Five Best Thursday Columns

Jonathan Cohn in The New Republic on Starbucks In hopes of inspiring latte-sipping lawmakers to reach a deal on the fiscal cliff, yesterday Starbucks started writing "come together" on every cup it sells in the DC area. Cute effort, right? More like misguided, argues Jonathan Cohn. He thinks the issue isn't about two warring parties reconciling—it's about convincing the Republicans...

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Why Apple's First American-Made Mac Minis Wouldn't Create Jobs

If the latest rumors are true, Apple's made-in-America shift will be an extremely experimental, low-cost operation — and if you look at the supply chain, that may point to more of a symbolic gesture than a genuine engine of job creation. The whispers, which have increasingly better sourcing, now say the tech giant will move its Mac Mini production line from China's Foxconn to the the U.S., possibly...

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Survey finds increase in e-reading, drop in paper

The tastes of the reading public are turning digital.A Pew Internet Research Center survey released Thursday found that the percentage of Americans aged 16 and older who read an e-book grew from 16 percent in 2011 to 23 percent this year. Readers of traditional books dropped from 72 percent to 67 percent. Overall, those reading books of any kind dropped from 78 percent to 75 percent, a shift Pew called...

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New purported BlackBerry Z10 specs emerge: 1.5GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera

Another week, another batch of purported leaks for Research In Motion’s (RIMM) first BlackBerry 10-powered Z10. BBin claims to have most of the Z10′s final specs confirmed and it is shaping up to be a powerful device. Rumored specs for the Z10 include a TI OMAP 4470 1.5GHz dual-core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 for the U.S. and Canada), a 4.2-inch display (1,280 x 768 resolution), quad-band...

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Instagram gains users in December despite recent uproar as Zynga gets pecked to death by rivals

Zynga (ZNGA), the Facebook (FB) app behemoth, still reigns supreme on its most important platform. But the erosion of its dominant position continues as smaller rivals keep chipping away at its market share. On December 26, Zynga-owned Facebook applications had 267 million Monthly Active Users, down 20 million in two weeks. Far behind it followed Microsoft (MSFT) with 70 million MAU, King.com with...

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TEXT-S&P summary: Bharti Airtel Ltd.

We assess Bharti's financial risk profile as "significant" because of thecompany's high debt. For the six months ended Sept. 30, 2012, Bharti'sdebt-to-capital ratio remained high at about 61.6%, and its ratios ofannualized funds from operations (FFO) to total debt and debt to EBITDA wereat 23% and 3.5x, respectively. The company's financial ratios were marginallyweaker than in the previous year. This...

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Decline of listed firms on London's junior market slows

A decline in the number of companies listed on London's junior stock market eased this year and around half the companies that did leave were bought up or transferred to bigger exchanges, a Deloitte report shows.It said the number of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) had fallen every year since 2007, but the fall in 2012 was just 4 percent, compared...

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Toyota Tsusho Corp secures almost 98 percent of France's CFAO

Toyota Tsusho Corp , the Japanese conglomerate, said on Monday it had secured almost 98 percent of French distribution company CFAO .The Japanese company said it would decide within three months whether to keep CFAO's French stock market listing.TTC had bought a 29.8 percent stake in CFAO in July from luxury and retail group PPR . TTC later launched a tender offer for CFAO, including PPR's remaining...

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S&P cuts Egypt rating on political strife

Standard & Poors' cut Egypt's long-term credit rating on Monday and said another cut was possible if deepening political turbulence undermines efforts to prop up the economy and public finances.Egypt's popular uprising two years ago chased away tourists and foreign investors, helping push its budget deficit into double digits as a percentage of national output and worsening its balance of payments.A...

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U.S. budget uncertainty hangs over quiet stocks, FX

 European shares and oil prices edged lower on Monday with Wall Street expected to follow suit, as a deadlock in U.S. budget talks left an undercurrent of uncertainty in markets ahead of the Christmas break.With a number of stock markets including in Germany, Italy and Switzerland closed for the Christmas holiday, the FTSEurofirst300 provisionally closed down 0.1 percent at 1,137.94 after a shortened...

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Wall Street edges lower in thin trade

U.S. stocks edged lower on Monday after the S&P 500 suffered its worst drop since mid-November on continued worry legislators will be unable to reach a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff."The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 27.95 points, or 0.21 percent, to 13,162.89. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 2.55 points, or 0.18 percent, to 1,427.60. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 6.23...

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NFL: Colts clinch playoff berth with win against Chiefs

The Indianapolis Colts crowned their remarkable turnaround by clinching an AFC wild-card playoff berth with a 20-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.The Colts, who tied for the NFL's worst record last season at 2-14, improved to 10-5 with their win over the 2-13 Chiefs.Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck, who the Colts claimed with the top pick in the NFL Draft thanks to their woeful record,...

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Bengals book playoff spot with win over Steelers

Josh Brown booted a 43-yard field goal with four seconds left to play to earn the Cincinnati Bengals a 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and a ticket to the National Football League playoffs on Sunday.The victory was the Bengals' (9-6) first over their bitter AFC North rivals in six meetings and eliminated the Steelers (7-8) from post-season contention spoiling the holiday mood for the capacity...

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Column: NFL's 'nice little story' gets even better

The Colts were a nice little story six weeks ago.That's when a team that started 1-2 and had "rebuilding" written all over it responded to the loss of rookie coach Chuck Pagano with one of those how-did-they-do-it winning streaks — and that was supposed to be that. Considering the Colts finished 2-14 a year ago, then said goodbye to Peyton Manning and turned the rest of the roster upside-down, the...

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Luck sets rookie record, rookie PK sets NFL mark

Andrew Luck has broken the NFL rookie record for yards passing, and rookie kicker Blair Walsh has broken the league mark for 50-yard plus field goals in a season.On a Sunday featuring a slew of records, Luck topped Cam Newton's year-old mark for yards passing in the first half of Indianapolis' win at Kansas City. Newton's record was 4,051 yards. Luck entered the game needing 74 yards to break the...

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Anthony leads Knicks over Timberwolves

Carmelo Anthony took over in the last two minutes to carry the New York Knicks to a 94-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.Anthony, who was ejected during Friday's loss to the Chicago Bulls, finished with 33 points, scoring 19 in the fourth quarter, as the Knicks came from behind to secure the home win."We didn't want to look back at this game later in the season and say this was...

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Alexza's agitation drug gets FDA approval

Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc said the U.S. health regulators approved Adasuve, making it the first treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that can be inhaled. Adasuve, which delivers an older antipsychotic drug called loxapine, passes through the lungs and into the bloodstream faster than a typical pill. Loxapine is available as an oral drug for schizophrenia. The company said the product...

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Predicting who's at risk for violence isn't easy

It happened after Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Colo., and now Sandy Hook: People figure there surely were signs of impending violence. But experts say predicting who will be the next mass shooter is virtually impossible — partly because as commonplace as these calamities seem, they are relatively rare crimes. Still, a combination of risk factors in troubled kids or adults including drug use...

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Hepatitis C tests continue after NH tech's arrest

Hospitals across the country recommended hepatitis C testing for about 7,900 patients last summer after a traveling medical worker was accused of stealing drugs and infecting patients with tainted syringes in New Hampshire. But five months later, nearly half of those who were possibly exposed to the liver-destroying disease in other states have yet to be tested. Described by prosecutors as a "serial...

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FDA warns doctors of counterfeit Botox

Federal regulators have warned more than 350 medical practices that Botox they may have received from a Canadian supplier is unapproved and could be counterfeit or unsafe. The Food and Drug Administration said in a letter sent last month, a letter released publicly last week, that batches of the wrinkle treatment shipped by suppliers owned by pharmacy Canada Drugs have not been approved by the FDA...

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Little change in overtreatment at doctors' offices

Although some Americans are getting more of beneficial treatments that were underused in the past, including drugs for heart disease, others are still being overtested or overtreated for a range of conditions, according to a new study. Researchers found U.S. doctors' offices made progress on six of nine "quality indicators" for recommended and underused therapies but only scaled back on two of 11...

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Rapper 'Fat Joe' admits evading taxes

Rap star "Fat Joe" faces up to two years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to failing to pay taxes on nearly $3 million in income over two years. The performer, whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, entered the plea in federal court in New Jersey because some of the companies he earns money from are incorporated there. The 42-year-old Miami Beach, Fla., resident entered pleas to two counts covering...

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Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria feels like a winner

Bobby Sanabria already feels like a winner. The Latin jazz musician, who led the protest against the Recording Academy when it downsized from 109 to 78 categories last year, is nominated for best Latin jazz album — one of the awards that had been eliminated but returns at the awards show next year. "We're very proud," Sanabria said in a recent interview. "It just places emphasis on the importance...

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Global doomsday hot spots draw believers, revelers

Though the Mayans never really predicted that the world would end on Friday, some New Agers are convinced that humanity's demise is indeed imminent. Or at least that it's a good excuse for a party. Believers are being drawn to spots where they think their chances of survival will be better, and accompanying them are the curious, the party-lovers and people wanting to make some money. Here are some...

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Smallest state goes big on Miss Universe pride

The city of Cranston is known — sort of — for being the one-time home of the Narragansett Brewing Company, and it scored a mention in the Jim Carrey flick "Dumb and Dumber." But the city has suddenly found itself at the center of the universe. The nation's smallest state has gone big on pride after Cranston native Olivia Culpo snagged the Miss Universe title on Wednesday night in Las Vegas, beating...

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Broadway's 'Newsies' recoups its investment

The boys from "Newsies" now have one more thing to dance about — they've made their money back. Disney Theatrical Productions said Thursday that the musical recouped its $5 million investment in just over nine months — faster than any other Disney stage property. The profitability of "Newsies" adds to Disney's high success rate on Broadway. The entertainment giant has had now five hits — including...

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