House sets Sunday session as "fiscal cliff" deadline nears

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives will return to Washington on Sunday night, just over a day before income tax rates are set to spike higher, in a last-ditch chance to avert the year-end "fiscal cliff."
Senior Republican aides confirmed that House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday told members to be back in Washington in time for a 6:30 p.m. EST (2330 GMT) legislative session on Sunday.
The House may then stay in session until January 2, the final day of the current Congress, according to a Twitter message from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
That is the day that another component of the "fiscal cliff" - $109 billion in automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs - is set to start.
The House went on recess a week ago amid a deadlock over how to resolve ways to avoid the $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that could throw the U.S. economy back into recession.
Some media outlets reported that Obama would meet with congressional leaders on Friday, but several congressional aides said no such meeting had yet been arranged.
If a meeting occurs, Obama is not expected to offer a new "fiscal cliff" solution and he is instead likely to stick to the outline he set out a week ago for a stop-gap fix, according to a senior Democratic aide.
That would include legislation to shield most Americans from any income tax increase starting on January 1, except for those households with net incomes above $250,000 a year. Obama also wants an extension of expiring benefits for the long-term unemployed.
So far, the Republicans who control the House have refused to go along with any measure that would raise income taxes on anyone.
Meanwhile, House Republican leaders held an approximately 35-minute telephone conference call with rank-and-file members on Thursday, according to one Republican aide.
"There were a lot of different members who spoke on the call. All had questions. All had comments," the aide said, refusing to elaborate.

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New York City faces $811 million budget gap in FY 2014: report

REUTERS/Jim Young
(Reuters) - New York City faces an $811 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2014 and lowered revenue projections in part because of Superstorm Sandy, the city's Independent Budget Office said on Thursday.
The city's tax revenue collections are likely to grow by just 3.4 percent in fiscal 2014 to $44.8 billion. That figure is $347 million lower than the IBO projected in May, it said.
The dimmer outlook is due to slower expected economic growth, particularly in the banking and securities industries, the IBO said. Near-term losses from Sandy, which ripped into the East Coast on October 29, also dampened projections for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2013.
In June, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council agreed on a $68.5 billion fiscal 2013 budget that spared 20 fire companies from closing and increased funding for day-care and after-school programs.
To close the projected budget gap, the city is likely to cut spending further and raise fees and fines, among other measures, according to a financial plan proposed by Bloomberg in November.
That plan includes cutting 1,340 jobs through 2014, mostly through attrition, the IBO said.
The city also expects to save $230 million in 2014 by borrowing and refinancing outstanding bonds at low interest rates.
GAP IS SMALL, BUT LABOR PROBLEMS LOOM
Even so, the gap -- which amounts to 1.6 percent of projected revenues -- is small enough to be closed largely through normal year-end accounting procedures, said IBO head Ronnie Lowenstein.
The city has not set aside money for a possible settlement in ongoing negotiations with organized labor, she said.
"There is, at this point, no money set aside in the city's labor reserve to pay retroactive wage and salary increases," she said.
Nearly all of the city's unions have been working without a current contract. The teachers' contract ran out in October 2009.
Under one settlement scenario, the city could owe wages and back pay of more than $5 billion through June 2013, the IBO's report said.
STORM COSTS UNCERTAIN
Before Sandy slammed into the U.S. East Coast, the IBO forecast the gross city product to grow at an annualized rate of 1.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 and 1.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013.
Now, the city's economic output is likely to shrink by 1.0 percent at the end of 2012 and rebound with growth of 1.9 percent in the beginning of 2013 as storm victims repair homes and businesses, the IBO said.
It said Wall Street's importance as an economic driver for the city is expected to continue waning, as it has since the recession.
The financial sector will account for 26.1 percent of aggregate wage growth during from 2013 to 2016 -- compared to pre-recession levels of nearly 60 percent.
Yet New York City could be on track to gain nearly 480,000 payroll jobs from the end of 2009 through late 2016, which would be the greatest employment expansion since 1950, the IBO said.
Medicaid and public pensions cost increases are expected to slow. But spending on debt service payments and health and other benefits will rise, the IBO said.
The city's general obligation bonds are rated AA by Fitch Ratings and Aa2 by Moody's Investors Service.

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House Republicans say resigned to tax hike in fiscal cliff

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are resigned to seeing some sort of income tax increase in legislation to avoid a "fiscal cliff," but such efforts could be doomed in the absence of spending cuts, some Republican lawmakers say.
Congress and President Barack Obama are gearing up for a last-ditch attempt to avoid $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that could halt progress in the U.S. economy, which lately has been showing signs of gaining ground.
The White House said Obama will host a meeting on Friday with the four top congressional leaders - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The Republicans have a majority in the House, while Obama's Democrats control the Senate.
House Speaker John Boehner informed his 241 Republican members on Thursday that the House would come back into session late on Sunday in anticipation of possible fiscal-cliff votes.
This Sunday's session "was about the only thing decided" during a half-hour conference call among House Republicans, said Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona, who will leave the House at the year-end to join the Senate.
In an interview shortly after the phone call, Flake said Republicans in the House and Senate were resigned to seeing some sort of increase in top income-tax rates, although he did not specify a dollar threshold.
While he said he did not want to see any income tax rates go up, Flake said: "I've felt we should've moved a week or two ago to accept the top rate going up and tell the president 'congratulations.'"
The bigger problem in avoiding the fiscal cliff, Flake said, would be if Obama demanded cancellation of the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts set to begin on January 2 without alternative spending cuts to replace them.
"There will be resistance from a lot of House conservatives to a deal that does that," Flake said.
Asked if the days leading up to next Monday, December 31 could thus be fruitless, Flake said, "That is what I am afraid of."
A Senate Democratic aide did not discount the possibility of some spending cuts being included in a limited bill to avert the fiscal cliff - even if they fell far short of the $1 trillion or so in cuts over 10 years that at one point was being discussed in talks between Boehner and Obama.
'TIRED OF WAITING'
Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, who also participated in Thursday's House Republican conference call, said its overarching theme was that the Senate should take the bill passed by the House earlier this year to extend all expiring income tax rates and amend it in a way senators see fit.
The House could then either accept that measure, or amend it, and bounce it back to the Senate.
"People are tired of waiting on the Senate to do things," Cole said.
Senate Democrats counter that last July they passed a bill extending the Bush-era tax cuts - except on net household income above $250,000 a year.
Nevertheless, the Senate must still couple its tax-cut bill with Obama's request for extending jobless benefits and possibly some other budget or tax measures.
"I assume the House would want to come back on Sunday knowing that we (the Senate) were going to do something on Friday or Saturday," said Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of the Senate's Republican leadership.
House Republican leaders informed their members that the chamber could stay in session dealing with the fiscal cliff through Wednesday, January 2 - the last day of the current Congress and a day before the new Congress is sworn in.
Cole said Boehner "made very apparent he is not interested in passing a bill that didn't have a majority of Republicans" supporting it.
But Cole said this was "not quite as elusive to achieve" as many people thought. He said Boehner had "over 200 votes" out of 241 Republicans for his failed "Plan B" - a bill extending lower tax rates except for millionaires - which everyone knew would not become law.
Thus, a bill with prospects of being enacted could attract more support, Cole suggested.
If a new bill came to the House floor to raise taxes on upper incomes, Boehner could force passage with a combination of Democratic and Republican votes.
With public opinion polls showing that Republicans would get most of the blame if the country were to go over the fiscal cliff, some House Republicans have become nervous about their political fortunes.
Both Flake and Cole told Reuters that during Thursday's conference call, some Republicans urged Boehner to bring the House back to Washington sooner than Sunday - a request Flake described as being aimed at improving the "optics" of House Republicans being absent from Washington so close to the December 31 deadline.
But Boehner stuck with his promise to give members at least 48 hours notice of a return.
Cole remained upbeat about a positive end to the fiscal-cliff mess that has gripped Washington for two months now.

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Taxes rising for most people despite fiscal deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — While the tax package that Congress passed New Year's Day will protect 99 percent of Americans from an income tax increase, most of them will still end up paying more federal taxes in 2013.
That's because the legislation did nothing to prevent a temporary reduction in the Social Security payroll tax from expiring. In 2012, that 2-percentage-point cut in the payroll tax was worth about $1,000 to a worker making $50,000 a year.
The Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington research group, estimates that 77 percent of American households will face higher federal taxes in 2013 under the agreement negotiated between President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans. High-income families will feel the biggest tax increases, but many middle- and low-income families will pay higher taxes too.
Households making between $40,000 and $50,000 will face an average tax increase of $579 in 2013, according to the Tax Policy Center's analysis. Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 will face an average tax increase of $822.
"For most people, it's just the payroll tax," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.
The tax increases could be a lot higher. A huge package of tax cuts first enacted under President George W. Bush was scheduled to expire Tuesday as part of the "fiscal cliff." The Bush-era tax cuts lowered taxes for families at every income level, reduced investment taxes and the estate tax, and enhanced a number of tax credits, including a $1,000-per-child credit.
The package passed Tuesday by the Senate and House extends most the Bush-era tax cuts for individuals making less than $400,000 and married couples making less than $450,000.
Obama said the deal "protects 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small business owners from a middle-class tax hike. While neither Democrats nor Republicans got everything they wanted, this agreement is the right thing to do for our country."
The income threshold covers more than 99 percent of all households, exceeding Obama's claim, according to the Tax Policy Center. However, the increase in payroll taxes will hit nearly every wage earner.
Social Security is financed by a 12.4 percent tax on wages up to $113,700, with employers paying half and workers paying the other half. Obama and Congress reduced the share paid by workers from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent for 2011 and 2012, saving a typical family about $1,000 a year.
Obama pushed hard to enact the payroll tax cut for 2011 and to extend it through 2012. But it was never fully embraced by either party, and this time around, there was general agreement to let it expire.
The new tax package would increase the income tax rate from 35 percent to 39.6 percent on income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for married couples. Investment taxes would increase for people who fall in the new top tax bracket.
High-income families will also pay higher taxes this year as part of Obama's 2010 health care law. As part of that law, a new 3.8 percent tax is being imposed on investment income for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000.
Together, the new tax package and Obama's health care law will produce significant tax increases for many high-income families.
For 2013, households making between $500,000 and $1 million would get an average tax increase of $14,812, according to the Tax Policy Center analysis. Households making more than $1 million would get an average tax increase of $170,341.

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Global stocks, commodities rise on U.S. fiscal deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global stocks jumped 2 percent or more and commodities rallied on Wednesday after U.S. legislators struck a deal to halt a round of automatic fiscal tightening that threatened to push the world's largest economy into recession.
The deal reached on Tuesday to avert the "fiscal cliff" put off the immediate pain of income tax hikes for almost all U.S. households but did nothing to resolve other political impasses on the budget that loom in coming months, including the debt ceiling.
Oil prices pared some gains but Wall Street rallied at the close, with the benchmark S&P 500 posting its best day in more than a year. The CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX <.vix>, a gauge of investor anxiety, dropped 18.5 percent to 14.68 at the close. The VIX has fallen 35.4 percent over the past two sessions.
The markets' reaction to the U.S. budget deal was a "sigh of relief that a recession in the world's largest economy has been averted," said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York.
Copper rose to its highest in more than two months, while silver and platinum group metals also rose sharply. The S&P 500 achieved its biggest one-day gain since December 20, 2011, pushing the index to its highest close since September 14.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> closed up 308.41 points, or 2.35 percent, at 13,412.55. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 36.23 points, or 2.54 percent, at 1,462.42. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> gained 92.75 points, or 3.07 percent, at 3,112.26.
Still, the rally may be short-lived. Spending cuts of $109 billion in military and domestic programs were only delayed for two months, and a fight over the limit for U.S. government debt also looms.
"There was the fiscal cliff euphoria, but the markets are a little overdone and people realize you still have the debt ceiling battle, social security taxes going up and dealing with spending sequestration and budget cuts," said Mark Waggoner, president at Excel Futures Inc.
The deal boosted investors' appetite for riskier assets and depressed the U.S. dollar against major currencies. Brent crude oil hit an 11-week high of nearly $113 per barrel and gold prices rose nearly 1 percent.
Brent February crude rose $1.36 to settle at $112.47 a barrel, after reaching $112.90. U.S. crude for February delivery rose $1.30 to settle at $93.12 a barrel.
The vote in Congress removed a major uncertainty hanging over markets, but some analysts cautioned that the optimism could fade if U.S. economic data later this week, including the December payroll report, disappoints.
U.S. manufacturing expanded slightly in December, bouncing back from an unexpected contraction the prior month, according to an industry report released on Wednesday.
The MSCI all-country world equity index <.miwd00000pus> rose 2.05 percent. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.fteu3> closed 2.1 percent higher at 1157.40.
In currency markets, the euro retreated after reaching a two-week high earlier in the session to trade down 0.15 percent at 1.3183. The U.S. dollar rose 0.06 percent against a basket of major currencies <.dxy>.
Prices of safe-haven government debt fell. Germany's Bund future posted its biggest daily fall since early September, settling down 1.57 points at 144.07.
Yields on U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury notes hit a more than three-month high, with the price falling 24/32 to yield 1.8406 percent.
Venezuela's U.S. dollar-denominated sovereign bonds rallied across the yield curve on Wednesday in a sign of increased appetite for risk. The benchmark 2027 Global bond gained 1.536 points in price to bid 99.79, yielding 9.273.
The Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB index <.trjcrb> of 19 commodities rose 0.85 percent, with metals dominating gains.

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Swiss bank to pay $57.8M in US tax evasion plea

NEW YORK (AP) — Switzerland's oldest bank became the first foreign bank to plead guilty in the United States to tax charges when it admitted Thursday that it helped American clients hide more than $1.2 billion from the Internal Revenue Service.
Wegelin & Co., founded in 1741, entered the plea in federal court in Manhattan, agreeing to pay $20 million in restitution to the IRS, a $22 million fine and an additional $15.8 million, representing the gross fees earned by the bank on the undeclared accounts of U.S. taxpayers between 2002 and 2011. U.S. authorities said the money, combined with an April forfeiture of more than $16.2 million by the bank, meant the U.S. had recovered about $74 million.
The bank had been accused of helping at least 100 U.S. clients conceal large sums of money from the federal tax collection agency in overseas accounts.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said the bank became a haven for U.S. taxpayers looking to cheat on taxes through secret off-shore accounts.
"The bank willfully and aggressively jumped in to fill a void that was left when other Swiss banks abandoned the practice due to pressure from U.S. law enforcement," Bharara said.
He called it a "watershed moment in our efforts to hold to account both the individuals and the banks — wherever they may be in the world — who are engaging in unlawful conduct that deprives the U.S. Treasury of billions of dollars of tax revenue."
Wegelin, headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland, said in a statement that it had cooperated with the probe "within the bounds allowed for by Swiss law" since learning that it was under U.S. investigation.
U.S. authorities said Wegelin had no branches outside Switzerland but accessed the U.S. banking system through a correspondent bank account that it held at UBS AG in Stamford, Conn.
Prosecutors said Wegelin in 2008 and 2009 opened and serviced dozens of new accounts for U.S. taxpayers as it tried to capture clients lost by UBS after word surfaced that that UBS was being investigated for helping U.S. taxpayers evade taxes and hide assets in Swiss bank accounts.
Wegelin employees told U.S. taxpayer-clients that their undeclared accounts would not be disclosed to U.S. authorities because the bank had a long tradition of secrecy, prosecutors said. They added that the employees persuaded U.S. taxpayer-clients to move money from UBS to Wegelin by claiming that, unlike UBS, Wegelin did not have offices outside of Switzerland and would be less vulnerable to U.S. law enforcement.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said, Wegelin took additional steps to hide the accounts, including by putting them in the names of sham corporations and foundations formed under the laws of jurisdictions that included Hong Kong and Panama and by using code names and numbers to minimize references to the actual names of U.S. taxpayers on Swiss bank documents. They said the bank also was careful not to send account statements to U.S. clients in the United States and corresponded with clients through private email accounts.
In February 2009, UBS entered a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. authorities and agreed to pay $780 million in fines, penalties, interest and restitution.

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D.H. Clark/I.B. Long Pen New Book, ‘A Grasp for Life”

Tilton, NH (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
The new book “A Grasp for Life: The continuing story of Howard Walker” (published by iUniverse) by D.H. Clark/I.B. Long tells the tale of Howard Walker, a man looking to find what many take for granted: the love of a family.
Howard’s story tells of his ups and downs in life as he struggles to grasp the life that had been taken from him as a young boy. The authors tells of his life in the military, later marrying and continuing through the normalcy of life, finally finding a place in a loving family, something that had allured him since the state removed him and his siblings from his home.
An excerpt from the opening of “A Grasp for Life”:
“Howard D. Walker has grown into a handsome young man who has been drafted in the U.S. Army and he finds love and romance. It is during their marriage that they find there are many bumps in the road. Howard finds himself reflecting back on his childhood life while his wife Sueanne takes her loneliness into the arms of a friend. Howard is tossed back and forth from army to navy to army again as he searches for a grasp of life.”
“I believe that there have been many families torn apart in their youth who have tried to find their way in searching for the safety and comfort of a loving family,” Clark explains.
“A Grasp for Life”

By D.H. Clark/I.B. Long

Softcover | 5 x 8 in | 312 pages | ISBN 9781475954913 |

E-Book | 312 pages | ISBN 9781475954920 |

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author

Born in Concord, N.H., on September 28th, 1945, D.H. Clark/I.B. Long is a disabled veteran. He has three brothers and one sister. His interests are in the space program, and he has written books on each mission. He is also author of "Behind the Chain linked Fence." He is married and lives at the New Hampshire veteran’s home in Tilton, N.H.
iUniverse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is the leading book marketing, editorial services, and supported self-publishing provider. iUniverse has a strategic alliance with Indigo Books & Music, Inc. in Canada, and titles accepted into the iUniverse Rising Star program are featured in a special collection on BarnesandNoble.com. iUniverse recognizes excellence in book publishing through the Star, Reader’s Choice, Rising Star and Editor’s Choice designations—self-publishing’s only such awards program. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, iUniverse also operates offices in Indianapolis. For more information or to publish a book, please visit iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS. For the latest, follow @iuniversebooks on Twitter.

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Reverse Cell Phone Lookup Annual Plans Now Offered at Cell Phone Registry

Reverse cell phone lookup annual plans are now offered online at the CellPhoneRegistry.com website. This company has enabled this new and unlimited search feature to provide an alternative to Caller ID or single number searches for mobile numbers online.

San Francisco, California (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
Reverse cell phone lookup services are not new online although one company has improved the cost of these services. The Cell Phone Registry is one of the largest databases online for cell and landline phone numbers. This company has enabled a new annual search plan that provides 365 days of unlimited usage. Adults that use this system can pay a small annual fee for this service instead of single number searches.
Millions of landline and cell phone numbers now exist in the United States according to telecom data. Many people use both phone types for communication purposes. Some individuals operate businesses or use phones for texting or other purposes.
Since some cell phone data is private, traditional Caller ID services could be lacking in the amount of details provided. The new unlimited search plan online is helping to deliver more phone data.
A person that uses this updated database search plan now has the option to print a report that could include information not readily found online. Many of the records include first and last name, former mailing address, telephone carrier information and the age of a phone user. This data can be useful to adults that perform searches for verification or discovery purposes.
The Cell Phone Registry company now has one of the largest online-only databases that can be used for a reverse phone search. Over 218 million landline numbers are included as well as 200 million cell phone numbers. These records included published and unpublished numbers that can be accessed through this search system online. This secure system an be accessed 365 days a year.
About Cell Phone Registry
The Cell Phone Registry company launched its online search tool in 2009 and has updated its records on a regular basis for the past 4 years. Millions of public records can now be searched by adult users in hopes of finding information about the owner of a phone number. The cell, unpublished and landline records that are offered can be reviewed privately online. The Cell Phone Registry company provides one of the only annual plans found for reverse phone number lookup services currently online. The data that is generated by this company complies with all FCC legislation.

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Author Marionette Simmons Announces the Release of “Life's Challenges, Experiences and Blessings”

HAMILTON PARISH, Bermuda (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
In her book of poetry “Life's Challenges, Experiences and Blessings” (published by Trafford Publishing), Marionette Simmons looks back on her life in a series of heartfelt poems.
“Life's Challenges, Experiences and Blessings” is a collection of Simmons’ poetry, expressing a lifetime of emotional records in verse. She explores such topics as God’s plan, destiny and purpose, inspiration and even writing as a topic. She dedicates an entire section to mothers, specifically her mom. Throughout the book she drops in lighthearted poems, humorous poems, inspirational poems and poems about faith and glory. Ultimately, “Life's Challenges, Experiences and Blessings” is meant to allow readers to enjoy the journey she has taken throughout her life.
An excerpt from “Life's Challenges, Experiences and Blessings” from the poem “The Characteristics of a Mother”:
A mother’s touch, so soft and sweet

It’s almost like a gentle breeze

A mother’s hand so firm but loving

As she disciplines her seed
A mother’s love unlike no other

Always felt, even if it’s not expressed

A mother’s heart always yearning

For her child to have the very best
Simmons hopes to reach a wide audience with “Life's Challenges, Experiences and Blessings.” “I think this book will appeal to readers because it touches many areas of people’s lives,” she says. “Their emotions, morals, beliefs and above all it also allow them to laugh in the midst of adversity.”
About the Author

Marionette Simmons has been writing since she was a teenager, and she considers writing a means of expressing herself without hesitation or judgment from others. Her tourism essay won second place in a competition in her home island of Bermuda, and she has had work featured in a book at Bermuda College writer’s club. She was chosen to participate in “Who’s Who in Poetry,” and she considers the publication of “Life's Challenges, Experiences and Blessings” to be one of her greatest accomplishments. Simmons is the mother of one daughter, Kelly. She lives in Hamilton Parish, Bermuda, where she is eagerly looking forward to publishing a second book.
Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, Inc. author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an “on-demand publishing service,” and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Trafford’s experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 1-888-232-4444 or visit trafford.com.

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Garcinia Cambogia Sales Online Rise in 2013 Reports iTrustNews.com

Garcinia Cambogia sales have increased online in 2013 according to an iTrustNews.com report report. The resolutions that many men and women make for the New Year have helped to increase sales of this new product that has been recently released for sale in the U.S.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
The iTrustNews.com company has released a new report that details how the sales of Garcinia Cambogia have increased in 2013. This product was released in the U.S. early last year and is in use by men and women according to the report. Retail sales in the U.S. typically spike in the New Year for fitness and wellness related products. This published report reveals how some retailers are discounting the prices for many fitness related products online.
Health and wellness manufacturers frequently release new products during the summer months and before the first of the year. The winter months in many U.S. states are a time for men and women to focus on improving things like health, weight and overall wellness according to the new report.
The discounts that some retailers offered for the holiday season are scheduled to continue for select fitness related products online according the report.
Part of living healthier for some people means adding more fruits, vegetables or vitamin sources to a daily eating routine. Not all people are able to maintain a strict dietary plan through the year and typically can seek other measures for assistance. The iTrustNews.com report details the differences in some wellness and health related options online that are now discounted by some retailers.
The new report published online is now part of a series of reports and guides that help introduce new products, services and news to consumers. The iTrustNews.com website employs a team of researchers, writers and editorial staff who locate consumer-friendly information to provide this data to men and women that make purchases online. The discounts, product announcements and one-time only incentives are now published daily to the company website.
About iTrustNews
The iTrustNews company created its website in 2011 as one online resource for consumers to find the latest in independent news. Advancements to the company strategies in 2012 helped to create a product reviews and reports section online. Apart from the writing, publishing and syndication of news a new series of reports are online. The iTrustNews company now locates some of the best discounts on products that are not always advertised to help men and women shopping online. This company has improved its delivery of consumer information and is now one of the largest sources for independent news and consumer reviews in the media category online.

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Wedding Photography Website Now Connects Couples with Photographers Online

A wedding photography website is now connecting couples with expert photographers online at WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com. This new directory launched in 2013 provides a new resources for professionals and clients to meetup to discuss packages, services and pricing online.

Albany, New York (PRWEB) January 04, 2013
Couples that search for wedding photography and professionals that provide services can now be connected together with a new directory online. The WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com website has launched its new directory for 2013. This resource provides marketing services to photographers with a free or premium directory package. Brides-to-be can use this directory to find talented photographers instantly. More information can be found at http://weddingphotographyquotes.com/add-listing.
Photographers generally use referrals to obtain future work. The wedding industry is one area that many choose due to the flexibility in scheduling and monetary gains available. Traditional advertising methods like phone directories and offline advertisements can be expensive and produce lower than expected results.
The launch of the highly trafficked WeddingPhotographyQuotes.com website is now helping to provide resources for professionals and freelancers online.
Couples can now search this online directory and use the state specific search system. Brides-to-be that live outside of metropolitan areas can often find a shortage of professionals. This new directory now offers one of the most complete solutions online that allows instant networking between professionals and new clients. Immediate contact information is provided and direct negotiations can be obtained without third party approval.
The new directory listings offer more than a simple list of professionals available. For studios and freelancers, new marketing services are now offered that take place away from the company website. These additional solutions are part of the pro directory listing plans that are offered. Video marketing, search engine marketing and publicity are now offered through this online resource.
About Wedding Photography Quotes
The Wedding Photography Quotes website first launched in 2010 and has been providing accurate photograph package pricing to brides-to-be for over 24 months. New additions to the company website in 2013 have helped to open up the doors of opportunity for professionals. The company created directory is now available to help connect more clients with photographers online. The Wedding Photography Quotes company now provides one of the largest online resources dedicated to the wedding industry that helps couples and professionals equally.

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Oracle sees third-quarter profit of 64 to 68 cents per share

BOSTON (Reuters) - Oracle Corp, the world's No. 3 software maker, said it expects to report non-GAAP earnings per share of 64 cents to 68 cents in its fiscal third quarter.
Oracle forecast that third-quarter new software sales and cloud subscriptions sales will rise 3 percent to 13 percent from a year earlier.
The company said its sees third-quarter hardware products sales flat to down 10 percent from a year ago.
Chief Executive Larry Ellison said he expects hardware systems revenue to start growing from the fiscal fourth quarter.
Oracle President Mark Hurd said that Oracle is gaining share against SAP in Europe.

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Oracle beats outlook, shrugs off fiscal debate

BOSTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Technology giant Oracle Corp said software sales growth will stay strong into the new year despite fears that there could be big tax hikes and U.S. government spending cuts that could cause a slump in spending by customers.
Shares of the world's No. 3 software maker rose 1.3 percent after it reported fiscal second-quarter revenue and earnings that surpassed Wall Street forecasts.
Oracle President Safra Catz told investors that businesses were still looking to spend money already allocated to 2012 technology budgets.
"Folks want to close deals," she told analysts on a conference call following the earnings release on Tuesday. There has been "no negative impact on pricing. Pricing remains very good for us."
Oracle said software sales would grow 3 to 13 percent this quarter, which runs through February. It expects fiscal third-quarter hardware products sales to be flat to down 10 percent from a year ago.
The company's software and hardware forecasts were roughly in line with Wall Street expectations, according to FBR Markets analyst Daniel Ives.
Oracle reported that software sales and cloud software subscriptions rose 17 percent from a year earlier to $2.4 billion in its fiscal second quarter ended November 30.
It had forecast that new software sales would climb 5 to 15 percent from a year earlier, when it last reported earnings on September 20.
"I would call it an early Christmas present," Ives said. "It's a positive sign for the overall technology sector."
Investors pay close attention to new software sales because they generate high-margin, long-term maintenance contracts and are an important gauge of the company's future profits.
Oracle posted a second-quarter profit, excluding items, of 64 cents per share, beating the average analyst forecast of 61 cents according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Jefferies & Co analyst Ross MacMillan said Oracle's results are encouraging for other makers of business software, many of which end their quarter on December 31.
OFF A CLIFF
Some investors have worried that corporations would postpone spending on technology projects because of uncertainty over the year-end deadline for Congress and U.S. President Barack Obama to reach a compromise to thwart an automatic rise in tax rates and government spending cuts.
Failing to reach a deal, economists say, could lead to another U.S. recession. Catz said Oracle's customers are still spending on software.
"What's going on in Washington - I don't know who it's necessarily influencing today. But I can tell you, our customers have been spending money with us even here in December."
On Tuesday, Oracle forecast earnings per share in the current fiscal third quarter of 64 to 68 cents, excluding items. That was about level with an average forecast for 66 cents.
"It tells you that there's still money being spent by enterprises on software. It's not like the world has ground to a halt," MacMillan said.
The picture was not so bright for Oracle's troubled hardware division, which it acquired with its $5.6 billion purchase of Sun Microsystems in January 2010. The division's revenue has fallen every quarter since it closed that deal.
Hardware systems product sales fell 23 percent from a year earlier to $734 million. Oracle had forecast that hardware sales would drop between 8 and 18 percent.
Chief Executive Larry Ellison told analysts he expected hardware systems revenue to start growing in the fiscal fourth quarter which begins March 1.

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BofA CEO: Fed wants bank to show consistent earnings

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp needs to show the U.S. Federal Reserve it can produce consistent earnings as part of the annual process to gain permission to return more capital to shareholders, CEO Brian Moynihan said in an interview.
The second-largest U.S. bank is turning a profit in most of its main businesses, but it inherited costly legal problems when it acquired companies during the financial crisis, including subprime mortgage lender Countrywide Financial.
In the third quarter, Bank of America reported only a nominal profit after reaching a $2.4 billion settlement with investors to resolve claims it hid crucial information from shareholders when it bought investment bank Merrill Lynch & Co.
Moynihan declined to comment on whether the bank's capital plan, which is due to the Fed by January 7, will include any proposed share buybacks or increases in dividends. Moynihan suffered a major embarrassment in 2011 when the Fed rejected the bank's request to increase its quarterly dividend, which has been stuck at just one penny per share since the financial crisis.
The Fed has been evaluating capital plans as part of its supervision of bank holding companies and under provisions in the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. It is unclear whether the Fed would approve any request for an increased dividend or share buybacks next year. A Fed spokesperson declined to comment.
"The element that is sort of unique to us is the predictability of the earnings stream," Moynihan said in an interview in his Charlotte, North Carolina, office. "We are working to get through that."
Other banks have demonstrated their ability to earn money more consistently. JPMorgan Chase & Co's quarterly profit, for example, hasn't fallen below $3.7 billion in the past year, even as it has taken losses on disastrous credit derivative trades.
Investors and analysts are hopeful that Bank of America's legal problems will die down soon. Its stock price has more than doubled this year, partly on expectations that the bank will increase its dividend and buy back more stock after the Federal Reserve reviews its capital plans this spring.
Analysts at Atlantic Equities on Tuesday said they expect Bank of America to buy back $4 billion of its own shares in 2013 and $10 billion in 2014, which would be its first buybacks since 2007.
The bank has "made a lot of progress" on legal issues, Moynihan said, but he acknowledged that the company is still working through lawsuits and investor demands to buy back soured mortgages the bank sold off during the housing boom.
In recent weeks, the bank's dispute with insurer MBIA Inc over mortgage-related claims has heated up, with Bank of America filing a new lawsuit last week against the insurer. The legal tussle with MBIA has dragged on, even as Bank of America has worked out settlements with other insurers of mortgage-backed securities issued by Countrywide.
Moynihan said the bank will settle the MBIA dispute if it can reach an agreement that is reasonable for shareholders but otherwise it is ready to litigate the matter.
The bank's shares closed Tuesday at $11.35, up 3.2 percent for the day. The shares are the best performer in the Dow Jones industrial average this year, after falling the most in 2011.
HEALING
In an effort to improve earnings, Moynihan is aiming to cut costs by $8 billion annually by mid-2015 through a program called Project New BAC, including 30,000 layoffs that have been under way since September 2011. Bank of America had noninterest expenses of $76.5 billion in 2011.
In addition, Bank of America expects to eventually reduce costs in its unit that serves delinquent mortgage customers to about $500 million per quarter from about $3.4 billion in the third quarter. If delinquent mortgages continue to fall, that saving should be achieved in 2015, if not sooner, Moynihan said.

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Top UBS shareholder pins rebound hopes on private wealth

UBS's wealth management business will help it bounce back from a $1.5 billion rap for rigging interest rates, one of its largest investors said, although fears of costly civil lawsuits could cast a pall over its shares for some time.
Paras Anand, European equities head at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, said legal action sparked by the Libor scandal posed an unpredictable threat to the bank's near-term earnings, even if its core private banking franchise escaped permanent harm.
"The big unknown factor is the civil litigation that could follow on as a result of this...That is one thing at the back of our minds that we have to be cognizant of," Anand said in an interview with Reuters.
"The issue for shareholders is the challenge of pricing that risk in. The potential costs are too unquantifiable and indeed, it's unclear as to whether they will actually manifest or not."
Switzerland's largest bank was hit with the fine on Wednesday after admitting to fraud, paying bribes to brokers and "pervasive" manipulation of global benchmark interest rates by dozens of its staff.
UBS shares were trading 1.3 percent higher at 9:01 a.m. ET, as investors looked forward to the end of a scandal-filled chapter in the bank's history and a renewed focus on managing cash on behalf of rich clients, rather than so-called 'casino' investment banking.
"There's clearly been a backlash against big faceless financial entities but a private bank has big personal relationships with its customers ... These kinds of institutions are surprisingly resilient," Anand said.
"We have seen some awful scandals in businesses much weaker than UBS and they manage to survive," he added.
Fidelity owns around 45 million shares in UBS, equivalent to around 1.2 percent of the bank, and is its fifth largest institutional owner excluding sovereign wealth funds, according to Thomson Reuters data.

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Drugs group Lundbeck's shares hit by profit warning

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Shares in Danish drugs firm Lundbeck fell to their lowest level in over 12 years on Wednesday after it cut its profits forecast for the next two years as European sales slow and spending on new products rise to combat generic competition.
The company has already warned that earnings would stall until 2015 due to cheap generic competition for its existing drugs, meaning new products will be vital for future earnings.
But Chief Executive Ulf Wiinberg said on Wednesday that the negative impact on revenue from healthcare reforms in Europe had also been bigger than expected in the last two years and that slowing European sales and generic competition were hurting.
As a result the company said operating profits would fall further than previously forecast in 2014 as it increases investments in its late-stage drugs development pipeline and product launches.
Lundbeck is working to find new drugs to replace lost revenue from products coming off patent protection such as its antidepressant Cipralex, which is sold as Lexapro in the United States and Japan, and Alzheimer's drug Ebixa.
Wiinberg said 2014 would be the company's peak investment year for the new products pipeline, offering it a solid foundation for growth starting in 2015.
"You only get one chance to launch a product and we have to do it well," Wiinberg said at a briefing for investors.
He was commenting after the company warned in a statement that it now expects revenue in 2014 of about 14 billion Danish crowns ($2.5 billion) and an operating profit of between just 0.5 billion and 1 billion crowns.
Analysts have on average been forecasting a profit of over 2.5 billion crowns for 2014 on turnover of over 14.7 billion crowns, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S Estimates.
Two years ago Lundbeck predicted its annual revenues over the period 2012-2014 would exceed 14 billion crowns a year while earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) would exceed 2 billion crowns a year.
Next years' revenue is now forecast to be in the range of 14.1 billion and 14.7 billion crowns to produce an operating profit of 1.6 billion to 2.1 billion crowns, with no change to the company's forecast for 2012.
Analysts' forecasts for this year are for operating profit to drop 41 percent to 1.99 billion crowns on revenue down 8 percent at 14.7 billion crowns, while for 2013 they predict a profit of 2.26 billion crowns on revenue of 14.5 billion crowns.
Lundbeck's shares were trading down 17 percent at 79.90 crowns at 12.44 p.m. British time, dropping below 80 crowns for the first time since April 2000.
"In the short term, earnings are under pressure," Sydbank analyst Soren Hansen said.
Lundbeck said that it expects a dividend payout ratio of about 35 percent of net profits in the 2012-14 period. Last year it paid 3.49 crowns on basic earnings per share of 11.64 crowns, a payout ratio of 30 percent.
Analysts have been predicting a 27-30 percent cut this year to 2.53-2.28 crowns, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.
But a number of analysts doubt that revenue from new products will be enough to secure revenue growth in 2015, compensating for lost revenue from Cipralex, Lexapro and Ebixa which together accounted for about 70 percent of group revenue in 2011.
Lundbeck is working on new products such as antidepressant Brintellix in Europe and the United States for launch at the end of next year or start of 2014, as well as alcohol dependency treatment Selincro in Europe in mid 2013.
"It is difficult to see revenue from the smaller products compensating for the large products," said Hansen.

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Joint Aid Management (JAM) Launches its 2013 Public Awareness Campaign With a Spectacular Digital Billboard in Times Square

Joint Aid Management (JAM) just unveiled a full motion 20 x 26 foot LED screen located at 42nd Street in Times Square. The spectacular billboard will be promoting JAM and asking viewers for a $50 donation to feed and educate one African child for an entire year. The board will run :15 seconds of every hour, every day from now until the end of March 2013.

New York, New York (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
“This is an incredible opportunity for JAM,” said Peter Pretorius, Founder and CEO. “Times Square is the media epicenter of the world and this gives us the unparalleled chance to create awareness of the work we are accomplishing in Africa.”
Times Square is certainly one of the most highly trafficked public places in the world and digital billboards are key attractions for the millions who pass through each day. The spectacular board is the CBS Super Screen located at 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue right in the heart of the Times Square Plaza.
On a normal day 1.5 million people pass through Times Square, but coupled with increased holiday traffic, the board will be viewed by millions more as the famous New Year's Eve Ball descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square. Millions more viewers might catch a glimpse of the billboard while viewing the festivities on TV throughout the world.
“This is the perfect medium to kick off our 2013 Public Awareness Campaign,” said Pretorius. “Our target is to feed one million children. This advertising campaign may help us achieve that goal.”
Joint Aid Management (JAM) is a South African founded registered non-profit, Christian humanitarian relief and development organization with 28 years of experience in relief and sustainable development.
JAM's programs focus on nutritional feeding within schools, assistance to orphans and vulnerable children, the provision of water and sanitation, as well as skills development, community training on agricultural development, income generation projects and HIV/AIDS programming. JAM strongly believes that without education, there can be no development. Effective education is only attained through the quality of schooling and most importantly, adequate nutrition, which allows a child to effectively focus, retain, and apply what is being learned. JAM currently assists 750,000 children through nutritional feeding programs, health and social welfare programs.

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The Made In America Store Introduces Soap Lifts From Sea Lark Enterprises

The all American made products store introduces an innovative but simple product for your bathroom or kitchen. The Soap Lift from Sea Lark Enterprises brings a new way to keep your bars of soap clean and in place.

Elma, New York (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
Soap Lifts from Sea Lark Enterprises offers an alternative to keeping bars of soap clean and each one is 100% US manufactured. The Made In America Store, a shop dedicated to selling all American made products, has brought Sea Lark in to expand their Home & Living department.
Find 100% US manufactured products from over 300 vendors all in one place, the Made In America Store.
The Soap Lifts from Sea Lark Enterprises are made with a durable, recyclable, multi-directional material that allows water to drain and to flow beneath the bar of soap. The design of the Soap Lift lets the air flowing through the Soap Lift to dry the soap and the porous design allows any excess water to drain, this combination increase the life of the bar of soap. Additionally, the Soap Lifts come in a wide variety of colors that are sure to match anyone’s theme or color scheme. Colors of Soap Lifts include White, Bone, Grey, Sage, Crystal, Tan, Brown, Black, Raspberry, Green, Blue, Red and Seaside Blue.
Consumers can get their Soap Lifts from Sea Lark Enterprises at the Made In America Store Website.
“Bar soaps sit high, stay dry and last longer!” says a Sea Lark Enterprises representative.
The Made In America Store is the only brick and mortar store that sells 100% made in the United States products from over 350 vendors. Consumers can visit http://www.MadeInAmericaStore.com or call 716-652-4872 to get more information or shop our catalog of over 3,500 items. Both Active Duty Military Personnel and U.S. Military Veterans receive a 10% discount every day. Followers of the “Made In America” movement can keep updated with the Made In America Store through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, FourSquare and even their own blog on Wordpress!

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The Made In America Store Introduces Soap Lifts From Sea Lark Enterprises

The all American made products store introduces an innovative but simple product for your bathroom or kitchen. The Soap Lift from Sea Lark Enterprises brings a new way to keep your bars of soap clean and in place.

Elma, New York (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
Soap Lifts from Sea Lark Enterprises offers an alternative to keeping bars of soap clean and each one is 100% US manufactured. The Made In America Store, a shop dedicated to selling all American made products, has brought Sea Lark in to expand their Home & Living department.
Find 100% US manufactured products from over 300 vendors all in one place, the Made In America Store.
The Soap Lifts from Sea Lark Enterprises are made with a durable, recyclable, multi-directional material that allows water to drain and to flow beneath the bar of soap. The design of the Soap Lift lets the air flowing through the Soap Lift to dry the soap and the porous design allows any excess water to drain, this combination increase the life of the bar of soap. Additionally, the Soap Lifts come in a wide variety of colors that are sure to match anyone’s theme or color scheme. Colors of Soap Lifts include White, Bone, Grey, Sage, Crystal, Tan, Brown, Black, Raspberry, Green, Blue, Red and Seaside Blue.
Consumers can get their Soap Lifts from Sea Lark Enterprises at the Made In America Store Website.
“Bar soaps sit high, stay dry and last longer!” says a Sea Lark Enterprises representative.
The Made In America Store is the only brick and mortar store that sells 100% made in the United States products from over 350 vendors. Consumers can visit http://www.MadeInAmericaStore.com or call 716-652-4872 to get more information or shop our catalog of over 3,500 items. Both Active Duty Military Personnel and U.S. Military Veterans receive a 10% discount every day. Followers of the “Made In America” movement can keep updated with the Made In America Store through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, FourSquare and even their own blog on Wordpress!

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Woodbridge University Features in the Top 5 Fastest Growing Online Universities

Houston, TX (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
According to a report by World Wide Academics, a global education portal, Woodbridge University is rated as the 3rd fastest growing online institute. The ranking is based on factors of academic experience, learning management system, affordability, quality and flexibility of education. The report further reveals that in the academic year of 2011-2012, Woodbridge University was chosen by nearly 18,000 students over other education providers based on its world-class faculty, quality course material, innovative learning system and affordability. Due to these factors, the university’s rating increased by 38%.
“Woodbridge University is recognized for its academic excellence and this report truly reflects that. Our faculty and administrative team works diligently towards providing superior education that is affordable and doesn’t impact the work-life balance of our students,” said Jacob Bryant, head of Student Relations. “We have been building international alliances with multinational corporations and international universities, which have been instrumental in our success. We also ensure that there is no financial burden on our students. For this sole purpose, we have a five member exclusive committee which is dedicated to monitoring and devising fee payment options, installment plans, as well as scholarships that are available to students every year. This is the primary reason that Woodbridge University is the foremost choice to acquire online education of students globally,” he added.
The University remains dedicated to providing quality education to professionals and job seekers worldwide, ensuring that they achieve their academic and professional goals. In addition to offering accredited online degrees, it provides students with numerous career center services including resume writing, career counseling and job placement.
About Woodbridge University
Woodbridge University is an internationally accredited educational institution carrying out its operations since 2008 with the aim of spreading education in all regions of the world. The University offers diploma, certificate and degree programs in various schools. Students choose Woodbridge for the flexibility and affordability that it offers to working adults. The University has a state-of-the-art learning management system as well as mobile classrooms, career center, experienced faculty, round-the-clock consultants, various fee payment options and numerous student services.

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