Appraisal groups want HUD to rescind rules they claim lead to under-qualified appraisers

September 9th, 2009 MUMBAI - Sam Thomas, one of the pilots sacked by Jet Airways, Wednesday said the newly formed pilots' union - National Aviators Guild (NAG) - would not be disbanded and that they were qualified to get jobs elsewhere. "We will not disband the union," Thomas told reporters here.

August 31st, 2009 BANGALORE - The first meeting of the reconstituted Planning Commission in New Delhi Tuesday will assess the impact of drought and global recession on the Indian economy this fiscal, a top official said here. "We will make a tentative assessment of the current state of economy in light of the drought and global recession and review key policy issues," said Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia here.

August 28th, 2009 Northwest Bancorp announces conversion planWARREN, Pa. — Northwest Bancorp Inc.

July 10th, 2009 Federal jury rejects Altria's tax shelter claimWASHINGTON — A federal jury has rejected a $24 million tax refund claim filed by tobacco company Altria Group Inc. The IRS challenged tax deductions the Richmond, Va.-based company made in 1996 and 1997 in connection with leveraged lease transactions.

July 7th, 2009 Lawyers' group: Sotomayor well qualified for courtWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor earned a "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association on Tuesday as she prepared for Senate hearings next week. The ABA committee that reviewed her qualifications came out with that unanimous rating of the federal appeals court judge and released it in a letter to White House lawyer Greg Craig.

June 30th, 2009 New York City bar: Sotomayor 'highly qualified'WASHINGTON — New York City's bar association says Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is "highly qualified" to be a justice. The group calls Sotomayor exceptionally qualified on all its key criteria for a high court nominee.

June 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Environmental clearance procedures would be made more "transparent and businesslike" to avoid any conflict of interest and to ensure a stipulated period for the process, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said Friday. "There has been criticism that the process (of environmental clearances) lacked transparency...

June 25th, 2009 Court rules for seaman in dispute with ship ownerWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has ruled that seamen injured on the job may sue for punitive damages when employers refuse to pay for medical care and time off. The court, by a 5-4 vote Thursday, decided in favor of Edgar L.

June 23rd, 2009 May existing home sales rose by 2.4 percentWASHINGTON — Sales of previously occupied homes rose modestly from April to May, the third monthly increase this year, but signs of a housing recovery are fragile at best. The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that home sales rose 2.4 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.77 million, from a downwardly revised pace of 4.66 million in April.

June 23rd, 2009 Home sales stabilizing; weak recovery seenWASHINGTON — Nationwide home sales may have finally hit bottom, new data shows, but a host of thorny problems are hindering any recovery. Sales of previously occupied homes rose by 2.4 percent from April to May — the third monthly increase this year — but the results missed analysts' expectations.

June 23rd, 2009 May existing home sales rise less than expectedWASHINGTON — Sales of previously occupied homes rose modestly from April to May, the third monthly increase this year, but signs of a housing recovery are fragile at best. The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that home sales rose 2.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 4.77 million, up from a downwardly revised rate of 4.66 million in April.

June 15th, 2009 Court refuses to hear challenge to FCC ruleWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court won't stop the Federal Communications Commission from setting rules making it easier for new cable TV competitors to gain local franchises. The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from local governments saying the FCC had overstepped its authority.

June 9th, 2009 Law enforcement groups endorse SotomayorWASHINGTON — Eight national law enforcement organizations are endorsing President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The groups announced their support for the judge at the White House.

June 9th, 2009 Hudson River co-captain worried about air safetyWASHINGTON — The co-captain of the USAirways flight that made a safe emergency landing in the Hudson River says most regional airline pilots are well qualified but "there are cracks in the system." Jeff Skiles said in a nationally broadcast interview Tuesday that there appears to be a shortage of well qualified pilots, and "we're having to hire down to the FAA minimums, which most pilots consider to be substandard." Interviewed on CBS's "The Early Show" as hearings got under way into the forced landing of USAirways Flight 1549 last Jan. 15, Skiles also questioned existing federal rules on how many consecutive hours pilots can work.

April 23rd, 2009 Calif. expected to adopt low-carbon fuel rulesSACRAMENTO — California air regulators are considering first-in-the nation rules to require low-carbon fuels as part of the state's wider effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board on Thursday is expected to adopt standards that could serve as a template for a national policy.