ObamaAdministration posts
FeedPosted Oct 28th 2009 4:40PM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Good news, Employees, Economic data
When you spend $787 billion, there's a lot of pressure to show results. So, there's no surprise that success is being proclaimed across the country. States are saying that they've used the federal stimulus package money to create or save more than 388,000 jobs this year. Teachers, construction workers and other professions have realized the upside of stimulus cash according to reports from 33 states and Puerto Rico, with the remainder of the results being released on Friday.
Of course, the numbers "should be taken with a grain of salt," says Ethan Pollack of the Economic Policy Institute. The states were tasked to count the jobs created or protected, but the results have been of dubious accuracy. This doesn't mean the stats can't provide fodder to people on both sides of the aisle.
Columbia Business School's Frank Lichtenberg says the data shows a solid economic impact, and the Obama administration's Council of Economic Advisors believes the stimulus spending has taken care of between 600,000 and 1.1 million jobs.
And, there are those who disagree.
Continue reading Race to declare victory for stimulus
Posted Jul 27th 2009 9:00AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Industry, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), AT and T (T), Verizon Communications (VZ), Politics
Christine A. Varney heads up antitrust at the Department of Justice, and she's going hunting. She is the point person for a group consisting of the presidential administration and some Congressional Democrats that is looking to put the breaks on large companies in several industries.
Already, airlines have run into roadblocks when requesting relief from antitrust regulations. Varney & Co. are digging into complaints by AT&T (NYSE: ATT) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) that cable competitors – e.g., Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) – have locked them out of the market for cable company-produced programming.
(Imagine that, a phone company complaining! Usually, they're the objects of derision.)
Continue reading Antitrust orgy coming: Airlines, tech and others in sights
Posted Jun 8th 2009 10:10AM by Mark Fightmaster (RSS feed)
Filed under: JPMorgan Chase (JPM), American Express (AXP), BB and T (BBT), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), U.S. Bancorp (USB), Financial Crisis

This morning, the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected announce that some banks will be allowed to
repay the money lent to them under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Some of the banks expected to receive approval are
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:
GS),
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:
JPM),
American Express (NYSE:
AXP),
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:
MS),
State Street (NYSE:
STT) and
U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:
USB). All of these banks have expressed interest in repaying the government.
What is interesting is that there will be yet another Czar joining the White House, a "Repayment Czar," (what is the deal with the media's fascination with Russian royalty?) or as the administration will call the position, the "
Special Master for Compensation."
Continue reading Fed to okay TARP repayment for some banks, appoint a Pay Czar
Posted Feb 13th 2009 9:30AM by Sam Collins (RSS feed)
Filed under: Technical Analysis, S and P 500

On Thursday, stocks opened sharply lower, with the financial sector caught in a wave of selling. And the selling accelerated during the afternoon as it began to envelope the entire market, driving into the heart of the major support zone of the S&P 500 at 800 to 820.
With one hour left in the session, the broader index was at 810 and falling rapidly. It seemed inevitable that the day would end with a major breakdown and a rush to the November low at 752.
But a story from Reuters that the Obama administration is working on a plan to subsidize mortgage payments and stem foreclosures -- and thus, stop bank write-downs -- turned the tide.
Continue reading Today's technical outlook: Holding the line on a dramatic rebound
Posted Jan 13th 2009 6:00PM by Jamie Dlugosch (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, Deals, Good news, Stocks to Buy, Obama Picks
Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ: MDRX) is the result of the recently completed merger of Florida-based Allscripts and the health care information technology business of London-based Misys.
The nearly ill-fated merger finally closed late in 2008, after having to be restructured following the untimely demise of Lehman Brothers, the architect of the original merger plans.
The merger with Misys places the company in the forefront of the Obama administration's emphasis on improving health care in part by improving the availability of medical information in electronic form.
Allscripts' solutions are the cutting edge of medical information systems, and the company should benefit substantially from a move in the direction suggested by Obama.
MDRX provides clinical software, connectivity and information solutions to its health care customer base throughout the United States. The company delivers its products through four divisions: Professional Solutions, Enterprise Solutions, Health Systems Group and Medication Services.
Continue reading Obama administration writes prescription for Allscripts' growth