Restaurant outlook dampens - Houston Business Journal:

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A total of 60 percent of operators saw loweer May sales compared to ayear ago, whilew 26 percent said sales were up. The associatiomn also says restaurant operators reported negative customer traffid levelsin May, the 21st consecutives month of traffic declines. "Despite the softer salesz outlook, restaurant operators remained relatively optimisticv that the economy will improvre in themonths ahead," the Association said. "Thirty-four percen t of restaurant operators said they expect economivc conditions to improve insix months, down slightl from 37 percent who reported similarlyy last month.
" After reaching a 10 monthb high last month, the group says restauranyt operators have scaled back plans for capitaol expenditures in the coming months, with 41 percent planning to spensd money on remodeling or down from 46 percent last month.

GM files for bankruptcy protection - Denver Business Journal:

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Chevrolet-Saturn of Harlem Inc., a New York-based affiliats of the Detroit automaker, was the firstr GM affiliate to seek bankruptcy protectiohn Monday morning throughthe U.S. Bankrutpchy Court's Southern District of New York, according to coury records. The restructuring will enablw GM to emerge as a viable entity undef the brand namenew GM. It also will give the federaol government, which plans to make availableabout $30 billion of federal assistance to support the restructuring, a large ownershipo stake in the company. Two area companies were amongt the list of creditoresin GM's filing: New York-based Bank of New York with claims of $176 and Downtown-based US with claims of $9.
6 For a list of creditors, see GM's . According to a release from theWhite House, the company plans to announce todayt that it will close 11 facilities and idle another GM had already announced in May .

Unemployment rate falls in Allegheny, Beaver counties - Nashville Business Journal:

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and Industry released seasonally adjusted unemploymentt figures forthe state’s countiews and metropolitan statistical areas on Tuesday. In Allegheny the unemployment rate fellfrom 6.6 percenrt in March to 6.5 percent in April. Beaver County’ went from 8.2 percent in March to 7.9 percentg in April. The improvements in Allegheny andBeaved counties, however, were not enough to boost the seven-countyh Pittsburgh MSA, which saw its seasonallgy adjusted unemployment rate increasd from 7.2 percent in Marcjh to 7.3 percent in April. Pennsylvania’es unemployment rate held steadyat 7.
8 When making comparisons, the Departmen t of Labor and Industryh uses seasonally adjusted figures in order to account for cyclical hiring differences that don’t reflecft changes in the overall Employment in the seven-county Pittsburgh area continuesz to be stronger than many other In addition to bestingf the state by half a percentage unemployment in the Pittsburgh MSA is 1.6 percentages points lower than the United States as a which has seasonally adjusted unemployment of 8.9 percent. Here is the breakdown across the state: Stat e College: 5.7 percent Lebanon: 6.7 percenf Altoona: 7.2 percent Pittsburgh: 7.3 percent Philadelphia: 7.9 percen t York-Hanover: 7.
9 percent Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: 8.3 percengt Erie: 8.4 percent Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: 8.6 percenty Johnstown: 8.7 percent Reading: 8.7 percent Within the Pittsburgy MSA, unemployment ranged from 6.5 percent in Alleghenyh Countyto 9.8 percent in Armstron g County. Here is the breakdown by county: 6.5 percent Butler: 7.3 percent Washington: 7.6 percent Beaver: 7.9 percent Westmoreland: 8.1 percent Fayette: 8.9 percent 9.
8 percent

Murdoch quizzed on private lobbying of UK leaders - Fox News

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Globe and Mail

Murdoch quizzed on private lobbying of UK leaders Fox News LONDON â€" James Murdoch's behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign spilled out into the public domain Tuesday as documents detailing his close ties to the British establishment were examined by a judge-led inquiry into media ethics. The nature of the Murdoch ... James Murdoch's behind-the-scenes lobbying puts British Olympics minister in ... Chicago Tribune Murdoch quizzed on private lobbying of UK leaders in media ethics probe Salt Lake Tribune James Murdoch Denies Improper Lobbying in BSkyB Takeover Broadcasting & Cable  »

Sisters of Mercy leave Dungannon Convent - Tyrone Times

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Tyrone Times

Sisters of Mercy leave Dungannon Convent Tyrone Times Saturday April 14 was a day tinged with great sadness in the town of Dungannon as it marked the day the Sisters of Mercy departed from the Convent that had been the nuns' home for 118 years. That's the bad news, the good news being that they will still ... < /p> and more »

Mass. companies try community outreach for hires - Boston Business Journal:

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"Recruiters are realizing now that they really have to use some creatives methods toattract employees," said Businesses are increasingly reaching out in ordedr to pull in, said Hentz, and are tappinf community-based groups to find talent. Hentz said her companyu has developed a connection with several professional and ethnic-based groups in the statew and now often relies on social networkingt sites to find qualified She suggests companies also consider payingb at least a portion of an employeexs membership to professional networking organizations, a move that has becomee especially attractive to younger "People really need to think about Millennial and how they have been involved in a lot of sociall networking groups before she said "They want to continue that as part of Reaching out in the community has given new life to recruitinbg for positions that have becomed difficult to fill at Boston-ba sed utilityu provider Nstar.
The stability and good compensation that came with a job workint the line for a localo utility company once made it a populadr option for highschool graduates. But in the last decade, applicationds have dropped. "We've seen a decline in the number of people who can meet the saidChris Carmody, the company's vice presiden of organizational effectiveness, who said the drop-off is a due to a combinatiohn of factors. Younger workers, she don't find the utility as attractive as previousgenerations did.
And the overheasd line work is physically Carmody said about 60 percentof Nstar' s workforce will be eligible to retire within the next 10 Faced with a seriouss outflow of employees, they've developede a program with to identify and trainh future workers early. Students are often recruitee through vocational high schools and go on to earna two-yea r associate's degree that includes intensive on-sit training with Nstar line workers. Graduatesd are guaranteed a job when they completewthe degree.
The program, whicbh began with just a handful of is now entering itsthird year, and Nstar is now selectinhg its next class from more than 220 "We have definitely put into place some intensive marketingg and outreach efforts with this," said "But through this growth I thinki we've seen that the word is gettintg out." Nstar is also working with otherr area colleges on similar initiatives, including , and . The diningv services division on the campues at in Franklin has been engaged in a partnershippwith , a human services agency that provides programs for developmentallyy disabled individuals, for the past year.
Michael Ward, the dininy services general manager, said HMEA has placed several clientsas part-time employees in the dining hall too perform such tasks as dish room work or maintenances in the dining common Tapping into a community resource to fill the positionzs has provided Ward not only with an opportunity to employ challengecd individuals eager to work, but it has also a delivered a reliabls group of workers. "They guarantee us a certainj number of peopleevery day, and they provide them with transportatio n to get here," said Ward. "As a part-time this is ideal.
" Osram Sylvania's Hentz said communitt relationships not only provide companies with a chancse to find talent but also with a chance to give back tothe community. "If you want to be a good you have to be a good partner she said. Ward, who is organizing an upcoming HMEA said making the partnership with HMEAa give-and-take has enhances the relationship tremendously. "This experiencd has been nothingbut positive," he

Anzac Services start at dawn - Cowra Guardian

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Anzac Services start at dawn Cowra Guardian Participants are asked to form up in Bartlett Street, from where they will March to the Cenotaph in Brisbane Street, for the Dawn Service at 6.00am. Following the service light refreshments will be provided for ex-servicemen and women and invited ... Anzac Day services on the Monaro Cooma Monaro Express &n bsp;»

Children

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million to to fund research in therapie like bone marrow and cordblood transplantation. The gift from Doloresx Jordan — on behalf of her late husbandrand brother-in-law — will help the research center create an endowed chair for a stem cell researcher while establishinb the and Cellular Therapies That could help compete for money from the the state’s taxpayer-backed stem cell research fundinfg agency — as well as other government agencies and privatwe funders. Bone marrow and cord blood transplantation s are used to treat a variety of including leukemia and sicklewcell anemia.
Future cellular therapy researchat Children’zs may focus on treatments for diabetes, lung Crohn’s disease and brain damager caused by oxygen shortages during said Dr. Bert Lubin, the center’s senior vice “Fund-raisers often talk about ‘transformative’ giftsx and sometimes exaggerate the importancse of aparticular gift. In this case, it is no exaggeration to say that the Jordanj family gift is truly transformativee for the research programat Children’s,” said Brad Barber, Children’ chief development officer, in a press release.
Dolores Jordan’s husband, Hanabul Jordan, owned a Hayward constructionb business, and his Lowell, ran the family’s cattle ranch in Dublin. The sale of the Jordanb family’s ranch funded the gift. The family previously donated morethan $420,000 to Children’s Hospitakl programs, including 1999 and 2000 gifts for the hospital’s bloodr and marrow transplant program.

Voting begins on King Soopers contract offer - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Voting on the five-year offer by membersa of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 will continu ethrough Wednesday. Union leaders are not makingg a recommendation to their memberas on thecontract offer, which the unio complains would cut pension benefits by an averagse of $100,000 -- a conclusion disputex by management. “It’s a good contracyt in a normal economy. It’z a great contract in this economy,” King Sooperd spokeswoman Diane Mulligan saidlast week. She said roughlhy 65 percent of workers woulxd get raises underthe company’s King Soopers is a Colorado unit of Cincinnati-based (NYSE: KR).
Colorado worker s for two other grocerychains Pleasanton, Calif.-based (NYSE: SWY) and Idaho-based (privately held) — continue to negotiate separatee deals with their employers. If King Soopers workers rejectgthe chain’s latest proposal, they will continue workin g without a contract until an agreement is reachecd or a strike is called. Their contracty expired May 9.

Coherent, Inc. Announces Live Webcast of Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2012 Results - Sacramento Bee

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Coherent, Inc. Announces Live Webcast of Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2012 Results Sacramento Bee By Coherent, Inc. SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 12, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Coherent, Inc. (Nasdaq: COHR), today announced that it plans to report its second quarter fiscal year 2012 results after market close on April 26, 2012. and more »

Andy Murray treating Olympics like a Grand Slam - Albany Times Union

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Globe and Mail

Andy Murray treating Olympics like a Grand Slam Albany Times Union By STEVE DOUGLAS, AP Sports Writer LONDON â€" Andy Murray believes the tennis tournament at the London Olympics will be viewed by the sport's top players as a fifth Grand Slam on this year's hectic calendar. The fourth-ranked Briton lists Wimbledon and ... Murray treating London Olympics like fifth Slam SI.com Andy Murray treating Olympics like Grand Slam CBSSports.com  »

Survey: CEOs still foresee negative conditions - Denver Business Journal:

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“This quarter’s results reflect a continuing weak set ofeconomicd conditions,” said Ivan Seidenberg, chairman of Businesds Roundtable and chairman and CEO of “Conditions while still negative — appear to have begunh to stabilize.” The Washington-based association of CEOs represents a combinedx work force of nearlyt 10 million employees and more than $5 trilliomn in annual sales. When asked how they anticipatd their sales to fluctuate in the next six 34 percent said saleswill increase, and 46 percent predicted a decrease. That is a sunniee forecast thanthe first-quarter outlook survey, when 24 percent predicted higher sales. Fifty-one percent said their U.
S. capital spending will fall in theseconed quarter, and 12 percent said it will Forty-nine percent expect their U.S. employment to decrease in the next six up fromthe first-quartere outlook survey, when 71 percent predicted a drop in employment. Six percentg anticipate their employee baseto increase. Member CEOs estimatede that the nation’s real gross domestic producft will dropby 2.1 percent in compared with the CEOs’ first-quarter estimate of a 1.9 percentr decline. The outlook index which combines member CEO projectionsfor sales, capitall spending and employment in the six months ahead expanded to 18.5 in the seconf quarter, up from -5 in the first quarter.
An indecx reading of 50 or lower is consistent with overaloeconomic contraction, and a reading of 50 or highe r is consistent with expansion.

Harder tests = fewer passing - Columbus Dispatch

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Columbus Dispatch

Harder tests = fewer passing Columbus Dispatch Miami University and the University of Cincinnati will hold coinciding anti-violence rallies tomorrow at 5 pm after two Ohio men were attacked on March 24 while walking home from a drag show, apparently targeted because they are gay. and more »

Perry signs bill that includes $150 million for UTMB - Birmingham Business Journal:

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The university will use the funds to buildc anew 200-bed hospital tower adjacenrt to the existing John Sealy Hospital, restoring bed capacity to 550, as it was priotr to Hurricane Ike. In addition, tuition revenud bonds of $5 million will go to at HB 51 also establishes measures to enhancre and maintain the quality ofthe state’s designater and emerging public research universities, creates incentive programs and funding for higher education provides higher education fund allocations, and creates an interim committe to study the feasibility of trackiny specialized technology research Of the 62 national research institution s in the nation, three universities — , The and Texasx A&M University — are in Texas.
The Texas Highef Education Coordinating Board has designated seven institutionws as emergingresearch universities: the ; the University of Texazs campuses in Arlington, Dallas, El Paso and San ; and the University of North Texas. In HB 51 provides a performance incentive fundinbg mechanism for all ofthe state’s genera l academic institutions based on the averagew number of degrees awarded annually and an increasd in the average number of degrees awarded annually, with weightec consideration for at-risk students and critical fields.

Senators skeptical about expanding Federal Reserve

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The leaders of the Senate Banking Committee agreed that regulatory reformswere needed, but they were skeptical abougt giving the additional powers. Under the administration’s the Federal Reserve would be given the responsibility tosupervisew “the largest, most complex and interconnected and be “the first responder in a financiao emergency,” Geithner said. Sen. Chrisd Dodd, D-Conn., who chairs the Senate Bankin g Committee, questioned why the Fed should be given more powe r when many experts question its tracjk record on itscurrent responsibilities.
Its propose d new role as the regulator of systemif risk also could conflict with its primary role of settingmonetary policy, he said. Sen. Richard Shelby, said it was unrealistic to expect the Fed to handle so many and that its structurer is not suited for the role of a systemicvrisk regulator. Plus, he said, Congress has not spent enoug h time discussing the concept of systemic risk andhow -- or if -- it can be Geithner said he saw no conflict betweenn regulating systemic risk and setting monetaryy policy. The additional authority that would be given the Fedis “quitr modest, and builds on their existing authority” to supervise financial institutions, he said.
The administration’s plan would transfee the Federal Reserve’s consumer protection responsibilitiees to anew regulator, which would take away some authority and removd “a distraction” from the Fed. “I wish consumer protectionh had been more of a distraction at the Dodd responded. Dodd strongly supported the administration’s proposal to create a Consumefr FinancialProtection Agency.
This new regulator woulcd look out for the interests of consumers of financia products and writerules that, in Geithner’s words, “promotd transparency, simplicity and Existing regulators “turned a blind eye” to the subprime mortgages and that caused the financiakl crisis, Dodd said. “It was regulatory neglecr that allowed the crisisto spread,” he said. “Let’ds put a cop on the beat so thisspectacular failure” is never repeated Critics of this proposal contend it would needlesslu add another layer of government regulation and coul d stifle innovation in the financial sector.
Dodd, showed little patience for objections from the financiakl industry onthe proposal. The people who created the nation’s economic crisis are arguing thatconsumerxs shouldn’t be protected, he contended. “What planet are you livint on?” he said.

Downer of a year: 2008 disappoints many on mortgage brokers list - Business First of Louisville:

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The outlook for the industry is with most brokers concerned thatratees — now near historic lows will rise. At Business First’sa deadline, rates on conforming 30-year loans had risen sharplh in just afew days, averaging 5.4 percent at mid-week, according to data from Bankrate.com and MarketWatch.com. That rate is up from a nationall average ofabout 4.85 percent for much of May. Towarde the end of consumers began refinancing, accordinhg to mortgage lenders interviewed by Business But refinancingalone won’t revive theirr business, brokers said.
Refinancing is lucrativr for brokers when interest ratesare low, “but you can’t depende on it” in the long term, said Don Rupert, presidenyt of Mortgage Network Inc., whicgh is No. 10 on the current list, up from No. 11. “Th mortgage business is cyclical enough without depending on refinancing.” On the 2009 Rupert’s company was among the minority of broker s who reported making a higher percentage of new mortgages than refinancings for 2008 — 85 percentf new, 15 percent refinancings, in his case. LLC, owned by Mohama d el-Ashawah, reported a similar new/refinance ratio, with 70 percent new mortgages closed in 2008 and 30percent refinancings.
No mortgagd brokerage reported a sharper decline in volume and valuee thanKentuckiana Sunrise, which dropped to No. 18 on the 2009 list from No. 8 in 2008. The valu e of Kentuckiana Sunrise’s loans closedf dropped 87 percent in 2008to $10 millionn from $75 million in and the number of loans decreased 67 to 165 from 500. El-Ashawah said that whilwe demand for mortgages remained fairlyh constant despite the realestate downturn, Kentuckiana Sunrise couldn’t get capita to lend.
After capital markets tightenedin 2008, capital from private sources and banks dried up and “yoj couldn’t get anyone to lend you said el-Ashawah, who added that his companty never made subprime loans. That left his brokerage firm with one sourcde formoney — federal government-backeds mortgage makers such as and . And that moneuy got increasingly expensive, he said. Pohn, of Firsrt Residential, sees better times ahead for his company and for the economy has a wholre if government regulators can find amarkeft equilibrium.
First Residential closed $160 million worth of mortgages during both April and May and is on track to match or exceed its 2006 total ofabour $1 billion, Pohn said. But at the getting borrowers qualified for loans has gone from bein ga no-questions-asked situation in 2006 to taking “an act of in 2009, he said. The nationalk mortgage market has “overcorrected,” he Now, there are peoplre trying to buy homeswho “deserve but the market is so scared and they’r e restricting credit way too he said. Pohn puts the blame squarely on the mortgagr industry itself after home loan standardx went outthe window, startinf around 2006.