A word from Bernanke turns stocks around

NEW YORK (AP) ? The stock market keeps getting tossed around by the Fed.

Stocks opened lower Friday but reversed course after a letter surfaced from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggesting there was room for the central bank to do more to help the economy.

"There is scope for further action by the Federal Reserve to ease financial conditions and strengthen the recovery," Bernanke wrote to California Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican, in a letter obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 30 points at its low but finished 100.51 points higher, at 13,157.97, its first gain all week. It was still the first losing week for the Dow since early July.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 9.05 to 1,411.13 but also snapped a six-week winning streak. The Nasdaq composite index rose 16.39 to 3,069.79, ending five straight weeks of gains.

In a typically slow August, without much else to influence trading, investors have grasped for hints about what the Fed might do.

On Wednesday afternoon, investors pushed stocks higher after the Fed released meeting minutes that appeared to signal it was ready to take more action to prop up the economy.

On Thursday, stocks declined when a Fed regional bank president cast doubt on the idea, saying in an interview with CNBC that the economic recovery appeared to be gaining strength.

Then on Friday, Bernanke shook up the market again. His letter was in response to questions from Issa, the head of the House oversight committee, who had asked whether it was premature to consider additional steps.

The Fed has several options, including buying bonds, as it has done twice since the 2008 financial crisis, to try to lower interest rates and drive investors into the stock market.

Still, it's debatable how much future Fed action would help the market or the economy. On Friday, some analysts thought it strange that the market moved so decisively on just an inkling about what the Fed chairman might be thinking.

"What's new about what came out?" said Ann Miletti, senior portfolio manager at Wells Fargo Advantage Funds in Menomonee Falls, Wis. "I guess the markets are dependent on having some commentary about the macro economy every single day."

For the most part, the market has been hard to read this month. Without much news, trading volume has been low, and investors haven't had much conviction either way about the economy.

Of 18 trading days in August, only once has the Dow moved more than 1 percent. On five days, it has been virtually flat, moving less than one-tenth of a percentage point.

The turbulence likely lies ahead. The Fed's annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is at the end of the month. German courts are set to decide next month whether the country can keep participating in bailouts for weaker European countries.

And the presidential election in November, which will help determine whether taxes go up and government spending is cut next year, could throw the markets into turmoil for weeks beforehand.

"People look forward to a lot of questions being answered in the months ahead," said Tony Fratto, a former aide to President George W. Bush and managing partner at Hamilton Place Strategies in Washington. "But they don't have answers today."

Economic reports that have trickled out this week have been mixed at best.

Europe, though quiet, still showed signs of tension Friday. Britain reported that its economy shrank in the second quarter, the latest confirmation that the country is still in recession.

The Greek prime minister met with his German and French counterparts to discuss Greece's bailout. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said Greece needs "time to breathe" while it implements spending cuts that Germany is demanding. German Chancellor Angela Merkel replied that Germany expects Greece to follow through with its commitments, "that deeds follow words."

Durable goods orders, reported by the Commerce Department, rose in July but fell after excluding gains from the volatile transportation category. Durable goods are an important measure of economic health because those orders show whether businesses are willing to spend to expand or improve.

Among U.S. stocks:

? Software maker Autodesk skidded more than 15 percent, falling $5.58 to $30.13, after weaker-than-expected second-quarter results. The company is restructuring to shift to cloud and mobile computing, but it also blamed an "uneven" global economy.

? Drugmaker Eli Lilly jumped more than 3 percent, rising $1.46 to $43.86, after reporting promising signs about a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

? The Madison Square Garden Co., which hosts shows and games at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Musical Hall and other venues, jumped nearly 3 percent, rising $1.16 to $41.41, after reporting that profits more than tripled in the fiscal fourth quarter. It was helped partly by more home playoff games over the quarter for the New York Rangers and the New York Knicks.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/word-bernanke-turns-stocks-around-183601159--business.html

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S. Africa to Label Israeli Goods as from 'Occupied' Territory

by Zachary Fisher ??? Aug 23, 2012 at 4:00 pm

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/blog/2012/08/s-africa-to-label-israeli-goods-as-from-occupied-territory

Similar to the step taken by the EU last week, South Africa on Wednesday approved a plan requiring products imported from Jewish settlements beyond Israel's "1948 borders delineated by the United Nations" to be labeled as from "Occupied Palestinian Territory" rather than being marked as Israeli. As justification for the move, South Africa invoked its own apartheid history, comparing its racist past to current Israeli policy. Interestingly, no borders were delineated by the UN in 1948, so it is unclear whether Pretoria is referencing the 1947 UN Partition Plan or the 1949 armistice lines.

South Africa's decision further strains its already damaged relations with Israel. On August 10, Ebrahim Ebrahim, South Africa's Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, instructed South Africans not to travel to Israel, referring to the Jewish state as "an occupier country" making it improper for South Africans to visit. Israel's ambassador to South Africa, Dov Segev-Steinberg, said that Ebrahim's statement represents a boycott of Israel. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said the same of the country's decision to label settlement products as from "occupied" land -- specifically, that it constitutes a boycott and is racist.

Ahava, an Israeli cosmetics company, will no longer be able to have its products carry the "Made in Israel" label in South Africa.

South Africa's policies are in line with the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has made unfortunate headway with its cause to isolate and delegitimize Israel despite experts' claims that the movement encourages Palestinian terrorism and delays the peace process. Its recent 'successes' include: the United Church of Canada boycotting settlement goods, a delegation of South African mayors canceling a visit to Israel, the University of KwaZulu-Natal disinviting an Israeli envoy scheduled to give a lecture, and the University of Johannesburg withdrawing from a joint research project with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Israel, of course, is not an apartheid state. Israeli Arabs vote, are represented in parliament, and are entitled to free speech. There is no statewide institutionalized segregation; Israeli Arabs shop, dine, and swim alongside Jews. And unlike in Apartheid South Africa, Israeli Jews do not rule over their Arab compatriots. In fact, in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians live under self-rule. Even Richard Goldstone, who condemned Israel's actions during Operation Cast Lead, refutes the apartheid comparison and notes that unfortunate features of life in the West Bank, such as checkpoints and the separation barrier, exist only to protect Israelis from terrorism and are not in place to dominate Palestinians.

Like the BDS movement, the apartheid analogy is one that simply seeks to delegitimize Israel. By falsely labeling Israel an apartheid state, South Africa is doomed to repeat its past.

Related Topics:? Israel ?|? Zachary Fisher receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free jewish policy center mailing list

Source: http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/blog/2012/08/s-africa-to-label-israeli-goods-as-from-occupied-territory

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Why Sedation Dentistry is Important for Patients with Dental Anxiety ...

Many people hate seeing the dental professional because they are anxious about the possible physical pain they could experience from the oral processes. Oral sedation dentistry is a method that may allow a relaxing, stress-free dental care experience for people who have developed oral anxiousness. This may help individuals with an existing phobia of visiting their dental professional to get the dental care they require.

Other people could endure from some other troubles, such as incapability to stay still. Lack of control over movement could risk the affected person as well as the dentist. Some individuals might have a challenge with enclosed spaces, and they may associate a dentists office with a thing they dread. These as well as other equivalent cases might call for sedation or sleep.

The most frequent technique in sedation dentistry is the utilization of dental methods to tackle patient nervousness. It is a basic procedure that demands no hypodermic needles for management. It might be highly efficient in reducing patient anxiety that most report they may have slept throughout the complete dental procedure. The truth is a particular degree of consciousness could be maintained to get the cooperation of the patient as well as ensure their own general protection.

Dental care sedation strategies can be specific from anesthesia methods. While its true that nitrous oxide gas may sedate as well as increase discomfort tolerance, many oral methods may still depend on just the use of a local anesthetic to numb the area even with sedation techniques used.

One of the major advantages of choosing oral sedation dentistry could be its ability to alter the perception of time in people. This may makes you really feel that a two-hour treatment only lasted a couple of minutes. This might help deal with your anxiety so that your dental practitioner may be able to perform methods without having to bother about extra psychological shock.

If you are seeking for sedation dentists who may help ease your distress during a dental care method, there are several concerns to be aware of, as this exercise needs a higher level of knowledge and training. The first element you have to cover is the degree of schooling of the dental practitioner. The ability of performing effective and safe sedation is actually taught only in a limited capacity in many oral schools. There are, nevertheless, specific continuing education seminars supplying the specialized training dental practitioners need to do this properly and appropriately. A sedation dental professional must undertake certification from the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and the American Society of Dental Anesthesiologists. Speak with your dentist about experience from these institutions.

Certified qualified sedation dentists will need to have appropriate in-office patient monitoring devices to look for the effects of sedation on the body. Some of the normal devices dentists should have ready include reverse medication drugs to prevent the sedative effects in case there is an hypersensitive reaction, a pulse oximeter unit to measure the level of blood oxygenation, oxygen administration equipment, and so on. Talk to your dental practitioner about the availability of these equipment in their clinics.

Source: http://articlepdq.com/health-fitness/why-sedation-dentistry-is-important-for-patients-with-dental-anxiety-2/

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Lilly Alzheimer drug slows decline in some; shares jump

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co said its experimental Alzheimer's drug slowed cognitive decline in patients with a mild form of the disease, though it failed key trial goals, sending shares up as much as 8 percent on hopes the treatment may be salvaged.

The late-stage trials, known as EXPEDITION 1 and 2, tested solanezumab in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease, compared with a placebo.

A secondary analysis of the results showed a statistically significant slowing of cognitive decline in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease, but not in those with moderate Alzheimer's, the company said on Friday.

"We recognize that the solanezumab studies did not meet their primary endpoints, but we are encouraged by the pooled data that appear to show a slowing of cognitive decline," said Lilly Chief Executive John Lechleiter. "We intend to discuss these data with regulatory authorities to gain their insights on potential next steps."

Lilly shares climbed 4 percent to $44.10 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange, after earlier gaining as much as 8 percent.

The results bolstered hopes the treatment may still prove viable for patients either at an earlier stage of the disease, or who have yet to show symptoms.

"Basically the odds of approval just went up from like 10 percent to maybe 20 to 30 percent," said Mark Schoenebaum, analyst with ISI Group, noting that patients with a mild form of the disease comprise at least half of the diagnosed population. "(That's) still high risk, but much better than expected."

Lilly's drug aims to reduce a toxic protein found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, known as beta amyloid.

Pfizer Inc and Johnson & Johnson earlier this month said their similar drug, bapineuzumab, failed in late-stage trials to improve memory or thinking skills in patients with mild and moderate forms of the disease.

Sanford Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson said the Lilly results on Friday supported a theory that such treatments "probably need to be given as early as possible in the course of the disease."

"At this point, theoretically all possibilities are still on the table," Anderson wrote in a research note. "This includes the possibility that solanezumab could be filed for regulatory approval, given the large unmet medical need in patients with Alzheimer's disease and the generally acceptable safety profile."

"Our best guess is that more studies would have to be done before FDA or other regulatory agencies would consider approving solanezumab," he said.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 5 million Americans are believed to have the disease.

The Lilly trials tested solanezumab in more than 2,050 patients in 16 countries, over an 18-month period. Patients on the drug also experienced adverse events such as lethargy, rash, malaise and angina, compared to the placebo.

The company said more detailed data will be presented at medical meetings in Boston and Monaco in October.

(Reporting by Michele Gershberg in New York and Adithya Venkatesan in Bangalore; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eli-lillys-alzheimer-drug-fails-two-stage-trials-120900553--finance.html

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Egypt editor charged with insulting president

CAIRO (AP) -- A Cairo court on Thursday ordered the chief editor of an Egyptian newspaper detained pending trial on charges of insulting the country's president and "spreading lies."

The case against Islam Afifi of the privately-owned el-Dustour daily is one of several lawsuits brought mainly by Egypt's Islamists against journalists, accusing them of inflammatory coverage and inciting the public against the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest political group.

The Cairo Criminal Court on Thursday ordered Afifi held in custody and scheduled his trial for mid-September. The development sparked anger among rights groups and the Press Syndicate called for an emergency meeting.

"Insulting the president is a vague accusation that can be easily politicized," tweeted leading youth activist Wael Ghonim, a former Google executive who played a key role in Egypt's uprising last year.

"Tomorrow, when someone writes his opinion and calls Morsi a weak president ... he will be prosecuted for insulting the president," he added.

Another prominent case is that of TV presenter Tawfiq Okasha who was charged with instigating the murder of President Mohammed Morsi during a talk show aired on private el-Faraeen TV earlier this month.

The network was taken off the air and Okasha was banned from travel pending his trial in early September. Lawsuits have also been brought against chief editors of The Nation's Voice and The Dawn weeklies on similar accusations.

The Islamists, and especially the Muslim Brotherhood, have intensified their campaign against media they perceive as antagonistic, claiming they follow the former regime's agenda. The group feels empowered after Morsi in June became Egypt's first elected civilian president in modern history.

Afifi's el-Dustour regularly runs articles warning of alleged Brotherhood plots and conspiracies to turn Egypt into a fundamentalist Islamic state. It also has promoted an anti-Brotherhood demonstration for Friday, initially calling for the torching of Brotherhood offices but later toning down its call to "peaceful" rallies in Cairo.

The protest call also spurred public debate, especially after a Brotherhood cleric issued a religious edict saying that killing anti-Islamist protesters was permissible. The Brotherhood asked its young followers to come out on Friday to "protect" the group's offices from opposition protesters, escalating concerns of a possible showdown in Cairo.

The Brotherhood dominates both houses of parliament, including the upper chamber known as the Shura Council. The council controls state-owned newspapers and last month ordered the reshuffle of 50 chief editors of state papers and other outlets.

The appointment of the new editors, who are either sympathizers of the Islamists or members of the Brotherhood, sparked a wave of protests by journalists both within and outside state media. The Press Syndicate accused the Brotherhood of trying to monopolize the press and turn it into its mouthpiece.

Pro-democracy activists have shown mixed reactions to the court cases. Many defend the right of freedom of expression and deem the Islamists' practices as repressive. Others side with the Islamists and accuse journalists facing trials of spreading propaganda in the service of former regime loyalists.

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EGYPT_MEDIA?SITE=ILBLO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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What is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy? | Universal Finances | Credit Card ...

Posted on 24 August 2012. Tags: Bankruptcy, chapter 7

What is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

There are basically two types of bankruptcies. They are Re-organization and Liquidation. Chapter 7 comes under the Liquidation category. Chapter 7 allows people under bankruptcy to clear off most of their debt. Liquidation of property will be executed to pay off debts to creditors. Re-organization which is covered under Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 works on creating a better payment plan and credit terms with creditors. Chapter 7 can be used by individuals, couples, business entities or partnerships.

Things you need to know for filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Illinois

Major modifications regarding the eligibility criteria for Chapter 7 bankruptcy was brought by the 2005 Federal Bankruptcy Law. According to the law a person in debt is eligible for Chapter 7 bankruptcy if his income does not exceed the state?s median income. In the state ofIllinoisthe median income stands at $46,983 for a single earner. The median incomes for 2, 3 and 4 earner families inIllinoisstand at $59,794, $68,865 and $81,570 respectively. If you are resident ofIllinoisand are planning to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Illinois it is suggested that you avail legal assistance for a smooth execution of the process. Once you have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the court will appoint a trustee to monitor your case. You will be asked to provide a list of your debts and assets. Then a meeting will be arranged with the creditors by the trustee. Trustee will ask you questions regarding your financial status and creditors will be given the opportunity to explain their side. Although almost immediately after you file for bankruptcy, an automatic stay is issued by the court which will prevent the creditors from directly contacting you for the payment. Creditors will have to pass through the court for seeking payments.

Legal help for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Illinois

There are several attorneys in Illinois who have expertise in Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases. The technicalities of the process are not easy to grasp and it would help if you avail their service for the case. Such attorneys can explain you all the details you should know prior to filing the case. You can continue their service if you feel that a legal assistance could make things easier. The expenses for attorney depend upon the sophistication of your case. If there are not many complications most attorneys inIllinoiswill charge only a flat fee. However the case may differ if the case is more sophisticated and require more ground work.

Certain assets are exempted from liquidation by the court. The individuals filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy will be able to keep such exempted assets. However if you have considerable equity in your home there can be alterations in the liquidation process. The debts which are unlikely to be discharged by the court include student loans, Alimony and child support and certain other taxes. Unsecured debts like credit card payments, medical bills etc will be discharged by the court. The court also requires the debtor to complete a finance management class before he is discharged from debts.

What is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

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Source: http://universalfinances.com/what-is-chapter-7-bankruptcy

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Mocana raises $25M to secure the enterprise app boom ? Tech ...

Mocana, a startup that is dedicated to securing the Internet of things has raised $25 million in a Series D round led by Trident Capital. While securing devices is Mocana?s biggest business, the fastest growing product is Mocana?s solution for protecting mobile applications.

Security in the age of bring-your-own-device and the Internet of things is making life more difficult for IT managers, who have to secure not just an exploding number of devices but also the applications and software that runs on them. But that, in turn, is opening up more opportunities for companies like Mocana, a security specialist that is announcing $25 million in new funding.

Mocana?s Series D round is being led by?Trident Capital with participation from current investors?Intel Capital, Shasta, Southern Cross and Symantec. The new money, which comes on top of $22 million previously raised, will be used to help Mocana further pursue its two main lines of business.

The company works with device makers to build security into a growing array of devices, not just PCs, tablets and smartphones but all kinds of connected machines. It has more than 200 customers across five major sectors: smart grid, mobile and consumer electronics, healthcare, datacom and federal.

But the faster growing business is Mocana?s mobile application protection (MAP) tool, which allows IT managers to secure apps and set different security settings for them without having to control the underlying mobile device. That?s an increasingly important business as more enterprises look to deploy apps on employee-controlled devices.

Adrian Turner, Mocana?s CEO, told me that the MAP business accounts for 20 percent of its revenues but will claim half of the company?s business in three years.?Mocana?s MAP competes against Good Technology?s Good Dynamics, which allows?independent software developers, corporate customers and systems integrators to build and secure apps using Good Technology?s SDK.

Mocana is backed by some big security players including Intel, which bought McAfee and Symantec. Turner said their continued investment reflects the progress Mocana has made in securing smart devices and applications. I?ll be interested to see if either of them looks at Mocana as a potential acquisition target down the road. With the growth of connected devices and more apps to secure on employee machines, Mocana is likely to have plenty of business in the years to come.

Source: http://gigaom.com/2012/08/22/mocana-raises-25m-to-secure-the-enterprise-app-boom/

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