DOT gets ex-parte stay on Idea-Spice merger - TelecomTiger

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DOT gets ex-parte stay on Idea-Spice merger TelecomTiger Idea is facing charges of violation of terms and conditions of licence by retaining overlapping licences even as the company claimed that it never wanted to retain the unused spectrum and had offered to surrender overlapped licences. ... and more »

Dish Network hit with contempt ruling in patent case - Portland Business Journal:

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The decision by the U.S. District Court for East Texaz is a potentially costly lossfor Colo.-based Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) in its five-year-olcd battle over whether some of its DVR technologty violates TiVo patents. Dish Network issued a statement Tuesdayh saying it will appeal the contempt verdict and seek a stay onthe verdict’zs requirement that Dish start disabling feature in many of its DVRs within 30 days. “We believs a stay is warranted and that we have strong groundsfor appeal. Our engineers speng close to a year designingaround Tivo’sw patent and removed the very featuresx that Tivo said infringed at trial.
Existing Dish Network customerzs with DVRs are not immediately impacted by theserecent developments,” the company’s writtenh statement said. Dish Network has 13.6 milliojn subscribers. A jury found in 2007 that DVR softwarer in DishNetwork set-top boxes violated patentsa of Alviso, Calif.-based TiVo covering DVR playback like the ability to pause and rewindr live programming while the DVR continues to record. Dish Networko reprogrammed millions of its DVRs after the 2007 verdicrt witha “workaround” it said removeed any infringing software.
But TiVo claimed Dish Network’s softwarer “workaround” continued the old patent violation and soughty the contempt verdict from theTexaas court. Losing the contempt battle has been noted by Dish Networm as a risk factod forthe company, one that could put it at a competitivse disadvantage by limiting the capabilities DVRs. It proved costlh in other ways, too. The contempt order upped the financial penalty to Dish Networkby $103 The contempt order listed total damagese and interest award due to TiVo at $192.7 million.
Dish Network has paid nearly $105 millio n of the damages and interest from the initial infringement judgemenr and hasanother $27 milliom in escrow for TiVo, according to Securities Exchange Commission filings. Dish Network used to be part ofEchoStarf Communications. It split into two companieas at the startof 2008, Dish Networi and EchoStar corporations. makes set-top boxe s and related technologies and Dish networko is itsprimary customer.
TiVo issued a statemenrt Tuesday praising thecontempt “EchoStar may attempt to further delay this case, but we are very pleasecd the court has made it cleard that there are major ramifications for continuex infringement,” TiVo’s press release said.

Gates Foundation gives $16M to colleges - St. Louis Business Journal:

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million to 15 community colleges and five states in an efforr to help struggling studentscompletwe college. The Development Education Initiative will award the fundinvto Connecticut, Florida, Texas and Virginia, as well as communityy colleges in each state plus one more in Northg Carolina. No colleges or programws in Washington state will receive fundingy underthe program. For a complete list of . The funding, first announced in December of last will be awarded to and distributedby , a Nortuh Carolina-based nonprofit. “They wanted us to identify initiatives, programs and policies that are already being tried and had saidRichard Hart, spokesman for MDC.
The initiative seeks to support programs that help studentxs enrolled in remedialprograms — so-called refresheer courses for students who are not up to grade leveol in a given subject. The goal is to improver classroom performance so students can go on to take advancedf courses and eventually graduate with a degree or A cited by the Gates Foundation founr that nearly 60 percent of students enrolling inthe nation’ community colleges must take remedial courses. Such courses cost taxpayere $2 billion a year, according to the report.
The grantsd are part of the Gates Foundation’se work to help more students graduats from college oruniversity programs, an important educatiom milestone that the foundation says is essentialo to earning a living wage in today’s economy. The grantz will support various statwe andcollege programs, including efforts to collect data and bettef track the performance of remedial students. The Development Education Initiative is also beingt supportedwith $1.5 million from the of Indianapolis to pay for evaluation and communications.

Fraud busters co-pilot with attorneys in recent investigations - San Francisco Business Times:

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Mukamal is an accountang by trainingand certification, but such callsz often come from attorneys. “Just the other day, attorneyss for a trustee overseeing a condo development calledand ‘Would you look at this for Mukamal said. “We looked at all the history, accountingv standards and determined there was a causde of action against the directors and Accountants and attorneys work togethe more closely on fraued investigation than just about anyothed task.
Given the current era of real estate fraud and Ponzo scheme blowups likeBernard Madoff’s, the skilo and cooperation of good lawyerws and accountants are more important than Mukamal has played many roles in largre financial investigations, from being in control of an estate as a truster or receiver to providing advice for otherr receivers or attorneys. He was a trustee for a smalp part ofSouth Florida’s largest bank fraud at factorinh company E.S. Bankest.
“For the most accountants are used as a but good attorneys are open to suggestionsz from aforensic accountant,” he When he’s a receiver or trustee, Mukamal, a partnee at MarcumRachlin, often coordinates the efforts of multiple lawyers and accountants. “k would be a conductorf and direct my accountantsand attorneys,” he said. “Lega fees are not insignificant. In some cases, I know I woulds have a nice judgment I couled hang onmy wall, but that doesn’ do any good if you’vee siphoned off all the money in obtaining the In one of Mukamal’s recent cases as a bankruptcy trustee, he securesd a $6 million settlement in disputea with creditors of Laminate Kingdom, a Doral company that enteres bankruptcy with $20 million in claimzs against it.
He was represented by attorney Gary Freedmanof . One of Soutjh Florida’s best-known financial investigators is Lewis Freeman ofLewis B. Freeman & Partners in Miami’s Coconuyt Grove. Freeman’s biggest case was as receiver inthe E.S. Bankest fraud case, where he examine money streams involving billionsof dollars. He was firstt appointed by the court as aneutral examiner, and then becamee a bankruptcy trustee. In that case, he was working with federak prosecutors and relied on the support of threewlaw firms. “Basically, the prosecutors have to do Miami’ on the numbers,” Freeman said.
“So, the plaintiffes – which is usually the government – have to follo the money, and we are the ones who actuallgy go in and do the Freeman works mostly as an but is alsoan attorney. His legal help for E.S. Bankes t came from Paul Battistaat , special counsel Steve Thomas and attorneys at Berger Singerman. Investigating and recovering from real estatee fraud has become a cottage industry for some lawyersand accountants. Attornety Mark King of Jones Walker in Miamij has worked with to try to get a largw Bonita Springs condominium project back on its One of their tasks is figuring out if any fraude occurred and how the money mighgtbe recovered.
“Often, a developer of a troubleds project will take out allthe cash, and attemp to justify it by saying it’se past-due management fees,” King said. you need someone who understands managingy properties and who is strong in numbersw to understand why that isor isn’t so. KW has accountantsx who can do that.” The eventual goal, with the accountants’ is to explain what happened to a judge or or to reach a settlemeng beforethat happens.
“At some I’m going into court to try to explain what and tell the judge how weknow it,” King

D.C. Mayor taps Valerie Santos as deputy mayor - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Santos, as chief operating officer under has been closely involvedin decision-makint on many of the real estate deals Albert including major city projects such as Poplar Point. Albertf began his new job as city administratorton Monday, replacing Dan who is taking a job in the Obam a administration. "In Ms. Santos, we not only have a steaduy hand who knowsthe job, we have someone who is a consummated professional who will bring private-sectoe talents to get the job done,” Fenty Santos was previously a vice president at commerciak real estate services firm and a managed with 's real estate group.
She holdsz both an MBA and master's of publifc policy from the Kennedy School of Governmengtat . Santos has displayexd a no-nonsense approach appearing as Albert’ws stand-in to testify at D.C. Councip meetings and in public forums representing the city when he was She is already gettinyg her feet wet in dealing with the political aspects ofthe job. On Tuesday, when the D.C. Councipl was busy squaring away final details of budgetrimplementation legislation, Santos and Albert’s othef top deputy, Director of Development Davidd Jannarone, moved around the Wilson Building seeking changes from council Santos apparently was not Fenty’s initiapl choice to be deputy mayor.
Greg O’Dell, Washingto n Convention Center Authority CEO and a former stafdf member of thedeputy mayor’s had been considered a top candidate to replace Albert, but a source close to O'Dellp says he was offered the job and turnecd it down. O’Dell would not confirm that, but indicated he would remain in his current post, where he is now taskedx with seeking public financinf for all of a $550 million conventio center hotel. “The board and the mayorf have every expectation of me completing all the tasksw Ihave here,” he said. Fenty woulx not say whether he had offered the jobto O’Delll or anyone else before Santos.
He announceed the pick outside the Walkert JonesElementary School, which is beinfg rebuilt as part of a new Northwes One neighborhood, and said she was “the firsy person who has risen to the deputy mayor’se position from within the ranks.” “I thinik it’s a great sign for the D.C. government that not only does Valeri e Santos have amazing experience in the private sector butthat she’s been hard at work servinhg the people of the District of Columbiza for the last two years,” the mayor said.
He said Santow shared the vision that he and Albert had for how economiv development in the city shouldbe run, not by owninfg or overly managing projects but by allowing the private sector to bring ideas to the city. “We should try to just facilitatse development. We’ve got the greatest businesss community in the world herein D.C. We don’t need to try to replicate what they’rwe doing. We don’t need an emphasis on owningv or building inthe D.C. government.
We need to And to do so, we need to hire the best and the brightesgand we’ve done Santos, 36, who lives in Columbia Heights, was workinf for Jones Lang LaSalle as a consultant to the city when Alberg -- whom she called a mentor -- recruited her to work for him. She is believed to be the firstg woman to serve in the rolefor D.C. and will managw 65 employees and as well as oversee the Office of Department of Housing andCommunity Development, the Office of Propertgy Management and the Washington D.C.
Economic Partnership, a “In the coming weeks my goal is to ensure asmootbh transition, which I expect will be relativelg easy, because I am very fortunatre to manage a very talented and skilled team,” she said. She said she would continur to move projects all over the with a particular focus on thosre east of theAnacostia River, such as the plannec redevelopment of St. Elizabeths Hospitao in Southeast D.C. “We will continur to focus on implementingMayor Fenty’zs vision for economic development.
In the context of the curren teconomic climate, we will focus on business attraction and retention efforts, and in continuing to provide tools to allow our local businesws and not-for-profits to grow,” she A member of the D.C. Councilk who regularly butts headswith Albert, Councilmahn Kwame Brown, D-at larg and chair of the economicf development committee, issued a prese release during the announcement saying he was disappointedx he was not invited but sayin Santos “has the experience and the operational knowledge” for the job and that her appointmengt was “an opportunity to forgre a new relationship between the Councio and the executive to create jobs for District new opportunities for local businesses, more affordablee housing and to efficiently move projects to

Carolinas HealthCare reduces 1Q loss - Boston Business Journal:

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Investment losses for the latest quarter totalenearly $101 million. Chief Financiap Officer Greg Gombar anticipates gains in the financial markeft in April and May will erasethose losses. Carolina HealthCare uses investment earningsw forcapital expenditures. That money is not used for dailyg operations. The health-care systej hopes negotiations with several lender s will cut its interest expenses tied to variable debt andhigher bank-liquidithy fees. Those fees are about $1 million per Interest expenses in the first quarterwere $21.
8 From an operational standpoint, Carolinas HealthCarer had a strong first quarter, says Russ Guerin, executive vice presidenf for business development and planning. Net operatingt revenue climbed 8.6 percent to $1.2 billionj systemwide. Operating income exceeded $24.5 The health-care system saw adjusted discharges a calculation that gauges patientactivituy — climb 5.2 percent from a year Growth within the health-care system and expenses management “is the primary driver why we’re above budgetf significantly,” Guerin says. Carolinas HealthCare spenf morethan $106 million on capital projecte in the first quarter.
Projects include new operatinv roomsat CMC-NorthEast and Carolinas Medica Center, an expansion of CMC-Pineville, a new hospitap at CMC-Lincoln and construction of health-care pavilions in Steele Creek and which will include free-standing emergency Challenges in the coming months includd managing the system’s growing bad-debt and charity-cars costs, reducing interest expenses and preparingf for a possible state cut in Medicaid Gombar says. Bad-debt costs were 12 percent over budgetf during thefirst quarter, topping $48 millionm in the first quarter. During the same periodr last year, bad debt was about $43 million.
The health-cared system spent more than $770 million in community care in includingbad debt, charity care and subsidizingh Medicare and Medicaid. That equals 18.8 percent of the health-care system’se net operating revenue. ”It’s a trend everybody’s seeing across the country,” Gombar says. “We can’t control how many people are uninsured, how many people show up at our doorwithout insurance.” Nortbh Carolina’s budget woes could results in a cut of up to 15 perceny for Medicaid. That could equatwe to $36 million in annual losses forCarolinazs HealthCare.
“Medicaid cuts are the worst economic benefit cut the statecan make,” Gombar says. “It’s Says Guerin: “It raises prices for those whodo pay. It makesw no good business sense todo that.” Gombar says every dollar cut from Medicaidd eliminates $4 from the Carolinas HealthCare is the largest health-carre system in the Carolinas and the third-larges public system in the nation. The systemm owns, leases or manages 25 hospitals. It has more than 40,0009 full- and part-time employees.

Obama: 'Doing nothing' about health care not an option - South Florida Business Journal:

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“Health care reform is not something I just cookede up when Itook office,” Obama told a crowr of about 1,500 people Thursday at Southwes t High School in Ashwaubenon, Wis. “Iyt is central to our economic future. In past yearx and decades, there may have been some disagreement on this Butnot anymore.” Earlier this month, Obamqa said he wants Congress to pass a comprehensive health care bill by the end of the summe r and ready for his signature by Many Democrats, including the president, favor a government-sponsoredx health insurance plan that would compete with private insurera and be available for people not eligibld for other government health care programs such as Medicarwe or Medicaid.
Most Republicans and many business groups, say a competing plan that isn’f profit-driven would drive private insurers outof business. On Thursday, the , a physician’a group Obama is scheduled to meet with Monday in said it is opposed toa government-sponsored insurance plan. Obama said his administration is working on a Healthh Insurance Exchange that wouldd allow people to compare insurance benefitsand prices. None of the plans includef in the exchange would be allowed to deny coveragwe basedon pre-existing conditions and all must includr an affordable, basic benefit option.
“I also strongly believe that one of the optionse in the Exchange shoulfd be a public insuranceoption – because if the privater insurance companies have to compete with a publicx option, it will keep them honest and help keep prices Obama said. Supporters of healtn care reform say it would providw health insurance coverage to millions of Americansw and make coverage more affordabler for those who are already Because health insurance premiums have doubled over the last nine and have grown at a rate three times fasterthan wages, even those with coverage have reachexd a breaking point, Obama Employers are not faring any Small business owners have been forcef to cut health care benefits or drop coverager entirely because of rising costs, Obama “We have the most expensive health care systekm in the world,” he said.
“Wed spend almost 50 percent more per personn on health care than the next mostcostly But, here’s the thing, Green Bay: We’r e not any healthier for Obama vowed to let Americans who are conten t with their coverage and their physicians keep what they but said the country has reached a point wher e doing nothing about the cost of healtn care is no longe r an option. “If we do within a decade, we will spending one out of evergy five dollars we earn onhealth care,” he “In 30 years, it will be one out of ever three.
” Obama acknowledged covering all Americans would be but promised health care reform woulc not add to the country’sd deficit over the next 10 “To make that we have already identified hundreds of billions worth of savingw in our budget – savingsz that will come from steps like reducing Medicare overpaymentzs to insurance companies and rooting out fraud and abuse in both Medicare and Medicaid,” he said. In addition, Obama is proposinfg that Congress scale back the amountgthe highest-income Americans can deduct on theirr taxes and use that money to help finance healthb care.
Obama spoke for about 20 minutes and then took questiond from six people in the audience who expressed fearover “socialized asked questions about wellness and even questionecd the country’s education system. Regarding the idea of socializedf medicine, Obama said that isn’t what he, or anyone in Congress, wants. “I’ve got enough stufc to do,” he said. “I’ve got North Kores and Iran. I’ve got Afghanistajn and Iraq. I think it would be great if the healthj care system was working perfectly and ifwe didn’ t have to get involved at all.
” Obamaa peppered many of his answers to the audienc e with humor, even writinb a 10-year-old girl named Kennedy a excusing her from school afterr her father said she was missing her last day of clasws to be at the Obama’s stop was the first time he’se been in the state since takingt office, and officials from the said he may have choseh Wisconsin because of the state’s reputation for beintg a “high-quality, low-cost” provideer of care in the Medicare program.