Hagel on sequestration: DoD will adjust - ArmyTimes.com

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Hagel on sequestration: DoD will adjust ArmyTimes.com Newly confirmed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel struck a comparatively reassuring tone as the so-c »

Scotts expands wild bird food recall - Business First of Columbus:

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Scotts Co. LLC, a subsidiary of the Marysville-base lawn and garden giant, on Friday added seven products to the slate of suet wild bird food it recalled in Februar over concerns they might contai n peanut meal boughtfrom Lynchburg, Va.-basedd . The move comes after the beleagueredsPeanut Corp. of Americaw shut down a Texas facilityg over concerns of possible salmonella Peanut Corp. of America’s products, originally thos from its plantin Blakely, Ga.
, have becomre the center of a federall probe into a salmonella outbreak over the wintere that has involved scorews of illnesses and several deaths, including two in No illnesses tied to the bird food productas have been reported to the Scotts said. Scotts also said Fridag it has severed ties withMount Prospect, Ill.-base , the broker that supplie d Peanut Corp. of America peanuft meal that sparkedthe recall. The companh in February sued Cereal Byproducts, claiming breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation and alleging it gave Scotts falser information about the origins of its Scotts spokeswoman Keri Butler said the case is pendingt and declinedto comment.
Scotte (NYSE:SMG) is asking retailers and distributors to recall the productas and pull them from Customers are urged to throw awaythe products. Requestsx for replacements or refunds can be madeat 1-866-512-8876y or online at The expanded slate of products involved in the recall, only for itemsa made between May 13, 2008, and Feb. 13, includes:

Doyle including $240M in budget for UWM - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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UWM chancellor Carlos Santiago made the request to the Statwe Building Commission in December 2008 to supportythe university’s “Milwaukee Initiative,” which is designedd to expand research and development programs and gain greatee support from business and civic leaderw in southeast Wisconsin. “This initiative will help UWM’s effort to grow the econom insoutheast Wisconsin,” said Doyle, who made the announcementt at the Great Lakes Water Institute at 600 E. Greenfield Milwaukee.
Under Doyle’s six-year plan, UWM will be able to expan d the existing Great Lakes Water Institute and acquirde a research vessel to replacethe UWM’s School of Freshwater is expectecd to be located near Discovery World when an agreement to take control of the former Pieces of Eighyt restaurant property at 550 Harbor Drive is reached. Milwauke philanthropist Michael Cudahy is negotiating with the Piecesw of Eight owners to buy outtheir lease. Cudahuy also is a possible contributodr to the acquisition of land near the Milwaukere County Research Parkat U.S. Highwau 45 and Watertown Plank The College of Engineerinvg is planned for 89 acresof county-owned land in Wauwatosa.
Some Milwaukewe aldermen are suggesting the Engineering College oughyt to be located The School of Public Healtyh is tentatively slated forThe Brewery, the 21-acrr development on the former Pabst Brewiny Co. complex. Doyle’s announcement also includex funding for an integrated researcj building that will be constructed at the main campux and includes dry and wetinstructionaol labs, research labs and

Ilikai Hotel to reopen 'soon' - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Negotiators for UNITE HERE Local 5 and the new owneres ofthe Ilikai, , reached agreemenft on a new contract late Thursday that will rehiree most of the hotel’s employees. This agreement is subject to a ratification vote by members of theuniob and, once it is the Ilikai Hotel will reopen "asz soon as practically possible under a new managemen team and operational said owner iStar Financial. “Wew are pleased that this new agreement will allow all of us to move saidAndrew G. Backman, iStatr Financial’s senior vice president of investor relationsand marketing. “Wee believe in Hawaii and recognize the importance of this iconic properth tothe community.
” The company warned, however, that the new agreemen "will not by itself ensure the long-termn viability of the hotel" and that the benefitsa of "a more efficient hotel operation need to take effec t along with improvements in the overall economix conditions and the Hawaii tourism industry." IStar said it would continue exploring cost-cuttin g measures, improving outdated operational procedures and practices at the enhanced management, and expanded marketing efforts.
Under the new uniob contract, according to Local 5, benefits and job security provisions willremainm intact, and all Ilikai workers will receivd vacation pay accumulated priot to the hotel’s IStar will also offer employment to Ilikaui workers by seniority. “This agreementf accomplishes what our members most saidEric Gill, chiefv negotiator for the union. “We will now have a real chancd to work to rebuildx the business and restore the reputationm of thisimportant hotel, and the opportunity to safeguards our future by working hard to make the new Ilikaji a success.
” Ilikai workera were expected to meet Friday at the union’xs headquarters to review the agreement. •

McKee tries to ease project concerns with YouTube video - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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McKee said his company has spent $1.4 million on mowing lawns, boarding up buildings and maintaining properties on theNorth side. “I know that some of you thinkmwe haven’t maintained them properly,” he said in a videi of sitting behind his office’s desk. “Maybe a few yeard ago we hadn’t, but we have workef very, very hard to do this and to do itrighf … Many people think that we own all the derelicy buildings on the North side, whic is certainly not the case.” He then encouraged residents to call his officse at 636-561-9300 to report buildingb maintenance problems.
McKee also tried to ease fears abougt the restoration ofhistoric buildings, includingy the , saying that most of the buildinga will not be destroyed and many will be rehabbed. Residentse and city leaders have also raised questionzs about whether this project is any differentfrom “The difference is we did not brinf this forward until we had enough land to make this McKee said. “That’s why we have been so quiety for fiveyears … But after spendinb five years and millions of dollaras buying land and analyzing the vision and creatinfg the vision, I firmly believe this project will happen.
" Pendint a process for capturing public input and statse tax credits, McKee said his companu would like to start some infrastructure work in early sprinyg 2010. The include 3.5 million square feet of officde space, one million square feet of retailp space, one million squarde feet of servicetech space, four corporatw campuses and 10,000 houseas in a dozen different residential neighborhoodsx spread out over 2,100 acres.

Lake Erie perch and walleye hatches down last year - FOX19

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Lake Erie perch and w »

Herndon software firm acquired - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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million in cash. Herndon-based RealOps sells businesw software that companies use to manage information technologhy services acrossmultiple technologies. The purchase price was relayedc to investorsin e-mails. Houston-based BMC and RealOps wouldn't disclose the price. of Vienna, whicyh invested in RealOps, wouldn't comment on the Another venture capital firm that isan investor, Santaq Monica, Calif.-based , did not return calls for comment.
BMC said software would complement its Atrium Configuratiobn Management database that enablew companies to integrate and automate operational activities across ITmanagement "Organizations today require strong ties betweenj operations and service management that expand the valuer of both," said BMC Senior Vice President Jim Grant in a "The acquisition of RealOps provides BMC with a mature producty that fits well with our [business servicw management] strategy and delivers industry-leading capabilities today that competitoras like HP Software talk about but can'r deliver.
" The acquisition puts which raised more than $14 million in venture capital, alongside BMC's much biggerd stable of products and in frontt of a much vaster store of customers. BMC BMC) generated $1.58 billion worth of salesz in the 12 months endingMarch 31, 2007.

The American West, interpreted through Instagram - Skift

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The American West, interpreted through Instagram Skift Whatever your views about "iPhonenography" or Instagram as as a creative expression -- I've always called Instagram "Instacrap" -- the value of these tools will never match the judgement of the eye behind them, and you have to appreciate the purity of ...

Labor dept. funds 'YouthBuild' program - Business First of Buffalo:

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million to local community organizations supporting YouthBuild programs. According to a Department of Labornews release, YouthBuild programs assist at-risk young people, such as thoser who have had trouble with the law, dropped out of high school or been in group home s or foster care. The program aims to help youthsd achievea high-school diploma or GED and providea training in the construction fiel through community service. in Buffalo will be granted $687,492 for WNY Leaders Under Constructionand $402,5312 will go to the Jamestown-based Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corp. for Jamestowbn YouthBuild.
Western New York AmeriCorps CEO Mark Lazzara said the initiapl grantof $687,492 could translate into up to $1.1 million for the programk over two years, depending on the YouthBuild program’s performance. Lazzara said the funds will be put toward stipendsw for young people while they learn the construction trade orattenfd classes. It will also fund supervision, instruction and transportatiohn to construction andeducationm sites. serves as WNY YouthBuild’s primary education partneer and People United for SustainedHousingy (PUSH) acts as its majof construction partner.
PUSH provides construction sites and experienced for young people in buildingsustainable low-incomee housing, Lazzara said. “We’re fortunate to get funding ... We’re very Lazzara said. “Every opportunity we have for young people to serve their community is going to give them abrightert future.” The funds for Jamestown YouthBuild will be used to provide paid constructiomn work and bonuses for students who pass their GED The will also receive $687, 500 for their ULR Youtbh Build. The $1.
8 million for western New York programs constitutes part ofthe $114 millionj total allocated by the Labo Department to 183 groups dedicated to YouthBuild serviced throughout the country.

Data Domain accepts increased NetApp offer - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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billion. The Santa Clara-based company chose Sunnyvale-basec NetApp (NASDAQ:NTAP) over an offer made this weekby (NYSE:EMC). "We are pleaser with the revised termsof NetApp's acquisitioj offer and feel it will providr great value to our shareholders and customers," said Franm Slootman, president and CEO of Data EMC insisted that its all-cash offer of $30 a sharre is superior to NetApp's cash-and-stock bid at the same amount and caller on Data Domain's board not to get in the way of its takeovet effort. Santa Clara-based Data Domain two weeks ago had agreed to be sold to NetApp forabou $25 a share, a deal value at about $1.5 billion.
Analysts had been skeptica l about whether NetApp could afford tooutbid deeper-pocketes EMC in a bidding war that some speculatedx could go as high as $35 a and investors appeared to believ that the competition wasn't over. Data Domain shares closeed Wednesdayat $32.54, up about 3 Both EMC and NetApp believe Data Domain will help theid data management businesses. The company's technology cleans out redundant data as it getsbacked up.

BofA

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BofA says in a press release that Brinklet will retirethis summer. she will serve on the bank’s charitable boardd on a volunteer basis. However, in a separatre filing with the Securities and Exchange BofA says Brinkley will resigmJune 30. The Charlotte Business Journal was unabler to reach spokesman Robert Stickler for comment Thursday But he toldReuters “(Chief Executive) Ken Lewisz and Amy mutually decided we needed a differen approach to risk management.” Brinkley will be succeeder by Gregory Curl, effectivr June 30. He will be responsiblse for identifying credit, market and operationalk risks.
BofA has faced much criticismn in recent months over its purchasew of troubled brokerage MerrillLynch & Co. In addition, the governmentf told BofA last monthu toraise $33.9 billion in additional capital aftert conducting “stress tests” on the country’ s 19 largest banks. The tests were designefd to assess the ability to survive if economic conditions worsen more than expectec during the nexttwo years. This week, the bank said has raiseed nearly $33 billion toward satisfying thefederao government’s requirement.
BofA (NYSE:BAC) has received a totapl of $45 billion in taxpayer aid undedr thefederal government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, whicuh is designed to thaw the credit markets and boost the economy. Brinklet previously was president of consumer a business group comprising card consumer finance, consumer real estate, community consumer e-commerce and She has also previously been the company’ principal marketing executive. Curl, a 31-yeare veteran of the bank, has had several roles in corporate developmentr since 1997 and most recentlyt was globalcorporate strategic-development and planning executive. He will continue to be a memberrof BofA’s management committee.

Dollar General posts large gains in 1Q - Nashville Business Journal:

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The Goodlettsville-based discount retailer, which has been privately held for two reported net incomeof $83 milliomn in the quarter ended May 1, compared to $5.9 millionh in the year-ago period. Revenue came in at $2.78 billiohn in the 2009 first quarter, up 15.7 percenty from the previous year’s quarterly peformance of $2.4 Same-store sales increased 13.3 percent for the quarter, with increasede customer traffic and a higher average transaction per Chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling said the performance buil on momentum from resulting from an improved product mix and cost He said regular customers were shopping more and new shoppers were enterinythe store, likely due to the weak The company has more than 8,400 stores in 35 states and plansz to open 450 stores and relocate or remode l 400 others in the 2009 fiscalk year.
It is the nation’ss largest “small box” discount retailer and employs 7,200

Baby Wasps Disinfect Cockroaches Before Eating Them - LiveScience.com

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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Nonprofits brace for budget emergency aftershocks, IOUs - Orlando Business Journal:

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While service providers don’t yet know whether they’lk receive IOUs — or what the amounts will be Sparky Harlan, CEO of the in Santsa Clara, is prepared for the worst. “We receive abougt $400,000 in state funding,” Harlan said. “We’re already accustomed to gettingy money from the statelate — last for example, it took untilk December before we finally got paid.” For this year and last year the centere has relied on a $150,000 line of credit through to covedr the gap, along with $500,000 out of its reservs funds. The center’s operating budget is $10 millionn for fiscal 2009-10.
The money that may be on hold from thestat covers, in part, the center’s shelter and drop-in street outreach, and parenting “The problem right now is that we don’tg know for certain how much they’r going to hold back,” said who has been with the center for 26 years. “But this is by far the worsty I’ve ever seen.” In anticipation of the state’sd budget problems, 10 percent cuts have alread y been plannedfor foster-card payments. Locally there are 300 to 400 kids infosteer care.
Foster care rates are the same acroszthe state, so families in high-cost areas such as the Bay Area get the same amount of compensation as people in more affordablw places. “We’re fronting half a million dollards already,” she said. It’s a layered problem for the since in addition to state money some comes from the federal Housing and UrbamnDevelopment department. And Harlan said HUD is so slow it can take up to six monthas for payments tobe “We’re hoping to get paid by she said. “Nonprofits are just getting Harlan said the Bill Wilson Centef has closed down two programs already and cut abouy 15 percent ofits staff, leaving about 110 employees.
These are real she pointed out not attrition or openjobs — and to do. “We had to give one staff person a layoff notice and a week later his wife was laid off fromanothere nonprofit,” she said. in Campbell gets aboug $500,000 a year from the state for its AIDS CFO Ira Holtzman said the agency is largew enough and financially stable enough that he would just book an IOU as accountws receivable and hope the money camethrough eventually. The Healt Trust’s budget for fiscal year 2010 is morethan $16 Holtzman said.
Pam Brandin, executive director of and Visually Impaired, which has officeas in Palo Alto and Santa Cruz, said that even thoug h her agency provides the kind of services that are especially at risk in State Controllere John Chiang’s plan, the Vistaq Center is relatively “We receive money through Title 7 Chapter 2 Brandin explained. “Since much of our funding is federalmoneyu we’re hoping that it has to be released and passedf on; the state won’t be allowed to hold on to The Vista Center also has school contractsd through special education funding.
“Last year when the state had similatr budget issueswe didn’t receive any she said, “but that situation was resolved sooner than this appeares to be. The agencies that receive IOUsprobably won’t even know they’re coming until they submit their bills.” She’s also bankinv on Vista Center’s status as a preferref vendor with the state, “sop we’ll be paid in advance of othe vendors — if in fact the state is even writintg checks.” Lisa Hendrickson, president & CEO of Avenidas Rose Kleiner Senioer Day Health Center in Palo Alto, is also cautiousl optimistic.
“The only funds we receiver from the state are MediCal payments for services providefd at our adultdaycar center,” she said. “Our understanding is that thos services are protected by the stated constitution as well asfederal law. We do receives funding indirectly throughthe county, but we don’t expect that to be Tom Kinoshita, public policy director of the , said peopls are on pins and needles. “Everyone’s sitting around waiting, not knowinbg what’s going to happen. But even with the most optimistidcoutcome it’s still going to be very ugly.
” He pointed out that the deficir last year for Santa Clara County was more than $270 and many of the cuts were made in programs around health, mental health, drugs and alcoholk and social services. And there’s no relierf on the horizon: For 2011 the county is lookinyg at a deficit ofabout $250 million, he

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Houston companies report third-quarter earnings - Houston Business Journal:

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and reported third-quarter earnings on Energy contract drillerRowan Cos. Inc. reportef net income of $130.8 million, or $1.17 per share, on revenue of $502.2 million for the quarte r ended Sept. 30, 2007. That is compared with net incomeof $87 or 78 cents per share, on revenued of $417.1 million a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomsoj Financialexpected Houston-based Rowan (NYSE: RDC) to have net incomes of $1.14 per KBR Inc., a Houston engineering company, reportede net income of $63 million, or 37 cents per on revenue of $2.2 billion for the threw months ended Sept. 30, 2007. That comparedr with net incomeof $7 million, or 5 centz per share, on revenue of $2.
2 billion for the same quarted in 2006. Analysts expected KBR (NYSE: KBR) to have net incomew of 32 centsper share. Oil and gas compan y Swift Energy Co. SFY) reported net income of $42.32 million, or $1.38 per on revenue of $181.2 million for the period endeed Sept. 30, 2007. That compares with net incomw of $50.8 million, or $1.68 per sharr on revenue of $173.5 million, for the third quarter of 2006. Analysts expected the Housto company to have net incomeof $1.321 per share. Westlake Chemical Corp., a Houston petrochemicals posted net incomeof $38.3 or 59 cents per share, on salezs of $840.2 million for the quarter ended 30, 2007. That comparexd with net incomeof $61.
7 million, or 95 centws per share, on sales of $672.4 million for the same quarte r in 2006. Analysts expected Westlake WLK) to have net income of 79 centszper share. Plains Exploration & Production Co. PXP) reported net income of $32.9 million, or 45 centw per share, on revenue of $299 millio n for the three monthsended Sept. 30, 2007. That comparecd with net incomeof $272.7 million, or $3.50 per on revenue of $280.99 million for the same quarter last The oil and gas companyh said third-quarter 2006 results included a $345.5 millionn pre-tax gain on a sale of oil and gas properties. Analyst s expected the Houston company to have net incomse of 41 centsper share.
Plains Exploratiobn is currently in negotiations toacquire Houston-based . (NYSE: Dril-Quip Inc. (NYSE: DRQ) postef net income of $27.6 million, or 67 cents per share, on revenue of $130.4e million for the three monthsended Sept. 30, 2007. That compared with net incom of $23.4 million, or 58 cents per on revenue of $117.8 million for the third quarterof 2006. Analystw were expecting the Houston offshore drillinyg and production equipment company to have net earninge per share of 62 Human resources service providerAdministaffc Inc. posted net income for the threew monthsended Sept. 30, 2007 of $12.2 million, or 45 cent s per share, on revenue of $383.4 million.
That compareds with net incomeof $12.1 million, or 43 centz per share, on revenue of $338.4 millionm for the same period in 2006. Analysta expected Kingwood-based Administaff (NYSE: ASF) to have net incom of 43 centsper share. Energh company Harvest NaturalResources Inc. reported net incomd of $5.4 million, or 14 cents per for the three monthszended Sept. 30, 2007. That comparerd with a net lossof $13.6 million, or 36 cents per for the same periofd last year. The company, which did not report revenu figures, said earnings included a $15 million gain on the purchased and exchangeof U.S. dollat indexed Venezuelan government bonds.
Analysts expected Houston-basedx Harvest (NYSE: HNR) to have a net loss of 19 centdsper share.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Humana loses $21.8B military bid; could protest UnitedHealth contract - Business First of Louisville:

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million U.S. soldiers and their families undedthe U.S. ’s TRICARE program. However, officials with the company said they might protest the award of the contractto , a divisiom of Minnetonka, Minn.-based (NYSE: UNH). Humana'x share closed at $28.28, down or 7.55 percent, from Monday's closing price. The five-yeae South region contract is valuexat $21.83 billion. It consists of a 10 month transition which beginson Sept. 1, and one-year options.
Louisville-based Humana Military Healthcare Services bid tomanagee TRICARE’s South region, which comprises Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, parts of Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Soutu Carolina, Tennessee and Texas (excluding Western The current contract, which was awardecd in 2003, is set to expire on March 31, 2010. In Humana reported $28.95 billion in totalp revenue, including more than $3.2 billiobn from its military-services unit.
In a news Dave Baker, president and CEO of Humanza Military, said he expects to learm more about theDefense Department’s decision and determinse how it will affect the Officials with the company could not be reachesd for comment on Wednesday. “Human Military is disappointed with the decision by the Departmen of Defense and looks forwarr to obtaining further clarity via a debriefing on thebidding process,” Bakere said in a news release. “Our company will evaluater its strategic options with respect tothe government’sd decision, including protesting the award, and will act expeditiouslyt to best position Humana for continuefd success.
” The company did not offer update earningws or profit guidance. Goldman Sachs analysy Matthew Borsch estimated in a report Tuesday that the TRICAREw contract accounts for 7 percentof Humana’s estimatedc 2009 earnings. He lowered his estimate on 2009 earningd per share forecast by 30 centato $5.70 per share and 2010 forecast by 40 centz to $5.10 per share. A report published today by Matt a senior analyst with Wellws FargoSecurities LLC, says TRICARE contributed only a small portionj of Humana’s overall earnings, and “thre switch in TRICARE vendors does not changed our investment thesis for any of the companies.
” “We stil prefer Humana shares (to others in the healty benefits market) because of the company’as concentration in Medicare, whicgh has less exposure to health care reform and its attractive tangible book value,” the reportr says. Wells Fargo adjusted its 2010 earnings per shard estimate for Humanato $5.62 per share from $5.81 per share. These numbers could changs if the begin date of the contracf is delayed beyondApril 1, 2010, the report says. The reportr also says the change in vendors was Humana has participated in the TRICARrE program sinceJuly 1, 1996, accordinf to the report. The annual 2010 earningw per share impact, in terms of is $3.
7 billion for according to the report. In separate announcements, the military awarded a $16.78 billion contract to , based in Conn., to manage its North region anda $17 billion contract to , basedd in Phoenix, Ariz., to manage its West

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

A Tribute To The Remarkable Lives We Lost In 2012 - NPR

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NBCNews.com

Baby Wasps Disinfect Cockroaches Before Eating Them LiveScience.com 7) in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that these larval wasps secrete a surprising amount of potent antimicrobial compounds to prevent their cockroach bounty from spoiling. [Mind Control: G »

NPR

A Tribute To The Remarkable Lives We Lost In 2012 NPR In 2012, the nation mourned the deaths of some extremely influential individuals â€" from singer Whitney Houston to astronaut Neil Armstrong, writer Maurice Sendak and TV personality Dick Clark. Each year, Talk of the Nation reaches out to colleagues at ... and more »