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To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:11:04 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ Monaco Coach Posts 4Q Shortfall On Lower Motorized Sales Hey family - lets all load up into the RV and take road trip! COBURG, Ore. (Dow Jones)--Monaco Coach Corp. (MNC) reported lower fourth-quarter earnings, hurt by a double-digit decline in motorized sales. The company, which had earlier Wednesday postponed its fourth-quarter earnings report to resolve an accounting problem, also provided first-quarter and fiscal-2006 sales estimates that are above current Wall Street expectations. In a press release Wednesday, the maker of recreational vehicles said earnings for the fourth quarter decreased to $2.5 million, or 8 cents a share, from $5.4 million, or 18 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts, on average, expected breakeven earnings, before items. Fourth-quarter sales fell 4.8% to $306 million from $321.5 million, slightly ahead of Wall Street estimates of $305 million. During the fourth quarter, motorized sales - excluding discontinued operations - decreased 21.8% to $221.9 million from $283.8 million amid a soft retail market. Meanwhile, towable sales increased to $76.7 million from $31.8 million due to the addition of R-Vision sales and orders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In after-hours trading, shares of Monaco Coach changed hands recently at $14.09, up from Wednesday's close of $14.03. (MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:11:25 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ Australian Dec Bldg Approvals Fall 3.5% Vs Nov . CANBERRA (Dow Jones)--The total number of Australian houses and apartments approved for construction fell a seasonally adjusted 3.5% in December from November, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Thursday. Total dwellings (houses and apartments): ================================================== Period Number Change On: Month Year Dec 05 12,168 -3.5% -8.9% Nov 05 12,611 +3.8% Dec 04 13,360 +2.3% ================================================== (All data are seasonally adjusted.) Economists had expected on average that total residential building approvals fell 0.3% from the month before. (MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:12:05 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

Congress Passes Legislation Raising Bk Deposit Insur Limit WASHINGTON (AP)--The $100,000 account limit on federal bank deposit insurance will be raised for retirement accounts under legislation passed by Congress on Wednesday and expected to be signed by President George W. Bush. The change, which the banking industry has been pushing for about a decade, was included in a five-year, $39 billion budget-cutting bill that narrowly cleared the House and sped toward the president's desk. It gives the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. discretion to increase the $100,000 insurance ceiling on deposit accounts to reflect inflation, starting five years from now. For individual retirement accounts held in banks, the account limit will immediately be raised from $100,000 to $250,000. "This legislation is good for depositors, the financial services industry, and the safety and soundness of the deposit insurance system," FDIC acting Chairman Martin Gruenberg said in a statement issued after the House vote. The banking industry has lobbied for an increase in the program established during the Depression. Smaller community banks, especially, believe it would help them compete for deposits with bigger institutions and Wall Street investment firms. After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, some lawmakers pushed a plan to raise the $100,000 limit immediately so that smaller banks in the affected areas wouldn't be hurt by depositors pulling out their money. The legislation raises maximum insurance coverage for accounts for the first time since 1980, when it was $40,000 per account. Proponents have said the move was needed to keep pace with inflation and encourage more people to save. Taking inflation into account, $40,000 in 1980 would be worth nearly $94,000 today. Critics, including now-retired Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, have maintained that to protect the wealthy, a burden potentially bigger than that of the savings and loan bailout - which cost taxpayers around $130 billion - would be imposed. The legislation also: -Combines the federal bank insurance fund with the fund for savings and loans, with an eye to creating a single, more diverse fund that would be less vulnerable to regional economic problems. -Changes the way the FDIC collects premiums from banks and thrifts. About 9,000 banks and savings and loans - or more than 90% of all insured institutions - pay no insurance premiums. The FDIC is prohibited from collecting premiums from most institutions that have adequate capital and receive strong ratings from examiners. That will be replaced with a system in which every bank and thrift chips in, with insurance premiums based on risk. If the insurance fund reserves fell below a certain level, premiums would be increased gradually. Banks and thrifts would get rebates when the fund reached a certain level. (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 18:57 ET (23:57 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 57 PM EST 02-01-06

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:12:26 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

Freddie COO Eyes Private-Label Market ("Freddie Mac COO Sees Subprime Mkt As Growth Source In 2006," published at 4:23 p.m. EST, incorrectly said that Freddie Mac's chief operating officer sees the subprime mortgage market as a source of growth for the company in 2006. The article also incorrectly said that Freddie's COO credited a bulk of the company's growth last year in its investment portfolio to securities backed by subprime loans.) By Dawn Kopecki Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Freddie Mac (FRE) Chief Operating Officer Eugene McQuade told investors Wednesday that he sees the private-label mortgage market as a big source of growth for the company in 2006. "The private label security market has grown quite a bit with a high percentage of subprime mortgage securities. We generated most of our retained portfolio growth last year in that sector," McQuade said at the Citigroup 2006 Financial Services Conference in New York City. "Given the richening we've experienced in our funding levels, and the continued low credit risk environment, we believe we can continue to invest in attractive (option-adjusted spread) levels and achieve solid fair value returns in this asset class. This investment should contribute to continued growth throughout the year." McQuade credited a bulk of Freddie's growth last year in its investment portfolio, which grew 8.7% to $710 billion at the end of December, to securities backed by loans issued by private lenders as opposed to its own loans or other agency securities that tend to be less risky. McQuade assured investors that the company only buys the highest-rated securities. "The important thing for me to underscore here is that we're going to remain patient and disciplined. We serve both our statutory mission and long-term shareholder returns when we add liquidity to the market," he said. McQuade told investors to expect "lumpy" growth in Freddie's retained portfolio going forward as the company looks for buying opportunities when mortgage spreads widen, and are thus more profitable for Freddie, as they did in the third quarter. The spread is the difference between the interest Freddie earns on a fixed-rate mortgage and the interest it pays on debt issued to fund the purchase. Freddie and its rival housing agency Fannie Mae (FNM) are chartered by Congress to buy home loans from lenders so they can, in turn, offer more mortgage money to borrowers. They repackage some for resale and keep others on their books. For much of 2005, it wasn't profitable for either government-sponsored enterprise to hold on to fixed-rate mortgages, although they both added significantly to their holdings of bonds backed by adjustable-rate and hybrid loans. Both companies loaded up on mortgage bonds during the third quarter to take advantage of the more profitable spreads. Fannie's investment portfolio stood at $727.17 billion at the end of December. McQuade said both companies' retained portfolio holdings, which many in Washington believe need to be cut, are a critical component to fulfilling their public housing mission. "About half of that are mission-related loans and those are loans that probably wouldn't get done or certainly would have a higher cost associated with them if there weren't GSEs around and we didn't have a mission charter from Congress to make those loans," McQuade said. Legislation in the Senate would prohibit Fannie and Freddie from purchasing securities for investment purposes only, restricting their holdings largely to mortgage assets that most private banks and lenders won't touch. "That's a big issue. But that's where the risk is," Senate Banking Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., recently told reporters. He noted that the Federal Reserve and Treasury have both highlighted that fact. "It has nothing to do with the mission. The mission of the GSEs is important. That's why we created them. The risk is in the portfolio. It has nothing to do with housing." Recently retired Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said earlier this month that the Senate bill provides what he called a much-needed anchor that would refocus Fannie and Freddie on their publicly chartered mission of promoting affordable housing. In a letter to the three main co-sponsors of the Senate bill, Greenspan said Congress needed to give the GSEs "specific and unambiguous congressional guidance about the intended purpose and functions" of their portfolios. "The purpose of this guidance," Greenspan said, "is not just to limit the GSEs' portfolios, but to firmly anchor the GSEs to their public purpose. Strong portfolio guidance by Congress is needed because GSEs are an unusual government intervention in private markets; such institutions lack the typical financial market discipline that is commonplace for other publicly traded firms." McQuade countered that argument, saying the profitable side of the portfolio is also necessary to fulfill their public mission because it provides billions of dollars in private capital that acts as a buffer against the broader market "risks that people in Washington seem so concerned about. "If that half of the portfolio were to be legislated away...my sense is a lot of that capital will leave the housing finance system, make the risks of the GSEs actually much larger than they are right now," McQuade said, adding that Freddie's and Fannie's debt costs could also rise along with borrowing costs for consumers. McQuade endorsed legislation that passed the House last year that doesn't impose portfolio limits on the GSEs, and is opposed by the White House and Fed, as a "tough and fair bill. "It would be a shame if people tinkered with the retained, because I think there's a great balance here between fulfilling mission and attracting capital to the housing finance market," McQuade said. Both companies have been under intense scrutiny in Washington since Freddie Mac ousted its top management in mid-2003, blaming the former executives for manipulating accounting rules that led to a multi-billion-dollar earnings restatement that year. Freddie is still struggling to get its financial reporting back on track, McQuade said, noting that he hopes to release fourth-quarter and full-year 2005 data by the end of March. Freddie hasn't released audited financial statements since the second quarter of last year due to a computer error discovered in the third quarter that threw off the company's progress. "The fundamentals were a little bit weaker than we thought," McQuade said, noting that Freddie still hopes to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission later this year. "We are undergoing a Herculean effort to get numbers across a finish line but weren't really satisfied with the quality the numbers were at the level that I'd be comfortable with in my career in terms of putting out." McQuade added: "I think we might need to focus over the next year or two in continually building out the quality of our financial reporting and the timeliness of our financial reporting." Fannie Mae, which was forced in December 2004 to restate several years of earnings after its regulator accused executives there of earnings manipulation, hasn't disclosed its earnings results since the second quarter of 2004. -By Dawn Kopecki, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6637; Dawn.Kopecki@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 18:30 ET (23:30 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 30 PM EST 02-01-06

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:12:26 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ New Fannie Mae CFO Blakely Granted 10,000 Stk Units >FNM Will they expense them properly in accounting? hehe WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Fannie Mae (FNM) reported Wednesday granting 10,000 restricted stock units to Robert T. Blakely, its new chief financial officer. The mortgage company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Blakely assumed his new position Monday. When it announced Blakely's appointment in November, Fannie Mae said MCI Inc.'s former chief financial officer would join the company shortly after MCI's merger with Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) was completed. That merger was completed early last month. In a separate document filed with the SEC, Fannie Mae said Blakely's restricted stock award would vest over a three-year period starting Jan. 30, 2007. Based on Wednesday's closing price of $57.58 a share, Blakely's stock award is worth $575,800. -By Nicolas Brulliard; Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-1351; nicolas.brulliard@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 18:48 ET (23:48 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 48 PM EST 02-01-06

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:14:09 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

Exec Says Boeing Preparing For DoD Budget Cuts . (Updates to add details on missile defense and tankers in the 16th and 19th paragraphs.) By Rebecca Christie Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Boeing Co. (BA) expects Pentagon budget cutbacks and has adjusted accordingly, Boeing's top defense executive said Wednesday. Jim Albaugh, head of Boeing's integrated defense systems unit, said 2005 was the unit's best-ever year in terms of revenue and operating margin. But many big Boeing programs may be affected when the White House releases its 2007 budget request next week. The new budget will be accompanied by the quadrennial defense review, a major Pentagon report that takes a top-to-bottom look at defense strategy every four years. Albaugh said Boeing has done its best to get in position for the coming changes. "I've got a whole list of programs that I think could be affected. We've tried to put some discounts into the plan," he said in a telephone interview with Dow Jones Newswires. Chicago-based Boeing reported fourth-quarter income of $460 million, or 58 cents a share, while also raising its 2006 forecasts. The company's defense unit posted fourth-quarter revenue of $8.1 billion, a 7% gain, with operating margins rising to 11.4%. Despite the strong performance, the defense division is slimming down its management structure and scaling back some of its expectations. Albaugh announced last week that he would restructure his unit from seven main divisions to three. "I'm not content to just let things perk along," Albaugh said after Wednesday's earnings release. Military space programs are a likely target of coming cuts. Albaugh said he expected a Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) satellites communications program, known as Advanced Extremely High Frequency, or AEHF, will strengthen at the expense of the Boeing-Lockheed Transformational Satellite Communications program, known as TSAT. But this shift also could boost a $2 billion Boeing-led program known as the Wideband Gapfiller, Albaugh said. He said he expects the government will prune some of its programs to bring its goals in line with its wallet. "Space is going to moderate. They cannot afford everything that they want," Albaugh said. Boeing is still optimistic about its rocket launch joint venture with Lockheed Martin, even though regulators have not yet approved it or signaled when they will make a decision. Albaugh said he had no time frame for when the United Launch Alliance would go through. "My conversations in the Pentagon have been positive," he said. The companies have provided the government with extra information regarding financial guarantees and competitive concerns. In the coming year, Boeing expects strong demand for new communications networks and services that support aging equipment. Boeing also hopes to improve its missile defense performance, which cost it millions in potential profits last year. "We did disappoint the customer. We fully intend not to let that occur again," Albaugh said. Boeing Chief Financial Officer James Bell said on an analyst conference call that the company expects lower revenue on that project because of funding constraints. Citing a successful flight test in December, Bell and Albaugh said missile defense work is technically back on track. On the international side, Boeing sees foreign markets for its fighter, tanker and electronic surveillance aircraft. South Korea, Japan and India all are in the market for new fighter planes, and Boeing's Apache and Chinook combat helicopters have enjoyed steady global demand. Boeing also is optimistic that its P-8 spy plane, also known as the Navy's Multimission Maritime Aircraft, will find new customers, Albaugh said. In addition to foreign buyers, Boeing hopes the 737-based based surveillance aircraft will interest the Army, once it regroups from its recent spy plane setback. The Army recently pulled the plug on Lockheed Martin's $879 million Aerial Common Sensor program because of cost overruns and technical difficulties. Regarding tankers, Boeing continues to campaign for the U.S. Air Force's upcoming competition, expected to launch this year, while also seeking more foreign buyers. But because the Pentagon program has been delayed, the company had to write off $275 million in tanker-related research and development costs in 2004, Albaugh said. -By Rebecca Christie, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9243; rebecca.christie@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 18:32 ET (23:32 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 32 PM EST 02-01-06

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:18:21 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

According to NTP, RIM knew its "lobbying efforts could not survive scrutiny" so it "chose to conceal its activities and filed a motion to quash NTP's discovery." The filing also said that, "This court can and should cite RIM's concealment of its ex parte lobbying activities as a basis for denying RIM's request for extraordinary remedy of staying the injunction." =DJ U.S. Government Details Opposition To BlackBerry Ban -3- In its filing, NTP argued that a 30-day transition period - should a ban be granted - for governmental entities and emergency services departments "is adequate, because exempt entities have known since last November that they should begin to take action if they wished to continue Blackberry service..." The NTP filing also argued that the DOJ can have "no legitimate governmental concern" regarding NTP's proposed injunction order, which included immediate injunctive relief prohibiting "new sales" of the pertinent Blackberry products and services to non-exempt entities. The DOJ appears to support this claim. In its filing Wednesday, it said that "...the only feasible injunction is one that is prospective in nature, and enjoins any new sales of BlackBerry handhelds or server software to private users..." In its filing, NTP claims that the DOJ should have no reason to oppose "immediate injunctive relief" requiring RIM to identify the major commercial accounts and cease service to those accounts within the original proposed 30-day period. NTP said it believes the PTO's ongoing review should have no bearing on the courts decision on a BlackBerry ban. "Notably, RIM still is unable to cite a single instance in which any form of PTO examiner's decision in a post-trial reexamination sufficed to impact a litigation that had advanced beyond a jury verdict, beyond entry judgement, beyond (Court of Appeal of the Federal Circuit) affirmance, and beyond Supreme Court denial of certiorari," the filing said. NTP also claimed that RIM "insists on covering-up activities" related to the PTO examinations. For instance, it alleges that in 2003, when RIM first tried to interject its post-trial reexamination activities into the proceedings, NTP sought "the most basic information" from RIM, including RIM's communications to Congress and the PTO regarding the disputed patents. According to NTP, RIM knew its "lobbying efforts could not survive scrutiny" so it "chose to conceal its activities and filed a motion to quash NTP's discovery." The filing also said that, "This court can and should cite RIM's concealment of its ex parte lobbying activities as a basis for denying RIM's request for extraordinary remedy of staying the injunction." To further advance its argument, NTP cited a PTO office action dated Nov. 15, 2005. "RIM made the election to wait until after losing at trial; it 'chose its route and must now deal with the consequences of its decision.' " RIM's filing wasn't immediately available. -Stuart Weinberg, Dow Jones Newswires; 416-306-2026; stuart.weinberg@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 18:31 ET (23:31 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 31 PM EST 02-01-06

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:21:47 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

US Florida Sens Introduce Bill To Block Oil, Gas Drilling Its to protect thier fishing and sunday outings - hehe. .. By Maya Jackson Randall Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. senators from Florida Wednesday introduced legislation to permanently prohibit oil and natural gas drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, arguing a new law is necessary to protect the state's economy as well as the nation's military training ranges. The bill would create a buffer, preventing exploration and production within 260 miles of Tampa Bay, Fla., according to Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. "This bill sends a message that's loud and clear - Florida's waters are off limits," he said. Sen. Bill Nelson,D-Fla., argued that the measure is an important step towards ensuring that Florida's "unspoiled beaches and abundant fisheries" remain as one of the world's "tourism jewels." The legislative proposal comes just as several lawmakers in Congress are mulling legislation this year that would open up more offshore areas to energy development as a way to address natural gas prices, which have been soaring over the past several years. Natural gas industry groups have argued that they need access to more federal waters in order to meet growing demand for the fossil fuels. -By Maya Jackson Randall, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9263; Maya.Jackson-Randall@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 18:17 ET (23:17 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 06 17 PM EST 02-01-06

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:32:04 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ Freddie COO Sees Subprime Mkt As Growth Source In 2006 -3- . Legislation in the Senate would prohibit Fannie and Freddie from purchasing securities for investment purposes only, restricting their holdings largely to mortgage assets that most private banks and lenders won't touch. "That's a big issue. But that's where the risk is," Senate Banking Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., recently told reporters. He noted that the Federal Reserve and Treasury have both highlighted that fact. "It has nothing to do with the mission. The mission of the GSEs is important. That's why we created them. The risk is in the portfolio. It has nothing to do with housing." Recently retired Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said earlier this month that the Senate bill provides what he called a much-needed anchor that would refocus Fannie and Freddie on their publicly chartered mission of promoting affordable housing. In a letter to the three main co-sponsors of the Senate bill, Greenspan said Congress needed to give the GSEs "specific and unambiguous congressional guidance about the intended purpose and functions" of their portfolios. "The purpose of this guidance," Greenspan said, "is not just to limit the GSEs' portfolios, but to firmly anchor the GSEs to their public purpose. Strong portfolio guidance by Congress is needed because GSEs are an unusual government intervention in private markets; such institutions lack the typical financial market discipline that is commonplace for other publicly traded firms." McQuade countered that argument, saying the profitable side of the portfolio is also necessary to fulfill their public mission because it provides billions of dollars in private capital that acts as a buffer against the broader market "risks that people in Washington seem so concerned about. "If that half of the portfolio were to be legislated away...my sense is a lot of that capital will leave the housing finance system, make the risks of the GSEs actually much larger than they are right now," McQuade said, adding that Freddie's and Fannie's debt costs could also rise along with borrowing costs for consumers. McQuade endorsed legislation that passed the House last year that doesn't impose portfolio limits on the GSEs, and is opposed by the White House and Fed, as a "tough and fair bill. "It would be a shame if people tinkered with the retained, because I think there's a great balance here between fulfilling mission and attracting capital to the housing finance market," McQuade said. Both companies have been under intense scrutiny in Washington since Freddie Mac ousted its top management in mid-2003, blaming the former executives for manipulating accounting rules that led to a multi-billion-dollar earnings restatement that year. Freddie is still struggling to get its financial reporting back on track, McQuade said, noting that he hopes to release fourth-quarter and full-year 2005 data by the end of March. Freddie hasn't released audited financial statements since the second quarter of last year due to a computer error discovered in the third quarter that threw off the company's progress. "The fundamentals were a little bit weaker than we thought," McQuade said, noting that Freddie still hopes to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission later this year. "We are undergoing a Herculean effort to get numbers across a finish line but weren't really satisfied with the quality the numbers were at the level that I'd be comfortable with in my career in terms of putting out." McQuade added: "I think we might need to focus over the next year or two in continually building out the quality of our financial reporting and the timeliness of our financial reporting." Fannie Mae, which was forced in December 2004 to restate several years of earnings after its regulator accused executives there of earnings manipulation, hasn't disclosed its earnings results since the second quarter of 2004. -By Dawn Kopecki, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6637; Dawn.Kopecki@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 17:37 ET (22:37 GMT)

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:40:22 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ UPDATE:Snow:Confident Demand For US Debt To Remain Strong . (Adding background, additional comments by Snow) RADNOR, Pa. (Dow Jones)--U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow on Wednesday said he was confident that demand for U.S. Treasury debt will remain strong. "If you look at market-based rates, they are still quite low by historical standards," Snow told reporters after a tour of a biotech company in Radnor, Pa. Asked if rising Treasury yields would be an impediment to sales, Snow said, "You hear the other concern that we've got an inverted yield curve and that (inverted yield curve) suggests strong demand for U.S. Treasurys." On Monday, the Treasury said its net first-quarter marketable borrowing this year likely would reach a record $188 billion. Treasury estimated it would pay down $30 billion in the April to June quarter. The Congressional Budget Office projected last week that the U.S. federal budget deficit would rise to $360 billion in fiscal year 2006, compared with a $318 billion deficit for fiscal 2005. The flood of bond and note sales required to finance these deficits has some analysts worried that yields will have to rise to persuade investors to continue buying Treasury bonds. Snow disagreed. "There's strong demand for Treasurys as reflected in the (low) yields," he said "As I say, with a yield curve that, if not inverted, then at least with yields at the long and short end close together suggests the demand for U.S. paper is very strong." Snow's remarks to employees of Centocor, a biotech research subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), echoed President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech Tuesday on the competitive position of the U.S. economy. The Treasury secretary said the tax advantages of Health Savings Accounts, spending accounts tied to high-deductible health insurance policies, would be enhanced in the president's upcoming budget proposal. Bush's call Tuesday night for yet another commission on reforming Social Security was an effort to reach out to Democrats for new reform proposals and to keep the issue before the U.S. public, Snow said. -By Elizabeth Price, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9295; elizabeth.price@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires February 01, 2006 17:32 ET (22:32 GMT) Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.- - 05 32 PM EST 02-01-06

To: mishedlo who wrote (52362)	2/2/2006 1:44:05 AM
From: shades	Respond to of 110194

DJ Corning To Locate LCD Glass Finishing Facility In China shades only has CRT - pitch black and interview with the vampire suck on current low contrast LCD - not to mention Neverwinter Nights CORNING, N.Y.--Corning Inc.'s (GLW) board approved funding for the creation of a new liquid crystal display glass finishing facility to be located in China. In a press release Wednesday, the Corning, N.Y. diversified technology company said it is still determining where in China the facility for liquid crystal displays, commonly known as flat screens, will be established. The amount of funding for the project was not disclosed. According to industry analysts and Corning's market analysis, the volume of the glass market grew about 60% worldwide in 2005. Behind the demand for glass is the fact that an increasing number of desktop monitors and television screens are being replaced by liquid crystal display, or flat-panel screens. -Cynthia Koons; Dow Jones Newswires; (201) 938-5400; asknewswires@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires