Media Digest 8/18/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg: BHP Bid Goes Hostile

Reuters:   BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) has begun an attempt at a hostile deal for Potash (NYSE: POT)

Reuters:   A female contractor of Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) said she lost work because she would not have sex with Mark Hurd.

Reuters:   The social agenda of politicians will determine some portion of housing reform.

Reuters:   GM’s IPO has been delayed

Reuters:   Oil fell on higher than expected reserves,

Reuters:   India will allow the Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) Blackberry to continue in service beyond an August 31 deadline.

Reuters:   RIM and the United Arab Emirates are close to a Blackberry service agreement.

Reuters:   Reynolds will buy PacTiv the Hefty Bag maker.

WSJ:   More and more high school students do not take tests for college

WSJ:   Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is having trouble selling its product to networks.

WSJ:  The battle between Bratz and Mattel (NYSE: MAT) over toys was escalated.

WSJ:   Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) investors protested the CEO remaining.

WSJ:   The SEC launched a probe of General Growth.

WSJ:   News Corp (NYSE: NWS) gave the Republican party $1 million.

WSJ:   Japan cell carriers are in a battle over mobile TV.

WSJ:   Vulture investors are helping homeowners.

WSJ:   Results from Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and Home Depot (NYSE: HD) show that retailers are keeping costs down.

WSJ:   A deal for a critical missile project being handled by Lockheed Martin was put on hold.

WSJ:   Geithner said the US need to play a role in the housing markets.

WSJ:   Eli Lilly (NYSE: ELY) stopped development of an Alzheimer’s drug because it was not promising.’

WSJ:   American Apparel could go bankrupt.

WSJ:   GM recalled  243,000 vehicles.

WSJ:   The head of Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) added to his holdings in the face of a hostile takeover.

WSJ:   Google may be Like.com to increase it business for image search.

WSJ:   A judge said that a Barclay’s (NYSE: BCS) $298 million settlement with the US was too good a deal for the bank

WSJ:   Banks are fighting a plan to have bad loans pushed back to them by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

WSJ:   China will open its currency markets to foreign investors.

NYT:   China set new rules for banks loans made off the books

FT:   American companies will be forced to disclose the sources of minerals that they use.

FT:   New accounting treatment of leases could cause companies losses.

FT:   US firms are trying to match India call center costs.

Bloomberg:   GM may sell preferred stock as well as common.

Douglas A. McIntyre