Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

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Business

Flash Index’s falter mirrors state, national economies

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After steady increases for much of the last year, the University of Illinois Flash Economic Index fell to 100.0 in July from a 100.3 level in June. This rough patch in the state’s economic recovery mirrors the national economy, said J. Fred Giertz, the University of Illinois economist who released the Flash […]

Business

Use of cameras to monitor nursing-home care is subject of controversy

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The proposed use of Web or video cameras to monitor the care of residents in nursing homes has kicked up a storm. Proponents of the cameras, dubbed “granny cams,” say their use in nursing homes could weed out abusive employees and document incidents of substandard care, while nursing-home owners term video surveillance […]

Business

Flash Index of Illinois economy may indicate stagnation, economist suggests

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After a period of consistent increases, the University of Illinois Flash Index has stabilized at just above 100. The June reading for the index was 100.3, the same as both April and May. “This does not mean the Illinois economy is slowing, but it does suggest that the state economy may be […]

Business

Sarbanes-Oxley Act fails to address corporate accounting flaws, scholar says

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Far from imposing an unreasonable burden on corporate America, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has not tackled the core accounting conflicts that led to investor losses at Enron, WorldCom and other companies, according to an expert at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As the second anniversary of its enactment approaches, Sarbanes-Oxley “presents a […]

Business

Improve care by limiting lawsuits, jury awards in cases against nursing homes

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Placing limits on lawsuits and jury awards against nursing homes would improve the quality of care to elderly residents by reducing the skyrocketing cost of liability insurance, an article in the Elder Law Journal argues. In the wake of state laws that opened the door to lawsuits against poor care in the […]

Business

Flash Index of Illinois Economy remains steady

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After breaking through the 100 barrier in April, the University of Illinois Flash Economic Index held constant at 100.3 in May. This ended a period of steady increases that began last September. The economic outlook for the state continues to be relatively strong. For example, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index was up […]

Business

Scholar questions sanctioning of gambling on U.S. military bases

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – She served at the naval station at Keflavik, Iceland, and in the cold and darkness of the arctic winter fed quarter after quarter into slot machines on the U.S. military base. Some nights Senior Airman Lenyatta Tinnelle won. But over the course of a year she lost $28,000. She was later court-martialed […]

Business

Food displays, food colors affect how much people eat, researcher concludes

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Variety may be the spice of life – and a key contributor to an expanding waistline. Research by Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and nutritional science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, challenges the conventional notion that a person’s ability to control eating and stick to a successful diet has […]

Business

Flash Index of Illinois Economy breaks 100 barrier for first time in three years

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After three years, the University of Illinois Flash Economic Index has broken through the 100 level, the dividing line between a sluggish and vigorous economy. April’s reading of 100.3 suggests that the Illinois economy is undergoing a sustained expansion. This was the first time the Flash Index has been above 100 since […]

Business

Type of company pension determines security of payout to retirees

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – What a difference a word can make to the security of a person’s golden years. For tens of millions of Americans depending on their company pension to retire comfortably, the difference between a “defined benefit plan” and a “defined contribution plan” can be security versus risk, according to a pension law expert […]

Business

Flash Index of Illinois economy on upward trend

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Flash Economic Index continued its steady climb of recent months, reaching 99.5 in March, up from 99.0 in February and 98.5 in January. The Illinois economy is nearing the 100 level that indicates economic growth, a reading that has not been achieved in almost three years. “While the […]

Business

Electricity-transmission grid, power markets among conference topics

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will offer a course for industry specialists on electricity transmission and power markets June 14-17. The 2004 Illinois Transmission Business School will convene at the Illini Center, 200 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Taught by leading professionals, the courses will explore the challenges faced by the electricity […]

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