Talent firm acquires Sunrise company
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Taleo Corp., a California-based talent management firm, has acquired Sunrise-based Learn.com, a provider of software for employment management.<p/> Taleo bought Learn for $125 million in cash. Learn.com's software, which is run through the Web, helps companies manage education and training to help employees and customers.
AT&T's U-verse adds 19 Spanish channels
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
AT&T's U-verse television service has added 19 Spanish-language channels to its offerings this week, with a total of 52 channels in Spanish.<p/> To access the added cable channels, customers need either the Paquete Español package of 46 channels, or the U200 Latino package: 220 English stations plus everything in Paquete Español.
UM's dean of business school to leave post
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Barbara E. Kahn is leaving her position as dean of the University of Miami's School of Business Administration effective Jan. 15, the school said in a release Friday.
AT&T's U-verse adds 19 Spanish channels
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
AT&T's U-verse television service has added 19 Spanish-language channels to its offerings this week, with a total of 52 channels in Spanish.<p/> To access the added cable channels, customers need either the Paquete Español package of 46 channels, or the U200 Latino package: 220 English stations plus everything in Paquete Español.
Public jobs feel pinch in cutbacks
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Laquanda Mallin put on her hard hat, grabbed a seven-foot-tall STOP sign and took her post in 90-degree heat on a dusty road off one of Miami's busiest highways. The 31-year-old declared it a good day.
Sales gaining traction for exotic car dealers
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Sales of some exotic luxury automobiles have revved up this year as affluent Americans indulge more freely in these pricey pleasures.<p/> In the recession, mounting concern over stock portfolios and feelings of guilt about extravagant buys caused some wealthy consumers to rein in conspicuous sending.
Burger King option trading surged before buyout bid
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Trading of bullish Burger King Holdings options surged to a record Aug. 25, a week before the second-largest U.S. hamburger chain agreed to be acquired by 3G Capital.
Discount meds are just a text message away
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Floridians can now sign up for the state's discount prescription drug card at the touch of a few cellphone buttons.<p/> Since April, the state's discount drug program has been available to all state residents. The card entitles users to discounts of an average of 33 percent off brand-name and generic prescription drugs. Savings are estimated to be about $8.4 million.
Regulators OK increases for Castle Key insurance customers
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Rate increases for Castle Key Insurance and Castle Key Indemnity have been approved and take effect for new and renewing policies Nov. 28, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation said Friday. The increases were smaller than what the companies had requested.
Restaurants look to fantasy football for real profits
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Fantasy football means real business for restaurants, and some big chains have launched promotional drives to score with dedicated players of the growing pastime.
OneUnited may close branch in Broward
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
OneUnited Bank has filed with state banking regulators to close its Lauderdale Lakes branch, leaving it with only a Miami office in Florida. The Boston-based bank is the nation's largest minority-owned lender and has been under scrutiny since the financial crisis for seeking political favors to obtain a $12 million federal bailout.
Fort Lauderdale full-service gay hotel in works
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
The marketer who brought luxury to gay hotels in Fort Lauderdale and pioneered Broward County's gay tourism push is embarking on a new and innovative venture: a full-service hotel, complete with a spa, gym, cafe and bar that is aimed at gays but ``hetero-friendly.''
Global report: 30 million jobs lost in crisis
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
The global financial crisis forced as many as 30 million people out of work since 2007, and economies need ways to generate more ``decent'' jobs, the International Monetary Fund and International Labour Organization said.
Travel in style -- on a bus
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
A new luxury bus service launched this summer for the U.S. Southeast, with introductory rates for round trips starting at $40 between Orlando and Miami through Sept. 30.
Partners stage turnaround for Miami Beach condo
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Terra Beachside Villas, the once-distressed Miami Beach condo building that has sat empty for two years, is searching for new life as its owners look to complete a rapid turnaround from foreclosure to full health.
Weakened Earl hits Mass. with wind, rain, surf
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:15 EDT
The remnants of Hurricane Earl headed for Nova Scotia early Saturday after a brush with the Northeast that was far less intense than feared, dumping wind-driven rain on Cape Cod's gray-shingled cottages and fishing villages.
Burger King to stop buying oil from Indonesian co.
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:55 EDT
Environmentalists on Saturday praised Burger King's decision to stop buying palm oil from an Indonesian company accused of destroying rainforests.
Plane wreckage removed from SF Bay Area lagoon
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:00 EDT
The wreckage of small plane that crashed in a lagoon off San Francisco Bay and killed the three people on board was recovered Friday. The founder of a local steel company was believed to be among the dead.
Report: Blackwater created shell companies
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:25 EDT
The security company Blackwater Worldwide formed a network of 30 shell companies and subsidiaries to try to get millions of dollars in government business after the company faced strong criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq, The New York Times reported Friday.
SEC reaches settlement with ex-Qwest CEO Nacchio
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:05 EDT
The Securities and Exchange Commission has reached a settlement in its civil lawsuit against former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio.
Court throws out $926 million Rocky Flats award
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:25 EDT
A $926 million award to thousands of Colorado homeowners in a lawsuit involving plutonium contamination from a now-defunct nuclear weapons plant was thrown out Friday by a federal appeals court.
Flight with hole in engine also had damaged flaps
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:10 EDT
Investigators say a mechanical failure that blew a hole in the engine of a Qantas jet headed to Sydney from San Francisco also damaged the wing flaps.
Business Highlights
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:05 EDT
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Summary Box: Unemployment rate rises to 9.6 pct
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:50 EDT
UNEMPLOYMENT RISES: The unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August from 9.5 percent, as the nation lost 54,000 jobs. Private employers added a net total of 67,000 workers, but 114,000 temporary census jobs ended.
Summary Box: Jobs data sends Treasury prices down
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:40 EDT
BETTER JOBS: Bonds fell again after the Labor Department's employment report for August was better than analysts had expected.
Obscure Allapattah shopping district may gain higher profile
Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:00 EDT
In gritty Allapattah, a neighborhood known for its hole-in-the-wall Dominican eateries, three generations of the Bindra family sell $15 cotton dresses stitched by hand in a Mumbai textile factory owned by relatives.
IRS may drop UBS case after hand-over of Swiss data
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:42 EDT
Switzerland said it expects to deliver account data on almost 4,450 UBS clients suspected by the U.S. of tax evasion, prompting the Internal Revenue Service to say it will drop a lawsuit against the bank within months.
Swiss give IRS half the files it seeks
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:00 EDT
(AP) -- The Swiss government said Wednesday that it had handed roughly half the names of wealthy Americans demanded by Washington to solve a tax evasion dispute involving Switzerland's biggest bank, UBS AG.
Brazil's unemployment for July lowest in 8 years
Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:42 EDT
Brazilian officials say unemployment in Latin America's biggest nation reached 6.9 percent in July, the lowest level for the month in at least eight years.
From outer space, a fuel of the future -- and a Florida crop
Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:00 EDT
In a Gainesville laboratory, mutant plants created in space are being carefully watched because they could become a source of jet fuel.<p/> The fuel would come from the seeds of jatropha, a tropical plant with broad leaves and seeds that are up to 40 percent oil.
Art fairs face online challenge
Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:00 EDT
The Internet revolution has at long last reached international art fairs as a new event tests buyers' willingness to shop online for contemporary works.
Miami business owners develop 'super premium' rum
Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:00 EDT
You might say rum runs through the veins of business partners Lazaro Carbajal and Gardner Blandon, owners of Miami-based Dana Wine & Spirits Importers.
How Brazil got the Games: persistance, practice
Sat, 21 Aug 2010 23:30 EDT
How did Brazil manage to land two of the world's major sporting events back to back? Certainly not overnight. In fact, the feat has been nearly two decades in the making.
Brazil getting extreme makeover in preparation for Olympics
Sat, 21 Aug 2010 23:00 EDT
Traffic rumbles over an elevated highway that cuts off the waterfront from Art Deco government offices. Many of the old buildings in the port area are abandoned and others are marred by graffiti and shattered windows.
Costa Rica real estate firm seen as Ponzi scheme
Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:00 EDT
She wanted a piece of paradise -- a tropical retirement home where the temperature is warm, the air is clean and the crowds and stress of South Florida are far, far away.
Promises of Costa Rican dream homes fueled a 'Ponzi-type scheme,' lawsuit says
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 07:01 EDT
She wanted a piece of paradise a tropical retirement home where the temperature is warm, the air is clean and the crowds and stress of South Florida are far, far away.
Texas opens inquiry into Google search rankings
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:20 EDT
Google Inc.'s methods for recommending websites are being reviewed by Texas' attorney general in an investigation spurred by complaints that the company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine.
AP Interview: Wikipedia founder bullish on news
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:06 EDT
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales believes relief may be in sight for the beleaguered news media industry.
German court rules against YouTube over copyright
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:01 EDT
A German court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s subsidiary YouTube LLC must pay compensation after users uploaded several videos of performances by singer Sarah Brightman in violation of copyright laws.
Summary Box: iPhone app with augmented reality
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:10 EDT
THE APP: Available for the iPhone, mTrip is a travel guide and more. It uses the latest in smart phone technology to help travelers stay on track.
Review: mTrip iPhone app uses augmented reality
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:55 EDT
The new iPhone application mTrip is a travel guide and then some: It uses the latest in smart phone technology to make it easier to stay on track in a foreign locale.
Dubai police chief calls BlackBerry a spy tool
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:58 EDT
Worries about spying by the U.S. and Israel spurred plans to sharply limit BlackBerry services in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai's police chief said in comments that suggest a tough line in talks with the smart phone maker.
Add hip-hop to 'Rock Band' thanks to Snoop Dogg
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:11 EDT
Rap and rock will collide once again - this time in a video game.
Summary Box: HP snatches 3Par away from Dell
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:36 EDT
LAST-MINUTE SCRAMBLE: Dell Inc. boosted its bid for data-storage maker 3Par Inc. to $32. Hewlett-Packard Co. came back with a $33-per-share offer before Dell's move could be made public. The board of 3Par deemed HP's offer superior and approved the deal.
Summary Box: What's Dell to do after 3Par?
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:36 EDT
DEAL UNDONE: Dell Inc. surrendered the contest for data-storage maker 3Par Inc. to Hewlett-Packard Co. Thursday.
Dell's enterprise challenge remains after 3Par
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:36 EDT
Dell Inc. doesn't have to start over in its quest to become a significant purveyor of technology for businesses after losing a multibillion dollar bidding contest for an obscure data-storage maker.
ArcSight posts higher fiscal 1Q profit
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:31 EDT
ArcSight Inc. said Thursday its fiscal first-quarter profit tripled as the cybersecurity software and services company's sales jumped 39 percent.
Airline fares rose in first quarter, government reports
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:00 EDT
If you think airfares have been rising, it's not your imagination.<p/> Figures just released from the government, while a bit dated, show that airline prices in the first three months of this year rose nearly 5 percent from a year earlier. And that doesn't include baggage fees and other extras.
Miami-Dade tourist tax falls 20 percent
Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:46 EDT
An apparent bottom in the Miami-Dade hotel market gave way in August, when tourist taxes plunged 20 percent -- making it the third worst month for the industry since the financial crisis began a year ago.<p/> An apparent bottom in the Miami-Dade hotel market gave way in August, when tourist taxes plunged 20 percent -- making it the third worst month for the industry since the financial crisis began a year ago.
Jackson Health System struggles to present balanced budget by Monday
Sun, 22 Aug 2010 07:45 EDT
As Jackson's governing board prepares to vote Monday on a proposed budget for 2011, its two money-losing nursing homes stand as a symbol for the challenges the system faces as it attempts to cut losses.
Incoming Florida Senate chief criticizes Obama health plan
Thu, 05 Aug 2010 01:00 EDT
Sen. Mike Haridopolos, the incoming state Senate president, kicked off a three-day ``Health Care Solutions Tour'' in Miami on Wednesday with a slide show that hit the major Republican talking points, including warnings about the cost of Obama's healthcare plan and the surge in the Medicaid program it will create.
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute ranked No. 1
Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:00 EDT
University of Miami's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was ranked as the No. 1 hospital in the country for ophthalmology in U.S. News & World Reports' 21st annual list of the country's best hospitals.
Hospitals may give too many imaging tests, government says
Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:17 EDT
A small number of hospitals in South Florida and the nation appear to give too many imaging tests, and as a result may needlessly expose patients to radiation, federal officials said Wednesday.
eDiets.com receives Nasdaq warning notice
Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:57 EDT
Fort Lauderdale-based eDiets.com, a provider of at-home diet, fitness and healthy lifestyle solutions, said that it received notice from the Nasdaq stock market that the company was not in compliance with Nasdaq's listing rules.
Program offers help to some without health insurance
Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:00 EDT
Starting Thursday, people in Florida and across the nation who can't get private health insurance because they have preexisting conditions can sign up for coverage through a federal program subsidized by a $5 billion grant from the Obama administration.
Florida's hopes for $1B Medicaid infusion are dashed
Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:00 EDT
Florida's chances of receiving up to $1 billion in additional Medicaid money appeared to be in deep trouble Thursday after U.S. Senate Republicans again blocked a bill that includes help for cash-strapped states and unemployed people.
Program to offer nursing degrees in Boynton Beach
Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:07 EDT
The Florida Board of Nursing has given Florida Career College the go-ahead to start a two-year nursing program in Boynton Beach beginning in August.
Miami developer signs lease at University of Miami biotech center
Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:00 EDT
The University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park is taking its first step toward creating a new biotechnology center. <p/> Developer Wexford Miami announced Wednesday that it has signed a lease with the University of Miami to occupy 80,000 square feet of office and lab space in the park's first building.
Miami developer announces first lease at UM biotech center
Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:02 EDT
The University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park is taking its first step toward creating a new biotechnology center. <p/> Developer Wexford Miami announced Wednesday that it has signed a lease with the University of Miami to occupy 80,000 square feet of office and lab space in the park's first building.
Jackson Health System has a new chief medical officer
Sat, 12 Jun 2010 01:00 EDT
Michael K. Butler, a former chief executive of Louisiana's charity hospitals, has started work as chief medical officer of Jackson Health System, replacing Gerard Kaiser, 77, who retired as leader of the system's doctors for more than 20 years.
Palm Beach airport gets retail makeover
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Didn't have time on your vacation to take a stroll along Worth Avenue? Not to worry -- just head to the main terminal at Palm Beach International Airport on your way out.
South Florida roofer arrested over bad checks
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
AND MICHAEL LAFORGIA<p/> A company run by a roofer facing a litany of lawsuits alleging shoddy work and failure to pay subcontractors wrote as many as 300 bad checks per month while doing business in Palm Beach County, authorities said.
Weakened Earl hits Mass. with wind, rain, surf
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:15 EDT
The remnants of Hurricane Earl headed for Nova Scotia early Saturday after a brush with the Northeast that was far less intense than feared, dumping wind-driven rain on Cape Cod's gray-shingled cottages and fishing villages.
Plane wreckage removed from SF Bay Area lagoon
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:00 EDT
The wreckage of small plane that crashed in a lagoon off San Francisco Bay and killed the three people on board was recovered Friday. The founder of a local steel company was believed to be among the dead.
Burger King to stop buying oil from Indonesian co.
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:55 EDT
Environmentalists on Saturday praised Burger King's decision to stop buying palm oil from an Indonesian company accused of destroying rainforests.
Fitch cuts rating for Burger King on buyout deal
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:57 EDT
Fitch Ratings on Thursday lowered its issuer default and outstanding debt ratings for Burger King Holdings, saying the company's debt is likely to increase once the fast-food chain is sold to a private equity firm.
Tipping TVs are recalled
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Sharp Electronics is recalling about 9,000 32-inch LCD-TVs because the TV stand's neck support can break and cause the TV to tip over, posing a risk of injury to consumers.
Hang up on identity thieves
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:00 EDT
Social Security cautions people about responding to requests for financial information over the telephone.<p/> South Florida Social Security offices have received several reports about people claiming to be Social Security employees. They call benefit recipients and ask for their banking and identity information, claiming the information is needed to increase benefit amounts.