It was a(nother) great day to be a member of the Washington elite. On Wednesday afternoon, the House was steamrolling toward passage of a trio of free-trade agreements without a whisper of objection from the Republican side. Finally, hours into the debate, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) rose to appeal to his fellow Tea Partyers to heed the people who elected them. The Washington Post
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

September revenue collections in Virginia ticked up 3.9 percent from last year, but looming uncertainty on the federal front and overall economic uneasiness is still reason for caution, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Wednesday. The jump was driven by a 17.3 percent increase in individual non-withholding payments and a 5.8 percent increase in sales and use taxes. But with one less deposit day in September, receipts for individual income tax withholding — which make up 64 percent of general fund revenues — dropped by 3.7 percent. Year-to-date, withholding collections are up 4 percent compared to the same period last year, ahead of a projected growth rate of 3.4 percent. The Washington Times
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

On Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell learned that a majority of Virginia voters oppose his plans for toll roads on Interstate 95, while two Democratic congressmen railed on Capitol Hill against state abortion-clinic regulations he supports, and the chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board denounced legislation he has lobbied in favor of. But, on balance, it was a good day for the Republican governor, whose job-approval continues to climb and whose policies continue to have the confidence of a majority of Virginians, a new poll shows. The Washington Times
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

President Obama welcomed South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to the White House on Thursday, describing the United States as “a Pacific nation” whose ties to South Korea are stronger than ever. “Our alliance reflects a broader truth,” said Mr. Obama, who spent much of his childhood in Indonesia. “The United States is a Pacific nation, and America is leading once more in the Asia-Pacific. I’m proud to say that the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea is stronger than it has ever been.” Mr. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcomed Mr. Lee and his wife, first lady Kim Yoon-ok, in a South Lawn ceremony full of military pomp under a steady drizzle. Mr. Lee said his country’s relationship with the U.S. is “evolving” but the two leaders will be able to celebrate passage of a major free-trade deal approved by the House and the Senate the night before. The Washington Times
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

Cempra Pharmaceuticals, a Chapel Hill company that is developing treatments for drug-resistant skin infections and pneumonia, plans to raise as much as $86.3 million in an initial public offering of stock. The company filed plans with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday. Cempra has two antibiotics in clinical trials. Raleigh News & Observer
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

Sources have told SouthernAutoCorridor.com that both Audi and Volvo have scouted two different sites in Huntsville, Ala. for potential auto assembly plant operations. One source, a landowner in the Huntsville area who has sold property to City of Huntsville and Madison County authorities in the past and who is being courted to sell more acreage for use by a large manufacturer, believes the prospect is German automaker Audi. Another source from China revealed to SouthernAutoCorridor.com in August and then again in September that Volvo officials have also looked at a site in Huntsville on Interstate 65 that was scouted previously by Volkswagen during its site search that began four or five years ago. SouthernAutoCorridor.com
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

There are other professionals outside of economic developers that need to be involved in your investment to see it through in the American South. These service providers to economic development agencies are what we like to call "Trade Allies." Southern Business & Development, a sister publication to The Randle Report, recently conducted a survey of the South's economic development community asking them to vote on what they believe are the region's best law firms, utilities, contractors, engineers and site location consultants as they relate to economic development matters in the South's 14 states. We received over 500 votes in the survey. The following directory lists in alphabetical order the top three vote recipients in each Southern state in the Law Firms category. If more than three firms are listed, it's because there was a tie in the voting for that state. If there are less than three law firms, it is because we did not receive votes for a third firm. We sincerely hope that the "South's Best Economic Development Law Firms" assists you in your efforts to locate or expand to the South, the world's fourth-largest economy. Feel free to contact the firms and the individuals listed for more information. Southern Business & Development
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Texas Gov. Rick Perry suggested that “media elites” are trying to portray him as a racist in a controversy over a slur against blacks that was painted on a rock near the entrance of his family’s hunting camp in Texas. “I think a lot of people get offended when the media elites try to paint everyone from the South who has a twang to their voice as somehow being racist,” Perry told the newspaper. “I’m very proud of my record dealing with not only that rock. When my family had the opportunity to paint over that word on the rock, we did it. I’m very proud of how we have dealt with the issue of racial diversity in the state of Texas, having appointed more qualified minorities than any governor in Texas history, including the first African American to the Texas Supreme Court.” The National Journal
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

Gov. Bobby Jindal should cruise to a second term in the Oct. 22 primary, according to the results of a new statewide survey commissioned by WWL-TV. The survey, done by Clarus Research Group, based in Washington, D.C., projects the Republican governor would draw 57 percent of the vote if ballots were cast at the time voters were interviewed for the survey. The Times Picayune
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago

The Cuban government has agreed to receive direct flights from New Orleans for the first time in more than 50 years, opening the door for travel companies from anywhere in the country to apply for permits to make flight plans originating from New Orleans. In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection approved an application from Louis Armstrong International Airport and seven other air fields to serve as a gateway to Cuba. The Times Picayune
Submitted 1 years 223 days ago