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The article reports on the problems of moving companies with the Defense Personal Property Program (DP3) of the U.S. Defense Department for service members who are moving to another home. Officials of the moving industry note that some movers have refused taking military business as DP3 offers lower payments. John Johnson of the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) states that changes in the booking and communication process also posed problems. Another problem cited by Johnson is an increase in commercial moves.

The author reflects on the increase in cable television subscription rates due to various additions in cable programming rates of cable television broadcasting networks in the U.S. She comments on the fight between News Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc. regarding the News Corp.'s goal to extract 1 dollar per cable customer for its Fox network offerings. She stresses that the continuous increases in cable subscription rates will affect most of the cable television viewers in the country.

The article reports on the development in the Flood Map Modernization Program of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA adopted a watershed-based approach in modernizing the U.S. flood maps. The flood maps are created for settling flood insurance rates, regulation of floodplain development, and communication of information about flood hazard in floodplain. FEMA already completed maps for the 81 percent of the populated area in the U.S.

This article focuses on the plan to increase the rates of containerized U.S. commodities exported to Asia. The recommendation of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA) is to increase dry cargo rate by 100 U.S. dollars for every 40-foot container and 80 U.S. dollars for every 20-foot container from the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports in California by December 1, 2009. Other voluntary increases proposed by WTSA are also discussed.

The article discusses a court case on the discriminatory room rate policies imposed between male and female students in Illinois. The male students filed a case against Eastern Illinois University because of the extra charges imposed to them. The case has been analyzed by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on the prevalence of discriminatory practices. An agreement was made between OCR and the university which involves refund to the complaining students.

The article reports on the issuance of the 2009 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating cars for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Business miles driven will have the standard mileage rate of 55 cents per mile as of January 1. Any vehicle used for hire or more than four vehicles used simultaneously will not be covered by the rate. The option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle is also available to taxpayers.

The article reports on the rental rate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to Wesley Moore, an appraiser for the local market, rental prices still increase despite the recession and vacancy rates are still low. It adds that the tight credit market contributes to the increased rental rate in the state as it is difficult for renters to own a house without rendering a downpayment.

This article reveals the plan of cable television (TV) operators to implement rate hikes in spite of the economic downturn in 2009. A 3.5-percent rate hike was announced by Cablevision, while Cox plans to implement a 3.7 percent hike for bundled services. In a letter of protest to the U.S. Congress, the Consumers Union (CU) thinks that the timing of this rate hike is deceptive. Kevin Martin of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says the rising cable rate is an unfortunate trend for families facing difficult economic times.

The article reports on the issuance of bulletin by Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo to auto insurers that instruct companies with pending requests for rate increases to examine the impact of reduced driving in the U.S. Under the bulletin, the requests for rate increases will not be considered if additional information is not included. The insurance department has cited information from the U.S. Department of Transportation revealing that the number of miles Americans drove has decreased.

The author discusses the economics of increases imposed by railroads in the U.S. He offers information on how railroads used to price their services. He says that this way of pricing railroad services changed when American President Lines began serving landbridge and mini-landbridge markets by stacking international containers two-high on special well cars. He adds that the first major customers of domestic intermodal are the U.S. Postal Service, J.B. Hunt Transport and more motor carriers.

The article focuses on financial issues of interest to service members in the U.S. According to president Cutler Dawson of the Navy Federal Credit Union, the expansion of Navy Federal to include both the U.S. Army and Air Force will be beneficial for the military community in several ways such that the union could now offer lower rates on loans and higher rates of interest on savings products. Meanwhile, the Consumer Federation of America states that troops can save money from their automobile insurance premiums as the gas price keeps increasing.

The article reports on the problems in tracking graduation rates for students with disabilities. U.S. education secretary Margaret Spellings proposed a uniform method to calculate graduation and dropout rates. The approach being taken by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs involves looking at the reason behind the decision of disabled students to leave school in any given year.

The article reports on the "Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation" released by America's Promise Alliance which found that principal districts of the 50 largest U.S. cities account for around 25 percent of the 1.2 million high school dropouts annually. It was found that high school graduation rates in the principal urban districts are 15 percent lower than in the suburbs.

The article reports on the issuance by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service of the 2008 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. The standard mileage rates for the use of a car beginning January 1, 2008 will be: 50.5 cents per mile for business driven; 19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes; and 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

The article reports on a policy adopted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission which bars cable operators from enforcing exclusive contracts with apartment building owners. Under the policy, cable operators are not allowed to sign new contracts with apartment building owners. Issues related to rising cable rates and consumer protection are examined.

The article reports on preparations being undertaken by the insurance industry in handling the needs of the oil and gas industry in the U.S. It is stated that environmental insurance is more readily available and new products are being designed to cover future needs as they arise. Rates decrease is also seen in other insurance products provided to the industry, such as equipment and property and production facility coverage.

Several charts are presented that lists container rate charges, U.S. foreign trade values and containerized ocean trade as of October 15, 2007.

The author reflects on reasons why the value of the U.S. dollar has weakened between 2001 and 2007 compared to the value of the Euro. According to the article, the change in value may be related to the opinions of currency markets which guess the strength of a country's economy. Reasons why the value of currencies of countries such as China, Japan and Saudi Arabia have not been gaining against the U.S. dollar are mentioned.

The author reflects on the 5.25% federal funds steady rate hold by the Federal Reserve Bank's Open Market Committee and its shift emphasis on language in the U.S. It states that the initiative is in line with the committee's goal to overcome inflation. Meanwhile, it stresses the progressive condition of international business due to manufacturing products, goods and services shipping, and international financial services operations.

The article reports on Comcast's request for the deregulation of cable television rates in the U.S. in 2007. The cable television firm, which submitted petitions for effective competition to the Federal Communications Commission, asked the government agency to eliminate rate regulations in close to 150 communities.

The article comments on the market popularity of high definition home theater in the U.S. Some market analyst speculate that it will be cheaper to watch first-rate movies at home. Consumers will have better cable-enabled theater experience and an unobstructed view and complete control. It is the idea of control that will drive viewers to buy better sets and make their own digital theaters.

The article reports on the decision of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) to start royalty rates at $0.0008 per stream per user for webcasters and broadcasters operating noninteractive Internet radio stations. It states that the royalties are gathered by SoundExchange. It accounts the importance of the new income stream to musicians.

The article recalls the reduction of rates on domestic letters in the U.S. as ruled by the Act of March 3, 1851.

The article reports on the 3.5 percent increase in Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to be given by the U.S. Department of Defense to its service members. It states that the increase is less than the recent increases which have ranged from 6 to 7 percent. It says that the 2007 BAH rates that list payments for all paygrades for 370 locations in the U.S. has been released by the department.

The article presents information on various car rental deals offered by several car rental companies in the U.S. during the 2006 holiday season. They include the 3-day weekend special rates offered by Alamo, the double credits to be given by Dollar for its Express Renter Rewards program members and special weekly rental rates for special utility and luxury vehicles from National.

The article reports on the help needed by U.S. agencies to determine excess inventory. It says that performance measures request agencies to evaluate the relationship of the property to mission, utilization rate, cost and condition. The quality of data being gathered by agencies are poor according to Ray Summerell, vice president for corporate development at VISTA.

The article focuses on state taxes in the U.S. In New Jersey, 8.97% tax is paid only on income higher than $500,000. It is said that 6.37% is the rate directly below the top rate in New Jersey which married people pay on taxable income between $150,000 and $500,000. Pennsylvania has flat income tax.

The article provides information on United's Mileage Plus Visa card. Cardholders can earn points called Choices at a rate of one for every dollar spent. They can still redeem points for a traditional award ticket to go anywhere in the U.S. Choices can be use to book hotel stays and car rentals at the company's web site.

The article reports on the plan of the Pentagon to increase Basic Allowance Housing (BAH) rates for soldiers affected by the hurricane Katrina. The Pentagon is sending a team of housing officials to determine if the cost of renting place in the affected region has risen and determine whether housing rates should go up. The initiative would help address increases in rent in two ways: a possible permanent change to BAH rates and a temporary additional safety net that service members could use if their allowances prove insufficient.

Focuses on the implementation of rate increases on wastepaper exports to Asia on September 2005. Competition facing U.S. exporters; Limitation on the rate increase; Nullification of the value of the westbound revenue.

Considers the impact of a bill proposed by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton regarding the digital television transition on the basic cable rates in the U.S. Provisions of the bill; Factor that undermines the effort of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to limit digital cost increases to digital subscribers.

Presents a chart depicting on the comparison of hotel rates in the U.S.

Presents several announcements issued by International Business Machines (IBM) in the U.S. as of May 2005. Discount for the IBM single unit purchase price of IBM eServer iSeries features and model upgrades acquired exclusively through ibm.com; Low financing rates offered by the company for the iSeries upgrades; Addition of SANtegrity Authenication to the features of the TotalStorage m-type directors and switches of the company.

Reveals the recommendations from the National Association of Secondary School Principals on defining and improving high school graduation rates in the U.S. Challenges faced by educators and policymakers; Amount of investment needed to build high school capacity to address the academic needs of low-performing students.

Reports the small increase in the cost of insuring homes for 2005, according to the Insurance Information Institute in the U.S. Approximate number of homeowners that have added or improved their homes between 2001 and 2002; Identification of losses as the most important driver of homeowners insurance premiums; Average amount that a typical American homeowner will pay for home insurance for the year.

Presents a chart depicting the income and expense of the exchange stabilization fund by quarter from October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004 the in U.S.

Presents news briefs on the U.S. commerce as of February 21, 2005. Expectation of U.S. importers on rates for service from Asia; Goal of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism trade advisory committee; Plan of The Port of Portland, Oregon to expand its terminal.

Reports on the increase in the housing allowance paid to military service members living off base in the U.S. in 2005, according to Pentagon officials. Amount of the increase per month for a typical E-4 with dependents; Formula for computing Basic Allowance for Housing rates; Average allowance for service members living in San Francisco, California.

Discusses the significance of the International Direct Connect service, a digital walkie-talkie service introduced by Nextel in May 2004, to U.S. and Latin American telephone users. Call rate using the service; Comment of grocery store owner Pablo Enriquez on the advantage of the service; Significance of the service to business calls.

Reports on the service rate for the fiber optic network to be offered by Verizon in the U.S. Importance of fiber networks to the company; Approval of rules allowing the regional telephone companies to install fiber optic networks by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Decision of the FCC to allow utility companies to offer broadband over power lines service.

Reports on the Canada City Stay, a travel program launched by tour company CanJet Vacations as of May 2004. Background on other programs offered by the company; Starting rate of a travel program to Florida to be offered by CanJet on June 19, 2004.

The article discusses several developments in the marketplace in the U.S. that contributed to the loss of U.S. newspapers' power to be arbitrary about advertising rates. In the 1970s, a newspaper's rate card was practically sacrosanct. Thirty years later, there are still rate cards but for major newspaper advertisers they are often points of departure, with the final destination to be arrived at through negotiation. Newspapers have lost the power to be arbitrary about rates. How this happened can be traced to developments in the marketplace, and underpinning all of them are an increase in competition and newspaper's gradually declining coverage of households. First, newspapers got into the junk-mail business. Two problems developed for newspapers with the onset of junk-mail delivery. First, entrepreneurs figured out that they could create private delivery systems that could compete for this business by undercutting newspaper delivery prices. The second and more important problem was that major advertisers that previously had been limited to buying space in a newspaper's regular pages had a cheaper alternative: preprint delivery. Another development that changed how newspapers do business was the growth in the number of television stations.

Presents a sampling of air fares in the U.S. as of November 2003.

Reports on the decline of the room rates of luxury hotels in Manhattan compared with other segments during the fists half of 2003. Average daily rate decline for the luxury hotels; Worth of losses incurred by the hotels.

Reports on the on the developments related to a bill to extend a moratorium on Internet access taxes in the U.S. Contents of the bill; Reason for delay to pass the bill in the U.S. Senate; Impact of the bill on Internet service providers.

Reports on the creation of a team of economists formed by Federal Communications Commission Media Bureau chief Kenneth Ferree to examine the factors that contribute to rising cable rates in the U.S. Reason given by the team for rise of rates; Role of broadcasters in rise of cable rates.

Editorial. Comments on the reaction of doctors from New Jersey on medical malpractice insurance rates. Protest of physicians against the malpractice insurance; Support of doctors to a state Senate bill that would create a fund to cover jury awards and set time limits for bringing cases; Importance of prioritizing patients' interests.

Presents an update on several issues in Hawaii, including state of transportation and water rates, as of February 1, 2003. Proposals released by the State Department of Transportation on how the state should regulate Segways; Views of representatives from county municipal water departments on the break that agricultural users get on their water rates.

Reports on the warning by Ken Johnson, spokesman for Representative of Louisiana Republican party Billy Tauzin that United States Congress may impose restriction on cable rates. Cause for government's intervention in fixing the rates; Percentage increase in cable rates as compare to inflation; Reason given by cable industry for increase in rates.

Reports on the effect of the weak U.S. economy on the risk of default on originated, nonprime credit quality mortgages as of June 2002. Expectation of lenders on nonprime loan defaults; Percentage of the increase in defaults; Factors which contribute to the rising risk of default.