as Prime Minister David Cameron said the bank had 'big questions to answer' over attempted interest rate rigging. Britain's Barclays Ba nk Has "Big Questions to Answer" LoanSafe Cameron: Barclays 'have big questions to answer' ITN Barclays must answer questions, says David Cameron The Independent Telegraph.co.uk -Metro -The Sun  »

Downtown Staybridge Suites seeks receivership - Charlotte Business Journal:

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SJ Properties Suites Buyco EHF, which includes an investor from Reykjavik, filed the petition Monday in Milwaukee CountyCircuitf Court. Judge Mel Flanagan scheduled a heariny for June 30 on a motion to appoinft Milwaukee attorney Seth Dizard as the Work stopped in December 2008 onthe high-riswe at 1150 N. Watefr Street when the construction managee and developer DOC Milwaukeebecame insolvent, accordingf to the receivership petition. The Icelandi c investors said that in Novembetr 2006 they provided an advanceof $17.e million for a 120-room extenderd stay hotel and at least 18 luxurgy condos. The project also received $13.
4 million in financing from a unit of in which in May was placed in receivership by the The Milwaukee receivership petition said the property on Water Streer alreadyhas furniture, flooring and fixtures in the Staybridgwe portion of project. Liens against the project total morethan $3.4 according to the receivership petition. The largest liens were filed by Milwaukee-area contractorz and suppliersUihlein Electric, , and Klein-Dickert. SJ Properties recentlh sued DOC Milwaukee and Economou Partnersin U.S.
Districgt Court in Milwaukee claiming a fraudulent transfer of fundws intended for the WaterStreet

Black & Veatch completes purchase of world HQ building - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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After considering about 40 alternate area sitews duringa two-year real estate analysis, Blac k & Veatch said March 23 that it wouldc keep its growing headquarters operation at 11401 Lamar Ave., whicg it has occupied sinced its original construction in 1976. Black & Veatc bought the building, which was expanded to 600,0000 square feet in 1996 and is the largesg office buildingin Kansas, from Chicago-basefd . A consortium of local banks led by financesdthe transaction, which eventually is expected to result in more than 1,00o new jobs for Overland Park.
The area’w 12th-largest private-sector employer, Black & Veatcg employs 3,800 at five area including morethan 2,300 at the Lamar Avenue headquarters. After the building is expanded, by roughly it will accommodate a work force of morethan “Black & Veatch’s decision to expand in Kansas is a testamentt to our state’s stronf business climate,” Gov. Mark Parkinson said in a Thursdayu release. “Kansas is known for its safe great schools and highly educatedwork force. We’re so glad to have a globakl leader likeBlack & Veatch make Kansas the home of its worls headquarters.
” To retain Blacl & Veatch, Kansas offered an impact grant wortn $25 million for training and capital The money will come from withholdingv taxes paid by employees at the Overland Park committed to a 10-year, 75 perceng property tax abatement — the largest percentage abatefd in city history. “The combined supporg of the state of Kansas and the city of Overlanc Park were instrumental in reachingthis milestone,” Len Black & Veatch CEO, said in the “With the completion of this we can now begin to implement at our world headquartere the same types of innovativd and sustainable solutions we provide ever day for our clients.
” The new world headquarters will includw a solar courtyard, solar canopy, bio garden and innovatiob pavilion. It also will have extensive work common area, facility and energy-management upgrades; landscapint enhancements; and rainwater-reuse systems and stormwate r run-off management. When completed, the building will be certified via the Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design, or program of the .
“Bringing thesse innovative and futuristic enhancements to an older facility tomeet tomorrow’s desig n standards presents a large technical challenge, but is the most sustainable solutionn for the area,” Rodman said in the “It’s a challenge our professionals relish and take tremendoua pride in.” The company has piloted many of the potentialo design concepts at its more than 100 global offices and will draw on its LEED-certified experts and architecture, engineering and construction talent for the headquarterw expansion project. Black & Veatch ranks No. 1 on the Kansass City BusinessJournal ’s list of area engineering The $3.
2 billion company is one of the world’ws largest engineering, consulting and constructio firms.

Space Data teams for wireless smart grid communications - Birmingham Business Journal:

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Chandler-based Space Data announced the plan Monday to offer up a portionj of the wireless spectrum it owns to be used in conjunctiob with equipment fromMenlo Calif.-based Full Spectrum. The two companies say the deal will allowq utilities to ownprivate wide-are networks to provide commands to smartt grids. “The combination of our interference-free, high-powerefd frequencies with state-of-the-art WiMax technology provide utilities with a dedicateds private broadbandwireless system,” said Jerrh Knoblach, CEO of Space Data.
For severao years, Space Data has been developinv a system of wireless communications using weather balloone to carryequipment aloft, providing a wide area of The company also has been providinfg communications for several years in the utilitgy sector. Smart grids are the latest applicationm of technology inthe nation’s power They will transform the national power grid into one that is more allowing it to deliver more power to areas of the countrgy that need it.
The two companies believd their product would allow grid operatoras to control distribution remotely through awireless “In terms of grid automation, much of the focuz to date has been directed toward automatixc meter reading and control. However, real-time commansd and control of higher-level grid devices are of equal, if not importance in the drive for overallgrid efficiency,” said Stewarg Kantor, CEO of Full Spectrum.

Texas teachers buy ProLogis portfolio - Houston Business Journal:

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Denver-based ProLogis, one of the world’se leading industrial landlords, has completedr a sale of 33.2 millionn square feet to the Teachers Retirement Systemj of Texas andits partner, Stockbridges Real Estate Funds, a San Francisco investment period. The sale includes 1.1 million square feet of industrial space in the Portland much of it centered in the AirporgWay submarket. Steve Steppe, managing director of Stockbridge’ San Francisco office, confirmed the sale closed as expected durinhg thesecond quarter, but provided no additionall details.
The ProLogis sale is the first mega-deakl to close since credit markets froze last year and has the potentiall to establishnew recession-era valuew for industrial real Properties such as the ones ProLogisa operates have sold for $60 to $80 a squared foot in recent years. The ProLogis portfolio was publiclu valuedat $1.43 billion or $43 per squaree foot.

Built To Spill appearing at Union Transfer - The Mercury

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Built To Spill appearing at Union Transfer The Mercury Built To Spill was all over the Austin music conference, South By Southwest, in March. The exceptional guitar-driven band doesn't have a new album but it ...

Solarcity Corp Company Profile | Company Information

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Difficult times for retailers leave slew of vacant space on the market - Washington Business Journal:

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“Your community shopping centers that houser the grocery stores anddrug stores, the ones withinm five miles of your they’ll weather the storm just fine, but the discretionary centers are taking more of a hit,” said Erin spokeswoman. “Not a lot of retaileras are expanding. It will be difficult to fill spaces now, but that doesn’yt mean the spaces won’t fill eventually.” The difficultt environment is starting to causesome casualties. In mid the operator of more than200 malls, including five in filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chicago-based sought protection from listing $29.5 billion in assets and aboutf $27.
3 billion in debts, making it the largest real estate bankruptcy in U.S. The company’s shopping mall holdings in includes: Colonyh Square Mall in Zanesville, Beachwood Place and Maumee’s Shops at Falleb Timbers. It also has a partial stake in the Florence Mall and KenwoodcTowne Centre, both in Cincinnati. Things are so desperate in the sector that mallxs are resorting to gimmicks suchas wave-makinvg machines, acccording to an April reporg by the New York Times. The paper reported that severaol malls across the country are planning to instalol a contraption called the Flowrider in vacantretaipl space.
Kelly Tackett, a senior consultan with Columbus-based , said apparel shopws and mall-based chains are strugglingg the most, and the developments that lean heavy on those storezsare struggling, too. The ones in a positioj to survive are inthe value-orientecd space. “Save-A-Lot and Aldi are accelerating theirdopening pace. Wal-Mart will benefit. They’ve been reinvesting in their storex for years to upgrade theshopping experience,” Tackett Sageworks Inc.
, a Raleigh-bases financial research firm, singled out auto parts, building material, home furnishings and furnitured stores as five of the worst performinf retail segments in 2008, all postiny sales declines last year compared to 2007. Accordinbg to Retail Forward’s annual ShopperScapew report, released in June, traffix at strip malls, regionap malls and lifestyle centers has decline forthree years. Power defined as strip centers with at leastr one discount department storwor superstore, and outlet mallsd were the only centers to gain trafficf between June 2006 and 2008.
“The landlord with little debt and great liquidity reserves along with a strong balance sheet shoulfd maintain a strong position for the saidAvi Abroms, senior leasing representative with Centri Properties Group, which has corporatew headquarters in Australia. The names of businesses going away or already gone include national players and and regionapl retailers suchas , Mervyn’s LLC and Gottschalksd Inc. And on April 22, Columbus-base said it unloaded its Filene’s Basementf division, telling investors the future of the chaimremains uncertain. Last year, Retail Ventures sold off its Valued City DepartmentStores chain.
Filene’s is undefr the control of a California liquidation andturnaround firm. All that means a lot of squarwe footage is hitting the Circuit City had five Central Ohio Value City closed its two remaining Columbuas shopsbefore Christmas, while a thirde has been converted into a Burlington Coat Linens ‘n’ Things shuttered two area stores. Even retailerws who aren’t closing for good are curtailintggrowth plans. said it only will open 10 U.S. locationsx this year, a steep decline from the 90 openedin 2008. is cuttingv its capital expendituresto $200 millio n for 2009, down from $479 million last year and $749 milliob in 2007.
The compan y plans 50 new stores, 27 of whichg will be in versus 145 new shopslast year. is focused on converting its 560 Limited Too storexs into themore value-priced and power-center-based Justicre brand and will slow the growtuh of new stores. plan 10 openings, down from 41.

Embarq, CenturyTel complete $11.6B deal - Business First of Louisville:

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Buyer (NYSE: CTL) completedf its $11.6 billion stock and debt purchase ofEmbarqw (NYSE: EQ), the companies announced earlyg Wednesday. The combined company, , will be based in Monroe, La., and potentially have $8 billiobn in annual revenue. It has more than 2.1 millionh broadband customers, 440,000 video subscribers and 7.5 million access lines in 33 states. Embarq shareholderzs are two-thirds owners of the combined havingreceived 1.37 CenturyTel shares for each Embarq sharer they owned. The deal included CenturyTel assuming $5.8 billionj in Embarq debt. The two brands will be converteed graduallyto CenturyLink, a process expectec to conclude later this year.
“The completion of this mergef is a significant event forour customers, communities, investors and CEO Glen Post III, who had been head of said in the release. “CenturyLink has the advanced networks, the people and the financial stability to deliver the reliable and innovative serviced that our customers wantand need. We look forward to this excitinhg new chapter inour company’e history.” CenturyLink will keep “a significant presence” in the Overlanc Park area, though that location wasn’t among the regional operating headquarters listed: Las Vegas; Wentzville, Mo.; Fla.; Wake Forest, N.C.; and La Wis.
Embarq now employs aboutg 2,800 in the area, down from 4,5009 when it spun off from (NYSE: S) in 2006. That drop reflectsx the sale of Embarq’s logistics unit earlierd this year and continual job cuts as the compang has attempted to keep a lid on costs in anindustry that’sx losing core customers to mobile The recession has accelerated that and observers say that could mean deeper and faster cuts than originally anticipated as the companie integrate. By joining, the ruralk phone companies expect to saveaboutt $400 million a year in operating and capital expensesw by 2011. They expect combined operating cash flow of morethan $4.2 billion and free cash flow of about $1.
9 CenturyTel expects to continue its current annual dividend of $2.80 a share. The combinatio n is expected to add to free cash flow per sharein 2010. Sharesa continue to trade undef CenturyTel’s ticker symbol. Embarq CEO Tom Gerke will servde as executive vice chairman of the CenturyLin board and oversee regulatory and governmental relationa andhuman resources. Embarq ranksx No. 3 on the Kansasa City BusinessJournal ’s list of area public

Ford sales climb to highest level since July - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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But sales were down 24.2 percent comparef with May 2008, when the company sold 213,23i units. For the first five months of Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford (NYSE: F) sold 620,303e units, compared with 981,150 units during the same perioxd ayear earlier, a 36.8 percent In a sign that buyers might be coming back to the luxur vehicle market, Ford’s Lincoln division reported that it sold 8,565 units in May, a 2.2 percent increase over May when it sold 8,365 Sales of Ford made at the Louisville Assembly Plantg on Fern Valley Road, declined 34.6 to 5,315 units from 8,122 units a year ago. Salexs of the Mercury Mountaineer, also made at Louisvill Assembly, dropped 45.
2 percent, to 402 from 734 unitsa a year earlier. Sales of F-Seriex pickup trucks, including Super Duty trucks made at the Kentuckt Truck Plant onChamberlain Lane, dropped 22.3 percent, to 33,381 units, from 42,973 unitsa in May 2008. Sales of Ford Expedition SUVs, whicjh began production at Kentucky Truck Plant in declined40 percent, to 3,150 units from 5,252 unitxs a year earlier. Sales of the Lincoln Navigator, also made at Kentucky Truc Plant, dropped 40.6 percent, to 790 units from 1,3209 units a year earlier. Ford saw year-over-yearr gains in some of its car The companysold 19,786 Fusion sedans in May, up 9.4 percenrt from the year-earlier period when it sold 18,088u units.
Lincoln sold 1,553 Town Cars in May, up 103.3 perceny from May 2008, when it sold 764 of the luxuryh vehicles. Ford’s Volvo division sold 590 of its S60 up 9 percent fromMay 2008, when it sold 542 Also Tuesday, Ford announced a summeer promotion to draw more consumers to Through June 30, the automaker will covetr as much as three months of paymentse up to $2,100, and its Ford Credit subsidiary will offer zero percent financing on select Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.

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

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He also said it could have a chillinyg impact on other citiees considering helping teams builfdnew arenas. The Coyotes have 41 regular seaso home games each Bettman and the NHL oppose theproposedx $213 million sale of the team to Canadian businessman Jim who would move it to Hamilton, Ontario, sayinv the league should make the decision. A June 9 hearinhg is set in U.S. Bankruptcuy Court to decide whether Coyotes owner Jerry Moyeas can sell to Balsillie or if it must be sold to a buyet who would keep the NHL franchise in The Coyotes are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy Balsillie argues in court filings thathis $213 million will be the best deal and the court’sx main charge is to get the most money to pay off debt and positioh the team to be financially viabld going forward.
The Coyotes have lost $316 milliom since moving to the Phoenix market from Winnipegin 1996, accordinhg to court filings. Balsillie says NHL hockey is not financially viable in the Phoenixsports market, but the league points to four potentialk bidders for the Coyotes that would keep the team in Jobing.Com Arena was built by the city of which says it will pursue a $500 millio n to $750 million claim if the Coyotes breako their 30-year lease. Balsillie’s court filing contends the bankruptcy court has the leewaty to discharge sucha claim.
The National Football National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball backthe NHL’s bid to keep the Coyotes in Arizona fearing the move could set a

Gun Ring Involving US Soldier Is Broken Up, Chinese Officials Say - New York Times

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China Daily

Gun Ring Involving US Soldier Is Broken Up, Chinese Officials Say New York Times SHANGHAI â€" The Chinese authorities said Tuesday that they had detained 23 suspects here and broken up an international gun-trafficking ring that conspired with a United States soldier to smuggle firearms into China. The Ministry of Public Security ... China breaks gun trafficking ring involving US soldier Reuters China, U.S. Smash Arms-Trafficking Ring NASDAQ 23 arrested in China in connection with gun smuggling ring TODAYonline Philadelphia Inquirer  »

UCSF Med School under fire from Sen. Grassley - Business First of Columbus:

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The June 17 story, by Jamea Oliphant ( ), said Grassley, the top Republicahn on the powerful Senate Finance has asked UCSF to supply documents on federal funding over the last five including details of an external revies by the KPMGaccountingg firm. “If the financial integrity of UCSF is Grassley said in a letter to the according tothe L.A. Times, “Iu am worried that similar problemas regarding taxpayer dollars may also exist at othetr campuses within the UC such asUC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Grassley’s comments come in during a continuing feud betweeb UCSF and David Kessler, former dean of its medical school, who earlier headed the U.S.
Food and Drug Administrationn underPresident Clinton, over allegatione involving the medical school’s financial reporting. The Timesw reported that Kessler was fired inlate “after repeatedly complaining that he had been misledr about the school’s finances.” Kessler has filed a whistleblowedr lawsuit against the and is seeking to get his job along with lost pay, benefits and damages, the Timews reported. Grassley raised his concerns in an April lette r to UC President Mark according tothe Times.
UCSF was awardee $444 million last year from the National Institutexsof Health, with $383 million goinb to the medical school, which is also seeking a big chunko of federal stimulus funding. Universityy officials have said Kessler was firedfor performance-relatecd reasons, Oliphant’s article notes, but they’re treating him as a Kessler’s lawsuit has been stayed pending the conclusion of an administrativd review, the Times report said.
In a comment provided Wednesdayt afternoon to the San Francisco Business UC reiterated that it has provided informatiojto Grassley’s office on the financial issues in question and that Kessler’s allegations have been exhaustively and repeatedlyh investigated at the University’a expense. Those investigations “have found no evidence whatsoeve r of any inaccuracy in the books and records ofthe ,” UC said in its written statement. UC officials also noted that a reviee released in March 2008 bythe U.S.
Departmenf of Health and Human Services’ Officr of the Inspector General founcd thatUCSF “had complied with all Federao regulations for claiming reimbursement for administratives and clerical expenses” connected to the NIH

Banking industry

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That blunt two-word message was a central theme in chief executiv e officerJames Rohr’s keynote speech to the conferencre at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront on Monday. The group’z managers juggle risks for the nation’s banksx and other financial services To saythe least, they’ved been busy lately — slogging through loan trying to figure out how to unload assets nobod y wants to buy and, most untangling the details of the federal government’s bank rescud plan. “We have to admit, we as an industry have really screwefdthings up,” Rohr said.
He preached the importance of knowinf your own company andbalance sheet, a practicee he said had fallen by the wayside as many banksa sold off their loans to investora as soon as they made them. In introducingy Rohr, RMA officials said they had chosen him to speak becausewof PNC’s (NYSE: PNC) long-standing focus on carefullyu managing risks. The Pittsburgh-based bank got criticized durinh the boom years for not cranking out more Rohr said. PNC’s third-quarter earnings fell by 39 percentf from ayear earlier, but the company stayed in the black.
Just over 1 percent of the bank’as loans were classified as “non-performing” in the The bank bought , Baltimore’s largest independent bank, last The government moves to shore up banks which include buying stock in banks and guaranteeingv the loans they make to each other should helpboost confidence, Rohr said. Without he said, the industry might have facex people lining up at banks to withdrawtheir money. But there are plentyh of questions left, Rohr “The Fed wants us all to increase lending, but if we’rse having an economic downturn, who are we goinv to lend to? We can’t force that issue.
” In an interviesw after his speech, Rohr said the bank is still workinv throughthe Fed’s stock-purchase programm before deciding whether to PNC’s strong capital base and the expectation that more banksw will merge led one attendee to ask Rohr if PNC will be an Banks can probably be acquired cheaplyy right now, Rohr said, but “you don’ want to catch a falling knife.” Any deals now will requirs taking a fine-tooth comb to an acquiree’s balance Rohr said. After his speech, Rohr said the bank woulde consideracquisition opportunities.
But all of PNC’sw markets, including Baltimore, are ahead of expectationss on sales and pickingt up customersand deposits, and the bank wantes to continue that homegrown he said. Another attendee asked Rohr aboutthe long-term consequences of governmentg ownership of banks. “When we fix our I think the government willback off,” Rohr “I don’t think they want to be in our business any more than we want them in our

High-end homes - Memphis Business Journal:

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An agent with , Grehanm has built a solid clientele and watched that clientele mature through her years inthe "Over the years, I've sold people their first housesz and watched them move into biggerd houses and watched as their businessez and success grew," she says. "It just kind of I remember when I sold my first house for amilliomn dollars. I had to pincuh myself -- I couldn't believe it was happening." Whilw more than half of Shelby County homes are valuedbelowq $100,000, there remains an elite group of homesa in the Memphis metrok area that boast big price tags.
The opportunities are few but the payoff s for the agents who list them can be well worth the Obtainingthose upper-end listings usually takes a tenurede career and a solid reputation, says Judy an agent with . McLellan has been in the businesxs for nearly 30 years and says reputatiohn and referrals are what has allowed her businessto thrive. Most of the higher-price listings she lands come from past customerw who have achieved success laterin life. But most agentzs will contend they treat clientsepurchasing $150,000 homes the same way they would treat clients purchasing $1 milliomn homes. McLellan says she crosses all price point lines in order to continue building anemerging clientele.
"The ones that are less those areyour move-up buyersw for tomorrow," she says. "Yohu certainly want to take as good care of them as theotherr ones, and you really want to give the same servicre to all people." There are currently 329 houses for sale in Shelby County between $495,000-$1 million and 55 homezs for sale over $1 million, according to the Multiple Listinvg Service on Sept. 9. And whils the supply of expensive homes in Shelbyu Countyis growing, the demand is definitely growingt with it. In 2003, there were 254 closed salez inthe $495,000-$1 million range. So far in there have been 240 closingzs in thesame range.
For homee priced over $1 there were 26 Shelby County sales in and there have been 23 sales so farin 2004. "Fod two-thirds of the year, we almost have the same salesx forlast year," says Joel Hobson, president of the . "u think that shows that the upper end has reallyu picked up from wherre it wasin 2003, but it also showds that there's really a two-year supply of million dollat homes.
" Jimmy Reed, president and co-owner of Marx Bensdorf Realtors, says he has also seen the high-price d residential market in Memphis continue to mature over the last several "The city has grown up, and there'as more wealth in this town than ever before," he The wealth is coming from a variety of industries. Hobsobn cites several sources accountable for the increased wealtuh inthe city: the large physician population, the investment bankingf and bond divisions at businessees like Morgan Keegan and First Tennessee, Fortune 500 companies like FedEx and International Paper, the distribution industry and even the additionm of the professional athletw market via the Memphix Grizzlies.
"There's no one thing that dominates the real estatedmarket here," he says. "But you put all those and you kind of start to understand why there are a lot of expensiverhomes around." Barbie Dan, an agent with the Hobsohn Co., says there is a recognizec group of Realtors that deal in the high-priced but as that market has continued to the number of Realtors workingf in it has also grown. "Five to 10 yearas ago, there were very few million dollar homesein Memphis," Dan says.
"Now there are many, many millio dollar homes in Memphis, and there are more buyerz than you would imagine in that price Marketing expensive homes can present its own set of uniques challenges although many of the marketing efforts are consistent in allpricwe ranges. Gail French with Realtors says marke knowledge reigns supreme inthe high-pricedx market, but the Internet is an ever-increasing tool that is especiallt convenient for capturing those movinb into Memphis.

Farewell, super-size sodas? - Washington Post

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Food Safety News

Farewell, super-size sodas? Washington Post Regarding the June 3 news article “New York's plan to curb soda size stirs new controversy over obesity”: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) should be lauded for his efforts to limit the sale of excessively portioned, sugar-sweetened beverages. Spitz: Super-size t his, Mayor Bloomberg MetroWest Daily News (blog) Goodbye giant sodas? 4 ways to get around drink size restrictions WZVN-TV No soda limit at Bloomberg's company, despite proposed NYC super-size ban Fox News Food Safety News -The State Journal-Register -STLtoday.com  »

Texas awarded economic recovery funds for water infrastructure projects - Houston Business Journal:

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EPA officials say this new infusion of money from the America n Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help states and local governments invest in a number of overdue water projectsz that officials say are essential to protectin g public health andthe environment. The funds should also help boostf the economy and create two of the qualifications for receivingstimulue funding. “Investing in the economuy and the environment is a EPA Acting Regional AdministratorLawrence E. Starfield “These funds will not only help our economic but they will helpprovidee safe, clean drinking water for communities throughou Texas.
” The funds will be used towardr the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund which provides low-interest loans for drinkin g water systems to finance infrastructure improvements. The progran places an emphasis on small and disadvantagesd communities and to programs that encouragepollutiojn prevention. Nationwide, the EPA is furnishinvg $2 billion to fund drinking watee infrastructure projects across the country in the formof low-interesyt loans, principal forgiveness and grants.
At least 20 percenyt of the stimulus funds have been earmarkedfor “green” water and energy efficiency improvementss and other environmentally innovative

Many Headaches for Maina On Gender Inequalities in National Development - AllAfrica.com

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Many Headaches for Maina On Gender Inequalities in National Development  »

Senator updates business leaders on trade, energy issues - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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Martinez, a first-term Republican, has worked hard to support the which couldsave U.S. exporterws an estimated $1 billion a year in The Colombian agreement was signed in November 2006 and sent to Congress by President Bush in April after amandatory review. Bush has said the agreement is good for the economy and woul dbolster U.S. security interests in South America. Like many however, the agreement has been swept up inthis year’s election cycle with Congressional Democrates contending foreign trade deals slash domesticd jobs. Democrats also have said Colombiaq hasn’t done enough to improve its human rights including anti-union violence.
Martinez didn’t make any promises about what will happenn afterthe election, when Democrate are expected to make gains in Congress. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, in statement prepared for the Tampa Bay Business Journal, said he has met with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe abouf the agreement. “I believe closer economic ties and trade can improvew cooperation on a range of including U.S. anti-drug efforts,” the Florida Democrat “But any free trade agreement must not create an uneven playing field that disadvantages American workers and Port of Tampa officials support the pactwith Colombia, which is the port’d fourth largest trading partner.
Last year Colombia imported nearly 670,00 0 tons of cement, coal and granite, while the port exportedr about 173,000 tons of fertilizer and scrap metal. “Senator Martinez’s comments were certainly well received, as the Port of Tampaa and the state of Florida woulcd realize tremendous economic benefits from open tradewith Colombia,” Port Director and CEO Richard Wainio said Martinez is a member of the committees. He addressed aboutt 200 business and community leaders at one ofthe port’d cruise ship terminals. The styled as an energy was scheduled beforethe nation’s economifc crisis forced Congress to enact a $700 billiohn economic rescue plan.
who voted for the sought to link the two topics duringhis 20-minute which steered clear of overt politics. “Thw relationship between Wall Street and Main Street is very he said of thefinancial turmoil. “We must avoid a deep and long-lastint recession.” Martinez supports President Bush’es plan to pump the first $250 billion of the packagse into bank securities to unfreeze thecredi market. Congress and the administration do not have any pland to help financially strapped citiessand states, he Martinez also said he trusts Chairman Christopher Cox to rein in shoryt sellers on Wall Street. A two-week ban on such activity ended Oct. 2. Sen.
John McCai of Arizona, the Republican presidential nominee supportesby Martinez, had called for Cox’s oustedr at the beginning of the Martinez called for more production of energy from clean-coall technology, nuclear power and renewable He echoed Charles Black, presidenrt of , who in introducinv Martinez said there is “no silvedr bullet” to solve the nation’s energy Martinez reiterated his support for drilling off Florida’a coasts, provided there’s at least a 50-mile bufferr and state lawmakers approve the “I want to drill and I want to be aggressiv e about drilling, but there’s got to be a balancr there,” he said.
In July, Bush repealed an executive ordedr prohibitingoffshore drilling, reversing the 1990 ban signed by his the first President Bush. Facinvg pressure from constituents as gas priced climbed throughthe summer, Congress last month agreed to lift a separated legislative ban on offshore oil and gas leasing. Acknowledging the United States “can’t drill our way to energyh independence,” Martinez said consumersa should continue to conserve fuel to hold downpump “The other day I filled up at $2.96 and thought I was on anothe r planet,” Martinez said. “But we cannot get that falsew sense of security that everythingis OK.
”

Morgan Stanley's Facebook analyst: sober man in world of hype - Reuters

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Morgan Stanley's Facebook analyst: sober man in world of hype Reuters By Jessica Toonkel | NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scott Devitt has long stood out for being cautious in a world of Internet bulls. In the more than 12 years that he has covered Internet companies as a Wall Street analyst, Devitt has developed a measured ... and more »