Saturday, January 29, 2011
ING DIRECT's ShareBuilder Sponsors Baseball Giveaway at Mariners Game
The online brokerage firm is sponsoring the giveawagy to help introduce itself to the thousandds of Mariner fans who walk past their new buildinf before and after everyhome game. Earlier this ShareBuilder moved its corporate headquarters and three hundredc employees from Bellevue to the corner of First andin Seattle's Pioneer With a focus on long-ternm investing, ShareBuilder is one of the fastestf growing online brokerage in the nation. "The Marinerzs are a shining symbool of what makes Seattle a greatg place to liveand work," said , president of ING DIRECT'ws ShareBuilder.
"We are proud to be theirt neighbor and to call Seattle Safeco Field is a great place for our employeezs to enjoy anight out. The evenint will be a win-win for the ShareBuilder team andMarinerse fans." The 10,000 baseballs handed out to fans will showcasee the ING DIRECT and ShareBuilder logoas plus a printed signature from all-timwe great Mariner, . An additional ten baseballs bearingg an original signature from Martinea will be randomly awarded to a luckt row of fans in attendance duringthe "ING DIRECT's ShareBuilder moved into the offices the Seattlse Mariners used to occupy before moving into Safec Field.
We are happy to welcome them to the Partnering with them inthis awareness-building promotion is a fun way for fans to learm more about the company and get an baseball, too, " said , Seattle Mariners vice president corporate business and communit relations. Prior to the evening ShareBuilder President will escort one lucky ShareBuilderd employee to the mound who will throe out the ceremonial first The game beginsat 7:10 p.m. ING DIRECT, the nation'sd largest direct bank and larges thrift, is dedicated to inspiring Americans to becomd a nationof savers. Since its inception in more than 7.7 million Americans have entrusted their savings with ING building the bankto $91.
4 billion in For more information about ING DIRECT visi and for information on its financial educatioj website visit or call 1-800-ING-DIRECT. ShareBuilder Securitiesx Corporation is an onliner brokerage designedfor automatic, long-term The company's vision is to increase the personal investingy rate of the average Americamn by helping individuals build and manage wealth over the long Customers pay low commissions on individuaol transactions, have no account minimum and can choosd from three pricing programs. For more information abou ShareBuilder, please visit or .
ShareBuilder offerxs investment productsincluding stocks, exchange-traded funds, and mutual ShareBuilder Securities Corporation, a subsidiary of ING fsb, is a registere broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. MEDIAs CONTACT: Dan Branley (206) 914-1231 dbranley@launchcmus.com
Thursday, January 27, 2011
US scrapping color-coded terror alerts - UPI.com
MiamiHerald.com | US scrapping color-coded terror alerts UPI.com The new National Terror Advisory System, which Napolitano will unveil in a speech at the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, ... Color-coded threat system to be replaced in April DHS to Scrap Color Code Terror Alerts by April Advisory system will replace airports' color-coded terror alerts |
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wells Fargo continues integration of Wachovia with name change - Dayton Business Journal:
The change reflects the bank’sx continued integration with , whichy acquired Charlotte-based on Dec. 31. “By adoptingv the Wells Fargo nameand brand, we’re now fullyt part of one of the world’s most respectedf financial companies,” says Neil Ryan, chief executive of Welles Fargo Bank International. “We look forward to satisfyingf all ofour clients’ financial needs acrosas Europe and helping them succeed financially.” Wellsw Fargo Bank International is a European Unio n bank headquartered in Ireland.
In Wells Fargo’s investment-banking and capital-markets businesses, whicuh formerly operated under the Wachoviaw Securities and certain WellseFargo brands, have taken the name Wells Fargpo Securities. Retail brokerage products and services formerl marketed as Wachovia Securities are now offered througg WellsFargo Advisors. Wells Fargo is based in San Francisco.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Duke hires Cisco Systems for
The three-year agreement is the latest developmenyt inDuke Energy’s effort to convert its analog electricity infrastructurs into a digital systemj that reduces energy use and boosts reliability. The architectured will be basedon Internet-protocol standards that will adapt to new communicatione technology. “Our goal is to rapidly transfork the way electricity isdelivereds to, and used by, the 11 million peoplse we serve in five states,” says Todd senior vice president for smart grid and customer systems at Duke Energy.
In addition, Cisck will work with Duke Energy to develop and installhome energy-management devicea to help customers control and reduce thei r electricity consumption. Financial terms of the agreement weren’f disclosed. Charlotte-based Duke Energyy (NYSE: DUK) includes Duke Energy Carolinax and the former CincinnatiGas & Electric Co. in Union Light, Heat and Power in Kentucky and PSI Energygin Indiana. Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: is a California-based designer and manufacturer ofnetworkinvg technology.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Key dates in the history of Comcast Corp. - Wall Street Journal
Key dates in the history of Comcast Corp. Wall Street Journal Comcast now has 3.3 million subscribers. Comcast and partners invest in The Golf Channel. 1996 â" Comcast buys majority ownership of Spectacor â" owner of ... |
Sunday, January 16, 2011
City Council approves Crowder settlement - Charlotte Business Journal:
Terms call for the city to pay $556,000 for unexpected constructionm costs incurred because of rocks and boulders found beneathjthe site. Crowder built the 1,120-space parkingt deck at the southern end of the Lynx Blue Line near Interstatee 485 andSouth Boulevard. Charlotte City Council approved the settlement in a vote Tuesday Last year, Crowder filed a lawsuit and said the city owed $2.9 The original city contract called for Crowded to build the deck for $21.4 Additional drilling and excavation causee by the rocks and boulders below groundf led to more than $2 million in cost overruns.
Crowde blamed the additional costs on incomplete geotechnical surveys and incompletre designs forthe project. The city and Crowder agreed the company was due some compensation for the additional costs, but disagreed on the amount. A mediationn this month between the city and company led tothe $556,00o0 settlement.
Friday, January 14, 2011
CU economist Wobbekind: Colorado to lose up to 65,000 jobs in 2009 - Nashville Business Journal:
“We think the Colorado economyg will likely parallel or slightly follo w the recovery of thenational economy, which we see leveling off in the third quarter and growing in the fourth quarter,” Wobbekind said in a “We think the rate of job losses will slow throughoutg the rest of this year, and potentially turn positivde by the end of the year.” Wobbekindr made his remarks as part of a midyear updatre on his 2009 economic outlook, originally forecast in December 2008. Colorado likeluy will lose 55,000 to 65,000 jobs in 2009, Wobbekindd said in his updatee forecast.
That’s far more than the 4,300-job loss he expected last “In the first part of this year, we’ve more than lost the jobs creater in the previoustwo years,” he “It’s going to take at least the next two years to recover those lost jobs.” Hiring in the educationalp and health care services sector has been slightly positive in 2009, mostlyu because employers were still filling a backlog of needed hirea in areas such as Wobbekind said. The natural resources and mining sectoris flat, but could potentially see some positiv job growth if energy exploratiom in the state he said.
“There are some jobs being created, but pretty much acrosa the board the sectors are taking a very hard he said. Among the most affected sectors has been the professional and businesssservices sector, which includes many high-paying jobs such as engineers, computer systems designers and scientific research and development groups. “Thde single most surprising area and the one that has had the largesrt job loss has been in professional andbusinesse services,” Wobbekind said.
“It’s been a very important category for jobs during the last several yeara as the economy has surgedand it’z been one that has been hit surprisingly hard in this at least by our assessmenft and by many others.” The leisurre and hospitality sector saw very weak retail numbersw for the first four months of the year, especiallyy in mountain resort towns. The rest of the year is expected tobe weak, but should improve compared with the firsyt four months of the year, the statementt said. “This is not going to be a great year for tourism by any but it probably will get a little better going forward than it was in the beginninh ofthis year,” he said.
The Leedes Business Confidence Index did show anuptickj recently, suggesting improvement in the third quarter. Afterr plunging to a record low in the firsf quarterof 2009, the forward-looking LBCI surged from 35.5 to 47.5 for the thirdc quarter of 2009. All six index components postedsteep gains, and two of the for the state economy and sales, passed the neutralo mark of 50. overall, the LBCI remains below 50 as leadersx expressed continued concernsabout profits, hiring and capitapl expenditures.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Union extends deadline for new Safeway contract - Kansas City Business Journal:
The extension was announced late Thursday by the Unitexd Food and Commercial Workers Unio nLocal No. 7, which representsa about 17,000 Denver-area grocery workers now negotiatingg new contractswith Albertson’s and . It is the third extensiojn in the Safeway which began inearly April. Safeway workers voted last month to call for a strikrif necessary, but neither side has indicatex that a strike is likel in the near future. Both Albertson’es and King Soopers workers are operating without contractsrighft now. Negotiations center around the issues of pension benefitsand health-care plans.
Safeway and King Sooperds have offeredpension cuts, pay raises for just a portiom of the workers and new preventative health-care saying that with the rise of non-unionb grocery stores, some cutbacks must be “I think this [latest extension] givew us an opportunity to continue to negotiate and reallyy be able to tackle the tough issues like wages and pension said Kris Staaf, Safeway’s Denver-area directof of public affairs. The latest counter-proposal from Safeway workerxs calls for annual pay increases of 75 cents per hour over the duratiom ofthe five-year contract, according to UFCW spokeswoman Laurq Chapin.
It also seeks assurances that workers can continuwe receiving pension benefits at age 50 rather than having to wait until age 62, that current health benefitxs are not decreased and that current health-care premiums are not Safeway has not made a new contracrt proposal, Staaf said. Sherree a 15-year Safeway employee from Westminster, expressed frustrationj over the pace of negotiations in a news release put out bythe UFCW. “We gave you a proposak a week ago, and you keep coming back at us with the same Carlson said. “We need a fair deal and we need to keep the work and the workerws here inour community.
”
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Convera folding into U.K. company - Business First of Columbus:
Vienna-based Convera (NASDAQ: CNVR) will be After the merger, Patrick Condo, Convera's CEO, will becomde the chairman of the board, and Colin Jeavons, Firstlight's CEO, will becomwe the CEO. Convera's plan of dissolution contemplate s an orderly wind down of its business and After filing its certificate of Convera intends to make one or more distributionsw to its stockholders of cash available for subject to applicablelegal requirements. Converq will then delist its common stockfrom Nasdaq.
The new companh will bring together the vertical search technology of Converq and the advertising sales and marketing capabilities of It will have over 60 corporate custometr accounts and 120 existing Web sitee withapproximately 1,500 advertisers. When the mergere becomes effective, Convera will own 33.3 percent and Firstlightt willown 66.7 percent of the totalk outstanding common stock of the new company, subject to certaijn adjustments which may enable Convera to own up to 42 percenty of the new company priof to the distribution. The merger is subjecg to Convera stockholders' approval and certaibn other customaryclosing conditions.
The mergedr is expected to closethis
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Unexpected flood peak to hit Dalby - Herald Sun
BigPond News | Unexpected flood peak to hit Dalby Herald Sun The creek is expected to rise to the minor level of two metres by 6am (AEST), the weather bureau said, and will inundate backyards, the local caravan park ... Unexpected flood peak to hit Dalby |
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Strained States Turning to Laws to Curb Labor Unions - New York Times
Strained States Turning to Laws to Curb Labor Unions New York Times Faced with growing budget deficits and restive taxpayers, elected officials from Maine to Alabama, Ohio to Arizona, are pushing new ... |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Immucor responds to FDA - Phoenix Business Journal:
The Norcross-based company, whicy makes and supplies blood-reagent systems to the bloocd transfusion industry, said Monday it turnecd in a formal 10 working day response tothe . The statemengt reiterates Immucor’s commitment make corrections to addressthe FDA'ds noted deficiencies, Immucor The FDA, in an administrative action based on an early January inspection, to revoker Immucor’s biologics license with respect to its Reagent Red Bloo d Cells and Anti-E Blood Grouping Reagent product, the company said in a The FDA has not ordered the recallk of any of the company'se products.
Immucor (NASDAQ: BLUD) said in June it spent more than $2 million during fiscal 2009 on improvinyg quality systems and it expects to spencd upto $4.5 million in fiscal 2010. The compant today said it started a Productg Surveillance and Improvement Department to support its qualitusystem initiative. The new departmenyt will monitor quality whether identified through internal orexternal sources, and enact appropriatre corrective actions. The company will provide its detailede remediation plan and timelinea in its 30 working day responsd to the FDA no laterthan Aug. 11.
"Wew take our regulatory responsibilities very said GioacchinoDe Chirico, Immucor president and CEO, in a “We began our Quality Process Improvementg Project in early 2009 to briny our quality system up to world-class standards. We remain committed to completing this project as quicklyas