Big U.S. firms team up on plant plastics

Tue Jun 5, 2012 11:05am EDT

(Reuters) - Five of the biggest names in American business have formed a group to accelerate the development and use of plant-based plastic.

Coca-Cola Co, Ford Motor Co, H.J. Heinz Co, Nike Inc and Procter & Gamble Co said on Tuesday they are committed to advancing research and development to support a commercially viable, sustainably sourced plastic made entirely from plant materials, while reducing the use of fossil fuels.

The collaboration builds on Coke's "plant bottle" packaging technology, which is partially made from material derived from sugar cane. Heinz has already licensed the technology from Coke for some Heinz ketchup bottles.

Coke, the world's biggest soft drink maker, gets sugar cane-based ethanol from plantations in Brazil that it says are far from the Amazon rain forests. It is also working to develop a way to capture sugar from plant waste.

All the companies in the working group use the plastic PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, in products ranging from plastic bottles, clothing and shoes to automotive fabric and carpet.

(Reporting By Martinne Geller in New York; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and John Wallace)

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Indianapolis Real Estate: Do You Know How To Not Sell Your ...

They may be a tough market nowadays, and selling your own Indianapolis Real Estate may be trickier than a person first thought. Below is really a several ways which some are producing. Figuring out not to distribute your Indianapolis home for any great price. Attempt to debate it right now, retrace your easy steps and figure out if you doing everything the most suitable.

Don?t get the dependable Indianapolis Real Estate agent. Despite that realtors command a considerable commission from the entire sale, you have to understand that they?ll be a valuable resource in addition to for information and also assistance, but for numerous buying leads.

Even if you think that promoting your home can save you about 5-6% for that closing price, without the aid of a reliable realtor in selling your own Indianapolis Real Estate, you may be losing more property. Remember that buyers could be much aware which often motivated sellers is going to be overly flexible through their prices-that is really a fact that anyone might very well cash in on. A realtor are often the one to help you advice you about the very critical agreement period. All many of these points considered nobody has the capacity to stress this adequately: get a realtor. Period.

Set any unrealistic price. This is largely the second leading blunder that just about anyone who is selling a home helps make. The right cost for your Indianapolis Real Estate is crucial to entire home-selling technique. Buyers tend in order to even bother phone home sellers which have prices that happen to be obviously not afflicted by a detailed markets analysis study. Note also that sellers very rarely get their initial cost, as every buyer wants a superb bargain, and knows that the health of today?s real property market benefits individuals.

This does not mean you have to settle for the perfect below-market value for use in your Indianapolis Real Estate. All you need to understand is exactly what sales value of the premises actually is actually. Ask your realtor to assist you determine this along with comparative sales.

Let them know, be emotional towards the transaction. While some folk will discover this difficult to identify, they have to ensure you stomach this however: a property transaction is every other home business offer. Though it?s possible you?ve lived in the home or home for a long time, being emotional towards the whole situation can easily make you lose sight in your objective: and that may be to liquidate with regard to possible price. Crucial using a realtor will benefit you for the reason that regard, as he will most likely talk you within the home-selling process with the purpose of getting you large possible (and probable) quantity for use in your Indianapolis Real Estate.

There you have it: these are only just the three leading mistakes anyone helps make when selling their home. While there its possible more blunders to watch out for, everything else want not preparing your personal property for sale, neglecting to take a look the paperwork, or limiting any market exposure short-lived manifestations of all of these three main glitches. The first quest really is to phone a reliable Indianapolis realtor and start yourself started relating to selling your home right. Contact your Indianapolis realtor today!

Need help with negotiating your Indianapolis Real Estate sale? Great. I would be more than happy to help you contact me at jim@bardesrealty.com or visit www.expertzoo.com/indianapolis-real-estate.aspx

Tags: business, indianapolis properties, indianapolis real estate, indianapolis real estate agent, indianapolis realtor, marketing, Real Estate
Posted 05 Jun 2012 by Jim Bardes in Real Estate

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Around the World: Commodities Jobs Migrate from Europe to Singapore

Job Market

By Emma Johnson, Jun 01 2012

Commodities professionals bid Europe farewell as jobs come to?Singapore

Singapore remains a sweet spot if you?re working in commodities. [Singapore]

Is it now better to work for a big, rather than boutique, fund manager in the?Nordics?

Mattias Hagen is a powerful man in the Nordic wealth management sector. In a (very long) interview with Citywire, he points out that a boutique fund manager could soon be a shaky place to work. [Denmark]

Growth in Islamic banking in Africa opens up employment?opportunities

Islamic banking has shrugged off the financial crisis. In the world, Islamic finance assets have grown at double digit rates over the past five years and have now broken the $1,000bn barrier. In fact, the crisis has made Islamic banking?s ethical and risk-sharing approach all the more attractive and contributed to its growth well beyond the traditional areas of Asia and the Middle East. [Middle East]

It?s still possible to move from the back to the front office, especially in Asia, says a finance?professor

Stoyan Stoyanov, PhD, professor of finance at EDHEC Business School, talks to eFinancialCareers about the growing hiring appetite for professionals in risk and investment management in Asia. [Hong Kong]

2012 bonuses for M&A analysts: recruiters? predictions for this?year

Now is the time for analysts to start wondering how much they will make. European M&A was down 9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter and there hasn?t been much respite since, so?they could be forgiven for thinking they won?t be paid much. [UK]

Guest Comment: If you spend two years as an analyst in an investment bank, a whole world of exciting opportunities will await?you

If you can stick it out for two to three years as analyst in an investment bank ? especially a tier one investment bank, then believe me ? it will get better. If your investment banking experience is with a tier one firm, you will be coveted by employers outside banking. All those skills:?modeling, building valuation models, analyzing cash flows and doing PowerPoint slides, come in useful in many industries. [South Africa]

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Home Health Continues to Generate Jobs for ... - Health and Fitness

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2012 ? - Latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report reveals home health as a bright spot in what is considered an otherwise disappointing job market -

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ? The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its May jobs report indicating that the economy added 69,000 jobs in the month of May. ?BLS also reported that the nation?s unemployment rate has risen to 8.2 percent, up from 8.1 percent.

Importantly, the BLS report also showed an uptick in healthcare jobs, particularly in the area of home health services. ?According to the report, home healthcare generated 6,900 of the total 69,000 non-farm jobs added between April 2012 and May 2012. The home healthcare number ? which is equal to 10 percent of all jobs created in May ? also represents the largest non-physician office job growth in BLS? analysis of the healthcare sector.

As was seen in April, with a report issued by the Department of Labor (DOL), the home health community has consistently served as an engine for job growth. ?In light of the nation?s economic challenges, the ability of the home health sector to create employment opportunities is of significance.? Just as important, these positions are meeting the need of America?s aging population, which is increasingly demanding home-based medical services due to their clinical effectiveness, low cost, and personal preference.

?Although the overall job report for May was ultimately disappointing, it is reassuring to know that the home health community continues to be a driver for employment,? stated Eric Berger on behalf of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare. ?Home healthcare has long been appreciated as clinically advanced, cost effective, and patient preferred, and it is now being recognized as a meaningful source of jobs.?

?Research shows the nearly 90 percent of Americans prefer to age in place ? home healthcare enables them to do so while providing quality jobs for younger generations,? Mr. Berger concluded.

The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare was established in 2010 to assist government officials in ensuring access to quality home health services for all Americans. Representing more than 1,500 community- and hospital-based home health agencies nationwide, the Partnership is dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the program integrity, quality, and efficiency of home healthcare for our nation?s seniors.? To learn more, visit www.homehealth4america.org.? To join the home health policy conversation, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

SOURCE Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/04/4537502/home-health-continues-to-generate.html

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Exclusive: SEC investigator previously pushed to carry gun

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The lead internal investigator at the Securities and Exchange Commission, who is on leave after employees complained he wanted to carry a gun at work, previously tried to get a gun permit when he worked for another government agency, but the permit was denied.

David Weber, the assistant inspector general of investigations at the SEC, applied more than two years ago with the Maryland State Police to carry a concealed weapon while he worked as a special counsel of enforcement at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

In his application, he cited feeling threatened while he was working on an undisclosed Pennsylvania case involving federal prosecution of several high-ranking officials with ties to organized crime, according to an August 2010 investigative report from the U.S. Treasury's Office of Inspector General that was viewed by Reuters.

While the Maryland State Police found that Weber "does have a risk of retaliation" due to his role as the lead prosecutor in the case, Weber's supervisors told police that he had no need to carry a gun, they were unaware of any specific threats, and he could alternatively receive protection from the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the U.S. Marshal Service.

In addition, the report and supporting documentation say that police determined he had a "propensity for domestic violence" - an allegation that Weber says has no merit and was made by his ex-wife during divorce, child support and custody proceedings.

The Treasury inspector general's look into Weber's denied gun permit was part of a broader investigation into whether he inappropriately flashed his OCC credentials at a police officer during a traffic incident in April 2010.

Now, that 2010 report is in the hands of SEC commissioners as they continue to review the volatile situation inside the agency's watchdog office, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The office has been in turmoil since March after Weber came forward with allegations of misconduct in the SEC's inspector general office involving former SEC Inspector General David Kotz as well as the agency's acting inspector general at the time, Noelle Maloney, according to people familiar with the matter.

In May, roughly two months after Weber says he blew the whistle, he was placed on administrative leave after employees in the office complained they felt physically threatened by Weber and were uncomfortable that he spoke openly about wanting to carry a gun.

The drama has left the watchdog office, charged with rooting out waste, fraud and abuse at the SEC, in a state of disarray.

It has caught the attention of U.S. Senator Charles Grassley, who has asked the SEC for more information about whether the turmoil is compromising the office's important function.

In the past few years, the office has played a central role in investigating high-profile matters at the SEC, from the agency's missteps on detecting Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, to the SEC's oversight of Wall Street during the financial crisis.

On Wednesday, the SEC temporarily installed Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Inspector General Jon Rymer to lead the office while commissioners search for a permanent new leader.

SEC spokesman John Nester declined to comment on matters related to Weber.

WEBER'S DEFENSE

In his first interview since being placed on paid administrative leave in May, Weber told Reuters that employees in his office only started complaining about him after he met with the SEC's commissioners in March to discuss concerns he had about "certain disclosures" that Maloney had made to him.

Weber declined to discuss what he alleges Maloney told him.

But people familiar with his claims said it involves allegations that Kotz engaged in questionable conduct that may have tainted investigations into the SEC's handling of evidence related to Madoff's and Allen Stanford's Ponzi schemes.

These people said Weber has alleged that Maloney knew of these allegations and sat on the information.

"From that day forward ... I have been subjected to unrelenting retaliation," Weber said.

Maloney declined to comment on Weber's allegations against her, but people familiar with the matter have said she has denied them both to congressional staffers as well as in a formal letter to a federal council that oversees 73 government inspectors general.

Kotz has also denied Weber's allegations.

Former SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt, who is known for representing employees facing inspector general investigations, recently started working as Weber's attorney pro-bono.

In an interview with Reuters last week, Weber acknowledged applying for a gun permit from Maryland, but says it had nothing to do with his recent interest in arming investigators in the SEC inspector general's office, including himself.

Pitt, who participated in the interview with Weber, said that Weber previously sought a gun in part because of concerns that a person involved in one of his investigations had ties to organized crime. Also, Pitt said Weber felt he needed a gun because he had been the victim of a road rage incident involving a driver with a criminal history.

The Maryland State Police insisted upon having the OCC conduct a threat assessment to determine if he needed a gun, Weber said, but the OCC refused and the permit was later denied.

For his work at the SEC, Weber said, he was seeking to arm investigators using a provision in the federal law that allows certain inspector general employees to carry guns.

Weber also said the mention in the Treasury inspector general's report of domestic abuse is without merit.

"I want to make it absolutely clear to you: she never made any claims remotely like this during the time when we were married," he said. "There was never any domestic violence."

An attorney for Weber's ex-wife declined to comment.

The background investigation conducted by Maryland State Police also acknowledged that no domestic violence incidents were ever reported to police.

In addition, Weber disputed the findings by the Treasury watchdog which determined he had misused his OCC badge by presenting it to the police and the other driver, who later complained about it.

He said he only presented it to the police officer for identification purposes, and he fought the OCC when it proposed to suspend him over the incident. The OCC later dropped the matter when Weber was offered a new position at the FDIC, he said.

"I disclosed all this to the FDIC before I commenced my employment there, and FDIC security personnel found me suitable for a government security clearance," he said. He added that he also disclosed it to the SEC as well before he was hired.

Spokesmen for the OCC and the FDIC declined to comment.

Pitt said he is concerned that the SEC's move to place Weber on leave may run counter to federal laws designed to protect the independence of the office. He also fears this matter will deter other future whistleblowers from coming forward.

"If this is the way the agency responds when somebody comes forward with information about potential improprieties, what will other employees do if they become aware of potential misconduct on the part of persons who have the authority to fire them and turn them into public scapegoats?" Pitt said.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Karey Wutkowski and Tim Dobbyn)

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Be a STAR Alliance?s first Italian alliance member: Institute of Orthophonology

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2012 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2012 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

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Reports: Several wounded in Toronto mall shooting

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