The Commercial Appeal (2007-Current)

U.N. Renovation -- Landmark N.Y. Building to Be Overhauled

UNITED NATIONS - The aging United Nations headquarters overlooking New York's East River is set to undergo a $1 billion makeover, the first-ever overhaul of the landmarked but leaking complex. Alicia Barcena, U.N. undersecretary general for management, said the seven-year project will be conducted in three phases, with about 1,000 workers temporarily relocated to buildings in Manhattan and Queens during each phase. Work will begin in early 2008.

Daily Briefing

LOCAL Cotton Council applauds farm bill vote

Moehle Joins Ca As Cfo, Analyst -- Newspaper Veteran to Help Direct Strategies

Daniel Moehle, 49, is the new chief financial officer at The Commercial Appeal. He will begin in late August. Moehle, currently vice president/CFO at The Wichita Eagle, the largest newspaper in Kansas, is a CPA with extensive background in newspaper leadership, including budgeting, forecasting and strategic management.

To Do This Week

Medtronic Deal May Be Boon Here -- Medical Device Maker's Bid for Rival Kyphon Could Bring Jobs

Until Medtronic announced a $3.9 billion offer to buy Kyphon Inc. Friday, the medical device firms were bitter rivals. They had sued each other over alleged patent infringement, and Medtronic was struggling to invent a product as good as Kyphon's for healing a type of spine injury likely to become more common as America's population ages.

$2 Million Earmarked for Ut Bioresearch -- To Fund Nanotech Science to Detect Diseases Before Symptoms Appear

WASHINGTON - The $2 million Defense appropriations earmark for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center announced Thursday night will underwrite research in nanotechnology for detecting infectious diseases like tularemia, anthrax and bird flu, a UT official said Friday. Dr. Robert R. Caudle, vice chancellor of health center affairs, said the basic research is aimed at detecting how different individuals respond differently to various infectious agents at the genetic and molecular lev...

Northwest to Cancel More -- Pilot Absenteeism Blamed for Lost Flights

MINNEAPOLIS - Northwest Airlines blamed a spike in canceled flights Friday on pilot absenteeism and warned that it would probably cancel more flights over the weekend. The airline declined to release any figures, but the Web site FlightStats.com said Northwest had canceled 77 flights as of 4 p.m. central time Friday. The flight-tracking service said Northwest had canceled 48 flights on Thursday.

My Celebration - Learning of Learning Fedex Basketball Farmers Market Celebration

People in Business

Hall Gardner has been promoted to director of investments with Legacy Wealth Management. Rebecca Rawlinson has joined Legacy Wealth Management as client services manager. Rawlinson joins Legacy following three years at Pathway Financial Services.

City's Cfo Not Giving Up On Stadium Just yet -- Despite Residents' Hesitation, Lipscomb Waits On Consultants' Report

Doubts may be growing about the financial viability of a new Mid- South Fairgrounds football stadium, but city chief financial officer Robert Lipscomb is waiting for the hard numbers. "I don't think a new stadium's off the table. I just think we've got to look at it and see what the numbers are," he said, anticipating a report from national stadium consultants by mid- to late August. The report also will address the possibility of upgrading Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

The 'Fear Index' Rules -- Stocks Shudder Over Weak Mortgage Market

NEW YORK - Wall Street extended its steep decline Friday, propelling the Dow Jones industrials down more than 500 points over two days after investors gave in to mounting concerns that borrowing costs would climb for both companies and homeowners. It was the worst week for the Dow and the Standard & Poor's 500 index in five years. Investors cast aside a stronger-than-expected read on the economy and maintained negative sentiment that dominated Thursday when the market shuddered amid worries o...