Thursday, March 4, 2010

plus 3, What's next for Walsh? GOP unsure how foreclosure will play - Arlington Heights Daily Herald

plus 3, What's next for Walsh? GOP unsure how foreclosure will play - Arlington Heights Daily Herald

What's next for Walsh? GOP unsure how foreclosure will play - Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 07:26 AM PST

Will this week's revelation that Republican congressional candidate Joe Walsh lost a condominium to foreclosure affect his political chances in November?

That depends on how voters view Walsh's financial struggles, which came to light only after a Daily Herald expose, a prominent Lake County Republican said Wednesday.

"If it's perceived that he was hiding something just to get elected, that could hurt him," said Dan Venturi, whose tenure as county GOP chairman ended Wednesday. "But I think if (he's) perceived as somebody who's embarrassed to talk about his hardships, then I think people can relate to that."

Walsh, of Winnetka, did not disclose the foreclosure during his successful campaign for the GOP nomination in the 8th House District. He defeated five other Republican candidates to win the nomination.

Walsh now will face incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean of Barrington and Green Party challenger Bill Scheurer of Lindenhurst in the general election.

Walsh refused to answer questions from the Daily Herald on Wednesday. He e-mailed the newspaper a three-paragraph statement Tuesday and distributed a long essay to supporters and media Wednesday about the issue.

In it, he talked about the financial problems that led to the foreclosure.

"I accepted responsibility for the situation and worked with my bank to foreclose on the condo," Walsh wrote. "It was my problem and I didn't ask anyone to bail me out."

The statement also attacked the Daily Herald and the media for being "part of a dysfunctional political establishment that has destroyed our economy in pursuit of reshaping America into a country working people don't even recognize and cannot afford."

"If enduring the ridicule of a few media types is the price I have to pay to demonstrate that a regular guy can stand up to the political establishment on behalf of middle-class, working families, so be it," Walsh continued in the statement.

The essay also appears on Walsh's Web site.

Walsh, whose full name is William Joseph Walsh, lived in Evanston when he ran for the 9th District congressional seat in 1996 and for the state House in 1998.

Walsh owned an Evanston condominium from 2004 to 2009. The two-bedroom unit went into foreclosure in 2008 and Walsh was evicted in October 2009, Cook County circuit court records and real-estate reports indicate.

The condominium was not his primary residence at the time of the foreclosure. Walsh and his wife, Helene, and their family moved to a rented house in Winnetka in 2006 and to another rented house in Winnetka in 2009.

In his original statement to the Daily Herald, Walsh said he intended to sell the condo or rent it out but had no luck. The foreclosure followed.

The GOP's Venturi said a foreclosure would have been more damaging to a political candidate two years ago when the economy was better. But now, with foreclosures and stories of financial woe so common, voters may identify with Walsh's financial problem, Venturi said.

"It probably will resonate with a lot of people," he said.

Conversely, voters could view defaulting on a mortgage as "financial mismanagement on his part," Venturi said.

He called the revelation newsworthy, despite Walsh's insistence in the Wednesday statement that "the local media (is doing) Melissa Bean's dirty work for her."

"It's something that needs to be addressed," Venturi said. "And if it's something (Walsh) addresses, it could be a positive for him."

Two of Walsh's opponents in the GOP primary - Long Grove Village President Maria Rodriguez and Barrington resident Chris Geissler - said they knew nothing about the foreclosure during the winter campaign.

"I do believe ... this kind of information should be divulged by the individual candidate," Geissler said. "Anyone seeking public office needs to take a hard look at their personal history as well as motivations and be able to reconcile that with the public trust they seek."

Even so, Geissler and Rodriguez said they'll continue supporting Walsh's bid to unseat Bean.

"Regardless of my differences with my primary opponents, I disagree with Melissa Bean 100 percent of the time," Rodriguez said.

The other GOP candidates - Dirk Beveridge, John Dawson and Greg Jacobs - could not be reached for comment.

The foreclosure isn't the only financial issue that's dogged Walsh. He was sued by a former campaign manager who said the candidate owed him $20,000 for services.

The case is pending in Cook County court.

The 8th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.



image

VeriSign(R) Identity Protection (VIP) Access for Mobile Widens Support ... - Stockhouse

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 07:40 AM PST

Now Supporting the Android(TM) Platform, VIP Access for Mobile Offers the Only Free Downloadable and Strong Authentication Application for Logon and Transaction Security

SAN FRANCISO, CA, Mar 04, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX News Network) --

RSA Conference, Booth #1717 - VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure for the networked world, continues to gain traction with customers in driving the adoption of mobile phone-based security for online access. The VeriSign(R) Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service is the leading cloud-based authentication service enabling secure online access for end users utilizing their mobile phones. Today, VeriSign supports both standalone mobile security applications as well as a Mobile Software Development Kit (SDK) for building security into mobile applications.

The VIP Access for Mobile application is offered for free from VeriSign and transforms more than 500 different types of mobile devices into VIP credentials for strong authentication including the most popular handsets -- iPhone(R), BlackBerry(R), Windows Mobile(R) and handsets supporting the most popular J2ME(TM) and BREW(R) platforms. Strong authentication works by requiring each user to provide not just a username and password but also a unique, one-time six-digit security code generated by a user's VIP authentication credential.

VIP Access for Mobile now has added support for Nexus One, the latest Android-powered device, and other Android phones from HTC, Samsung and Motorola. Android phone users can take advantage of the added safeguards of VeriSign(R) Identity Protection (VIP) with a free application available from Android Market(TM). For businesses using Google Apps(TM) Premier Edition, VIP Access for Mobile for the Android platform provides another way to add an extra layer of protection when accessing their information.

The VeriSign Mobile SDK allows developers to easily embed VIP security into their value added mobile applications. These applications include mobile banking, mobile payments, social networks and media distribution. VIP customers can now utilize the mobile SDK to simplify account access for their users while making the logon experience much safer and easier. For organizations taking advantage of the Mobile SDK, all their users can maintain or shorten the logon process with security provided 'under the hood' between the mobile application and the enterprise -- which means no longer will they be required to go through the three-step process of entering their username, password, and dynamic security code. VeriSign supports the most popular handset platforms including Android, iPhone, Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME), Windows Mobile and BREW.

The VIP Access for Mobile credentials are utilized with the VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service. VIP provides an additional layer of protection beyond standard username and password. Strong authentication works by requiring each user to provide not just a username and password but also a second factor, in this case, a dynamic one-time six-digit security code generated by a user's VIP credential. Traditional strong authentication solutions required enterprises to deploy and manage costly IT infrastructure, now enterprises can utilize a VeriSign hosted service to obtain strong authentication. With VIP, enterprises can choose from a variety of credentials for delivering one time passwords including freely available credentials for mobile devices and PCs as well as standalone security devices from industry leading vendors.

"As mobile devices become the preferred way for communicating, banking, social networking and accessing rich media content, the need for enhanced logon and transaction security is greater than ever," said Kerry Loftus, vice president of User Authentication at VeriSign. "VeriSign Identity Protection provides enterprises and consumers the tools to access a very cost-effective cloud-based security solution built to foil the criminal efforts of hackers, identity thieves and fraudsters. With the free VIP Access for Mobile application available on more and more mobile devices worldwide, the protective net of VIP Authentication is spreading."

VIP Access for Mobile and VIP Authentication Service have won several global industry awards including, the Information Security Magazine and SearchSecurity.com 2009 Readers' Choice Gold Award, the eWeek Product to Watch for 2009, the Network World Asia 2009 Readers' Choice Award for Best Identity Management Suite, and the 2009 Network Products Guide Award in the Best in Multi- and Second-Factor Authentication category. VeriSign was also recently named as a finalist for the 2010 SC Magazine Awards in the categories of: Best Identity Management Solution, Best Multi and Second-Factor Solution, Best Security Software Development Solution and Best Web Application Security Solution.

About VeriSign VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Billions of times each day, VeriSign helps companies and consumers all over the world engage in communications and commerce with confidence. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as increasing competition and pricing pressure from competing services offered at prices below our prices, market acceptance of our existing services and the current global economic downturn, the inability of VeriSign to successfully develop and market new services, VeriSign's ability to build out its infrastructure in pace with demand, the uncertainty of whether new services as provided by VeriSign will achieve market acceptance or result in any revenues and the uncertainty of the expense and duration of transition services and requests for indemnification relating to completed divestitures. More information about potential factors that could affect the Company's business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.

Copyright2010 VeriSign, Inc. All rights reserved. VeriSign, the VeriSign logo, the checkmark circle, and other trademarks, service marks, and designs are registered or unregistered trademarks of VeriSign, Inc., and its subsidiaries in the United States and in foreign countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Android, Android Market and Google Apps are trademarks of Google Inc.

Contacts Chris Halcon chalcon@verisign.com 650-426-4417 Investor Relations: Nancy Fazioli ir@verisign.com 650-426-5146

SOURCE: VeriSign, Inc.

mailto:chalcon@verisign.com mailto:ir@verisign.com

Copyright 2010 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.



image

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Stocks erase early gains after surprise drop in home sales; Retail ... - Allentown Morning Call

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 07:54 AM PST

Stocks turn lower after drop in pending home sales - WTOP Radio

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 07:47 AM PST

By STEPHEN BERNARD and TIM PARADIS
AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks are clinging to a tight range after an unexpected drop in pending home sales raised new concern about the economy.

Major indexes are little changed Thursday following the National Association of Realtors' report that its index of home sales agreements fell 7.6 percent in January from December.

The drop is overshadowing enthusiasm about better retail sales numbers. Macy's Inc., Limited Brands Inc. and The Wet Seal Inc. all posted monthly sales that topped analysts' expectations.

At midday, the Dow Jones industrial average is up 14 at 10,410. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 1 at 1,119. The Nasdaq composite index is down 1 at 2,280.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) _ Stocks faltered following an early advance as pending home sales dropped unexpectedly.

The market traded in a tight range around the flat mark after the National Association of Realtors said its seasonally adjusted index of home sales agreements fell 7.6 percent in January from December. Contracts fell to the lowest level since April.

The drop in the number of buyers of previously occupied homes overshadowed enthusiasm over better retail sales numbers. Macy's Inc., Limited Brands Inc. and The Wet Seal Inc. all posted monthly sales that topped analysts' expectations. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. raised its dividend 11 percent.

The drop in home sales brought back concerns about the economy after a stronger report on jobless benefits claims had given traders more hopes about the Labor Department's monthly payroll report due out Friday.

Initial jobless claims dipped last week after two straight weeks of unexpected increases, the Labor Department reported. New claims fell to 469,000, better than the 470,000 economists had forecast.

Friday's report is expected to show that unemployment rose to 9.8 percent in February from 9.7 percent in January as employers cut 50,000 jobs. However economists are also expecting slight gains in both average hourly earnings and average hours worked.

In late morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 7.33, or 0.1 percent, to 10,404.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.27, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,118.52, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 1.66, or 0.1 percent, to 2,279.02.

Bond prices were mixed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.61 percent from 3.63 percent late Wednesday.

Stocks have barely budged over the past two days as investors look ahead to the monthly employment report, one of the most closely watched indicators on the economy. The Dow fell 9 points Wednesday, a day after rising two points.

Major indexes pulled back from earlier highs Wednesday afternoon after the Federal Reserve said the economic recovery would be slow. The Fed's beige book report, which measures economic activity on a regional basis, pointed to weak loan demand and a soft job market.

Crude oil fell 70 cents to $80.17 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The dollar mostly rose against other major currencies. Gold fell slightly.

Falling stocks narrowly outpaced those that rose on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 275.2 million shares compared with 260.1 million shares traded at the same point Wednesday.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 0.06, or less than 0.1 percent, to 649.20.

Overseas, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.4 percent, Germany's DAX index dropped 0.7 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 0.6 percent. Nikkei stock average fell 1.1 percent.


(Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.



image
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)