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Huge healthcare battle looms in US

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:44:41 GMT

America's president lobbied America's doctors on Monday, creation his case for a complete overhaul of the nation's costly healthcare system.

He is up against fierce opposition from private insurance corporations - and from politicians who criticize any government involvement in health provision as the road to "socialised medicine".

So he desires the support of America's doctors - his biggest domestic reform is expensive, controversial, and vulnerable to attack on all sides.

Deep thunderstorms sweep across New Jersey

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:12:38 GMT

Lightning and thunder will probably fill the New Jersey skies today, as the National Weather Service reports a frontal boundary is expected to bring thunderstorms and rain throughout the state.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation traffic website shows about two dozens sectors with delays and accidents on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick and The Garden State Parkway in Clark Township.

Rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are potential, with a chance of precipitation at 70 percent. Temperatures are expected to arrive at the low 70s, and winds should stay at 7 to 8 mph.

Thunderstorms could continue to occur before 1 a.m. in parts of central New Jersey, while other northern areas are predictable to see a light drizzle. Lows are expected to fall to about 60 degrees.

Steel boxes is newest method to secure vacant properties

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:55:25 GMT

The boarded-up house has become a stark symbol of the economic crisis in Atlanta.
In some neighborhoods, house after house is safe with plywood planks, evoking the ominous atmosphere of a beach town hours before a hurricane.

But there�s a latest kid on the block when it comes to protecting empty and foreclosed property - stainless steel.

A growing number of property owners are throwing metal coverings over windows and doors to avoid thieves, vandals and vagrants from breaking in. The homes become steel fortresses, with virtually impenetrable metal sheaths blocking every possible entry point.

It�s a moderately new option for Atlanta property owners. The nation�s important purveyor of metal door and window covers, Chicago-based Vacant Property Security, entered the Atlanta market in late 2007.

Tuberculosis Drug successful Treatment for Resistant Disease

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:38:07 GMT

The first new tuberculosis drug in 40 years has been shown to make current treatment 5 times more successful against drug-resistant TB. In combination with a cocktail of other medicines, the experimental drug known as TMC207 helped get rid of tuberculosis bacteria in almost half of 47 participants in a study by its developer, Johnson & Johnson. Participating patients had TB that could not be treated with standard drugs such as rifampin and isoniazid. TMC207 works by cutting off the energy provide in the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. TMC207 is the first of a new class of drugs that could increase treatment options for patients who have drug-resistant tuberculosis, for whom current therapy may be useless or highly toxic. Of the 9 million new TB cases that build up each year, about 490,000 are multiple-drug-resistant TB, according to the World Health Organization.

Bin laden tape blasts barack obama

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:06:45 GMT

A new audio tape from Osama bin Laden criticize President Barack Obama for planting seeds of "hatred and vengeance toward Americans" and warns of "new long wars."

The tape, aired on Arabic news network al Jazeera Wednesday, blasts the U.S. president for his position in Pakistan's military operation against Taliban forces in the Swat Valley. The message came as Mr. Obama touched down in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of a Mideast trip to shore up political relations in the region.

U.S. intelligence officials established the authenticity of tape but said "there is no reason at this position to believe that any specific or credible threat is contained�.

Suspects in alleged New York bomb plan indicted

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:26:34 GMT

Four men were indicted Tuesday in what prosecutors said was a plot to bomb two New York City synagogues and fire outside-to-air missiles at U.S. military planes.

The defendants - James Cromitie, 44, David Williams, 28, Onta Williams, 32; and Laguerre Payen, 27 - were charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction within the United States, conspiracy to obtain and use anti-aircraft missiles and six other counts. They face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Arraignment is planned for Wednesday.

The plot was exposed in a yearlong investigation involving an FBI informant. It ended with federal agents and New York police used an 18-wheel truck to block a vehicle carrying the suspect after they planted what they believed were explosive devices in cars near the synagogues, said New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Few Ways twitter may permanently change American business

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:40:57 GMT

Micro-blogging platform Twitter has 32 million users, which is an enlarge from about 2 million a year ago, according to research mentioned in The Wall Street Journal. Some Internet measurement services show that form increasing 50% to 100% month-over-month. While it is not clear that Twitter will become as large as social networks, My Space and Face book or video-sharing site You Tube, the company could certainly have 50 million viewers by the end of the year.

- Hyper-local marketing.

- Outdoor ads are used approximately everywhere in the world because of their simplicity and the relatively low cost of creating them.

- Twitter will become a huge platform for discuss stocks and other financial instruments and will probably replace message boards like the ones at Yahoo!

- Data mining

- Large media companies are already using Twitter as a way to alert persons to breaking news and new features.

- Philanthropy �as business� use of Twitter will engage social activism and fund-raising.

Microsoft challenges Google with search engines

Fri, 29 May 2009 07:45:10 GMT

Microsoft Corp. introduced a search engine with better shopping, travel and sorting features, an effort to show that Google Inc. can't do everything.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the services, called Bing, at a technology conference Thursday in Carlsbad, Calif. The program will be available over the next a number of days, accompanied by the company's first broad advertising campaign promoting a search engine.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, has an eighth of Google's U.S. market share in Internet searches, forcing it to find exact niches to exploit. The company is looking for areas where Google doesn't deliver exactly what users want, said Mike Nichols, Microsoft's general manager for search products.

Ford Fiesta won best new car award of the year 2009

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:11:24 GMT

The new Ford Fiesta has scored another success, named as Best New Car 2009 at today's Fleet World awards. The highest honor in the commercial vehicle awards also went to Ford as Van Manufacturer of the Year 2009. The honors continued with Transit Connect as Best Small Van.

The Fleet World awards are presented annually to manufacturers achieve the highest possible level of excellence in their sector. Chairman of Judges, George Emmerson, said: "The new Ford Fiesta is a valuable winner in a fiercely competitive sector. Many fleet managers are vigorously downsizing vehicles in their choice lists and employees are looking for quality, attractive looks and competitive whole-life costs and the new Fiesta easily meets all these criteria. Mainly notable from fleet perspective is the Fiesta ECOnetic. Its CO2 rating of 98g/km is among the lowest of any family car on sale."

Economic development council receitttves two awards

Mon, 25 May 2009 10:42:52 GMT

The Florida Economic Development Council, Inc. presented the Central Florida Development Council of Polk County with two of its top annual awards recognizing excellent economic development programs at its annual conference held May 18 and 19 in Orlando.

The CFDC was familiar for its International Trade & Foreign Direct Investment Program, which received the 2009 Excellence in International Business Award, and for its direct mail campaign, "Where Innovation Drives Economic Growth," winner of the 2009 FEDC Marketing Award.

The FEDC is a statewide association of economic development organizations and affiliates interested in diversifying Florida's economy through domestic and international marketing and by promoting a excellent business climate for the growth of existing businesses.