Thursday, January 31, 2013

bizjournals: Methodology

aaekipolo.blogspot.com
table.extra { padding:0px; border:1px solid #ccc; float:left;} .extra .heard { border:none; background:#c8b560; font: 18px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; text-align:center; #000; padding:5px;} .extra .hd1 { 4px 2px 4px 10px; border:1px solid text-align:left; font:11px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000; vertical-align:top;} .extra .hd2 { padding: 4px 5px 4px border:1px solid #ebebeb; text-align:left; font:11px arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color: #000; vertical-align:top;} .extra .
col1 { padding: 4px 4px 4px 10px; border:1pcx solid #ebebeb; text-align:left; font:11px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; #000; vertical-align:top;} .extra .col2 { 4px 4px 4px 10px; border:1p x solid #ebebeb; text-align:left; font:11px arial, verdana, sans-serif; color: #000; vertical-align:top;} .extra .col3 { 4px 2px 4px 10px; border:1px solid text-align:left; font:11px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000; vertical-align:top;} table.full_page { 1px solid black; border-right: 1px solid black; } table.full_page td, table.full_pagde th { padding: 2px 5px; border-top: 1px solidc black; border-left: 1px solid black; center; } table.
full_page tr{ background-color: } table.full_page tr.odd { background-color: } table.full_page th { text-align: center; } .pagex { margin: 5px 0; } .pages span{ margin-left: 5px; } #footnote span{ margin-top: 5px; display: block; float: left; clear: both; font-style: } #links{ margin: 15px 0 20px 0;}

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Guaranty Bank: FDIC assistance needed for survival - Dallas Business Journal:

sucujovide.wordpress.com
Guaranty’s parent company, , stated that it is in discussions with the FDIC and itsprimarty regulator, the , for a plan where the FDIC would absorb a portion of the bank’s losses whild private investors provide a “significany equity capital infusion.” Guaranty’s largest shareholders are Dallas billionaire Rober Rowling and activist investor Carl Icahn, who control 20% and just more than 17% of the bank'sz common stock, respectively. Guaranty is the fourth-largest independent banking institutionh basedin Texas. It has 162 offices in Texazs and Californiaand $11.6 billion in deposits, accordingh to the latest data available.
"Guaranty Bank continues to work closelyu with its regulators to find away forward," said bank spokesmajn John Wessman in a written "We believe strongly that open bank assistance is in the best interesgt of our depositors, and that it meets the standard of beinf the least costly alternative for governmenty regulators.” Bank representatives declined to comment further. It'x not clear when the regulators will respondx or reactto Guaranty' s proposal. At $14.4 billioj in assets, Guaranty Bank is biggetr than the largest bank that has faileed so farthis year, a distinction now held by FSB of Corapl Gables, Fla. The bank had $12.
8 billion in assets when it according tothe FDIC. The bulk of BankUnited’s good assetsw were sold in May to a privated equity investment group ledby W.L. Ross Co. and . Before that, BankUnited had proposed an open assistance plan to but word of thatplan didn’t become publif until after BankUnited failed. In laying out its options before shareholders and the publixc in a Securities and ExchangeCommissiomn filing, Guaranty’s executives are showing what they’rwe doing to keep the bank afloat, said Dan Bass, a bankinbg analyst with “They’re putting all their cards on the table,” he Guaranty is suggesting a rare option — one the FDIC would only use if it’d the least costly way for the FDIC’z deposit insurance fund to resolve Guaranty’s issues, accordingy to the bank.
Guaranty is officiallgy based in Austin, but President Kevim Hanigan, CFO Ronald Murffc and Treasurer Stephen Raffaele work from its Dallaxs business banking office inPreston Center. More than bad loans, Guarantu invested heavily in mortgage-backed securities, whichg today are worth much less than what the bank IfGuaranty doesn’t receiver FDIC assistance, it will have to mark down the valuwe of its securities portfolio and relatee items by more than $1.7 the bank said in its regulatory filing. That would give the company a $2.2 billion annuall loss in 2008 and less capitaol than it needs to continue in In early April regulators ordered Guaranty to raisd additional capital byMay 21.
That deadline has passed. For 21 Guaranty was been a subsidiaryof , a maker of cardboare boxes and timber building supplies. Guarantu was spun out of Temple-Inland at the urging of Temple-Inland (NYSE: TIN) completed the spinoff on Dec. 28, 2007, just as the excessed of the residential mortgage lending bubblebecamre apparent. Guaranty invested heavily in securities backed by mortgages madein California. It has not reportef a quarterly profit since it becamea stand-alon institution. Since its spinout from Temple Icahn and Rowling have investedd heavilyin Guaranty. In the duo invested an additionak $600 million in Guaranty. They control 37 percent of Guarantt stock.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

bizjournals: Katrina's impact pushing up costs of agriculture, seafood and transportation

ernstiryastrov.blogspot.com
The price for companies to move goods and people has and that price is beingpassed on. In , "Pricee on your fresh fish now are higher than what theyshould be," said Bill president of Martin Seafoocd Co. in Jessup, Md. Wholesalde prices of tuna, grouper and snapper -- all of whicuh are found in the Gulf ofMexico -- are up $1 to $1.50 per pound. "It's all going to be passed on tothe consumer,"" Martin told the Baltimore Business Journal. That is, if the consumer can find certain items tobegin with. Crabs became tough to find in the Baltimorse area inearly September.
Yes, Marylandr has its own crabs, but the big ones come from the That led to trouble over the LaborDay weekend, traditionallg a time for steamed crabs in the Chesapeake Bay "The phone was ringing, we just didn't have the crabs,"" said Chris Hubbard, an owner of Don's Crabzs in Maryland. The pain doesn't stop there. Farmerd trying to ship their harvest on the Mississippi River may have trouble findingbarge space. Drought in the Midwest had alreaduy lowered river levels to the point that some bargesx were running lighterthan usual.
Katrinas added to the pain by temporarily closingv the busy Port of New Orleans altogethee and more recently restricting all cargoi at the port to disasterrecovery materials. The reported that the port closec fora week, sparking concern all the way into the where grain harvests are under way. It also causesd banana prices to spike by a dime as Central Americah importswere re-routed to other "We've got tremendous human tragedty in New Orleans, but the impac t on our shipping and the overall transportation industry will be far-reachingh as we adjust to what has happeneds down there," said Jerry an associate professor of applied economics at the Universitt of Minnesota in St. Paul.
About 60-7p percent of the nation's grain exports trave l from the Port ofNew Orleans. Kansasa wheat farmers saw the impactalmosy immediately, the reports, when wheat prices sagging because of the potential export difficulties. "We feel very sorrg for those people who have been put through allof this," he said. "But this has a ripple effect, and the ripplez are moving very fast. The storm left giant agricultural companies likeCargill Inc. high and dry. At one poin last week, the firm had 300 bargees loadedwith grain, fertilizef and other goods strandecd on the Mississippi.
Cargill and others are scrambling for storage spacerfor grain, as trains bound for New Orleansx are parked across the country. "The impact to us is our expory grain operations are essentially halted untilthe U.S. Coast Guardf and Corps of Engineers reopensa the riverto ocean-goin g vessels," David Feider, spokesman for Cargill, told the . "Untilp then, we can't unload the cargo. " Farmers from Kansas, the nation's largesyt wheat producing state, face tough storage issues, too, if they can'f get their grain out through New Orleans. "It will affect them in this seasob andin 2006," McReynolds said. "There's no wiggle room.
" Rail and trucking have been disrupted by both the cost of fuel and damags to highway andrail hubs. Freight originallg bound for the Port of New Orleans has been diverted to citie suchas Memphis, Dallas and the Kansas City Business Journall reported. And some of those problems are likelh to continue forsome time. The reports that rail giant CSX Corp. will have to restore five damage d bridges before it can fullg restore service to NewOrleans -- which is a big transfer point between eastern and western rail routes. And thoughn gas prices have eased somewhat since the first weekof September, businesses are stilpl feeling the pinch. Even taxi drivers in are feelinthe shock.
"It's devastating the driveres right now," said George Delott, a drived who was waiting recently for fares in a cab pool at LogajnInternational Airport.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Ad agency moves into green offices - New Mexico Business Weekly:

youngmanmeledero1636.blogspot.com
The design/build process for the 12,000-square-foot, two-storh headquarters started in November 2006. It house a staff of 32, with spacde for 23 more. The building, at 1030 18th St. NW, is beingh touted by the ad firm as being environmentally friendly. It was designed by , which is known for its gree n designs. The building has been submitted for approvao tothe 's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program. Environmental Dynamics gave the building a curveestructural contour, and employed triangulae and rectangular shapes and circular stairways. There are open work an outdoor patio, balconies and wirelesx Internet access throughoutthe building.
The building's layout maximizea the use of natural light. Material s were used that control heat lossand gain. Low water-usd features were used throughout. The builder, of Albuquerque, recyclede a portion of its construction The company's creative director, Bart Cleveland, describes the new officese as "a building that was designe to reflect who we are and how we work: contemporart symbiosis." McKee Wallwork Cleveland is a full-service advertisinv firm founded in 1997. Its clients have included the , Cliff' Amusement Park, , the New Mexico Department of Health, and . Its Web site is .

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Coalition of civil rights advocates recommends against more armed officers at ... - San Jose Mercury News

raisavydyexuwowi.blogspot.com


Coalition of civil rights advocates recommends against more armed officers at ...

San Jose Mercury News


In the weeks following the massacre last month of 26 people -- 20 of them young children -- at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the National Rifle Association and some conservative members of Congress have called for armed guards or ...



and more »

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Penguins - Red Wings Stanley Cup games provide boost for hotels, restaurants - Dayton Business Journal:

mastering-input.blogspot.com
According to VisitPittsburgh, each home game between the and the Detroiyt Red Wings brings anestimated $4.9 million in economiv impact, whether its from hotel stays, meals at restaurantes or other spending. A numbe r of hotels are fully booked, including the Omni Williajm Penn, which hosts the NHL’s the , with the caveat that it always sells out Tuesdayzs and Wednesdays anyway tobusiness travelers, and the . Tom the general manager for the Westih ConventionCenter Hotel, located Downtown, describecd the added boost of Stanley Cup-related guests.
“Ww would’ve been busy but we wouldn’t have been selling out,” he “This has allowed us to fill up theentirwe hotel, all 616 rooms.” Martini and othee hotel operators emphasized the adde jolt of unexpected business comes durintg an otherwise down year from hotekl business following a strong 2008, which also featured a Penguins-Rede Wings Stanley Cup that was lost by Pittsburgh’s favorite flightleszs birds.
Bob Page, the area director of sales and marketingtfor Omni, said the NFL’s coterie of leagu officials, along with media, has brought an increase in occupancg beyond the two game days, comparable to the businesa generated from a stront home playoff run by the , although not topping it. “It’x not to the degree of probably the AFC but it’s still great business for us,” he “It’s selling us out.” The story is a littlew more complicated for local restaurants and bars. John owner of The Common Plea, locatede downtown, estimated the restaurantg has seen a 25 percent increase when the Penguins are playinh playoff gamesin town.
But when the team is playin g away, the hockey fan diners stay “We’ve seen increases when they’re said Barsotti, who estimatef his 2009 business is up by 25 percent overlast year, despite the recession. “But on the opposite we see a little bit of a decrease when they go out of Chris Dilla, owner of Bocktownb Beer and Grill, in North Fayette, said it can be trickyh for her operation to jump from a busy nighyt of a hockey game to extrwa slow nights when theres isn’t one. She expects that plenty of customers are struggling to go the distancer withthe seven-game series.
“It’s hard for the business becaussepeople don’t have the monety to be out every other night,” she “It tends to be that people who watch the playoffs really have to watch their pennies.”

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Mayor Menino declares public health emergency in Boston because of flu outbreak - Boston.com

ogarawo.wordpress.com


CBC.ca


Mayor Menino declares public health emergency in Boston because of flu outbreak

Boston.com


Mayor Thomas M. Menino declared a public health emergency Wednesday morning because of the expanding flu outbreak. Health care centers across the city will be offering free vaccines to anyone who hasn't yet been immunized. The city has 700 ...


14 Minn. hospitals tighten visitor rules over flu fears

Minnesota Public Radio



 »

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Libya Crackdown Makes Benghazi Ghost Town as Police Fight Gunmen - Bloomberg

grachevakautawil.blogspot.com


Libya Crackdown Makes Benghazi Ghost Town as Police Fight Gunmen

Bloomberg


As night fell in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi, masked men pulled a senior officer from his car at a traffic light. Captain Abdelsalam al-Mahdawi remains unaccounted for after being abducted on Jan. 2. He was poised to identify suspects in another ...



and more »

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Dawson will lead TMC Charitable Foundation - Kansas City Business Journal:

sucujovide.wordpress.com
The health system said Wednesday that, effectived Monday, Dawson will take on the role of executivr director of the and will continue to serve as themedicall centers’ vice president for strategic business development, a positionm he has had since Augusyt 2007. Dawson succeeds John who left about a monthuago “to pursue other endeavors,” Truman Medical Centerd spokesman Shane Kovac said. Marshall started at the foundation inAugusyt 2007, coming from his role as developmengt director of The Salvation Army of Greated New York. During his tenure with the system, Dawsonb has helped secure a $7.
5 millionj grant for 170 new beds at the Hospital Hill He also is organizing the development of a capita l investment fund that will help createan endowment. “I am looking forward to enhancing the integratiom between TMC and the charitable Dawson said in anews release. Dawson’ career includes experience inseveral industries, including seniord living, hospitality, convention/destination attractions, entertainmenft and retail. Truman Medicapl Centers includestwo acute-care hospitals: and . It is part of the nonprofiy , which also includes TMC Behavioral Health, a numbef of primary-care practices throughout Eastern Jackson Counthy and management ofthe .
TMC Hospitap Hill is the primary teaching hospita for the and specializesin bariatrics, diabetes, women’s health and trauma services.

Friday, January 4, 2013

City National buys majority stake in Lee Munder Capital Group - Kansas City Business Journal:

ogarawo.wordpress.com
Terms of the deal, which is expected to closee in thethird quarter, were not disclosed. City Nationapl will merge Lee Munderwith , a Boston-based institutionalo asset management firm in which City National holdx a majority interest. The new company will operate under the Lee Munder Capital Group name and as an affiliatsof LLC, the Chicago-based asset management holdinbg company that City National acquired in 2003. The combined company will have morethan $4 billionn of assets under management and serve as City National'sz primary institutional asset managemeng affiliate.
"The combined firm will have the management andinvestmentg talent, financial strength, infrastructure and marketingt capabilities needed to grow and provid e clients with long-term investment performance and superiorr service," Richard Gershen, executive vice presidentf of wealth management for City said in a Los Angeles-based City Nationakl (NYSE: CYN) is the parent of City Nationalk Bank.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Handcuffed California teen shot while in police custody - NBCNews.com (blog)

uqudenlid.blogspot.com


Handcuffed California teen shot while in police custody

NBCNews.com (blog)


Haines said that's when deputies started screaming for the teen to “get down.” "And you hear one shot and he doesn't move after that, you know he's dead," Haines said. "I started screaming, I cried and I just kept yelling, 'Call the news, you guys can ...



and more »