It’s closing time: LSU alumnus Stephen Herbert, chairman and CEO of Pennsylvania-based USA Technologies—which is included on the 2012 list of the LSU 100—will be ringing the closing bell at the NASDAQ exchange today. USA Technologies specializes in cashless payment and telemetry solutions for retailing industries. The company is releasing an earnings report today at the exchange and is “celebrating its crossover to profitability,” according to a news release.
The final cut: Economic uncertainty, the allure of New Orleans, and competition from other states are factoring into decisions to steer film productions away from northwest Louisiana, the Shreveport Times reports. Now some industry insiders also fear Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposal to remove the state income tax will irreparably harm Louisiana’s burgeoning movie industry by nullifying tax incentives on which many productions rely. Those incentives are among the reasons out-of-state producers are attracted to Louisiana. Read the full story here.
Paper or plastic: Jobless Americans are paying millions in unnecessary fees to collect unemployment benefits because of state policies encouraging them to get the money through bank-issued payment cards, according to a new report from a consumer group. People are using the fee-heavy cards instead of having their payments deposited directly into their bank accounts. That’s because states issue bank cards automatically, require complicated paperwork or phone calls to set up direct deposit, and fail to explain the card fees, according to a report issued today by the National Consumer Law Center. Read the full story here.
