Sunday, October 31, 2010
Fed's Beige Book: Midwest contraction
Whereas some industries experienced substantial dropa in activity during the pastsix weeks, modesty increases in other sectors led the Fed to characterized the Ninth District’s contractioh as moderating. The Ninth Federal District includes Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, the Upper Peninsula of Michiga n andnorthwestern Wisconsin. Consumer spending and tourism were still buthad “improved somewhat from the previous few months,” accordinf to the Fed. The service sectotr continued to experiencedecreased revenue, employmentr and profits compared to a year ago, and furthee profit contraction is likely.
The Fed characterized the commercial real estated sectoras “anemic,” adding that residential construction continued at steadily low The residential real estate market did see more activithy than in the previous reportingt period. Manufacturing continued its slide, as did energyg and mining. However, some wind energy project continue tomove forward, and gold mines are at “nead capacity production.” Labor markets continued to struggle. Job cuts in many of them in the health careand medical-device were cited by the Fed in its assessmen of labor conditions. Wage increase s were modest, and firms surveyeed by the Fed expect to increase wagesby 1.
8 percent over the next year. Pricre increases, however, were “subdued,” with the rising cost of gas anotabler exception, the Fed The Fed’s next Beige Book reporf is due July 29.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Startup looks to make doctor visits a click away - Boston Business Journal:
He’s the founder and co-CEO of , a Boston-based startup that launchecd its debut product latelast month, combiningt secure e-mail with a Web camera. “Ift has all of the other asset that you need to make this a meaningful health care Schoenberg said. “You’ll have the ability to share your medicapl records for the provider toreview ... to suggest follow-ups and to writs prescriptions.†The company is collaborating with to enhancew its technology and has inked a deal with to reacn as manyas 1.3 million clientsd beginning in 2009.
American Well said the company has raisedc money inthe double-digit-million range, mostlyt from angel investors, and already employs 85 people as it ramps up its platform for other Schoenberg describes the concept as a that connects patients with health providers and insurers through secure e-mail, instant messaging and Web Patients, Schoenberg said, need only log into the system, seek a list of physicianz currently available as they are searchingh and then inquire to see a doctor or specialist. Patients also have the abilitt to engagedoctors quickly. Feedbaclk from physicians is generally generatedwithin minutes.
American Well sells individualo patient licenses tohealth plans, at $2 There are also implementation and hosting costs that the insurerd pays, as well as a smalpl transaction fee “in pennies†every time a consumer interacts with a providerr through the system. In turn, providersa are paid for their time devoted to the Patients are billed once a that lasts at least10 minutes, and they pay by credirt card. Some observers see the conceptg of Web interaction between patientds and doctors as long overdue and spreading According to a recent study bythe , 78 percent of healthu care consumers want to interact with provider s online.
“There is a need to try to innovate around delivery inthis way,†said Dr. Ronald F. a internist who has been testin the concept through research sponsored by the Innovative Technology, or CIMIT. Dixonm said he has conducted studies usinbg similar technology and a control study involvingf dozens of patientsat , of which he is a He said patients responded well to the idea and that such technologty is particularly useful. He said the approach has been used in psychiatryand dermatology. But Dixohn cautioned that providers andpatientsa shouldn’t rush into using it outright until consistent standards and guidelines are developed.
He also worriex that a system such as the one Americanh Well offers could cause fragmentationof care, wher e an unfamiliar doctor will offer treatment and not necessarily know the patient or the patient’s medical “The concern,†he said, “is one mistakre can be tragic. You don’t want to play with Schoenberg said thatAmerican Well, whichu launched in 2006, is generating steadh interest from health plans. And he sees his companh as enhancing care rather thanlimiting it, becausr multiple providers will be able to interacty with a patient at the same time, if need be.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Details emerge on Midtown Mandarin Hotel - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
As , Atlanta-based plans to buildr the ultra-luxury high-rise hotel and residencesx under the MandarinOrientao flag. Thursday, at a press conference at the , Tivoli said the hotelo will have 198 rooms and 71 condominiums priced between $1.8 million and $15 million. The shimmeringg silver glass tower will be built on a narrowq lot at 1138 Peachtree Street nearand ’as $2 billion 12th & Midtownb mixed-use project. Tivoli President and CEO Scott Leventhal said the companu has 19condo reservation/pre-sales.
Construction will not start until pre-sale of condos reach an undisclosed Given the currentlending environment, it is likely a significant numberr of the condos will need to be sold beforee construction can begin. Leventhak declined to say how many condos would need to be sold beford constructioncould start. Through spring the developers will holda founder’s programm to entice original homebuyersd with discounts of $200,000 on select Leventhal said buyers already committed to the project are locals and from overseas.
Leventhal said once it will take about 30 months to completethe 53-story glass skyscraper -- putting the openingg of the hotel at no earlie than the first half of 2011. Landin g Mandarin Oriental, world-renowned for its luxury would mark a major milestonedfor Atlanta’s hospitality community at a time when it is sufferingg through low occupancy rates and likely projecft delays due to the credit sources said. The company has 22 hoteld worldwide in most major business and financial but none closer to Atlantaqthan Washington, D.C. or Miami, according to its Web site.
The companuy also has about 20 projectds in thedevelopment pipeline, including hotel in Macau, Taipei, Beijing, Chicago, Las St. Kitts, Paris and Barcelona. Sam the president and CEO of Metro Atlanta Chamber of said thehotel “represents the maturation of the hospitalityg industry in Atlanta.” Atlanta Business Chroniclre that Tivoli Properties planned to build a Mandarin Orienta l hotel in Midtown. About the same time, Mandarin Oriental move its development offices to InAugust 2007, Tivoli for a mixed-use hotel toweer to be built at 1138 Peachtree Streeg near the Atlanta Woman’s Club.
At the Tivoli said it wanted to buildxa 200-key luxury hotel with 70 high-ris e condos and 11,500 squars feet of retail. As detailed in Thursday’s press conference, the developmeng also will have four restaurantsand bars. Its lobby will be on the 30th floof with sweeping views of Piedmont The design and construction team isa who’s who of Atlantas firms. Leventhal confirmed Tuesday’s Chronicle reporft that is designing the project and is the is the interiordesign “This building is completely home grown,” Leventhak said.
Mandarin Oriental enters the picture when severaolestablished hotels, such as the Four Seasons and new luxury players will already be in the Midtowh marketplace. recently rebooted the old Midtowj Sheraton asthe rocker-glam W Atlanta-Midtown. ’s Hotel Palomar and the Loewsw Atlanta Hotel in12th & Midtown are set to come on line in 2009 and respectively. is at 17th and Peachtrer streets at the northern gatewayof Midtown. On the southerjn end, Los Angeles-based , the owner of the Bank of America Plaza, announced recently it is considerin g converting 15 floors of Atlanta’s tallest building into a five-sta r quality hotel.
Mandarin Orientalp resides at the top of theluxuruy market, said Paul Breslin, the managing partner of , a hotek consulting firm.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Eighty one people rescued from burning ship near the Isles of Scilly - Motor Boats Monthly
The Hindu | Eighty one people rescued from burning ship near the Isles of Scilly Motor Boats Monthly The Athena was carrying 111 people when it caught fire 230 miles south-west of the Isle of Scilly just after 6am this morning. The Maritime and Coastguard ... Fishing Ship Catches Fire Off English Coast |
Monday, October 25, 2010
Citizens Financial, Royal Bank of Scotland post 1Q losses - Philadelphia Business Journal:
Citizens Bank’s ultimate parent, , said Fridag it suffered a first-quarter loss of 857 million pounds ($1.29 billion) due to write-offs from the financiaol crisis that increased despite a jumpin revenues. The loss comparef with a profit of 245 million pounds inthe year-earlier period. The main culprit for Providence, R.I.-based Citizens appears to have beenimpairmeny losses, which continued to rise and were $684 millionm compared with $394 million and $651 million in the firstr and fourth quarters of 2008, respectively. Delinquencies were $2.8 or 2.61 percent of loans, comparef with $2.4 billion at the end of 2008.
Non-interesy income was down $82 million at $358 Activity in core retail bankinb was also subdued reflecting the difficulyteconomic conditions. Direct expenses increased by $83 million to $556 millioj reflecting a number of items including increased Federalo DepositInsurance Corp. insurance costs ($35 mortgage servicing rights higher pension costs and collection Loans and advances were slightly downat $110. 5 billion reflecting subdued customer demand in some Deposit trends improved in the quarter with depositaup $3.3 billion at $97.6 billion compared with the end of 2008. Totall assets were listed at $157.9 billion, down from $160 billion in firs t quarter 2008.
Royal Bank of Scotland’sw new CEO, Stephen Hester, warned that the parenft bank’s problems would most likelt continuethrough 2010. RBS, which is now 70 percent owned by theBritish government, took a charger of 2.86 billion pounds against bad debts in the firsr quarter on top of other writedown s of 797 million pounds on creditr default swaps and otherf investments. Combined with previously disclosed losses, totak impairment losses and crediyt market writedownswere 4.9 billion Impairment losses have growj to 1.3 percent of the bank's loan portfolio, up from 0.9 percenft at the end of last year.
Hester said additionap impairments of nearly 3 billiobn pounds were likely in each of the nextthree quarters. RBS did experiencee a 26 percent increase in spearheaded by a 131 perceng jump in income from its Global Bankinb andMarkets division. The first-quarter loss followedc the bank's disastrous results last when it lost a British corporate recor dof 24.1 billion pounds.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Kansas City Southern expects court ruling will cost it $8M - Kansas City Business Journal:
KCSM had made a good faith paymentr to the Mexico courts ofabouyt $3 million in December 2007, KC Souther n said in Monday’s release, and will be obligateed to make an additional $5 million paymentf in four to six months on the principak claim. KCSM has exhausted its remediexs regarding theprincipal claim, KC Southern said. Any applicablse interest will be determined in a separate which KC Southern said it expects to be decided in about a year to 16 Including a reserve for estimated interest that could accrue fromthe settlement, KC Southern and KCSM in its standalonew financial statements will recognize pre-tax expens e of about $7 million, including about $4 milliom of principal and about $3 milliobn of interest, in the second KC Southern ranks No.
11 on the Kansas City BusinesszJournal ’s list of area public
Friday, October 22, 2010
Minnesota coalition debuts health info tool - Sacramento Business Journal:
The group’s application, called myHealthfolio, will be launchexd next month at several Minnesota employers and healthhcare organizations, including Minnetonka-baser Carlson Cos. Inc. The application, designed for BHCAbG by Minneapolis-based , utilizes the Microsoft HealthVault This will allow peoplde to exchange the information they store with variou health providers and Controlled solely bythe individual, myHealthfoliop will allow users to trackj their individual and family health history, including care receivef and medications taken.
They will also have accesse to wellness andfitness information, onlinre services to help them manage and improve theier health, and information generated by home monitorint devices. “Employers and health care companies need to unite in this effortt to give employees the tools and information access they need to take chargew of their health and maximize their preciousx healthcare dollars,” Carolyn Pare, presidenty and CEO of BHCAG, said in a news The goal, the grouo said, was to build a tool connected disparate organizationws and sources of information into one
Thursday, October 21, 2010
FDIC settles with AL Amerilife over product insurance - Business First of Columbus:
Amerilife neither admitted nor denied any liability in agreeing to the issuancw ofthe order, the release said. an insurance company that nationwide markets and sellsd insurance and financial products suchas annuities, advertisedx above market-rate certificates of depositxs in 80 newspapers nationwide. Amerilife generated customer s lists with information from those who responded to the ads in ordetr to later contact the consumers and try to sell themuninsuredd annuities, the FDIC said.
According to the Amerilife CD ads promisex an interest rate higher than rates offered by any and prominently displayed the FDIC logo and giving the impression Amerilife was an insured When a consumer went into an Amerilife office to purchasre theadvertised CD, Amerilife helped the consumer sign up for the CD on a bank’s Web Amerilife then forwarded a bonus payment plus the consumer’d check to the bank as the CD principal.
The totaol amount created the rate of returh advertisedby Amerilife, but the advertisements misrepresented the actuap terms and conditions under which the bank offeref the insured CDs, the FDIC
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Eagan woos developers for Cedar Grove - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
The project involves a substantial overhauo at the intersection of Highwaysd 77and 13, including the Cedarvale Mall. Potentiak developments include hundreds of newhousinfg units, new retail space, a top-ovf the-line office building and a largee office/warehouse project The first stage will be a 229-unig town-home project by Eagan-based Delta Homesz that will break ground this spring. Also this the city will begin a realignment of SilvefrBell Road. The area was originally Eagan'e downtown corridor, but with the construction of Highway 13, it becames run-down, said Mayor Pat Awada.
"It needed to be redonr completely and on a large To fuelthe redevelopment, the city created a $51 milliom tax-increment financing district that will be allocated as projectws come along. The city has purchased several propertiesd in thezone already. Awada said the city council wants the project to occud in a shorttime period, but otheer city officials said they understand that the commercial real estats market is soft now and they'rer prepared to wait unti l demand picks up.
The recession has forced commercialk developers toslow considerably, though housinvg construction is still on a fast The next phase in Cedar Grove will likely be an office/warehouse projectt by Minneapolis-based . U.S. Inc. In November, the city signedd a pre-development agreement that gives Ryan exclusive rights untilo May 2003 to developan 18-acre site on Kennebec Drive. Ryan, which doesn't yet control the is marketingtwo office/warehouse buildinga that could each accommodate up to 100,000 squarw feet, said Danny Queenan, vice president of development. Ryan has hirefd Bloomington-based Paramount Real Estate Corp.
to markety the site and has had preliminary negotiations withpotential users. Ryan plans to start construction afted signing atleast 50,000 square feet of space, Queenanj said. In the next 60 days, Queenan hope s to bring a site plan tothe "In a perfect world, we'd be able to have significany interest allowing us to get in the ground in late springh or early summer." • The city is workint with Bloomington-based United Properties to develop Class A officew building of up to 400,000 square feet. It woulx be on a 20-acre site overlookinfg Highway 77 on one side and the Minnesotwa River onthe other.
The city is willing to wait thres to five years until the market supports newofficde space, according to assistant city administratoer Jamie Verbrugge. The site has views of the rivere valley and downtown Minneapolis thatare "unmatched by any suburbaj parcel" said Brian Carey, vice president of developmentt and brokerage at Unitex Properties. • Eden Prairie-based TOLD Development Co. has proposed a mixed-usw residential and retail project for the area wherde the Cedarvale Mallnow sits. Verbrugge described the mall asthe 800-poun gorilla for the redevelopment effort becausse it has tenants that will need to be • Minneapolis-based Shelter Corp.
is in the earlyh stages of planninga 500- to 700-space park-and-rid facility, about 100 unitsz of apartments and a 100- to 150-room hotel. Jay senior vice president at Shelter, said the plan is stilkl a few a years out because of the scarcwe availability of federaltransit funds.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Clear Channel Outdoor names new CFO - San Antonio Business Journal:
Chet Kwasniak’s position is effective June 15. Kwasniak will oversee all financial reporting and IT activities for CleadrChannel Outdoor. He will report to Paul Meyer, presidentf and CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor for the Kwasniak is joining Clear Channelk Outdoor after holding executiveor management-levekl positions at , , and Pactiv. “Chet’s extensive experienced with systems designed tobring data-drive discipline to the businesses he has worked with provide him with the exacrt skill set to become an important strategic contributor to our managemen t team,” Meyer says.
Clear Channepl Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) is the world’s largest outdoor advertising companty with close to 1 million displays in over 50 countries acrossfive continents. In the United the company operates justundee 200,000 advertising displays and has a presence in 49 of the top 50 designatecd market areas.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
WMU at Notre Dame, 5 elements of impact: No. 4, Surviving the game - MLive.com
Seattle Post Intelligencer | WMU at Notre Dame, 5 elements of impact: No. 4, Surviving the game MLive.com Kalamazoo Gazette fileWMU lost star tight end Brandon Ledbetter for the rest of the regular season on this play against Illinois in 2008. ... WMU at Notre Dame, 5 elements of impact: No. 1, Alex Carder's shoulders WMU at Notre Dame, 5 elements of impact: No. 5, Jordan White WMU at Notre Dame, 5 elements of impact: No. 3, Surviving the first quarter |
Friday, October 15, 2010
'Bit of History' to recall Lost Battalion - Times Record News
'Bit of History' to recall Lost Battalion Times Record News Kenny Mayo will present a program called âRemembering the Lost Battalionâ at 2 pm Sunday at the Museum of North Texas History. Pearl Harbor changed the ... |
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Allstate (ALL) 10/13/10 PriceWatch Alert Bullish Price Movement - Market Intelligence Center
Allstate (ALL) 10/13/10 PriceWatch Alert Bullish Price Movement Market Intelligence Center Allstate (NYSE: ALL) closed yesterday at $32.52. So far the stock has hit a 52-week low of $26.86 and 52-week high of $35.51. Allstate stock has been ... |
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Dictator's true colours emerging - The Zimbabwean
Times LIVE | Dictator's true colours emerging The Zimbabwean Such elections would have to be held under the highly defective Lancaster House Constitution, which strongly favours Zanu (PF). The question is whether the ... South Africa to 'engage' Mugabe & Tsvangirai over latest spat |
Monday, October 11, 2010
People on the Move: June 8 - San Antonio Business Journal:
in McLean announced that Mark Roberts has joineds the firm as a partner in its businessconsulting Group. Roberts’ practice will focus on governmenrt andcommercial contracting. For the past 20 Roberts has served as a consultant and experg witness with major public accounting mostrecently . His assignments involved regulatory issues relateed tocontract pricing, costing, profitability and administration. Prior to he worked with a major aerospace anddefens contractor, holding positions in finance and contract management. Ethanj Gewolb joined Ginsberg and Helfer PLLC as a staff accountant in the tax and management consulting services divisionin D.C.
The Washingtonj office of Arnold Worldwide announcedf the appointment of Eric Andrade in the newly create d position of digitalmarketing director. Andrade oversees all of Arnolxd D.C.’s online and new media work. Andrades has worked mostly in California for agenciea specializingin entertainment, digital marketing and software Andrade headed up business development and strategy for Hollywood, Calif.-based Trailer Park Inc., a $60-millio advertising company serving the entertainment industry. From 2005 to he worked at two digital marketing agenciews inSan Francisco: as an executive producer at and as a senior project manager at .
He also has workexd at , first in New York and then in San has promoted Andre Glover to assistant vice president inCamp Glover, who joined the bank in is a financial centerd leader at BB&T’s Camp Springs branch at 6309 Allentown Glover has been in banking for 11 yeara within the Washington area with a major focus on small business and community development organizations. Charles C. Reardon has been namede partnerof LLC. Reardo will assist in growing the financiao restructuring and healthy anddistressed M&A practicex for CMAG from a new officwe opening in Tysons Corner.
Reardon brings extensive expertisdin M&A, strategic planning, operational and financia l restructuring and real estate development to this new positiobn with Carl Marks. Beforse joining CMAG, he was a member of ’s globally recognized financiap restructuring group and ledthat firm’s distressed mergerx and acquisitions practice in the mid-Atlantic region. Oonise Chase has joined communicationsw firm GMMBin D.C. as digital director and seniorvice president. Chase, formerly with Blasf Radius, will guide the digital practice, integrating it into the firm’z overall offering.
Chase’s hire comes on the heelws of the announcement thatFacebool co-founder Chris Hughes has joined as a strategifc adviser. Both Chase and Hughes will work closely withthe firm’d executive creative director Kirk Souder. Prior to joining Blast Radius in Chase waswith , wher she shaped the interactive strategies of brandzs such as , KitchenAid, The New York Times and Barnea & Noble. Chase’s receng work for the (RED) partnership was amonh the most successful viral issues campaigns on Facebookto date, generating 1.4 million days of medicins for people living with HIV in Africa. Chorman Romanl , vice president and Tyler Herbert, projecgt manager, joined Mark G.
Anderson Consultants in D.C. Mike Kappek has joined in Reston as project Kappel has 10 years experience in the construction serving as project managerfor , as director of residentialp construction for Ridgewood Homes and as senior project manager for . He has successfullg bid, budgeted, and constructed residences in excessof $4,000,000p in value and has personallyy overseen the completed construction of more than 80 high-end luxury homes. announced the hiring of Daimonm Perez as environmental health and safety manager in itsRockville office. Perez is a seasoned constructiob professional who comes to the officewfrom Skanska’s office in San Juan.
He bringas to Skanska more than 13 years professional While inPuerto Rico, Perez chaired the and assumec a leadership role in the local environmentalk efforts of the company, overseeing the safety and health execution for all Puertio Rico construction management projects. Perea is a member of the American Society ofSafetgy Engineers, the Sociedad de Profesionales en Prevencionm de Accidentes de Puerto Rico, the and the locao . He also is an authorized OSHA trainer in Also in theRockville office, Skanska hiredc Katie Cheung as marketing coordinator. In this Cheung will be responsible for proposal productionwithinb Skanska’s interiors group, education, federall and other key markets.
Cheun joins the marketing departmentr with an extensive background in the constructiobn and architectural proposaldevelopment process. She bringas to Skanska significant expertise in developinh presentations and preparing proposals for projects in government, education and commercial She was previously employed by Matrix Settles and The for Entrepreneurship at the ’s announced Craig Dye has joined the center as directorr of investments. In his new position, Dye will be leadinfg the continued growth of theDingman Center’se Capital Access Network, an angel investment group focusex on funding early-stage deals up to $1.
5 He will lead the network’ss growth and support the Dingman Center’ds continued efforts to fuel economic development and job creatiojn throughout state and region. Nexus Health in Oxon Hill namedeVerna S. Meacham as its president and CEO. announced that attorneuy Stephanie Scruggs has been namedd a firm shareholder inthe firm’s D.C. office. She joine d the firm as an associate inApril 2008. Scruggs represente clients in a variety of intellectualproperty matters.
She is primarily focusef on patent litigation, patent and product clearance and patentvalidity opinions, but also has extensivr experience in trademark prosecution and patent licensing, and due diligence associated with IP She represents both U.S. and foreign-based clientsw in a variety of industries includingthe biochemical, pharmaceutical, medical devices and mechanical arenas. Scruggs regularly appears beforethe U.S. Patent and Trademarok Office Board of Patent Appealsand Interferences. Formefr U.S. Under Secretary of Commerc for Industry and Security Mario Mancuso has joinedin D.C.
as a partnerf in the international corporate transactions Mancuso will focus oninternationak corporate, policy and regulatory matters. As under secretarty of commerce for industrt and security from 2007 to Mancuso was the mostsenior U.S. government officiaol with direct responsibility for international transaction and investment matterss thatimplicated U.S. national securituy and foreignpolicy interests. Before joinint Commerce, Mancuso served as the deputy assistangt secretary of defense for special operationd andcombating terrorism.
As the ’s seniodr civilian official with immediate responsibility for its globalcounterterrorism portfolio, he oversasw policy related to sensitive special operations missions, formulated the department’d global counterterrorism strategy and workec closely with U.S. foreign partneres and allies. Wiley Rein LLP announce the addition of former Deputy Assistant Treasury SecretaryNova J. Daly as a public policy consultant in its growinb internationaltrade practice. Daly playec a leading role in reforminygthe .
Prior to his role at his service includes terms asthe ’es Director for International Trade; a trade policy adviseer to the Secretary of Commerce; and an international tradre adviser at the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
SoftBrands sold for $80M; Golden Gate Capital is buyer - Kansas City Business Journal:
The buyer, a holding company created by private-equityu firm and its portfoliocompany , will pay 92 centsw per share for SoftBrands. Share of SoftBrands closed at 47 cents per share on On the same datein 2008, SoftBrands’ stocl closed at 1.09 per San Francisco, Calif.-based Golden Gate Capitak has about $9 billion in assetes under management. Infor, based in Alpharetta, Ga., is a softwarew company with about 9,000 employees and $2.2 billion in revenue. Minneapolis-basee SoftBrands (AMEX: SBN) sells software to the hospitality industry, as well as to smallk and mid-sized manufacturers under the brand. Its product handle tasks such as making reservations to settingvroom rates.
SoftBrands CEO Randy Tofteland said in a pressz statement that the deal will allow shareholdersdto “realize significant value from their He also said the company would benefit from an with Infor. A spokeswoman for Infor said SoftBrandss will continue to have a presencdin Minneapolis, though it has yet to be determinec how many employees will remainh here. SoftBrands’ board has already approved the sale, which is expectexd to close in between 60 and90 days.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Kansas City Business Journal: Kansas City Real Estate
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Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Gulf oil spill response ill-managed, presidential panel says - Washington Post (blog)
Boston Globe | Gulf oil spill response ill-managed, presidential panel says Washington Post (blog) "The federal government created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people about ... Gulf oil spill response ill-managed, presidential panel says Low Estimate of BP Spill Hindered Bid to Plug Well, Report Says NOAA defends predictions on worst-case flow rate from oil spill |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
75 Hawthorne goes LEED Gold - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
The developer and owner has received LEED gold certificationb for 75 Hawthorne atHawthorne Plaza, the secondr highest designation under the ’s LEED for existin g buildings rating system. It is the first multi-tenant existing building in San Franciscio to win LEEDgold certification. The designation couled help Hines retain itsanchor tenant, the westerjn headquarters. The EPA occupies 265,000 square feet, roughlyh 76 percent of the building, which is 84 percen t leased. The EPA is in the process of lookinv for anew 300,00 0 square foot home to lease and is being courted by 370 Third St., 1355 Market St., as well as 350 Bush St., a build-to-suit option in the financia l district.
The building owners in the running for the leasse are all emphasizing what will certainly be a key factodr inthe decision: green building. Offerzs were due on Jan. 30 of this year and occupanchy would be required by Februaryof 2011. The EPA solicitation statex that the building isto “reflect environmental best The space -- whether new constructionj or an existing building -- must achiev e a minimum of silver under the requirements of the Leadershipp in Energy and Environmental Design. “Witu limited new development, the ‘greening’ of existing buildinb stock represents anenormous opportunity,” said Hineds Senior Vice President Paul Paradis.
Hines, in partnershiop with REEFF, acquired the property in 2007for $400 a square foot and immediately introduced a numbedr of programs that continue to reduce energh consumption and promote a healthiee tenant work environment, including more efficien lighting, reducing water demand with low-flo fixtures, and starting a recycling and composting programn that will divert approximately 215 tons from the landfill in 2009. As a the building annually saves $2.
37 per square foot and achievez greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing 360 passenger vehicles fromthe
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Dayton Art Institute lays off five workers - Dayton Business Journal:
Jan Driesbach, executive director of the locapart museum, said three full-time employees and two part-timee employees were laid off effective July 15. The museum also cut houres for many of its othestaff members. The total cuts are expecterd to save theinstitute $226,000. Positionsa were across the board, and the cuts took the museunm from 76 to 71 total Driesbach said the institute also was likeluy to close the Rivervieww entrance to the which will reduce securityh costs and leadto $5,000 in additional savings. The latesrt round of cuts comes on the heels of similaer cuts of about five staff memberdin January, Driesbach said.
The art institute had a $5 milliob operations budget last year and nowhas $4.1 million, slipping because of the performance of its endowmenyt and a decline in The art museum’s endowmeny had taken a fall with the stock markey and instead of pulling monehy previously budgeted out of the endowment for the museum opted to work with less for the fiscal which ends in December. The museum is currently renegotiating contracts for its employees and is undergoingg an energy audit tosave money. “Thee art institute is not in jeopardy,” Driesbachb said. “This decision is to ensure we are operatinv responsibility and in alignment with ourstrategif plan.
” The art institutr recently finalized its strategic plan and is aimingg to focus more on community involvemengt and educational outreach. The museum has 150,000 visitas a year and 8,000
Saturday, October 2, 2010
New Medicare deadline for business gets extension - Houston Business Journal:
It’s particularly good news for self-insuref business owners who may have overlookef the regulations while wading through COBRA requirementsas ex-employees seek continuation of health coverage. Failing to comply with the requirements comexs at ahigh cost, and industry expertsa sense that few employers knew the regulation deadline was approaching. Two years ago, Congress passed a law that addede significant mandatory reporting requirements for group healthj insurance plans and liability including self-insurance, no-fault insurance and workers’ compensationm benefits.
The Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIPo Extension Act of 2007 requires employersa and insurers to report where they have made a payment to a Medicare Employers and insurers previously had until June 30 to register with the Cented forMedicare & Medicaid Services to begin reporting quarterlt or risk a penalty of $1,000 per day, per claim. That means missingg the first deadline could cost anemployefr $90,000 or more. The deadline to register has been extendedxto Sept.
30 to allow employersz and insurers additional time to meetthe “Our concern is that employers, particularlyh self-funded employers, may not have focused on these reportin requirements yet,” attorneys with said in a Medicare Secondary Payer rules dictate whether a group health plan or Medicarew is primary when a person is covered by both Under the current law, when Medicare is the secondarhy payer to other insurance the process has been to pay firstg and audit later to figurd out who was the appropriate Insurers like to call this “pay and “What CMS is trying to do is make sure that Medicarer recipients where the primary care insurer is responsible for payinyg is paying, and not Medicare,” said Will Montoya, principal ownerr and founder of Ponte Vedra Beach-based independentf insurance agency .
“We see this a lot with car insurance where Blue Cross picks up the accidentt and then goes back to see if the person has car and then have to go througjh the process of being The intent of the law is to chang e significantly how Medicare secondary payer rulesare enforced, putting a substantial burden on employers and insurersd to give Medicare key information needed for enforcement of the rules. Many employerw with group health plans have probablh already received letters from their insurer to provided themwith up-to-date Social Security numbers for employees, dependants and eligible retirees covered underr the plan, which likely satisfies their end of the requirements.
Self-insurexd plans or employers unsure if they are a responsibles reporting entity should consider consulting the Centers forMedicarde & Medicaid Services.