"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

Facebook's Test in China: What Price Free Speech?

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:42 PM PDT

What to make of Facebook—which holds itself up as an icon of openness—and its flirtation with the largest authoritarian nation on earth?

Google in Talks to Buy Admeld

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 06:20 PM PDT

Google is in late-stage negotiations to buy online-ad firm Admeld for around $400 million, as the technology giant continues to invest outside its main search-advertising business, according to people familiar with the matter.

Investor Group Is Front-Runner for Myspace

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:05 PM PDT

An investor group has emerged as a front-runner in negotiations with News Corp. to take control of Myspace, as the media company rushes to complete a transaction by June 30.

Bond Deal May Augur More European Travails

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 05:03 PM PDT

Investors balked at buying a $1.46 billion bond offering by Banco Santander, underscoring the jittery nature of the region's credit markets.

Seoul Presses U.S. to Pass Trade Deal

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 04:18 PM PDT

Seoul warned that if Washington didn't act soon on a trade-expansion agreement, ratification in South Korea could be put on hold until after its April 2012 elections.

'Backdoor' China Plays Under Fire

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 06:59 PM PDT

China MediaExpress's rapid growth and big profits helped it draw marquee U.S. investors. Now it is one of dozens companies from China that have come under fire by investors and U.S. regulators for allegedly misleading investors.

'Junk' Bond Market Hit by a Selloff

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 04:49 PM PDT

A selloff in bonds backed by subprime mortgages has spread through the riskiest segments of the credit markets, ending rallies in high-yield corporate bonds and commercial real-estate debt.

Chesapeake CEO Faces Storm

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:41 PM PDT

Chesapeake Energy, facing calls from an influential advisory firm to oust co-founder and Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon as chairman over executive pay issues, gave ground hours before its annual meeting.

Deep OPEC Splits Won't Heal Easily

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:34 PM PDT

OPEC faces mounting questions about its credibility and relevance after Wednesday's meeting of the group broke up in disarray with no decision on raising production—despite widespread fears that higher crude prices were endangering the world economy.

Life Partners' Auditor Quits, Withdraws Opinion on 2010 Results

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 04:50 PM PDT

Ernst & Young resigned as the outside auditor for Life Partners Holdings and withdrew its opinion on fiscal 2010 results, in a further blow to a company that has been reeling from a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into its accounting and disclosure practices.

Accused Leaker Reaches Plea Deal

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 03:58 PM PDT

A former National Security Agency official accused of mishandling classified information has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors, heading off a closely watched trial that was set to begin next week.

Ford Aims to Recast Lincoln

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 04:14 PM PDT

Now that Ford has escaped the grip of recession and projects a doubling of sales by mid-decade, the second largest U.S. auto maker is making a revival of its ailing Lincoln luxury brand its top priority.

Chicago Man Found Guilty in Danish Plot

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 03:32 PM PDT

A federal jury found a Pakistani-born Chicago businessman guilty of two terror-related counts, including an aborted plot to attack a Danish newspaper, but found him innocent of helping to plan the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

IAEA Panel Votes to Censure Syria

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 03:26 PM PDT

The IAEA's Board of Governors voted to censure Syria and refer the country to the United Nations Security Council after the U.N. nuclear agency determined that it likely had built a reactor in violation of its international treaty obligations.

Hacking at Citi Is Latest Data Scare

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:33 PM PDT

Citigroup plans to send replacement credit cards to about 100,000 North American customers after its systems were breached by a hacking attack affecting about 200,000 accounts.

GOP Senators Weigh Fresh Angles to Rein In Dodd-Frank

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 03:16 PM PDT

At least three GOP senators are considering using an economic-development measure to take a fresh stab at attaching amendments that would rework key parts of the Dodd-Frank financial-overhaul law Congress passed last year.

Anglo Irish Close to Sale of U.S. Portfolio

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 06:44 PM PDT

Anglo Irish Bank Corp. is close to putting its entire $10 billion portfolio of U.S. commercial real-estate loans up for sale as soon as this month, according to people familiar with the matter.

LightSquared Dealt New Setback

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 03:45 PM PDT

A new set of government tests showed that LightSquared's proposed mobile broadband network disrupted all GPS devices in the test area, dealing another setback to the company's startup plans.

UAW Shifts Pay Stance

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:17 PM PDT

The United Auto Workers union is open to discussing the wider use of profit-sharing plans instead of fixed pay increases for its members, a key shift as the union nears contract talks with Detroit auto makers.

'Upfront' Ad Prices Jump

Posted: 09 Jun 2011 01:37 PM PDT

ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox and raked in higher prices for their commercial time in the just-concluded 'upfront' ad-sales bazaar.