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| National News | | |
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- Automatic cuts are seen as unlikely to disrupt CFTC, SEC
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission expect mostly business as usual if the budget sequester goes into effect March 1. "We would definitely have to cut back expenditures in technology. ... We're doing everything to husband our resources to avoid a furlough," CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler said. Similarly, an SEC spokesman says there likely would be no reduction in workforce. Reuters
(2/22)     
| Legislative Dispatch | | |
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- Obama and Republicans break silence and restart budget talks
The White House and Republican leaders have restarted talks on how to avert across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect March 1. President Barack Obama spoke with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the conversations were "good" but didn't give any details. Reuters
(2/21)
| Employment Focus | | |
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- 1980s law to hit Social Security for some government workers
Some Americans will not get the Social Security benefits they may have been expecting because of a rule adopted in 1983. Workers who were eligible for a government pension and were hired before 1984 are subject to a provision that prevents them from getting both the pension and full Social Security benefits. The so-called Windfall Elimination Provision lowers the benefits amount for those who were not subject to payroll tax. Fox Business
(2/18)
| Supreme Court and Federal Court Watch | | |
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- Court approves BP, Justice Dept. stipulation on Gulf spill figures
About 810,000 barrels of oil that BP captured from its leaking Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 won't be included in the calculation of fines against the company under the Clean Water Act, according to U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier. Both BP and the Department of Justice agreed that the captured oil "never came into contact with any ambient sea water and was not released into the environment in any way," the order states. The ruling could reduce BP's Gulf spill-related penalties by up to $3.5 billion. The Wall Street Journal
(2/20)
| Other Legal News | | |
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| Professional and Business Development | | |
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- Build your courage one small act at a time
Carry out small, courageous acts every day -- such as by speaking up to your boss or tackling a project that you've failed at in the past -- so that you'll be ready when your resolve is truly tested, writes Bill Treasurer, founder of Giant Leap Consulting. "Big courage feats come on the heels of many little courage acts," he writes. TrainingMag.com
(2/19)
- Is your network ignoring you?
Don't get disheartened if you reach out to others and don't get a response, experts say. People are busy or may feel they can't help you, but are more likely to respond if you offer to help them or are just friendly, says Keith Ferrazzi, author of "Never Eat Alone." "Nobody really has time for anybody unless you give them a reason to have time," he says. CNNMoney/Fortune
(2/20)
| PLI News | | |
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An Alternative to Litigation Increasingly Demanded by Both Judges and Clients
Lawyers who are experts in taking depositions or trying cases often find themselves in unfamiliar territory in a mediation or settlement negotiation, where the required skill set is a combination of advocacy, psychology and poker. Learn from the experts at the Feb. 28 One-Hour Audio Briefing Mediation and Settlement -- Real World Strategies.
| Lawyer Life | | |
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- Chefs explore granola's upscale potential
Granola has grown up from its wholesome, earthy roots into a fashionable ingredient that lets upscale chefs around the country get creative, from the brightly colored bowls at Roy Choi's Sunny Spot in California to the rosemary-and-pistachio crust on elk meat at Boulder, Colo.'s, OAK at Fourteenth. "I want people to know that the Four Seasons is actually serving hippie food," said chef Julian Niccolini. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(2/19)
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