Naming names: FuturePAC, the political action committee of BRAC, announced this morning its endorsement of six candidates vying for seats on the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council. The endorsed candidates are Chauna Banks-Daniel, District 2; Donna Collins-Lewis, District 6; C. Denise Marcelle, District 7; Joel Boé, District 9; Tara Wicker, District 10; and John Delgado, District 12. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Dedicated figures: Americans Alvin Roth and Lloyd Shapley were today awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for research that helps explain the market processes at work when doctors are assigned to hospitals, students to schools, and human organs for transplant to recipients. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cited the two economists for “the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design.” Roth, 60, is a professor at Harvard; Shapley, 89, is a professor emeritus at UCLA. Read the full story here.
Phoning it in: Softbank Corp. has reached a deal to buy 70% of U.S. mobile carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. for $20.1 billion in the largest-ever foreign acquisition by a Japanese company. The agreement, announced this morning in Tokyo, will bring together the third-biggest mobile carriers of both Japan and the United States. The deal was given a green light by the boards of both companies. It still needs approval from Sprint shareholders and U.S. regulators. Softbank says the transaction is expected to be complete by the middle of next year. Read the full story here.
Coated with chlorophyll: U.S. retail sales rose sharply in September, reflecting higher consumer confidence and improvement in the job market. Consumers bought more cars, gasoline and electronics. Electronics and appliance store sales rose 4.5%, in part because Apple released its latest iPhone last month. The Commerce Department says retail sales rose 1.1% in September after a 1.2% gain in August, which was revised higher. Both increases were the largest since October 2010. Sales increased 1.3% at auto dealers and 2.5% at gas stations, reflecting higher prices. Excluding autos and gas, sales were still up a solid 0.9% in September. Department stores saw a 0.2% drop following no change in August.
