World Business News Headlines for March 6, 2010

China says it will move cautiously on currency (AP)

AP - China's central bank governor acknowledged Saturday that Beijing is using its controversial exchange-rate controls to cope with the global economic crisis and said it will be cautious about retreating from the policy.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 6 Mar 2010 | 2:58 am

Iceland braces for consequences of Icesave vote (AP)

AP - Amid allegations of bullying and profiteering by bigger nations, angry Icelanders are expected to deliver a resounding slap down this weekend to plans to use taxpayer money to pay off the tiny island nation's international debts.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 6 Mar 2010 | 2:57 am

GM to reinstate 600 dealerships slated to be cut (AP)

AP - General Motors Co. will reinstate 661 dealerships it sought to drop from its sales network.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 6 Mar 2010 | 2:45 am

Icelanders vote on payback plan

Iceland is voting on a deal to repay the UK and Netherlands over the Icesave bank collapse, with a big "no" vote expected.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 6 Mar 2010 | 2:25 am

China says exports to fully recover in 2-3 years (AFP)

AFP - China said Saturday it could take up to three years for its exports to return to pre-financial crisis levels, as the Asian powerhouse shifted its focus to domestic demand.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 6 Mar 2010 | 2:04 am

Worldwide Investments Recommends Overseas Property Investment in Brazil and Argentina

Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:01 am

Nationwide Building Society Launches New Cash ISA Range

Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:01 am

Poketo wallets make art pay off

Wanting to showcase their friends' work, a couple put fellow artists' designs on affordable items. They still do -- on a larger scale.

Angie Myung's and Ted Vadakan's dreams of having careers in the arts hit them right in the wallet. In a good way.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Flight attendants union wants combat training

The labor group is pushing for new rules to strengthen in-cabin security, including hand-to-hand combat instruction, personal radios and standardized size limits for carry-on luggage.

The federal government has made clear its strategy for cracking down on potential terrorist attacks in airplanes: more sophisticated scanners and increased scrutiny of passengers at crowded airports.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Lawmakers want Toyota to disclose results of electronics tests

Reps. Henry Waxman and Bart Stupak express skepticism about the automaker's explanation for sudden acceleration and say they want to interview its employees. Toyota says it will cooperate.

With Toyota Motor Corp. executives continuing to say that electronics problems are not causing sudden acceleration in their company's vehicles, two top lawmakers Friday demanded to see the proof.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Stocks rise after better-than-expected jobs report

Stocks jumped Friday after the government's employment report showed fewer jobs were cut in February than expected.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Google buys DocVerse, maker of group editing tool

Google could transform DocVerse into a companion for its Docs software suite, enabling someone working on a Microsoft Word document to collaborate with others using Google's Web-based applications.

Google Inc. gobbled up yet another start-up Friday with the acquisition of DocVerse, which makes a group editing tool for Microsoft Office. The 3-year-old DocVerse is Google's fourth buy in less than a month.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

On Catalina, a tussle over Edison plant

Ratepayers fear a sale would boost costs, but their own bid for the facility is up in the air. Southern California...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Flight attendants union wants combat training

For muni bonds, some financial advisors look outside California

Concerns about the state's long-term fiscal challenges fuel shift toward national diversification in Californians' tax-free bond portfolios. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Lawmakers want Toyota to disclose results of electronics tests

iPad due out April 3; Apple stock hits record high

Wi-Fi versions of the computer tablet were originally planned for late March. 3G-enabled models will roll out later. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Poketo wallets make art pay off

Wanting to showcase their friends' work, a couple put fellow artists' designs on affordable items. They still do -- on a larger scale. ...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

On Catalina, a tussle over Edison plant

Ratepayers fear a sale would boost costs, but their own bid for the facility is up in the air.

Southern California Edison wants to sell its antiquated water and gas utility on the eastern edge of this quaint harbor community.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

iPad due out April 3; Apple stock hits record high

Wi-Fi versions of the computer tablet were originally planned for late March. 3G-enabled models will roll out later.

Will the much-anticipated iPad be Apple Inc.'s next must-have product?

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

For muni bonds, some financial advisors look outside California

Concerns about the state's long-term fiscal challenges fuel shift toward national diversification in Californians' tax-free bond portfolios.

California and its local governments have long counted on a large captive audience for their debt: Many of the buyers are high-income individual investors who live here and find the federal and state tax exemption on California municipal bond interest too attractive to pass up.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 6 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am

Google buys DocVerse, maker of group editing tool

Fixed-rate energy deals 'unfair'

Millions of energy customers lose out on price cuts as they are locked into "unfair" fixed tariffs, a consumer website says.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:12 pm

Merkel: No financial help for Greece (AP)

AP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has avoided giving debt-plagued Greece a commitment of financial assistance, as Athens was rattled by more strikes and violent protests by unions outraged by harsh economic austerity measures.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:21 pm

Merkel: No financial help for Greece

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has avoided giving debt-plagued Greece a commitment of financial assistance, as Athens was rattled by more strikes and violent protests by unions outraged by
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:21 pm

China wants yuan in SDR in 2015: report

TOKYO (Reuters) - China is pushing for the yuan to be added to the basket of currencies that comprise the IMF's special drawing rights, aiming for its inclusion in 2015, Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun said on Saturday.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:20 pm

China wants yuan in SDR in 2015: report

Stocks to Watch: Stocks in focus for Monday

Among the companies whose shardes are expected to see active trading Monday are H&R Block, Tivo and Casey's General Stores.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:01 pm

GM to reinstate 661 dealerships

The automaker will reinstate 661 of the franchises that it planned to drop. In a move that could provide economic...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:01 pm

GM to reinstate 661 dealerships

The automaker will reinstate 661 of the franchises that it planned to drop.

In a move that could provide economic relief for hundreds of communities nationwide, General Motors Co. said it would reinstate nearly 700 dealerships that it had planned to drop from its sales network.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:01 pm

Florida chill puts tomato prices up the vine

Some fast-food chains are serving the newly pricey fruit only at customer request.

Because of frigid temperatures in Florida, you might have to enjoy a BLT without the T.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm

Florida chill puts tomato prices up the vine

Some fast-food chains are serving the newly pricey fruit only at customer request. Because of frigid temperatures...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm

China calls U.S. duties on paper, salts unfair

BEIJING (Reuters) - The decision by the United States to impose preliminary duties on Chinese coated paper and phosphate salts was unfair and discriminatory, a spokesman for China's Commerce Ministry said in a statement seen on Saturday.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:41 pm

GM to pay vice chairman Girsky $5 million

NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Motors will pay Stephen Girsky, recently appointed vice chairman in charge of corporate strategy and business development, around $5 million a year, mainly in stocks, the company said on Friday.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:37 pm

GM to pay vice chairman Girsky $5 million

GM to pay vice chairman Girsky $5 million (Reuters)

Reuters - General Motors will pay Stephen Girsky, recently appointed vice chairman in charge of corporate strategy and business development, around $5 million a year, mainly in stocks, the company said on Friday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:37 pm

Canada weighing gov't asset sales-finance minister

TORONTO, March 5 (Reuters) - Canada may announce plans in the coming year to sell government assets following a review of its operations, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said.
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:36 pm

Market Snapshot: Bank stocks climb from abyss, find footing fragile

But after 146% surge, bank sector may languish, restraining broader market.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 8:15 pm

Bulls may extend rally from March 2009 lows

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bulls may get more room to run next week on the anniversary of the March 2009 lows -- if U.S. stock investors see more signs of stability after Friday's rally on smaller-than-expected job losses.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 7:51 pm

First Citizens acquires another failed bank

North Carolina-based First Citizens Bank purchases its fourth failed bank in the past eight months from federal regulators.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 7:48 pm

Regulators close banks in four states

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators closed four banks in as many states on Friday, bringing the number of failures so far this year to 26 as deteriorating loans continued taking a toll on financial institutions.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 7:40 pm

Old Home Foods Announces Voluntary Ingredient-Related Recall of Spinach Dip

Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:52 pm

House panel: Toyota shows no proof yet of study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp has failed to support statements of top executives that the automaker has rigorously evaluated electronic throttles in its vehicles, Democratic leaders of a congressional committee said on Friday.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:47 pm

China central bank to keep yuan basically stable

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's central bank pledged on Saturday to keep the yuan's exchange rate basically stable in 2010 and said it will enhance coordination with its foreign counterparts on
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:41 pm

Weekend Investor: How to make money in the bull market's second year

Happy birthday, baby bull. So far you’re one for the storybooks. What can investors expect in Year Two? If history is a guide, the second verse will echo the first.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:34 pm

Banks shuttered in Fla., Ill., Md., Utah

Regulators on Friday shuttered banks in Florida, Illinois, Maryland and Utah, boosting to 26 the number of bank failures in the U.S. so far this year following the 140 brought down in 2009...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:32 pm

Employment outlook brightens in U.S., state

California payrolls grow by 32,500 in January, but the jobless rate rises as more seek work. February losses fall far short of forecasts nationally.

Encouraging reports on both national and state employment released Friday indicate that the long-awaited economic recovery may be gaining a bit of traction.

Source: L.A. Times - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:32 pm

Reddy Ice Announces Results Through the Early Tender Date of its Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation for 10 1/2% Senior Discount Notes Due 2012

Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:30 pm

Barclays says D.E. Shaw owes it $15 million

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barclays Capital Real Estate sought a summary judgment against hedge fund D.E. Shaw, saying it was owed $15 million stemming from a loan default, according to court documents seen on Friday.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:11 pm

Latin American Markets: Stocks in Brazil, Chile edge higher on commodities

Chilean and Brazilian stock markets capped off the week Friday with gains thanks to a rise in oil prices.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:11 pm

Best and worst stocks since market hit bottom

The U.S. stock market has gained 68% since the 17-month bear market hit bottom just under a year ago, making winners out of a group of onetime basement-dwelling stocks and losers out of others.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:58 pm

Taxing Times: Some of the IRS' extra $1.3 billion may be yours

Some $1.3 billion in unclaimed refunds is awaiting about 1.4 million people who neglected to file a return for 2006, the IRS says.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:52 pm

AIG's Greenberg says cannot be charged

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, the former chief executive of American International Group Inc, believes he no longer faces possible criminal charges over a sham transaction involving the insurer and a unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:45 pm

SEC Filing Show Google Management To Take $1 In Salary

Google (GOOG) disclosed that Chairman & CEO Eric Schmidt and founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page will each be paid $1 in base salary for 2010 in an 8-K filing. Brin is Google’s President, Technology and Page is President, Products. Several other Google executives will do better. Patrick Pichette, the CFO; David Drummond, the chief legal [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:33 pm

Complexity of ‘fraud’ boggles the mind

More than 1,600 pages of court documents detail a ‘carousel of fraud’ that has embroiled broadband operators Sparkle and Fastweb in one of Italy’s largest cases of suspected tax fraud and money-laundering
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:28 pm

Holly Energy prices $150 million in senior notes (AP)

AP - Holly Energy Partners LP said Friday that it has priced an offering of $150 million of senior debt due 2018.
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:23 pm

Obama budget to add $10 trillion to debt

If President Obama's 2011 budget were put into effect as proposed, the U.S. federal government would add an estimated $9.8 trillion to the country's accrued debt over the next decade, according to a preliminary analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:19 pm

GM offers 661 dealers a second chance

Shuttered General Motors dealers hoping to get their business back should stay near the phone. General Motors is in the process of calling 661 dealers targeted for shutdown to offer them their franchises back, company executives said Friday afternoon.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:16 pm

US borrowing rises unexpectedly

Borrowing by US consumers rose for the first time in a year in January according to figures released by the Federal Reserve.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:10 pm

The best and worst of dotcom mania

In 2000, 63 dotcom millionaires appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List. A year later there were just 26. Here are some of the best -- and worst:

Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

Michael Page sheds profits but says banks are back on recruitment trail

Banks are hiring twice as many staff in London as they were at this time last year, one of the City’s leading recruitment firms said yesterday, in the latest sign that the financial sector is emerging from the downturn.
Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

Forget the milk round, graduates offered a beer round

Graduates struggling to find a job in traditional professions such as accountancy, banking and the media need not go to the pub and drown their sorrows. They can end up running one instead, thanks to an initiative by Britain’s biggest pub landlord.
Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

Merkel calls for end to speculators who bet against Greece

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, lashed out at speculators and called for curbs on the derivatives markets, which she said were being used to profit from the financial distress of Greece.
Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

WPP to focus on developing world as stability returns to advertising

The world’s biggest advertising group will be focusing its investment on the developing world and digital markets this year.
Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

Pru strives to shine a light on cash call as shares suffer

Tidjane Thiam, chief executive of the Prudential, said yesterday that he was urgently seeking ways to accelerate disclosure of the terms of its record-breaking $21 billion ($£14 billion) rights issue,which has rocked the insurer’s share price for a week.
Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

Battle on as Forth Ports rejects offer by Peel

A battle for control of some of Britain’s most important ports erupted last night after it emerged that Forth Ports, the owner of Tilbury and Grangemouth, had rejected a £612 million takeover offer from the rival Peel Group.
Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

Rewritten history spoils good story

One of the reasons investors like dividends so much is that they think they can’t be fudged. Every other number in the annual accounts can be massaged and manipulated, dolled up or played down, embellished or hidden away, but not the actual number in hard cash paid out to shareholders each year.

Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

It wasn’t a job but a lifestyle

You’re not being ambitious enough.”

Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

From bubble to burst in a few easy clicks

Eleven years ago on April 1, a date that carries a degree of irony, Silicon Valley awoke to the biggest deal yet in the dot-com boom. Yahoo! was paying $5.9 billion in its own shares for broadcast.com, a four-year-old business that allowed TV and radio stations to deliver their product over the internet.$

Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm

Bulls may extend rally from March 2009 lows (Reuters)

Reuters - Bulls may get more room to run next week on the anniversary of the March 2009 lows -- if U.S. stock investors see more signs of stability after Friday's rally on smaller-than-expected job losses.

Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:58 pm

MarketWatch First Take: Apple investors breathe sigh of relief about iPad

Shares surge as news counters production-issue rumors.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:34 pm

Metro Bank gets official go-ahead

A proposed new High Street bank, Metro Bank, has been given a banking license by the Financial Services Authority.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:30 pm

GM offers to keep 661 of rejected U.S. dealers

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co has offered to keep open 661 of its U.S. dealers once targeted for closure as it tries to shore up sales after emerging from bankruptcy last year.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:19 pm

Blount International 4Q earns drop 6 percent (AP)

AP - Blount International Inc., which makes chains for saws, said Friday that its fourth-quarter earnings fell 6 percent as one-time costs outweighed a gain in sales.
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:18 pm

Summary Box: Relief over jobs report boosts stocks (AP)

AP - JOB RELIEF: Stocks barreled higher Friday after the Labor Department said employers cut 36,000 jobs last month. That was fewer than forecast. Also, the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent, while analysts had predicted an increase.
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:16 pm

Personal Finance Daily: The job-market and consumer news is good, and bad

Remember Dr. Doolittle's pushmi-pullyu? It was a two-headed animal -- a llama-like creature in the older movie -- that couldn't decide which direction to go. The economic news of late feels a lot like that.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:14 pm

Resounding "No" expected in Iceland referendum

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Icelanders vote in a referendum on Saturday on a $5 billion deal to repay Anglo-Dutch loans, with an expected resounding "No" set to further delay foreign aid and hopes for economic recovery.

Source: Reuters: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:11 pm

36,000 jobs lost, but unemployment holds steady

The U.S. economy shed 36,000 jobs and the unemployment rate was unchanged in February, according to a government report released Friday.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:09 pm

Legal charges trim HP profit

Hewlett-Packard revised its first-quarter net income down by $73 million on Friday, thanks to charges for litigation involving a company that the computer giant acquired in 2008.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:09 pm

US data boost hopes for recovery

The US unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 per cent last month, reviving hopes that the economic recovery is gathering steam even as the pace of job losses accelerated slightly
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:09 pm

Stocks jump after better-than-expected jobs report (AP)

AP - Stocks jumped Friday after the government's employment report showed fewer jobs were cut in February than expected.

Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:08 pm

Canadian Markets: Canadian stocks rise on U.S. data, commodities

Favorable U.S. jobs data coupled with rising commodity prices lift Canada's main stock index on Friday to close out the week 3% higher.

Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:06 pm

Nasdaq at 18-month high

Stocks rallied Friday, with the Nasdaq ending at an 18-month high, after a government report showed employers cut fewer positions last month than had been expected, in the latest sign that the pace of job cuts is slowing.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:03 pm

Diageo hopeful on China spirit bid

The UK drinks group says it is confident that a bid to take control of Shui Jing Fang, a Chinese brand of premium white spirit, would not be blocked by Beijing
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 4:01 pm

How the major stock indexes fared on Friday (AP)

AP - Stocks jumped Friday after the government's employment report showed fewer jobs were cut in February than expected.
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:44 pm

L’Occitane prepares Hong Kong listing

The French cosmetics group could raise up to $700m to bankroll its Asian expansion plans from a landmark Hong Kong initial public offering
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:37 pm

Recovery? Great. But where are the jobs? (AP)

AP - At last, the unemployment crisis seems to be easing. That's the good news.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:35 pm

HSBC braced for latest pay clash

The board of UK bank HSBC remains adamant that Michael Geoghegan, chief executive, is underpaid by a “wide margin” but many leading investors think otherwise
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:28 pm

Credit, Banks, Fed, Biotechnology, Real Estate: Taking Stock

Source: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:27 pm

The next tech goldmine

When Dr. Bradley Block, a family physician in Florida, began to investigate electronic medical record systems for his four-doctor practice, he discovered that many of the largest firms in the field were not particularly interested in his business.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:16 pm

IPad release date: April 3

Come April 3, you can be one of the first in the United States to own an Apple iPad.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:15 pm

Stocks rally after US unemployment data

Global Markets Overview: Stocks push on and Treasuries slump after non-farm payrolls figures show that the US economy lost 36,000 jobs in February
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:15 pm

Toyota: Sudden acceleration test unrealistic

Toyota is rejecting a university professor's test that claims to show that electronic throttle systems on Toyota cars could cause unintended acceleration saying the test was simply not realistic.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:14 pm

Economy 101: Hiring index nears turning point (AP)

AP - An index that measures the breadth of hiring among private industries is nearing a turning point that could signal consistent job gains.

Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 5 Mar 2010 | 3:05 pm

Hewlett-Packard Slashes Profits On Litigation Costs, No One Cares

American corporations have a habit of releasing bad information late on Friday afternoon. Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) announced that it has revised its previously announced financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended Jan. 31, 2010, following developments in litigation involving Electronic Data Systems Corporation which HP acquired in August 2008. The revisions reflect an increase in the amount of the [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:56 pm

Adrienne Mayor Discusses Book `The Poison King': Lewis Lapham

Source: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:47 pm

Lockheed Martin (LMT) CEO Made $23 Million As Net Income Slipped

Robert J. Stevens, the CEO of Lockheed Martin (LMT) made $23 million last year, according to the company’s proxy. Part of his compensation included use of corporate aircraft for personal reasons. Lockheed Martin had a mediocre year. Net earnings fell to $3 billion, or $7.78 per share, from $3.2 billion, or $7.86 per share. It’s good to [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:46 pm

Wall St rallies on jobs data, consumer credit (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks jumped and the Nasdaq hit an 18-month closing high on Friday as U.S. employers cut fewer jobs than expected last month and consumers showed signs of shedding their penny-pinching ways.

Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:41 pm

Apple, Monster Worldwide, RCN are big movers (AP)

AP - Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:38 pm

Consumer credit rises for first time in a year

Consumer borrowing increased in January for the first time in a year, the Federal Reserve reported Friday. The news blew past economist expectations which predicted a decline for the 12th straight month.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:35 pm

AMD CEO Makes $4.5 Million As Firm Profits From Intel Settlement

AMD (AMD) CEO Dirk Meyer made $4.6 million last year as his company made a profit, but only because of a legal settlement with Intel (INTC) over antitrust matters. The money probably should have gone to general counsel Thomas McCoy, who made only $1.1 million. The AMD proxy reports that Meyer’s base salary was $792,000. AMD made [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:29 pm

King & Shaxson staff invest time in counting calories

The evenings are getting longer but we're still ploughing through the first quarter of the year, which can only mean one thing: plenty of portly financiers on their annual diet.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:22 pm

A plan to save commercial real estate

Economists have long been predicting commercial real estate could be the next day of reckoning for the financial markets, with a wave of defaults looming as billions of dollars in troubled loans come due in the coming months.
Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:19 pm

Sorrell's deficit-cutting ideas may not be universally LUV-ed

Good to see Britain's favourite economic forecaster back on the LUV-train. But it wasn't what Sir Martin Sorrell - who doubles up as an ad-man in his spare time - said about the shape of the recovery that caught the eye.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:18 pm

Forth Ports' boat is still to come in

As the last quoted ports group standing, it was only a matter of time before Forth Ports got a bid approach. But it's not hard to see why £13.40 a share fails to float Charles Hammond's boat.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:11 pm

The Red Knights' shot at buying Man Utd looks high, wide and hopeful

Sir Alex Ferguson once spoke of "fans who are so emotional and fanatical, they expect to win the World Cup".
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:07 pm

Greeks ban hedge funds in bond sale

Athens ordered its bankers to exclude hedge funds from a bond offering in an effort to punish the speculators it blames for destabilising its debt markets
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:03 pm

Podcast: Why Greece Is Struck With The Euro

Athens at the barricades. (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)

On today's Planet Money:

Could the Greek crisis spell the end of the Euro? No way, Berkeley economist Barry Eichengreen says on today's podcast.

Imagine, he says, that the Greek parliament were to even discuss the possibility of going back to Greece's old currency, the Drachma:

Your parliament is debating whether to reinstate the Greek Drachma precisely in order to print a whole lot more of it and push the Drachma down against the Euro ... What would you do with your money under those circumstances? Answer: You'd wire all of it to a German bank where it would be more likely to hold its value. ...

Everyone who owned a Greek bond would sell it and buy a German bond on the first day they got wind of the possibility that the Greek parliament was going to talk about this. ...

They have to figure out a way to make life with the Euro work. And their Euro partners are going to have to help them. ... They're stuck with the euro. I was going to say almost certainly, but let me say certainly. I don't see how it's feasible to wriggle out.

Eichengreen's got plenty more to say about the Euro. He argued recently that European countries should put in place a system for Euro-zone bailouts, complete with "temporary control of the national budget by a committee of 'special masters' appointed by the European Union." (Somehow, this idea seems unlikely to gain much traction with European governments.)

And he wrote a while back about the massive logisitical hurdles a country would have to clear to exit the Euro.

Download the podcast, or subscribe. Music: The Big Pink's "Dominos." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/ Flickr.

» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

Source: NPR Blogs: Planet Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 2:00 pm

Fannie Mae Is Still A Platypus

Labor group blockades Athens stock market

Hello, Fannie. (Nicole Duplaix/Getty Images)

By Jacob Goldstein

It lays eggs! It nurses its young! It backs billions of dollars worth of U.S. mortgages!

Fannie Mae is a platypus, Ben Bernanke said recently. It's backed by the U.S. government, but not really part of the government. "Neither fish nor fowl," he said. A "no-man's land" between public and private. (For a more thorough explanation of the status of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, read this.)

The weird status of Fannie and Freddie came up again today.

"People who own Fannie and Freddie debt are not in the same legal position as [those who own] Treasury bonds, and I don't want them to be," Barney Frank, the Mass. Dem. who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, told the Washington Post.

He told the Post that investors might take losses when Fannie and Freddie are restructured.

The Treasury responded with a statement that "there should be no uncertainty about Treasury's commitment to support Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

And Frank came out with his own statement. It said that the legal status of Fannie and Freddie "does not prevent the Treasury from treating the debt of Fannie and Freddie in in the manner that it believes best supports the important goal of stabilizing the financial system."

It has a tail like a beaver and a bill like a duck!

» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

Source: NPR Blogs: Planet Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:56 pm

UK defence jobs row brews as Airbus secures A400M rescue

Spain and Britain battle over where work on the aircraft should be carried out, as UK wavers over what share of €1.5bn bail-out they are willing to pay.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:37 pm

Consumer Credit, Getting Back to Borrowing

You might not believe it, but the Federal Reserve noted that January’s consumer credit rose by 2.4% in January by $4.96 billion to $2.456 trillion. This marks the first time we have seen a gain in about a year. January 2009 was the last gain seen. Dow Jones was calling for another drop of about [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:28 pm

Forth Ports rejects £612m takeover bid

Forth Ports, the UK's only listed ports operator, has rejected an £612m takeover approach from a trio of suitors in further evidence of a revival of mergers and acquisitions.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:27 pm

A Fresh Look at Socially Responsible Mutual Funds (U.S. News & World Report)

U.S. News & World Report - Most socially responsible mutual funds are born of a desire to help the environment, slow the spread of violence, or boycott certain practices. Parnassus Workplace (PARWX), on the other hand, sprang from between the covers of Fortune magazine.
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:23 pm

Fall in trade hurts London

Commercial traffic on the Thames fell to its lowest level since 1992 last year as the economic slowdown took its toll on trade through the Port of London.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:16 pm

Norwegians' vote of confidence for gilts purchase

One of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds has given Britain its vote of confidence by pledging to buy Government debt this year.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:01 pm

Brian Gaynor : Hanover house of cards doomed to fall

A number of recent developments, including the massive write-down of Allied Farmers' Hanover loan book, illustrate once again that many of our finance companies ended up like little more than giant Ponzi schemes.Investors were...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:00 pm

Reader's Digest UK attracts almost 100 potential buyers

Reader's Digest UK arm looks on course for a new chapter after almost 100 potential buyers approached the administrators of magazine after it collapsed last month.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 12:56 pm

World markets end week on a high as US jobs figures eases fears

Markets around the world rallied as better-than-expected employment data in the US and Greece's new austerity plan soothed investors' fears.
Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 5 Mar 2010 | 12:51 pm

National Employee Morale Day At XenoPort (XNPT)

Biotech firm XenoPort (XNPT) will lay-off half of its employees. The company lists 219 full-time workers. On February 17, the FDA rejected a restless leg syndrome drug being developed by XenoPort and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) because of a potential link to cancer found in rats. Six research firms downgraded the stock including DeutscheBank and Citigroup. XenoPort’s stock dropped from [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 12:47 pm

A look at global economic developments (AP)

AP - A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Friday:
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 12:22 pm

Wen warns of ‘latent’ recovery risks

China will maintain its expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, says the premier, even as the government attempts to tackle risks of overheating in the economy
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 12:09 pm

Greece 'not seeking finance aid'

German leader Angela Merkel says eurozone stability is 'assured', as Athens sees its most violent protests over spending cuts.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:56 am

Nightmarish advice for the president

What happens when President Obama discusses war, credit card interest rates, and popularity polls with a few former presidents? Just listen to the folks from Saturday Night Live.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:42 am

Ticket to futures market: Hollywood

There's likely to be a new offering in the futures market -- betting on how well a movie will do at the box office. Tess Vigeland finds out how it would work from Richard Jaycobs, president of the Cantor Exchange.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:42 am

L.A. tour shows a slice of gang life

Tourism is big business in Los Angeles. But what most people don't do is walk through L.A.'s grittier neighborhoods. One man's gang tour may change that. Caitlan Carroll reports.
Source: Marketplace | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Consumer culture takes over YouTube?

Listeners react to our story about the new kind of video surfacing on YouTube -- "hauls" where shoppers describe their loot -- inspiring one mother to create her own.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

The money behind making movies

Columnist Edward Jay Epstein talks with Kai Ryssdal about the economics of making movies and how films are financed.
Source: Marketplace | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Staying young when you're cheap

Cash Peters looks into some of the more economical ways of maintaining your youth.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Never too old for the Peace Corps

Some of the unemployed are turning to volunteer opportunities such as the Peace Corps -- no matter how old they are. Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Time for black colleges to join forces

Many states are facing budget cuts that jeopardize the future of historically black colleges. Commentator Dr. Ronald Mason, president of Jackson State University, says it's time to adapt or perish.
Source: Marketplace | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Getting Personal

David Lazarus, consumer columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Tess Vigeland to talk about personal finance issues.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Weekly Wrap: Financial industry reform

Fortune Magazine's Leigh Gallagher and Clusterstock's John Carney talk with Kai Ryssdal about whether it matters if we have a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and where the economy is with indicators all over the place.
Source: Marketplace | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Doing whatever it takes to make money

While waiting for the job market to turn around, some folks are finding ingenious ways to make money. Heidi Pickman reports.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Grouse decision may hurt oil, gas, wind

Environmentalists want the greater sage grouse of the American West listed as endangered. Ranchers and energy developers don't. Sarah Gardner reports on the Interior Department's compromise of sorts.
Source: Marketplace | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Got a home? Green upgrades available.

Tess Vigeland talks with EcoMotion's Ted Flanigan about a program that makes it easy for property owners to install green home improvements at lower costs.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Ways to recoup taxpayer bailout money

President Obama wants to slap a fee on some of the nation's biggest banks to recoup $99 billion in taxpayer bailout money. But the Congressional Budget Office warns the tax would ultimately hit consumers and investors. Bob Moon reports.
Source: Marketplace | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:41 am

Do consumers want to be protected?

The idea of a consumer protection agency has been resurrected several times since President Obama proposed it last spring, but public opinion about such an agency is mixed.
Source: Marketplace Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:40 am

Signs of uncertainty in temp numbers

The Labor Department jobs report says 36,000 jobs were lost in February and the number of temporary workers has shot up for the fifth straight month. That usually means permanent hiring isn't far behind. Usually. Mitchell Hartman reports.
Source: Marketplace | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:40 am

Coal companies surge on reports of BHP deal (AP)

AP - Coal company stocks led a rally on Wall Street Friday after published reports said that a Japanese steel maker paid higher prices for coal than expected.
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:25 am

Ankara blames Obama over massacre vote

Turkey warned of serious damage to its relations with the US after a congressional panel approved a resolution that describes the Ottoman-era massacres of Armenians as genocide
Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:05 am

Kenneth Fisher: Surveillance With Prewitt and Keene

Source: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:59 am

Gluskin Sheff’s Rosenberg: Surveillance With Prewitt and Keene

Source: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:56 am

NFIB’s Dunkelberg: Surveillance With Prewitt and Keene

Source: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:53 am

EU considers general carbon tax

The European Commission plans an EU-wide tax on carbon as part of the EU's green energy agenda - but the UK opposes such a move.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:32 am

Will Apple’s Market Cap Limit The Stock? (AAPL, JPM, GE, JNJ, PG, MSFT, XOM, WMT)

24/7 Wall Street has a real-time index we keep of the 500 largest market caps of US equities. This is The 24/7 Wall St. Real-Time 500. Of these, the 23 highest are deemed mega-cap stocks as they have market capitalization rates of more than $100 billion. Almost every public information source varies on market capitalization [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:14 am

FTSE 100 boosted by US job news (AFP)

AFP - The FTSE 100 made solid gains Friday as better-than-anticipated data from the US showed that unemployment levels had stabilised at 9.7 percent.

Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 5 Mar 2010 | 10:07 am

Theme Park Jobs: Better Than Nothing

By Jacob Goldstein

With everybody (including me) looking at the macro jobs numbers today, a story in this morning's L.A. Times makes for a useful micro counterpoint.

Applications at big Southern California theme parks -- Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios -- are way up in the past couple years. The jobs are seasonal, the pay is relatively low, and lots of the applicants would have been considered overqualified before the recession.

But unemployment is over 12% in California, so lots of people are now glad to have jobs traditionally filled by high school and college students.

Six Flags Magic Mountain, another theme park in the area, drew 1,100 people to a job fair at this time last year, up from about half that in 2008. This year, more than 1,600 people showed up.

» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

Source: NPR Blogs: Planet Money | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:56 am

Deficit woes

Portugal's austerity measures prove bitter medicine
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:55 am

Key opens pellet plant

Prime Minister John Key yesterday opened Solid Energy's new $34 million wood pellet fuel plant in Taupo, as the plant's first big export order heads to Europe. The plant, operated by the coal miner's Nature's Flame business, processes...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:50 am

This Week’s Links

Bloomberg on for-profit companies acquiring nonprofit colleges.

The Big Picture on how municipalities are responding to grievances about property assessments.

ReadWriteWeb covers the explosive projected growth of touchscreen devices.

The Oil Drum breaks down the energy efficiency of various foods.

Popular Science on this year’s LED shortage and gadget prices.

Source: Business Pundit | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:42 am

OceanaGold raises $122m

OceanaGold Corp, owner of gold mines in New Zealand, has executed a step in a previously announced C$86.3 million ($122 million) capital raising to fund a change in the way it sells its gold. The company said it has closed an...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:20 am

Plenty at stake for companies in ratings game

When you got a B grade in high school it was something to write home about.But investing in a finance company with a B grade could mean you have a one in five chance of losing your money over a five-year period.Ratings for...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am

Allied Farmers' risk at $1b site

Allied Farmers fears for its exposure to Queenstown's $1 billion Kawarau Falls Station development have been realised with stages two and three placed in receivership.Nigel McKenna's Peninsula Road, which owns the land earmarked...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am

Recession takes $3.4b from Govt tax take

Seven months into the Government's financial year tax revenue is 10.5 per cent, or $3.4 billion, down on the same period a year earlier, as the recession takes its lagged toll on incomes and profits.This is not a surprise. The...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am

Troubled Toyota urges workers and dealers to win back customers

Toyota President Akio Toyoda urged thousands of his employees yesterday to work toward a new start and win back customer trust following safety lapses that have battered the world's biggest carmaker."Let's go with high spirits,...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am

Rail union says mothballed lines may never be reinstated

A railway workers union is concerned that if the Government does mothball under-used rail lines it will be very hard to ever reopen them.State-owned KiwiRail has been considering closing down, mothballing or improving a number...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am

Mercedes on a charge to take on luxury rival

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz unit, the world's second-largest maker of luxury cars, will almost double investment on "green" technologies to take on BMW in the race to offer electric vehicles.Mercedes intends to spend ?1 billion...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am

Diana Clement : Chile quake an insurance wake-up call

Kiwis are risking their homes by under-insuring and failing to understand their cover.The earthquake in Chile reminds us just how devastating natural disasters can be. And we are living smack bang on the Pacific Ring of Fire,...
Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 5 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am

Man Utd suitors 'won't overpay'

The Red Knights consortium say they have not yet put a figure on the value of Manchester United - but say they will not overpay.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 8:59 am

Iceland talks end without deal

Iceland's talks with Britain and the Netherlands over repayment of 3.8bn euros (£3.4bn) of debt have broken up without agreement.
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 8:40 am

No Wonder The Stimulus Package Does Not Work

The graphic to the left illustrates the path of Recovery funds from the federal government to the local level. Congress appropriates Recovery Act funds to federal agencies. Federal agencies make funds available to state and local governments or directly to academia, business, and/or organizations. Federal agencies also provide entitlements and tax credits covered by Recovery Act. State and local governments [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 8:28 am

Financial Reform Is Floundering

By Heather Horn of The Atlantic Wire It should tell you something that Funny or Die’s star-studded video of past presidents encouraging Obama to pass financial reform attracted more attention than any one piece of financial commentary in recent days. While health care reform still holds the political spotlight, efforts to clean up Wall Street are [...]

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 5 Mar 2010 | 8:13 am

This Week’s Weird Jobs

This week’s weird jobs include shuttling around drunk people, pretending you’re a cop, and rockin’ out to tunes in an Easter Bunny outfit:

1. Washington, DC: Seeking Fat Male

Need a very large/obese man for photograph. If you have a Police Costume that would be great! Very easy will meet at a Subway or Chipotle for about 30 minutes. This is for a comedic poster so sense of humor is a must and will basically be snapping pictures while you eat and will also spray face with misting water bottle to simulate sweat.

Will let you know if interested thank you very much.

Note: If you’re an actual policeman, this job poster probably doesn’t want you to apply.

2. Washington, DC: Pro Designated Drivers Needed

Want the chance to make money while working to keep our roads safer? Our hours are late, our team is fun and no one works alone. 1 in 10 cars are late-model “exotics” – Mercedes SL63, Jaguar XK-R’s, Masarati’s. If staying up late works for you, these gigs are some of the best work that you will ever do!

We are looking for drivers – people available during nights (especially Fri/Sat) to a) drive people home AND b) to return other drivers to their cars or to the next location (interceptors). This occurs on short notice.

Requirements are:
Late night availability.
Take direction effectively.
Good customer service skills.
Creativity about getting around – using metro, buses and taxis and walking up to 2 miles.

Why isn’t ability to deal with yelling, moody, and possibly vomiting drunk people included as a job requirement?

3. Washington, DC: Seeking bag piper or step dancer

Seeking a bag piper that wants to play a few tunes,
If you are a great step dancer, e-mail us as well!
for our big ST Patty’s event on March 12.

March must be a bagpiper’s busiest month.

4. Virginia: NEED EASTER BUNNIES

Goooood evening!

We’re looking for a couple good Easter Bunnies. We are looking for a couple people who fit ALL of the following ideals. These characteristics are a MUST!

Must love or at least generally enjoy children.
Must have excellent customer service skills.
Must be able to not talk if hired as the bunny. Literally….the Easter Bunny is not supposed to speak at all….so it makes for a much easier job. You can have freaking headphones on, as long as you pay attention.

Pay ranges from 7.50-9.00/hr with up to 40/hrs a week.

I can picture the headphones thing now: “Mommy, why is the Easter Bunny dancing? Why won’t he listen to me?”

5. US: Anonymous Diary Exchange

$20 gets you the diary revealing a stranger’s most darkest thoughts, fears, obsessions, confessions. The social project has just launched so learn more about the project and how you can become an anonymous stranger.

Um, job poster? You’re not selling this very well.

Happy Friday!

Source: Business Pundit | 5 Mar 2010 | 7:54 am

US job cuts better-than-expected

The US Labor Department says 36,000 jobs were cut in February, fewer than expected, leaving the unemployment rate steady at 9.7%
Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 7:41 am

Josh Shapiro: Bloomberg On the Economy With Tom Keene

Source: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 5 Mar 2010 | 7:27 am

Marco Annunziata: Bloomberg On the Economy With Tom Keene

Source: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 5 Mar 2010 | 7:26 am

The Jobs Picture: Seeing Through The Snow

By Jacob Goldstein

The number of jobs in the U.S. fell by 36,000 last month, and the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7%, according to figures out this morning from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The jobs picture was almost certainly hurt by February's big snowstorms, which prevented some people from making it to work (for more on that, see this post from yesterday). The commissioner of the BLS said today the weather may have affected the jobs numbers, but added that "there are too many unknowns to say precisely how much the weather might have affected these measures."

In any case, the rate of job loss is slowing -- in February of 2009, by comparison, the economy lost 726,000 jobs. And many analysts expect the economy to start adding jobs this year.

"We are almost there, the point where we are consistently adding jobs," Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics, told Bloomberg News. "The economy is making incremental but broad-based gains towards improvement."

There are about 131 million non-farm payroll jobs in the U.S., and more than 8 million jobs have been lost since the start of the recession.

A few other interesting details in today's numbers:

The number of jobs in the construction industry fell, and the number of jobs in health care rose -- both trends that have run throughout the recession.

The number of people working part time who preferred full-time work was 8.8 million in February, up from January but down from the last months of 2009.

Calculated Risk has an updated version of a graphic that shows just how bad job losses have been in this recession, compared with other recessions since World War II.

» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

NPR Blogs: Planet Money

Opening Bell: 03.05.10

Greece Braces for Strikes, Vote on New Austerity Plan (WSJ)
One poll released by privately owned SKAI television Friday, shows that 62% of Greeks expect social unrest in the country to rise. But the same poll shows that 78% of respondents think the austerity measures will be implemented nonetheless.

Singapore Plans Greenwich-Style Hedge Fund Home in Nepal Hill Neighborhood (Bloomberg)
The Monetary Authority of Singapore and JTC Corp. — the government agency developing and marketing the project in Nepal Hill — quietly asked hedge fund managers in January to visit the district’s so-called black-and-white bungalows, named for their white-washed walls and dark timber frames, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by Bloomberg News. “I’ve visited and think it’s a very interesting development and a great alternative to a traditional office,” said Michael Coleman. “You’re surrounded by greenery, have your own garden to enjoy and the area is rapidly developing.”

Supertax pulls in £2.5bn for UK Treasury (FT)
“Clearly there has been the kind of restraint the exchequer was looking for,” said Rob McIvor, spokesman for the Association for Financial Markets in Europe, which represents the securities industry.

Papandreou: ‘We Don’t Want to Be EU’s Lehman Brothers’
(DealBook)
The EU’s Jimmy Cayne would be okay though.

Soccer — Not Sovereign — Debt Crisis Hits Home (CNBC)
This is serious.

Oversight group: Citigroup should downsize itself (MarketWatch)
“If you break up, you won’t have as big a company to run and we will reduce systemic risk,” Elizabeth Warren, chairwoman of the congressional oversight panel told Pandit, arguing Citigroup is the poster child for “too big to fail” institutions whose collapse could damage the markets.

Feinberg: Criticism of Executive Pay Rules Is Just ‘Spin’ (CNBC)

As for the suggestion that people will go elsewhere to flee compensation rules, the Czar is “not buying it.”