Evolution Media

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday condemned the leak of tens of thousands of pages of classified military documents on the Afghan war, warning that the "battlefield consequences" are "potentially severe and dangerous" for American troops and allies.


Afghanistan - United States - Wikileaks - War in Afghanistan - Wars and Conflicts

Toyota Corp. said Thursday that it is recalling 412,000 Avalons and Lexuses for steering problems, bringing the number of cars recalled around the world since October to nearly 9 million.


Toyota - Automobile - auto - Toyota Avalon - Makes and Models

Former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling is seeking to be released from prison on bail while an appeals court reconsiders convictions questioned by the Supreme Court.


Supreme Court of the United States - Supreme Court - Enron - Jeffrey Skilling - Law

Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) said Wednesday that the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission should drop his push to re-regulate broadband lines.



United States - Government - Cecilia Kang - Facebook - Washington Post

The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation.


White House - United States - President - Government - Executive Branch

Was Tony Hayward right, after all? Back in May, BP's chief executive told a British newspaper that "the Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean," and the vast amounts of oil and chemical dispersants dumped into it were small by comparison. After he said that, BP's well leaked for two more months. Hayw...


Gulf of Mexico - Energy - Business - Oil and Gas - Operating Companies

The U.S. economy is out of the ditch. But is there enough gas left in the engine to reach highway speed?


Economic - Asia - Politics - Barack Obama - United States

The Obama administration is revising the latest report on its troubled mortgage-relief program, and the changes are likely to show a greater number of borrowers facing foreclosure after having their loans modified.



Education - Methods and Theories - Learning Theories - Digestion - Volkswagen

Employees at seven federal agencies will soon receive notice that they could have a new employer this time next year: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.


United States - Home - Consumer Information - Advocacy and Protection - Business

Energy provider Dominion Resources said Wednesday that a sale of its assets and higher electric demand helped its net income more than triple in the second quarter.


Fannie Mae - Business - Programming - NET - Component Frameworks

As President Obama and his adversaries look for winning themes in the run-up to the November congressional election, both sides are noisily clamoring to prove their support for a critical constituency: America's small-business owners.


Small business - United States - Democratic - Politics - Republican

The FBI and the Justice Department are working with the military to investigate the source of the leak of tens of thousands of classified military documents on the Afghan war to WikiLeaks.org, U.S. officials said Wednesday.



Federal Bureau of Investigation - Wikileaks - Afghanistan - History - United States armed forces

President Obama's message to voters this election year is simple and full of populist zeal: Democrats are on the side of the little guy, not the Wall Street brokers, celebrities and chief executives.


Barack Obama - United States - President - Government - Elections

By the time the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to raise rates earlier this month, an unusual alliance of customers was in place to oppose it.


Mail - United States - Recreation - United States Postal Service - Stamps

The pleas of bedbug-plagued businesses across New York City have been answered. On Wednesday, the City Council announced it would make available $500,000 for a new website and specialized staff dedicated to helping Big Apple residents and businesses manage the bedbug epidemic. These resources came as a result of a recent report commissioned by the city.

“When New Yorkers came to the Council and told us how big of a problem bedbugs were, we knew we had to do something,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in statement. Ms. Quinn was joined by Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs to make the announcement. Indeed, the city tracked more than 31,700 bedbug-related 311 calls during the year ended June 30, a nearly 20% rise over the prior year. This month alone has seen infestations ranging from stores such as Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch and BuyBuy Baby to offices like advertising agency Euro RSCG Worldwide and publishing firm Hachette Book Group.

In early July, Michael Jeffries, chief executive of retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, which had two infested stores in Manhattan, wrote a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pleading for help. Both stores were closed for several days during the busy July 4 holiday weekend in order to exterminate the bedbugs.

“There is a real revenue loss involved with our decision, but we felt closing was in the best interest of our customers and associates,” wrote Mr. Jeffries. He added, “We are willing to be a part of any coalition to address the issue.”

With the summer heat speeding up reproduction of the creatures, the problem is only expected to get worse as the season goes on.

“After decades of relative quiet, bedbugs are on the rise throughout the world,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City health commissioner, in a statement. He noted that bedbugs are very difficult to control. Extermination services can start around $5,000 for a small, 5,000-square-foot office, and exceed $50,000 for a 10,000-square-foot store or call center, experts estimate. Treatment for even a small apartment can cost several hundred dollars, not to mention the costs involved with dry cleaning and furniture replacement.

Last year, the city formed a bedbug advisory board, comprised of entomologists, industry experts and representatives from city agencies, to examine the issue. Their findings, as reported on Wednesday, have led to the Bed Bug Portal, a website where the public can access instructions on preventing, confirming and dealing with an infestation. Property owners can also contact enforcement teams from the Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene and Housing Preservation, though it is still up to the businesses and landlords, not the city, to pay for extermination.

President Obama said Wednesday that Republicans should join Democrats in passing legislation to help provide loans to small businesses.


Small business - Business - Barack Obama - United States - President

Small business - Business - Barack Obama - United States - President

TOKYO -- Her new country needs her, her new employer adores her, and Joyce Anne Paulino, who landed here 14 months ago knowing not a word of the language, can now say in Japanese that she'd like very much to stay. But Paulino, 31, a nurse from the Philippines, worries about the odds. To stay in J...


Law - United States - Immigration - Services - Lawyers and Law Firms