NC Attorneys General Roy Cooper is checking into ‘’price gouging’ at the gas pumps. Over 1,000 complaints have been called into Raleigh. North Carolina residents can report scams and frauds within NC to Cooper's office by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.
Commentary: http://triangle.johnlocke.org/blog/?p=2651#comments
10 offshore petroleum platforms were destroyed in the Gulf. As a ripple effect, gas prices have gone up some 17 cents nationwide since Friday because of Ike. Some gas stations were selling gas at over $5 dollars a gallon.
Houston is under a week long curfew because of Ike. Millions still without power in southern Texas (mainly in and around Houston). The effects of Ike were felt as far north as Ohio. On Sunday, over a million customers from Louisville to Columbus were without power. (CNN)
Major fallout on Wall Street: The New York Times reporting that Merrill Lynch has agreed to a buyout offer from Bank of America. Lehman Brothers is filing for Chapter 11. Also, the insurance giant AIG is reportedly seeking a $40-billion dollar lifeline from the Federal Reserve. http://www.cnnmoney.com/
(UPI) Home mortgages shouldn't be affected by news about two U.S. investment giants but economic experts say Wall Street's woes haven't reached bottom yet. Home prices could be affected if the collapse of Lehman Brothers and sale of Merrill Lynch lead to a significant, sustained drop in stock prices. (The Washington Post) The availability of mortgages shouldn't be affected. People who own stock in Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers face some risk.
www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/09/15/Wall_Street_fallout_affects_consumers/UPI-30191221483563/
More changes on the way for the newest section of the ‘controversial’ I-40 Loop in Greensboro. The portion of the new Urban Loop, the current I-40, will become I-840, and Business 40 that runs through Greensboro will return to the regular I-40 signage.
A new government study saying that far too many Americans are dying of dangerous blood clots; that can masquerade as simple leg pain. These clots make headlines every few years when seemingly healthy people collapse after long airplane flights or being in similarly cramped quarters. between 350,000 and 600,000 Americans get one of these clots - and at least 100,000 of them die. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/med_blood_clots
NFL: Two in a row for the Carolina Panthers. Panthers beat the Bears…20-17.
Sunday night game: Steelers over the Browns…10-6
MLB: Carols Zambrano pitched the first no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in 36 years, returning from a sore rotator cuff to shut down the Houston Astros 5 - 0 last night in a game relocated because of Hurricane Ike. The storm forced baseball to move two games from Texas to Chicago.
http://sports.myway.com/news/09152008/v7103.html
