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Federal agents swept into New Jersey towns across several counties Thursday morning, charging 44 people, including three mayors and religious leaders, in a federal investigation into public corruption and money laundering.

“The rings were international in scope, connected to Deal, N.J., Brooklyn, N.Y., Israel and Switzerland,” said Mr. Marra, the U.S. attorney, at the news conference. “They trafficked in the cleaning of dirty money all across the world.”

Levy Izhak Rosenbaum of Brooklyn was charged separately with conspiring to broker the sale of a human kidney for a transplant, at a cost of $160,000 to the transplant recipient. According to the FBI’s complaint, Mr. Rosenbaum said he had been brokering the sale of kidneys for 10 years. Mr. Rosenbaum couldn’t be reached for comment. A relative of Mr. Rosenbaum who answered the phone at an address belonging to him declined to comment.

“Any corruption is unacceptable – anywhere, anytime, by anybody,” the governor said, referring to Thursday’s arrests. “The scale of corruption we’re seeing as this unfolds is simply outrageous and cannot be tolerated.”

via Dozens Arrested in New Jersey Corruption Probe

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via Worlds Best Awards 2008 Press Release | Travel + Leisure.

Source: Google’s Public data

(CNN) — Google is jumping into Microsoft Windows territory — and threatening to change the way personal computers work — with its own version of a computer operating system.

Google’s operating system will augment its Web browser, which is also called Chrome.

The company says the forthcoming Google Chrome OS will revolutionize how computers operate, putting more emphasis on Web functionality, making computers faster and opening them up to helpful tinkering by outside program developers.

“The operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web,” Google said late Tuesday on its official blog. “It’s our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.”

Chrome OS will be available this coming fall or winter, Google says.

But why should you care?

A trim and speedy Google operating system, which has been buzzed about online for some time, is interesting for several reasons — even if you think it could flop out of the gate.

The first is that Chrome OS will be available as “open-source” technology. That means software developers will be able to mess with the code behind the system, allowing them to develop new applications for it.

via Google takes on Windows with Chrome OS – CNN.com.

When you want to know what’s in your tap water, look at your local water utility’s website or check your mailbox for its annual report.  You’ll find the source of the water and any chemical pollutants remaining after treatment.

IT’S THE LAW.

When you pay a premium price of up to 1900 times more for bottled water, you expect more.

But with rare exceptions, you get less.

All too often, you get nothing.   Unless you count hyped advertising come-ons like “crisp,” pristine” or “essential.”

In our book, empty rhetoric means zero.  Zip.  Nada.   Pure drinking water is all about the facts.

An 18-month Environmental Working Group investigation of bottled water labels and websites has found that:

Only 2 bottled waters disclose water sources and treatment methods on their labels and offer a recent water quality test report on their websites.  These best performers are:

• Ozarka Drinking Water
• Penta Ultra-Purified Water

Just 18% of bottled waters disclose quality reports with contaminant testing results.  Among them are all 8 Nestlé domestic brands surveyed:

• Poland Spring
• Nestlé Pure Life
• Arrowhead
• Calistoga
• Deer Park
• Ice Mountain
• Ozarka
• Zephyrhills.

None of the top 10 U.S. domestic bottled water brands label specific water sources and treatment methods for all their products.

via Is your bottled water worth it? | Environmental Working Group.

In a letter sent to its member countries, the WHO said it is officially raising its infectious diseases alert to Phase 6, its highest level, in recognition of the fact that the virus is now undergoing communitywide transmission in Australia as well as in North America. Such spread in two distinct regions of the world is the primary criterion for raising the alert level.

via Swine flu pandemic declared by World Health Organization – Los Angeles Times.

Identifying the areas where organizations need to improve their capabilities most is an important step in any change effort. Such a skill is helpful particularly in times of cost-cutting—where limited training resources must be used to close the critical competency gaps that prevent companies from meeting business objectives.

However, many training programs don’t yield the desired results. One reason is that they are usually launched without sufficient knowledge of where the gaps in employee skills exist. We find that a good way to pinpoint these learning needs is to survey employees and let them evaluate the current skill levels of their peers and estimate the skill level their group must reach in order to be successful. An added advantage of this inclusive approach is that it heightens employees’ awareness of their learning needs and helps break down any resistance to learning new skills.

via Identifying employee skill gaps – The McKinsey Quarterly – Identifying employee skill gaps – Organization – Talent .

Google Wave is a new tool for communication and collaboration on the web, coming later this year. Watch the demo video below, sign up for updates and learn more about how to develop with Google Wave. Google Wave will be available later this year.

This research guide, or “source tool,” is a compilation of key AML laws, rules, and guidance applicable to broker-dealers. Several statutory and regulatory provisions, and related rules of the securities self-regulatory organizations (SROs), impose AML obligations on broker-dealers. There is also a wealth of related AML guidance materials. To aid research efforts into AML requirements and to assist broker-dealer compliance efforts, this source tool organizes key AML compliance materials and provides related source information.

When using this research “tool” or guide, you should keep the following in mind:

First, securities firms are responsible for complying with all applicable AML requirements. Although this research guide summarizes some of the key broker-dealer AML obligations, it is not comprehensive. You should not rely on the summary information provided, but should refer to the actual statutes, rules, orders, and interpretations.

Second, AML rules, regulations, and orders are subject to change and may change quickly. While the information summarized in this guide is current as of January 13, 2009, please note that in July 2007, the SEC approved the establishment of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA consolidated the former NASD and the member regulation, enforcement, and arbitration operations of NYSE Regulation. The Source Tool reflects the historical issuance of AML rules and guidance by the NASD and NYSE.

Finally, you will find a list of telephone numbers and useful websites at the end of this guide. If you have questions concerning the meaning, application, or status of a particular law, rule, order, or interpretation, you should consult with an attorney experienced in the areas covered by this guide.

Disclaimer: This compilation was prepared by staff in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE), Securities and Exchange Commission. The Securities and Exchange Commission, as a matter of policy, disclaims responsibility for any private publication or statement by any of its employees. The views expressed in this document are those of the staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commission, or other Commission staff.

Microsofts new search engine Bing is now live, two days ahead of schedule, available for anyone to use. The world has already been taking the latest search engine for a test drive to see the successor to Live Search. via Bing Goes Live, Some Bloggers Shocked to Find Porn – PC World.