LANSING - Former Governors William Milliken and James Blanchard on Wednesday renewed their pressure for state elected leaders to quickly address the 2007-08 budget problems with a five-part amalgamation of higher revenues and government restructuring. Separately, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) insisted Gov. Jennifer Granholm is obligated to "throw her fists" down with majority
LANSING - A bill protecting Michigan businesses from suffering a loss of stock market value was approved by a mostly party-line vote of the Senate on Wednesday, over objections of Democrats who complained the current-year budget issues deserve top priority. The bill does not have a budget impact until 2013, and while numbers are sketchy,
ANN ARBOR - Many factors that drive public companies to go private are evident throughout their public life ? giving two University of Michigan professors that ability to accurately predict which companies will go private 83 percent of the time. Using data from the time of the IPO to when a firm decides to go
CUPERTINO, Ca. - After protests over its decision to cut the price of the iPhone by $200, Apple will give iPhone users a $100 store credit. The company last week posted an open letter from CEO Steve Jobs on its Web site defending the decision to cut the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599
TROY - John Bailey & Associates Public Relations has signed a three-year agreement with the North American International Auto Show to continue as its public relations agency of record through 2010. The company has been the auto show's agency of record since Oct. 2001. ?As the NAIAS continues to evolve as a principle automotive event,
LANSING ? Jennifer Nash, a vice president at Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, will talk about the critical steps she took to climb the ranks to a powerful IT role at a special program presented Sept. 26 by the Michigan Council for Women in Technology. The program will be held at the University Club
CUPERTINO - With Apple widely expected to introduce new iPods later Wednesday, Microsoft has cut the price of the Zune player by $50, dropping it to $199. Microsoft announced the cut Tuesday on its ZuneInsider Web site, saying the move was part of a longstanding plan, CNET News.Com reported. The price cut, however, does coincide
WASHINGTON -- Though recent distress in financial markets has "deepened" the housing slump, the overall economy has seen little impact so far, the U.S. Federal Reserve said Wednesday. That assessment, contained in the latest beige book, suggests that while a rate cut in two weeks may still be likely, officials may not see the same
ANN ARBOR - The Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest has launched the 8th year of its business plan competition and training program for entrepreneurs statewide, with cash prizes worth $120,000. GLEQ provides Michigan's technology entrepreneurs training, coaching and investor feedback as part of its two-phase business plan competition. Phase I, which focuses on the executive summary,
LANSING - Among the proposals circulating to address deficits in the Michigan fiscal year 2007-08 budget is a constitutional amendment to increase the sales tax to 7 percent. But business groups were split Tuesday on whether that was a wise solution to the budget problems. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce has opposed the 1-cent increase,