• Former car czar: GM, Chrysler were on brink of death – But no gc opinion? [DFP]
• Galleon Sinks; Informant Surfaces – “Tipper A” has a name: Roomy Khan. [WSJ]
• EU warns Oracle over Sun takeover – Oracle hasn’t really made a case that the takeover wouldn’t be anti-competitive. [BBC]
• Microsoft launches Windows 7 – Microsoft’s obvious attempt to derail the career of John Hodgman. [Reuters]
• Pay Czar Decides to Collect a Few Scalps, a Sign of Weakness – We’re looking for Basterds-like numbers Feinberg! [Naked Capitalsm]
• Wall Street Steps Up Political Donations, Lobbying – “Most Wall Street firms stopped making donations to lawmakers when they were receiving government funds, and many lawmakers stopped accepting them. But now that the companies have begun returning the bailout funds, they are making campaign donations again.” [WSJ]
• Further reading – Thanks to FT Alphaville for linking Francine McKenna’s post on KPMG’s Madoff exposure. [FT Alphaville]
Related Posts
Preliminary Analytics | 12.14.09
• H.R. 4173, Summary of Accounting and Audit Related Provisions – Lots to digest here but it’s all important, including a possible GASP name change for the PCAOB. [FEI Financial Reporting Blog]
• Invitation to a Conversation: If the Auditors Were Missing from the Financial Crisis — Let’s Ask Why – Jim Peterson doesn’t mince words: “The simple if depressing reason is that their core product has long since been judged irrelevant. The standard auditor’s report is an anachronism — having lost any value it may once have had, except for legally-required compliance.” [Re: Balance/Jim Peterson]
• Accenture Makes Right Decision, Drops Tiger Sponsorship – The awkward inappropriateness of the whole situation is now hitting T. Dubs in the wallet, as Accenture jumps into the “your services are no longer needed” camp. He won’t starve. [The Big Four Blog]
• Open Letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (Part 5): Issuer Retaliation Complaint Against Overstock.com – Patrick Byrne’s attempt to develop his own Richard Nixon-esque enemies list has been met with fierce resistance. [Sam Antar/White Collar Fraud]
• CPA firms face pricing pinch – “After years of gains since the government started keeping track in December 2003, overall prices for CPA firm services plummeted with the onset of recession in December 2007.” [CPA Trendlines]
• Citigroup to Repay $20 Billion of Government Bailout – $25 bil to go. Get on it. [Bloomberg]
Preliminary Analytics | 01.18.10
• Defending Koss And Their Auditors: Just Loopy Distorted Feedback – Francine’s take on the Koss fraud. [Re: The Auditors]
• Koss Corp. Fraud: Defending Grant Thornton? No. &ndsah; Tracey Coenen says Koss’ incestuous management deserves the blame regardless of GT’s obvious BFMs. [Fraud Files Blog]
• Creditors put Dubai World debt up for sale – Some aren’t crazy about the whole Dubai World debt restructuring and are looking to dump the credit for “70 per cent of face value.” [FT]
• Now and in the Future – Are people changing their maxed out credit card ways for good? [Financial Armageddon]
• Wired on Wall Street: Trader Betrays a Friend – David Slaine is a mole for the Feds that “has provided leads on possible insider trading by others not yet implicated in a sprawling case involving hedge fund Galleon Group, people familiar with the matter say.” And he’ll definitely nail you if you don’t like to share: “In 1993, he triggered a fist-fight with a colleague on the trading floor after needling him because he wouldn’t share his french fries.” [WSJ]
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – We assume most of you are working but If you’re not, go volunteer. It won’t kill you. [MLKDay.gov]
Preliminary Analytics | 11.19.09
• Better Paydays Ahead – “Many employers are planning to reinstate merit increases in 2010, but some compensation experts say base salaries are unlikely to return to pre-recession levels anytime soon, if ever.” Probably not what you had in mind. [WSJ]
• Reid $849 Billion Measure Widens Health Coverage, Cuts Deficit – “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled an $849 billion health-care plan that would create new government competition for private insurers, cover almost all Americans and raise a payroll tax on the highest earners.” [Bloomberg]
• Democratic Rep. DeFazio Calls for Geithner and Summers to Be Fired – This smells desperate. [Naked Capitalism]
• Exclusive: GM Must Pay Debt, Make Money Before IPO – ” General Motors
• Bill Richardson’s Awkward Link To Alleged Ponzi Schemer – Apparently Hassan Nemazee’s firm has a four year contract to manage money for the Land of Enchantment. Yeah, that is awkward. [Forbes]