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WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama was left with the rare taste of failure when votes were counted on Friday, after his hometown Chicago's hopes of hosting the 2016 Olympics died in Denmark. Chicago's rejection by the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen, dealt a personal blow to Obama, who had put his glowing global prestige on the line, as a favor to the city where he nurtured his own American dream. Obama, who polls show is hugely popular outside the United States, was seen as the trump card in Chicago's pack on decision day at the IOC meeting. But...

U.S. large-loan bank losses triple to $53 billion Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:05am EDT (Reuters) - U.S. regulators say that the level of losses from syndicated loans facing banks and other financial institutions tripled to $53 billion in 2009, due to poor underwriting standards and the continuing weakness in economic conditions. According to the Shared National Credit Program (SNC) 2009 Review, an annual inter-agency report released on Thursday, credit quality deteriorated to record levels with respect to large loans and loan commitments. The Shared National Credit Program which was set up in 1977 to review large syndicated loans now reviews...

The outspoken Democrat and former presidential candidate vigorously defended Jones, who resigned in the wake of criticism over his past statements and associations -- including his past support for a group that believes the Bush administration may have been involved in the Sept. 11 attacks. "I think he was brought down," Dean told "FOX News Sunday," saying he just spoke to Jones. "I think it's a loss for the country." Dean pointed to Jones' credentials as a Yale Law School graduate and best-selling author. Though Jones signed a 2004 statement calling for an investigation into possible Bush administration involvement in...

NEW YORK: Former world number one Maria Sharapova was ousted in the third round of the US Open on Saturday, with US teen giant-killer Melanie Oudin eliminating the three-time Grand Slam champion 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Oudin, two weeks shy of her 18th birthday, will play for a berth in the quarter-finals against Russian 13th seed Nadia Petrova after her third upset of a top player in two Grand Slams. "I'm just so happy," the tearful teen said. "I just kept fighting as hard as I could. I tried as hard as I could. I just came in believing." The magical...

Carrollton couple finds support to deal with unborn son's terminal condition Editor's note: Facing death can be hardest for a family expecting new life. Perinatal hospice offers choices and resources for parents when an infant's death is imminent. "We're so grateful that God chose us to be his parents, because he is such a special little boy," Deidrea told the congregation as T.K. nodded beside her. "We're telling God, 'Thank you – thank you for this gift.' "

HORSHAM, Pa., — Toll Brothers Inc. says it lost $472.3 million in its fiscal third quarter, as the luxury homebuilder took a large tax hit. But while Toll Brothers' results were worse than analysts expected, the company is seeing signs of improvement in the industry. The builder said Thursday it lost $2.93 a share in the three months ended July 31. That compares with a loss of $29.3 million, or 18 cents a share, the same period last year. Toll Brothers sold 792 homes with revenue totaling $461.4 million. Those results were down 36 percent and 42 percent, respectively, from...

As I write this, tomorrow is Tuesday, which is a cardio day. I'll spend five minutes warming up on the VersaClimber, a towering machine that requires you to move your arms and legs simultaneously. Then I'll do 30 minutes on a stair mill. On Wednesday a personal trainer will work me like a farm animal for an hour, sometimes to the point that I am dizzy — an abuse for which I pay as much as I spend on groceries in a week. Thursday is "body wedge" class, which involves another exercise contraption, this one a large foam wedge from...

Commercial Loans to Bear Brunt of Future US Bank Losses McKinsey expects the US banking and securities industry to incur losses averaging $125 billion per quarter through 2010, with the bulk of it concentrated in commercial banking loans. McKinsey research estimates that total credit losses on US-originated debt from mid-2007 through the end of 2010 will probably be in the range of $2.5 trillion to $3 trillion, given the severity of the current recession. Some $1 trillion of these losses has already been realized, McKinsey says in a review of the banking industry. “Since US banks hold about half of...

Hear Words and MusicDo you prefer to sit and think alone Or does the silence shake you like the thunder? Can you shut out distractions like the phone? Has worry killed your sense of awe and wonder? Has loss occurred and left a gaping hole Or have setbacks left you wanting to give in? Does heartbreak have you doubting your own soul? Is the universe your enemy or friend? Do you despair each time you see your face? Do past hopes and dreams seem like a waste of time? Do you wish you were in another place? Do you wonder...

Advanta to cease new credit card lending Advanta plans to cease new credit card lending as it battles losses; shares fall On Tuesday May 12, 2009, 10:20 am EDT SPRING HOUSE, Pa. (AP) -- Advanta Corp. said late Monday it will shut down its credit card lending operations next month as it battles surging loan losses. Shares tumbled more than 6 percent, losing 7 cents to $1.06 in early trading Tuesday. Shares have dropped 88 percent over the past 12 months.

Toyota Motor, the world's top automaker, announced Friday a 4.4-billion dollar annual loss, its first ever, and warned it would plunge deeper into the red as car sales collapse during the recession. Toyota lost 765.8 billion yen (7.7 billion dollars) in the quarter to March alone, even more than General Motors, as it idled plants to ride out the biggest crisis in its more than 70-year history. (Excerpt...see rest at link)

According to press reports the IMF may allegedly be increasing its estimate of global bank losses to $4 trillion, a figure consistent with estimates by a variety of independent bank analysts Nouriel Roubini | Apr 10, 2009 A year ago this author predicted that losses by US financial institutions would be at least $1 trillion and possibly as high as $2 trillion. At that time the consensus such estimates as being grossly exaggerated as the naïve optimists had in mind about $200 billion of expected subprime mortgage losses. But, as was pointed out then in this forum, losses would rapidly...

There needs to be a scorecard somewhere that allows us to understand what is happening to us at a glance, a visual and a list of information dated and with links to the background information. The changes, loss of freedom, rights, violations of the Constitution and general crimes against the United States are coming so fast this country boy can't keep up with all of them. Most people I talk to don't know what is going on today let alone understand the cumulative effect of what is taking place. The analogy has been used of the frog in hot water...

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska, March 16, 2009 – Air Force Airman Derrick Bell has found that a lot of determination and a little help from his friends helped him meet his goal of returning to military service when it seemed that both his age and weight might have prevented it. Air Force Airman Derrick Bell, left, after he lost 115 pounds to join the Air Force Reserve’s 477th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. On right, before he spent 11 months to reaching his goal. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The 38-year-old...

General Motors awaits auditors’ verdict as losses exceed $30bn Christine Seib in New York General Motors (GM) lost almost $10 billion (£6.9 billion) in last year’s final quarter and nearly $31 billion over the whole of 2008, the stricken car company reported yesterday as it awaited advice from its auditors on whether it remained a going concern. Rick Wagoner, the chief executive of the American carmaker, met members of President Obama’s automotive task force yesterday to discuss how to save the company, which has said that it needs about $30 billion in government aid to survive. GM said in a...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Troubled US mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae said Thursday it lost almost 60 billion dollars last year and expected to suffer more losses in 2009, and asked for a further 15.2 billion dollars in government aid. The US government-controlled Fannie Mae reported a loss of 25.2 billion dollars in the fourth quarter driven mainly by the effects of a prolonged housing slump and a global financial crisis. It had a third-quarter loss of 29.0 billion dollars. For the full year of 2008, the company posted a loss of 58.7 billion dollars, almost 27 times higher than the...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Office Depot Inc. said Tuesday it lost $1.54 billion in the fourth quarter as hefty charges and sharply lower sales in North America and abroad weighed on the office supply chain. The loss was much larger than analysts expected, and Office Depot shares tumbled 20 cents, or 13.8 percent, to a 52-week low of $1.25 in morning trading. "We are disappointed with the fourth quarter results," Chief Executive Steve Odland said on a conference call with analysts. "As these times have gotten tough for our customers they have significantly cut back their spending, including their spending...

Song/poem about grief and loss. Click link to watch performance. Thank you. Please don't take my baby. To my sick child I will cling. Please don't take my baby. I would trade 'most anything. Just go 'way grim reaper With the sadness that you bring. Wake up with the night sweats To confirm my baby's here. Wake up with the night sweats Overwhelmed by pain and fear. Just go 'way grim reaper. Don't you quench your thirst for tears. Goodbye to my baby. Watch 'em put you in the grave. Goodbye to my baby. Life your doctors couldn't save. Please...

$1.1 T Potential Loan Losses Plus $700bn Securities Writedowns: How Sound Is the U.S. Banking Sector? Jan 20 Roubini/Parisi: Assuming a further 20% fall in house prices and unemployment peaking at 9%, we project total loan losses to amount to $1.6T out of $12.4T loans outstadning. Of these $1.6T loan losses, about $1.1T accrue to U.S. banks and brokers.Mark-to-market prices as of December imply around $2T in writedowns on 10.8T securities outstanding. Flow of funds data show that 40% of U.S. originated securities are held abroad. U.S. banks' share of writedowns is about 30-35%, or 600-700bn according to weights...

Deutsche Bank loses nearly 5.0 bln euros in fourth quarter by William Ickes Wed Jan 14, 8:32 am ET FRANKFURT (AFP) – Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest bank, said on Wednesday it expected to incur a massive loss of nearly 5.0 billion euros in the fourth quarter after market conditions "severely impacted" its sales and trading operations. The loss of 4.8 billion euros (6.37 billion dollars) over the final three months would result in an annual loss of around 3.9 billion euros, wiping out profits made earlier in 2008. Its shares plunged by 8.22 percent to 22.27 euros in midday Frankfurt...

Happy New Year? Not for credit card companies Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:19pm EST By Juan Lagorio NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. credit card companies have little to celebrate as many analysts brace for 2009 to be one of the worst years on record for consumer credit. Losses for the industry could top $70 billion, but it is hard to predict how bad the pain will be. U.S. consumers have never before been so deeply in debt. There was nearly $1 trillion of credit and charge card debt outstanding as of October, up more than 25 percent since 2003, according...

Johnathan G. Shibley’s letter in the Long Beach Press-Telegram (“Deregulation was culprit”) blaming a “neocon philosophy of laissez faire and deregulation” for our current financial crisis fails to account for the effects of 9/11. http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_11352019 (see letter below this post). What brought about our present financial crisis was 9/11. After 9/11 and the rise of terrorism, foreign investors were looking for a safe haven for their money. What could be safer than U.S. real estate? To avoid a major recession after 9/11, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates and stimulated huge infusions of cash into the economy. Prior to 9/11,...

Toyota to suffer 1.1 billion dollar loss for 2nd half: reports Sat Dec 13, 1:32 am ET TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese auto giant Toyota is likely to suffer a 1.1 billion dollar loss for the second half of the current fiscal year due to a stronger yen and a global industry slump, news reports said Saturday. Toyota Motor Corp. is likely to incur an operating loss of some 100 billion yen (1.1 billion dollars) for the six months to March next year, the Asahi Shimbun and Kyodo News said. It would be Totota's first interim operating loss since the company...

RAWAH, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2008 – Before Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Allan Desruisseaux could become a Marine, he had to become a loser. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Allan Desruisseaux, a telephone system and personal computer repair technician with Regimental Combat Team 5’s Provisional Rifle Platoon 3, patrols the streets of Rawah, Iraq, Dec. 4, 2008. Desruisseaux dropped from 326 pounds to his Marine Corps recruit training graduation weight of 189. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. M. Trent Lowry  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Desruisseaux lost more than 100 pounds between his first visit to a Marine Corps...

Harvard letter on its endowment /snip Harvard Management Company, using standard industry practices for valuing assets, has calculated investment losses of approximately 22 percent from July 1 through October 31. Yet even that sobering figure is unlikely to capture the full extent of actual losses for this period, because it does not reflect fully updated valuations in certain externally managed asset classes, most notably private equity and real estate. HMC expects that as we receive more comprehensive valuations in these asset classes from our external managers, the endowment will realize further declines in value. With those considerations in mind, and...

Fannie Mae reports $29 billion 3rd-quarter loss on $21.4 billion tax charge, mounting defaults Government-controlled mortgage finance company Fannie Mae said Monday it lost $29 billion in the third quarter as it took a massive tax-related charge and saw mortgage defaults continue to rise. The company, seized by federal regulators more than two months ago, warned that it if it has another dismal quarter, it may need some of the $100 billion in federal support that the government promised when it seized Fannie Mae and sibling company Freddie Mac in September. Washington-based Fannie Mae posted a loss of $13 per...

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A financial manipulation scheme cost American International Group Inc investors at least $544 million, a judge has estimated, a finding that could mean the five former executives convicted in the fraud will face lengthy prison terms when sentenced. The case is unrelated to AIG's mortgage-related losses that led to a near collapse of the company in September and an $85 billion emergency line of credit from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Four former executives at General Re Corp, a unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, and one former AIG executive were found guilty by a federal...

The Marxists of the Groucho & Chico variety are going back to Karl. With Wall Street teetering, Main Street teeming with people with pink slips in their hands and the government tightening its grip on credit, the common man is returning to the works of Karl Marx. It is understandable. He was the one who wrote to Friedrich Engels during the financial turmoil of 1857, "the American Crash is a delight to behold and it's far from over". He might have a point, yet again, in the 21st century. With no one, except for the unreconstructed left, even claiming to...

There's the "agony of defeat." And then there's this women's ice hockey score from the European Olympic pre-qualifying tournament: Slovakia 82, Bulgaria 0. That's correct: eighty-two goals for Slovakia, none for Bulgaria

Foreign Relations, Judiciary, debater, speechifier. Bo knows…the pick. Developing... 9.02AM

Britain's second largest bank expected to reveal it has lost £1 billion in first half THE Royal Bank of Scotland is poised to unveil the biggest loss in UK banking history after taking a hit of almost £6 billion from the credit crisis. Britain’s second-largest bank is this week expected to reveal a pre-tax loss of at least £1 billion for the first six months of the year, with analysts warning it could slide to as much as £1.7 billion in the red. The loss would be roughly five times higher than the deficit racked up by Barclays in 1992...

So it appears GM may be going under. They lost 15.5 billion dollars in the second quarter. So the question is: WHO'S READY FOR ANOTHER BAILOUT!?!

Quinnipiac analyst: "It’s clear that if Sen. Obama loses this November, Democrats will have to conclude that yes, in fact, their defeats are linked to their brand of politics, not their salesman’s communication skills." Of course, that's not true. If Barry loses, it's because of racism.

The world is a far, far darker place for the loss of a little black cat Pitch was a rescue cat. We went to a black cat rescue group 11 years ago to see about picking a cat, and we got picked instead. I sat down on the floor, and this little kitten with the crank in his tail came right up to me and climbed into my lap, and that was it. Originally, Pitch was supposed to be “my” cat, as much as a cat can belong to anyone. However, when we got him home, he instantly adopted my...

Investor Jim Rogers says Singapore to lose money on US banks Reuters - Wednesday, March 5 SINGAPORE, March 5 - Investment guru Jim Rogers believes that U.S. bank stocks could fall further and predicts that Singapore's state investors will lose money on their multi-billion dollar investments in Citigroup and Merrill Lynch. ADVERTISEMENT "I'm shorting investment banks on Wall Street," the long-time commodities bull told reporters on Wednesday at a launch event for ABN AMRO certificates linked to commodities. "It grieves me to see what Singapore is doing. They are going to lose money," he added, referring to investments by Government...

Asian Markets Tumble on Wall Street Drop Monday March 3, 2:16 am ET By Kelly Olsen, AP Business Writer Asian Markets Sink After Wall Street's Drop Reawakens US Recession Worries; Nikkei Drops SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Most Asian markets tumbled Monday as investors reacted nervously to a steep decline on Wall Street Friday after disappointing economic and corporate news reawakened worries about a U.S. recession. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged 4.5 percent to close at 12,992.18. Markets in Hong Kong, South Korea, India and Australia also fell sharply. However, shares in mainland China advanced. Investors across much of...

Impoverished Areas Of Africa And Asia Face Severe Crop Losses From Climate Change In 20 Years ScienceDaily (Feb. 1, 2008) — Many of the world's poorest regions could face severe crop losses in the next two decades because of climate change, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University's Program on Food Security and the Environment (FSE). "The majority of the world's 1 billion poor depend on agriculture for their livelihoods," said lead author David Lobell, a senior research scholar at FSE, which focuses on environmentally sustainable solutions to global hunger. "Unfortunately, agriculture is also the human enterprise...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2008 – For decades, mothers and wives who lost a loved one in combat had a community of others who faced similar feelings to turn to for support. Today, brothers and sisters of those killed in action have a similar support network. Karen A. Hickman, of Indiana, founded Gold Star Siblings Inc., so that siblings of deceased servicemembers had someone to lean on who understands what they’re going through. “There has never been an organization just for siblings,” she said. “Our goal is to become one voice, to reach out and help the ones trying to...

Subprime losses top '107 bil. dollars' Masami Yamamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent The amount of losses at 21 major financial institutions in Japan, Europe and the United States caused by the U.S. subprime mortgage market crisis totals 107.8 billion dollars (about 11.4 trillion yen) to date, according to calculations made Wednesday by The Yomiuri Shimbun. The scale of losses is expected to expand further as major U.S. banks and securities firms, including Merrill Lynch & Co., announce their earnings toward the end of January. In late November, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a report saying worldwide losses...

It didn't take Hillary long to re-message the campaign in the wake of her stunning third-place loss to Barack Obama and John Edwards in Iowa. Instead of insisting on change, a theme more amenable to her opponent, Hillary will instead work on the inexperience of her opponents -- and use a tack that Democrats often claim Republicans use against them. It's all about the risk: A Clinton supporter forwards the talking points the campaign dispatched to surrogates around the country, which focus on process -- that the race is a "marathon" and that she started behind in Iowa -- and...

Posted: Aug. 31, 2007 Waukesha - The worst part wasn't that Mark Stahnke woke up Monday morning in the patio chair of some neighbor he didn't know.Or that his pants were missing. The worst part was the contents of his missing pants: a cashier's check for $41,093, which he meant to give to his son, and several hundred dollars in cash that he had gotten from the bank. Stahnke still doesn't know what happened between the time he left a bar Sunday night and the time he woke up in some stranger's backyard Monday morning, but thanks to an honest...

"Nothing there," is what Case Western Reserve University physicists concluded about black holes after spending a year working on complex formulas to calculate the formation of new black holes. In nearly 13 printed pages with a host of calculations, the research may solve the information loss paradox that has perplexed physicists for the past 40 years.Case physicists Tanmay Vachaspati, Dejan Stojkovic and Lawrence M. Krauss report in the article, "Observation of Incipient Black Holes and the Information Loss Problem,” that has been accepted for publication by Physical Review D. "It's complicated and very complex," noted the researchers, regarding both the...

Tribune's revenue down 11.1% in May June 20, 2007 (AP) — Media conglomerate Tribune Co. said Wednesday its revenue fell 11.1 percent in May as advertising declined in both print and broadcast segments. The company, which owns the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and 23 television stations, said consolidated revenue for the period ended May 27 dropped to $406 million from $457 million in the prior year. Publishing revenue fell 10.3 percent to $292 million from $325 million last year, as advertising revenue fell 11.8 percent to $230 million. Circulation revenue dropped 6.2 percent on lower single-copy sales and...

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that a British soldier, from 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards, has died today, Saturday 26 May 2007, following an overnight operation in Garmsir, southern Afghanistan. A force of British soldiers left the base near Garmsir, in Helmand Province, to carry out offensive operations against the Taliban during the evening of Friday 25 May 2007. Their mission was to clear a Taliban occupied compound on the outskirts of the town. After engaging and destroying a Taliban stronghold with combined artillery, mortar and small arms fire, the force began clearing...

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2007 – Families members who have lost loved ones serving in the military are gathered here this Memorial Day weekend for a survivors’ national support group seminar. Legendary singer Pat Boone speaks with older TAPS members today at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors’ 13th Annual National Good Grief Camp for Young Survivors held in Arlington, Va. Defense Dept. photo by Gerry J. Gilmore  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Five hundred older family members and 300 young people are attending this year’s survivors’ seminars and associated events, said Bonnie Carroll, chairman of Tragedy Assistance Program...

Tomorrow will be the first Mothers' Day I have spent without Great Granny Grumbles-my beloved wife of 50 years. Please cherish those near and dear to you !

Younger generation has greater fear of loss 18:00 29 April 2007 NewScientist.com news service Zoe Smeaton Losing at the races or bingo may not be such a problem for older people, since those over 65 are less upset by loss than twenty-somethings. But they are just as glad of a win, new brain scans suggest. Gregory Larkin at Stanford University in California, US, and colleagues compared the way the over 65s respond to losing and winning, compared with people aged between 19 and 27. Participants were shown cues telling them they could either win or lose money. They had to...

Promise of the future lost amid bullets Father Raymond J. De Souza National Post: front page, section one Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Killings on campus are doubly brutal, for something also dies in those who survive, alongside the dead they mourn. Something of the campus itself dies. Thirty-two beautiful lives have been cut short. And the campus, which ought to be a place of particular beauty, no doubt seems a very cruel place to be. I heard the numbing news from Virginia Tech yesterday while in the economics department here at Queen's University, discussing a student who needs...

Within hours of the massacre of more than 30 people at Virginia Tech University, the president of the university issued his first statement on the evil that had just engulfed the college campus and concluded with this: "We're making plans for a convocation tomorrow at noon in Cassell Coliseum for the university to come together to begin the healing process from this terrible tragedy." In this photo provided by the Collegiate Times, ambulances wait on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., following multiple shootings, Monday, April 16, 2007. At least 30 people have been reported killed. (AP Photo/Collegiate Times)...

This is from the Journal Of American Medical Association published on 7 March 2007. The authors are Christopher D. Gardner, PhD et al and the study was sponsored by Stanford University. This is a prospective study of these diets. The Atkins Diet is very low carbohydrate. The LEARN DIET is a comprehensive lifestyle, excercise, attitude and relationship approach that includes a diet low in fat and high carbohydrate. The Ornish Diet is very high in carbohydrates. The Zone Diet is low in carbohydrate. These diets are popular and can be easily Googled. Seventy or more premenopausal women randomly assigned to...