plus 4, Weak economy caps inflation as housing starts rise - Knoxville News Sentinel

Weak economy caps inflation as housing starts rise - Knoxville News Sentinel
Automobiles : TRUCKS - Frederick News-Post
Lawsuit Targets Allegedly Fraudulent Houston Towing Companies - Biloxi Sun Herald
Prosecutors: NH murder suspect took victim ID - Burlington Free Press
ADP & Avery Dennison Receive HROA Customer Relationship of the Year ... - TMCnet

Weak economy caps inflation as housing starts rise - Knoxville News Sentinel

Posted: 16 Dec 2009 08:01 AM PST

WASHINGTON — The economy is weak enough to keep inflation in check but strong enough to increase the pace of home construction and raise hopes for a sustained recovery.

That was the picture sketched Wednesday by government data showing an economy growing, however slowly.

Higher energy prices sent overall consumer prices higher in November. But after stripping out volatile energy and food prices, inflation disappeared last month. That gives the Federal Reserve, ending a two-day meeting Wednesday, leeway to hold its key interest rate at a record low to aid the recovery.

At the same time, home construction rebounded in November after a setback in October. And applications for new building permits — a gauge of future activity — rose more than economist had predicted. A housing recovery is critical to the overall economy.

Also Wednesday, the government said its broadest measure of foreign trade posted a sharp increase in the July-September quarter, signaling higher demand for foreign goods. That, too, is seen as a sign of a strengthening economy.

The current account is the broadest measure of trade because it includes not only trade in goods and services but also investment flows among countries.

Stocks rose in mid-morning trading after the benign readings on consumer inflation and housing starts. The Dow Jones industrial average rose about 43 points, or 0.4 percent. Other stock averages were up, too.

For last month, the Consumer Price Index, the most closely watched inflation barometer, rose 0.4 percent. That was up from a 0.3 percent increase in October, the Labor Department reported. But "core" inflation, which excludes energy and food, was flat, signaling that inflation isn't rising through the economy. It was the first time core inflation was unchanged after 10 straight monthly increases.

"Aside from the surge in energy prices ... there were few signs of any inflationary pressures," said Paul Ashworth, economist at Capital Economics Ltd.

In the months ahead, companies will likely find it hard to raise prices because consumers are expected to remain cautious, the job market is weak and the recovery is sluggish.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says he thinks slack in the economy — meaning idle plants and the weak job market — will keep inflation in check. The Fed is expected Wednesday afternoon to announce that it's leaving interest rates at a record low. It may also strike an upbeat note about the economy's progress.

The government said energy prices rose 4.1 percent last month, reflecting more expensive fuel oil and gasoline. Energy prices, though, are already in retreat. Oil prices are down about 10 percent this month.

Food prices, meanwhile, edged up 0.1 percent for the second straight month. Falling prices for dairy products and nonalcholic drinks helped blunt small increases for meat, cereals and baked goods, and fruits and vegetables.

Elsewhere, prices for clothing fell as retailers struggled to lure shoppers. Costs for recreation and for shelter dipped. But prices for airline fares, new cars, medical care and tobacco products all rose.

The uptick in inflation last month, however slight, ate into Americans' already-weak wages. Average weekly earnings, adjusted for inflation, dipped 0.7 percent from November 2008, according to a separate Labor Department report Wednesday. It was the first such drop this year.

On Tuesday, the government said its Producer Price Index, which measures the costs of goods before they reach store shelves, jumped 1.8 percent in November. That was more than double the gain analysts had expected. Higher-priced energy products and trucks drove the increase.

In the Commerce Department's report on housing starts, it said construction of new homes and apartments rose 8.9 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 574,000 units. The gain represented strength in all areas of the country, though the rise was slightly lower than economists had expected.

Applications for new building permits rose 6 percent to an annual rate of 584,000 units, a stronger showing than predicted.

Economists think the current account deficit will continue to widen next year — but not reach the record levels seen previously because a weaker dollar will boost U.S. exports.

For the third quarter, the deficit in goods widened to $132.1 billion, up from $115.5 billion in the second quarter. The U.S. surplus in services, items such as airline travel, shipping and financial services, widened to $34.8 billion from $34.2 billion in the previous quarter.

U.S. exports of products rose 7.2 percent to $263.9 billion in the third quarter. Exports of automotive products, heavy capital goods and consumer products all gained. But imports of goods rose at a faster rate, up 9.5 percent to $396.1 billion, led by foreign oil and autos.

U.S. companies have been seeing export sales rise in recent months. Economists say that continued strength in exports will be vital to the economy as it struggles to emerge from the worst recession since the 1930s.

The rise in exports has been helped by a decline of about 10 percent in the value of the dollar against major currencies. A weaker dollar makes American products cheaper and more competitive on overseas markets.

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Automobiles : TRUCKS - Frederick News-Post

Posted: 16 Dec 2009 08:15 AM PST

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Lawsuit Targets Allegedly Fraudulent Houston Towing Companies - Biloxi Sun Herald

Posted: 16 Dec 2009 08:01 AM PST

Allstate filed the suit in Harris County state District Court against individual business owners, Faraj "Sam" Said, Ghassan "Gus" Said, Ibrahim Said, and Patrick Green, their corporate entities and their related towing, storage and repair companies.

The lawsuit was filed following an extensive investigation by Allstate's Special Investigative Unit and seeks reimbursement of monies Allstate has paid in alleged overcharges.

"Phony insurance claims take an extra $200 to $300 out of every consumer's pocketbook annually in the form of higher premiums," says Jim Murray, Allstate assistant vice president in charge of the company's Special Investigative Unit. "Allstate has no tolerance for this crime, and we will continue to fight insurance fraud on behalf of our policyholders and consumers in general."

False Representation

The lawsuit alleges the defendants engaged in conduct intentionally designed to defraud Allstate by falsely representing the "true nature and origin of their services." The City of Houston and Harris County strictly regulate the amount automobile towing and storage companies can legally charge in any "non-consent" tow, which is often initiated by a police officer at the scene of an accident. The lawsuit alleges in many cases, the defendants falsely represented that their towing and storage services were requested or initiated by the vehicle owner. The lawsuit alleges the defendants then charged significantly higher rates for their services than allowed for "non-consent" towing and storage services.

Vehicle in Pieces

The lawsuit also contends the defendants falsely claimed that "tear down" of the vehicle in their possession was authorized by the vehicle owner. Tear down is a process used by body shops to evaluate damage to vehicles and estimate repair costs - leaving the car or truck in pieces and more difficult to move to a repair facility potentially preferred by the vehicle owner.

The Defendants

The defendants named in the lawsuit include Faraj "Sam" Said, Ghassan "Gus" Said, Ibrahim Said, Patrick Green, Noor Said Enterprises Inc. (aka Noor Enterprise Inc.), Budget Collision Inc. and National Auto Collision, Inc. The lawsuit identifies several businesses operated by the named Defendants, including National Auto Collision, Budget Auto Collision, Holmes Road Storage, South Loop Storage amongst others.

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.

SOURCE Allstate

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Prosecutors: NH murder suspect took victim ID - Burlington Free Press

Posted: 16 Dec 2009 06:56 AM PST

BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire prosecutors say a Danville man charged with killing his landlord assumed his landlord's identity before killing him and then trading his truck for a new motorcycle.

Court records released Tuesday said that Paul McDonald was obsessed with getting a Harley Davidson motorcycle in the days leading up to the June 2008 beating death of Richard Wilcox.

The New Hampshire Union Leader says McDonald negotiated the truck trade with a Barrington used auto dealer before murdering Wilcox inside his Danville home and then cashed in the truck after Wilcox's death for his dream motorcycle.

After Wilcox was killed, McDonald drove to Hubbardton, Vt., where he was arrested a week later.

McDonald is set to go on trial in march.

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ADP & Avery Dennison Receive HROA Customer Relationship of the Year ... - TMCnet

Posted: 16 Dec 2009 08:15 AM PST

ADP & Avery Dennison Receive HROA Customer Relationship of the Year Award

ROSELAND, NJ, Dec 16, 2009 (Marketwire via COMTEX) -- ADP (R), a leading provider of HR, payroll and benefits administration services, today announced that its client, Avery Dennison, an industry leader in innovative identification and decorative solutions for businesses and consumers worldwide, was honored with the Human Resources Outsourcing (HRO) Single Process Customer Relationship of the Year HROA Award(TM) for its HRO relationship with ADP at the annual HRO World Summit Europe Conference in London on November 19, 2009.

In a presentation at the HRO World Europe Conference, Avery Dennison demonstrated how the company was able to leverage its 10+ year relationship with trusted HRO service-provider ADP to move the company from multi-local payroll outsourcing to a global model. Avery Dennison's Global HR Division sponsored ADP as the recommended HRO provider to consolidate Avery Dennison's payroll outsourcing to a single provider for Europe. By leveraging ADP's multinational capabilities, Avery Dennison expanded its global payroll model to include an additional 19 countries and 7,000 employees across Europe, and progressed further toward its strategic goal of global HR transformation -- achieving global governance, cost predictability, and payroll data visibility across its enterprise.

"Our partnership demonstrates how a trusted relationship between a client and its expert provider can enable a company to move forward from multi-local payroll outsourcing to a global HR transformation. Leveraging the unique breadth, scalability, and interoperability of ADP's service offerings for multinationals, Avery Dennison can effectively achieve its strategic HR goals with a consistent approach for all its employees across Europe and beyond," said ADP Corporate VP and General Manager GlobalView, Laurie Eldridge. ADP's HRO services for multinationals are available in over 60 countries worldwide.

Conference delegates at the HRO World Europe Conference cast their votes for the HROA Europe's Fourth Annual Awards. For more information about the HROA awards, please visit and www.hroaeurope.com.

To find out more about ADP's HRO for multinationals, please visit www.adp.com About ADP Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADP), with nearly $9 billion in revenue and about 570,000 clients, is one of the world's largest providers of business outsourcing solutions. Leveraging 60 years of experience, ADP offers the widest range of HR, payroll, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source. ADP's easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to companies of all types and sizes. ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine and recreational vehicle dealers throughout the world.

For more information about ADP or to contact a local ADP sales office, reach us at 1.800.225.5237 or visit the company's Web site at www.adp.com.

About Avery Dennison Avery Dennison is a recognized industry leader that develops innovative identification and decorative solutions for businesses and consumers worldwide. The Company's products include pressure-sensitive labeling materials; graphics imaging media; retail apparel ticketing and branding systems; RFID inlays and tags; office products; specialty tapes; and a variety of specialized labels for automotive, industrial and durable goods applications. A FORTUNE 500 Company with sales of $6.7 billion in 2008, Avery Dennison is based in Pasadena, California and has employees in over 60 countries. For more information, visit www.averydennison.com.

About the HROA The HROA is the definitive independent organization for all those who purchase, provide, or participate in HR transformation and outsourcing. The mission of the European Chapter is to educate, promote research, publish, recognize, and provide networking opportunities to foster professionalism in HR transformation and HR outsourcing across Europe. Its membership encompasses over 7,500 HR executives, including the largest 50 buyers, the top 30 providers, the leading sourcing advisors and attorneys, and the best thought leaders in HR Transformation. The HROA brings its diverse membership together to set standards and practices, provide peer networking, and maintain a robust curriculum. For information about the HROA, visit www.hroa.org.

SOURCE: ADP ADP Public Relations (973) 974-7612 public_relations@adp.com Zach Siegel Cohn & Wolfe for ADP (212) 537-8102 zach.siegel@cohnwolfe.com

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