Media Digest (8/14/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg

Carlyle Group LP (NASDAQ: CG) and China PE funds may take Focus Media Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ: FMCN) private. (Reuters)

The company that owns the Empire State Building expects earnings to double in three years. (Reuters)

Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) results fall as EU sales bite. (Reuters)

Google Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) buyout of Frommer’s will give it experts on local activities in a number of important markets. (WSJ)

Car loans rise to their highest level since 2009. (WSJ)

Standard Charter’s money laundering problems cause rifts between U.S. and U.K. regulators. (WSJ)

Federal officials are about to approve a $3.9 billion deal for Verizon Wireless to buy spectrum from companies that include Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA). (WSJ)

Kodak delays an announcement about bids for its patents. (WSJ)

The Administration will open 12 million acres of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve for drilling of natural gas and oil. (WSJ)

China may not adopt stimulus measures until it sees whether earlier remedies will work. (WSJ)

Prices of cocoa beans have risen 13% since the start of the year, which could hurt chocolate maker’s margins. (WSJ)

Greece’s economy fall 6.2% in the second quarter. (NYT)

JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) will sell $2.5 billion in bonds with a 2% coupon. (FT)

German growth slowed less than forecast in the second quarter. (Bloomberg)

Douglas A. McIntyre