Consumer confidence retreats - Nashville Business Journal:

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Nationally, consumer confidence dropped sharply in cutting into three months of gains that had seen the overalkl index morethan double. The Conference Board'ws Consumer Confidence Index fellby 5.5 points to 49.3 in Statewide, Florida’s consumer confidence inde x for June fell threew points last month to 68, the resultr of bad economic news including the bankruptcy of Generalo Motors Corp., foreclosures and a spike in Florida’s unemployment rate, according to a new Universitt of Florida poll.
While Floridians’ perceptions of personal financexs compared with a year ago is up three pointxs to 44 from a revised May readinggof 41, other perceptions were lower than, or the same as, last For example, perceptions of U.S. economic conditions over the next year fell seve n pointsto 65, while perceptiond of whether it’s a good time to buy big-ticket itemd fell nine points to 67. Perceptionsd of U.S. economic conditions over the next five yeares remained unchangedat 80.
"Movinfg forward, we do not expec t Florida consumer confidence to decline much more over the next couple of barring some unforeseen change here in Floridaor nationally," Chris McCarty, director of UF’s Survey Researcj Center at the Bureau of Economic and Businesz Research, said in a news However, McCarty cautioned the recovery is expected to be long and uneve for some sectors of the "With the demise of longstanding financial institutionxs such as Lehman Brothers and manufacturing companies like Chrysler and GM, it is no longeer business as usual," he said. The preliminary index for June was conductedc from430 responses.
It is benchmarked to so a value of 100 representsw the same level of confidence forthat

AmMed

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Milam had been running , a small direct-to-consumerd medical supplier, on a part-times basis for about a year when his loss inspired him to fullyg commit to the company and aspirse to make a differencein people’s “I made a decision that this coule really mean something,” says Milam, whose late friends also had diabetes, which Milam admittedly had taken for granted. “What we’re trying to do could help peoples and maybe have them avoid or prevent the earl y and premature death that myfriend experienced.” AmMerd Direct adopted the Bette Care Program early in Milam’s tenurw as chief operating officer.
It is an educational and lifestyle improvement service that originated from company foundeJim Thaden’s “12-touch” concept that was patterned after Alcoholic Anonymous’ 12-step recovery “We started taking ownership of the product and then identifyint opportunities for how (we can) deliver better care, not just througnh actions of our service to our customer but througb education,” Milam says. Threr certified diabetes educators also are on staff to assis t with customer referrals and teacbhAmMed employees.
AmMed customers are entitled to free a meal-planning guide, a subscription to the Diabetes Direction s newsletter and literature geared towarc their specific needs. Milam says Better Care is “mosg unique” among companies in the diabetes market. “Io certainly see some efforts in the marketplace to do more of Milam says. “We’ve got a head start and, we’ve grown so we can put more resourcezs tothat now.” AmMed has more than 170,00p0 customers and expects about $180 million in revenue this year up from $123 milliomn in 2008 — despite a nearly 10 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements.
The company’s annual growth rate has been in the 40 percenrt to 50 percent range since 2005 to becomesthe third-largest company in the diabetes products There are nearly 18 million diagnose diabetes patients in the United States. AmMee draws about two-thirds of its customers from TV Milam expects 30 percent to 40 percent growtbh in the coming yearz by targeting managed care The company employs aboutr 470 and could expand to a seconfd facility in Nashville at the end ofnext year. The AmMed pharmach dispenses 3,000 to 5,000 units of medicin e a day fromits 125,000-square-foo t Antioch headquarters.

UAW Local 31 approves GM concessions - Kansas City Business Journal:

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UAW Local 31’s members voted for the concessions by roughlyu 63 percent to37 percent, President Jeff Manning GM’s has about 2,100 union and about 300 salariec workers. The vote comes the day after GM’sz bid to stave off its bondholders came up pushing the company closer to abankruptcg filing. GM said Tuesday that its offer to bondholders totradre $27.2 billion of unsecure d debt for company stock failed to satisfy the debt-reductiohn requirement in its loan agreements with the . The Detroitf automaker (NYSE: GM) confirmed that the principal amount of notes tendered was substantialluy less than the amountGM required. The offe r to bondholders expiredat 10:59 p.m.
The company’s board will meet to discussd thenext step, which many analysts expect to result in a bankruptcyy filing. The federal government already has loanedx GM morethan $19 billion. GM faces a government-imposedx Monday deadline for coming up with an acceptable plan for surviving the economicv crisis orfiling bankruptcy.

Biological Weapons Conference Ends With Goal to Boost Readiness - Bloomberg

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AFP

Biological Weapons Conference Ends With Goal to Boost Readiness Bloomberg The US and partner nations have agreed to increase their ability to deal with biological weapons attacks and mass outbreaks of disease. The decision, made at the close of the seventh Review Conference of Biological and Toxin Weapons in Geneva, ... Outcom es Related to the 7th Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Review ... US Department of State (press release) Fact Sheet on the Successful Conclusion of the Seventh Review Conference of ... Whitehouse.gov (press release) State Department reports progress on bioweapons control PhysOrg.com AFP  »

Persons to leave Massey Communications - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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His last day with Massey will be no later thanJuly 24. Bud formerly president and CEO of the willtake Persons' place as vice chairman, overseeing the agency'es public relations, business developmentr and social media services. Brewer has been with the agenchy and itsparent , since 1986. Lynne Frederick was promoted from vice presidenf and director of marketing for Masset Services to president and CEO ofMassey Communications. Fredericlk has been with Masseyg Services forsix years.
Her prior marketing and advertising experience include work with General Electric and Ford Consumer Andrea Massey-Farrell was promoted from vice president of operationw at Massey Communications to executive vice president and chief operating She has been with the agenc for 12 years and will lead its advertising servicesx division, in addition to her responsibilitiess with agency operations and Yellow Page Directory advertising. “Thesee changes will better position our agencyh to take advantage of the opportunities that we anticipate over the next few saidHarvey Massey, chairman of the company, in a prepare d statement.
He said the agency's goal its to sharpejn its focus and provide moretargeted services. Persons said he woulsd open a new strategic public media relations and networking consulting firm called Todd Persons Communications in downtowh Orlando inearly August. “I'm especiallhy grateful to Harvey Massey and to Bud Brewer for theirf friendship andwise counsel," Persons said. Masseu Communications is a full-service advertising, strategi marketing and publicrelations agency.
The agency and its pareng company, Massey Services, are based in

Beige Book: Region

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Consumer spending in the regioj was weak and is expected toremain soft, the closely watcher survey said, but “an uptick in manufacturing orders helped stabilizwe expectations for future production.” The Beige Book also said that “commerciak real estate market conditions deteriorated, and energt activity declined further.” Bankers, it said, “reportedf a rise in deposits and stable loan demand with no erosiohn in loan quality.” It said consumer pric e and wage pressures remained low. Meanwhile, producer prices “declinedx at a slower pace, with some firms noting that higherd commodity prices boosted material andfuel costs.
” the latest regional Beige Book — coverint a six-week period was somewhat more optimistic than the last released April 15. The report covers the Fed’s Kansaes City-based 10th District. It is based on interviewz with a sample of businessee representing key industries ineach district. The reportsd are anecdotal and do not contain but they are widely follower and help the Fed to set nationaleconomic policy. The Fed’se 10th District includes Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wyoming as well as western Missouri and northerjnNew Mexico.
Formally known as the “Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by FederapReserve District,” the Beige Book is published eighr times a year. The latest report coverws late Aprilthrough May. The Federal Reserve’s 10th Districg is also known as the Kansazs City district becausethe reserve’s regional bank is based there. .

Hang your heads in shame, judge tells terrorist plotters - Sydney Morning Herald

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The Nation, Pakistan

Hang your heads in shame, judge tells terrorist plotters Sydney Morning Herald The men were part of an Islamic terrorist cell planning to attack the Holsworthy army barracks, in Sydney's south-west. Their aim was to enter the barracks armed with military weapons and shoot as many people as possible before they were killed or ran ...< /p> Muslims jailed for planning massacre at Australian barracks Monsters and Critics.com Australia jails three for army base terror plot Channel 6 News Online 3 men sentenced to 13 years for plotting terrorist attack against Australian ... Washington Post The Australian  »

Week brings double-digit increases in gas prices - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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According to the ’s Weekend Gas Watch. the average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beacnh area is $2.825 per gallon, which is 16.2 centws more than last week, 49 cents higher than last and $1.44 less than last On the Central Coast, the average pricwe is $2.877, up 15.5 centa from last week, 44 cents above last month, and $1.48 below last In the Inland Empire, the averagde per gallon priceis $2.810, which is 14.9 centxs more than last week, 48 cents more than last and $1.47 less than last year.
"Just as in commodities investors are pushing up crud e oil and wholesale gasoliner prices at a frenzied pace that seemws to have no connection to domestic fuel consumption or There have been some refinery issues this year across the but no more so than in other Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring said ina

Youngsters must be carefully chosen - Razzaq - ESPNcricinfo.com

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ESPNcricinfo.com

Youngsters must be carefully chosen - Razzaq ESPNcricinfo.com Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has said Pakistan must be cautious in their policy of picking young players and should ensure only those cricketers with real talent are given a chance. In the last two years, Pakistan have handed 11 different ... and more »

Green Township OKs Mercy hospital plan - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The plan passed 3-0. “We’rer very pleased to get to this stag and excited to take the next saidPete Gemmer, spokesman for Mercy. “Ww realize there is stil a lot of work to do and we look forward to continuiny to work with the residents and the townshipp leaders to develop a hospital everyone can beproude of.” The project will now be submitted to the Hamiltonj County Regional Commission for consideration, probably next month, Gemmer The planned hospital and parking areas would covere about 40 acres and sit near to Interstats 74. The facility, to cost $200 million, couled open in early 2014.
The proposed site is 60 Mercy has said it will close itstwo West-Sidd hospitals: Mercy Hospital Western Hills and Mercy Hospitalp Mount Airy. The new hospital, with 200 to 250 will be a replacementfor them. Some residents in the area had expresse concerns about increased traffivc as a result of the whose main access road would be from NorthjBend Road, at roughl y the midway point between Kleeman and Gemmer said a traffic impact stud y through the Hamilton County Engineer’s Office is nearly

Lawsuit says Mayo misdiagnosis cost KC lawyer $7M - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Elliot Kaplan, a lawyer who livees in Stilwell, sued the Mayo Clinivc in August 2007 inthe U.S. District Court of An economist will testifg that Kaplansuffered $7 million in losses after being wrongly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The Mayo Cliniv did not respond to requests foran interview. previously a partner in , a small firm in primarily handled government relations work anddisputs resolution. He spent much of his time working in Washingtoor overseas, said his attorney and former law James Daniels. Daniels said Kaplan often was consulted by large car particularly .
“Kaplan was very particularly in the newly emancipated republics in the East Bloc and the and obtaining resolutions of different problems for Americansz inthose countries,” said who now practices with . The lawsuit allegees that the Mayo Clinic and its doctors diagnosed Kaplahn with pancreatic cancer aftere he developed stomach painin 2003. In August of that doctors performeda so-called Whipple surgery, whicu removed portions of Kaplan’s pancreas. Doctors later discovered that Kaplanm neverhad cancer. Daniels said the procedure left Kaplahn with type 2 diabetes and enougj pain that he no longer canpractice law.
He remain on the board of directors ofOverland Park-based “Whatg he is now is a brokenn man in unremitting pain, punctuated by increasingly frequent episodese of disabling pain,” Danielsw wrote in his pretrialp brief. Kaplan stopped practicinhg lawin 2004, and by 2005, the 10-lawyer firm of Danielzs & Kaplan wound down its in part because of Kaplan’ss inability to work. Daniels said Kaplan was the top fee generatord atthe firm. Several lawyersw from the firm followed Daniels toMcDowello Rice.
Among the witnessew expected to testify are formef Chrysler executives and unnamed politicians who will vouch for the financial damagews Kaplan suffered as a resul of his inabilityto

Census Bureau: Cary, Raleigh among top 10 fastest-growing U.S. cities; Durham in top 20 - Business First of Columbus:

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Raleigh, Cary and Durham ranked amonyg the 25 fastest growingt large cities in the nation for the 12 months that endeJuly 1, 2008, the said in its annuapl population estimates released Wednesday. which saw its population increaseby 6.9 percent, to as of July 1, 2008, was the nation’sw third fastest growing city. Raleigh’ss population climbed by 3.8 to 392,552, making North Carolina’s capital the eightuh fastest growing city. Durham was ranked 16th with a 3 percent Its population roseto 223,284. New Orleanxs experienced an 8.
2 percent increase in its population, whichu rose to 311,853, making the city ravaged by Hurricane Katrinas in 2005 the fastest growingt city among places with populations greaterthan Charlotte, which saw its population increase by 2.7 to 687,456, was ranked Only Texas – with seven citiew – had more cities on the list than Nort Carolina. Round Rock, experienced an 8.2 percent increase, with its populationj rising to 104,446, putting the Texazs city in second place.
Colorado and Californis each had three citie s on the top25

Compass Airlines cuts ribbon on Louisville maintenance facility - San Antonio Business Journal:

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The subsidiary opened the three-bay maintenance facilityt in January but held off on the ribbonn cutting until key personnelwere hired, and they “got a littlre airplane grease under theirt nails,” Compass president Tim Campbell said during a news conference. 70 employees maintain the airline’s fleet of 36 Embraef 175 76-seat jets. Compass, whicnh was founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of NorthwesgAirlines Inc., was acquired by Delta as part of the Atlanta-basefd carrier’s merger with Northwest in October 2008.
The jets previousl had been serviced bya third-party aircraft maintenance company, Campbell Compass’ Louisville International Airport facility, located at 5101 Crittendebn Drive, consists of 42,720 squar feet of aircraft hangard space, 11,416 square feet of office, shop and storage an 80,601-square-foot concrete apron and 33,480 squard feet of parking and roadways. At the news Chantilly, Va.-based Compass showed off its first jet painted in theDeltqa colors. The rest of its fleef will be converted from Northwest Airlines colors over the next Campbell said. At the news conference, Kentuckh Gov.
Steve Beshear said the Compaszs investment, including its $3 million annual “is a tremendous economic achievement in the midstg of some pretty tougheconomic times.” In August the board granted the airline preliminary approvak for $2 million in statew tax incentives for up to 10 years.

Delphi salaried retirees eye pension suit - Nashville Business Journal:

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If not stopped, retireess fear that the move could drastically cut the value ofyoungerd ex-white collar workers’ pension by as much as 50 percent, said Jamea Frost of Clarence, a board member and organizet of the Delphi Salaried Retiree Association. The legal actionn is being spearheaded by 100 to 200 retirees in Ohio who belonbg tothe 5,400-member DSRA but who are acting on thei r own, Frost said. “We (the DSRA) are serving as support by gatherinf information and sharing it with all our memberse and by contacting legislators aroundrthe country,” Frost said. “We are not startingt our own (legal) action becausre it would duplicate what theyare doing.
” The oppositiobn sprang out of the modified reorganization plan Delphii disclosed on June 1. The company, to emerge from Chaptet 11 bankruptcy, said it would cancel its pensionj obligations and have assume the hourly workers’ pensions and the PBGC take over the salaried employees’ Frost, who worked at GM for 25 years and at Delphji for six, said hourly workers’ pensions won’r be affected “at least in the shorg term” but salaried workers who retirecd at 55 could lose half the valus of theirs. “We want our pensions also to be transferredcto GM,” he said. The suit wouldr charge Delphi, GM, the union, II and the U.S.
Treasury with collusioj againstthe retirees. In the reorganization plan for Delphi, GM’a former parts operation, II LLC — a unit of Platinukm Equity — would acquired and operate Delphi’s U.S. and businesses by supplying $3.6 billioj in capital.