Governor of Florida calls Obama strike possible ports block

3:00 PM block, calls, Florida, Governor, Obama, ports, possible, strike No Comments

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Governor wants to call President Barack Obama federal law and order a cooling off period, when nearly 15,000 workers away from the job to a threatened strike, which would be a serious blow to the economy of the State, according to a letter he sent this week to the President.

The International Longshoremen Association maritime Alliance Union and have US focusing shippers and ports since March was collective bargaining but supposedly far from 15 ports on the Gulf of Mexico and eastern coasts, a deal with cargo handling remain.

In October, when a previous Treaty expired, the sides agreed a 90-day extension of terms, which will expire on December 29.

Florida ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale would be hit directly, through a strike or lockout but a stoppage would also rattle, public transportation and trade, which accounts for 550,000 jobs in the and $66 billion engaged in economic activity, said Florida Governor Rick Scott in a letter dated Thursday.

Scott, "The threat to national safety and security, which would result in mass closure of ports are overvalued can not," Obama said.

Scott said that Obama had to prevent the power of the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947 or to interrupt a work stoppage in ports. Presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush both Taft-Hartley, which calls for 80 days cooling-off periods and mediation used, said Scott.

"The Taft-Hartley Act provides your management with tools that can help to avoid this danger," said Scott. "I ask in the name of the State of Florida, respectfully, that you invoke the law when... the contract expires at the end of the month."

(Report by Michael Connor in Miami; Edit by Cynthia Johnston)

(C) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. check, whether restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

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Intel names a possible CEO successor

8:53 AM Intel, names, possible, successor No Comments

SAN FRANCISCO — Intel Corp will promote 20-year company veteran and manufacturing expert Brian Krzanich to the post of chief operating officer, making him a frontrunner to one day replace Paul Otellini as chief executive.

The promotion, effective within the next 30 days, is part of a broader management reshuffle that comes a day after the company reported fourth-quarter results that beat Wall Street's modest expectations.

On Thursday, Intel also said it would increase capital spending by about 17 percent to $12.5 billion in 2012, quickening efforts to catch up in the tablet and smartphone markets.

Krzanich, 51, will continue to oversee worldwide manufacturing for the world's top chipmaker, while handling internal operations as well.

Otellini, who must retire in four years when he reaches 65, according to a company rule, was the last Intel executive to officially hold the COO position. Vice Chairman Andy Bryant, who Intel previously announced would become full-time chairman, had been handling many of the responsibilities of a COO.

"It could be bit premature to call Brian the next CEO, but all signs point toward that now," said Evercore Partners analyst Patrick Wang.

Intel executive Sean Maloney was seen as a likely eventual successor to Otellini but he took a leave of absence after suffering a stroke in 2010. Last May he returned to head up the chipmaker's operation in China.

Spokeswoman Laura Anderson emphasized that management changes help expand the choices of replacements for Otellini.

Krzanich's promotion underscores Intel's commitment to extending its competitive lead in manufacturing technology. Much of the beefed-up spending announced Thursday will help Intel crank out more of its advanced chips.

Krzanich told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday that as Intel's manufacturing guru he focused on cutting the time it takes to bring new factories on line, which helps make the company more flexible to changes in market trends.

"It's my job to make the company as flexible as it can be. If suddenly our model is off, high or low, how do I make it so we can stop spending, or reduce, or increase spending?"

Santa Clara, California-based Intel is also promoting or redeploying several other executives across its chip architecture, manufacturing, and data-center businesses.

Dadi Perlmutter will become chief product officer, while continuing to helm the Architecture Group. Bill Holt, the company's tech-development chief, now reports directly to Otellini.

Kirk Skaugen becomes Intel's new PC Client Group chief, reporting to Perlmutter.

Skaugen headed Intel's data center business, whose revenue rose to over $10 billion last year from $6.5 billion in 2009.

Intel likely hopes that moving Skaugen over to the PC client group will inject more energy into that slower-growing business, which has been plagued by slow consumer demand and the growing popularity of Apple's iPad.

"He's a hard charger, whip smart, very inspirational," said JMP Securities analyst Alex Gauna. "The guy just doesn't miss a beat when it comes to articulating the goals and the technology merits of his product categories."

Diane Bryant succeeds Skaugen as general manager of the data-center business.

And Kim Stevenson, head of IT Global Operations and Services, succeeds Bryant as chief information officer.

Intel shares were up 2.4 percent at $26.24 in midday trading as Wall Street welcomed its solid quarterly results. Several brokers, including Citigroup and Barclays, raised their target prices on the stock.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters.

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EU warns of possible recession in eurozone

7:42 AM Eurozone, possible, recession, warns No Comments

BRUSSELS — The European Union has warned that the 17-country eurozone could slip back into recession next year as the debt crisis shows alarming signs of spinning out of control.

The EU's economic watchdog, the European Commission, said its central forecast is that the eurozone will grow by only a paltry 0.5 percent in 2012. That's way down on the 1.8 percent prediction it made as recently as September.

The sharp cut in the forecast comes as the eurozone's debt crisis has spread alarmingly to Italy, the single currency bloc's third-largest economy. The interest rate on Italy's ten-year bonds has reached the same levels that forced Greece, Portugal and Ireland to request multibillion euro bailouts. Speculation that Premier Silvio Berlusconi will officially resign within days and be replaced by leading economist and former Commissioner Mario Monti has helped calm the market mood somewhat Thursday.

Greece, meanwhile, remains in political chaos as party leaders have failed for several days to appoint an interim governments, putting the country in serious danger of defaulting on its massive debts before the end of the year.

"Growth has stalled in Europe, and there is a risk of a new recession," The EU's Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said in a statement. "While jobs are increasing in some member states, no real improvement is forecast in the unemployment situation in the EU as a whole."

EU unemployment will be stuck at 9.5 percent for the foreseeable future, the Commission warned.

The report also contained some worrying figures for some individual member states.

Italy is unlikely to fulfill its promise of balancing its budget by 2013 if recently promised austerity and reform measures aren't implemented. According to the forecast, which does not take into account the most recent promises, Italy will still run a deficit of 1.2 percent, with debt close to 119 percent of economic output.

Berlusconi has come under so much pressure that he promised to resign as soon as the new budget has been passed. The Commission this weeks started a verification mission in Rome to check on Italy's efforts, with the International Monetary Fund to follow soon.

Rehn warned that if several states don't soon implement additional measures to get their spending budgets control, he will start using new powers to sanction overspenders set to come into force in the coming weeks.

"What we need now is unwavering implementation," Rehn said. "On my part, I will start using the new rules of economic governance from day one."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Sell: 3 BR, water view, possible invasions

9:29 PM invasions, possible, water No Comments

The housing bubble burst may have here in the United States, but the prices are higher in an unlikely location title: in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza, a little finger of the country, is home to 1.6 million people in just 140 square miles, about the size packaging Seattle sometimes known as the world's largest prison such as the city. While many in squalor living land is at a premium, and thus there is some choice properties, the surprisingly high prices, command, according to a report in the market place, the syndicated public radio show.

Reporter Reese Erlich found a three bedroom, two bathroom House, which was going for $900,000, listed are according to a real estate broker.

"You have a beautiful view over the Mediterranean Sea", said the broker, Essam Mortja. "The whole world wants property here." It is clean and safe. "It's the best quarter in Gaza."

The whole world, occur may, in addition to people uncomfortable with the possibility of Israeli bombardment or invasion, which regularly considered ongoing fight against what Palestinian extremism in the Jewish State.

An another businessman, before recent 1 million dollars for many in Gaza City for marketplace, said that real estate prices 20 percent in the past year gone.

But the report found that home ownership rate little more than a dream for most in Gaza, where the median income is $800 per year.

Related: Related: beachfront serenity for sale, $ 13.9 million

© 2011 msnbc.com reprints

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