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Verizon Wireless is in talks to buy Alltel Communications LLC, the country’s fifth-largest wireless carrier by subscribers, for $27 billion, according to news reports.

Verizon Wireless is close to sealing a roughly $27 billion deal to buy rural mobile service provider Alltel Corp, aiming to overtake AT&T Inc as the top U.S. wireless service, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters on Wednesday.

First it was soaring ticket prices and vanishing bargain fares, then new baggage fees. Now air travelers are facing dwindling choices for when they can fly and where — even to such popular tourist destinations as Las Vegas and Orlando.

Shares of General Motors Corp. skidded Wednesday, absorbing the largest loss on Dow Jones industrial average after the auto maker said its sales fell 28 percent in May.

Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. shares recovered Wednesday on reports the nation’s fourth-largest investment bank may raise capital from an outside investor and allay market fears of a liquidity crisis.

WALLINGFORD, Conn., June 4, 2008 — Distributed Energy Systems Corp. announced today that the corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Northern Power Systems, Inc., have filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

BURLINGTON, Mass.—-Nuance Communications, Inc. announced today that it has agreed to sell 5,575,000 shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. The last reported sale price of its common stock on June 4, 2008 was $18.80 per share.

Jams and jellies maker J.M. Smucker is adding coffee to its menu of brands by buying Folgers from consumer products company Procter & Gamble in a $2.95 billion, all-stock deal, Smucker’s biggest ever.

ATLANTA, June 4, 2008 — Delta Air Lines today reported record load factors for May 2008. Load factors for system , domestic , Latin and regional system were higher than any previous May on record for Delta.

Solar stocks fell Wednesday as analysts said solar cell makers with heavy exposure to silicon prices or the Spanish market could be at risk.

Investors cheered United Airlines’ decision to downsize Wednesday, pushing shares of the nation’s second-largest carrier sharply higher and pulling much of the sector along for the ride.

Shares of pharmaceutical companies closed mostly lower Wednesday as the broader market finished trading mixed as concerns about the financial sector eroded the market’s enthusiasm over lower oil prices and a report of modest growth in the service economy.

Oil prices dropped below $124 a barrel Wednesday and after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled that inflation had become a more prominent concern.

Industry data to be released Wednesday will show whether home loan applications fell for the third straight week as a bump in interest rates deterred borrowers.

Government data scheduled for release Wednesday is expected to show that crude-oil inventories rose last week after unexpected drops in the prior two periods.

(All amounts in this press release are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.)

MUKILTEO, Wash., June 4, 2008 — CombiMatrix Corporation announced today that its subsidiary, Combimatrix Molecular Diagnostics , has results from a multi-institute evaluation of its HemeScan test for CLL that were accepted for publication by the journal, Expert Opinions in Molecular Diagnostics 2: 1-10.

LANSING, Mich., June 4, 2008 — Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. announced today that Dr. Donald Jarvis of the University of Wyoming has entered into a formal consulting relationship with the Company.

A government minister says Malaysia will raise its gasoline prices 40 percent. Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad says the government will also give a yearly cash rebate to owners of small and medium sized cars to offset their burden from the huge hike.

Researched by Industrial Info Resources — The Shaw Group and Westinghouse, the so-called “AP 1000 consortium,” have signed a second major engineering, procurement and construction contract for a nuclear project in Jenkinsville, South Carolina.

IBM today announced that online retailer Findel Direct, a division of Findel Plc., has selected IBM to create a single source of master data on all of its products. The aim of the project is to enhance Findel Direct’s ability to focus on customers and customer service.

Aruba Networks, Inc., a global leader in wireless LANs and secure unified mobility solutions, today announced that the Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 in Illinois has selected Aruba’s wireless LAN technology and identity-based security for use across the district’s twenty-eight elementary, intermediate, and high schools.

Aon Corporation announced today that the five government agencies to its 2005 regulatory settlement agreement have agreed to an amendment that will permit companies acquired by Aon to continue to accept contingent commissions for three years following their acquisition by Aon.

Aon Corporation today announced that leading environmental insurance specialist Simon Johnson, Ph.D., has joined the firm as director in the Aon Environmental Services Group. Dr. Johnson will coordinate the delivery of the unit’s environmental services to clients in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Africa .

Aon received a record seven awards at the recent ACORD/LOMA Insurance Systems Forum in Las Vegas. The awards recognise the industry leadership of both Aon Risk Services and Aon Re Global in adopting new technological standards as they seek to transform the market.

CIO magazine announced Aflac as a recipient of the 2008 CIO 100, an annual award program that recognizes companies around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology .

Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc. said its board declared a regular quarterly dividend of 7 cents. The insurer said the dividend is payable June 27 to shareholders of record June 13.

Penn Treaty American Corporation today announced that its subsidiaries, Penn Treaty Network America Insurance Company, American Network Insurance Company and American Independent Network Insurance Company of New York, have timely filed their audited statutory financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2007.

Aflac Incorporated announced today that Martin A. Durant III has been promoted to executive vice president and deputy chief financial officer.

A bitter row broke out between the Pension Protection Fund, the pensions lifeboat, and some of Britain’s leading consultancies on Friday over a revised formula governing the amount employers pay into risk-based levy schemes.

Shares of Conseco Inc. fell Friday afternoon, a day after the insurer rejected an offer from a hedge fund to increase its stake in Conseco.

Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. announced today that its board of directors has authorized a $0.07 per share quarterly cash dividend on its issued and outstanding shares of common stock, payable June 27, 2008 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 13, 2008.

Wachovia Corp said on Monday it ousted Ken Thompson as chief executive of the fourth-largest U.S. bank, in the wake of mounting legal and regulatory troubles and an ill-fated purchase of a big mortgage lender as the nation’s housing boom was about to go bust.

A Deutsche Bank analyst upgraded Holly Corp. and Tesoro Corp. late Sunday, saying he still sees value in the companies despite challenges from high crude oil prices and tight margins.

Shares of Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. advanced in premarket trading Monday after Citi Investment Research said the company will benefit from a smaller-than-expected cut in solar subsidies in Germany.

AstraZeneca’s Iressa took an FDA hit in 2005 as a lung cancer treatment, but a recent study showed its potential in breast cancer patients

Shares of ImClone Systems Inc. fell in premarket trading Monday as investors took a dim view of trial data for its drug Erbitux as a treatment for lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

NEW YORK—-E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation will present at the upcoming Sandler O’Neill Global Exchange and Electronic Trading Conference. A webcast of the presentation will be accessible through the E*TRADE FINANCIAL Investor Relations website at https://investor.etrade.com/investors.cfm.

LOS GATOS, Calif.—-Akeena Solar, Inc. , a leading designer and installer of solar power systems, today announced the company has been named a preferred installer by the Livermore Solar Electricity Group as part of Livermore’s effort to encourage residential solar installations.

A bitter row broke out between the Pension Protection Fund, the pensions lifeboat, and some of Britain’s leading consultancies on Friday over a revised formula governing the amount employers pay into risk-based levy schemes.

Shares of Conseco Inc. fell Friday afternoon, a day after the insurer rejected an offer from a hedge fund to increase its stake in Conseco.

Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. announced today that its board of directors has authorized a $0.07 per share quarterly cash dividend on its issued and outstanding shares of common stock, payable June 27, 2008 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 13, 2008.

Conseco Inc. said Thursday it declined hedge fund Steel Partners II LP’s proposal to increase its stake in the insurance provider.

Conseco, Inc. today announced that it is declining to support a proposal made by Steel Partners II, L.P. to increase its percentage ownership of Conseco up to 22%. A copy of the response letter sent to Steel Partners by Conseco is attached to this press release.

The Standard has opened a new Retirement Plans Office in Kansas City.

Belgium’s InBev NV is close to securing a $50 billion financing package to enable it to launch a takeover bid for Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc , maker of Budweiser beer, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Adding the novel cancer drug Erbitux to standard chemotherapy helped advanced lung cancer patients live just a month longer than chemo alone, a study found.

State-controlled Dubai Aerospace Enterprise said it was in talks to buy 50 aircraft worth a total of about $2.5 billion to expand its leasing business.

BALTIMORE, Md., May 31, 2008 — Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for District of Massachusetts on behalf of purchasers of the common stock of The First Marblehead Corporation between August 10, 2006 and April 7, 2008, inclusive .

JPMorgan Chase & Co said on Saturday it completed its $1.4 billion Bear Stearns Cos takeover, capping the demise of a Wall Street firm that survived the Depression and numerous slumps in its 85 years but could not navigate the mortgage crisis.

United Airlines scrapped its latest attempt to combine with US Airways and create the world’s largest carrier, formally backing away Friday from a deal that likely would have meant fewer routes and higher ticket prices for consumers.

When Oracle launched a hostile bid for PeopleSoft in 2003, it marked the start of a drive by Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison to…

Marvell Technology shares jumped 23.3% Friday to a six-month high after the company late Thursday reported better-than-expected results, buoyed by…

Good old digital signal processors have been around since the former Bell Labs rolled out the first one in 1979. DSPs take analog signals such as…

Many long for the days of $60-a-barrel oil, but the crude futures market signals that the era of .00 — and higher — has dawned. In New York on…

PetroHunter Energy Corporation (”PetroHunter”) announced that on May 30, 2008, it closed on the sale of its oil and gas leases and working interest in its “Southern Piceance” properties in Garfield County, Colorado.

IAMGOLD Corporation(NYSE: IAG)(BOTSWANA: IAMGOLD) announces progress on the acceleration of its Westwood advanced exploration project located two kilometres from the Company’s operating Doyon Mine within the prolific Abitibi region of Northern Quebec.

Iowa Players Selected To Aflac All-American Baseball Team (PR Newswire)
Iowa Players Selected To Aflac All-American Baseball Team (PR Newswire)

BRIDGEWATER, N.J.—-MetLife Bank, N.A., a unit of MetLife, Inc. , announced today that it has completed its acquisition of EverBank Reverse Mortgage LLC of Bloomfield, NJ, from its parent, EverBank Financial Corp.

COLUMBUS, Ohio—-Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. has long been committed to educating plan sponsors about their fiduciary roles and responsibilities and providing tools and resources to help them provide a retirement plan that is good for them and their employees.

NEW YORK—-As human resource and benefits executives gear up for this year’s fall Open Enrollment season, they have a tremendous opportunity to enhance the enrollment experience for their workers.

Shares of Delphi Financial Group Inc., which underwrites employee benefits, rose Thursday after a KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst raised her profit estimates and price target on the stock, noting the company’s successful buyback program.

NEW YORK—-Assured Guaranty Ltd. , , announced today that the Company will host its first Equity and Fixed Income Investor Day on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at The Plaza, located at Fifth Avenue at Central Park South in New York City.

NEWARK, N.J.—-Prudential Financial, Inc. announced today that Pruco Life Insurance Company has repriced its variable universal life insurance product, PruLife Custom Premier II VUL.

Genworth Financial, Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire CareScout, a leading provider of long term care support services in the United States, for $12.5 million.

IBM Signs $1.4 Billion Global Strategic Outsourcing Agreement With AstraZeneca (Marketwire)
IBM Signs $1.4 Billion Global Strategic Outsourcing Agreement With AstraZeneca (Marketwire)
IBM today announced that they have signed a $1.4 billion, seven-year global strategic outsourcing agreement with AstraZeneca. The agreement renews and expands on the scope of an existing contract and covers the provision of IT infrastructure services to 60 countries.

COLUMBUS, Ohio—-Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. has long been committed to educating plan sponsors about their fiduciary roles and responsibilities and providing tools and resources to help them provide a retirement plan that is good for them and their employees.

NEW YORK—-As human resource and benefits executives gear up for this year’s fall Open Enrollment season, they have a tremendous opportunity to enhance the enrollment experience for their workers.

Shares of Delphi Financial Group Inc., which underwrites employee benefits, rose Thursday after a KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst raised her profit estimates and price target on the stock, noting the company’s successful buyback program.

NEW YORK—-Assured Guaranty Ltd. , , announced today that the Company will host its first Equity and Fixed Income Investor Day on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at The Plaza, located at Fifth Avenue at Central Park South in New York City.

NEWARK, N.J.—-Prudential Financial, Inc. announced today that Pruco Life Insurance Company has repriced its variable universal life insurance product, PruLife Custom Premier II VUL.

Genworth Financial, Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire CareScout, a leading provider of long term care support services in the United States, for $12.5 million.