| Delta-Northwest would benefit AirTran, exec says
AirTran posted a $2.2 million loss for the final three months of 2007 as a 35 percent jump in fuel costs overwhelmed increased revenues from rising traffic and fares. Northwest, which remained mum about its merger plans, reported a net loss of $8 million in the quarter. Orlando-based AirTran's loss was narrower than a year earlier, and the airline still posted a full-year 2007 profit of $52.7 million. In 2006, AirTran reported net profit of $14.7 million for the full year and a $3.6 million loss in the fourth quarter. Some politicians are already voicing opposition to a merger involving two carriers as big as Delta and Northwest, saying such a deal could spark broader consolidation and would harm consumers. AirTran's Fornaro, however, said a Delta-Northwest marriage could free up a handful of gates at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport now controlled by Northwest.
Raining all over the WASL
So far, no complaints, although some at the table felt the gag didn't really work with the story. Coming up We're adding a page to tomorrow's paper for hurricane coverage, making room for photos from the scene. We'll also be scanning the blogs for first-person accounts, which we'll compile into a sidebar for tomorrow. .
New Mexico joins lawsuit against EPA
New Mexico has joined 14 states in a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because the agency refused to grant a waiver to California for the Clean Car program. California filed the lawsuit on Jan. 2 in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The New Mexico Attorney General's office is representing the state in the lawsuit. New Mexico became the 13th state, and the first Intermountain state, to adopt the Clean Car program last month. The program, which took effect Jan. 1, requires car manufacturers to sell and lease vehicles that meet the Clean Car standards beginning with model year 2011. The program only applies to new vehicles and will not affect new or used cars sold before that model year. The program requires reductions in tailpipe emissions to reduce air pollution, overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles sold in the state and sales of some zero emission vehicles in the state.
Metabolic Nutrition Automates Profitable Follow-Up with TARGUSinfo
VIENNA, Va., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Metabolic Nutrition is proving the business value of immediate, prescriptive follow-up by using SecondApproach services from TARGUSinfo to close sales with consumers who respond to a toll- free number but don't immediately make a purchase. The Miami company advertises its SYNEDREX weight-loss formula on TV and in print, urging consumers to dial a toll-free number to make a purchase. Most of these callers convert, but until recently the company had no way of contacting those who didn't. With SecondApproach services, TARGUSinfo identifies non- converting consumers and immediately mails out customized Metabolic Nutrition follow-up offers to these "warm leads." In the first month, it converted 10 percent of them -- a rate five to 10 times higher than traditional direct mail.
Phishing As A Service, Part II
Now you no longer need an in with the international Storm syndicate to outsource your phishing attacks. On InformationWeek, George Hulme reports on a DIY phishing service: "The service automatically generates text for the phishing emails that target various Web mail and social networks, including Facebook, Hi5, Orkut, and others... While this is more of a novelty, and reminiscent of the old-time virus construction kits from the early 1990s, it reveals how heavily social networks will be targeted going forward." Hulme predicts a significant attack through the social networks. I still think it's coming from instant messaging. Posted by Joe Caponi at 12:15 PM, January 29, 2008 Return To Hot Topics .
Bob Ford | Coming clean, finally, on '07
They have accumulated once again like old traffic tickets stuffed into the glove compartment. Despite the best intentions and resolutions of each new year, a large number of corrections and clarifications that should have been published in this section throughout 2007 did not appear because of the diligent effort of the author. This cannot be forgiven, and it is time to come clean and make another fresh start. The Fourth Annual Corrections Column is not something to be proud of, but, promise this time, it won't happen again. In a column on May 23, Bob Ford wrote: "You were wrong. The Eagles are just fine. Turns out they didn't need anything for this coming season from the NFL draft. They didn't need to use a first-round pick for help in the defensive backfield or to polish the linebacker corps or buy some insurance on the defensive line.
Gird for long haul, Kabul tells Canadians
Omar Samad said yesterday that weekend visits to Afghan President Hamid Karzai by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd are "a political signal … that they consider Afghanistan a very important world issue. "I hope that the message that this sends to Canadians at this point is that they should look at it as a very critical and strategic world issue that requires long-term commitment," Mr. Samad said. "Every one of these leaders made it very clear during their visit that Afghanistan matters, that Afghanistan is a long-term engagement and that no one should expect a quick fix." .
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