Day: January 16, 2017

Nevadaa s Casinos Rebound Without Gamblers

But it’s not the high-roller gamblers helping the casinos see green – it’s the shoppers and diners infusing cash into the state’s industry. Nevada’s casinos, which in 2015 lost $662 million, made a profit last year for the first time since 2008.

Hawaii telecom firm disputes FCC’s findings of misconduct

A Hawaii telecommunications provider is denying claims by the federal government that it received more than $26 million in overpayments of federal subsidies over a decade. The Washington, D.C., law firm Venable LLP filed a petition this month on behalf of Sandwich Isles Communications Inc., reported The Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Dr. Alveda King Speaks Out on Trump, Lewis Feud

Despite the political tension during and after the presidential campaign, as well as the recent war of words between Rep. John Lewis, , and President-elect Donald Trump, Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and author of ‘America: Return to God,’ is optimistic. “My uncle would be very happy with these times because it is forcing America to talk again.

Ice Storm

As per Federal Communications Commission Regulations following is certified: Platte River Radio Inc. does not discriminate in the sale of commercial time, and will not accept advertising which, in its sole opinion, is purchased with intent to discriminate unlawfully on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity. The advertiser hereby certifies that its purchase of commercial time is not made for an unlawful discriminatory purpose, including specifically that it is not based upon a decision to place advertising on a station on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity.

Luxottica to join with Essilor in $70B merger of two eyewear giants

A global eyewear colossus worth almost $70 billion Canadian is set to be created as Italy’s Luxottica – owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses – merges with France’s Essilor, owner of Crizal, Transitions, Clearly Contacts and other brands. Essilor said it had reached an agreement with Luxottica’s owners for an all-share deal to combine the two lens companies.

Rolls to Pay $807 Million to End U.K., U.S. Bribery Probes

Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc agreed to pay about 670 million pounds to resolve long-running U.S. and U.K. investigations into allegations its representatives bribed foreign officials to win business. Europe’s largest maker of commercial jet engines will pay the U.K. Serious Fraud Office 497.25 million pounds plus interest, and the U.S. Department of Justice about $170 million, the company said Monday in a statement.

Fink Signals Support for Merkel Policies in German Election Year

One of Wall Street’s most influential figures, BlackRock Inc.’s Larry Fink, signaled his support for Angela Merkel as Germany’s chancellor prepares to campaign for re-election this fall, saying she has provided “moral leadership” to the world. “I sincerely hope that Germany chooses to continue its role as a leader and stabilizing force in the world,” Fink, the chairman and chief executive officer of the world’s biggest asset manager, said in a speech Monday evening at a reception hosted by Deutsche Boerse AG in Frankfurt.

Amazing insight into what US intelligence knew about Hitler in…

One of history’s most brutal tyrants was a diagnosed schizophrenic on a mission to avenge his childhood years of repressed rage, according to Henry Murray, an American psychologist and a Harvard professor. In 1943, the US Office of Strategic Services , a precursor to the CIA, commissioned Murray to study Adolf Hitler’s personality to try to predict his behavior.

Trump’s Emerging Europe Policy Prompts Calls for Closer EU Unity

European governments called for cool heads and tighter unity as they reacted with shock to President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks slamming NATO and predicting European Union nations would follow the U.K. out of the bloc. Trump’s comments, which call into question the depth of continued U.S. support for free trade and European defense, sent shock-waves around the EU at a time when governments are already battling to deal with the rise of nationalism, Brexit and a belligerent Russia.

Legislator-911 dispatcher hopes to fix misdirected calls

Monroe state Rep. J.P. Sredzinski , a public safety dispatch supervisor, knows firsthand the challenges of fielding misdirected 911 emergency calls from cellphone users. While some calls are easily rerouted to the correct dispatch center, others become tricky when the person isn’t sure where he or she is located and the call has been routed through the nearest cellphone tower that may be in another community.

Your Driving Record: Insurance Companies’ Crystal Ball

You look at your driving record and see speeding tickets, an accident, maybe a DUI, and chalk everything up to dumb mistakes or bad luck behind the wheel. “Motor vehicle records give insight into how folks behave,” says Karen Phelan, senior director of life Insurance for LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a data analytics company in Atlanta.

Will Home Depot Raise Its Dividend in 2017?

The rebound in housing after the financial crisis was good news for homeowners, and it also helped drive improving results for Home Depot . The home improvement retailer benefited from greater interest both from do-it-yourself homeowners and from professional contractors, and investors have enjoyed not only long-term average annual returns in excess of 20% for more than 30 years but also significant gains in dividend payments.

Stocks Lower as British Pound Suffers Brexit Jitters

Stocks in Europe and Asia fell Monday while the British pound dropped to three-month lows amid escalating concerns over the U.K.’s access to the European Union’s single market. The Stoxx Europe 600 slumped 0.6% in afternoon trading, led by declines in the banking and auto sectors, while London’s export-heavy FTSE 100 index stalled after 14 consecutive sessions of gains.

Oil Prices Under Pressure on Doubts Over Output Cuts

Oil prices were under pressure on Monday due to doubts that large oil producers will reduce production as promised and on expectations that U.S. production would increase again this year. Benchmark Brent crude oil was up 8 cents a barrel at $55.53 after being down for most of the day by 1416 GMT and U.S. light crude was flat at $52.37 a barrel.

IMF Upgrades U.S. Growth Forecast on Trump Stimulus Plans

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t taken office yet, but he’s already reshaping the global growth outlook. The International Monetary Fund on Monday bumped up its economic growth forecasts for the U.S., saying output could grow nearly a half-percentage point faster than previously thought over this year and next, thanks to Mr. Trump’s plans to cut taxes and boost infrastructure spending.

IMF raises China growth forecast but warns on debt

A worker sits by a billboard depicting the Central Business District under construction in Beijing, China, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The International Monetary Fund on Monday raised its growth forecast for China but warned rising debt that has prompted … Workers pause at the construction site of the Central Business District in Beijing, China, Monday, Jan. 16, 2017.

Judges win claim over pension scheme changes

The government has lost a legal case over the way it changed the pension scheme for the UK’s judges in 2015. The central London Employment Tribunal has upheld a claim by 210 judges that they suffered age, race or sex discrimination during the change.

Escalation clauses can make the difference when bidding wars arise

Even though much of the District is in what we would consider a fairly normal market, with moderate price increases and a climate that favors neither buyers nor sellers, there are some pockets that remain hot sellers’ markets. Whether it’s the most sought-after neighborhood or a hard-to-find price point, the end result is often the same – a bidding war breaks out.

Rpt: Samsung Probe Finds Battery Was Main Cause of Note 7 Fires

A Samsung investigation into what caused some Galaxy Note 7 smartphones to catch fire has concluded that the battery was the main reason, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. The world’s biggest smartphone maker is seeking to put behind it one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history as it prepares to launch the Galaxy S8, one of its flagship phones, sometime in the first half of this year.

Luxottica and Essilor Create Eyewear Giant in $49B Deal

Italy’s Luxottica and France’s Essilor have agreed a 46 billion euro merger to create a global powerhouse in the eyewear industry with annual revenue of more than 15 billion euros, they said in a statement on Monday. The deal, one of Europe’s largest cross-border tie-ups, brings together Luxottica, the world’s top spectacles maker with brands such as Oakley and Ray-Ban, with Essilor, the world’s leading manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses.

FTSE 100 flat despite slide in sterling

The FTSE 100 rose initially – to hit a new intra-day high – but then fell back to stand 3.49 points lower at 7,334.32. The pound fell sharply overnight as traders reacted to reports that Theresa May would use a speech on Tuesday to signal a so-called “hard Brexit”.