1. Social networks in Vietnam  permalink

Social networks in Vietnam
Www.economist.com

IT IS becoming increasingly apparent that the Vietnamese authorities' relationship with Facebook is of the love-and-hate variety. In January Vuong Dinh Hue, the finance minister, said in an internet interview that using Facebook to reach out to the public is a terrific idea (though he has yet to set up his own account; he admitted that his ...

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Bobbie Johnson and Robert Andrews / GigaOM :   Facebook doesn’t want world domination: it needs it

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Arielle Kass / Ajc.com
Facebook doesn’t want world domination: it needs it FACEBOOK IPO LIVE: The social network goes public   —  It's Facebook's big day. The site, which was born in a dorm room eight years ago and has grown into a worldwide network of almost a billion people, is making the most talked-about stock market debut in years.

L.A. Times
Facebook doesn’t want world domination: it needs it Facebook's lackluster debut hurts other social media stocks   —  Zynga, Yelp, Groupon and LinkedIn shares tumble on Facebook's first day as a publicly traded company. Wall Street didn't get the Facebook effect it was hoping for.

2. Congress May Vote on Bill Limiting State Taxation of Business Travelers  permalink

Congress May Vote on Bill Limiting State Taxation of Business Travelers
Taxfoundation.org

We've gotten word that the House of Representatives may consider H.R. 1864 this week, the Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act. The bill would prohibit states from imposing income taxes on traveling workers unless they spend at least 30 days in the state. Currently, most states require tax payments and even tax withholding for ...

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Www.accountingtoday.com
Mobile workforce tax relief bill moving; Gets House House Approves Mobile Workforce Tax Relief Bill   —  The bill, passed by voice vote, was co-sponsored by Congressmen Howard Coble, R-N.C., and Hank Johnson, D-Ga., and was supported by many groups, including the National Taxpayers Union and the National Association of Manufacturers. It has also been one of the legislative priorities of the American Institute of CPAs since it was introduced last May (

3. Nanex ~ 18-May-2012 ~ Facebook IPO  permalink

Nanex ~ 18-May-2012 ~ Facebook IPO
Www.nanex.net

The first warning sign, was the delay in trading. Here's the status messages from Nasdaq for that day. Between 11 and 12 Eastern, bad prices (spikes) began appearing in other stocks, including symbols APPL, INTU, NFLX, PDCO, QCOM, QLD, UST and ZNGA. There are likely other stocks that were affected. In nearly all of these cases the price spikes ...

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Www.thereformedbroker.com
Will the Fed Take Facebook Shares as Collateral? The Epic Battle to Defend Facebook’s IPO Price   —  I can't believe what I just witnessed, can't wait to hear the press coverage.  Long story short, sellers began overwhelming the tape once $FB broke back below 40 this afternoon, but the underwriters managed to hold the line at 38-38.01 into the close.  God knows what kind of firepower it took, it was an amazing thing to watch.

Morningstar Articles
Will the Fed Take Facebook Shares as Collateral? Stock Head Lower on Eurozone Fears; Facebook IPO Eyed   —  The EU trade commissioner revealed in an interview that the EU and ECB are working on a contingency plan for a Greek exit from the eurozone. Other officials denied such a plan was in the works. Separately, German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested that Greece should hold a referendum on if the country would like to stay in the eurozone or not.

4. Google gets China OK for Motorola deal  permalink

Google gets China OK for Motorola deal
Www.seattlepi.com

NEW YORK (AP) — Google says authorities in China have approved its acquisition of Motorola Mobility. This brings the Internet search giant closer to completing its biggest deal ever.

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Business
Google gets China OK for Motorola deal Google-Motorola Mobility deal wins China's OK   —  Chinese regulators have approved Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, clearing the deal's last hurdle.

Reuters
Google gets China OK for Motorola deal Google says it won China's approval for Motorola deal   —  (Reuters) - Google said on Saturday that Chinese authorities have approved its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings, the last regulatory hurdle to a deal that would allow the world's No. 1 Internet search engine to develop its own line of smart phones.

5. Take that GM: Hyundai back in Super Bowl  permalink

Take that GM: Hyundai back in Super Bowl
USATODAY.com Feed

When GM dropped Facebook ads, Ford was quick to say it wouldn't. Now GM's dropped Super Bowl ads and Hyundai says "no way".

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Mary Beth Quirk / The Consumerist
Take that GM: Hyundai back in Super Bowl GM Says It'll Pass On Advertising On TV During The Super Bowl   —  First General Motors was all like, " Facebook advertising ? That's for nerds, it doesn't work!" and now the automaker has announced it's not going to go for Super Bowl ads in 2013, either. "We understand the reach the Super Bowl provides, but with the significant increase in price we simply can't justify the expense," GM global marketing chief ...

Business News Headlines
Take that GM: Hyundai back in Super Bowl GM passes on running TV ads during 2013 Super Bowl   —  DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co will not advertise in next year's Super Bowl because it is too expensive, the top marketing executive for the U.S. automaker said three days after the company announced it was dropping paid ads on Facebook Inc. The 2013 Super Bowl will be broadcast by CBS Corp, which is selling 30-second ads for as much as $ ...

6. Obama, G-8: Recovery takes both growth and cutting  permalink

Obama, G-8: Recovery takes both growth and cutting
Business News Headlines

Confronting an economic crisis that threatens them all, President Barack Obama and leaders of other world powers on Saturday declared that their governments must both spark growth and cut the debt that has crippled the European continent and put investors worldwide on edge.

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Business News Headlines
Obama, G-8: Recovery takes both growth and cutting Obama wants new banking rules put in place soon   —  President Barack Obama says the big trading loss at JPMorgan Chase shows the need to finally put in place banking rules he signed into law two years ago. He also is calling on Congress to stop trying to weaken the regulations.

The Dallas Morning News
Obama, G-8: Recovery takes both growth and cutting Prosecutors: 3 planned attack on Obama HQ in Chicago during NATO summit   —  CHICAGO (AP) -- Three men accused of making Molotov cocktails had been planning to attack President Barack Obama's campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home and other targets during this weekend's NATO summit, prosecutors said Saturday.

7. Syria bomb kills 9, Damascus blames foreign plot  permalink

Reuters

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb killed nine people at a Syrian military post in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Saturday, an attack the government said was the latest proof that an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad was a foreign plot.

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Msnbc.com
Syria bomb kills 9, Damascus blames foreign plot Bomb kills teen girl at Italy school, others hurt   —  An explosion at a school in Italy Saturday killed a teenage girl and injured several others, according to reports and officials.

Msnbc.com
Report: Car bomb kills 9, wounds 100 in Syria   —  A car bomb in the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor killed nine people and wounded about 100 Saturday, the official SANA news agency said.

8. G-8 Summit: Eurasia Group’s Bremmer Talks a G-Zero World  permalink

Sam Gustin / Business

World leaders have gathered this weekend for the G-8 summit. Here’s a portion of my recent interview with Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group and author of “Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World.” Read more: G-8 or G-Zero? Why the West No Longer Sets the Global Agenda

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BBC News
G-8 Summit: Eurasia Group’s Bremmer Talks a G-Zero World Merkel 'suggests Greek euro vote'   —  Greek officials say Germany's Chancellor Merkel has suggested a euro referendum, but Berlin denies the report, as world leaders gather in the US for a G8 summit meeting.

EconLog
Would a World Plebiscite Lead to Open Borders?, by Bryan Caplan   —  People occasionally say that "Democracy and open borders are incompatible." If they're talking about national democracy, they're right. But suppose we actually lived up to the democratic "one man, one vote ideal" by having a world plebiscite on open borders. Would it pass? Or would First World countries somehow persuade Third World voters that ...

9. Greeks' crisis is personal as well as political  permalink

Greeks' crisis is personal as well as political
Business News Headlines

Like many Greeks left unemployed by their country's economic tailspin, Dimitris Spachos finds it easier to talk about his nation's problems than his own.

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The Seattle Times
Greeks' crisis is personal as well as political   —  Like many Greeks left unemployed by their country's economic tailspin, Dimitris Spachos finds it easier to talk about his nation's problems than his own.

The Seattle Times
Greek politics, Spain banks test eurozone survival   —  Chaos in Greek politics and Spanish banking combined this week to underscore just how fragile Europe's economy remains after an eviscerating austerity regime that has spawned unemployment, desperation and misery. And there is no respite in sight, as Germany's finance minister predicted Friday that the crisis could last up to another two years.

10. In Facebook Stock Rush, Fanfare vs. Realities  permalink

GRETCHEN MORGENSON / NYT

The small gain for Facebook’s stock on its first day of trading suggests that many professional money managers viewed all the hype as just that.

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Business
In Facebook Stock Rush, Fanfare vs. Realities On Facebook's big day, other stocks slide   —  Electronic screens inside the Nasdaq stock market announce the listing of Facebook shares before the start of trading, Friday, May 18, 2012 in New York.

Abram Brown / Forbes
In Facebook Stock Rush, Fanfare vs. Realities Friday's Most Suprising Stock? Not Facebook, But The Brown Shoe Co.   —  One stock yesterday refused to be trodden down by investors running pell-mell from Wall Street. While most of the market slumped, the Brown Shoe Co. (BWS, $10.99) soared. It climbed 25% on surprising quarterly sales and upbeat guidance.

11. Bosch in talks to return to UK  permalink

Bosch in talks to return to UK
Finance News

Bosch and other leading automotive parts companies have held secret talks with the Government and leading car makers about opening new UK plants.

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Financial Times
Murdoch quashes talk of UK paper spin-off   —  News Corp’s chief has moved to quash talk about selling its tainted UK newspaper business, saying publishing would remain ‘a core component’

12. London Stock Exchange moves into European markets  permalink

London Stock Exchange moves into European markets
Finance News

The London Stock Exchange is in the early stages of planning an assault on the continental European market, pitting it against rivals Euronext and Deutsche Borse on their own turf.

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MarketWatch.com
London Stock Exchange moves into European markets Canadian Markets: Canadian stocks slide to third weekly loss   —  Canadian stocks fail to defend earlier gains and finish lower, marking its third weekly loss in a row.

13. Ex-Paulson partner launching own hedge fund  permalink

Ex-Paulson partner launching own hedge fund
MICHELLE CELARIER / NY Post

John Paulson’s stubborn bullishness cost the hedge fund superstar billions of dollars last year. Now one of the partners overseeing the bank stocks that dragged the firm down is starting a hedge fund of his own. Robert Lacoursiere, a former partner and head of global banks at Paulson, is...

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Www.ritholtz.com
Ex-Paulson partner launching own hedge fund Barron’s Top 100 Hedge Funds   —  Dating back to its introduction in 1999, the net spec short position in the euro for the week ended Tuesday, according to the CFTC, rose to a record high....

14. Blind Chinese activist leaves Beijing for U.S.  permalink

Blind Chinese activist leaves Beijing for U.S.
Reuters

BEIJING (Reuters) - China allowed a blind legal activist, Chen Guangcheng, to leave a hospital in Beijing on Saturday and board a plane bound for the United States, a move that could signal the end of a diplomatic standoff between the two countries.

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Msnbc.com
Blind Chinese activist leaves Beijing for U.S. Blind Chinese activist Chen leaves on flight to US   —  In this photo released by the US Embassy Beijing Press Office, blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng sits in a chair at the U.S. embassy before he left for a hospital in Beijing, May 2.

15. Dr. Frankenstein’s Europe  permalink

Dr. Frankenstein’s Europe
Www.ritholtz.com

“Had I right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations? I had before been moved by the sophisms of the being I had created; I had been struck senseless by his fiendish threats; but now, for the first time, the wickedness of my promise burst upon me; I shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their ...

16. Letters: Letters: Logic and the Mandate  permalink

GRETCHEN MORGENSON / NYT

In “Slippery-Slope Logic, Applied to Health Care” (Economic View, May 13), Richard H. Thaler criticizes the slippery-slope arguments of those who question the health care law’s mandate to buy insurance. But the column overlooks that such arguments are often invoked with good cause. After all, sometimes slopes really are slippery.

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GRETCHEN MORGENSON / NYT
Letters: Letters: Adam Smith’s Way   —  Re “At JPMorgan, the Ghost of Dinner Parties Past” (Fair Game, May 13), about JPMorgan Chase’s recent report of a $2 billion trading loss:

17. App scans faces of bar-goers to guess age, gender  permalink

Www.seattlepi.com

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A watchful eye has arrived on San Francisco's bar scene, but not to keep you in check. It just wants to check you out. A new app launched this weekend that will scan the faces of patrons in 25 bars across the city to determine their ages and genders. Would-be customers can then check their smartphones for real-time updates ...

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The Seattle Times
App scans faces of bar-goers to guess age, gender   —  A watchful eye has arrived on San Francisco's bar scene, but not to keep you in check. It just wants to check you out.

18. David Cameron pushes for workplace shake-up  permalink

David Cameron pushes for workplace shake-up
Finance News

Business leaders are set to welcome radical plans to overhaul employment rights which the Government hopes will make it easier to hire new workers and spark growth.

19. Why Cameron wants a war on how we work  permalink

Why Cameron wants a war on how we work
Finance News

There has been a brewing, and mostly private, row at the heart of the Coalition on the freedom businesses should be given to hire and fire as they see fit. Photo: AFP/GETTY

20. Henry Ford puts expansion into motion in New Center  permalink

Henry Ford puts expansion into motion in New Center
Detroitnews.com

Henry Ford Hospital is casting its shadow and, now, its influence over Detroit�s New Center neighborhood. Dozens of homes like these on roads like Trumbull and Sterling are being stripped for salvage and will soon be razed. (Photo by John T. Greilick / The Detroit News)