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

As a group Pennsylvania politicians and related groups received $30,000 from Ameriquest Mortgage Co, “until recently one of the nation’s largest subprime lenders,” as noted in “Lender lobbying blitz abetted mortgage mess,” by Glenn R Simpson (12/31)

PA Businesses

From “Venture capital’s new green machine,” by Rebecca Buckman (1/02), we find this paragraph;

The focus on big deals has prompted more activity at the small end of the spectrum: New venture firms that manage smaller amounts of money, such as San Francisco’s Founders Fund Management LLC and First Round Capital, of West Conshohocken, Pa, did a brisk business in early stage, or “seed” venture deals last year as some entrepreneurs complained that established venture firms wanted only to make large investements.”

This week’s requisite Mark Zandi (of West Chester based Moody’s Economy.com) quote is in “Real estate: how far will it fall?” by Alex Frangos (1/02)

Zandi doesn’t get the spotlight to himself this week, though. Sophia Koropeckyji, also of Economy.com is quoted in “Some sectors to feel brunt of job weakness,” by Andrea Coombes (1/02)

More Mark Zandi! And he’s talking Philly (sort of). From “Jobless rate spooks markets,” by Sudeep Reddy, John D. McKinnon, and Conor Dougherty (1/05):

In the past few weeks, states including New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have seen initial claims for unemployment insurance jump. “The recent weakening in the job picture is due to the ongoing problems in housing dependent economies, and the harp falloff in activity in the northeast corridor,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com.

Rite Aid of Camp Hill is among the chains listed in “Drugstores city weather, economy for weak sales,” (1/04)

Other PA

Kathleen Hall Jamison, political communications expert at the University of Pennsylvania, is quoted in “The spirit behind Huckabee’s advertising approach,” by Laura Meckler (12/31)

Wes Oliver, a lawyer from Pennsylvania who went to Iowa to campaign for Joe Biden is profiled in “As volunteers swamp campaigns, hospitable Iowans pitch in,” by Amy Chozick (12/31)

Kathleen Hall Jamison of the University of Pennsylvania is quoted (twice!) in “Who’s leading in the ad primary?” by Elizabeth Holmes, Laura Meckler and Aaron Rutkoff (1/03)

Freecycle, the online free-swap program is the focus of “Free-swap program finds homes for recycled goods,” an AP article is in the 1/02 paper. It isn’t mentioned by the Philly site is at www.phillyfreecycle.org

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are among the cities that will be visited by Star Trek the Tour, featuring sets and props from all five tv series.

Not mentioned in the article, "Commercial property gains a new caveat," by Jennifer S. Forsyth (1/02) but included in the accompanying charts. Philadelphia ranks #6 nationally in office and retail markets. The city did not make the list last year.

Other Interesting Tidbits

For those curious about Dennis Kucinich’s UFO siting, the details are provided in “What Kucinich saw: witnesses describe his close encounter,” by Michael M. Phillips (1/02)