The Great Retail Revolution
Rick Newman

A facade of calm may be returning to the consumer landscape as a thrashing recession finally subsides. But behind the cheerful window displays are deeply worried retail executives who fear that shopping may never be the same again.

Employers Should Be Honest About Their Electronic Privacy Policies
Lewis Maltby

Quon v. Arch Wireless raises the question of whether public employers must be honest with employees about their monitoring practices. The case is not about whether employers should be allowed to monitor employee communications. Employers have legitimate reasons to do so. What Quon says is that an employer must be upfront and consistent in its monitoring policies

Employers Must Be Able to Monitor Electronic Devices They Pay For
Mitch Danzig

Employers provide workers with devices and give them access to E-mail, the Internet, and instant messaging to make them more efficient as employees. It defies logic to say that employees should be able to send personal messages on company time and property without being subject to employer review. The U.S. Supreme Court will address Quon v. Arch Wireless this term and should send a clear message

Google vs. China's Censors

Google vs. China's Censors
Clarence Page

Google launched its China operation in January 2006 with high hopes. The democratizing benefits of increased Web access for the Chinese people, the Internet giant hoped, would outweigh the Chinese Communist Party's ferocious censorship and e-mail spying. Google also hoped to make shiploads of money. But that was then. Four years later Google threatens to walk away.

Journalism: Desperate Metaphors, Revenue Models and the Need for Better Journalism
Arianna Huffington

Apparently, some in the old media have decided that it is, in fact, an either/or game and that the best way to save, if not journalism, at least themselves, is by pointing fingers and calling names. It's a tactic familiar to schoolyard inhabitants everywhere: when all else fails, reach for the nearest insult and throw it around indiscriminately.

FedEx and UPS Feud Over Union Rules
Alex Kingsbury

The country's two largest private package-delivery companies, UPS and FedEx, have their horns locked in battle on Capitol Hill over the patchwork of laws that determine the rights workers have to form unions.

Financial Crisis, Enron, Hurricane Katrina Examples of Leadership Gone Wrong
Tamara Lytle

The New Orleans masses who huddled in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, the Enron retirees who lost their life savings, and the laid-off workers buried under the economic ruin of financial companies all live with a simple truth. Just as spectacularly as great leadership can spark success, failed leadership can bring down cities, businesses, and economies

Crisis Management: Leading Successfully Through the Storm
Bret Schulte

Contemporary examples of strong crisis leadership are in surprisingly short supply, experts say. And all too often, the reaction to a crisis is to hunker down and ride it out. But there are a few modern standouts, especially in the business world.

How to Fix the Financial System: Let Federal Reserve oversee new regulations for finance giants
Mortimer B. Zuckerman

In the grip of our Great Recession, with more job losses to come, we have yet to fix the broken financial system that is an underlying cause of this whole mess. How can we do it?

FCC 'Net Neutrality' Rules Would Keep the Web Free for Speech and Trade
Andrew Jay Schwartzman

If the federal government does nothing -- that is, if it does not adopt network neutrality rules -- it will be allowing telephone and cable companies to block, degrade, or slow down any content on the Internet for any reason. Without such rules, the Internet will not live up to its full potential for fueling economic growth and serving as a vehicle for artistic, political, and social expression

FCC Could Mess Up Internet With 'Net Neutrality' Rules No One Needs
Barbara S. Esbin

The FCC's proposed rules codify and expand its 2005 Internet policy principles -- intended to preserve 'openness' while giving ISPs flexibility. Despite its recognition that these principles have helped preserve Internet openness, the FCC is now poised to take far more intrusive action. Simply put, the case has not been made for regulating at this time. Here's why ...

In a Global Economy, American CEOs Are a Different Breed
Thomas K. Grose

If you think of global business styles as a continuum, U.S. executives are at one end, their Asian counterparts at the other. American executives, and the companies they lead, are generally more comfortable with risk and uncertainty than those in Europe and, particularly, Asia.

Small Businesses Hold on Despite Economy
Matthew Bandyk

Conventional wisdom holds true when it comes to small businesses struggling in an economic recession. Small businesses drive the nation's economy so when the economy slows down, they take the brunt. Compared with large businesses, they have less of a cushion of capital. Tight credit makes business expansion difficult. And economic slowdowns can expose fundamental flaws in business plans. But despite all these disadvantages, the number of small businesses as a whole seems to be recessionproof.

Obama's Hidden Business Tax Increase
by Matthew Bandyk

Obama's proposal would require companies to account for their inventories on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis rather than a last-in-first-out (LIFO) one -- an eye-glazing change that's highly significant. In an era of rising costs, to assume that you're selling your oldest inventory rather than your newest increases reported profits and thus taxes, even though nothing real has changed. If inflation turns worse, as many analysts predict, FIFO would force companies to pay real taxes on phantom profits as the value of goods gets inflated while they sit in inventory.

Employers to Make Deeper Cuts in 2010 Health Coverage
by Martha Lynn Carver

Look for employers to cut more deeply than ever into health care coverage for their workers in 2010. Companies are getting walloped by higher than expected costs just when they can least afford it.

Obama's New Antitrust Rules Have Big, Powerful Companies Sweating
by Tamara Lytle

The Obama administration has swept away policy after policy from the Bush administration, and the top antitrust regulator, Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney, made it clear in her speech that she's coming in with a very big broom.

Varney repudiated the Bush administration's more laissez-faire approach to monopoly cases in a forceful speech to a liberal think tank and then in another one to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A report issued last year by the Bush administration on monopoly regulation is no longer government policy, she warned judges, lawyers, and companies.

"As antitrust enforcers, we cannot sit on the sidelines any longer, both in terms of enforcing the antitrust laws and contribution to sound competition policy as part of our nation's economic strategy," she said in her speech.

EU urges faster cut of UK deficit
Government plans to cut the UK's budget deficit are not ambitious enough, a European Commission report will warn this week.

European car sales up in February
New car sales in Europe rose by 3.2% in February from a year earlier, but fell 30% in Germany as its scrappage scheme ended.

Petrol price 'to hit record high'
Petrol prices in the UK could hit a record average high of £1.20 a litre in the next few weeks, according to the AA.

Delay for hedge fund rules vote
European finance ministers delay plans to vote on a new regulation of hedge funds and venture capitalists.

Nest charges set at 0.3% of funds
Members of the forthcoming new state pension scheme - the National Employment Savings Trust - will be charged 0.3% of their funds each year.

Nord Stream secures bank funds
The consortium behind the planned Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Europe has secured a 3.9bn euro funding deal from 26 banks.

Winter 'cost small firms £7bn'
The worst winter in decades has cost the UK's small and medium-sized companies about £7.3bn, a study says.

Expats lose pension freeze case
More than half a million UK pensioners living overseas will continue to have their pensions frozen after a court decision.

US plans high-speed net for all
US regulators have unveiled the nation's first plan to give every American super-fast broadband by 2020.

Security fear over end of cheques
The abolition of cheques will push elderly people back into hoarding cash at home, campaigners tell MPs.

Europe ministers agree Greek plan
European finance ministers say they have agreed how they would help Greece in its financial crisis, but reveal few details.

US bank regulation bill unveiled
Democrat senators have unveiled proposed new laws that will give the US Federal Reserve more regulatory powers over US banks.

US industrial output rises again
US factory output has gone up for the eighth month in a row, despite winter storms that affected industry in the north east.

Tories 'preparing to unveil cuts'
The Conservatives are preparing to outline spending cuts they would make this year if they are elected, the BBC understands.

UK credit rating viewed as safe
The credit ratings of major AAA governments including the US and the UK are well positioned, says Moody's Investors Services.

China denies yuan undervalued
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao rejects criticism that Beijing keeps the yuan undervalued in order to boost exports.

US retail sales in surprise rise
US retail sales showed a surprise rise in February as consumers braved extreme bad weather to get to the shops

China oil demand is 'astonishing'
Oil demand in China rose by an "astonishing" 28% in January compared with a year ago, the International Energy Agency says.

Eurozone industry grows strongly
Factory output in the eurozone rose 1.7% between December and January, the biggest monthly rise since records began.

New mortgages 'fell in January'
The number of mortgages agreed with house buyers fell 49% in January from the month before, mortgage lenders say.

China hits back on yuan
China has hit back at comments by US President Barack Obama that Beijing should change its currency strategy.

Champagne sales 'losing fizz' but UK is still top market
The UK is still the world's largest export market for Champagne despite a fall in sales, industry figures say.

New gloss on inflation as basket of goods displays changing tastes
Lip gloss and hair straighteners replace lipstick and hair dryers in the typical basket of goods used to calculate inflation.

IMF in Europe
What would a European Monetary Fund look like?

Open all hours
Are UK workers being force to work part-time?

Shanty town
How the internet is helping the poorest Brazilians

Fighting poverty
How Malawi hopes social enterprise will help

Booting up Brazil
Brazil exploits potential as web use spreads

Stephanomics
Activist PM is no fan of 'letting things take their course'

EU urges faster cut of UK deficit
Government plans to cut the UK's budget deficit are not ambitious enough, a European Commission report will warn this week.

Petrol price 'to hit record high'
Petrol prices in the UK could hit a record average high of £1.20 a litre in the next few weeks, according to the AA.

Expats lose pension freeze case
More than half a million UK pensioners living overseas will continue to have their pensions frozen after a court decision.

Shell to cut a further 1,000 jobs
Royal Dutch Shell says it will shed a further 1,000 jobs by the end of next year as part of its cost cutting programme.

HMRC drops Portsmouth challenge
HM Revenue and Customs drops its legal challenge over the validity of Portsmouth football club's move into administration.

Kraft says sorry about Keynsham
The vice-president of Kraft Foods says he is "terribly sorry" for the firm's pledge to keep open Cadbury's Keynsham plant.

First-time buyers face price rise
First-time buyers faced UK house prices that were 8.9% higher in January than a year earlier, government figures show.

Delay for hedge fund rules vote
European finance ministers delay plans to vote on a new regulation of hedge funds and venture capitalists.

Nest charges set at 0.3% of funds
Members of the forthcoming new state pension scheme - the National Employment Savings Trust - will be charged 0.3% of their funds each year.

Champagne sales 'losing fizz' but UK is still top market
The UK is still the world's largest export market for Champagne despite a fall in sales, industry figures say.

New gloss on inflation as basket of goods displays changing tastes
Lip gloss and hair straighteners replace lipstick and hair dryers in the typical basket of goods used to calculate inflation.

Kraft's reputation
Does the firm care what Cadbury's people think?

Open all hours?
Are UK workers being forced to work part-time?

IMF in Europe
What would a European Monetary Fund look like?

Robert Peston
What a Russian owner would mean for The Indy

Print baron
A start-up that lets anyone make their own newspaper

Port exports
Portuguese exporters hit by strong euro

Nord Stream secures bank funds
The consortium behind the planned Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Europe has secured a 3.9bn euro funding deal from 26 banks.

Banks may offer overdraft opt-out
Banks may make it easier for customers to opt out of using unauthorised overdrafts and paying fees.

European car sales up in February
New car sales in Europe rose by 3.2% in February from a year earlier, but fell 30% in Germany as its scrappage scheme ended.

Security fear over end of cheques
The abolition of cheques will push elderly people back into hoarding cash at home, campaigners tell MPs.

Winter 'cost small firms £7bn'
The worst winter in decades has cost the UK's small and medium-sized companies about £7.3bn, a study says.

Rio eyes continued China demand
Mining firm Rio Tinto says China's demand for iron ore, copper and coal will increase dramatically during the next 15 years.

US plans high-speed net for all
US regulators have unveiled the nation's first plan to give every American super-fast broadband by 2020.

Jackson in record Sony music deal
The estate of Michael Jackson agrees a deal worth $200m (£160m) with the record label Sony, US reports say.

Savers spurn Equitable plan
Savers in the Equitable Life insurance company denounce the limited compensation process set up by the government.

EU ministers agree Greek plan
European finance ministers say they have agreed how they would help Greece in its financial crisis, but reveal few details.

Doubts cast on US 'runaway Prius'
Toyota casts doubt on claims one of its cars failed to stop, after a widely-publicised account of a "runaway" Prius in California.

US bank regulation bill unveiled
Democrat senators have unveiled proposed new laws that will give the US Federal Reserve more regulatory powers over US banks.

New credit card protection agreed
Credit card holders will be offered more protection from spiralling debts, but changes are watered down from original plans.

Second scam sucker list is seized
A second master list containing the names of 1,000 people targeted by fraudsters selling worthless shares is seized.

Online shoppers' data passed on
The Information Commission warns online shoppers to be vigilant against agreeing to data-sharing links.

US industrial output rises again
US factory output has gone up for the eighth month in a row, despite winter storms that affected industry in the north east.

Tories 'preparing to unveil cuts'
The Conservatives are preparing to outline spending cuts they would make this year if they are elected, the BBC understands.

UK credit rating viewed as safe
The credit ratings of major AAA governments including the US and the UK are well positioned, says Moody's Investors Services.

BA hopes to fly 60% during strike
British Airways has announced contingency plans to fly 60% of its customers during the first planned strike by cabin crew.

Deutsche Telekom in sex quotas
Germany's Deutsche Telekom introduces gender quotas to fill 30% of senior jobs with women by the end of 2015.

Calvin Klein owner buys Hilfiger
Private equity firm Apax partners sells Tommy Hilfiger to the owner of Calvin Klein, Philips-Van Heusen, in a deal worth 2.2bn euros.

California sues Toyota for faults
Prosecutors in California are suing Toyota, claiming the carmaker sold hundreds of thousands of vehicles it knew had defects.

Vauxhall gets UK loans guarantee
The UK announces a 300m-euro (£270m) loan guarantee for Vauxhall and Opel, the European arm of General Motors.

Red Knights get advisers for bid
The Red Knights group eyeing a possible bid for Manchester United says investment bank Nomura will advise it.

Doubts over 2012 Olympics legacy
A Welsh MP echoes concerns of a former UK sports minister on the benefits of the London Olympics to the rest of the country.

Guidelines for financial journalists

Tourism to Bring $110 Billion to Asia Pacific by 2009
Tourism should bring the Asia Pacific region $110 billion in revenues over the next three years, with much of that coming from travelers in the region, according according to the report from the Pacific Asia Travel Association or PATA, reports AP.

US Agency Revenue Up 8.8% to $28.2 Billion
U.S. agencies offering digital marketing services led the charge as overall agency revenue grew 8.8% to $28.2 billion in 2006, reports AdAge. Billings from traditional advertising and media were up just 4.2%, reaching $13.1 billion. Income from marketing offerings rose from 13.1% to hit $15.1 billion. 

Ethanol Demand Boosts Corn Planting 15% in 2007, Biggest Since 1944
Corn planting will be up 15% this year to 90.5 million acres and 12.1 million more acres than in 2006,  the biggest U.S. corn planting since 1944, boosted by high demand from the ethanol industry and strong export sales, reports AP, citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual prospective plantings report. 

Easter Spending Expected to Hit $14 billion
American consumers are eager to celebrate Easter with their family and friends, with the tTotal holiday spending estimated to reach $14.37 billion, according to NRF’s 2007 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. This year, shoppers who are planning to celebrate Easter (79.5%) are expected to spend an average of $135.07, up 11% from last year’s $121.72 per person. 

$22B US Generic Drugs Industry by the Numbers
With the new Democratic Congress promising to lower health care costs, generic drug makers take on brand-name rivals to level the playing field, reports AP. Here are some key metrics and stats on the generic drugs market: 

U.S. Sales of Hybrid Vehicles Jump 28% to 254,545 in 2006; 1.5% of US Vehicles
U.S. sales of gas-electric hybrid vehicles rose 28% to 254,545 in 2006, but the rate of growth is starting to slow, according to a report by R.L. Polk & Co.  Hybrids accounted for about 1.5% of U.S. vehicle sales last year.  Toyota Prius led the segment with 42.8% of new registrations. 

12th-Graders Math Proficiency Falls; Reading Skills Lowest Since 1992: Study
The average U.S. 12th-grader reading score in 2006 was the lowest since 1992, while less than one-quarter (23 percent) of 12th-graders scored at or above the Proficient level in the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), according to The Nation’s Report Card. 

Venture-backed companies in US Account for 17% of GDP and 10 million Jobs: Study
U.S. companies that received venture capital from 1970-2005 accounted for 10 million jobs and $2.1 trillion in revenues in 2005, according to a study conducted by Global Insight for the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). This represents 9% of the total private sector work force and 16.6% of total U.S. GDP. Venture investment itself represents just 0.2% of U.S. GDP.  

Private Equity Bonus Scorecard 2006: Dealmaker
Private-equity funds continued to increase their dominant position on both ends of the domestic markets; they accounted for roughly one-fourth of M&A activity and sponsored more than 40% of all IPOs, with the time between purchase and sale often shrinking to mere months, reports Dealmaker magazine. 

Pre-money Valuation of VC-backed Startups Reaches $18.5 million in 2006, Highest Since 2000
The median pre-money valuation of U.S. venture-backed companies reached $18.5 million in 2006, compared to $15 million in 2005, according to VentureOne data. This is the highest median valuation since the peak of $25.1 million in 2000. 

Charitable Giving to Colleges Grew to a Record $28 billion; Top 20 Colleges and Sources
Charitable contributions to higher education grew 9.4% to a record $28 billion in the last academic year, according to a report by the Council for Aid to Education. Contributions to Stanford University rose 50% to top $911.6 million, the largest amount ever raised by a U.S. university in a year, according to the report.

ETF Assets Jump 1.1% to $422 billion in January; Set to Climb 40% in 2007 
The net amount of money invested in exchange traded funds climbed 1.1% or $4.5 billion in January to $422 billion, according to State Street Global Advisors, reports IBD. 

Affluent North Americans to Reach 37.7 million and $19 trillion in Assets by 2010
The population of affluent and wealthy individuals in North America will grow 24% to 37.7 million by 2010 from from 30.4 million in 2006, according to Celent. The report expects this affluent group to control over $19 trillion in assets by 2010. 

Identity Theft Loss Falls 12% to $49 billion in 2006
Americans lost about $49.3 billion in 2006 to identity theft criminals, a 11.5% decline from $55.7 billion identity theft loss in 2005, on increased vigilance among consumers and businesses, according to The 2007 Identity Fraud Survey Report by Javelin Strategy & Research. 

EU urges faster cut of UK deficit
Government plans to cut the UK's budget deficit are not ambitious enough, a European Commission report will warn this week.

Shell to cut a further 1,000 jobs
Royal Dutch Shell says it will shed a further 1,000 jobs by the end of next year as part of its cost cutting programme.

Expats lose pension freeze case
More than half a million UK pensioners living overseas will continue to have their pensions frozen after a court decision.

Delay for hedge fund rules vote
European finance ministers delay plans to vote on a new regulation of hedge funds and venture capitalists.

European car sales up in February
New car sales in Europe rose by 3.2% in February from a year earlier, but fell 30% in Germany as its scrappage scheme ended.

Nord Stream secures bank funds
The consortium behind the planned Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia to Europe has secured a 3.9bn euro funding deal from 26 banks.

Kraft says sorry about Keynsham
The vice-president of Kraft Foods says he is "terribly sorry" for the firm's pledge to keep open Cadbury's Keynsham plant.

Rio eyes continued China demand
Mining firm Rio Tinto says China's demand for iron ore, copper and coal will increase dramatically during the next 15 years.

US plans high-speed net for all
US regulators have unveiled the nation's first plan to give every American super-fast broadband by 2020.

EU ministers agree Greek plan
European finance ministers say they have agreed how they would help Greece in its financial crisis, but reveal few details.

Champagne sales 'losing fizz' but UK is still top market
The UK is still the world's largest export market for Champagne despite a fall in sales, industry figures say.

California sues Toyota for faults
Prosecutors in California are suing Toyota, claiming the carmaker sold hundreds of thousands of vehicles it knew had defects.

Vauxhall gets UK loans guarantee
The UK announces a 300m-euro (£270m) loan guarantee for Vauxhall and Opel, the European arm of General Motors.

HMRC drops Portsmouth challenge
HM Revenue and Customs drops its legal challenge over the validity of Portsmouth football club's move into administration.

Red Knights get advisers for bid
The Red Knights group eyeing a possible bid for Manchester United says investment bank Nomura will advise it.

Guidelines for financial journalists

IMF in Europe
What would a European Monetary Fund look like?

Print baron
A start-up that lets anyone make their own newspaper

Open all hours
Are UK workers being forced to work part-time?

Shanty town
How the internet is helping the poorest Brazilians

Port exports
Portuguese exporters hit by strong euro

Fighting poverty
How Malawi hopes social enterprise will help

Petrol price 'to hit record high'
Petrol prices in the UK could hit a record average high of £1.20 a litre in the next few weeks, according to the AA.

Nest charges set at 0.3% of funds
Members of the forthcoming new state pension scheme - the National Employment Savings Trust - will be charged 0.3% of their funds each year.

Winter 'cost small firms £7bn'
The worst winter in decades has cost the UK's small and medium-sized companies about £7.3bn, a study says.

Jackson in record Sony music deal
The estate of Michael Jackson agrees a deal worth $200m (£160m) with the record label Sony, US reports say.

Campaigners spurn Equitable plan
Savers in the Equitable Life insurance company denounce the limited compensation process set up by the government.

US bank regulation bill unveiled
Democrat senators have unveiled proposed new laws that will give the US Federal Reserve more regulatory powers over US banks.

SA starts World Cup countdown
With 100 days to the World Cup, South Africans talk about their hopes and fears for the tournament

Zimbabwe move on firms' ownership
A Zimbabwean law that forces companies to sell a majority stake in their businesses to indigenous people comes into effect.

Doubts cast on US 'runaway Prius'
Toyota casts doubt on claims one of its cars failed to stop, after a widely-publicised account of a "runaway" Prius in California.

Airbus plans sales of A400M to US
Europe's leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus says it plans to sell around 210 of its A400M military planes to the US.

China buying Argentine oil stake
China National Offshore Oil Corporation is paying $3.1bn for a 50% stake in Argentine oil and gas group Bridas Corporation.

China denies currency undervalued
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao rejects criticism that Beijing keeps the yuan undervalued in order to boost exports.

Deutsche Telekom sets sex quotas
Germany's Deutsche Telekom introduces gender quotas to fill 30% of senior jobs with women by the end of 2015.

Eurozone industry grows strongly
Factory output in the eurozone rose 1.7% between December and January, the biggest monthly rise since records began.

EU: Settlement goods not Israeli
The European Court of Justice rules that Israeli goods made in Jewish settlements cannot be considered Israeli.

Iraq given its largest IMF loan
The IMF is to lend Iraq $3.6bn to rebuild its infrastructure as low oil prices slash its revenue.

India's Essar 'planning UK float'
Indian conglomerate Essar Group is reported to be planning to float on the London Stock Exchange, a move that could raise up to $3bn.

India to review economy stimulus
India's government unveils its annual budget, saying that stimulus measures introduced to boost growth must be reviewed.

Banks may offer overdraft opt-out
Banks may make it easier for customers to opt out of using unauthorised overdrafts and paying fees.

Security fear over end of cheques
The abolition of cheques will push elderly people back into hoarding cash at home, campaigners tell MPs.

First-time buyers face price rise
First-time buyers faced UK house prices that were 8.9% higher in January than a year earlier, government figures show.

New credit card protection agreed
Credit card holders will be offered more protection from spiralling debts, but changes are watered down from original plans.

For Japanese women, a competition to be thin
As women in the United States and across the industrialized world get fatter, most Japanese women are getting skinnier. Still, many view themselves as overweight. Social pressure - women looking critically at other women - is the most important reason female skinniness is ascendant in Japan, according to Hisako Watanabe, a child psychiatrist at the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo. (twincities.com)

Prada denies it wanted 'fat' managers sacked in Japan
Italian fashion house Prada on Monday dismissed allegations by its former top retail manager in Japan that it had harassed her and asked her to fire "old, fat and ugly" managers. "Following the many press reports published on Ms (Rina) Bovrisse's termination of employment, (her) accusations regarding an alleged misconduct of the company towards her have no ground," Prada said in a statement. "The Japanese competent court has dismissed all of the employee's accusations and had ruled that the termination of her employment was perfectly legitimate," the statement said. (AFP)

Hatoyama's brother quits LDP, aiming to form new party
Former internal affairs minister Kunio Hatoyama, the younger brother of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, announced Monday that he has left the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and will form a new party. "The current LDP alone cannot bring about a major change in Japanese politics," Kunio Hatoyama, 61, told reporters Monday evening after tendering his resignation letter to the LDP, indicating he hopes to create a new party before the Golden Week holidays starting at the end of April. (AP)

3 Filipinos arrested for illegal entry
Three Filipino men have been arrested in the city of Fukuoka for entering Japan on passports with women's names after undergoing sex change operations, police said. Although it is not legally possible in the Philippines to change one's registered gender, the three, aged 30, 43 and 44, have formally married Japanese men, according to local immigration authorities. After falling in love with the Japanese men while working at night clubs, they reentered Japan on different persons' passports to submit marriage registrations and have obtained residential status as spouses of Japanese nationals, the police said. (AP)

Actresses gear up for '200 mil. yen' kimono play
Popular actresses in Japan recently promoted the upcoming replay of the popular drama "Oh-oku" depicting elite women in the 19th century, wearing some of the kimono outfits to be used on the stage worth 200 million yen in total. "As the revival has been decided, I, as an actor, feel the happiest ever," said Yuko Asano, who plays the boss of the women-only backroom in Edo Castle filled with mysterious lives of female aides to the shogun. (AP)

2.76 mil. Japanese estimated to have used illegal drugs
An estimated 2.76 million people in Japan, or about 2.9 percent of the population, have used illegal drugs, according to a survey by a research team of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The percentage is the highest since similar surveys started in 1995 and suggests the use of drugs is growing in this country. The previous highest percentage was 2.7 percent in 2001. (Yomiuri)

Japan's famous Tsukiji fish market braces for tuna trade ban
As bartenders close the shutters in Tokyo's glitzy nightlife district, just a short walk away handbells ring in the pre-dawn tuna auctions in an old warehouse in Tsukiji. Veteran auctioneers call for bids for hundreds of snap-frozen tuna laid in neat rows in the world's largest fish market, the size of more than 40 football pitches. The ocean predators, laid out on steaming dry ice, have their tails cut to reveal oval windows of the burgundy flesh that has fetched as much as 175,000 dollars for a 232 kilogram fish here. In the chilly halls, fishmongers with headbands and aprons slice the red flesh with large knives, while three-wheel trolleys are pushed through the narrow aisles. The famous market on Tokyo Bay, long a must-see tourist spot, is facing a disputed relocation plan in coming years - but another threat is looming large, a possible cross-border trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna. (calgaryherald.com)

'Therapeutic ringtones' for mobile phones create a buzz in Japan
"Well . . . I can definitely feel a bit of adrenalin," says Yukari Sendo, savouring the mobile phone ringtone like a fine wine, "but it really doesn't make me want to do any housework." She flicks through a menu of alternative tunes and settles on one that offers to improve her skin tone through the power of alpha-waves. Ms Sendo and her friend Ayaka Wakabayashi are among an army of young Japanese drawn to the allure of "therapeutic ringtones" - a genre of melodies that promises to ease a range of day-to-day gripes, from chronic insomnia to a rotten hangover. Japan is no stranger to bizarre phone fads but the popularity of the ringtones is perhaps surprising given the flimsiness of the science behind them. (Times Online)

Cartoonists oppose new regulation on sexual expressions in comics
A group of cartoonists including Tetsuya Chiba, illustrator of popular manga series "Ashita no Joe" (Tomorrow's Joe), voiced their opposition Monday in Tokyo to a proposed ordinance revision aimed at regulating sexual imagery in comics and animations. Arriving at the Tokyo metropolitan government, the cartoonists voiced concerns over the proposal, to be put before a vote Friday, which calls for restricting comics and animations that contain sexualized depictions of "nonexistent minors" -- a controversial concept described in the draft regulation, referring to characters that people would assume to be minors. (AP)

Rudd plan to skip nonproliferation summit ups tensions with Japan
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's decision to skip a nuclear nonproliferation summit to be held in Washington next month is adding to Australia's already strained relations with Japan over the issue of whaling, The Australian newspaper reported Monday. Deputy opposition leader and shadow foreign minister Julie Bishop, who recently returned from a visit to Japan, told the daily there were concerns "that Mr. Rudd's commitment to the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament is waning, given that he will reportedly not attend an important meeting next month." (AP)

English school manager in Fukuoka indicted over shooting child porn
An American man running an English school in Fukuoka Prefecture has been indicted for allegedly shooting pornographic images of a girl who was his student, investigative sources said Monday. The 69-year-old resident of Fukuoka City was indicted in early March after police seized from his home more than 600 videotapes and photographs comprising images of dozens of his students, mostly elementary school-aged girls, they said. The man was initially arrested in January on suspicion of conducting lewd acts on his students but released later without being indicted, according to the sources. (AP)

Sumo: Ticket sales sluggish with Asashoryu gone
Things just got really lonely at the top. After perennial troublemaker Asashoryu quit sumo following allegations he attacked a man outside a Tokyo nightspot, Hakuho remains as the sole yokozuna and hot favorite to cart home the Emperor's Cup at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament getting under way on Sunday. Alas, sumo without Asashoryu, who took time out from his reputed street brawling to also win the New Year's meet, could be a lot like watching a one-man show - predictable and lacking the unique pizzazz that the Mongolian firebrand brought to the sport. (Japan Times)

Japan unveils solar powered spacecraft
The Japanese Space Agency has unveiled a prototype of what it says is the world's first solar powered sail spacecraft. At a news conference on Friday, Japanese space officials showed off the space yacht. The craft has a diameter of roughly five feet and navigates by means of an ultra-thin membrane that harnesses solar energy. While the sunlight in space is very weak, the space agency believes it will provide enough energy to propel the space yacht. It will be launched together with the country's first Venus orbiter on May 18. (wfie.com)

China's acquisition of Sea of Japan port rattles its neighbours
China has gained direct access to the Sea of Japan for the first time in 100 years through a North Korean port, leaving the other two regional players, Japan and South Korea, deeply concerned about the communist state's ambitions. China made an agreement to lease a pier at North Korea's Rajin Port for 10 years. China claims the move is purely economic. The China-North Korea deal, observers believe, complicates the UN sanctions imposed on North Korea. (The National)

Even as population shrinks, Japan remains wary of immigration
Much of what you need to know about Japan's long-standing attitude toward immigrants is summed up in the logo of the nation's official immigration agency: It depicts a plane departing, rather than arriving. But today the country faces a demographic crisis, one that some here believe will finally compel a traditionally homogeneous Japan to turn that plane around and let foreign workers come. The population is aging and shrinking -- a formula for economic calamity and social stagnation. Over time, there will be too few workers to care for the millions of elderly citizens, grow food on farms or fill the manufacturing jobs that drive this export-led economy. Given the forces of history and culture, the notion of a multiethnic Japan may seem impossible, a tautology in a country where nationality and ethnicity are fused to the point of being nearly indistinguishable. Yet a multiethnic Japan is what the country needs to become if it is to survive among the top tier of the world's powers. (Washington Post)

Deer in Nara struck by arrow, police launch probe
One of the wild deer in Nara Park, which are designated national natural treasures, was found Saturday with a bow-gun arrow stuck in its abdomen, prompting local police to launch an investigation on suspicion of a person having violated the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, they said. A local group protecting the deer removed the 52-centimeter iron arrow from the female deer after anesthetizing it, but the animal is not well due to the serious injuries, group members said. (AP)

2 U.S. Marines in Okinawa arrested over drunken driving, obstruction
Two U.S. Marines were arrested Sunday in Okinawa, one on suspicion of drunken driving and another for allegedly obstructing official police duties, police officials said. Both lance corporals at the U.S. Marines' Makiminato Service Area in Urasoe denied the allegations, they said. Jamel Gary, 23, is suspected of drunken driving in Naha shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, while Christopher Brooks, 24, in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, allegedly obstructed a police officer's attempt to conduct an alcohol test on Gary by throwing himself at the officer, according to them. (AP)

Strong earthquake rocks central Japan
A strong magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings across a broad swath of the country, including the crowded capital. There were no reports of casualties, with only light damage to structures near the epicenter, according to local officials. The quake hit at 5:08 p.m. and was felt most strongly in central Fukushima prefecture about 210 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. (AP)

Marten killed ibises in Sado / Security camera footage, tracks point to weasel-like animal as culprit
The Environment Ministry announced Thursday that a marten killed nine of 11 Japanese crested ibis that were being prepared to return to the wild in a cage in Sado, Niigata Prefecture. The ministry said it found the small carnivore's tracks inside the birds' cage at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center on Sado Island. The 11 ibises were being kept in the large pen in preparation for their release into the wild in autumn. (Yomiuri)

70 immigration detainees on hunger strike
At least 70 detainees at the West Japan Immigration Control Center, which has long been criticized by human rights groups and Diet members, have been on a hunger strike since Monday, center officials and volunteers helping them confirmed Thursday. "Around 70 foreigners began a hunger strike Monday night because they want to be released on a temporary basis," Norifumi Kishida, an official at the center, said Thursday morning. (Japan Times)

Luck of the Irish to parade across country
Celebrations for Ireland's most famous holiday are gaining in popularity worldwide, and Japan is no exception. St. Patrick, who helped spread Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century, is the country's patron saint. Legend has it that he died on March 17, so the Irish celebrate the day by wearing green, symbolizing the shamrock. In Japan, people have enjoyed the St. Patrick's Day parade since 1992. As an international cultural exchange event, it has become more popular, with recent years seeing around 1,000 participants and 50,000 spectators taking part in Omotesando, Tokyo. This year's parade is on March 14 and starts from Omotesando Hills; it runs from 2 p.m. till 4 p.m. (Japan Times)

Bullying flap shakes Japan's royals
When an official at the Imperial Household Agency suddenly announced last week that 8-year-old Princess Aiko was refusing to go to school because of bullying, he did more than just disclose a mundane problem facing a member of Japan's ancient and secretive monarchy. He also added a new twist to one of the most riveting but mysterious dramas in Japan, the seven-year depression and seclusion of Aiko's mother, Crown Princess Masako, the Harvard-trained former diplomat. Aiko is the only child of Princess Masako and her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito, and is widely known to be one of the few sources of joy for the troubled crown princess. (New York Times)

Japanese Coast Guard arrests anti-whaling skipper
The Japanese Coast Guard on Friday arrested an anti-whaling activist from New Zealand who had boarded a whaling ship in the southern Antarctic last month. Peter Bethune, a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was brought back to Tokyo by the whaling ship, the Shonan Maru 2, after he boarded it without permission on Feb. 15. Coast Guard officials were waiting for him at the docks in Tokyo, along with a throng of Japanese reporters and television crews. (New York Times)

Strong winds, snow wreak havoc; 140 hurt
Strong winds and snow battered the Pacific side of the nation Tuesday and Wednesday, wreaking havoc with road, rail and air routes and leaving thousands of homes without power. According to the Tokyo Fire Department, 26 people were taken to hospitals in Tokyo with fall injuries between Tuesday evening, when it began snowing, and 6 a.m. Wednesday. Ten people in Yokohama suffered fall and other injuries, and 46 people in Saitama Prefecture either fell or were involved in skidding accidents. The hazardous weather also brought chaos to the nation's transport network. (Yomiuri)

'Dr. Yellow' train keeps line safe, elates spotters
A seven-car shinkansen line inspection train runs about once every 10 days between Tokyo and Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture, and rail buffs who spot it claim it brings good luck. The train has been nicknamed "Dr. Yellow" because of its color but it is officially called a comprehensive shinkansen test train. The test train that travels the 1,174-km distance between Tokyo and Hakata is popular with rail fans. An urban legend has it happiness comes to those who spot it. Its timetable is not published. Nevertheless, a Web site details the places and times it passes so those interested may figure out when they can see it. A cheering crowd with cameras was on hand when Dr. Yellow pulled into Shin-Osaka Station en route to Hakata in December. All of the coaches' windows are blocked out. Carriages six and seven house large equipment to gauge signals and electricity. A dome in coach five lets inspectors view pantograph connections. (Japan Times)

South East Asian government and business hails arrest of Hamadi
The arrest of Riduan bin Isomuddin alias Hamadi in Thailand can only be good news for business in South East Asia. Hamadi was responsible for severe damage to the economies of much of South East Asia, by instilling fear in foreign and local investors, increasing country risk and insecurity, driving away tourism dollars, and slowing down the participation of many South East Asian countries in the global economy.

Thailand visa fees to increase substantially
Thailand visa fees for tourism, business and residency purposes will rise by around 100 to 400 percent in late August 2003. While such fees may not represent a significant increase in business travel or tourism costs overall, it makes Thai visa fees in many cases (depending on length of stay) similar or significantly higher than those for neighbouring countries Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, canceling out a previous competitive advantage for Thailand.

Asia Pacific to provide highest economic growth of any global region through 2007
The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts 5.9 percent annual economic growth for the Asia Pacific ex Japan through 2007, making the region the fastest-growing globally. However this growth is not evenly spread, with China and India leading the charge, while other Asian economies struggle or show limited growth.

Blast rocks J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta Indonesia
Jakarta's J.W. Marriott hotel was the scene of an explosion today, just as Indonesia and the Indonesian economy was recovering from the Bali incident and leaders receiving praise for their fight against terrorism.

Strange Sunday in Makati
There’s an eerie parallel with today's military rebellion in the Philippines with the Cory years - a female leader swept into office by People Power swears to clean up corruption, but somehow never quite delivers and things just get more and more crooked. Bottom line - nobody's delivering pizza in Makati, Manila's financial district, tonight...

Competitiveness Rankings sees South East Asia on the rise
Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are the rising stars of the IMD's World Competitiveness Scorecard for 2003 published in their yearbook last week. At the same time traditional lean and mean Scandinavian economies which have dominated the rankings since their inception, as well as the mature East Asian economies, seem to be losing their competitive advantage.

SARS and ASEAN: Some facts - Some perspective
In the lead-up to the ASEAN SARS summit in Bangkok Thailand this week, a call for some perspective. SARS is not so much an Asian problem, but a world-wide and China and Singapore problem. China, Singapore and Hong Kong distinguish themselves by high incidence levels and local transmission. Incidence and local transmission among other countries, Western and Asian alike, is much lower, at least for the moment. And latest data suggests that the peak of new infections, especially outside China, may have been reached.

Why when China sneezed, the world caught a cold
It used to be said that when the US sneezed, Asia caught a cold, usually referring to the economic health of the US, based on the importance of that market both to the dependence of Asian manufacturers on US imports, and the central place of the US economy and investment on the global economy. However in the case of the SARS virus, for maybe the first time of many, the reverse is true.

Iraq: The view from Washington - Washington Square that is - Bangkok Thailand
The view on the Iraq war from Washington - Washington Square that is - Bangkok Thailand - is at once predictable and surprising. There is much agreement on the 'need' or 'justification' for the US triggering a war with Iraq that many thought unnecessary for example. After all many regulars here have suffered from risking their lives and seeing mates lost in the cause of 'freedom' and 'democracy'.

Malaysia and the Iraq War
Malaysians are predominantly anti the Iraq war. And that's a under-statement. For the first time in living memory the Iraq war has unified the ruling Barisan Nasional government and their bitter rivals the fundamentalist PAS party. So much so that members from both political groups staged a demonstration outside the US embassy yesterday. It was a small gathering or perhaps 100 or so, but in Malaysian terms it was significant.

Will a war against Iraq reduce terrorism - or increase it?
Bush's tilts against the UN, accusing it of irrelevance and losing credibility, as well as statements that continue to emphasize that the US will go it alone in Iraq if necessary, does little to convince many that this war is more about terrorism and protecting the world than it is about increasing US power and influence by force of arms.

Building a Brand and Losing Your Shirt
In Asian countries where competition, individual achievement and standing out from the rest are not among the most important values, there are typically few well known brands. Still, Asian marketers have always understood the need to persuade and compete in their advertising messages.

Bali tourism on the road to recovery
There is optimism all around for the Bali tourism industry as international and regional travel and professional organizations rally around to choose Bali for their 2003 meetings strengthening the MICE market and reinforcing confidence in Bali. There are strong signs of recovery in the holiday and incentive sectors as well.

Malaysiakini: Not the Messiah - just a very naughty boy
To the Malaysian ruling government, MalaysiaKini is not the Messiah of the Press - he's just a very naughty boy...

MalaysiaKini press release on police raid on offices
Malaysiakini press release dated Jan 20th 2003 on the police raid and confiscation of Malaysiakini computers following a complaint lodged against the newspaper by the ruling government's youth wing.

China fuels energy cold war
Driven by the lack of a coherent multilateral approach to energy security in Asia and by China's already tense relations with neighboring states, competition for energy resources may prove to be the spark for regional and international conflict. Ultimately, this would bring China into confrontation with the world's largest energy consumer, the US. - Chietigj Bajpaee

Cornering the dragon
The goals of confrontationists in the Bush administration are to ring China with military bases, support Taiwanese independence, and work for the fall of the Communist Party. In short, corner the dragon.

Bush has a clear run at Syria
Despite the highly questionable assertions that form the basis of President George W Bush's antipathy toward Syria, there have been no serious challenges to his views on Capitol Hill: Bush appears to have few obstacles should he once again choose to lead his country to war.

Asians kick Big Tobacco in the butt
It was a formidable challenge: slow the poisoning of Asians by foreign cigarettes without poisoning multilateral trade ties. But the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control became a reality over the weekend, and it could be a landmark achievement not just for human health in Asia, but also for long-term economic well-being. - Alan Boyd

SOUTHEAST ASIA:
Thailand wants to become the "gold standard" in the drive to snuff out smoking.

Commentary - by Francesco Sisci Black holes and rogue states
The US, having dealt with one "rogue" state, Iraq, now has its sights set on Iran, and to a lesser extent on North Korea. This is a dangerous strategy because, by dealing with a rogue state, what in effect is created is a lawless geopolitical black hole that offers terrorists a sanctuary they would otherwise not have had.

SOUTH ASIA:
Delhi put a dent in Kabul's dreams about a pipeline project. - Sudha Ramachandran Bangladesh could be coming out of denial on Islamic miliancy.

CENTRAL ASIA:
Europe is unfazed by a uranium deal signed by Russia and Iran.

KOREA:
North Korea may need to rescue the South from its too-rapid aging. - Jeffrey Robertson SPEAKING FREELY: Forget the "Libya model" for Pyongyang. - Yoshinori Takeda

CHINA:
Hong Kong is already anxious about its next chief executive, as is Beijing. - Qiu Xin

MIDDLE EAST:
Long suppressed by Saddam Hussein, the Shi'ite Da'wa Party has risen from the ashes.

China's takeover battle in a tangled web
China's leading online game operator Shanda seemed poised to take over top portal Sina and create a national Internet giant. But Sina's poison pill may signal "game over" and set the stage for a global bidding war. - Gary LaMoshi

Boom time for India's primary share market
Indian share markets have experienced an unprecedented bull run over the past two years, thanks mainly to young investors who are willing to wait. This is also one of the reasons initial public offerings are doing so well. - Indrajit Basu

Philippines follows Argentina's debt path
Public-sector debt default is looming in the Philippines, where just as in Argentina, the risk of default is being driven by social revolt and weak governance. - Jephraim P Gundzik

Daily Forex Commentary
There were more bad signs for the US dollar, but there were bad signs for the euro, too. Both had their backers and their detractors. Who's right? - Jack Crooks

Asia Times Online Community
Discuss any of the articles above on The Edge - your forum for incisive global discussion.

Bill Jamieson: Where Chancellor Darling may not be in control of events
SHOULD the government start to tackle Britain's huge budget deficit straight away?

Martin Flanagan: French Connection still out of fashion
IF THE contest was one of retreat, fashion retailer French Connection would surely be in with a shout to win it. In recent years, the company seems to have taken on the torch

Banks take a hit on 'sell' note
LONDON FTSE 100 CLOSE 5,593.85 -31.8

One to Watch: BP worth backing
BP 619.3p -0.6p Scotsman says HOLD

Box office up in France
Business News: Production slowing in rececession -- The French film industry may be more resilient than its European neighbors, but it isn't recession proof.

Europe leads in digital screens
Business News: Territories make progress on digital print fees -- Europe's digital cinema makeover has taken off rapidly, overtaking theater conversions in the U.S.

Lionsgate rejects Icahn offer
Business News: Billionaire hoped to up stake to as much as 30% -- With Lionsgate pondering a possible binding offer for MGM this week, the mini-major's gearing up for a battle with Carl Icahn over the merits of such a deal.

Film Movement moves on 'Jaffa'
Business News: Keren Yedaya's film is newest aquisition -- Film Movement has picked up Keren Yedaya's "Jaffa" as its newest acquisition.

Kino Lorber acquires four docs for 2010
Business News: Three of their aquisitions will be released on Lorber, one on Kino -- Kino Lorber has acquired four documentaries and has slated them for 2010 release.

Wilder promoted at Variety
Business News: Titles, jobs change in newsroom restructuring -- Kirstin Wilder has been promoted to managing editor of Variety , responsible for overseeing production, finances and personnel for the editorial department.

'The Hangover' tops Publicists Awards
Business News: Warner Bros. pic wins Maxwell Weinberg prize -- Hollywood union publicists have tapped Warner Bros.' "The Hangover" as winner of the Maxwell Weinberg award for feature publicity campaign.

Microsoft steps into multiplatform shoes
Business News: Xbox 360 evolves into an entertainment hub -- When Microsoft debuted the Xbox in 2001, there wasn't a lot of reason for the broader entertainment biz to take note.

Warner Bros. extends Lego playtime
Business News: Videogame unit renews deal with toymaker -- Warner Bros.' videogame division will continue to play with Legos through 2016.

New U.K. survey tallies showbiz
Business News: U.K. facilities sector employs 25,000 -- The U.K. facilities sector employs more than 25,000 people and is responsible for annual revenues in excess of £2.2 billion ($3.3 billion), according to the first survey of this side of the country's creative economy.

Icahn launches tender offer for Lionsgate
Business News: Studio's board will review the offer -- Carl Icahn said Monday that he is not trying to take over Lionsgate.

Univision sees gain
Business News: Broadcaster posts slight gain, bullish with results -- U.S. Hispanic media conglom Univision Communications reported fourth-quarter revenue of $515.9 million.

Goetz exits OTX for Screen Engine
Business News: Focus group guru launches own market research firm -- Kevin Goetz has ankled research and marketing firm OTX to launch competing firm Screen Engine.

CBS President launches Code Advisors
Business News: New co. will focus on media and tech deals and ventures -- Former CBS Interactive prexy Quincy Smith has formally hung out his new investment bank shingle, Code Advisors.

Rosenberg exits WB for new venture
Business News: Publicity exec launches her own company -- Liz Rosenberg, longtime publicity exec at Warner Bros. Records, is ankling to form her own praisery, Liz Rosenberg Media, the label announced Tuesday.

Bernardi to top Rudin's production company
Business News: Exec exits Imagine to replace Roybal -- David Bernardi is leaving his exec VP post at Imagine Entertainment to head up Scott Rudin's production company.

EMI in talks to 'revitalize' Abbey Road
Business News: Preservation of the studio listed as an initial priority -- EMI said Sunday it is holding preliminary discussions with "interested and appropriate third parties" to revitalize the studio where the Fab Four recorded the bulk of their work.

Talpa taps into U.S.
Business News: John de Mol company partners with Warner Horizon -- Jon de Mol's Talpa Media has parked at Warner Bros.' Warner Horizon label.

African American Culture names president
Business News: Andre Kimo Stone Guess to lead center in Pittsburgh -- Guess will succeed CEO Marva H. Harris April 16.

FTC settles with Ticketmaster
Business News: Issue over Springsteen resales resolved -- The Federal Trade Commission has ordered Ticketmaster to refund money to concertgoers to settle a highly publicized flap over the resale of Bruce Springsteen tickets in 2009.

Linux Q&A with Microsoft
Microsoft responds to questions on TCO, indemnification, and the value proposition of Linux.

Opening the Desktop
Companies such as KeyCorp are evaluating the impact of the Firefox browser.

Time to IIT: Inter-Institutional Transfers Catch On
The hows and whys of integrating Inter-Institutional Transfers (IITs) into online banking.

Reg NMS was just re-released last week and the document surprised everyone, notes Larry Tabb, CEO of the Tabb Group and Contributing Editor to WS&T. Tabb offers his perspective on the regulation, pointing out its winners and losers. "While this may sound tame, it has the teeth of a shark," he says, "and for better or worse it will shred many current market practices."

http://www.informationweek.com/
The SEC voted yesterday to publish its reproposed version of Reg NMS for public comment. The revised regulation limits price-protection to automated quotes; prohibits sub-penny pricing; promotes uniform inter-market access via private linkages; and authorizes market centers to distribute their own data independently of the joint-industry plans.

The NYSE Revamps Floor Broker Technology
The NYSE is giving floor brokers new wireless handheld PCs to participate in a hybrid market subject to SEC approval. The project is a big win for IBM.

Phillips Says It One More Time: PeopleSoft Customers, We Love You
Oracle plans to port its database software to IBM's iSeries server in a bid to keep J.D. Edwards software users in the fold.

Think Like a CFO, Part II: Formulating Answers
After years of relative autonomy, senior IT executives at insurance companies are finding themselves increasingly under the thumb of tech-savvy CFOs charged with reducing costs. To succeed in this new environment, CIOs must prepare to address tough questions that go beyond the traditional IT domain.

Effective Agent Enablement
Providing the people who sell policies with tools that enhance their effectiveness is essential to carriers' success. And because these improvements make possible a higher level of customer service, they can also help to ensure increased customer retention and loyalty.

Economic Agenda: March 16, 2010
Key Events 8:30 a.m.: The Commerce Department releases data on new home construction in February; economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect housing starts to have dropped 3.6 percent from January, mainly because of inclement weather. Another economic release worth watching: the Labor Department i...

Sen. Dodd to introduce plan to overhaul financial regulatory system
Senate banking Chairman Sen. Christopher J. Dodd will try to strike a delicate balance Monday as he introduces a new measure to overhaul the nation's financial regulatory system, including provisions aimed at shoring up support among fellow Democrats but also incorporating compromises he reached...

Tests fail to duplicate acceleration problem in Prius
Investigators from Toyota and the government have been unable to duplicate the runaway acceleration in a 2008 Prius that a Southern California man said took him on a 30-mile wild ride last week, according to a draft memo from a congressional panel.

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China's Wen Jiabao rebuffs U.S. on letting yuan appreciate against dollar
BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday lectured the United States, criticizing its call for China to let its currency rise against the dollar to boost U.S. exports, advising it to work harder to improve its financial system and directing it to change its foreign policy to improve relations...

Value Added: Commercial musician tuned in to needs of Washington region
You've probably never heard of Todd Hahn, but you might have heard his music.

6 key points of the financial regulation legislation
Dodd's second draft of financial reform legislation tracks closer to the bill that passed the House in December, eliminating several of the bold reforms he proposed last fall. But Republicans remain opposed, despite Dodd's decision to incorporate their ideas on some issues.

DEALSAllan Sloan
Allan Sloan is away. His column will return.

British regulator to probe audits of Lehman; China trims U.S. debt holdings
A British regulator said it is investigating how Ernst & Young accounted in its auditing for Lehman Brothers' transactions in Britain.

Corrections
-- A March 14 Outlook article about how colleges deal with campus sexual assault cases mischaracterized the policy at Bucknell University. The school does not use mediation to adjudicate such cases; rather, mediation is an option made available by Bucknell to victims of sexual assault in addition to...

Montgomery, Prince George's slash budgets
Maryland's two largest counties outlined spending cuts Monday that would reach from children's health clinics to nursing homes, slice tens of millions of dollars in education spending and furlough thousands of public employees.

European officials hold off on bailout package for Greece
LONDON -- European finance chiefs failed to produce a detailed bailout plan for Greece on Monday but laid the groundwork for a potential rescue if the financial situation in the troubled Mediterranean nation deteriorates sharply.

Toyota says tests cast doubts on story of runaway Prius in California
Toyota on Monday said that extensive testing of the 2008 Prius that allegedly took a Southern California driver on a 30-mile runaway ride last week casts serious doubts on his story.

Local Digest: Allied Capital cutting D.C. jobs in Ares acquisition
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Allied Capital Corp., a publicly traded private-equity firm based in the District, is eliminating most of its local workforce as it prepares to be acquired by New York-based Ares Capital. Although the combined company will maintain "an ongoing presence" in Washington, Allied...

Two Washington area drivers sue Toyota, alleging acceleration problems in cars
Two Washington area drivers have filed personal injury lawsuits against the Toyota Motor Corp., joining about 280 personal injury and class-action suits filed across the country against the company.

GAO blocks contract to firm formerly known as Blackwater to train Afghan police
Federal auditors on Monday put a stop to Army plans to award a $1 billion training program for Afghan police officers to the company formerly known as Blackwater, concluding that other companies were unfairly excluded from bidding on the job.

Ex-employees of AIG's Financial Products unit might sue over lower payouts
NEW YORK -- Several former American International Group employees might sue the insurer after it gave them less retention bonus money than they should have received, their attorneys said Monday.

Former chief of Park Avenue Bank charged with TARP fraud
NEW YORK -- The former chief executive of a New York bank shut down by regulators last week was arrested Monday for attempting to steal from the taxpayer-funded bailout program, marking the first time criminal charges have been filed in connection with alleged abuse of the government's...

Concessions on financial reform bill yield few gains in Senate
Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate banking committee, introduced a revised bill on Monday to overhaul financial regulation that included compromises forged with Republicans in recent months but fell short of winning endorsement from conservatives, including members in his ...

President Obama makes pitch for health-care reform
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- With a decisive vote on his health-care overhaul possible within days, President Obama declared repeatedly Monday that "we need courage" from elected leaders to pass the far-reaching package.

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Economic Agenda: March 15, 2010
Key Events 9:15 a.m.: The Federal Reserve issues figures on industrial production for February. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg think that output will stay unchanged from January. Finance ministers from the 16 euro-zone nations are scheduled to meet to discuss the Greek debt crisis. Senate banki...

Tests fail to duplicate acceleration problem in Prius
Investigators from Toyota and the government have been unable to duplicate the runaway acceleration in a 2008 Prius that a Southern California man said took him on a 30-mile wild ride last week, according to a draft memo from a congressional panel.

Cost of Internet fraud on steep rise
LOS ANGELES -- U.S. citizens reported losing more than $550 million in 2009 in Internet fraud, falling prey to a variety of increasingly sophisticated scams, according to a report by the Internet Crime Complaint Center .

Schools, health care, public safety lose millions in Va. budget
RICHMOND -- The Virginia General Assembly adjourned its annual legislative session Sunday evening after adopting a two-year, $82 billion budget that cuts millions from education, health care and public safety -- curtailing state spending more aggressively than any in generations while fulfilling ...

Chinese oil giant to buy stake in Argentine firm
HONG KONG -- Leading offshore-oil producer China National Offshore Oil Corp. said Sunday that it has agreed to pay $3.1 billion to form a joint venture with a major Argentine energy firm, helping to expand China's access to natural resources in South America.

Curbing earmarks: Even with new restrictions, for-profits play a role
Twice in recent years, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.) helped obtain earmarks totaling $3.2 million for a home-state university to study how to make military jet fuel from plants. Standing behind that nonprofit work, however, is a for-profit Chicago firm that often ...

State attorneys general vie for stronger consumer protection role
In the fight over how to overhaul the nation's financial regulatory system, one of the key power struggles has pitted the states -- in particular a core group of state attorneys general -- against federal regulators, financial lobbyists and some members of Congress.

INSIDER TRANSACTIONS

APPOINTMENTS
D&R International of Silver Spring named David P. Steiner , former vice president of government affairs at Maytag, president.

Neil's Must Reads
Economists Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff have published an important (and, given the current economic situation, rather scary) working paper that shows extensive connections between countries that experience a banking crisis and those that experience a sovereign debt crisis. And Mark Thoma at CBS...

Position : President of Vienna-based FedBid, an online reverse-auction marketplace that gives government procurement officers access to bids from commodity sellers.

New at the Top: Glenn Richardson
I entered the Army for what I thought would be a short stint but had the chance to serve as an officer for 15 years. After a while, I got the sense that I really enjoyed solving problems and really wanted to be a part of organizations that did just that.

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THIS WEEK, March 15-19
The week will be busy, with data on the industrial sector, housing and inflation being released and a Federal Reserve policymakers meeting scheduled.

SemaConnect trying to fill a niche in the electric-car era
Annapolis-based entrepreneur Mahi Reddy is hoping to take advantage of what he perceives will be a big missing piece in the approaching era of the electric car.

Newly powerful China defies Western nations with remarks, policies
BEIJING -- China's government has embraced an increasingly anti-Western tone in recent months and is adopting policies across a wide spectrum that reflect a heightened fear of foreign influence.

Insurers report on use of abortion riders
CHICAGO -- In North Dakota, where insurers can cover abortions if customers pay a separate premium, the state's largest provider says it sells no abortion policies because no one has asked to buy one.

Pros and cons to Facebook's fast-growing role in digital photography
The glossy print, it seems, is losing its sheen. According to estimates from IDC, 42 billion photos will be printed worldwide, both commercially and personally, in 2013. That's a third fewer than the 63 billion printed in 2008. Meanwhile about 124 billion photos are on pace to be shared through s...

GOP wants Dodd to slow down on financial reform legislation
Republicans on the Senate banking committee said they remain open to finding a bipartisan agreement on legislation to overhaul financial regulation, but they warned the chairman, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), against trying to push a bill through too quickly.

Ack! How could I owe so much? Get me a CPA!
They say it is better to give than to receive, but paying taxes has got to be the one exception to this golden rule. At least I know that I felt far from virtuous as my tax bill kept climbing during a recent five-hour tussle with TurboTax.

FDA targets processing of spices in bid to make supply safer
The Food and Drug Administration is reexamining the safety of a culinary staple found in every restaurant, food manufacturing plant and home kitchen pantry: spices.

Despite probe, prescription drug abuse worsening, authorities say
Donna M. George was a grandmother living in a gated community in Fredericksburg when she sold prescription drugs out of her kitchen -- while babysitting for her three grandchildren.

Retail sales up slightly in February, despite nationwide snowstorms
February's cross-country snowstorms couldn't freeze out consumers as retail sales rose 0.3 percent for the month, according to government data released Friday.

U.S., Europe at odds over global financial reform
A feud between the United States and Europe has cast doubt on the likelihood of a comprehensive global response to the financial crisis that nearly sparked a worldwide depression, according to regulators and analysts.

Borrowers in foreclosure prevention plan losing mortgage aid
About 90,000 distressed borrowers have lost their mortgage aid under the government's foreclosure prevention plan, and many more are at risk of losing the help, according to Treasury Department data released Friday.

Obama's likely choices for Federal Reserve indicate a more activist role
President Obama's likely selections for three top positions at the Federal Reserve signal that he wants the central bank to focus on driving down unemployment and taking a more active role in protecting consumers.

Finding federal job after being fired
Derrick T. Dortch, president of the Diversa Group, is a career counselor who specializes in government job searches and military transition. This is adapted from a recent chat at washingtonpost.com.

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How much time and energy to invest in a job opportunity?
How much time and energy should you spend pursuing a particular job opportunity? Several times recently I have invested a large amount of time (filling out applications, going in for multiple interviews) or money (printing portfolios, missing hours of work, paying for travel expenses) in the process...

Congress is long overdue for serious effort at tax reform
Congress is ready for a nap. The financial crisis was a year-long emergency. Health-care reform has been a seemingly endless grind. No one quite knows what to do about jobs. Cap-and-trade seems doomed in the Senate, which means all the work the House did to pass its bill was for nothing. The elec...

IRS offers help paying taxes
For the second year, the Internal Revenue Service is reaching out to folks in financial trouble.

File Smart: It's time to make sure you've covered your tax bases
With just a month until the filing deadline, it's time to get serious about taxes.

REITs show rising prices but growing risks
Analysts, bloggers, real estate dealmakers and managers of mutual funds are as puzzled as I am about the 90 percent rise in REIT indexes since March 2009. Commercial real estate lags the business cycle, so shares of real estate investment trusts normally do not rebound until after it's apparent the...

How to calculate the AMT, a tax we love to hate
Although almost everyone denounces it, the AMT is a big moneymaker for Uncle Sam, collecting more than $22 billion from four million taxpayers for 2008 alone. Congress has not found a replacement for this lucrative revenue raiser. Since 2001, however, lawmakers have approved a temporary patch each...

Report faults executives with manipulating Lehman Brothers' balance sheet
A high-profile report on Lehman Brothers raises fresh questions about whether senior executives at the failed Wall Street investment bank presented a misleading picture of its financial health and whether government regulators did enough to prevent the firm's sudden collapse.

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Employers plan to shift more health-care costs to workers, survey reports
Most big employers plan to shift a larger share of health-care costs to their workers next year, according to a survey released Thursday.

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Obama's ambitious export plan may rekindle free-trade battle
President Obama unveiled plans Thursday to double U.S. exports over the next five years in hopes of spurring job growth, an ambitious goal that may rekindle the battle over free-trade policy.

New round of foreclosures threatens housing market
The housing market is facing swelling ranks of homeowners who are seriously delinquent but have yet to lose their homes, and this is threatening a new wave of foreclosures that could hit just as the real estate market has begun to stabilize.

Financial system reforms won't wait
Senate banking committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) said Thursday he will move forward next week with sweeping legislation to revamp the nation's financial regulatory system, despite failing to resolve key differences with Republicans.

Republicans name six to Obama's deficit-reduction commission
Congressional Republicans named six members to President Obama's deficit-reduction commission Friday, choosing the party's most respected leaders on budget issues and hard-line conservatives who said they are determined to steer the panel toward cutting spending and away from raising taxes.

Democrats try to find the right compromises for financial reform
Democratic staffers at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue scrambled Friday to write the financial reform legislation that Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) has promised to unveil Monday , trying to find language that would please Democrats while preserving progress toward a compromise with...

Calif. county sues Toyota, accuses automaker of hiding evidence of defects
In the latest blow to Toyota Motor, a Southern California prosecutor filed the first consumer protection lawsuit against the automaker, claiming it had engaged in "fraud" by hiding evidence of dangerous vehicle defects.

Campaign stunt launches a corporate 'candidate' for Congress
Murray Hill might be the perfect candidate for this political moment: young, bold, media-savvy, a Washington outsider eager to reshape the way things are done in the nation's capital. And if these are cynical times, well, then, it's safe to say Murray Hill is by far the most cynical.

Unemployment rate for young veterans hits 21.1 percent
The unemployment rate last year for young veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars hit 21.1 percent, the Labor Department said Friday, reflecting a tough obstacle that combat veterans face as they make the transition home from war.

Black & Decker shareholders back Stanley Works merger
MERGERS & AQUISITIONS Shareholders voted in favor of a nearly $3.5 billion stock buyout, clearing the final hurdle for Stanley Works to acquire Black & Decker.

Senators critical of salary expenses at Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Several Republican senators are questioning expenses at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a national nonprofit organization that receives millions of dollars in federal funding.

New funding projection could squeeze Obama's education agenda
In the final push to pass a major student aid bill pending in Congress, funding for key elements in President Obama's education agenda is dwindling.

On eve of U.S. visit, Irish prime minister Cowen says more cuts are possible
LONDON -- At a time of deep concern over growing government debt in Europe and the United States, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen is heading to Washington as a global spokesman for fiscal restraint.

China holds firm against Google, says firm must obey its laws
BEIJING -- China's top Internet regulator warned Google on Friday that it must obey Chinese laws or "pay the consequences," in the bluntest official reaction yet to Google's threat to pull out of China unless the government stops censoring the Internet.

Steven Pearlstein reviews 'The Big Short' by Michael Lewis
"The Blind Side" and "Moneyball" author Michael Lewis turns his attention to the U.S. financial crisis.

FEMA's sale of Katrina trailers sparks criticism
In a giant auction, the federal government has agreed to sell for pennies on the dollar most of the 120,000 formaldehyde-tainted trailers it bought nearly five years ago for Hurricane Katrina victims. But the sale of the units, perhaps the most visible symbol of the government's bungled response to...

New York AG Cuomo recuses himself from probe of Gov. Paterson
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that he has recused himself and appointed an independent counsel to probe whether Gov. David A. Paterson illegally took World Series tickets or had improper contact with a woman who accused an aide of domestic violence.

AIG, federal czar reach deal on rest of bonus pay to be returned
American International Group has reached an agreement with the Obama administration's compensation czar to pay back the remaining money employees agreed to return last year after an uproar over bonuses at the insurance giant, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Hollywood Stock Exchange is a stacked deck in a casino royale
Investors learned this week of Wall Street's latest attraction -- a new "futures" market where anyone from casual moviegoers to Hollywood moguls would be able to wager on the success of upcoming movies.

Americans' net worth rises for third straight quarter
Americans regained more of their shrunken wealth last quarter, mainly because of gains in stock portfolios. The Federal Reserve reported Thursday that household net worth rose 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, to $54.2 trillion. Net worth rose 4.5 percent in the second quarter and 5.5...

Maryland's strong alcohol lobby likely to quash tax increase
In recent years, Maryland has raised its sales tax, income tax, corporate tax and cigarette tax; added a surcharge called the "millionaires' tax"; and created taxes on electronic bingo, tip jars and even water and septic systems -- the "flush tax."

Aftershocks a reality check for Chilean President Sebastián Piñera
SANTIAGO, CHILE -- Sebastián Piñera pledged during his presidential campaign to bring fiscal prudence to Chile, but moments before his inauguration Thursday, he received a jolting reminder of how last month's 8.8-magnitude earthquake has shredded that promise.

Northrop Grumman to cut 180 jobs in Maryland
Northrop Grumman said Thursday that it issued layoff notices to 180 employees at its Hagerstown, Md., maintenance and modification center.

Director says NHTSA responded properly on Toyota's problems
The chief of the nation's auto safety regulators rejected criticism on Thursday that his agency made mistakes and responded too slowly to years of complaints regarding runaway Toyotas.

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Treasury hopes new rules send short sales to the rescue of underwater mortgages
With new Treasury Department rules designed to expedite short sales set to take effect April 5, relief can't come soon enough for some area buyers, sellers and real estate agents who have waded through a long and arduous process to get short sales approved by the bank.

Some tax issues to consider on mortgage write-downs
With the Obama administration and private lenders actively considering mortgage principal-reduction programs to help financially distressed homeowners, the Internal Revenue Service has issued a new advisory to taxpayers who receive -- or seek to receive -- such assistance. The IRS gets involved in...

Washington area housing market is getting competitive again, buyers and brokers report
It's getting competitive out there in the Washington area housing market, according to real estate brokers and buyers. And February market statistics just reported from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, the local multiple listing service, back up their reports.

FHA challenged on projected risk to taxpayers
The Federal Housing Administration will need taxpayer money because it failed to properly project how borrowers with FHA-backed loans are affected by job losses and diminished equity in their homes, New York University professor Andrew Caplin told a House panel Thursday.

Compromise would shield payday lenders, pawnbrokers and car dealers from oversight
Payday lenders, pawnbrokers, car dealers and other companies that make loans but do not hold bank charters would be shielded from the scrutiny of a proposed federal consumer protection regulator under the terms of a tentative compromise between senators who are attempting to craft a bipartisan bill.

Making legal aid more accessible and affordable
It's time to make it more accessible and affordable.

GAO analyst says cost overruns, delays continue to plague F-35 program
A congressional auditor said Thursday that the Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, "continues to struggle with increased costs and slowed progress," leading to "substantial risk" that the defense contractor will not be able to build the jet on time or deliver as many...

Ex-official David Loglisci's guilty plea advances N.Y. state pension probe
NEW YORK -- A former New York state official pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony in connection with an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving the state's pension system, a move that legal experts said could bring the investigation closer to one of Wall Street's most prominent financiers, Steven...

February set deficit record; Google says China feud may be resolved soon
The Treasury Department said Wednesday that the government's budget deficit in February totaled $220.9 billion, the largest monthly figure yet and 14 percent higher than the previous record from February 2009. The deficit for the first five months of this budget year is $651.6 billion, 10.5 percent...

Finding solid footing as banks' overdrafts get overhauled
I've been noticing a lot of notice fatigue lately. By now, you may have become a bit overwhelmed with correspondence from your bank or credit union about mandated changes to your credit card account.

FHA considers down payment requirements
The Federal Housing Administration has concluded that its loan volume would have dipped by 40 percent in the next fiscal year and that 300,000 first-time home buyers would have been shut out of the housing market if it had raised its down payment requirements, as critics have pressured it to do, ...

Politics, shaky economy create no rush to restructure Fannie and Freddie
The federal government has spent the past half year seeking to roll back its emergency efforts at propping up the financial markets -- with the notable exception of its involvement in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

NHTSA chief says rate of Toyota complaints was 'unremarkable'
Federal regulators have faced torrents of criticism for not moving more aggressively against Toyota during years of complaints regarding runaway cars.

Familiar hurdles for U.S. as it ramps up pressure on firms doing trade with Iran
Congress and the Obama administration are stepping up pressure on private companies to stop doing business with Iran, but their efforts are running into the same problems U.S. sanctions have encountered for three decades -- reluctance in Europe and a host of elusive trading companies eager to sell...

Gay marriages expected to create wedding-related jobs in D.C.
Georgetown residents Christopher Cahill and Richard Marshall consider the $75,000 wedding that they're planning for June to be their own "personal stimulus package" for the District economy. And local businesses are already seeing the dollar signs.

Inspectors from Toyota and NHTSA descend upon San Diego to examine runaway Prius
Toyota's run of troubles and terrible timing continues.

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Wall Street could learn from book that finds money isn't everything
You would have thought that after the junk-bond scandals of the 1980s, the tech bubble of the 1990s and our recent market meltdown, Wall Street would have finally acknowledged the folly of trying to motivate employees through outsize performance bonuses.

Senate financial bill appears likely to keep Fed as regulator of big banks
Key members of the Senate banking committee are coalescing around legislation that would strip the Federal Reserve of much of its regulatory authority but would leave the central bank with oversight of the nation's largest banks, according to aides familiar with the ongoing negotiations.

Rise in Washington area unemployment seen as good sign for economy's recovery
Unemployment rates rose in the District, Maryland and Virginia in January, a shift that economists said could be a positive sign for the economy because it suggests that discouraged job-seekers are feeling more optimistic about their prospects and have resumed looking for work.

Senate passes $140 billion in tax breaks, aid to unemployed
The Senate approved a $140 billion package of tax breaks and aid to the unemployed Wednesday, the most substantial effort by the chamber to boost the nation's economy since it passed the stimulus bill last year.

House bans earmarks to for-profit companies
Facing an election-year backlash over runaway spending and ethics scandals, House Democrats moved Wednesday to ban earmarks for private companies, sparking a war between the parties over which would embrace the most dramatic steps to change the way business is done in Washington.

In St. Louis area, Obama pounds drum for health-care initiative
ST. CHARLES, MO. -- President Obama made an impassioned case Wednesday for his health-care proposal, delivering a folksy, partisan argument for reform as industry groups prepare a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to defeat it.

House Ways and Means Chairman Levin says job creation will be top priority
As he takes the reins of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Sander M. Levin is vowing to raise the profile of a once-powerful panel that, in recent years, has been overshadowed by the ethics troubles of its previous chairman, Rep. Charles B. Rangel.

Bank of America changes overdraft policy; SEC takes on market rumors

Wall Street's role in Greek crisis should be no surprise
As I look at the uproar over Wall Street's role in the Greek crisis, one of the things I find most surprising is that anyone is surprised about Wall Street's conduct. You're upset that the Street helped Greece hide some of its debt and then began making bets that the debt wouldn't be paid? Welcome...

Are unemployment benefits no longer temporary?
Millions of Americans have been forced to rely on unemployment payments for extended periods as the nation struggles through its longest period of high joblessness in a generation, and critics are taking aim, saying that the Depression-era program created as a temporary bridge for laid-off worker...

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Ad - www.InvestorSoup.com Mar 16 2010 11:27AM GMT

Michael Jackson Estate Signs Deal With Sony
New York Times Mar 16 2010 11:27AM GMT

CBH receives revised offer from Toho
Sydney Morning Herald Mar 16 2010 11:27AM GMT

Acrux eyes up to $366m in Axiron deal
Sydney Morning Herald Mar 16 2010 11:25AM GMT

Debenhams buoyed by own brand range
Financial Times Mar 16 2010 10:29AM GMT

Hiscox predicts £100m catastrophe losses
Financial Times Mar 16 2010 10:09AM GMT

Exonerated Rio close to $12bn deal with Chinalco$
Times Online Mar 16 2010 10:00AM GMT

Dutch insurer Eureko targets Turkey; mulls sales
Reuters Mar 16 2010 9:54AM GMT

UniCredit CEO May Offer Resignation Tuesday
CNBC Mar 16 2010 9:52AM GMT

Shell to cut a further 1,000 jobs
BBC Mar 16 2010 9:34AM GMT

Michael Jacksons estate signs biggest recording deal in history
Globe and Mail Mar 16 2010 9:17AM GMT

Does Dominion Deal Put Consol at Risk?
New York Times Mar 16 2010 9:16AM GMT

Rio and Chinalco revive Guinea ore project
Financial Times Mar 16 2010 8:58AM GMT

Kraft executives grilled by MPs over Cadbury takeover
Guardian.co.uk Mar 16 2010 8:44AM GMT

Jackson estate in record deal worth up to $250 mln
Washington Post Mar 16 2010 7:55AM GMT

Debenhams comparable sales up 0.3%
MarketWatch Mar 16 2010 7:52AM GMT

Debenhams comparable sales up 0.3%
MarketWatch Mar 16 2010 7:44AM GMT

Rio eyes continued China demand
BBC Mar 16 2010 7:35AM GMT

Debenhams fiscal H1 comparable sales up 0.3%
MarketWatch Mar 16 2010 7:33AM GMT

Shenhua Energy sees jump in coal sales
South China Morning Post Mar 16 2010 7:18AM GMT

Growing Green Companies
Wall Street Journal Online Mar 16 2010 7:07AM GMT

Shell may have to raise bid for Arrow Energy
Telegraph Mar 16 2010 7:03AM GMT

Prudential CEO Thiam 'defensive' with shareholders
Telegraph Mar 16 2010 7:03AM GMT

Michael Jacksons Estate Signs Sweeping Contract
New York Times Mar 16 2010 6:53AM GMT

Sony Agrees to Deal With Jackson Estate, to Release New Songs
BusinessWeek Mar 16 2010 5:36AM GMT

Recession spurs some to stick with jobs for life
MarketWatch Mar 16 2010 5:01AM GMT

Recession spurs some to stick with jobs for life
MarketWatch Mar 16 2010 4:14AM GMT

$18 Billion Jobs Bill Moves Closer to Passage in U.S. Senate
BusinessWeek Mar 16 2010 4:13AM GMT

Lehman Might Put All Bankruptcy Creditors in Same Payment Pool
BusinessWeek Mar 16 2010 4:13AM GMT

Recession spurs some to stick with jobs for life
MarketWatch Mar 16 2010 4:12AM GMT

Toyota Recall Lowers Residual Value In US; May Dent Sales Further
Nikkei Net Interactive Mar 16 2010 3:50AM GMT