People
FeedMajority of states see unemployment rates move higher in October
Given that the nation's overall unemployment rate rose to its highest level in decades in October, it's perhaps not surprising that a majority of states reported higher numbers of joblessness last month compared to September, according to fresh data released Friday from the U.S. Department of Labor. In 13 states the rate topped the national average of 10.2%, leaving many to wonder when the economic recovery that is reportedly underway will finally result in more jobs. Overall joblessness rose in 29 states and the District of Columbia last month, while the rate fell in 13 states, according to the survey. In September, 23 states and Washington D.C. reported that their unemployment rates increased, and 14 states had jobless rates above the national average.
Massucci's Take: Twitter CEO says Murdoch's Google plan is doomed
Filed under: Company News, Technology, People, Media, Google , Apple, News Corp.
Twitter co-founder and CEO Biz Stone said Thursday that Rupert Murdoch's potential plan to block Google from searching New Corp.'s (NWS) websites is doomed to fail. Murdoch has accused Google (GOOG) of stealing content from his publications, which include The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post in the U.S., and The Times and The Sun in the United Kingdom. The cantankerous tycoon said last week that blocking Google could be part of his strategy to get more people to pay for content online.Here's a young man, all of 35, who runs a company that makes no money, telling an old man, 78, who runs companies that have made billions, that he is wrong. But while it's easy to dismiss Stone's comments as youthful bravado, I think he's giving Murdoch some valuable advice.
Couple arrested after refusing to pay tip at Pennsylvania pub
Talk about a rough night. Two Pennsylvania college students were arrested recently for refusing to pay a tip.According to media reports, Leslie Pope, a senior at Moravian College, and her boyfriend John Wagner, a grad student at Lehigh University, wound up in the back of a squad car after complaining about the lack of service they received at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa. on October 23. They evidently had good reason to complain.
Sarah Palin: Yahoo email hack was 'devastating' to campaign
Filed under: People
Of all the slings and arrows Sarah Palin suffered on the campaign trail, perhaps the "most disruptive and discouraging" was having her email account hacked into, the one-time vice presidential candidate writes in her new book, Going Rogue: An American Life. She echoed that sentiment in an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity broadcast Wednesday night. At the height of the presidential campaign, a 20-year-old University of Tennessee student hacked into Palin's Yahoo email account and posted it online. "That was quite devastating because I knew of some of the personal conversations I had that were in some inbox and I didn't know what was going to be out there," Palin told Hannity. "That caused a lot of disruption and even distrust within the campaign that was unfortunate."
Daily Blogwatch: Why isn't Buffett investing in gold?
Filed under: People, Investing, Media

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What historically happens to the markets around Thanksgiving Day?
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Since Warren Buffett thinks inflation is going to happen, why isn't he investing in gold?
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After 25 years, TV talk queen Oprah to move to cable
Oprah Winfrey made herself famous on broadcast TV and now she is walking away from the medium. Harpo, her production company, sent a letter to the 214 stations that carry her show saying that "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will air its last program on Sept. 9, 2011. CBS (CBS) syndicates the show, so it will lose a large source of revenue. Many ABC stations air her program, so this will be a blow to them as well.
A number of newspapers and news websites reported that Oprah is well along in creating her own cable channel. She is a billionaire, according to knowledgeable sources, so the risk of moving to cable is one she can afford. The new venture will be called OWN and will be partially owned by Discovery Communications (DISCA).
AirTran Airways eyes seatback ads as novel way to boost revenue
Filed under: Company News, Economy, People, Boeing
It seems airlines will stoop to anything in their pursuit of saving or making money. Long gone are the days of free food on bargain flights. Be prepared to pay to check even one bag. As if those skinflint ideas weren't enough, AirTran Airways (AAI) is placing ads on the backs of tray tables where travelers can't help but see them during takeoff and landing, as yet another way to haul in more revenue.As annoying, however, is that the discount carrier is actually "pleased to be able to offer exclusive deals and other promotions to our customers through this unique medium," said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran vice president of marketing and sales, in announcing the program Wednesday. The ads will appear in all 138 of the company's Boeing (BA) jets.
Is New York really ready to put a suspected terrorist on trial?
Filed under: Economy, People, Media
As New York City copes with the knowledge that it will soon host the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of the September 11 terror attacks, there is growing concern about the security of the city and its inhabitants.The towering prison where Mohammed will be held and the courtroom where he will be tried are a short walk from the site of the Twin Towers and not far from Wall Street. It doesn't take Nostradamus to see how the combination of a prominent location, a showy trial and a bustling city could have terrorists licking their lips.
Mea Culpa: Fox News keeps making conservative-friendly mistakes
Filed under: People, Media, News Corp.
It happened again Wednesday, when host Gregg Jarrett, introducing a segment on Happening Now, described the "huge crowds" that were turning out to greet Sarah Palin on the promotional tour for her book, Going Rogue. "These are some of the pictures just coming into us," Jarrett said as images of Palin surrounded by throngs of supporters flashed across the screen.
Smoke and mirrors: Cigarette tobacco makers alter labels to sidestep tax hike
Filed under: Company News, People
A major tax increase on loose cigarette tobacco has caused pipe tobacco sales to surge dramatically this year. Historically, the tobacco industry manufactured around 270,000 pounds of pipe tobacco per month. Yet, in April, it hit 566,000 pounds, ultimately skyrocketing to 1.7 million pounds in August. While pipe smoking has risen somewhat in popularity since the recession began, mostly because it's a less expensive alternative to cigars, that dynamic is but a rounding error in the spectacular growth seen this year.
So, what's behind the pipe tobacco explosion? The real answer lies in another question: What's in a name?
Congressman calls on Geithner to resign
It's rarely much fun to watch government officials testify before Congress. But Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) managed to add a charge to a hearing held Thursday morning by the Joint Economic Committee when he told Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that bailouts and rising unemployment had eroded lawmakers' and taxpayers' confidence in him. He then asked him to resign. "Mr. Secretary, you are the point person on the economy, and the buck, in effect, stops with you," Brady said. "For the sake of our jobs, will you step down from your post?"
Walmart to Amazon: You're going down!
Filed under: Company News, Economy, People, Media, Wal-Mart Stores, Amazon.com, Inc.
The ongoing battle for internet bookselling heated up on Thursday. Walmart (WMT) CEO Raul Vasquez is trash-talking Amazon (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos (pictured), according to the New York Post: "If there's going to be a Walmart on the Web," Vasquez said, "it's going to be Walmart.com." Oooh -- it's on.
The comment is the latest salvo in this fall's highly publicized pricing war between the titans. In October, Walmart.com dropped the price of 10 bestselling books to $10. Amazon followed suit; Walmart countered with $9, and Amazon followed. Walmart downed the ante to $8.99, and Amazon backed off -- only to see Target.com match Walmart.com, which ducked down to $8.98. Vasquez sums up his company's pricing strategy: "If they react and match our prices, we're going to continue to lower our prices."
Millions of jobless workers still face loss of benefits in 2010
Jobless workers who saw the clock ticking on their unemployment benefits likely breathed a sigh of relief earlier this month after Congress overwhelmingly agreed to extend unemployment insurance payments for as many as 20 weeks. But a nonprofit labor watchdog warns that millions are still at risk of losing that financial lifeline if lawmakers don't renew a key unemployment provision contained within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.Even with the latest extension, jobless benefits contained within the recovery act are set to expire at the end of next month, resulting in 30,000 unemployed workers losing benefits each day starting in January, according to the National Employment Law Project. The group projects the number will rise to nearly 3 million by March.
Daily Blogwatch: Why is Ron Paul wrong? What are the best stocks of the decade?
Filed under: Company News, Technology, Columns, Economy, People, Investing, Earnings, Media

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Why Ron Paul is wrong about everything he says on the economy.
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Interesting to see which are the best stocks of the decade.
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Paradise lost: Florida resort files for bankruptcy
Filed under: Company News, People, American International Group, INC.

Like many other luxury resorts around the world, Amelia Island Plantation is feeling the effects of the recession. Last week, the 1,350-acre luxury enclave overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in northeast Florida filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The resort is very dependent on its group business, which has dropped precipitously over the past year, according to Richard Goldman, its chief marketing officer. "More than half of our business is from corporate groups that hold conferences here," says Goldman. "The AIG effect has basically scared off folks -- even businesses that could afford to have meetings -- who are afraid to hold conferences at resorts." The "AIG effect" refers to businesses that have toned down lavish corporate events after the insurance giant was widely criticized for holding a conference at a luxury resort days after it received a cash infusion from Congress in 2008.


























