PA in the WSJ

This is a list of articles regarding Pennsylvania in this week's Wall Street Journal. Chances are I missed something, but these are the articles that caught my eye.

It should be noted that I routinely do not read the editorials in the WSJ. So any discussions of the state, its elected officials, businesses, or citizens, in editorials will not be mentioned here.

PA Politicians

Sen. Spector does the honors this week. From “Bush nears a victory over spying powers,” by Siobhan Gorman and Evan Perez (12/17):

But there has been little progress. One proposal from Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Spector, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, would subtstitute the government as a defendant in several lawsuits filed against telecommunications companies. Even after Mr. Spector included changes negotiated with Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, the proposal failed to win the support of their committee. It will likely have similar problems in the full Senate.

PA Businesses

Chocolate companies doing business in Canada (PA’s own Hershey included) are getting some iffy press. “Chocolate probe cites Canadian pricing,” by Douglas Belkin and Julie Jargon (12/22) and “Chocolate makers face probes by US., Canada over pricing,” by Julie Jargon and John R. Wilke (12/21). Hershey, Toll House, I just want you to know I am rooting for you.

This week’s Mark Zandi (of Moody’s Economy.com) quote came in “New, even borrowers with good credit pose risks,” by George Anders (12/19)

Patrick Gallagher, of Gallagher group, a job search firm in Blue Bell, is quoted in “Web sites improve recruiters’ odds,” by Sarah E. Needleman (12/18)

Brief mentions:
Pilgrim’s Pride (12/21)
Comcast (12/19)

Other PA

Some time musician and former U Penn student Bruce Meyer is quoted in “Crib sheets for guitar heroes,” by Ethan Smith (12/21)

A chart accompanying “Slow building of a rescue plan,” by Michael M. Phillips, Damian Patetta, and John D. McKinnon (12/21) shows PA with 1-2% of homes with adjustable-rate subprime mortgages whose rates are due to reset over the next two years, as a percentage of total homes.

Another sign of increasing crime in Pennsylvania: “This month in Lancaster, Pa, someone sliced the head off an inflatable Santa that the Ide family had in their front yard.” From “Abominable snowmen: the war on lawn decorations,” by Sara Schaefer Munoz (12/20)

The professional association for “hospitalists,” (doctors who specialize in the care of hospital patients), The Society of Hospital Medicine, is located in Philadelphia. “’Hospitalists’ are seen as help,” by Jennifer Levitz (12/20)

An IRS employee in Philadelphia pled guilty to unauthorized disclosure of tax-return information; her lawyer says she was coerced. “IRS combats its in-house snoops,” by Tom Herman (12/19)

A review of the new Perelman Building at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, “An expansion a Quaker could love,” by Lee Rosenbaum was printed on 12/19.

Penn State labor studies professor Alexander Colvin is quoted in “When suing your boss is not an option,” by Nathan Koppel (12/18)

Another Penn State professor, David Myers, a political scientist who specializes in Venzuela, is quoted in “Backlash tangles Chavez,” by John Luhnow and John Lyons (12/17)

Oren and Colleen Spiegler of Upper Saint Clair, Pa are among those highlighted in “Savings strategies,” by Kristi Essick (12/17). Their section is titled “Clipping coupons is just the start.”

One of the family members mentioned in “How Iraq conflict rewards a Kuwaiti merchant family,” by Cam Simpson and Glenn R. Simpson (12/17), attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Other Interesting Tidbits

For those who keep track of such things, the Fair Isaac Corp. is slightly changing the formula is uses to compile FICO scores (the number that decides if you can get a loan and at what interest rate).