borislavamcoc.blogspot.com
Portland, from Weston Investment Co. LLC. It is one of the largesft office deals in downtown in recent The Indian Health establishedin 1972, will move from its current locationn at 527 S.W. Hall St. Jake Lancaster of Grubnb & Ellis Co. represented the tenant; Steve Root of Americab Property Managementrepresented Weston. • Leve l 3 Communications LLC renewed its leasefor 4,72 square feet at the Pittock Block, 921 S.W. Washington St., from ALCO Investment Co. Kevin Kaufman of CB Richard Elliss representedLevel 3; the landlord representee itself. • Telelanguage Inc. signed a new leaswe for 4,401 square feet at the PortlandExchange Building, 520 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland.
NAI Norris, Beggxs & Simpson represented the Ryan Livesay of Pacific Real EstatePartners Inc. representeds the property. • Stearns Lending Inc. lease d 3,722 square feet at Hampton 6950 S.W. Hampton, Tigard, from Weston Investment Co. LLC. Stevs Root of American Properth Management representedthe lessor. • Peters Company PC signed a new leaserfor 2,170 square feet at the Sellinv Building, 610 S.W. Aldere St., with the Schlesinger Companies. Kristinj Hammond and Mark McFarland of Pacificv Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the tenant; Bill Smithg of NAI Norris, Beggzs & Simpson represented the • SCR Inc. leased 2,00 0 square feet at 8680 S.W.
Old Tualatin Sherwood Road, from Kmotion Inc. Ian Giammanco of Bluestonee & Hockley Real Estate Services representedthe tenant; Scott Pierce of NAI Beggs & Simpson represented the •Remedy Intelligent Staffing leased 1,638 square feet at The Merrick, 6646 N.E. 78th Portland, from API Properties 1047 LLC. Mark McFarland of Pacifi Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the tenant; Rob Kimmelmamn of Commercial Realty Advisors representedthe • Pioneer Floor Covering Inc. leased 5,853 square feet at Arctifc Business Park, 5657 S.W. Arctic Drive, from Pacific NW Properties LP. Cliff Finnell of GVA Kiddetr Mathews representedthe tenant. • Carlan Enterprises Inc.
, operating as Stauffer-Cisco Supply, leasesd 5,622 square feet at Bridgeport WoodsBusines Park, 7532 S.W. Bridgeporrt Road, Durham, from Bridgeport Woodx BusinessPark LLC. Peter Stalick and Steven Klein of GVA Kidde r Mathews represented the Dave Kiersey ofKiersey & McMillan Inc. represented the • Stavely Services North Americalease 4,860 square feet at Kittridge Distribution 4943 N.W. Front Ave., from LIT Industrial Limited Partnership. Tony Rese r and Sean McCarthy of GVA Kiddefr Mathews brokeredthe transaction. • Red Wing Brands of Americz Inc. leased 3,840 square feet at the NorstarrBusiness Center, 8611 N. Albina Ave., from Norstar 8405 N. Albina Ave. LLC.
Tony Reserd and Sean McCarthy of GVA Kidder Mathews brokeredthe • Biscuits Cafe leased 3,121 square feet at Hoga n Plaza, 1905 N.E. Division St., from Pelopoh LLC. Mike Foley of First Commerciapl representedthe tenant; Craig Barnard of Barnard Commercial Real Estates represented the property. • a new barbershop venture fromHairM men’s salon, leasexd 2,055 square feet at the Commonwealth Building, 609 S.W. Washingtoh St., from Unico Properties LLC. Kathleen Healy of Urban Worke Real Estaterepresented Y-Chrome; Dan Bozich and Kathlee n Healy of Urban Works Real Estate representedd the property.
• Aprende Con Amigos Bilingualp Preschoolleased 1,872 square feet at Patton Park Apartmentw on North Interstate from Patton Squarse Leasing LLC. Steve Haugen of Windermere/Cronin & Caplabn Realty Group Inc. represented the tenant; Charlotte Larson and Sara Daley of Urbanh Works Real Estate representedthe property. PDX Antiques leased 1,12o square feet at the K2 Building from4152 N.E. Sandgy LLC. Charlotte Larson of Urban Workx Real Estate representedthe tenant; Matt Schweitzer of North Rim representeds the property. • Liz Richardsd Acupuncture PC leased 1,046 square feet at Fremontr Place, 3531 N.E. 15th Portland, from ADG Properties LLC.
Anthyabn Nguyen of Norris Stevens Inc. represented the tenant; Ashley Heichelbechj of Urban Works Real Estate representedthe • State Farm Insurance leased 1,000 squars feet at 1018 N.W. 13th Ave., from Block Two LLC. Thom Brockmiller of Stehlin Advisors LLC representedthe tenant; Kathleen Healy and Dan Bozicnh of Urban Works Real Estate represented the
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
CHS to buy cardiology practice, expand - Charlotte Business Journal:
viningocouqyl1601.blogspot.com
The 34-year-old cardiology group includes 13 physicians practicing at seven locations acrossthe region. "The close cooperation between Carolinas Medical Center hospitals and Charlotte Cardiology Associates goes back many yearws in serving patients in the Charlotte says Dr. F. Scotrt Valeri of Charlotte Cardiology. "Now we are able to look forward to an even closert and morebeneficial relationship." It is the second major cardiologyt practice that has sold to a hospital network this following 's deal with that makes the 30-physiciab practice part of the Presbyterian Medical Group.
Cardiology practicesw have been popular acquisitionsfor Charlotte's two competing hospita l systems. Health-care analysts say this month's deal s leave few, if any, large cardiology practices operating as InMarch 2005, Carolinas HealthCare acquired The . Sanger is the oldest and largest cardiology groupin Charlotte, and it is one of the largesrt specialty practices in the With more than 60 physicians in 10 locations, the clini c had a longstanding relationship with the at Carolinas Medicaol Center, Carolinas HealthCare's flagship hospital in Charlotte.
Charlottre Cardiology will not be merged into the Sanger Clinid as part of the latest saysScott White, Carolinad HealthCare spokesman. "We are honored to have this practice and the dedicatee clinical and support staff become part of the CarolinaePhysicians Network," he says. "Since this is a new it will take some time to evaluate how best to serve the patients ofboth practices." Expansion of the Charlotter Cardiology offices is not out of the questiomn in the future, but it is not an immediate White says. Financial terms of the acquisitionb werenot disclosed.
Charlotter Cardiology physiciansprovide hospital-based service s in Pineville, Matthews, in addition to Stanly and Union "Charlotte Cardiology Associates has a distinguished history of providiny cardiac care to Charlotte and the surrounding says Joseph Piemont, Carolinas HealthCard executive vice president and president of the Carolinax Physicians Network. "Working togethere through this combination of outstandin physicians and staff will help meet the demand for cardiology services more effectively in thisgrowing
The 34-year-old cardiology group includes 13 physicians practicing at seven locations acrossthe region. "The close cooperation between Carolinas Medical Center hospitals and Charlotte Cardiology Associates goes back many yearws in serving patients in the Charlotte says Dr. F. Scotrt Valeri of Charlotte Cardiology. "Now we are able to look forward to an even closert and morebeneficial relationship." It is the second major cardiologyt practice that has sold to a hospital network this following 's deal with that makes the 30-physiciab practice part of the Presbyterian Medical Group.
Cardiology practicesw have been popular acquisitionsfor Charlotte's two competing hospita l systems. Health-care analysts say this month's deal s leave few, if any, large cardiology practices operating as InMarch 2005, Carolinas HealthCare acquired The . Sanger is the oldest and largest cardiology groupin Charlotte, and it is one of the largesrt specialty practices in the With more than 60 physicians in 10 locations, the clini c had a longstanding relationship with the at Carolinas Medicaol Center, Carolinas HealthCare's flagship hospital in Charlotte.
Charlottre Cardiology will not be merged into the Sanger Clinid as part of the latest saysScott White, Carolinad HealthCare spokesman. "We are honored to have this practice and the dedicatee clinical and support staff become part of the CarolinaePhysicians Network," he says. "Since this is a new it will take some time to evaluate how best to serve the patients ofboth practices." Expansion of the Charlotter Cardiology offices is not out of the questiomn in the future, but it is not an immediate White says. Financial terms of the acquisitionb werenot disclosed.
Charlotter Cardiology physiciansprovide hospital-based service s in Pineville, Matthews, in addition to Stanly and Union "Charlotte Cardiology Associates has a distinguished history of providiny cardiac care to Charlotte and the surrounding says Joseph Piemont, Carolinas HealthCard executive vice president and president of the Carolinax Physicians Network. "Working togethere through this combination of outstandin physicians and staff will help meet the demand for cardiology services more effectively in thisgrowing
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Sewage Spill Solutions Causing Headaches For Locals - KTVU San Francisco
http://palmeraprojects.org/news/article/cambodia-volunteers-story/
Sewage Spill Solutions Causing Headaches For Locals KTVU San Francisco LARKSPUR, Calif. -- Some Marin County residents were frustrated Friday with the state of their aging sewage system. Not only did millions of gallons of raw ... |
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Commonwealth National reports profit, asset growth - The Business Review (Albany):
http://podziba.com/people.html
The Worcester bank also announcecd it is opening its fourth branch this Commonwealth said itearned $52,000 in the firsyt quarter, following a $48,000 gain in the fourty quarter of 2003. The profit in the fourth quartetr wasthe bank's first since it opened in December 2001. Moreover, the bank reversedd a $462,000 loss it recorded in the firstg quarterof 2003. "We are very pleased that we'vd achieved two consecutive quarters of profitable operationes after opening the bank slightly more than two years said Commonwealth president and CEO Charles Valade in a Commonwealth said that loans doubled in the first to $116.8 million.
That also marked a 10 percenrt rise from the previous quarteeending 2003. Deposits also were up in the firstf quarter, climbing 63 percent to $133.q million. That was a 23 percent increasee over the final quarterof 2003. Overall, assetas reached $163.6 million at the end of the first up 74 percent from the close of the firsf quarterof 2003. It represented a 17 percenrt improvement over the assets Commonwealtnh National boasted at the endof 2003. Valader said Commonwealth would open a branch in Northbridgrthis summer. The bank already has locations in Worcestetrand Shrewsbury.
The Worcester bank also announcecd it is opening its fourth branch this Commonwealth said itearned $52,000 in the firsyt quarter, following a $48,000 gain in the fourty quarter of 2003. The profit in the fourth quartetr wasthe bank's first since it opened in December 2001. Moreover, the bank reversedd a $462,000 loss it recorded in the firstg quarterof 2003. "We are very pleased that we'vd achieved two consecutive quarters of profitable operationes after opening the bank slightly more than two years said Commonwealth president and CEO Charles Valade in a Commonwealth said that loans doubled in the first to $116.8 million.
That also marked a 10 percenrt rise from the previous quarteeending 2003. Deposits also were up in the firstf quarter, climbing 63 percent to $133.q million. That was a 23 percent increasee over the final quarterof 2003. Overall, assetas reached $163.6 million at the end of the first up 74 percent from the close of the firsf quarterof 2003. It represented a 17 percenrt improvement over the assets Commonwealtnh National boasted at the endof 2003. Valader said Commonwealth would open a branch in Northbridgrthis summer. The bank already has locations in Worcestetrand Shrewsbury.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
AdweekMedia Announces Agencies of the Year: Wieden + Kennedy and Horizon Media - PR Newswire (press release)
http://bath-linen.com/find-a-clean-furnished-apartment-before-the-first.html
AdweekMedia Announces Agencies of the Year: Wieden + Kennedy and Horizon Media PR Newswire (press release) 19, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- AdweekMedia today released its 25th annual agency honors, naming Wieden + Kennedy as Agency of the Year and Horizon Media as Media ... AdweekMedia's Agency of the Year 2010 |
Friday, December 17, 2010
City tweets to curb tourist drop-off - Nashville Business Journal:
fusajacuxejilyp.blogspot.com
Hotel consultant Drew Dimond expects hotels in Greater Nashviller to see occupancy plummet 15 percent to 20 percenft fromlast year’s levels. But the is battling the decline, in hopes of keepin g any occupancy drop-off below 5 percent. Bureauu staff is Twittering, Facebooking and sending out e-blasts to announcd free stuff to do, last-minute travel CMA Music Festival updates andattractions specials. “We certainly don’t thinki it’s going to be some great saysButch Spyridon, president of the visitors “If we were flat to last year, I’c be ecstatic.
I expect that we will be down Spyridon hopes the value of Nashville will draw visitors because ofthe city’s wealth of free, live, around-the-cloc music. has brought back its free musiv poolside and isoffering “kids eat free” insidre the hotel for the first time this “At every touchpoint, we’re creating events, promoting and marketing and addin extra value with events,” Spyridomn says, such as offerinbg flight-hotel packages when touted $49 flights to Nashvilled during a one-day sale in April.
The Nashville Symphon y has half-price tickets for select the Country Music Hall of Fame has been givinvout $5 off coupons through June 7, and Gaylords is offering four-night hotel and attractions packagezs at 40 percent off. Keith president of the , says attractions are sweeteningv discounts this summer and focusing onthe drive-in market. “Regional tourism has become extremely importanytto us, and we are marketinv more to that audience,” he says. Nashville’s biggest monthsz for tourism are Juneand October, mainlgy because of the CMA Musifc Festival that pumps $25 million into the city ever y June.
Officials at the woulr not say how ticket sales are goingh forthis summer’s festival, which kickw off next week. October is a popular convention month because of thefall weather. Nashvillde tourism has been hit inrecent months. In the average nightly hotep ratedropped 6.3 perceny to $92.85 from $99.05 in the same month last according to Smith Travel Research in Hendersonville. Hote occupancy plunged 15 percent in Aprilto 56.9 down from 67 percent a year ago. Revenue per availablee room, a key metric for was down 20.5 percent in April.
The amounr of attendees for booked conventions this summef is down about 24 percent fromlast Nashville’s hospitality industry, however, is outperforminfg much of the rest of the country. For the first quartetr of 2009, Nashville’s average daily rate droppef 4.5 percent. Only five cities did better, and 19 of the top 25 marketd did worse. The decline in hotel tax collection s is greater than the drop in which shows tourists are comin g but choosing less expensive saysWalt Baker, executive director of the . Nashville’es hotel occupancy dropped 11.6 percent in the firs quarter compared to theyear before, a drop that registered eightu best among the top 25.
Travel has continued to descend atthe , nearinv 2005 levels, says airport spokeswoman Emilh Richards. Passenger counts were down 9.5 percent in April as comparecd to theyear before, and down 9.3 percent in the first four monthss of the year.
Hotel consultant Drew Dimond expects hotels in Greater Nashviller to see occupancy plummet 15 percent to 20 percenft fromlast year’s levels. But the is battling the decline, in hopes of keepin g any occupancy drop-off below 5 percent. Bureauu staff is Twittering, Facebooking and sending out e-blasts to announcd free stuff to do, last-minute travel CMA Music Festival updates andattractions specials. “We certainly don’t thinki it’s going to be some great saysButch Spyridon, president of the visitors “If we were flat to last year, I’c be ecstatic.
I expect that we will be down Spyridon hopes the value of Nashville will draw visitors because ofthe city’s wealth of free, live, around-the-cloc music. has brought back its free musiv poolside and isoffering “kids eat free” insidre the hotel for the first time this “At every touchpoint, we’re creating events, promoting and marketing and addin extra value with events,” Spyridomn says, such as offerinbg flight-hotel packages when touted $49 flights to Nashvilled during a one-day sale in April.
The Nashville Symphon y has half-price tickets for select the Country Music Hall of Fame has been givinvout $5 off coupons through June 7, and Gaylords is offering four-night hotel and attractions packagezs at 40 percent off. Keith president of the , says attractions are sweeteningv discounts this summer and focusing onthe drive-in market. “Regional tourism has become extremely importanytto us, and we are marketinv more to that audience,” he says. Nashville’s biggest monthsz for tourism are Juneand October, mainlgy because of the CMA Musifc Festival that pumps $25 million into the city ever y June.
Officials at the woulr not say how ticket sales are goingh forthis summer’s festival, which kickw off next week. October is a popular convention month because of thefall weather. Nashvillde tourism has been hit inrecent months. In the average nightly hotep ratedropped 6.3 perceny to $92.85 from $99.05 in the same month last according to Smith Travel Research in Hendersonville. Hote occupancy plunged 15 percent in Aprilto 56.9 down from 67 percent a year ago. Revenue per availablee room, a key metric for was down 20.5 percent in April.
The amounr of attendees for booked conventions this summef is down about 24 percent fromlast Nashville’s hospitality industry, however, is outperforminfg much of the rest of the country. For the first quartetr of 2009, Nashville’s average daily rate droppef 4.5 percent. Only five cities did better, and 19 of the top 25 marketd did worse. The decline in hotel tax collection s is greater than the drop in which shows tourists are comin g but choosing less expensive saysWalt Baker, executive director of the . Nashville’es hotel occupancy dropped 11.6 percent in the firs quarter compared to theyear before, a drop that registered eightu best among the top 25.
Travel has continued to descend atthe , nearinv 2005 levels, says airport spokeswoman Emilh Richards. Passenger counts were down 9.5 percent in April as comparecd to theyear before, and down 9.3 percent in the first four monthss of the year.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Ellerbe Becket wins design contract for New Jersey Nets arena - Kansas City Business Journal:
shemwellmygalej1291.blogspot.com
Doug Beichley, a principal with Kansas City-based Ellerbes Becket, said Friday that he couldn’t confirm whether the firm had won the but a spokeswoman for the firm confirmed that Ellerbd Becket now is the designetr forthe project, called the . Beichley referref a question aboutthe project’e estimated cost to a spokesman for the project’ss developer, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Gehry was a contendere for thedesign project.
In a Thursday release, Forest City Ratner Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner saidthe “current economic climate is not right for (Gehry’s) design, and with Frank’z understanding, the arena is undergoing a redesign that will make it more limites in scope.” Street Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal, an affiliatex publication, recently reported that Ratner expected the Barclayw Center to cost about $800 million, abouy $150 million less than previous estimates.
Foresy City Ratner said in the releasde that it hopes to unveil new images of the Barclayz Center in late June and plans to breajk ground later this year and finish the arena in time for the Nets to playthe 2011-20121 NBA season in Brooklyn.
Doug Beichley, a principal with Kansas City-based Ellerbes Becket, said Friday that he couldn’t confirm whether the firm had won the but a spokeswoman for the firm confirmed that Ellerbd Becket now is the designetr forthe project, called the . Beichley referref a question aboutthe project’e estimated cost to a spokesman for the project’ss developer, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Gehry was a contendere for thedesign project.
In a Thursday release, Forest City Ratner Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner saidthe “current economic climate is not right for (Gehry’s) design, and with Frank’z understanding, the arena is undergoing a redesign that will make it more limites in scope.” Street Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal, an affiliatex publication, recently reported that Ratner expected the Barclayw Center to cost about $800 million, abouy $150 million less than previous estimates.
Foresy City Ratner said in the releasde that it hopes to unveil new images of the Barclayz Center in late June and plans to breajk ground later this year and finish the arena in time for the Nets to playthe 2011-20121 NBA season in Brooklyn.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Probing new openings in surgical equipment market - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
firearms-somewhat.blogspot.com
With a mere half dozen such procedures as yet performe inthe U.S., few others have had the Not for long, says chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at Stanford University, who predictsx that the technique -- knownn simply as NOTES, for natural orificer transluminal endoscopic surgery -- is about to revolutionize surgergy so dramatically "we will never be the same In doing so, it promisesa to be a huge bonanza for medical device companies, necessitatinbg an entirely new set of surgicao tools and instruments.
"We are stilk not quite sure where it will go and how it will get there but it has changed the way we thinkl aboutgastrointestinal diseases," says Pasricha, who has been at the forefron of the NOTES revolution ever sincse the idea was put fortu at a 1998 retreat, sponsored by the , of sevenj gastroenterologists. Now, nobody wantds to be left behind. Large from the in Michigan to in are scrambling to develop researchh and identifypossible acquisitions. Insiderz say the real activity is coming from small devic e companies like ofSan Clemente; of Tex.
(the company founded by the originalseven gastroenterologists); of Sunnyvalre (manufacturer of the da Vincik robotic surgical system); and of San It's still so new that several are reluctantg to discuss their activity in the But a couple of Silicon Valley companies are commercially launched, includinyg , which just opened a sales and marketing office in Redwood City. Neither of its two products is "pure in the academic sense of the acknowledges CEOThiery Thaure, who calls his company's technology "thde first rational step towards It includes two products -- one aimede at gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the other at obesity.
In each one, toolsx are maneuvered down the through the esophagus and into the stomach in ordefr to reconstruct a natura valve orrestrictive pouch. The obesityu procedure permits a surgeon to perforjma "bariatric redo," a difficult four to six-hour operation, in a matter of 15 or 20 Bariatric redos take place on the failed heelzs of gastric bypass the now widely popular procedure to physically shrink the stomach of obesee patients.
Gastric bypass is most often accomplished witha $40,009 Roux-en-Y, which creates a smalkl pouch and allows food to bypass part of the small "There are approximately 1 million Roux-en-Y procedures and we estimatee that 30 percent of them will fail in the firsft five years," says Thaure. "It's a very fragild group of patients, mostly binge eaters who in timewill re-stretcg their pouches out. Our procedure givea them a second chance." And, if necessary, a thired or fourth. The redo costs aboutf $10,000. Over in Cupertino, meanwhile, takez its own hybrid approachto NOTES, developing tools intendedx for use through a single port.
The company began selling its productslast September. "We do it through the bellty button and then hide the scar inside thebell button," explains CEO Kerry Pope. "Transgastric (througuh the mouth) is the most challenging. You'ver got a relatively tortuous path down the through the esophagus and intothe stomach." Historically, surgeons have balkedr at transgressing the stomach, the thinking being that contamination of the abdomina l cavity is a recipe for disaster. Gynecologists, by contrast, have operatexd transvaginallyfor years.
In the last few it's been shown -- in pig trials and an estimated 100 humam casesworldwide - that it is, in fact, possiblde to puncture a hole in the operate, and close it without infection. "If the market converts to it," says "it's huge. There's 1 million gallbladders removed every Nephrectomy (kidney removal), appendix: thro them all together and that's a lot of If successful, medical innovators predict the techniquew could make laparoscopic surgery obsolete - just as 20 years ago or minimally invasive, surgery made open surgery a thing of the
With a mere half dozen such procedures as yet performe inthe U.S., few others have had the Not for long, says chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at Stanford University, who predictsx that the technique -- knownn simply as NOTES, for natural orificer transluminal endoscopic surgery -- is about to revolutionize surgergy so dramatically "we will never be the same In doing so, it promisesa to be a huge bonanza for medical device companies, necessitatinbg an entirely new set of surgicao tools and instruments.
"We are stilk not quite sure where it will go and how it will get there but it has changed the way we thinkl aboutgastrointestinal diseases," says Pasricha, who has been at the forefron of the NOTES revolution ever sincse the idea was put fortu at a 1998 retreat, sponsored by the , of sevenj gastroenterologists. Now, nobody wantds to be left behind. Large from the in Michigan to in are scrambling to develop researchh and identifypossible acquisitions. Insiderz say the real activity is coming from small devic e companies like ofSan Clemente; of Tex.
(the company founded by the originalseven gastroenterologists); of Sunnyvalre (manufacturer of the da Vincik robotic surgical system); and of San It's still so new that several are reluctantg to discuss their activity in the But a couple of Silicon Valley companies are commercially launched, includinyg , which just opened a sales and marketing office in Redwood City. Neither of its two products is "pure in the academic sense of the acknowledges CEOThiery Thaure, who calls his company's technology "thde first rational step towards It includes two products -- one aimede at gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the other at obesity.
In each one, toolsx are maneuvered down the through the esophagus and into the stomach in ordefr to reconstruct a natura valve orrestrictive pouch. The obesityu procedure permits a surgeon to perforjma "bariatric redo," a difficult four to six-hour operation, in a matter of 15 or 20 Bariatric redos take place on the failed heelzs of gastric bypass the now widely popular procedure to physically shrink the stomach of obesee patients.
Gastric bypass is most often accomplished witha $40,009 Roux-en-Y, which creates a smalkl pouch and allows food to bypass part of the small "There are approximately 1 million Roux-en-Y procedures and we estimatee that 30 percent of them will fail in the firsft five years," says Thaure. "It's a very fragild group of patients, mostly binge eaters who in timewill re-stretcg their pouches out. Our procedure givea them a second chance." And, if necessary, a thired or fourth. The redo costs aboutf $10,000. Over in Cupertino, meanwhile, takez its own hybrid approachto NOTES, developing tools intendedx for use through a single port.
The company began selling its productslast September. "We do it through the bellty button and then hide the scar inside thebell button," explains CEO Kerry Pope. "Transgastric (througuh the mouth) is the most challenging. You'ver got a relatively tortuous path down the through the esophagus and intothe stomach." Historically, surgeons have balkedr at transgressing the stomach, the thinking being that contamination of the abdomina l cavity is a recipe for disaster. Gynecologists, by contrast, have operatexd transvaginallyfor years.
In the last few it's been shown -- in pig trials and an estimated 100 humam casesworldwide - that it is, in fact, possiblde to puncture a hole in the operate, and close it without infection. "If the market converts to it," says "it's huge. There's 1 million gallbladders removed every Nephrectomy (kidney removal), appendix: thro them all together and that's a lot of If successful, medical innovators predict the techniquew could make laparoscopic surgery obsolete - just as 20 years ago or minimally invasive, surgery made open surgery a thing of the
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Jindal considers several ideas to fill budget gap - KATC Lafayette News
http://ukrainianclub.org/?pg=1
NOLA.com | Jindal considers several ideas to fill budget gap KATC Lafayette News Jindal floated the ideas Thursday in a closed-door meeting with top lawmakers, as the governor weighs how he'll propose closing a $1.6 billion budget gap in ... Jindal considers several ideas to fill budget gap Gov. Bobby Jindal suggests possibilities for one-time revenue Gov. Jindal offers possible ways to raise revenue to ease budget crunch |
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
bizjournals: Bizjournals ranks the quality of life in U.S. mid-sized metros -- bizjournals
http://sc-cottur.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=59
The best of the bunch is Provo, Utah, accordingt to a new bizjournals quality-of-life study. Boulder, and Madison, Wis., are the runners-up. America’s 124 mid-sizee metros, with populations between 250,000 and 1 milliobn people, have a total of 60 million That puts them in the shado w ofthe nation’s 51 majord metros, those in the million-plus which contain 54 percent of all Americans. The study comparexd the 124 mid-sized metros in 20 statistica l categories, using the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. The highesgt scores went to well-rounded placew with healthy economies, light moderate costs of living, impressive housing stocks and strongteducational systems. 1. Utah 2.
Boulder, Colo. 3. Madison, Wis. 4. Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn. 5. Ann Mich. 6. Ogden, Utah 7. Fort Collins, 8. Boise, Idaho 9. Colorado Colo. 10. Des Moines, Iowa Provo, which is located 45 miled south of Salt Lake earns top marks for its impressiv inventory of big Nearly 26 percentof Provo’s houses have nine or more No other mid-sized metro does better than 20.2 percent. But housing is not Provo’ss only strength. The Provo area has enjoyed stead y population growththis decade, expanding 31 perceny since 2000. Its unemployment rate typicallyt runs two to three points below thenationao average.
And it has a strong educational capped by the presence of BrighamYoung University. The runners-up are both college towns, too. Boulder and Madisom are respectively the homes of the Universithy of Colorado and the Universitygof Wisconsin. Almost 55 percent of Boulder’s adults have bachelor’s degrees, easily leading all mid-sizefd metros in that category. Boulder is also noteworthyh for its healthyentrepreneurial spirit. Seven percent of its adults are self-employed, twice the nationak average.
Madison not only has a major but also servesas Wisconsin’s state capital, giving it the benefit of a stablew and upscale employment Forty-four percent of Madison’s workerws hold management or professional jobs. The comparablde figure for a typical mid-range metro is 33 The other members of the top 10 took differen paths toget there. Profiles of the . Bridgeport-Stamforf is one of America’s most affluent metros. Its median householxd income of $80,241 is easily the highest in any mid-sizeed market. Ann Arbor, site of the University of hasthe nation’s strongest concentration of adults with doctoral and professional degrees, 27.7 percent.
Ogden, whichn is 40 miles north of Salt Lake is theonly mid-sizedd metro other than Provpo where at least 20 percent of all housesx have nine or more Fort Collins is another college the home of Colorado State It’s one of just six mid-sizexd metros where more than 40 percenf of all adults hold bachelor’s degrees. Boise is one of the fastest-growinh places in America, adding 123,0000 people since 2000, a growth rate of 26.4 The typical mid-sized metro grew 8.
4 percent over the same Colorado Springs has a sizable corps ofyounv adults, giving it a strong foundation for the Nearly 30 percent of Colorado Springs’ residents are betweeh the ages of 25 and 44, sixth-best in the mid-ranged study group. Des Moines is a joy for commuterz fed up with the hasslesof big-cit y traffic. The typical Des Moinesd adult takes 19.7 minutes to get from home to his or her compared to more than half an hour in majotr metros such as NewYork City, Chicago and Los All have been officially classified as metropolitan areaws by the U.S. Office of Managemengt and Budget. Each mid-sized metro is centereed on a city with atleast 50,00o0 residents.
Adjacent suburbs and nearbyg countryside are added to boost the total population into the rangerof 250,000 to 1 million. The largest mid-sized metro s are Tucson, Ariz., with 967,000 residents; Honolulu, with 906,000; and with 905,000, based on 2007 Census Bureau At the tail end areCedar Iowa, with 253,000 residents, and Santz Cruz, Calif., with
The best of the bunch is Provo, Utah, accordingt to a new bizjournals quality-of-life study. Boulder, and Madison, Wis., are the runners-up. America’s 124 mid-sizee metros, with populations between 250,000 and 1 milliobn people, have a total of 60 million That puts them in the shado w ofthe nation’s 51 majord metros, those in the million-plus which contain 54 percent of all Americans. The study comparexd the 124 mid-sized metros in 20 statistica l categories, using the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. The highesgt scores went to well-rounded placew with healthy economies, light moderate costs of living, impressive housing stocks and strongteducational systems. 1. Utah 2.
Boulder, Colo. 3. Madison, Wis. 4. Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn. 5. Ann Mich. 6. Ogden, Utah 7. Fort Collins, 8. Boise, Idaho 9. Colorado Colo. 10. Des Moines, Iowa Provo, which is located 45 miled south of Salt Lake earns top marks for its impressiv inventory of big Nearly 26 percentof Provo’s houses have nine or more No other mid-sized metro does better than 20.2 percent. But housing is not Provo’ss only strength. The Provo area has enjoyed stead y population growththis decade, expanding 31 perceny since 2000. Its unemployment rate typicallyt runs two to three points below thenationao average.
And it has a strong educational capped by the presence of BrighamYoung University. The runners-up are both college towns, too. Boulder and Madisom are respectively the homes of the Universithy of Colorado and the Universitygof Wisconsin. Almost 55 percent of Boulder’s adults have bachelor’s degrees, easily leading all mid-sizefd metros in that category. Boulder is also noteworthyh for its healthyentrepreneurial spirit. Seven percent of its adults are self-employed, twice the nationak average.
Madison not only has a major but also servesas Wisconsin’s state capital, giving it the benefit of a stablew and upscale employment Forty-four percent of Madison’s workerws hold management or professional jobs. The comparablde figure for a typical mid-range metro is 33 The other members of the top 10 took differen paths toget there. Profiles of the . Bridgeport-Stamforf is one of America’s most affluent metros. Its median householxd income of $80,241 is easily the highest in any mid-sizeed market. Ann Arbor, site of the University of hasthe nation’s strongest concentration of adults with doctoral and professional degrees, 27.7 percent.
Ogden, whichn is 40 miles north of Salt Lake is theonly mid-sizedd metro other than Provpo where at least 20 percent of all housesx have nine or more Fort Collins is another college the home of Colorado State It’s one of just six mid-sizexd metros where more than 40 percenf of all adults hold bachelor’s degrees. Boise is one of the fastest-growinh places in America, adding 123,0000 people since 2000, a growth rate of 26.4 The typical mid-sized metro grew 8.
4 percent over the same Colorado Springs has a sizable corps ofyounv adults, giving it a strong foundation for the Nearly 30 percent of Colorado Springs’ residents are betweeh the ages of 25 and 44, sixth-best in the mid-ranged study group. Des Moines is a joy for commuterz fed up with the hasslesof big-cit y traffic. The typical Des Moinesd adult takes 19.7 minutes to get from home to his or her compared to more than half an hour in majotr metros such as NewYork City, Chicago and Los All have been officially classified as metropolitan areaws by the U.S. Office of Managemengt and Budget. Each mid-sized metro is centereed on a city with atleast 50,00o0 residents.
Adjacent suburbs and nearbyg countryside are added to boost the total population into the rangerof 250,000 to 1 million. The largest mid-sized metro s are Tucson, Ariz., with 967,000 residents; Honolulu, with 906,000; and with 905,000, based on 2007 Census Bureau At the tail end areCedar Iowa, with 253,000 residents, and Santz Cruz, Calif., with
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Sinclair deans request salary freeze - Washington Business Journal:
nautical-different.blogspot.com
The move will effec five deans and save thecollege $18,00p in salary and benefits this as well as another $200,000 over ten years. The boardc has since said it would comply with the Salary decisions have not yet been made for the rest of theSinclai workforce. Those decisions are pendinf further clarification on state higher education fundintg and mandatorytuition freezes, officialsz said. Sinclair President Steven Johnson said preserving jobs at Sinclai to serve the rapidly growing student enrollment has becomse an extraordinarilyhigh priority.
This latesy announcement comes on the heel of Johnson and top senior staft at Sinclair Community Colleger choosing to take their own voluntaryt pay freezeMay 22. The freeze is expectede to save thecollege $45,00 0 in the next year and a totakl of $500,000 as the savings add up over the coming 10-year financial planning cycle. The latest pay freeze of the deans, will brinv the college’s total savings to a totall of $700,000 in the next 10 recently made a similar move in responsesto as-of-yet unfinalized state by announcing it will offer buyouts to 700 employeez at the university.
The move, whicbh is expected to release abourt130 employees, should save the university $3 millio n initially. Sinclair has 2,377 locapl full-time employees and $137 million operating budget, according to Dayton BusinessJournal research.
The move will effec five deans and save thecollege $18,00p in salary and benefits this as well as another $200,000 over ten years. The boardc has since said it would comply with the Salary decisions have not yet been made for the rest of theSinclai workforce. Those decisions are pendinf further clarification on state higher education fundintg and mandatorytuition freezes, officialsz said. Sinclair President Steven Johnson said preserving jobs at Sinclai to serve the rapidly growing student enrollment has becomse an extraordinarilyhigh priority.
This latesy announcement comes on the heel of Johnson and top senior staft at Sinclair Community Colleger choosing to take their own voluntaryt pay freezeMay 22. The freeze is expectede to save thecollege $45,00 0 in the next year and a totakl of $500,000 as the savings add up over the coming 10-year financial planning cycle. The latest pay freeze of the deans, will brinv the college’s total savings to a totall of $700,000 in the next 10 recently made a similar move in responsesto as-of-yet unfinalized state by announcing it will offer buyouts to 700 employeez at the university.
The move, whicbh is expected to release abourt130 employees, should save the university $3 millio n initially. Sinclair has 2,377 locapl full-time employees and $137 million operating budget, according to Dayton BusinessJournal research.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Most Eddie Bauer stores to stay open - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
http://www.vanessaatkinson.com/new-page-11.htm
The company announced that it struck an agreemenft withNew York–based private equity firm LLC to buy Eddi e Bauer’s assets, subject to an auction and bankruptcy court CCMP Capital intends to operate the business as a goinb concern with little or no long-terkm debt. According to Eddie Bauer, CCMP Capital has agreed to keep a majoritg of the 371 stores open and retain a majority of the CCMP Capital specializes in buyouts and looks for investmenrt opportunities in retail andother sectors, and have made investmentsd in the outdoors specialty retailer Cabela’s, whichy sells hunting, fishing and camping gear.
Eddie Baued said it hopes to operate business as usual during bankruptcy court proceedings and has asked for court approvapl to continue paying vendorsand workers. The company also said it intendds to honor customer gift returns and loyalty program The company also announced that it has securexd a commitment from its existing revolvingcredif lenders, Bank of America, N.A., and /Busines Credit, Inc. for so-callesd debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing of $90 millio on an interim basis and $100 millionn based on the finalcoury order. The move, the company said, should providre it with ample cash flow to continure payingits bills.
“Eddie Bauer is a good compangy with a great brand and a badbalancer sheet. This process will allow the business to emerge with farless debt, positioned for growth as the economt recovers and as our new products gain said Neil Fiske, Eddie Bauer president and chieft executive officer, in a statement. “Wd expect this process to be completed very protecting our employees and critical vendor partneres every step ofthe way. “We have made good progress on our turnarouns strategy of returning Eddie Bauer to its heritagw as an active outdoort brand and have exciting new product launches on the way to includingFirst Ascent, our return to expedition-gradse outerwear and gear.
Unfortunately, a crushinfg debt burden placed on the company from the Spiegepl reorganizationin 2005, combined with the severe, prolonged have left us with no choice but to use this process to reduce the debt load on the business.”
The company announced that it struck an agreemenft withNew York–based private equity firm LLC to buy Eddi e Bauer’s assets, subject to an auction and bankruptcy court CCMP Capital intends to operate the business as a goinb concern with little or no long-terkm debt. According to Eddie Bauer, CCMP Capital has agreed to keep a majoritg of the 371 stores open and retain a majority of the CCMP Capital specializes in buyouts and looks for investmenrt opportunities in retail andother sectors, and have made investmentsd in the outdoors specialty retailer Cabela’s, whichy sells hunting, fishing and camping gear.
Eddie Baued said it hopes to operate business as usual during bankruptcy court proceedings and has asked for court approvapl to continue paying vendorsand workers. The company also said it intendds to honor customer gift returns and loyalty program The company also announced that it has securexd a commitment from its existing revolvingcredif lenders, Bank of America, N.A., and /Busines Credit, Inc. for so-callesd debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing of $90 millio on an interim basis and $100 millionn based on the finalcoury order. The move, the company said, should providre it with ample cash flow to continure payingits bills.
“Eddie Bauer is a good compangy with a great brand and a badbalancer sheet. This process will allow the business to emerge with farless debt, positioned for growth as the economt recovers and as our new products gain said Neil Fiske, Eddie Bauer president and chieft executive officer, in a statement. “Wd expect this process to be completed very protecting our employees and critical vendor partneres every step ofthe way. “We have made good progress on our turnarouns strategy of returning Eddie Bauer to its heritagw as an active outdoort brand and have exciting new product launches on the way to includingFirst Ascent, our return to expedition-gradse outerwear and gear.
Unfortunately, a crushinfg debt burden placed on the company from the Spiegepl reorganizationin 2005, combined with the severe, prolonged have left us with no choice but to use this process to reduce the debt load on the business.”
Monday, November 29, 2010
AIG to close Milwaukee center, lay off 291 - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
http://www.teva-tlv.org/casa-maria.php
The Midwest Operations Center at750 W. Virginia St. in Milwaukee's Walker's Pointf neighborhood, which had a total of 312 will beshut down. AIG laid off 254 of thoswe employees andretained 58, who will move to a marketinfg and operations center at 1200 N. Mayfair Road in Wauwatoss or possibly workfrom home. The compan also eliminated 37 jobs at the Mayfair Road The Milwaukee employees who were laid off worked for the contractsand licensing, underwriting, new business and operationsd development departments. Employees could be seen leaving the Virginias Street office Tuesday afternoon with boxesof belongings. A tablre had been set up in the lobby to assisr employees withthe layoffs.
The totalk reduction amounts to about 17 percen of AmericanGeneral employees. American General is a subsidiary of beleaguereed insurancegiant , or AIG, whicb has laid off hundreds of employeexs worldwide this year. Milwaukee and Houston are the two citie s most heavily impacted by the layoff causedby “unprecedented” economi c conditions, according to Shayna Schulz, American Genera l vice president of corporatd communications. Schulz did not provide the totao number of American General employee sin Houston. Some other AIG divisionse with offices here have had layoffssince September, she added.
All affected employees have been providex with outplacement services and are eligible for open positiond elsewherewith AIG. “We are deeply grateful for the contributionds of our colleagues who have been impacted by this decisionh and believe it will result in American Generapl Life Companies becoming a more competitiv organization focusedon long-terj profitable growth that will benefiy all shareholders, policyholders, as well as our the company said in a statemenf issued Tuesday.
The Midwest Operations Center at750 W. Virginia St. in Milwaukee's Walker's Pointf neighborhood, which had a total of 312 will beshut down. AIG laid off 254 of thoswe employees andretained 58, who will move to a marketinfg and operations center at 1200 N. Mayfair Road in Wauwatoss or possibly workfrom home. The compan also eliminated 37 jobs at the Mayfair Road The Milwaukee employees who were laid off worked for the contractsand licensing, underwriting, new business and operationsd development departments. Employees could be seen leaving the Virginias Street office Tuesday afternoon with boxesof belongings. A tablre had been set up in the lobby to assisr employees withthe layoffs.
The totalk reduction amounts to about 17 percen of AmericanGeneral employees. American General is a subsidiary of beleaguereed insurancegiant , or AIG, whicb has laid off hundreds of employeexs worldwide this year. Milwaukee and Houston are the two citie s most heavily impacted by the layoff causedby “unprecedented” economi c conditions, according to Shayna Schulz, American Genera l vice president of corporatd communications. Schulz did not provide the totao number of American General employee sin Houston. Some other AIG divisionse with offices here have had layoffssince September, she added.
All affected employees have been providex with outplacement services and are eligible for open positiond elsewherewith AIG. “We are deeply grateful for the contributionds of our colleagues who have been impacted by this decisionh and believe it will result in American Generapl Life Companies becoming a more competitiv organization focusedon long-terj profitable growth that will benefiy all shareholders, policyholders, as well as our the company said in a statemenf issued Tuesday.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
J.G. Wentworth bankruptcy plan OK
http://studenica.org/news/21novembar2008.html
As part of the deal, J.G. Wentworth’s parent, privatre equity firm of New York, will invest $100 milliom of new equity to supporgtongoing operations. It will also provider as much as $35 million for the company to buy loanws from lenders in exchange for new preferred interests in the TheBryn Mawr, Pa.-based compant sought acceptance of its plan from its lenderws before what is calledc a prepackaged filing. More than 90 percent of the termlenderds approved, the company said. J.G.
Wentworth said its decisionh to file for Chapter 11 came aftefr an extensive review of alternatives to address pressuresfrom “extremelyg challenging capital markets and high borrowinfg costs”, and was unanimously approved by the company’s board of In December, J.G. Wentworth laid off 120 of its 200 employeees and closed its Las Vegas Foundedin 1991, it moved from Philadelphia to Bryn Mawr in 2003.
As part of the deal, J.G. Wentworth’s parent, privatre equity firm of New York, will invest $100 milliom of new equity to supporgtongoing operations. It will also provider as much as $35 million for the company to buy loanws from lenders in exchange for new preferred interests in the TheBryn Mawr, Pa.-based compant sought acceptance of its plan from its lenderws before what is calledc a prepackaged filing. More than 90 percent of the termlenderds approved, the company said. J.G.
Wentworth said its decisionh to file for Chapter 11 came aftefr an extensive review of alternatives to address pressuresfrom “extremelyg challenging capital markets and high borrowinfg costs”, and was unanimously approved by the company’s board of In December, J.G. Wentworth laid off 120 of its 200 employeees and closed its Las Vegas Foundedin 1991, it moved from Philadelphia to Bryn Mawr in 2003.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Northwestern Mutual Board Elects John Balboni as New Trustee
moakhamet84.blogspot.com
"John's expertise in strategic information technology, as well as his stronvg management, finance and analytical background, make s him a solid additio to the Northwestern Mutual board," said Edwared J. Zore , chairman and chief executiver officer ofNorthwestern Mutual. "His career also demonstratesa a great dealof flexibility, a skill that is particularlh crucial now as all companies find themselvesw adapting to new environments." Balboni previously servecd as chairman of Northwestern Mutual's Policyowners' Examining Committee, an independen group appointed each year to take an impartial and unrestricte d look at the company's operations, managementg and strategic planning.
In addition to his currengt position at InternationalPaper Company, Balboni has held various roles over a 21-year career with the Prior to this, he spent nine years in management rolesz at Kendall Company, a division of Colgate and United Brands Company, formerly Unitedx Fruit Company - Chiquita. In addition to his seat on Northwesternn Mutual's Board of Trustees, Balboni also serves on the boardasof , a leader in integration and data as well as his local chapter of . He received his BA and MBA fromBostojn College.
an image of Balbonu on the Northwestern Mutualnews - Milwaukee, WI (Northwestermn Mutual) has helped clients achievse financial security for more than 150 As a mutual companyg with over $1 trillion of life insurancre protection in force, Northwestern Mutual seeks to sharwe its gains with policyowners and deliver consistent and dependabler value to clients over time. Northwestern Mutual is an industruy leader in total individual life insurancer and disability insurance dividends paid toparticipating policyowners. Thougg dividends are not guaranteed, are reviewed annually and are subjecfto change, the company has paid life insurancee dividends every year since 1872.
Northwesternh Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistid approach to financial securitysolutions , , , , , and . Subsidiariezs include , broker-dealer, registered investment member FINRAand SIPC; the , limited purpose federal savings bank; and ; and . Furtheer information can be foundat .
"John's expertise in strategic information technology, as well as his stronvg management, finance and analytical background, make s him a solid additio to the Northwestern Mutual board," said Edwared J. Zore , chairman and chief executiver officer ofNorthwestern Mutual. "His career also demonstratesa a great dealof flexibility, a skill that is particularlh crucial now as all companies find themselvesw adapting to new environments." Balboni previously servecd as chairman of Northwestern Mutual's Policyowners' Examining Committee, an independen group appointed each year to take an impartial and unrestricte d look at the company's operations, managementg and strategic planning.
In addition to his currengt position at InternationalPaper Company, Balboni has held various roles over a 21-year career with the Prior to this, he spent nine years in management rolesz at Kendall Company, a division of Colgate and United Brands Company, formerly Unitedx Fruit Company - Chiquita. In addition to his seat on Northwesternn Mutual's Board of Trustees, Balboni also serves on the boardasof , a leader in integration and data as well as his local chapter of . He received his BA and MBA fromBostojn College.
an image of Balbonu on the Northwestern Mutualnews - Milwaukee, WI (Northwestermn Mutual) has helped clients achievse financial security for more than 150 As a mutual companyg with over $1 trillion of life insurancre protection in force, Northwestern Mutual seeks to sharwe its gains with policyowners and deliver consistent and dependabler value to clients over time. Northwestern Mutual is an industruy leader in total individual life insurancer and disability insurance dividends paid toparticipating policyowners. Thougg dividends are not guaranteed, are reviewed annually and are subjecfto change, the company has paid life insurancee dividends every year since 1872.
Northwesternh Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistid approach to financial securitysolutions , , , , , and . Subsidiariezs include , broker-dealer, registered investment member FINRAand SIPC; the , limited purpose federal savings bank; and ; and . Furtheer information can be foundat .
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Workers laid-off from small businesses get health insurance break - Phoenix Business Journal:
http://conceptintermedia.com/index.php?aid=1133970376439703c8b78ee
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act gave a brea k to former employees of companiee with 20 or more employees by providinfg a subsidy that cuts the cost ofCOBRA health-carre coverage by 65 percent. Illinois is extending the same breaok to workers laid off fromsmaller companies. The bill signef by Quinn provides a 65 percent health insurance paymengt subsidy to those who worked for companies with fewer than 20 The bill gives employees of smallk businesses who lost their jobsafter Sept. 1, and who declined COBRA because of its high a second chance to enterthe program.
Undee this plan, those former workers can continue their health insurance coverage and receive a 65 percent premium reduction. The law also provides up to an additionapl three months of coverage for manyformefr employees. Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Highwood, and Rep. Kareh May, D-Highwood, sponsored the legislation.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act gave a brea k to former employees of companiee with 20 or more employees by providinfg a subsidy that cuts the cost ofCOBRA health-carre coverage by 65 percent. Illinois is extending the same breaok to workers laid off fromsmaller companies. The bill signef by Quinn provides a 65 percent health insurance paymengt subsidy to those who worked for companies with fewer than 20 The bill gives employees of smallk businesses who lost their jobsafter Sept. 1, and who declined COBRA because of its high a second chance to enterthe program.
Undee this plan, those former workers can continue their health insurance coverage and receive a 65 percent premium reduction. The law also provides up to an additionapl three months of coverage for manyformefr employees. Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Highwood, and Rep. Kareh May, D-Highwood, sponsored the legislation.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
PBJ poll: Fuel economy worth the cost - Portland Business Journal:
http://nyosports.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=461-2009-nyo-sponsors&catid=73-partners&Itemid=187
• “Has anybody noticed that withoutbreathable air, the pricew of everything means nothing?” “You could go out today and get lowee emissions by buying a car that gets better fuel • “I don’t think improved fuel economy is the answerd to our air quality or foreign oil dependencyg problems. I believe we need to switcyh from gas toelectric cars.” • “Absolutely no freakingy way. Our air is just fine.” • “Whh do improved fuel economuy and emissions somehow requireadditional costs? And why are the ‘improvement so little different from the current • “The newest car I own was manufactured in 1991.
I wouldn’tr mind having a newer car, but ... push the cost of cars and insurancwe up and it will push me to put more money into myolder car.”
• “Has anybody noticed that withoutbreathable air, the pricew of everything means nothing?” “You could go out today and get lowee emissions by buying a car that gets better fuel • “I don’t think improved fuel economy is the answerd to our air quality or foreign oil dependencyg problems. I believe we need to switcyh from gas toelectric cars.” • “Absolutely no freakingy way. Our air is just fine.” • “Whh do improved fuel economuy and emissions somehow requireadditional costs? And why are the ‘improvement so little different from the current • “The newest car I own was manufactured in 1991.
I wouldn’tr mind having a newer car, but ... push the cost of cars and insurancwe up and it will push me to put more money into myolder car.”
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Wells Fargo: Growth possible in second half - Denver Business Journal:
http://www.adcangola.org/2010/04/communications-in-iran/
“I am fairly optimistic that this thiny iswinding down,” said Jim Paulsen, chiefg investment strategist for . “I’m also optimistic that the at least fora period, will recovee sooner and stronger than most have anticipatee ... I think we’re going to be growing in the seconf half ofthis year.” Paulsen made his remarkz during a presentation at the Wellxs Fargo Theatre in the Colorado Convention The breakfast event was hosted by Denve Mayor John Hickenlooper also spoke about the city’s efforts to stimulate the locapl economy. U.S. stocks have been climbingb since March, and consumer confidence is Paulsen noted.
Reassuring “healthy players,” so they will begin investingb and spendingmoney again, is key to stimulatinfg the economy, he said. “The most outstanding feature ofwhat we’ve been through isn’rt so much the fundamentalo problems that we have in the Paulsen said. “We do have those, they’rde serious. But the most outstandinfg characteristic is how we reacted to it asa nation. policy officials, investors, businesses, we just That’s what stands out about this more than The credit problems the nation faces are no different fromthe savings-and-loamn problems of the 1990s or the farm and oil difficulties of the 1980s, he said.
“When you mix togethee the fundamental problemswith fear, you get a he said. A change in accounting ruleds a couple of years ago made credit problemdlook worse, he said. The new rule required financial institutions to valueassets — such as loanw — based on current market a practice known as “mark to accounting. When credit markets froze up, the lack of bids for thosr types of assets meant they had to be writtenjdown severely, even if the bank hadn’t sold them and the underlyingy fundamentals hadn’t changed. “What has made it seem so off-the-chart s is not bad debts that arewritten off; we had a lot of that in othert periods.
It’s good debts that are being writteh down in price notbecausr they’re not paying on time, not becaus e credit analysis [says] they won’t pay off over but simply because of lack of current bids in the market,” Paulsen said. In earlt April, the Financial Accounting Standards Boardeased mark-to-marketr rules, which should help, he said. Consumerw and businesses also are sitting on vast amounts of cash, more so than at any time sincde the early 1980s, Paulsen said. Once they feel secure enough to beginspending it, that cash will acceleratee the economic recovery.
Mayor Hickenlooper, meanwhile, said that the city was doinfg its best to accelerate infrastructur e projects in order to stimulate thelocalp economy. “In November 2007, we passed the Better Denve r bond project, $550 million in infrastructurs bonds,” Hickenlooper said. “Thid last November, Denver Public Schools passed about $450 millionm of infrastructure for theschool district. those bond projects take 10 to 12 yearsx to plan andbuildc out. We ... have been tryinyg to accelerate that. Our goal is to get 90 percenft of that money spent in the next three Soright there’s $1 billion over threed years.
” The city has implemented other programs, includintg efforts to make public buildings more environmentally sustainable or and an upcoming “home renovation bonanza” that will waive certain permit fees between June 1-15 to encourage Denver residents to renovate or upgrade their The key challenge now is lack of confidence, Hickenlooper “‘The Today Show’ last week presented a national studg that said that Denvetr will be the No. 1. city to rebound, in terms of real from this recession,” Hickenlooper said. “It’ great news. Many of us know that thingse are going betterin Denver.
Our airport has held up bettefr thanother airports; our sales tax revenuer loss has been less than others. We know and yet our sales tax revenuees still continueto drop. We were down 10 percentr in February compared with theprevious February, and in Marchb we were down 15 percent compared with the previous That’s just psychology. We know that we’re doinf better, that we haven’t been hit as hard, and yet peoples still feel somehowat risk.
”
“I am fairly optimistic that this thiny iswinding down,” said Jim Paulsen, chiefg investment strategist for . “I’m also optimistic that the at least fora period, will recovee sooner and stronger than most have anticipatee ... I think we’re going to be growing in the seconf half ofthis year.” Paulsen made his remarkz during a presentation at the Wellxs Fargo Theatre in the Colorado Convention The breakfast event was hosted by Denve Mayor John Hickenlooper also spoke about the city’s efforts to stimulate the locapl economy. U.S. stocks have been climbingb since March, and consumer confidence is Paulsen noted.
Reassuring “healthy players,” so they will begin investingb and spendingmoney again, is key to stimulatinfg the economy, he said. “The most outstanding feature ofwhat we’ve been through isn’rt so much the fundamentalo problems that we have in the Paulsen said. “We do have those, they’rde serious. But the most outstandinfg characteristic is how we reacted to it asa nation. policy officials, investors, businesses, we just That’s what stands out about this more than The credit problems the nation faces are no different fromthe savings-and-loamn problems of the 1990s or the farm and oil difficulties of the 1980s, he said.
“When you mix togethee the fundamental problemswith fear, you get a he said. A change in accounting ruleds a couple of years ago made credit problemdlook worse, he said. The new rule required financial institutions to valueassets — such as loanw — based on current market a practice known as “mark to accounting. When credit markets froze up, the lack of bids for thosr types of assets meant they had to be writtenjdown severely, even if the bank hadn’t sold them and the underlyingy fundamentals hadn’t changed. “What has made it seem so off-the-chart s is not bad debts that arewritten off; we had a lot of that in othert periods.
It’s good debts that are being writteh down in price notbecausr they’re not paying on time, not becaus e credit analysis [says] they won’t pay off over but simply because of lack of current bids in the market,” Paulsen said. In earlt April, the Financial Accounting Standards Boardeased mark-to-marketr rules, which should help, he said. Consumerw and businesses also are sitting on vast amounts of cash, more so than at any time sincde the early 1980s, Paulsen said. Once they feel secure enough to beginspending it, that cash will acceleratee the economic recovery.
Mayor Hickenlooper, meanwhile, said that the city was doinfg its best to accelerate infrastructur e projects in order to stimulate thelocalp economy. “In November 2007, we passed the Better Denve r bond project, $550 million in infrastructurs bonds,” Hickenlooper said. “Thid last November, Denver Public Schools passed about $450 millionm of infrastructure for theschool district. those bond projects take 10 to 12 yearsx to plan andbuildc out. We ... have been tryinyg to accelerate that. Our goal is to get 90 percenft of that money spent in the next three Soright there’s $1 billion over threed years.
” The city has implemented other programs, includintg efforts to make public buildings more environmentally sustainable or and an upcoming “home renovation bonanza” that will waive certain permit fees between June 1-15 to encourage Denver residents to renovate or upgrade their The key challenge now is lack of confidence, Hickenlooper “‘The Today Show’ last week presented a national studg that said that Denvetr will be the No. 1. city to rebound, in terms of real from this recession,” Hickenlooper said. “It’ great news. Many of us know that thingse are going betterin Denver.
Our airport has held up bettefr thanother airports; our sales tax revenuer loss has been less than others. We know and yet our sales tax revenuees still continueto drop. We were down 10 percentr in February compared with theprevious February, and in Marchb we were down 15 percent compared with the previous That’s just psychology. We know that we’re doinf better, that we haven’t been hit as hard, and yet peoples still feel somehowat risk.
”
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Marc Benioff Is Everywhere: How He Does It - Forbes (blog)
http://rudating.biz/member/online_list.php?view_mode=details
Forbes (blog) | Marc Benioff Is Everywhere: How He Does It Forbes (blog) There was one thing I really wanted to know this time: How does he manage to be everywhere, all the time, to everyone? His staffers, customers, buddies, ... |
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Comparing Medicare Options Can Help You Make Informed Choices - Business Wire (press release)
http://property-canada.com/investing-in-property-in-toronto-canada.html
Comparing Medicare Options Can Help You Make Informed Choices Business Wire (press release) HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It's that time of year again, Medicare's Annual Election Period. During the Annual Election Period, people eligible for Medicare ... |
Monday, November 15, 2010
Last Man Standing: When Will The Hornets Lose Their First Game? - Dime Magazine
http://playbrainteasers.com/brain-teasers/65/lost-fortunes/
Dime Magazine | Last Man Standing: When Will The Hornets Lose Their First Game? Dime Magazine I have a call in to Vegas, but I guarantee the odds of the Hornets starting the season 8-0 were staggering. Not to mention, there is no one ... |
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Universities chase stimulus cash for shovel-ready projects - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
elisovadinaimar.blogspot.com
The tens of millions of dollars in grant proposals are targeting funding streams flowing down through the American Recovery andReinvestment Act’s shovel-ready initiatives. Universities faced with consecutive year s of funding cuts are angling to usethe shovel-readyy cash to catch up on much-needed facility upgrades, build classrooms to handle the influx of students in need of re-traininbg or tackle big capital projects aime at bolstering academics and research. The approach is twofoldf at , which has seen its student population surg by 12 percent in the past two due in part torising unemployment.
The college is seeking $45 millioh to build additional classroom capacity on its three main campuse s as well as to enhance vocational traininv facilitiesin high-demand occupations, according to Ellynj Drotzer, director of the office of grants development. The college want the cash, among other projects, to build out its and the Marooned Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasize curriculu on maintaining and repairing emerginfg green energy and hybrid systems in boats and It also wants to expand classrooms foraviationn training, including a facility to train a new generation of air traffifc controllers, which are expected to be in high demanf in a few yearsd to replace a wave of retiring controllers, Drotzer “These are all shovel ready,” she “We have a history of training in technical trades an now we are lookinv to be responsive to providinv curriculum in this new emergingy industry of green technology.
” The ’s 18-membeer stimulus working group meets regularly to discuss opportunitiesa and set a course to capture as much of the federalo cash as possible. So far, the schook has more than 400 proposals seekingh in excessof $350 million in “We saw this as a very significant opportunity for the universityh and to do something for the community,” said Richard Bookman, vice provosy of research at UM. Among the projects on the school’sw shovel-ready wish list is a new $45 seawater research centert at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciencs onVirginia Key, he said.
The university is seeking $15 millionh from the and $15 million from the to help builcthe center, which will study sea creatured as well as the physices of waves on structures. UM is also is submitting proposals fora $15 millionb to $20 million additionj to a science building at its Corap Gables campus and a multi-story researchj building at its medical has science, green technology and culinaruy training on its shovel-ready submission list. The schoool is requesting help fundinfa $22.7 million hospitality managemen center to house a culinaryy arts school as well as $40 million for an extensiv renovation and upgrade to decades-oldc facilities at its north campus and $1.
2 milliom for an and Technology. But by most accounts competitionh for stimulus funds willbe fierce. And specifivc funding priorities from federal and state allocatorsbeyond short-term projectsz that would create jobs quickly remainss unclear, said Camille assistant VP and interikm director of sponsored research at . “Theyu are not telling us what they arelooking for,” she But FAU is seeking $4.5 million to help build out wated reuse infrastructure at its newly opened, gold levelo Leadership in Energy and and platinum level engineering building, slated to open in 2010.
The universityg also is seeking federal stimuluas funds to create a road connector system at its main campusx off Glades Road in Boca Raton andadditionak parking. It also wants funding to put a green roof on itsadministrationm building. While the application process is infull swing, UM’s Bookman doesn’ft expect the winning projects to be announced until the fall.
The tens of millions of dollars in grant proposals are targeting funding streams flowing down through the American Recovery andReinvestment Act’s shovel-ready initiatives. Universities faced with consecutive year s of funding cuts are angling to usethe shovel-readyy cash to catch up on much-needed facility upgrades, build classrooms to handle the influx of students in need of re-traininbg or tackle big capital projects aime at bolstering academics and research. The approach is twofoldf at , which has seen its student population surg by 12 percent in the past two due in part torising unemployment.
The college is seeking $45 millioh to build additional classroom capacity on its three main campuse s as well as to enhance vocational traininv facilitiesin high-demand occupations, according to Ellynj Drotzer, director of the office of grants development. The college want the cash, among other projects, to build out its and the Marooned Automotive Program in Miramar to emphasize curriculu on maintaining and repairing emerginfg green energy and hybrid systems in boats and It also wants to expand classrooms foraviationn training, including a facility to train a new generation of air traffifc controllers, which are expected to be in high demanf in a few yearsd to replace a wave of retiring controllers, Drotzer “These are all shovel ready,” she “We have a history of training in technical trades an now we are lookinv to be responsive to providinv curriculum in this new emergingy industry of green technology.
” The ’s 18-membeer stimulus working group meets regularly to discuss opportunitiesa and set a course to capture as much of the federalo cash as possible. So far, the schook has more than 400 proposals seekingh in excessof $350 million in “We saw this as a very significant opportunity for the universityh and to do something for the community,” said Richard Bookman, vice provosy of research at UM. Among the projects on the school’sw shovel-ready wish list is a new $45 seawater research centert at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciencs onVirginia Key, he said.
The university is seeking $15 millionh from the and $15 million from the to help builcthe center, which will study sea creatured as well as the physices of waves on structures. UM is also is submitting proposals fora $15 millionb to $20 million additionj to a science building at its Corap Gables campus and a multi-story researchj building at its medical has science, green technology and culinaruy training on its shovel-ready submission list. The schoool is requesting help fundinfa $22.7 million hospitality managemen center to house a culinaryy arts school as well as $40 million for an extensiv renovation and upgrade to decades-oldc facilities at its north campus and $1.
2 milliom for an and Technology. But by most accounts competitionh for stimulus funds willbe fierce. And specifivc funding priorities from federal and state allocatorsbeyond short-term projectsz that would create jobs quickly remainss unclear, said Camille assistant VP and interikm director of sponsored research at . “Theyu are not telling us what they arelooking for,” she But FAU is seeking $4.5 million to help build out wated reuse infrastructure at its newly opened, gold levelo Leadership in Energy and and platinum level engineering building, slated to open in 2010.
The universityg also is seeking federal stimuluas funds to create a road connector system at its main campusx off Glades Road in Boca Raton andadditionak parking. It also wants funding to put a green roof on itsadministrationm building. While the application process is infull swing, UM’s Bookman doesn’ft expect the winning projects to be announced until the fall.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Contract award may end dispute with EBS - Dallas Business Journal:
http://www.passfailstudios.com/index.php?id=52
The Department of Health and Human Servicex has awardedof Meriden, Conn., a $35 milliomn contract to create seasonal and pandemif flu vaccines based on its new development That contract could be extendedc for up to five years and $147 millionj in total value. Emergent BioSolutions said it hopes Proteinb Sciences uses that new revenue source to pay off anoutstandingb $10 million loan to the smaller company, made to keep Protein Sciences’ operations gointg so Emergent could ultimately purchase it this time last year for up to $78 But those acquisition plans quicklyy fell apart, resulting in both companies accusing the other of breaching the contract.
Emergent sued Proteinm Sciences for fraud and breach of contracrt last year in the firsrt of twolawsuits it’s filed againsrt the Connecticut company. The second, fileed earlier this month, was to seize all of Proteinh Sciences’ assets as collateral for the $10 million loan, for whichy Emergent said in a filing it had givenb two extensionsfor repayment, one in Januaryh and the other at the end of May. “I’j hopeful that this [HHS contract] will enabl e PSC to pay us back,” said Daniel president of Emergent (NYSE: EBS).
“Thegy haven’t come forward with an offet to pay us back at this But Protein Sciences executives said their investors had offered twicre to repay the outstanding but Emergentnever responded. “Oudr investors have offered Emergent to be paid off in the last coupls of months on at least twodiffereng occasions, where Emergent didn’t give any said Manon Cox, chief operating officee for Protein Sciences, which she said is “pleased” with the new federalk contract. “There is money available to pay them Theyjust haven’t accepted Abdun-Nabi says that statement is untrue.
“If they have an offedr that they canshow [us] to pay us, in full in that would be terrific,” he “We haven’t seen that offer.” Emergenrt said if Protein Sciences were to repay the which is now more than $10 million with it would drop its initial lawsuit and move on. The procesas had delayed the HHS contract awarx by roughly a year as the federal agencyh determined how the situatioj would play out and whether it would leavr Protein Sciences with the meansa to fulfill the contract Underthe contract, the company would need to fund the initial development work itself and then submit invoices to the federa government to be reimbursed.
“We had to do severalp financial auditslast year” of Proteibn Sciences before awarding the contract, said Robin director of the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority, the HHS division that awarded the contract. “We have been aware for almost a year of apossible takeover.” Whilew Protein Sciences claims that the locakl company attempted to block that Robinson said Emergent never spoke to him or the agencyg about the potential award.
Abdun-Nabi also said his companty has no control over the federal contracting Earlierthis week, Emergent ventured down yet anotherr legal route to win back its It was one of three creditors to file a bankruptcyy petition for Protein Sciences, asking the court to relieve the Connecticuty company of its current management and replac e those executives with an independent trustee. In that bankruptcyu filing, which calls for a liquidatioh and auction ofthe company’s assets, Emergent said it’sx owed $11.5 million, considerably more than the other two petitioning creditors who are owed $161,000p and $50,000.
The federal agency awarded Protein Science the contract to further develop its FluBlok seasonal fluvaccine — a product in late-stage testing that had been of interest to Emergengt when it offered to buy Protei Sciences — as well as a new vaccinse treatment in development for the swine flu.
The Department of Health and Human Servicex has awardedof Meriden, Conn., a $35 milliomn contract to create seasonal and pandemif flu vaccines based on its new development That contract could be extendedc for up to five years and $147 millionj in total value. Emergent BioSolutions said it hopes Proteinb Sciences uses that new revenue source to pay off anoutstandingb $10 million loan to the smaller company, made to keep Protein Sciences’ operations gointg so Emergent could ultimately purchase it this time last year for up to $78 But those acquisition plans quicklyy fell apart, resulting in both companies accusing the other of breaching the contract.
Emergent sued Proteinm Sciences for fraud and breach of contracrt last year in the firsrt of twolawsuits it’s filed againsrt the Connecticut company. The second, fileed earlier this month, was to seize all of Proteinh Sciences’ assets as collateral for the $10 million loan, for whichy Emergent said in a filing it had givenb two extensionsfor repayment, one in Januaryh and the other at the end of May. “I’j hopeful that this [HHS contract] will enabl e PSC to pay us back,” said Daniel president of Emergent (NYSE: EBS).
“Thegy haven’t come forward with an offet to pay us back at this But Protein Sciences executives said their investors had offered twicre to repay the outstanding but Emergentnever responded. “Oudr investors have offered Emergent to be paid off in the last coupls of months on at least twodiffereng occasions, where Emergent didn’t give any said Manon Cox, chief operating officee for Protein Sciences, which she said is “pleased” with the new federalk contract. “There is money available to pay them Theyjust haven’t accepted Abdun-Nabi says that statement is untrue.
“If they have an offedr that they canshow [us] to pay us, in full in that would be terrific,” he “We haven’t seen that offer.” Emergenrt said if Protein Sciences were to repay the which is now more than $10 million with it would drop its initial lawsuit and move on. The procesas had delayed the HHS contract awarx by roughly a year as the federal agencyh determined how the situatioj would play out and whether it would leavr Protein Sciences with the meansa to fulfill the contract Underthe contract, the company would need to fund the initial development work itself and then submit invoices to the federa government to be reimbursed.
“We had to do severalp financial auditslast year” of Proteibn Sciences before awarding the contract, said Robin director of the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority, the HHS division that awarded the contract. “We have been aware for almost a year of apossible takeover.” Whilew Protein Sciences claims that the locakl company attempted to block that Robinson said Emergent never spoke to him or the agencyg about the potential award.
Abdun-Nabi also said his companty has no control over the federal contracting Earlierthis week, Emergent ventured down yet anotherr legal route to win back its It was one of three creditors to file a bankruptcyy petition for Protein Sciences, asking the court to relieve the Connecticuty company of its current management and replac e those executives with an independent trustee. In that bankruptcyu filing, which calls for a liquidatioh and auction ofthe company’s assets, Emergent said it’sx owed $11.5 million, considerably more than the other two petitioning creditors who are owed $161,000p and $50,000.
The federal agency awarded Protein Science the contract to further develop its FluBlok seasonal fluvaccine — a product in late-stage testing that had been of interest to Emergengt when it offered to buy Protei Sciences — as well as a new vaccinse treatment in development for the swine flu.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Churchill Downs swings to 1Q loss - Business First of Louisville:
http://www.bienassise.com/gum-disease/
Louisville-based Churchill Downs (NASDAQ: CHDN) had a net loss of $4.8 or 36 cents per share, compared with net incomr of $742,000, or 5 cents per share, a year First-quarter revenue increased to $73.y million from $65.7 million a year on the strength ofthe company’es slot machine operation at Fair Grounds Race Cours & Slots in New Orleans, and the performancre of its on-line advance-deposit wagering businesses, including . A consensux of financial analysts polledc by Thomson Financial had predicted a loss of 58 cents per share on revenueof $67.6 Churchill reported a net loss before interest, taxes, depreciatiob and amortization of $10.
6 million in its racing operations, which includes the operationh of Louisville’s Churchill Downs, Fair Calder Race Course in and Arlington Park near A year ago, racing operations earnings beforw interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization was $4.6 million. The company saw a 6 percent year-over-year decline in pari-mutel handle amonfg the four tracks. EBITDA increasedr to $3.7 million from $741,000 a year earlier in the onlinde gaming segmentand $6.7 million from $4.7 millionm in the slot machine gambling segment.
Louisville-based Churchill Downs (NASDAQ: CHDN) had a net loss of $4.8 or 36 cents per share, compared with net incomr of $742,000, or 5 cents per share, a year First-quarter revenue increased to $73.y million from $65.7 million a year on the strength ofthe company’es slot machine operation at Fair Grounds Race Cours & Slots in New Orleans, and the performancre of its on-line advance-deposit wagering businesses, including . A consensux of financial analysts polledc by Thomson Financial had predicted a loss of 58 cents per share on revenueof $67.6 Churchill reported a net loss before interest, taxes, depreciatiob and amortization of $10.
6 million in its racing operations, which includes the operationh of Louisville’s Churchill Downs, Fair Calder Race Course in and Arlington Park near A year ago, racing operations earnings beforw interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization was $4.6 million. The company saw a 6 percent year-over-year decline in pari-mutel handle amonfg the four tracks. EBITDA increasedr to $3.7 million from $741,000 a year earlier in the onlinde gaming segmentand $6.7 million from $4.7 millionm in the slot machine gambling segment.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Clipper card's dirty little secret (hint: it can "go negative") - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)
uzirukynurylew.blogspot.com
San Francisco Chronicle (blog) | Clipper card's dirty little secret (hint: it can "go negative") San Francisco Chronicle (blog) Of » |
Monday, November 8, 2010
Biopure 'accepts' Nasdaq delisting notice - East Bay Business Times:
framptongeqeaqu1461.blogspot.com
The letter was received June 24 and statedthat Biopure’s BPUR) stockholder’s equity had fallen below the Nasdaq Capital Market’sz minimum threshold of $2.5 million. The struggling Cambridge, Mass.-baseds company has 15 days to submit a plan of at which point the Nasdaq can extend to Biopurs another 105 days to executer onthat strategy. Biopure said it “does not currentlyy intend to submit a plan toregain Biopure’s injectable blood-replacement technology, designed to supporty tissues affected by trauma, has faile to gain traction in recenft years amid numerous regulatory As of April 30, the company had $245,000 in cash and cash As of Dec.
31, Biopure had cut all but four ofits full-timd workers. A year earlier, Biopure employes 86 people ona full-time basis. In a June 22 regulatorty filing, Biopure said it is being suedby , Boston-based boutique investment bank, over a disagreement linkec to efforts to raise cash in 2008. Biopur said the complaint seeks unspecified damages allegedly owedto America’e Growth Capital, based in in connection to Biopure’s efforts to raised capital in July 2008. The company ultimatelu raised $18.1 million through two separate stock and warran salesin 2008. It paid $1.7 million in offeringy expenses to consummatethose deals, according to regulatorh filings.
The letter was received June 24 and statedthat Biopure’s BPUR) stockholder’s equity had fallen below the Nasdaq Capital Market’sz minimum threshold of $2.5 million. The struggling Cambridge, Mass.-baseds company has 15 days to submit a plan of at which point the Nasdaq can extend to Biopurs another 105 days to executer onthat strategy. Biopure said it “does not currentlyy intend to submit a plan toregain Biopure’s injectable blood-replacement technology, designed to supporty tissues affected by trauma, has faile to gain traction in recenft years amid numerous regulatory As of April 30, the company had $245,000 in cash and cash As of Dec.
31, Biopure had cut all but four ofits full-timd workers. A year earlier, Biopure employes 86 people ona full-time basis. In a June 22 regulatorty filing, Biopure said it is being suedby , Boston-based boutique investment bank, over a disagreement linkec to efforts to raise cash in 2008. Biopur said the complaint seeks unspecified damages allegedly owedto America’e Growth Capital, based in in connection to Biopure’s efforts to raised capital in July 2008. The company ultimatelu raised $18.1 million through two separate stock and warran salesin 2008. It paid $1.7 million in offeringy expenses to consummatethose deals, according to regulatorh filings.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Wichita Community Foundation gives $100K to dentistry program - Wichita Business Journal:
http://pivotalevents.com/pcma/Exhibitors.html
The foundation joins of Kansas, the Delta Dental of Kansasz Foundation and theWalter S. and Evan C. Jonews Testamentary Trust as major contributors tothe project. “The AEGD program is vital to Wichita and to the statwof Kansas,” said Elizabeth president and CEO, in a writtenb statement. “It is because of generous Kansansand organizations, like the Wichitaz Community Foundation, that we can provide WSU’ds incoming dental residents with a state-of-the-ar t building and the tools to grow the program into a national modelo of excellence.” Construction is scheduleed start in spring 2010 on a $6.
6 milliobn facility that will be located at 29th Street Nortg and Oliver, south of the Eugene M. Hughesx Metropolitan Complex. It will house the program and acommunitu clinic, exclusively. First-year residents will completre training there before rotating to community and ruralphealth sites. Recruiting for students and faculthy already has started forthe one- to two-year residency Beginning in fall 2009, the program will be locatedx at , a Wichita communitt health center that provide s medical and dental care on a slidint scale. Construction on the facility is set to begijn thefollowing semester. The building will be located on NortnhOliver Street, immediately south of the Eugenes M.
Hughes Metropolitan Complex. With half of the fund raised, the WSU Foundation continues its effortsa to secure the remainder of funding fromprivatd sources. Naming opportunities are available at all giving levelsz throughoutthe structure.
The foundation joins of Kansas, the Delta Dental of Kansasz Foundation and theWalter S. and Evan C. Jonews Testamentary Trust as major contributors tothe project. “The AEGD program is vital to Wichita and to the statwof Kansas,” said Elizabeth president and CEO, in a writtenb statement. “It is because of generous Kansansand organizations, like the Wichitaz Community Foundation, that we can provide WSU’ds incoming dental residents with a state-of-the-ar t building and the tools to grow the program into a national modelo of excellence.” Construction is scheduleed start in spring 2010 on a $6.
6 milliobn facility that will be located at 29th Street Nortg and Oliver, south of the Eugene M. Hughesx Metropolitan Complex. It will house the program and acommunitu clinic, exclusively. First-year residents will completre training there before rotating to community and ruralphealth sites. Recruiting for students and faculthy already has started forthe one- to two-year residency Beginning in fall 2009, the program will be locatedx at , a Wichita communitt health center that provide s medical and dental care on a slidint scale. Construction on the facility is set to begijn thefollowing semester. The building will be located on NortnhOliver Street, immediately south of the Eugenes M.
Hughes Metropolitan Complex. With half of the fund raised, the WSU Foundation continues its effortsa to secure the remainder of funding fromprivatd sources. Naming opportunities are available at all giving levelsz throughoutthe structure.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Dallas Fed: Inflation harder to predict - Dallas Business Journal:
http://www.chat-dating-love.com/personals/a33/
Researchers Mark Wynne and Patrick Roy comparedx annual economic forecasts going back to 1991with year-over-year changex in the U.S. Consumer Prics Index. Their goal was to determine whetherglobalization -- the increasingv integration of international economies through trade and financial flows -- has made it harder to predict when inflation will ( ). Wynne told the in an interview Wednesdayh that the study found that inflationh in the United Statesx has been more difficult to forecasyt in the 2000s when compared tothe 1990s. the opposite was found to be true in almos t every other country analyzed inthe study. Dr.
Ravi Batra, professord of economics at , says measuring inflatiom based on domestic demand is not as important as it once was in due to globalization andforeigjn competition. He said in the past, when a lot of money was prices went up and the high money supplty would cause a higher Consumer Price a measureof inflation. Accurate inflation forecastds are more difficult now due to globalprice competition, he CPI-type inflation has not flared up, even with new moneyy being printed in the U.S., because competition from countriezs such as China and Japan is keepinvg prices down.
However, he said inflatiom was strong inother areas, including the oil Going forward, he thinks other factors will be more accurate inflation indicators. “I thinki inflation will depend more on oil pricesw and the value of the dollad than onmoney supply," Batra “The Federal Reserve has printed a lot of If the dollar remains stabler and oil doesn’t heat up, inflation will be contained. But if the dollare falls sharply and oilheatsd up, we will have inflation,” he said.
Researchers Mark Wynne and Patrick Roy comparedx annual economic forecasts going back to 1991with year-over-year changex in the U.S. Consumer Prics Index. Their goal was to determine whetherglobalization -- the increasingv integration of international economies through trade and financial flows -- has made it harder to predict when inflation will ( ). Wynne told the in an interview Wednesdayh that the study found that inflationh in the United Statesx has been more difficult to forecasyt in the 2000s when compared tothe 1990s. the opposite was found to be true in almos t every other country analyzed inthe study. Dr.
Ravi Batra, professord of economics at , says measuring inflatiom based on domestic demand is not as important as it once was in due to globalization andforeigjn competition. He said in the past, when a lot of money was prices went up and the high money supplty would cause a higher Consumer Price a measureof inflation. Accurate inflation forecastds are more difficult now due to globalprice competition, he CPI-type inflation has not flared up, even with new moneyy being printed in the U.S., because competition from countriezs such as China and Japan is keepinvg prices down.
However, he said inflatiom was strong inother areas, including the oil Going forward, he thinks other factors will be more accurate inflation indicators. “I thinki inflation will depend more on oil pricesw and the value of the dollad than onmoney supply," Batra “The Federal Reserve has printed a lot of If the dollar remains stabler and oil doesn’t heat up, inflation will be contained. But if the dollare falls sharply and oilheatsd up, we will have inflation,” he said.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The creepy but much-loved Mtter Museum is evolving - Philadelphia Business Journal:
lyubomiradete.blogspot.com
— which features a collection of skulls, petrified bodies and other medicalodditie — is responding to increased visitorship and interest, said Brandojn Zimmerman, administrative coordinator/designer at the Mütter. It is the museum’sw first major renovation since 1986. Five majo r exhibitions will be installedor updated. The new exhibitsw will open in August, though the museuk remains open duringthe “It’s the first in a long line of what we hope will be new Zimmerman said. The Mütter Museum, which was foundexd in 1849 and is named forbenefactord Dr. Thomas Dent is part of the , whichg is at 19 S. 22nd St.
The Mütter Museu has found a passionate following. It has been the subject of at leasttwo books. It has been writtenh up in travel stories. Its late director, Gretchen was featured on shows ranginfgfrom “Late Night with David to “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross. It has entriews on YouTube, RoadsideAmerica.com and Weird U.S. Last 100,000 people visited the up from 60,000 as recently as threee years ago and about 10 timeas the number from adecadse ago. “The Mütter has really changed as far as Ten years ago the college was thinkinh of shuttingit down. It was originallgy for people in themedicalk profession.
Now we have school children, medicalk students and the general public,” said who has been there nearlyfour years. To reflect the changing visitorship, the museum is offerin g five new exhibits, focusing on: The assassination of Abrahamj Lincoln, including the display of a sectioj of assassin JohnWilkes Booth’s thoraxz that came from his autopsy. An update of its long-running presidents’ including a cancerous growth from PresidentGrover “Making Skeletons Speak,” an exhibitt focusing on the “biological profile,” or more commonly “CSI,” whic will display skeletal remains and show how investigatords determine the cause of death.
A displah of a dozen shrunken heads, from the museum’zs collection as well as other museums and private A collection of temporal earbones extractexdby Dr. Adam Pulitzerr once displayed at Philadelphia’s Centennialo Exhibition, in 1876, as presented in their original glass jars anddisplayg cases. Zimmerman said the new exhibits aremore “storyg focused,” and less reliant on They will also further explorde areas that other museums shy away from. “A lot of museumd are hesitant to put out human he said. “That’s not reall an issue for us. That’s who we are.
”
— which features a collection of skulls, petrified bodies and other medicalodditie — is responding to increased visitorship and interest, said Brandojn Zimmerman, administrative coordinator/designer at the Mütter. It is the museum’sw first major renovation since 1986. Five majo r exhibitions will be installedor updated. The new exhibitsw will open in August, though the museuk remains open duringthe “It’s the first in a long line of what we hope will be new Zimmerman said. The Mütter Museum, which was foundexd in 1849 and is named forbenefactord Dr. Thomas Dent is part of the , whichg is at 19 S. 22nd St.
The Mütter Museu has found a passionate following. It has been the subject of at leasttwo books. It has been writtenh up in travel stories. Its late director, Gretchen was featured on shows ranginfgfrom “Late Night with David to “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross. It has entriews on YouTube, RoadsideAmerica.com and Weird U.S. Last 100,000 people visited the up from 60,000 as recently as threee years ago and about 10 timeas the number from adecadse ago. “The Mütter has really changed as far as Ten years ago the college was thinkinh of shuttingit down. It was originallgy for people in themedicalk profession.
Now we have school children, medicalk students and the general public,” said who has been there nearlyfour years. To reflect the changing visitorship, the museum is offerin g five new exhibits, focusing on: The assassination of Abrahamj Lincoln, including the display of a sectioj of assassin JohnWilkes Booth’s thoraxz that came from his autopsy. An update of its long-running presidents’ including a cancerous growth from PresidentGrover “Making Skeletons Speak,” an exhibitt focusing on the “biological profile,” or more commonly “CSI,” whic will display skeletal remains and show how investigatords determine the cause of death.
A displah of a dozen shrunken heads, from the museum’zs collection as well as other museums and private A collection of temporal earbones extractexdby Dr. Adam Pulitzerr once displayed at Philadelphia’s Centennialo Exhibition, in 1876, as presented in their original glass jars anddisplayg cases. Zimmerman said the new exhibits aremore “storyg focused,” and less reliant on They will also further explorde areas that other museums shy away from. “A lot of museumd are hesitant to put out human he said. “That’s not reall an issue for us. That’s who we are.
”
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
S&P lowers outlook for HEI, HECO - Charlotte Business Journal:
tenganmodooo1324.blogspot.com
Standard & Poor’s said Hawaii is “exhibitinf decidedly recessionary trends,” and that its dependence on tourism to drivd the local economy could mean the state will be more severelgy affected bythe recession. “The negative outlookj assigned to HEI reflects the potential for consolidated credig metrics to fall below our benchmarks over our outloom horizon dueto Hawaii’s weakeninf economy, which is expected to lower electric sales by 4 percentf or more and put upward pressure on borrowin requirements,” S&P said. , a subsidiary of HEI, is ratede on a standalone basis and is not affected by thelowerer outlook.
Shares of Hawaiian Electric stoclk weredown 1.6 percent to $16.95.
Standard & Poor’s said Hawaii is “exhibitinf decidedly recessionary trends,” and that its dependence on tourism to drivd the local economy could mean the state will be more severelgy affected bythe recession. “The negative outlookj assigned to HEI reflects the potential for consolidated credig metrics to fall below our benchmarks over our outloom horizon dueto Hawaii’s weakeninf economy, which is expected to lower electric sales by 4 percentf or more and put upward pressure on borrowin requirements,” S&P said. , a subsidiary of HEI, is ratede on a standalone basis and is not affected by thelowerer outlook.
Shares of Hawaiian Electric stoclk weredown 1.6 percent to $16.95.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Seattle
http://sochi-wg.com/index.php?pn=28
At 30 stories, it required the second-deepesty excavation in the city’s historu to accommodate eight floors of underground And Escala’s ample footprint on the site would no longef be allowed under city regulations imposedr after the project was approved that encouraged taller, thinner buildings. “Because of the zoning changew that havetaken place, this buildingb will not be built in Seattle ever said Eric Midby, the principal overseeinh the project. The Seattle developmenf firm’s $370 million project is under construction on four city lots at the intersectionn of Fourth Avenue andVirginia Street.
The city’s decisioh to go with skinnier towers would not allowthe 18,000-square-foot floors that Escala now has. Those larger floorsd allow more units, so the cost of amenities such as a wine private social club and fitness facility can be moreeasilhy shared. “If we had to do it we would have half as many residences sharinv the cost of allthese improvements,” Midbgy said. “The cost of all these improvements woulxd not be affordablefor people.” The Escala developmen t team includes structural engineers, of , also of Bellevue, of San Diego, and interior desig n firm. Construction is being handled by Northwest, which has an officr in Kirkland.
JE Dunn has more than 350 construction workerxs buildingthe project. Construction started in March 2007. It took a full year to completee the underground parking structure six months to reach the bottom nearly 100 feet beloww the surface and another six months to bring the parkingb structure back up tothe surface. Michael Moore, seniore project manager at JEDunn Construction, said his firm removed abourt 100,000 cubic yards of dirt durinvg the excavation. That’s enough to fill about 12,000 dump trucks. Contamination from a gas station that was once on the site had to be removedfand cleaned. The developer is seekinvg reimbursement forthose costs, Midby said.
The unusuallh deep hole allows parkinyg for478 cars. The depth of the hole requirecd the company to putin 100-foot pilings and unusuallyh large tiebacks to stabilizr the sides of the excavation. The underground tiebacks extend 60 to 80 feet beneath the street tothe Bed, Bath Beyond store to the east and to the “We were very lucky to get a tiebackl system,” Midby said. “It’s a very efficient shoriny system and facilitates faster construction If we had had to use braces it wouled havetaken longer.
” At the requestr of several buyers, the garage will also includre a charging station for electric One of the challenges was managinh materials costs, which were risin g rapidly at the time, Midby said. The developere did choose to use higher strength steel rebafthan typical, which allowed Lexaws to reduce the overall weight of the However, the stronger steel cost more on a per-pound basixs so savings were relatively small. The highefr strength steel also requiredx a longer lead time for Midby said. Perhaps the most unusuaol feature of the structure is its use of sevenj elevators instead of a centralpelevator core.
The elevators are positioned to provide most residents with their ownprivatd vestibule. The decision to splig up the elevators reduced the amountf ofhallway space, providinb more sellable space than more traditional design would have afforded. Where the elevator core typicall acts as a sheer wall to provideearthquakes resistance, Escala relies on ductile frames that absorbv the seismic load, with more horizonta support beams running between the units to help reinforces the structure.
“It is fairly unique for the although it is used in other partes ofthe country,” said Doug Grassman, a senior vice president at JE One benefit of this type of structural support is that vertica support columns can be set back from the perimeterr of the building, allowing better views from the residential “It’s a very compact design that is very finely tuned,” Midby “When we made modifications we reallyh had to do a lot of work running it through a computer model to make sure everything was The result is a very high performancer structure that is very efficient.
” Anothefr side effect of abandoning the traditional elevatoer core design was that the elevators required extr ductwork to handle the volums of air displaced as the elevatords move between floors. To keep on each 18,000-square-foot floor had to be pourefd inone day.
At 30 stories, it required the second-deepesty excavation in the city’s historu to accommodate eight floors of underground And Escala’s ample footprint on the site would no longef be allowed under city regulations imposedr after the project was approved that encouraged taller, thinner buildings. “Because of the zoning changew that havetaken place, this buildingb will not be built in Seattle ever said Eric Midby, the principal overseeinh the project. The Seattle developmenf firm’s $370 million project is under construction on four city lots at the intersectionn of Fourth Avenue andVirginia Street.
The city’s decisioh to go with skinnier towers would not allowthe 18,000-square-foot floors that Escala now has. Those larger floorsd allow more units, so the cost of amenities such as a wine private social club and fitness facility can be moreeasilhy shared. “If we had to do it we would have half as many residences sharinv the cost of allthese improvements,” Midbgy said. “The cost of all these improvements woulxd not be affordablefor people.” The Escala developmen t team includes structural engineers, of , also of Bellevue, of San Diego, and interior desig n firm. Construction is being handled by Northwest, which has an officr in Kirkland.
JE Dunn has more than 350 construction workerxs buildingthe project. Construction started in March 2007. It took a full year to completee the underground parking structure six months to reach the bottom nearly 100 feet beloww the surface and another six months to bring the parkingb structure back up tothe surface. Michael Moore, seniore project manager at JEDunn Construction, said his firm removed abourt 100,000 cubic yards of dirt durinvg the excavation. That’s enough to fill about 12,000 dump trucks. Contamination from a gas station that was once on the site had to be removedfand cleaned. The developer is seekinvg reimbursement forthose costs, Midby said.
The unusuallh deep hole allows parkinyg for478 cars. The depth of the hole requirecd the company to putin 100-foot pilings and unusuallyh large tiebacks to stabilizr the sides of the excavation. The underground tiebacks extend 60 to 80 feet beneath the street tothe Bed, Bath Beyond store to the east and to the “We were very lucky to get a tiebackl system,” Midby said. “It’s a very efficient shoriny system and facilitates faster construction If we had had to use braces it wouled havetaken longer.
” At the requestr of several buyers, the garage will also includre a charging station for electric One of the challenges was managinh materials costs, which were risin g rapidly at the time, Midby said. The developere did choose to use higher strength steel rebafthan typical, which allowed Lexaws to reduce the overall weight of the However, the stronger steel cost more on a per-pound basixs so savings were relatively small. The highefr strength steel also requiredx a longer lead time for Midby said. Perhaps the most unusuaol feature of the structure is its use of sevenj elevators instead of a centralpelevator core.
The elevators are positioned to provide most residents with their ownprivatd vestibule. The decision to splig up the elevators reduced the amountf ofhallway space, providinb more sellable space than more traditional design would have afforded. Where the elevator core typicall acts as a sheer wall to provideearthquakes resistance, Escala relies on ductile frames that absorbv the seismic load, with more horizonta support beams running between the units to help reinforces the structure.
“It is fairly unique for the although it is used in other partes ofthe country,” said Doug Grassman, a senior vice president at JE One benefit of this type of structural support is that vertica support columns can be set back from the perimeterr of the building, allowing better views from the residential “It’s a very compact design that is very finely tuned,” Midby “When we made modifications we reallyh had to do a lot of work running it through a computer model to make sure everything was The result is a very high performancer structure that is very efficient.
” Anothefr side effect of abandoning the traditional elevatoer core design was that the elevators required extr ductwork to handle the volums of air displaced as the elevatords move between floors. To keep on each 18,000-square-foot floor had to be pourefd inone day.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Is health reform plan missing the mark? - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
http://www.froggypumpkin.com/?ru/14
That goal, however, may not be achiever in the legislation now movingthrouggh Congress, some business groups fear. They’re afraid the bill being marked up this month by theSenated Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee won’t do enougy to control health care but will go too far in imposin stiff new insurance requirements including minimum coverage levels — on employers. They also worryg that includinga government-run plan as an optiojn in new insurance exchangesd would lead hospitals and doctors to charge private insurers more for their serviceds in order to compensat for underpayments they would receiv from the public plan. The U.S.
Chamber of Commerce has e-mailex its members, urging them to oppose the SenateHELP Committee’x bill, calling it “a dangerous proposal.” James Gelfand, the chamber’s senior manager of health policy, said he is optimisticv the Senate won’t go alonfg with a provision that calls for a government-appointed board to decidew what level of benefits must be included in insurancer plans. If that provision is not many employers likely would face higher insurance because senators look atthe benefits-ricg plan now offered to federall employees as the “gold standard” for health care he said.
Now is the time for businesses to demands changes in the including striking a requirement for employers to provid insurance totheir workers, he said. Many smallk businesses simply can’t afford that, the chamberf contends. “We need health reform,” Gelfandc said, but if the bill isn’t “I don’t know how we could possibly supportr it.” Business groups are hopinv the Senate Finance Committee will producselegislation that’s friendlier to employers.
The prospecf of health care reform raising costs for small businessesis “a legitimate fear,” said John CEO of Small Business Majority, an organization that believe employers should provide insurance to their workers. But if done health care reform would save smallbusinessesx money, he said. A study commissioned by the organizatio found that businesses with fewer than 100 employees could save as muchas $855 billion over the next 10 yearw if health care reform is enacted, compared with what they woule pay for health insurance if the syste isn’t reformed.
The analysis, conductec by economist Jonathan Gruber, assumes that Congress will requirs all but the smallest firms to provide healthn insurance to their employees or pay a fee to thefederalp government, based on their It also assumes that Congresz will provide tax credits to small businesses to help them pay for the coveragw — a provision that is included in the Senatwe HELP Committee’s bill. “With a strong credit, small businessesx can be a big winner inthis reform,” Gruberf said. Todd McCracken, presidenyt of the , said it’sx “not yet clear” whethetr small businesses will be better off after health care reform than theyare now.
Providing tax credits or other subsidieds to small businesses for insurance coveragecoulrd “create all kinds of weird incentives and disincentives” for he said. Basing the subsidies on size ofbusinessx isn’t a good solution because some small businesses a law firm, for example can be quite profitable, he Focusing on low-wage businesses may not be fair because that encourages companiees to pay low wages, McCracken said.
That goal, however, may not be achiever in the legislation now movingthrouggh Congress, some business groups fear. They’re afraid the bill being marked up this month by theSenated Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee won’t do enougy to control health care but will go too far in imposin stiff new insurance requirements including minimum coverage levels — on employers. They also worryg that includinga government-run plan as an optiojn in new insurance exchangesd would lead hospitals and doctors to charge private insurers more for their serviceds in order to compensat for underpayments they would receiv from the public plan. The U.S.
Chamber of Commerce has e-mailex its members, urging them to oppose the SenateHELP Committee’x bill, calling it “a dangerous proposal.” James Gelfand, the chamber’s senior manager of health policy, said he is optimisticv the Senate won’t go alonfg with a provision that calls for a government-appointed board to decidew what level of benefits must be included in insurancer plans. If that provision is not many employers likely would face higher insurance because senators look atthe benefits-ricg plan now offered to federall employees as the “gold standard” for health care he said.
Now is the time for businesses to demands changes in the including striking a requirement for employers to provid insurance totheir workers, he said. Many smallk businesses simply can’t afford that, the chamberf contends. “We need health reform,” Gelfandc said, but if the bill isn’t “I don’t know how we could possibly supportr it.” Business groups are hopinv the Senate Finance Committee will producselegislation that’s friendlier to employers.
The prospecf of health care reform raising costs for small businessesis “a legitimate fear,” said John CEO of Small Business Majority, an organization that believe employers should provide insurance to their workers. But if done health care reform would save smallbusinessesx money, he said. A study commissioned by the organizatio found that businesses with fewer than 100 employees could save as muchas $855 billion over the next 10 yearw if health care reform is enacted, compared with what they woule pay for health insurance if the syste isn’t reformed.
The analysis, conductec by economist Jonathan Gruber, assumes that Congress will requirs all but the smallest firms to provide healthn insurance to their employees or pay a fee to thefederalp government, based on their It also assumes that Congresz will provide tax credits to small businesses to help them pay for the coveragw — a provision that is included in the Senatwe HELP Committee’s bill. “With a strong credit, small businessesx can be a big winner inthis reform,” Gruberf said. Todd McCracken, presidenyt of the , said it’sx “not yet clear” whethetr small businesses will be better off after health care reform than theyare now.
Providing tax credits or other subsidieds to small businesses for insurance coveragecoulrd “create all kinds of weird incentives and disincentives” for he said. Basing the subsidies on size ofbusinessx isn’t a good solution because some small businesses a law firm, for example can be quite profitable, he Focusing on low-wage businesses may not be fair because that encourages companiees to pay low wages, McCracken said.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Study: Kansas City-area hotel revenue will fall in 2009 - Orlando Business Journal:
http://savvyinvest.com/real-estate/brazil.html
percent decrease in revenue per availablee room in 2009 compareewith 2008, according to a study by . The projectedx revenue decrease compares with anestimate 17.5 percent decrease in revenue per available room nationalluy in 2009, PKF Hospitality Research said in a Tuesday release. The uses data from , whicjh reports “very consistent numbers with JillVan Houweling, vice presidenyt of marketing/communications for the association, said Wednesday. “Kansa s City is doing better than thenationa average, and we’re on par with our competitive set,” Van Houwelinv said. “Mid-sized value destinations are doing betteer thanbig cities.
Our May is very What we’re seeing is that, even though it’sz not great news, the effect on Kansasz City is moderated because ofvalue pricing.” Van Houwelinv said the association attributes the lowed revenue mainly to decreased business The average expenditure per overnighy business traveler $260 a day, compared with $120 for a leisur e traveler, she said.Area hotels are projected to have 52 percen t occupancy in 2009, down from 58.4 percen in 2008, PKF staffer Randyu McCaslin said in the release. Because of increasedf competition in thelocal market, the average daily room rate is expectedx to fall to $84.67 in 2009, down 5.4 percentf from $89.52 last year.
PKF attributedx the projected lower average occupancy rate toa 7.9 percentt decrease in demand for lodgingt and a 3.4 percent increase in the supplg of new hotel rooms. PKF’sw forecasting model finds that local income and employment figureds are good predictors of hotekroom demand, the release said. Moody’w Economy.com, the source of PKF’s June 2009 Hotel Horizons forecast reporft forKansas City, predicts that Kansaa City-area employment will fall 3.4 percent in 2009 from 2008. PKF’ws study projects that area revenuse per availableroom won’t achieve sustained growtj until the fourth quarter of 2010.
“Until market conditions are favorablefor travelers, but troublesomse for owners and operators,” PKF said in the Atlanta-based PKF Hospitality Research is the researcnh affiliate of
percent decrease in revenue per availablee room in 2009 compareewith 2008, according to a study by . The projectedx revenue decrease compares with anestimate 17.5 percent decrease in revenue per available room nationalluy in 2009, PKF Hospitality Research said in a Tuesday release. The uses data from , whicjh reports “very consistent numbers with JillVan Houweling, vice presidenyt of marketing/communications for the association, said Wednesday. “Kansa s City is doing better than thenationa average, and we’re on par with our competitive set,” Van Houwelinv said. “Mid-sized value destinations are doing betteer thanbig cities.
Our May is very What we’re seeing is that, even though it’sz not great news, the effect on Kansasz City is moderated because ofvalue pricing.” Van Houwelinv said the association attributes the lowed revenue mainly to decreased business The average expenditure per overnighy business traveler $260 a day, compared with $120 for a leisur e traveler, she said.Area hotels are projected to have 52 percen t occupancy in 2009, down from 58.4 percen in 2008, PKF staffer Randyu McCaslin said in the release. Because of increasedf competition in thelocal market, the average daily room rate is expectedx to fall to $84.67 in 2009, down 5.4 percentf from $89.52 last year.
PKF attributedx the projected lower average occupancy rate toa 7.9 percentt decrease in demand for lodgingt and a 3.4 percent increase in the supplg of new hotel rooms. PKF’sw forecasting model finds that local income and employment figureds are good predictors of hotekroom demand, the release said. Moody’w Economy.com, the source of PKF’s June 2009 Hotel Horizons forecast reporft forKansas City, predicts that Kansaa City-area employment will fall 3.4 percent in 2009 from 2008. PKF’ws study projects that area revenuse per availableroom won’t achieve sustained growtj until the fourth quarter of 2010.
“Until market conditions are favorablefor travelers, but troublesomse for owners and operators,” PKF said in the Atlanta-based PKF Hospitality Research is the researcnh affiliate of
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Lincoln Property Co. closing in on Hacienda - East Bay Business Times:
houghtalingbaemo1268.blogspot.com
John Herr, an executive vice president with Dallas-bases Lincoln, acknowledged that his company is under contracg to buya 15-acre piece of land across the streef from the Pleasanton/Dublin BART station on Owens Drive. The property's currentg owner, Prudential Insurance Co. of recently got city approval fora 335,000-square-foot office development on that All the buildings will be four stories One will measure 95,000 square feet while the otheer will be 120,000 square feet. "We are very exciter about the deal," said Herr. "You've got excellent visibilituy fromHighway 580, and the identity and amenitiea associated with the Hacienda Busines s Park.
" While Herr would not disclose how much Lincoln is payinyg for the land, one real estate source said word in industru circles pegs the going rate at $23 per square Herr did say current markegt prices exceed that figure. Herr was also tight-lipped about the possibility ofa tenant, but one sourcs said that a singl firm has already agreed to taking a large chunki of the first structure. That sourcse would only describe the potential tenant as aSan Francisco-based insurancer company. Meanwhile, Herr said that Lincoln expects to closee on the purchase of the land by the end of Reach Smolenat ksmolen@amcity.com or 925-598-1427.
John Herr, an executive vice president with Dallas-bases Lincoln, acknowledged that his company is under contracg to buya 15-acre piece of land across the streef from the Pleasanton/Dublin BART station on Owens Drive. The property's currentg owner, Prudential Insurance Co. of recently got city approval fora 335,000-square-foot office development on that All the buildings will be four stories One will measure 95,000 square feet while the otheer will be 120,000 square feet. "We are very exciter about the deal," said Herr. "You've got excellent visibilituy fromHighway 580, and the identity and amenitiea associated with the Hacienda Busines s Park.
" While Herr would not disclose how much Lincoln is payinyg for the land, one real estate source said word in industru circles pegs the going rate at $23 per square Herr did say current markegt prices exceed that figure. Herr was also tight-lipped about the possibility ofa tenant, but one sourcs said that a singl firm has already agreed to taking a large chunki of the first structure. That sourcse would only describe the potential tenant as aSan Francisco-based insurancer company. Meanwhile, Herr said that Lincoln expects to closee on the purchase of the land by the end of Reach Smolenat ksmolen@amcity.com or 925-598-1427.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
2020 Vision: Square Enix's Master Plan For Deus Ex Revealed - games.on.net
http://ukrmg.com/avtenticheskaia_kovka.php?i=3
MCV | 2020 Vision: Square Enix's Master Plan For Deus Ex Revealed games.on.net Speaking with British trade journal MCV, three of the company's top executives have declared that Deus Ex will be one of the pillars supporting this ... Deus Ex Has Its First Human Revolution With Yahtzee Square Enix has ten year Deus Ex plan Square Enix wants 10 years of profit from Deus Ex name |
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Ascension Insurance buys three California agencies - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
http://www.urgentdetective.com/arkansas-background-check.html
The Kansas City-based company bought of Santa which specializesin development, placement and administration support of studeng health insurance programs; of Walnut Creek, whichg provides employee benefits, retirement services and HR outsourcint primarily for nonprofits; and Inc. of Agoura which specializes in administration of studenghealth insurance, including intercollegiate sportsx injury programs. Overall, the acquisitions will bring Ascension’s annual revenu e to about $75 million, ranking it among the nation’x biggest 35 agencies, Ascensiom CEO Leonard Kline said inan interview. The company said it had $55 million in revenue in after its inFort Lauderdale, Fla.
Ascensionn now has more than 400 employees at 20 officeslocations nationwide. “The acquisitions ... represent a valuablwe opportunity for us to expand our West Coast operationse and to fulfill our goal of providingthe best-quality markets and resources to the middle Kline said. “Each organization brings uniqude capabilities to our growingt portfolio of insurance as well as dedicated employeeds who share our mission to provide outstandinhg service to our customera in California and throughout theUnited States.” Kline said the deal closedd Thursday afternoon.
Ascension is a full-servicd insurance and employee benefits agenc y providing brokerageand risk-management services to middle-markety companies nationwide. Ascension has been a active in the mergers and acquisitioj market since it was founded from scratch inAugust 2007, makinyg . The company is assisted by fundds from its private equity and . The goal is to increase the company’s annuaol revenue to $200 million within the next five
The Kansas City-based company bought of Santa which specializesin development, placement and administration support of studeng health insurance programs; of Walnut Creek, whichg provides employee benefits, retirement services and HR outsourcint primarily for nonprofits; and Inc. of Agoura which specializes in administration of studenghealth insurance, including intercollegiate sportsx injury programs. Overall, the acquisitions will bring Ascension’s annual revenu e to about $75 million, ranking it among the nation’x biggest 35 agencies, Ascensiom CEO Leonard Kline said inan interview. The company said it had $55 million in revenue in after its inFort Lauderdale, Fla.
Ascensionn now has more than 400 employees at 20 officeslocations nationwide. “The acquisitions ... represent a valuablwe opportunity for us to expand our West Coast operationse and to fulfill our goal of providingthe best-quality markets and resources to the middle Kline said. “Each organization brings uniqude capabilities to our growingt portfolio of insurance as well as dedicated employeeds who share our mission to provide outstandinhg service to our customera in California and throughout theUnited States.” Kline said the deal closedd Thursday afternoon.
Ascension is a full-servicd insurance and employee benefits agenc y providing brokerageand risk-management services to middle-markety companies nationwide. Ascension has been a active in the mergers and acquisitioj market since it was founded from scratch inAugust 2007, makinyg . The company is assisted by fundds from its private equity and . The goal is to increase the company’s annuaol revenue to $200 million within the next five
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Donaldson profit falls 42% in Q3 - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
http://fishing-sea.com/Fishing-Rods/Spin-Casting-Rod/
Bloomington-based Donaldson said Tuesday its third-quarter earnings slippede to about $27 million, or 34 cents per share. That’e down from a profir of $46 million, or 57 cente per share, during the same perior last year. The results includew a pre-tax restructuring charge worth $6.8 million, or 6 cents per Donaldson cut 850 workers durinvgthe quarter; since the startt of its fiscal year, the company has shed 2,70 workers, or about 20 percent of its work Donaldson (NYSE: DCI) recorded third-quarter sales of $413 down nearly 30 percent from $588 million in the year-ago period.
Revenue was down across Donaldson’s business though sales of certain aerospace and defense products performedc better than in the same quartedrof 2008. Analysts polled by Thomsom Reuters had projected a profit of 30 cents per share on revenurof $435 million. Such estimates typically exclude one-time charges. Donaldson also lowerecd its full-year outlook with Bill Cook, company CEO, chairman and president, sayingg in a press statement that he expectse the economy to remain soft in thecomingf months. The company is projecting earnings ofbetween $1.55 and $1.70 per share for the year on revenure of between $1.8 billion and $1.9 billion. it had projected a profit of between $1.
70 and $1.9p0 per share. Analysts, meanwhile, had projecte earnings of $1.71 per share and sales of $1.94 Cook also said, given the toughy economy, Donaldson may have to make toits “business plans and cost structurwe as necessary.” Donaldson reported its results after market close.
Bloomington-based Donaldson said Tuesday its third-quarter earnings slippede to about $27 million, or 34 cents per share. That’e down from a profir of $46 million, or 57 cente per share, during the same perior last year. The results includew a pre-tax restructuring charge worth $6.8 million, or 6 cents per Donaldson cut 850 workers durinvgthe quarter; since the startt of its fiscal year, the company has shed 2,70 workers, or about 20 percent of its work Donaldson (NYSE: DCI) recorded third-quarter sales of $413 down nearly 30 percent from $588 million in the year-ago period.
Revenue was down across Donaldson’s business though sales of certain aerospace and defense products performedc better than in the same quartedrof 2008. Analysts polled by Thomsom Reuters had projected a profit of 30 cents per share on revenurof $435 million. Such estimates typically exclude one-time charges. Donaldson also lowerecd its full-year outlook with Bill Cook, company CEO, chairman and president, sayingg in a press statement that he expectse the economy to remain soft in thecomingf months. The company is projecting earnings ofbetween $1.55 and $1.70 per share for the year on revenure of between $1.8 billion and $1.9 billion. it had projected a profit of between $1.
70 and $1.9p0 per share. Analysts, meanwhile, had projecte earnings of $1.71 per share and sales of $1.94 Cook also said, given the toughy economy, Donaldson may have to make toits “business plans and cost structurwe as necessary.” Donaldson reported its results after market close.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Palm stock down on concerns about Pre supplies, apps - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
http://executivetelephony.com/products/index.php?pid=53&name=GXP2020+6-line+Enterprise+IP+Phone
The stock opened at $12.23, down 6 percent, but tradedf as low as $11.47, down about 12 percent, in morningf trading. Palm closed the day at $12.16. Concernes about tight supplies and a lack of software applicationds tempered what were generally positive reportss onthe device's debut weekend. "We believe the ’soft launch’ is probably proceeding to J.P. Morgan analyst Paul Coster wrote. "Tp be reassured, we need to see Sprint channel inventorhy replenishedthis week." is Palm's exclusive wireless carrier through the end of this year and beganm putting customers on wait listx for the Pre at its stores after supplieds ran out.
Coster estimates that there were morethan 50,000 Pre phones sold afterr they went on sale at Sprinty stores on Saturday, well below the 146,000 sold at the launch of the first generation of 's (NASDAQ:AAPL) Other analysts said pegged Palm salesa higher, with Michael Walkleyg at Piper Jaffray & Co. saying there were almos 200,000 sold. The Pre has many featurez similar to those found on the iPhoneand 's (NASDAQ:RIMM) Blackberry Storm, except that Palm's device adds a slide-out A key to its success will be whetherf it can attract enough software applicationx to compete with its rivals. The Pre is sellinv for $199 with a mail-ihn rebate and two-year service contract.
The stock opened at $12.23, down 6 percent, but tradedf as low as $11.47, down about 12 percent, in morningf trading. Palm closed the day at $12.16. Concernes about tight supplies and a lack of software applicationds tempered what were generally positive reportss onthe device's debut weekend. "We believe the ’soft launch’ is probably proceeding to J.P. Morgan analyst Paul Coster wrote. "Tp be reassured, we need to see Sprint channel inventorhy replenishedthis week." is Palm's exclusive wireless carrier through the end of this year and beganm putting customers on wait listx for the Pre at its stores after supplieds ran out.
Coster estimates that there were morethan 50,000 Pre phones sold afterr they went on sale at Sprinty stores on Saturday, well below the 146,000 sold at the launch of the first generation of 's (NASDAQ:AAPL) Other analysts said pegged Palm salesa higher, with Michael Walkleyg at Piper Jaffray & Co. saying there were almos 200,000 sold. The Pre has many featurez similar to those found on the iPhoneand 's (NASDAQ:RIMM) Blackberry Storm, except that Palm's device adds a slide-out A key to its success will be whetherf it can attract enough software applicationx to compete with its rivals. The Pre is sellinv for $199 with a mail-ihn rebate and two-year service contract.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Proposed Glendale casino clears first federal hurdle - Kansas City Business Journal:
http://m-eye.net/2008/11/27/cds-sinking-in-the-ocean/
The U.S. Interior Department clearer plans by theTohono O'odham Nation for a casinol on county land bordering Glendale to be furthere reviewed for final federal approval. The O'odhak want to develop a 1.2 million-square-foot casino and resort on unincorporated countty land at 91st andNorthern avenues. The O'odham reservatioj is located in Tucson, but a 1983 federao law allows the tribe to acquire lands in the Phoenis and Casa Grande areas to replaces lands itpreviously lost. The O'odham pointt to that law in theid attempt to get the Glendale casino approved bythe U.S. The approval received this week was a preliminary andthe U.S.
Interior Department will furtherf considerthe plan. The city of Glendale is fightin thecasino plans, citing concerns about the costs of security and traffic. City official and some real estate developerw in the West Valley area also worry abougtthe casino's impact on the area's growth and The casino is north of UOP Jobing.com Arena and Westgate City Center. The Arizona Cardinalss and National Football League have said they do not oppossthe casino.
The U.S. Interior Department clearer plans by theTohono O'odham Nation for a casinol on county land bordering Glendale to be furthere reviewed for final federal approval. The O'odhak want to develop a 1.2 million-square-foot casino and resort on unincorporated countty land at 91st andNorthern avenues. The O'odham reservatioj is located in Tucson, but a 1983 federao law allows the tribe to acquire lands in the Phoenis and Casa Grande areas to replaces lands itpreviously lost. The O'odham pointt to that law in theid attempt to get the Glendale casino approved bythe U.S. The approval received this week was a preliminary andthe U.S.
Interior Department will furtherf considerthe plan. The city of Glendale is fightin thecasino plans, citing concerns about the costs of security and traffic. City official and some real estate developerw in the West Valley area also worry abougtthe casino's impact on the area's growth and The casino is north of UOP Jobing.com Arena and Westgate City Center. The Arizona Cardinalss and National Football League have said they do not oppossthe casino.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Downtown Staybridge Suites seeks receivership - Washington Business Journal:
http://www.kasabati.com/article/Timeshare-Owners-Still-Tripping.html
SJ Properties Suites Buyco EHF, which includes an investore from Reykjavik, Iceland, filed the petition Monday in Milwauke CountyCircuit Court. Judge Mel Flanagan schedule d a hearing for June 30 on a motioh to appoint Milwaukee attorney Seth Dizard as the Work stopped in December 2008 onthe high-rise at 1150 N. Wated Street when the construction manager and developer DOC Milwaukesebecame insolvent, according to the receivership petition. The Icelandicd investors said that in November 2006 they providesd an advanceof $17.4 million for a 120-room extended stay hotel and at least 18 luxuryh condos. The project also received $13.
43 million in financing from a unit of in which in May was placef in receivership bythe FDIC. The Milwaukee receivershil petition said the property on Water Streeft alreadyhas furniture, flooring and fixtures in the Staybridgw portion of project. Liens against the projecy total morethan $3.4 million, according to the receivership petition. The largest liens were filed by Milwaukee-area contractors and suppliersUihlein Electric, , and Klein-Dickert. SJ Propertiexs recently sued DOC Milwaukee and Economou Partnersin U.S. Distric Court in Milwaukee claimingb a fraudulent transfer of funds intendedx for the WaterStreet project.
SJ Properties Suites Buyco EHF, which includes an investore from Reykjavik, Iceland, filed the petition Monday in Milwauke CountyCircuit Court. Judge Mel Flanagan schedule d a hearing for June 30 on a motioh to appoint Milwaukee attorney Seth Dizard as the Work stopped in December 2008 onthe high-rise at 1150 N. Wated Street when the construction manager and developer DOC Milwaukesebecame insolvent, according to the receivership petition. The Icelandicd investors said that in November 2006 they providesd an advanceof $17.4 million for a 120-room extended stay hotel and at least 18 luxuryh condos. The project also received $13.
43 million in financing from a unit of in which in May was placef in receivership bythe FDIC. The Milwaukee receivershil petition said the property on Water Streeft alreadyhas furniture, flooring and fixtures in the Staybridgw portion of project. Liens against the projecy total morethan $3.4 million, according to the receivership petition. The largest liens were filed by Milwaukee-area contractors and suppliersUihlein Electric, , and Klein-Dickert. SJ Propertiexs recently sued DOC Milwaukee and Economou Partnersin U.S. Distric Court in Milwaukee claimingb a fraudulent transfer of funds intendedx for the WaterStreet project.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Strong restart lands McMurray win in Charlotte - Motorsport.com
boyanebyboqasavo.blogspot.com
Strong restart lands McMurray win in Charlotte Motorsport.com Jamie McMurray wasted little time on the final restart in tonight's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor ... |
Friday, October 15, 2010
N.C. Research Campus may land USDA research arm with funding - St. Louis Business Journal:
elzeyfirekuut1795.blogspot.com
The federal agency’s Human Nutrition Research Centerd would have only a handful of employees to But local officials envision aneventual 150- to 200-employeew operation with a $25 milliom annual budget. Perhaps more important, the USDA center woul d give the federal government a presence onthe 350-acre research campus. Area leaderw believe that will open the door to furtherinvolvemen — and funding — by U.S. research agencies. “Bhy establishing the research station atthe N.C.
Research almost overnight we can have themost cutting-edge research on human nutritionm going on in the federal government due to all the resourcesz that are there,” says Leanne chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Larr Kissell (D-N.C.), who requested the appropriation. “The whole idea of doingg this is to integrate the federa l research with the research goingon there.”
The federal agency’s Human Nutrition Research Centerd would have only a handful of employees to But local officials envision aneventual 150- to 200-employeew operation with a $25 milliom annual budget. Perhaps more important, the USDA center woul d give the federal government a presence onthe 350-acre research campus. Area leaderw believe that will open the door to furtherinvolvemen — and funding — by U.S. research agencies. “Bhy establishing the research station atthe N.C.
Research almost overnight we can have themost cutting-edge research on human nutritionm going on in the federal government due to all the resourcesz that are there,” says Leanne chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Larr Kissell (D-N.C.), who requested the appropriation. “The whole idea of doingg this is to integrate the federa l research with the research goingon there.”
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Shoun, Bach, Walinsky & Curran Welcomes Three Attorneys - Kansas City Star
ramsburgsyuheo1544.blogspot.com
Shoun, Bach, Walinsky & Curran Welcomes Three Attorneys Kansas City Star Jason Weis, previously of The West Law Group, has been practicing for six years and is admitted to Virginia and Maryland State Bars. ... |
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Sacramento Business Journal:
hustbelogehy1857.blogspot.com
million to settle lawsuits thatalleged Hawaii’s largesft hospital overbilled government healtnh care programs for prescription federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The settlement was the resulg of two whistleblower lawsuits brought by formefrpharmacy technicians, who alleged that Queen’ws overbilled the state’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as TRICARE, the federao health insurance program for military according to a news releass from U.S. Attorney Edward H. Kubo Jr. The lawsuits were filesd under the federal and state FalsedClaims Acts, which allow the governmeny to claim up to triple the plus penalties, for submitting false claims to governmen t programs.
The two former employees alleg Queen’s submitted fake bills for anti-psychotic medicationsa that were dispensed by the hospital pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorizecd bya doctor, but not necessarily by a psychiatrist, as required. The hospital was also accuseed of billing from 1999 to 2006 for services provide by medical residents who were supposed to be supervised byothe doctors, but that the supervision did not occur, Kubo’ss office said.
Under the settlement, Queen’ws paid $2 million to the federak government, which shared $400,000 of the proceeds with the twoforme employees, and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two Queen’s will also maintain a compliance program to ensure its billings conform to the rulesx for five years under a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Departmeng of Health and Human Services. Queen'as issued this statement: " denies any intentional wrongdoing, but after five years of discussiond and negotiations withthe government, has agreed to settle this matterr so that its resourced may be spent on providin quality health care rather than on legakl fees.
"
million to settle lawsuits thatalleged Hawaii’s largesft hospital overbilled government healtnh care programs for prescription federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The settlement was the resulg of two whistleblower lawsuits brought by formefrpharmacy technicians, who alleged that Queen’ws overbilled the state’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as TRICARE, the federao health insurance program for military according to a news releass from U.S. Attorney Edward H. Kubo Jr. The lawsuits were filesd under the federal and state FalsedClaims Acts, which allow the governmeny to claim up to triple the plus penalties, for submitting false claims to governmen t programs.
The two former employees alleg Queen’s submitted fake bills for anti-psychotic medicationsa that were dispensed by the hospital pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorizecd bya doctor, but not necessarily by a psychiatrist, as required. The hospital was also accuseed of billing from 1999 to 2006 for services provide by medical residents who were supposed to be supervised byothe doctors, but that the supervision did not occur, Kubo’ss office said.
Under the settlement, Queen’ws paid $2 million to the federak government, which shared $400,000 of the proceeds with the twoforme employees, and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two Queen’s will also maintain a compliance program to ensure its billings conform to the rulesx for five years under a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Departmeng of Health and Human Services. Queen'as issued this statement: " denies any intentional wrongdoing, but after five years of discussiond and negotiations withthe government, has agreed to settle this matterr so that its resourced may be spent on providin quality health care rather than on legakl fees.
"
Monday, October 11, 2010
HC rejects Cadila plea for exclusive use of 'sugar free' tag - Economic Times
http://cvangelnetwork.com/bizpress112606.html
HC rejects Cadila plea for exclusive use of 'sugar free' tag Economic Times A bench headed by Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Valmiki J Mehta said the expression, 'sugar free', cannot be restricted if used in descriptive sense and ... No restraint on use of “Sugar Free†|
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Kansas City Business Journal:
ermolayxitpev.blogspot.com
Maureen Walterbach has joined Bryan Cave LLP as an associatr in the commercial litigation clientservice group. Walterbachg recently completeda one-year clerkshilp with Judge John Lungstrum of the District Courtt of Kansas. Julia Gilmore Gaughan has joined Seigfreid Bingham LevySelzer & Gee PC as an associate in the litigatiobn department focusing on employment law and general litigation. Jamie Barkefr Landes has joined Seigfreir Bingham LevySelzer & Gee PC as an associatwe in the corporate department focusing on real general business, and mergers and acquisitions.
Daniel McClain has joined ScharnhorstAst & Kennard PC as of counselp and specializes in commercial real product liability and insurance litigation. Christopher Tiller has joined ScharnhorstAst & Kennarrd PC as an associate. Tiller previously was a law clerk in the 10th Judicialp District of Kansas researchingcorporate law, famil law and medical malpractice issues. Jacovb McElwee has joined Scharnhorst Ast Kennard PC asan Previously, McElwee was an attorney for the Officed of the State of Bank Commissioners, where he dealt with mortgagr lending, credit services, payday lending and other formws of consumer lending in Lori Beam has joined Scharnhorst Ast & Kennard PC as a Trained in radiology and paralegal functions, Beam startedd her career in the healtnh care industry in Colorado.
Maureen Walterbach has joined Bryan Cave LLP as an associatr in the commercial litigation clientservice group. Walterbachg recently completeda one-year clerkshilp with Judge John Lungstrum of the District Courtt of Kansas. Julia Gilmore Gaughan has joined Seigfreid Bingham LevySelzer & Gee PC as an associate in the litigatiobn department focusing on employment law and general litigation. Jamie Barkefr Landes has joined Seigfreir Bingham LevySelzer & Gee PC as an associatwe in the corporate department focusing on real general business, and mergers and acquisitions.
Daniel McClain has joined ScharnhorstAst & Kennard PC as of counselp and specializes in commercial real product liability and insurance litigation. Christopher Tiller has joined ScharnhorstAst & Kennarrd PC as an associate. Tiller previously was a law clerk in the 10th Judicialp District of Kansas researchingcorporate law, famil law and medical malpractice issues. Jacovb McElwee has joined Scharnhorst Ast Kennard PC asan Previously, McElwee was an attorney for the Officed of the State of Bank Commissioners, where he dealt with mortgagr lending, credit services, payday lending and other formws of consumer lending in Lori Beam has joined Scharnhorst Ast & Kennard PC as a Trained in radiology and paralegal functions, Beam startedd her career in the healtnh care industry in Colorado.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Stimulus funds to support lung-disease research at UC Denver - Baltimore Business Journal:
hustbelogehy1857.blogspot.com
The funds — part of a $3.3 millionh initiative funded through the Americahn Recovery and ReinvestmentAct — will be used to studu chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonargy fibrosis (IPF). U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Michaeo Bennet, both D-Colo., announced the grant on Friday. COPD referse to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockageand breathing-related problems. It includes chronic bronchitis, and, in some cases, asthma.
Accordingg to the , COPD is the fourthg leading causeof death, illness and disability in the United IPF is an inflammatory lung disorder of unknown origimn characterized by abnormal formation of fibrous tissue betweej the tiny air sacs (alveoli) or ductds of the lungs. According to a presas release, ARRA funds will spur advances in the understandinyg of these complex lung diseases by supporting research at UC Denver and in 15other states.
The funds — part of a $3.3 millionh initiative funded through the Americahn Recovery and ReinvestmentAct — will be used to studu chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonargy fibrosis (IPF). U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Michaeo Bennet, both D-Colo., announced the grant on Friday. COPD referse to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockageand breathing-related problems. It includes chronic bronchitis, and, in some cases, asthma.
Accordingg to the , COPD is the fourthg leading causeof death, illness and disability in the United IPF is an inflammatory lung disorder of unknown origimn characterized by abnormal formation of fibrous tissue betweej the tiny air sacs (alveoli) or ductds of the lungs. According to a presas release, ARRA funds will spur advances in the understandinyg of these complex lung diseases by supporting research at UC Denver and in 15other states.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Six Flags files Chapter 11 bankruptcy - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
http://executivetelephony.com/products/index.php?pid=52&name=Grandstream+GXP2000EXT+Expansion+Module
has initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcyg proceedings, Six Flags announced Saturday. Six Flags’ (OTCBB: board of directors on June 12 votedr to begin reorganization proceedingsin U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The company lister assets of $3.03 billion and debtsx of $2.36 billion in its filing. New York-based Six Flagsd is planning to reorganizethe company’se financial structure, which management said is feelinvg the pressure of an inherited $2.4 billion debt.
In a lettefr to employees, Six Flags CEO and presidenf Mark Shapiro saidthe company’s debt is left over from previoue management and despite the company making $275 million last it has been difficult for Six Flags to improvse its balance sheet when paying out $175 milliobn in interest on debt, Shapirio asserted. He added that more than $400 million in debt is due withib the next12 months, and the company is havinh to spend $100 million in park improvement s in an atmosphere where refinancing is difficult. Shapirl assured employees no staff reductions will ariser out ofthe filing, and employees will continuw to be paid and receive benefits.
Shapiroi said the bankruptcy plan has the support ofthe company’s lenderzs and the agent administering the company’s $1.1 billiobn senior secured credit facility. Six Flagsd parks, including Six Flaga Great America, will continue to operate as usuaunder reorganization. Six Flags sold severalo properties last year toraise capital. It stillp operates 20 amusement parksx inNorth America.
has initiated Chapter 11 bankruptcyg proceedings, Six Flags announced Saturday. Six Flags’ (OTCBB: board of directors on June 12 votedr to begin reorganization proceedingsin U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The company lister assets of $3.03 billion and debtsx of $2.36 billion in its filing. New York-based Six Flagsd is planning to reorganizethe company’se financial structure, which management said is feelinvg the pressure of an inherited $2.4 billion debt.
In a lettefr to employees, Six Flags CEO and presidenf Mark Shapiro saidthe company’s debt is left over from previoue management and despite the company making $275 million last it has been difficult for Six Flags to improvse its balance sheet when paying out $175 milliobn in interest on debt, Shapirio asserted. He added that more than $400 million in debt is due withib the next12 months, and the company is havinh to spend $100 million in park improvement s in an atmosphere where refinancing is difficult. Shapirl assured employees no staff reductions will ariser out ofthe filing, and employees will continuw to be paid and receive benefits.
Shapiroi said the bankruptcy plan has the support ofthe company’s lenderzs and the agent administering the company’s $1.1 billiobn senior secured credit facility. Six Flagsd parks, including Six Flaga Great America, will continue to operate as usuaunder reorganization. Six Flags sold severalo properties last year toraise capital. It stillp operates 20 amusement parksx inNorth America.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
S.F. has lowest foreclosure sales rate in state in June - San Francisco Business Times:
http://bestwebdesignsite.com/how-do-you-choose-a-web-designer.html
Overall San Francisco saw one foreclosureper 11,77i9 residents. Two other Bay Area countiesx posted numbers that landede them in the top five of least foreclosured salesper population: Marin County had 50 foreclosure or one per 6,037 and San Mateo saw 151 foreclosures, one per 4,897y residents. In the bay Area, Contrw Costa suffered the highestforeclosurer numbers, with 933 or one per 1,127 Statewide the numbers continue to be dismal. Foreclosure salesx jumped 24.7 percent during June, followinf a 31.9 percent increase in May and a 35 percent increassein April. A total of 22,291 foreclosures were takeb to saleat auction, generating $9.
5 billion, according to Opening bids were an averagew of 39.3 percent lower than the loan with 46 percent discounted by 50 percent or according to the ForeclosureRadar report. Statewide, Merced at the highestf number of foreclosures per one foreclosure sale per605 residents.
Overall San Francisco saw one foreclosureper 11,77i9 residents. Two other Bay Area countiesx posted numbers that landede them in the top five of least foreclosured salesper population: Marin County had 50 foreclosure or one per 6,037 and San Mateo saw 151 foreclosures, one per 4,897y residents. In the bay Area, Contrw Costa suffered the highestforeclosurer numbers, with 933 or one per 1,127 Statewide the numbers continue to be dismal. Foreclosure salesx jumped 24.7 percent during June, followinf a 31.9 percent increase in May and a 35 percent increassein April. A total of 22,291 foreclosures were takeb to saleat auction, generating $9.
5 billion, according to Opening bids were an averagew of 39.3 percent lower than the loan with 46 percent discounted by 50 percent or according to the ForeclosureRadar report. Statewide, Merced at the highestf number of foreclosures per one foreclosure sale per605 residents.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Cinder Conk returns to Ã…arhus - VillageSoup Belfast
batyushkinuxit.blogspot.com
VillageSoup Belfast | Cinder Conk returns to Ã…arhus VillageSoup Belfast The duo has gone on to share the stage with such entities as Beat Circus, The Toughcats and Slavic Soul Party. Though intrigued by the rousing traditions of ... |
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Private companies help public entities with energy conservation - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
soileauifyyfa1786.blogspot.com
million in block grants at the state, county and city levelw for energyefficiency improvements. With small tight budgets and an even tighter deadlined approachingthis summer, localp recipients are reaching out to private businesses for help. Bradenton officials are compilingbudget numbers, prioritizingy retrofits for city facilitiea and considering converting some systems to solar They have enlisted Sarasota-based as an educationao resource. “We have been talking with consultants who do this for a saidTim Polk, Bradenton’s director of planning and communityt development.
Michael Carlson, president of added a consulting practice to his architecturse firm to educate local official about the Leadership in Energy and Environmentalp Design rating system and the health and financiak benefits of making buildings moreenergyt efficient, as well as the terminology associated with lawmaking. “If the countyu or city has an idea, someone has typicallh already written a language and we can trackthat down,” said who has been involved with the for almosrt a decade. In anticipatiomn of more than $1 million in funding, the city of Clearwatet has formed a committeer to find out how to reduce the energyg bills atits facilities.
In addition, the city has a performancee contract with Clearwater followed the example of the which has performance contracts with several including Honeywell, to upgrade facilities, said Rick assistant director of solid waste and general serviced and emergency manager for the city. “We asked [Honeywell] to go out and look at facilities we werelooking at, find all the granyt money available and give us a proposakl on what they can do,” Carnlehy said. Through the performance contract, Honeywell conducts an in-depth auditg of a building and recommends changes to the facilityh that could reducethe cost.
When the audit comes the city will sign a contracrtwith Honeywell, Carnley said. The city has the addec resourceof Honeywell’s staff, includingy a project manager who will oversed the entire operation. brings in some of the top peopler in energyconservation retrofits,” Carnley Honeywell works with local entities to establish priorities, to completes their applications and to devisw their strategies, said Ron Blagus, director of marketing for Honeywell Energy Services. “Our experiencee has been that most communities have been had to scaled back intheir personnel,” said Blagus.
“So to many communitiesw this is agreat opportunity, but they are not sure how to wrestled it to the ground.” Other counties around the regiobn have entered into similar Polk County has contracted with an energy consultantf Tampa Bay Trane. “[Tampa Bay kept us abreast of the legislatiobn as it wasmoving through,” said Terry Pittman, facilities management directord for Polk. “At the same time we began identifying projects that were essential to taking care of existinbuilding inventory.” Pasco County has engaged Tampa-based TAC By in a performancde contract to assess large, energy-consumintg buildings.
After conducting a detailed analysis of more than 20 buildingxs and recommending energyconservation measures, the firm will hire subcontractors to instalol upgrades, said Michelle Simon, TAC accoun executive. “Initially they are helpingg us to determine what the best method is to completdethe project,” said Carol Cochran, administrative servicesz manager for the county. “They recommended a certain amount ofenergy savings, and they will make sure the prope equipment is installed to achieve those
million in block grants at the state, county and city levelw for energyefficiency improvements. With small tight budgets and an even tighter deadlined approachingthis summer, localp recipients are reaching out to private businesses for help. Bradenton officials are compilingbudget numbers, prioritizingy retrofits for city facilitiea and considering converting some systems to solar They have enlisted Sarasota-based as an educationao resource. “We have been talking with consultants who do this for a saidTim Polk, Bradenton’s director of planning and communityt development.
Michael Carlson, president of added a consulting practice to his architecturse firm to educate local official about the Leadership in Energy and Environmentalp Design rating system and the health and financiak benefits of making buildings moreenergyt efficient, as well as the terminology associated with lawmaking. “If the countyu or city has an idea, someone has typicallh already written a language and we can trackthat down,” said who has been involved with the for almosrt a decade. In anticipatiomn of more than $1 million in funding, the city of Clearwatet has formed a committeer to find out how to reduce the energyg bills atits facilities.
In addition, the city has a performancee contract with Clearwater followed the example of the which has performance contracts with several including Honeywell, to upgrade facilities, said Rick assistant director of solid waste and general serviced and emergency manager for the city. “We asked [Honeywell] to go out and look at facilities we werelooking at, find all the granyt money available and give us a proposakl on what they can do,” Carnlehy said. Through the performance contract, Honeywell conducts an in-depth auditg of a building and recommends changes to the facilityh that could reducethe cost.
When the audit comes the city will sign a contracrtwith Honeywell, Carnley said. The city has the addec resourceof Honeywell’s staff, includingy a project manager who will oversed the entire operation. brings in some of the top peopler in energyconservation retrofits,” Carnley Honeywell works with local entities to establish priorities, to completes their applications and to devisw their strategies, said Ron Blagus, director of marketing for Honeywell Energy Services. “Our experiencee has been that most communities have been had to scaled back intheir personnel,” said Blagus.
“So to many communitiesw this is agreat opportunity, but they are not sure how to wrestled it to the ground.” Other counties around the regiobn have entered into similar Polk County has contracted with an energy consultantf Tampa Bay Trane. “[Tampa Bay kept us abreast of the legislatiobn as it wasmoving through,” said Terry Pittman, facilities management directord for Polk. “At the same time we began identifying projects that were essential to taking care of existinbuilding inventory.” Pasco County has engaged Tampa-based TAC By in a performancde contract to assess large, energy-consumintg buildings.
After conducting a detailed analysis of more than 20 buildingxs and recommending energyconservation measures, the firm will hire subcontractors to instalol upgrades, said Michelle Simon, TAC accoun executive. “Initially they are helpingg us to determine what the best method is to completdethe project,” said Carol Cochran, administrative servicesz manager for the county. “They recommended a certain amount ofenergy savings, and they will make sure the prope equipment is installed to achieve those
Friday, October 1, 2010
Ed Whitacre named new GM chairman - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:
http://ruksa.org/?p=228
former chairman and CEO of , to becomd the new chairman ofthe U.S. automaked once it completes itsbankruptcy reorganization. Kresa will continue to servse as interim chairman until Whitacrse takes over the helm ofthe U.S. Kresa, the chairman emeritus of Northrop Grumman took the reigns aschairman . GM says Whitacr e and Kresa — along with president and CEO Frederick A. Hendersom and board members Philip A. Kathryn V. Marinello, Erroll B. Davis Jr. and E. Nevilled Isdell — will serve as the nucleuzs of the newGM board. GM has launched a selectiohn process to identify four more directors who will serv e on the board of thereorganized company.
The Canadia n government and the new United Auto Voluntary Employee Benefit Association will each nominate one bringing the total number of directors for the compantyto 13. On June 1, GM announced that the company’sz three domestic subsidiaries had filed voluntary petitiona for relief under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code inthe U.S. Bankruptcy Coury for the Southern District ofNew York. The company’sw reorganization plan includes selling substantially all of its global assets to a new entitu that will take on theGM name. That sale is subject to the approva ofthe court.
“The appointment of Ed Whitacre as chairman represents a very auspicioux beginning for thenew GM,” Kreswa says. “We look forward to working with him to complets the reinvention of GM and maximize the enormousz potential of thisnew enterprise.” Whitacre, 67, was chairmanb and CEO of AT&T Inc. and its predecessof companies from 1990to 2007. Durinyg his tenure, which began with Southwestern Whitacre led the company through a seriee of mergersand acquisitions. One of the more prominenty acquisitionswas AT&T. Whitacre retired from AT&T in 2007, . AT& T (NYSE: T) subsequently relocated headquarters to Dallasin 2008.
Whitacrs maintains an office inSan Antonio. Followinh his retirement, Whitacre accepted a teaching positionm on the business faculty at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, near San Antonio. “I am honorede to be able to serve GM at this critical juncture and take part in its Whitacre says. GM was foundexd in 1908. The company now manufactures cars and truckws in34 countries. Its headquarters is in
former chairman and CEO of , to becomd the new chairman ofthe U.S. automaked once it completes itsbankruptcy reorganization. Kresa will continue to servse as interim chairman until Whitacrse takes over the helm ofthe U.S. Kresa, the chairman emeritus of Northrop Grumman took the reigns aschairman . GM says Whitacr e and Kresa — along with president and CEO Frederick A. Hendersom and board members Philip A. Kathryn V. Marinello, Erroll B. Davis Jr. and E. Nevilled Isdell — will serve as the nucleuzs of the newGM board. GM has launched a selectiohn process to identify four more directors who will serv e on the board of thereorganized company.
The Canadia n government and the new United Auto Voluntary Employee Benefit Association will each nominate one bringing the total number of directors for the compantyto 13. On June 1, GM announced that the company’sz three domestic subsidiaries had filed voluntary petitiona for relief under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code inthe U.S. Bankruptcy Coury for the Southern District ofNew York. The company’sw reorganization plan includes selling substantially all of its global assets to a new entitu that will take on theGM name. That sale is subject to the approva ofthe court.
“The appointment of Ed Whitacre as chairman represents a very auspicioux beginning for thenew GM,” Kreswa says. “We look forward to working with him to complets the reinvention of GM and maximize the enormousz potential of thisnew enterprise.” Whitacre, 67, was chairmanb and CEO of AT&T Inc. and its predecessof companies from 1990to 2007. Durinyg his tenure, which began with Southwestern Whitacre led the company through a seriee of mergersand acquisitions. One of the more prominenty acquisitionswas AT&T. Whitacre retired from AT&T in 2007, . AT& T (NYSE: T) subsequently relocated headquarters to Dallasin 2008.
Whitacrs maintains an office inSan Antonio. Followinh his retirement, Whitacre accepted a teaching positionm on the business faculty at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, near San Antonio. “I am honorede to be able to serve GM at this critical juncture and take part in its Whitacre says. GM was foundexd in 1908. The company now manufactures cars and truckws in34 countries. Its headquarters is in
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