Free Republic

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel Aerospace Industries says it has signed a long-term contract with U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin to produce wings for the F-35 next-generation fighter jet. The state-owned company said Tuesday the contract is for 10 to 15 years and could generate up to $2.5 billion in sales. It says the wings will be made at an Israeli facility that already produces wings for Lockheed's F-16 warplane. The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, with an estimated cost of nearly $400 billion. The program aims to replace a wide range of existing aircraft for the U.S....

Natural gas pipeline companies have been Dorothy Ganiear's neighbor in Greene County for as long as she can remember. Pipelines from two companies poke out from the ground in twisting interchanges just over a grassy hillside from her family's 100-acre farm, but noise or accidents never have been a problem, Ganiear said. So when Virginia-based Dominion Resources Inc. offered her money this year to allow the company to run another pipeline under a corner of her Morgan Township property, Ganiear, 61, was happy to help. This is what we all have to live with in order to get the natural...

The world champion of export defends its title. In 2005 Germany exported goods worth 786,1 billion Euros. Altogether the balance of trade closed with a surplus of 160,5 billion Euros. Compared with 2004 when trade surplus was only at 156.1 billion Euros it is a plus of 7.5%. The balance of activities under regard of services was about 90,4 billon Euros. The imports to Germany also grew about 8.7% to 625,6 billion Euros. Germany is for this reason 3 times in succession the "world champion of export".

TRINITY - A third Randolph County company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce for the success of its international trade efforts. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., presented Trinity Furniture with the Export Achievement Award. "This is a success story," Coble told the audience. "And success stories don't just happen." Coble added Trinity Furniture's success is especially noteworthy in the context of the past several years of "tight times" for the country in general and the furniture industry specifically. "This is for you all. Thank you," said Jorge Lagueruela, Trinity Furniture president, to the company's 50-plus...

Things are not as bad as they seem...They are worse. Much worse.Richard DaughtyThe Mogambo GuruJanuary 16, 2003The Daily ReckoningThe latest news from the Fed is that they decreased Total Fed Credit by nine billion bucks. The reason, I can only assume, is that the banks are gagging and spitting up blood from the indigestion caused by December's astonishing $38 billion forced feeding.A most surprising development is a gigantic drop in bank lending. Nobody is borrowing from banks to finance investment, and in fact total credit is where it was in September. And the ballyhooed increased savings that Americans were supposed...