| Protests rumble as hauliers balk at soaring fuel costs
Prices have gone up 50 per cent since 2003 and not very many are making an adequate return. People out there really are very angry. Some are on the breadline." Full blockades of fuel terminals by drivers would be illegal, but Mr Flanders said that drivers were "older and wiser" than they were seven years ago. Then, the Government put pressure on the unions to help to end the protests, which some described as a bosses’ strike because so many of the hauliers ran their own businesses. But the hauliers also made clear that they would consider all options. Jack Semple, head of policy for the national Road Haulage Association, said that hauliers were "frustrated" by the high prices and by the higher duty rates in Britain compared with other European countries. He said: "We are looking towards the Government for help in terms of an equal duty playing field with Europe to achieve price stability." .
Income, spending higher than expected
This trend has been here for a while," said Bullard, who believes that consumers will jump at the chance to spend some extra money when taxpayers get their stimulus package rebate checks starting in May. Congress recently passed a $168 billion economic stimulus plan in which more than 130 million households will receive tax rebate checks beginning in May. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Thursday that the IRS would be mailing out letters reminding taxpayers to file their tax returns to receive their check. "Historically, when consumers have money in their hands, they will spend it," Bullard added. .
Grassley: Cut contract fraud loophole
Compliance has been voluntary, and over the past 15 years the number of company-reported fraud cases has declined steadily. Now, the Justice Department wants to force companies to notify the government if they find evidence of contract abuse of more than $5 million. Failure to comply could make a company ineligible for future government work. But the planned rule, as written by policy-writers who are reviewed by the OMB, specifically exempts "contracts to be performed outside the United States." The rule was published in the Federal Register in November. The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and Justice Department both have criticized the loophole. The White House has refused comment on it before the rule becomes final later this year.
Euro Holds 1.5100 As Data Continues to Shine, Where is the Top?
With labor markets continuing to generate jobs and with consumer demand in the region relatively healthy, ECB sees little need to lower rates anytime soon. As we’ve noted before, as long as EZ employment environment remains supportive, the ECB will have all the political protection it needs to maintain its hawkish policy. Nevertheless, with EURUSD trading at such lofty highs the pair is overbought on a short term basis, as popular sentiment has clearly shifted to the euro. When the demise of the dollar becomes the top story on the Drudge report, a near term top in the EURUSD is not far behind. Yet any retrace in the pair is likely to be corrective and short lived. For the time being the fundamental story stands squarely on the side of euro bulls and if US data shows no signs of improvement, the pair could easily move higher after a short term pause.
Students get taste of election
I am sick of guys running this world. Whenever her husband was president, we had a balanced budget, we never went to war, everything was fine and peaceful, and that went to pot whenever Bush came in."Although they are a few years away from participating in real elections, the underclassmen also had strong opinions. Richard Joseph, a sophomore focused on one key issue."Obama said he would bring the troops back first, Hillary Clinton just said she would have Congress decide, but she didn't say how long or anything."Sophomore Dakota Jones has a very different outlook on the same issue."I kind of like the right to bear arms thing, and staying in Iraq, so that's why I picked McCain. I try to keep up with politics on my own, so that's how I based my opinion," he said.DBHS principal Steve Easterling was surprised to see students arguing key political issues not only in the classrooms, but also in the halls."I thought they were having a verbal argument, but they were debating the candidates," Easterling said of one debate he had witnessed.
How to beat the mid-life money crisis
However, most equity-release schemes come with a negative-equity guarantee to ensure the debt cannot be worth more than the value of the property. Offset your savings to pay school fees With school fees having risen 41% in the past five years, it is becoming harder to fund fees out of everyday income. The average annual cost of sending a child to a private day school is £6,655, according to the Independent Schools Council, but it can be as high as £20,000. The cost of boarding is an average of £6,712 a term – £20,136 a year. Parents whose children have just started at private school at the age of five can expect to spend £200,000 in fees over the next 14 years, according to AWD Chase de Vere, an adviser.
Stingy Defense Keeps Bearcats at Bay
They say good defense wins championships. While it didn't have the Georgetown Hoyas standing at center court, basking in their One Shining Moment Saturday afternoon, it did grant them the rare blowout victory they had been desperately seeking. Georgetown brought its defensive attitude to Verizon Center against Cincinnati and bullied the Bearcats into submission, winning 73-53. The Hoyas have been stingy all season — they have led the NCAA in field goal percentage defense most of the year and rank at the top of the Big East in virtually every defensive statistical category — but they got nasty in this one. We're talking about holding Cincinnati's top-scorer Deonta Vaughn six points below his average out put, forcing 18 turnovers, including 11 in the first half and racking up 10 steals, grabbing 23 defensive rebounds, and baiting the Bearcats into taking numerous bad shots.
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