Monday, August 5, 2013

Murky Data Muddy Debate on Chinese Consumers' Strength

? Invalid email address.

? You can't enter more than 20 emails.

? Seperate multiple addresses with Commas.

? Must enter an email address.

? You must enter the verification code below to send.

? Invalid entry: Please type the verification code again.

Source: http://feeds.wsjonline.com/~r/wsj/xml/rss/3_7011/~3/Ia3VJGroqV0/SB10001424127887323997004578641861183467412.html

Harmony Korine Summly Human Rights Campaign bioshock infinite smokey robinson smokey robinson USA VS Mexico

White House prospects mix at governor's meeting

MILWAUKEE (AP) ? Health care, budgets and education topped the official agenda for governors at their annual summer summit. But the 2016 presidential race was never far from view or conversation, given the clear White House interest from some in the crowd gathered near Lake Michigan.

With President Barack Obama in his second and final term, the fields for both parties are wide open for the 2016 nominations. There are two years to go before primary campaigning begins in earnest, but prospective candidates are already putting out feelers to determine the support they might draw.

Some of the governors thought to have potential presidential ambitions were a study in contrasts at the Milwaukee meeting.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin was perhaps the most conspicuous, playing the role of proud host and welcoming his counterparts from around the country to the area where he once served as county executive.

He schmoozed with governors and their families while taking batting practice at Miller Park, home field for Milwaukee's major league baseball team, the Brewers. He sat for private interviews with local and national media and was pressed by dozens of reporters on Friday, the conference's opening day.

Most conspicuously, Walker sported a signature black and orange Harley-Davidson jacket and rumbled through downtown Milwaukee on his own 2003 motorcycle, leading a procession of 100 riders celebrating the 110th anniversary of Wisconsin's iconic motorcycle. He stopped at times for pictures with veterans who joined the rolling thunder.

"It draws more attention to what I'm trying to do in Wisconsin," Walker said in an interview. "You're in the news not for the sake of being in the news. It's for a purpose."

Walker has already developed a national reputation because of legislation he signed in 2011 stripping public employee unions of bargaining power and decisively winning the recall it prompted last year.

Like Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also has a national following. His outspoken style, background as a federal prosecutor and image as a Republican who has confronted powerful forces in his Democratic-dominant state have made him a fan favorite.

But Christie could hardly have been less conspicuous in Milwaukee. He was accompanied by few staff, mainly security. Most noteworthy, Christie, who is usually accessible to news media, granted no interview requests.

Approached in a corridor, Christie breezed by, saying "He's not taking questions."

For Christie, the calculation is different than for others with possible presidential ambitions who attended the conference, including Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Democrats Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Martin O'Malley of Maryland. Unlike the others, Christie faces re-election this fall, and keeping his public profile focused on returning to office is a priority. Whatever prospects he may have for the presidential nomination would effectively vanish if he lost re-election.

Like Christie, Jindal kept a low profile. But he made strategic use of his time.

Jindal met with reporters Sunday morning shortly after pulling off the behind-the-scenes coup of the weekend. He had attended a fundraiser in Iowa at the invitation of Gov. Terry Branstad and flew with Branstad to Milwaukee, giving the two an hour of quality chat time. Because of Iowa's early presidential caucuses, Branstad's insight into the state's politics is valued. He also carved out time for Walker and Christie.

"I like all these governors," said Branstad, a veteran Republican. "I want to be a good friend and a good host. And I'll give them my best and honest advice."

Hickenlooper and O'Malley were as different as Christie and Walker. Hickenlooper was content to keep a lower profile, while O'Malley literally seized the spotlight.

At a Democratic Governors Association reception Saturday evening, O'Malley, who plays guitar and sings Irish folk tunes, sat in with the band on stage for several numbers.

News reporters sought out Hickenlooper to discuss his government's response to last year's shootings in a suburban Denver movie theater packed for a midnight screening. Twelve people died in the massacre, including a 6-year-old girl, and 70 were wounded.

Hickenlooper signed legislation this year requiring background checks for all gun sales and stepped-up mental health programs. "We also saw a point of keeping guns out of the hands on dangerous criminals," Hickenlooper said.

But among the Democrats, O'Malley took pains to discuss his views on the state of the country, the only one of the governors to offer insight into a prospective campaign.

"We're going through a time of confusion and polarization and a real crisis about whether or not we are capable as a people of accomplishing big and important things," he told reporters Saturday.

And in doing so, O'Malley signaled candidly he is preparing to run.

"By the end of this year, we're on course to have a body of work that lays the framework of the candidacy for 2016," he said.

Govs. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., and Rick Perry, R-Texas, are also viewed as possible contenders for their party's nomination in 2016. Neither attended the conference.

___

Associated Press writer Scott Bauer contributed to this report.

___

Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomBeaumont

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-prospects-mix-governors-meeting-194512913.html

Superbowl Commercials 2013 Grammy nominations 2013 Lynsi Torres Fall Out Boy Alabama hostage mta Beyonce Superbowl

Overnight Construction Project On George Washington Bridge To Begin Monday

Traffic drives over the George Washington Bridge (file/Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Traffic drives over the George Washington Bridge (file/Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) ? Late-night drivers could experience lengthy delays as an overnight construction project on the upper level of the George Washington Bridge?begins this week.

Overnight road work on the New Jersey-bound lanes of the bridge will begin Monday at 11 p.m.

As WCBS 880?s Peter Haskell reported, the GWB is 82 years old and is showing its age.

  • Overnight Construction Project On George Washington Bridge To Begin Monday
  • WCBS 880's Peter Haskell Reports

The Port Authority will be replacing 362 joint panels overnight on weeknights for the next six weeks.

?It?s six feet long and approximately 11 feet wide,? engineer Bernard Yostpille told Haskell. ?With this repair, we are limiting the amount of repair to about 10 percent of the deck area.?

The cranes needed for the project will require three of four lanes to be closed. There will also be some temporary full closures of the upper level of the span, which could lead to extensive delays of up to an hour, the Port Authority said.

Construction will go on from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, the span won?t re-open until 10 a.m., officials said.

The $82 million project will alternate on a weekly basis between the New Jersey-bound and New York-bound lanes, starting with outbound traffic this week.

The lower level of the bridge, which is usually E-ZPass only in the overnight hours, will accept cash during the construction project.

?Car drivers can get to the lower level, be fully staffed with toll collectors. I would strongly advise that they move down to the lower level,? Cedric Fulton, the Port Authority?s director of Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals, told Haskell.

Trucks must still use the upper level of the bridge.

For project details, visit www.panynj.gov.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/08/04/overnight-construction-project-on-george-washington-bridge-to-begin-monday/

30 rock What Time Is The Super Bowl 2013 Super Bowl 2013 Time BlackBerry 10 superbowl Ron Jeremy Rudy Gay

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Iran's new president makes first appointment

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's media says the new president has appointed a U.S.-educated businessman as his chief of staff, his first appointment after taking office.

A Sunday report by the official IRNA news agency says Hasan Rouhani named Mohammad Nahavandian, a 58-year-old businessman with a doctorate in economics from George Washington University in Washington.

Rouhani was elected in June and was endorsed by the country's Supreme Leader on Saturday, allowing him to begin acting as president. He will be sworn in later on Sunday.

In his speech Saturday, Rouhani said his top priority is to resolve economic problems. Nahavandian's appointment is seen as outreach to the private sector.

Iran's economy suffers from international sanctions over its controversial nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at developing weapons technology. Iran denies the charge.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-president-makes-first-appointment-063814073.html

first day of spring Club Penguin Espn Bracket First Day Of Spring 2013 Bates Motel Michelle Shocked ncaa bracket

Friday, August 2, 2013

GOP candidates for governor meet for their first joint forum

Appearing before a crowd where mention of the Met Council prompted hisses and Minnesota?s coming health exchange elicited groans, the four Republican men who want to occupy the governor?s office trotted out their wares Thursday night.

In their first joint forum appearance, Republican Sen. Dave Thompson, Rep. Kurt Zellers, businessman Scott Honour and Hennepin County Jeff Johnson began to shape the messages they hope will win over Republican activists, then Republican primary voters, then, in 460 days, Minnesotans at the polls.

The more than 100 Republicans gathered to listen at the Mermaid event center in suburban Mounds View made clear that they plan on being tough on those who hope to lead the state.

?We are not going to settle. We are going to demand bold leadership,? said Sue Jeffers, a radio show host who ran against Gov. Tim Pawlenty in 2006. ?We?ve had enough. We're going to hell in a hand basket and this is the election that can turn everything around.?

The candidates generally agreed. They promised that if they were in DFL?Gov. Mark Dayton's office things would be different.

"I?m in this to actually change the direction of government," Johnson said.

Thompson said his first priority would be to ask: "Is this a task that the private sector could do? If the answer is yes, don't have government do it."

"I think we have to start a conversation about the budget with a conversation about results," said Honour.

"I will absolutely fight for jobs and a competitive Minnesota economy. And I won't settle for whatever the soup de jour is today. We want this but a little bit less. It will be a hard cut," Zellers said.

The candidates are still feeling out how they will press their cases, as Zellers admitted early in the event --? ?This is first one by the time we get to the last one we will be much better at what we?re doing,? he told the crowd. But they began to sketch out the profiles they will develop as they move along.

Check Hot Dish Politics on Friday for more on the profiles they are developing.

?

Source: http://www.startribune.com/politics/218047121.html

Nashville TV Show VP debate sandusky Sam Champion Hulk Hogan sex tape orioles Sarah Jones

Another Baby on the Way for Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green

"I can confirm Megan is expecting her second child with her husband Brian," the actress' rep says,

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/ym2Fyq31ksE/

Obama 2016 Who Is Winning The Election 2012 Election Coverage 2012 Linda McMahon Voting Results 2012 pbs ron paul

Ackman's Pershing Square takes $2.2 billion stake in Air Products

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss, Swetha Gopinath and Ernest Scheyder

BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager William Ackman unveiled his biggest bet ever on Wednesday, a $2.2 billion play on Air Products & Chemicals Inc that the billionaire trader kept secret for two months.

The activist investor's Pershing Square Capital Management now owns 9.8 percent of the industrial gas maker, making it the company's biggest shareholder. Pershing Square might have bought even more, but Air Products adopted a "poison pill" defense to prevent a takeover after some on Wall Street began wondering whether the company might be in Ackman's sights.

Speculation mounted earlier this month that Ackman, who tends to make only a few concentrated bets at a time, was laying the groundwork for something big when he set out to raise as much as $1 billion to invest in a company that he called strong but lagging its peers and declined to name.

Pershing Square began buying Air Products stock in early June and Ackman said in a filing that he believes the company to be "undervalued" and an "attractive investment."

In some ways, Air Products may look a little like Canadian Pacific Railway, which the hedge fund also described as a rock solid company that was woefully underperforming.

In the 21 months since Ackman took on Canada's second-largest railway with a $1.4 billion investment, he got seven new directors elected to the board, replaced the chief executive and scored one of his biggest investment successes, making some $2 billion in profit in less than two years.

"We like Air Products because of its defensive characteristics which are beneficial in times of slower economic growth," said James Sheehan, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. But he also said, "the company does lag on several metrics and this is where an activist investor could really improve things."

As word spread on Wall Street that Ackman was trimming his position in Canadian Pacific and readying another big bet, the fund still managed to keep the target's name secret until it had completed buying on Tuesday. It announced the news on Wednesday in a regulatory filing within the 10 calendar day window of owning 5 percent or more in publicly traded company.

To build the new bet quickly, Ackman relied on seven holding companies Pershing Square incorporated in Delaware according to the SEC filing. Most of the entities were incorporated in June.

Over the years, Ackman has used similar entities to accumulate shares in target companies, such as for the big stake he bought in Fortune Brands in 2010.

Air Products, whose rivals include Praxair Inc , France's Air Liquide SA and Germany's Linde AG , said in a statement that it has not been in touch with Ackman, but looks forward to engaging with Pershing Square to understand its views.

Apparently, the Air Products board realized that Ackman - or someone - was interested in the company, in light of heavy stock buying; it adopted a "poison pill" takeover defense.

"The board was paying attention," said Keith Gottfried, a partner at law firm Alston & Bird. "They acted quickly and thoughtfully to protect their shareholders and create a little bit of breathing room."

Traditionally, Ackman starts off with politely worded suggestions for change out of the media's glare, but if his past record sheds any light on the future, he can quickly become demanding. Three chief executives - at JC Penney, Canadian Pacific and Procter & Gamble - lost their jobs not long after the hedge fund manager appeared.

In order to assemble as much financial firepower as possible, Ackman asked his current investors, including pension funds in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Arkansas and Blackstone Group, to consider sending more money for the unnamed target.

He offered a fee cut in exchange for locking up investors' money for three years, suggesting he might need time for his new investment to play out, investors said.

Ackman calls himself a long-term, strategic investor who often sticks with a bet for as much as four years.

The fact that this bet did not leak underscores how skillful some hedge fund managers have become in placing bets and asking to delay the disclosure process by requesting "confidential treatment" from the SEC, under the argument that disclosure might interfere with a business strategy.

Pershing Square has made use of this argument, most recently when it revealing that it had 5.9 million shares of Mondelez International .

For Ackman, the Air Products disclosure comes at a critical time, as he rides a $1 billion short bet against Herbalife Ltd , which Reuters reported is costing the fund some $300 million in unrealized losses.

On Wednesday, as Air Products rising share price helped buoy returns, Ackman was also losing more money on Herbalife amid news that billionaire investor George Soros, a sometime tennis partner of Ackman's, had taken a large long position in the nutrition and supplements company. Billionaire Carl Icahn, a long-time rival, also holds a large long position in Herbalife, which Ackman says is a pyramid scheme. Ailing retailer JC Penney has also weighed on this year's returns, investors have said.

With Air Products shares closing at $108.64 Wednesday - up 2.9 percent on the day and up about 16 percent over the last month - Ackman might be able to show his investors gains for the month and boost his year-to-date performance. Other winners in the portfolio include Procter & Gamble , Canadian Pacific Railway and Howard Hughes Corp .

What Ackman may like about Air Products is that the company has few rivals, and its industrial gas business has lucrative, long-term contracts. However, in recent months it has been hit by high exposure to sluggish growth in Europe, and analysts say it should divest its non-core gas businesses.

Those non-core businesses account for roughly 20 percent of the company's sales, including a chemicals unit and one that caters to computer chip makers.

(Additional reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore, Sam Forgione in New York; Editing by Matthew Goldstein, Matt Driskill, Dan Grebler, John Wallace and Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ackman-buys-9-8-percent-stake-air-products-115529665.html

vampire diaries Red Bull Stratos Redbull Stratos steve mcnair vice presidential debate Martha Raddatz Chris Lighty

Snooki Talks Fitness, Boob Jobs and More Babies

New mom Snooki is down 50 pounds after giving birth to baby Lorenzo, and now she?s telling ?Extra?s? AJ Calloway how she did it. Snooks also dished on plans to go under the knife, and expand her family.

AJ hopped on a bike and joined Snooki for her favorite workout class; spinning at Flywheel Sports. Says Snooki, ?Flywheel is like spin class, but on crack? you have to go quick and crazy and you just don?t want to give up? sometimes when I do spin by myself I just give up, but in this class you just can?t.?
?

The ?Jersey Shore? gal, who said she owes her slimmed-down figure to Flywheel and her trainer, went on to say she tries to exercise all of the time and that she is in the best shape of her life. ?Now is the best I've ever been, I have actual muscle mass so I can kick your butt.?
?
Snooki is fit and trim, but does want to do a little nip/tuck, admitting she wants to get her breasts done. Her fianc? is all for it. ?Gionni wants me to get a boob job and I want to get a boob job too, but I want to pop out all my babies first and then I'll get a boob job.?
?
Snooki says she is ready to give 1-year-old Lorenzo a sibling, but has a few things to get done first. ?I would love to be pregnant now, but my house isn't done and I have to get married. I want to do it the right way for the next one.?

Source: http://www.extratv.com/2013/08/01/snooki-talks-weight-loss-boob-jobs-and-more-babies/

pga tour robin roberts Liz Cheney ESPYS 2013 project runway Honey Boo Boo Behati Prinsloo

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Kansas meatpacker recalls 50,100 pounds of ground beef

(Reuters) - A Kansas meatpacker has recalled 50,100 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with the E. coli bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

The USDA said on Wednesday evening that routine monitoring had confirmed the presence of E.coli O157:H7 in the meat. It said there had been no reports of illness associated with eating it.

The potentially deadly bacterium can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to food borne illness, the USDA said.

The products were produced on July 18 by National Beef Packing Co of Liberal, Kansas, and shipped in 40-pound to 60-pound cases to retailers, wholesalers, and food service distributors nationwide.

The recalled meat bears the number "EST. 208A" inside the USDA mark of inspection, the department said.

(Reporting by Jane Sutton; Editing by John Wallace)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kansas-meatpacker-recalls-50-100-pounds-ground-beef-121156914.html

theraflu joe avezzano kanye west theraflu joey votto the masters live mega millions winner holy thursday

Certainty worth a 'LIKE' The NCAA and two-time NBA Finals champion made a spe...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=652826151395247&set=a.264592363551963.76319.227750827236117&type=1

Arizona fire cirque du soleil Confederations Cup Phil Costa Fruitvale Station BART strike nhl draft