AT&T mulling whether, how to revise T-Mobile deal

louis vuitton outlet _ www.louisvuittonoutletkey.com NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc has another month to decide whether it wants to continue to pursue its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA after a U.S. Judge agreed to delay the court battle over the deal until January 18.

AT&T had originally been due in court on Thursday in the case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, which opposed the deal on concerns it would harm competition in the U.S. wireless market by combining the No. 2 and No. 4 players.

Many experts consider the deal to be doomed but AT&T and T-Mobile USA's parent Deutsche Telekom had until Monday been adamant, at least publicly, that they would continue to fight for approval of the merger announced in March. On Monday however, AT&T raised the possibility that it may have to restructure the deal.

"We are actively considering whether and how to revise our current transaction to achieve the necessary regulatory approvals," AT&T said in a statement.

In granting the stay of the proceeding on Monday, Judge Ellen Huvelle also ordered AT&T and T-Mobile USA to tell the court by noon January 12 whether they plan to continue to pursue their agreed deal or an amended one and to give an update on their plans for seeking necessary approval from the U.S. telecommunications Federal Communications Commission.

uggs After the FCC voiced objections to the deal last month, AT&T withdrew its application with the U.S. telecommunications regulator and said it would take a $4 billion charge to cover a break-up fee it agreed to pay T-Mobile USA in case the deal fell apart.

The request for a court delay was in contrast to AT&T's previous position as it had asked the court for an expedited trial for fear that T-Mobile USA's business would deteriorate during an extended court fight.

Stifel Nicolaus analysts said that AT&T likely only agreed to seek a stay on the case as a compromise to avoid having the DoJ push to dismiss the case.

Regulatory experts said the stay did not indicate any improvement in AT&T's prospects for a settlement with the DoJ.

"I don't think they're in discussions to settle," said Bert Foer, head of the American Antitrust Institute who added that AT&T may just be renegotiating the breakup fee it agreed to pay T-Mobile USA in the event of a regulatory block of the deal.

"I think it's dead. I can't see where AT&T has any particular benefit in litigating at this point," Foer said.

uggs on sale The joint motion "means that the deal is suffering the death by a thousand cuts," said Evan Stewart, an antitrust expert at the law firm Zuckerman, Spaeder LLP.

Other experts were skeptical AT&T can succeed in getting any kind of deal with T-Mobile USA approved.

"I think the deal as originally conceived is surely undone," said Andrew Gavil, an anti-trust expert at Howard University's School of Law.

"What remains to be seen is whether AT&T and Deutsche Telecom can construct any kind of alternative ... It seems like they would have done so by now, however, if there was an alternative that could satisfy the DOJ and still make business sense," he said.

Both the Justice Department and the FCC objected to the deal on the grounds that it would hurt competition in the U.S. wireless market. The purchase of No. 4 U.S. mobile operator T-Mobile USA would vault No. 2-ranked AT&T into first place in the U.S. market.

www.uggsonsalechristmas.com Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 U.S. mobile service has been fighting to block the deal.

MF Global execs say don't know where the money is

louis vuitton outlet WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top-ranking executives at MF Global will tell lawmakers on Tuesday that they do not know what happened to hundreds of millions of dollars in missing customer funds, echoing what their former colleague Jon Corzine told Congress last week.

MF Global Chief Operating Officer Bradley Abelow and Chief Financial Officer Henri Steenkamp are due to testify on Tuesday alongside Corzine, who resigned last month after the brokerage filed for bankruptcy.

In prepared testimony to the Senate Agriculture Committee, both executives paint a picture of a chaotic final descent into insolvency.

"I unfortunately have limited knowledge of the specific movement of funds at the U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary, MF Global Inc, during the last two or three hectic business days prior to the bankruptcy filing," Steenkamp said, according to remarks obtained by Reuters.

www.ulouisvuittonoutlet.com The Senate panel is holding on Tuesday the second congressional hearing to feature Corzine, who last week gave a long-winded but vague account of the firm's collapse before the House Agriculture Committee.

The House committee gave Corzine relatively light treatment, and it is unclear if the tone will be different on Tuesday. Corzine and the executives will follow a panel of farmers who will represent customers jolted by the firm's collapse.

The futures brokerage filed for bankruptcy on October 31, after it was forced to reveal it bet $6.3 billion on European sovereign debt. That disclosure led to market concerns and ratings downgrades that ultimately doomed the firm.

The search for hundreds of millions of dollars in missing customer funds has sent reverberations through the farm belt and trading floors, and has attracted the attention of the FBI and federal prosecutors. Thousands of customers have had their money frozen.

"I am deeply troubled by the fact that customer funds are missing, and I can assure you that I share your interest, and the public's interest, in finding out exactly what happened," Abelow said in his testimony.

ugg sale Neither MF Global nor any of its executives has been charged with wrongdoing.

NOT PART OF MY DUTIES

Corzine last week also told lawmakers he did not know what happened to the missing money.

The court-appointed trustee has estimated the shortfall of customer money at $1.2 billion, but other regulators have disputed that amount as too high.

Corzine laid out a defense of his role in the waning days of the firm, saying he "never intended" to break rules, but that an employee may have misinterpreted instructions to try to save the firm.

"I never intended to break any rules, whether it dealt with the segregation rules or any of the other rules that are applicable," Corzine told lawmakers last week.

Corzine will appear on the same panel Tuesday as the two executives, but it is unclear if there will be any finger-pointing. There are close ties between Abelow and Corzine.

Abelow, who is a Goldman Sachs alumnus like Corzine, joined MF Global in September 2010. Abelow had served in Corzine's cabinet when the former MF Global chief was governor of New Jersey from 2006 until 2010.

uggs on sale Steenkamp, an accountant, joined MF Global's predecessor, Man Financial, in 2006, after working at PricewaterhouseCoopers for eight years.

Steenkamp, in eight pages of prepared remarks, sought to distance himself from the hands-on operations that could have led to customer funds being diverted to firm accounts, a major violation of industry rules.

"Direct involvement with operational matters such as bank accounts or fund transfers has never been part of my duties," he said.

Abelow's three pages of prepared testimony did not include the same kind of arms-length defense that Corzine and Steenkamp put forth, but he did say he does not know what amount of funds went missing, how it happened, or where the funds are.

Steenkamp gave a more detailed account of the firm's last days.

He said he was not aware of any problems with customer segregated funds until October 30 when he learned there was a "serious issue" in fund calculations.

"I do not know why these funds cannot be accounted for, but based on the fact that no shortfalls had been reported to me previously, it appears that any irregularities were likely caused by events that occurred shortly before the bankruptcy filing."

uggs A source familiar with the matter has told Reuters that MF Global had been using customer funds for "several days if not weeks," rather than just a few days before the firm collapsed.

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Study: Gingrich tax plan would worsen deficit

cheap uggs for sale WASHINGTON (AP) ¡ª The tax plan by GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich would provide big tax breaks to the rich and blow a huge hole in the federal budget deficit, according to an independent study released Monday.

The analysis by the Tax Policy Center says households making more than $1 million a year would see their taxes drop by an average of 62 percent. Overall, federal tax revenues would drop by an estimated $850 billion in 2015, a figure that would dramatically worsen the budget deficit unless it is offset by unprecedented spending cuts, the study said.

"The revenue losses are enormous," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

Gingrich proposes an optional 15 percent flat tax on income. Under the plan, taxpayers could stay in the current system, which has a top tax rate of 35 percent on taxable income above $379,150, or switch to the new 15 percent tax. The new tax would apply to income at all levels, but there would be a variety of tax deductions and credits.

cheap uggs Gingrich would eliminate taxes on capital gains, dividends and interest, and reduce the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 12.5 percent. The plan would provide a personal deduction of $12,000 for every American, while maintaining the $1,000 per-child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, which benefits low-income people. Deductions for mortgage interest and charitable donations would also be maintained.

Gingrich campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond disputed the projections on the budget deficit, saying the study doesn't account for the economic and job growth that such a tax system would generate.

The campaign's website says a new flat tax would make it easy for families to file their returns while eliminating taxes that discourage investment.

"An optional flat tax reform will be simple: Tax returns can be done on one sheet of paper," the website says. "Subtract from income a standard deduction and deductions for charity and home ownership, multiply the result by the fixed, single rate of taxation of at most 15 percent, and the process is over."

ugg boots The analysis comes as the former House speaker has surged to the top of the polls in the race for the Republican nomination for president. Several other candidates have offered variations of the flat tax, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Gingrich's chief rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has proposed changes to the tax system that are less sweeping.

Gingrich's plan, however, would make it even more difficult for Congress to reduce the federal budget deficit, which was $1.3 trillion in the budget year that ended in September, according to the study. The issue consumed Capitol Hill for several months in the summer and fall, leading to a deficit reduction plan that both Democrats and Republicans dislike.

No one would get a tax increase under Gingrich's plan because households could stay in the current system or switch to the new one, Williams said. Many lower- and middle-income families would probably stay in the current system because they would save money compared to Gingrich's flat tax, he said.

cheap ugg boots But for the wealthy, lowering the top tax rate and eliminating taxes on investments would provide a huge windfall, according to the study.

For example, a household making between $40,000 and $50,000 would get an average tax cut of 12.1 percent, while a family making between $200,000 and $500,000 would get a tax cut of 27.3 percent, according to the study.

Households making more than $1 million would see their federal income taxes reduced by an average of $607,000 the study said.

The Tax Policy Center compared taxes on U.S. households under current tax policy, with those imposed under the Gingrich plan. In using current tax policy, the analysis assumes that tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush ¡ª and extended through 2012 by Obama ¡ª would be extended.

www.fancyboot.com The Tax Policy Center is a research group formed by two Washington think tanks: the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution. Its researchers regularly testify before Congress on tax policy and its analyses during the 2008 presidential campaign were widely circulated.

NJ Nets owner challenges Putin for presidency

uggs on sale MOSCOW (AP) ¡ª After a week of surprising challenges to his authority, Vladimir Putin faces a new one from one of Russia's richest and most glamorous figures: The billionaire owner of the New Jersey Nets says he will run against him in March's presidential election.

The announcement Monday by Mikhail Prokhorov underlines the extent of the discontent with Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for a dozen years ¡ª first as president, then as prime minister.

It comes on the heels of Saturday's unprecedented nationwide protests against Putin and his party, United Russia. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets to denounce alleged election fraud favoring United Russia in Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

The fraud and the party's comparatively poor showing in the elections ¡ª losing about 20 percent of its seats, although it retained a narrow majority ¡ª galvanized long-marginalized opposition forces to conduct a startling series of demonstrations, including an enormous rally of at least 30,000 in Moscow alone.

cheap ugg boots In yet another challenge to Putin, his former finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, said Monday he was ready to work to form a new party.

At a news conference announcing his candidacy, Prokhorov refrained from criticizing Putin or President Dmitry Medvedev, but he said "society is waking up."

"Those authorities who will fail to establish a dialogue with society will have to go," he declared.

Medvedev has promised on his Facebook page that the alleged vote fraud will be investigated. But Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, predicted Monday the probe will show that little vote fraud occurred and that it had no effect on the outcome.

Peskov's comment signaled that Putin ¡ª who served as Russia's president in 2000-2008 and stepped over to the premiership because of term limits ¡ª is holding firm, despite the protests that were the largest in post-Soviet Russia.

It is unclear how effective a challenger Prokhorov might prove to be. His wealth, estimated by Forbes magazine at $18 billion, and his playboy reputation may turn off voters who resent the gargantuan fortunes compiled by tycoons even as countless Russians struggled through the economic chaos of the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed.

ugg boots on sale The 46-year-old bachelor is known for lavish parties and occasional scandal. He and some guests were arrested at a Christmas party in the French Alpine resort of Courchevel in 2007 for allegedly arranging for prostitutes; but he was soon released without charges.

Prokhorov made his fortune in metals and banking and became majority stakeholder in the New Jersey Nets last year. Since then, he has traveled widely to build a global fan base for the basketball team, in the process showing off his towering 6-foot-8 (203-centimeter) frame and excellent command of English.

Asked if he thought Prokhorov could run a country, Nets coach Avery Johnson said he had many qualities.

"He is pretty smart. he has great leadership skills. When you are behind the scenes and you are talking to him, you know he is a special person. It wouldn't surprise me," Johnson said.

"If we could vote, he would have a lot of votes here in this building."

Kudrin, 51, lacks Prokhorov's flash, but as finance minister under both Putin and Medvedev, he earned wide respect for his economic acumen. Kudrin was widely credited with softening the blow of the 2008-09 global downturn in Russia with his conservative fiscal policies.

uggs outlet sale During Putin's presidency, Kudrin set up a rainy day fund of revenue from Russia's oil exports. The idea angered many in the government who sought higher spending, but it ultimately proved to be an invaluable cushion.

In an interview with the business newspaper Vedomosti published Monday, Kudrin said the country needed a new liberal party and "I am to assist" in creating it.

Kudrin was fired in September for saying that he would not serve if Medvedev agreed to step aside, become prime minister and allow the 59-year-old Putin to run for another term. The decision by Medvedev and Putin to effectively swap positions was seen by critics as cynical and antidemocratic, so Kudrin's dismissal could give him a principled aura.

Prokhorov said he hopes to win the support of Russia's growing middle class, which formed the core of Saturday's demonstrations. However, he said he agrees with only some of the anti-Putin and anti-government slogans shouted at rallies. He also did not say whether he plans to attend a follow-up protest in Moscow later this month.

He is one of several candidates who have said they will oppose Putin in the presidential election, including Communist chief Gennady Zyuganov, who has finished second in past presidential elections.

uggs Prokhorov's presidential bid follows his botched performance in the parliamentary race when he formed a liberal party under tacit support of the Kremlin, then abandoned the project under what he called Kremlin pressure.

He has personally blamed Vladislav Surkov, a presidential deputy chief of staff, for staging a mutiny within that party's ranks. "I can solve that problem by becoming his boss," Prokhorov said, referring to Surkov's possible opposition to his candidacy.

Prokhorov now faces the immediate challenge of collecting the 2 million signatures required to qualify for the race. A number of opposition candidates and parties in the past could not even run for parliament because their applications were turned down for technical reasons.

Prokhorov also is not the first of Russia's superrich to have ambitious political goals. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, has been in prison since 2003 on tax evasion and embezzlement charges that are widely seen as a punishment for having challenged Putin's power.

The demonstrations in Moscow and other cities were "a very positive sign for all those who support the democratic process," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday. "Both the Russian government and civil society leaders seem to be looking for a dialogue."

The influential Russian Orthodox Church has also weighed in on the brewing controversy over the elections.

www.topuggshop.com "Very serious questions have been raised, however uncomfortable for the authorities. We will hope that the authorities respond to them adequately and honestly," church spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin told the Interfax news agency.

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Study: Gingrich tax plan would worsen deficit

cheap uggs for sale WASHINGTON (AP) ¡ª The tax plan by GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich would provide big tax breaks to the rich and blow a huge hole in the federal budget deficit, according to an independent study released Monday.

The analysis by the Tax Policy Center says households making more than $1 million a year would see their taxes drop by an average of 62 percent. Overall, federal tax revenues would drop by an estimated $850 billion in 2015, a figure that would dramatically worsen the budget deficit unless it is offset by unprecedented spending cuts, the study said.

"The revenue losses are enormous," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

Gingrich proposes an optional 15 percent flat tax on income. Under the plan, taxpayers could stay in the current system, which has a top tax rate of 35 percent on taxable income above $379,150, or switch to the new 15 percent tax. The new tax would apply to income at all levels, but there would be a variety of tax deductions and credits.

cheap uggs Gingrich would eliminate taxes on capital gains, dividends and interest, and reduce the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 12.5 percent. The plan would provide a personal deduction of $12,000 for every American, while maintaining the $1,000 per-child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, which benefits low-income people. Deductions for mortgage interest and charitable donations would also be maintained.

Gingrich campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond disputed the projections on the budget deficit, saying the study doesn't account for the economic and job growth that such a tax system would generate.

The campaign's website says a new flat tax would make it easy for families to file their returns while eliminating taxes that discourage investment.

"An optional flat tax reform will be simple: Tax returns can be done on one sheet of paper," the website says. "Subtract from income a standard deduction and deductions for charity and home ownership, multiply the result by the fixed, single rate of taxation of at most 15 percent, and the process is over."

ugg boots The analysis comes as the former House speaker has surged to the top of the polls in the race for the Republican nomination for president. Several other candidates have offered variations of the flat tax, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Gingrich's chief rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has proposed changes to the tax system that are less sweeping.

Gingrich's plan, however, would make it even more difficult for Congress to reduce the federal budget deficit, which was $1.3 trillion in the budget year that ended in September, according to the study. The issue consumed Capitol Hill for several months in the summer and fall, leading to a deficit reduction plan that both Democrats and Republicans dislike.

No one would get a tax increase under Gingrich's plan because households could stay in the current system or switch to the new one, Williams said. Many lower- and middle-income families would probably stay in the current system because they would save money compared to Gingrich's flat tax, he said.

cheap ugg boots But for the wealthy, lowering the top tax rate and eliminating taxes on investments would provide a huge windfall, according to the study.

For example, a household making between $40,000 and $50,000 would get an average tax cut of 12.1 percent, while a family making between $200,000 and $500,000 would get a tax cut of 27.3 percent, according to the study.

Households making more than $1 million would see their federal income taxes reduced by an average of $607,000 the study said.

The Tax Policy Center compared taxes on U.S. households under current tax policy, with those imposed under the Gingrich plan. In using current tax policy, the analysis assumes that tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush ¡ª and extended through 2012 by Obama ¡ª would be extended.

www.fancyboot.com The Tax Policy Center is a research group formed by two Washington think tanks: the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution. Its researchers regularly testify before Congress on tax policy and its analyses during the 2008 presidential campaign were widely circulated.

NJ Nets owner challenges Putin for presidency

uggs on sale MOSCOW (AP) ¡ª After a week of surprising challenges to his authority, Vladimir Putin faces a new one from one of Russia's richest and most glamorous figures: The billionaire owner of the New Jersey Nets says he will run against him in March's presidential election.

The announcement Monday by Mikhail Prokhorov underlines the extent of the discontent with Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for a dozen years ¡ª first as president, then as prime minister.

It comes on the heels of Saturday's unprecedented nationwide protests against Putin and his party, United Russia. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets to denounce alleged election fraud favoring United Russia in Dec. 4 parliamentary elections.

The fraud and the party's comparatively poor showing in the elections ¡ª losing about 20 percent of its seats, although it retained a narrow majority ¡ª galvanized long-marginalized opposition forces to conduct a startling series of demonstrations, including an enormous rally of at least 30,000 in Moscow alone.

cheap ugg boots In yet another challenge to Putin, his former finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, said Monday he was ready to work to form a new party.

At a news conference announcing his candidacy, Prokhorov refrained from criticizing Putin or President Dmitry Medvedev, but he said "society is waking up."

"Those authorities who will fail to establish a dialogue with society will have to go," he declared.

Medvedev has promised on his Facebook page that the alleged vote fraud will be investigated. But Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, predicted Monday the probe will show that little vote fraud occurred and that it had no effect on the outcome.

Peskov's comment signaled that Putin ¡ª who served as Russia's president in 2000-2008 and stepped over to the premiership because of term limits ¡ª is holding firm, despite the protests that were the largest in post-Soviet Russia.

It is unclear how effective a challenger Prokhorov might prove to be. His wealth, estimated by Forbes magazine at $18 billion, and his playboy reputation may turn off voters who resent the gargantuan fortunes compiled by tycoons even as countless Russians struggled through the economic chaos of the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed.

ugg boots on sale The 46-year-old bachelor is known for lavish parties and occasional scandal. He and some guests were arrested at a Christmas party in the French Alpine resort of Courchevel in 2007 for allegedly arranging for prostitutes; but he was soon released without charges.

Prokhorov made his fortune in metals and banking and became majority stakeholder in the New Jersey Nets last year. Since then, he has traveled widely to build a global fan base for the basketball team, in the process showing off his towering 6-foot-8 (203-centimeter) frame and excellent command of English.

Asked if he thought Prokhorov could run a country, Nets coach Avery Johnson said he had many qualities.

"He is pretty smart. he has great leadership skills. When you are behind the scenes and you are talking to him, you know he is a special person. It wouldn't surprise me," Johnson said.

"If we could vote, he would have a lot of votes here in this building."

Kudrin, 51, lacks Prokhorov's flash, but as finance minister under both Putin and Medvedev, he earned wide respect for his economic acumen. Kudrin was widely credited with softening the blow of the 2008-09 global downturn in Russia with his conservative fiscal policies.

uggs outlet sale During Putin's presidency, Kudrin set up a rainy day fund of revenue from Russia's oil exports. The idea angered many in the government who sought higher spending, but it ultimately proved to be an invaluable cushion.

In an interview with the business newspaper Vedomosti published Monday, Kudrin said the country needed a new liberal party and "I am to assist" in creating it.

Kudrin was fired in September for saying that he would not serve if Medvedev agreed to step aside, become prime minister and allow the 59-year-old Putin to run for another term. The decision by Medvedev and Putin to effectively swap positions was seen by critics as cynical and antidemocratic, so Kudrin's dismissal could give him a principled aura.

Prokhorov said he hopes to win the support of Russia's growing middle class, which formed the core of Saturday's demonstrations. However, he said he agrees with only some of the anti-Putin and anti-government slogans shouted at rallies. He also did not say whether he plans to attend a follow-up protest in Moscow later this month.

He is one of several candidates who have said they will oppose Putin in the presidential election, including Communist chief Gennady Zyuganov, who has finished second in past presidential elections.

uggs Prokhorov's presidential bid follows his botched performance in the parliamentary race when he formed a liberal party under tacit support of the Kremlin, then abandoned the project under what he called Kremlin pressure.

He has personally blamed Vladislav Surkov, a presidential deputy chief of staff, for staging a mutiny within that party's ranks. "I can solve that problem by becoming his boss," Prokhorov said, referring to Surkov's possible opposition to his candidacy.

Prokhorov now faces the immediate challenge of collecting the 2 million signatures required to qualify for the race. A number of opposition candidates and parties in the past could not even run for parliament because their applications were turned down for technical reasons.

Prokhorov also is not the first of Russia's superrich to have ambitious political goals. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, has been in prison since 2003 on tax evasion and embezzlement charges that are widely seen as a punishment for having challenged Putin's power.

The demonstrations in Moscow and other cities were "a very positive sign for all those who support the democratic process," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday. "Both the Russian government and civil society leaders seem to be looking for a dialogue."

The influential Russian Orthodox Church has also weighed in on the brewing controversy over the elections.

www.topuggshop.com "Very serious questions have been raised, however uncomfortable for the authorities. We will hope that the authorities respond to them adequately and honestly," church spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin told the Interfax news agency.

AT&T mulling whether, how to revise T-Mobile deal

louis vuitton outlet _ www.louisvuittonoutletkey.com NEW YORK (Reuters) - AT&T Inc has another month to decide whether it wants to continue to pursue its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA after a U.S. Judge agreed to delay the court battle over the deal until January 18.

AT&T had originally been due in court on Thursday in the case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, which opposed the deal on concerns it would harm competition in the U.S. wireless market by combining the No. 2 and No. 4 players.

Many experts consider the deal to be doomed but AT&T and T-Mobile USA's parent Deutsche Telekom had until Monday been adamant, at least publicly, that they would continue to fight for approval of the merger announced in March. On Monday however, AT&T raised the possibility that it may have to restructure the deal.

"We are actively considering whether and how to revise our current transaction to achieve the necessary regulatory approvals," AT&T said in a statement.

In granting the stay of the proceeding on Monday, Judge Ellen Huvelle also ordered AT&T and T-Mobile USA to tell the court by noon January 12 whether they plan to continue to pursue their agreed deal or an amended one and to give an update on their plans for seeking necessary approval from the U.S. telecommunications Federal Communications Commission.

uggs After the FCC voiced objections to the deal last month, AT&T withdrew its application with the U.S. telecommunications regulator and said it would take a $4 billion charge to cover a break-up fee it agreed to pay T-Mobile USA in case the deal fell apart.

The request for a court delay was in contrast to AT&T's previous position as it had asked the court for an expedited trial for fear that T-Mobile USA's business would deteriorate during an extended court fight.

Stifel Nicolaus analysts said that AT&T likely only agreed to seek a stay on the case as a compromise to avoid having the DoJ push to dismiss the case.

Regulatory experts said the stay did not indicate any improvement in AT&T's prospects for a settlement with the DoJ.

"I don't think they're in discussions to settle," said Bert Foer, head of the American Antitrust Institute who added that AT&T may just be renegotiating the breakup fee it agreed to pay T-Mobile USA in the event of a regulatory block of the deal.

"I think it's dead. I can't see where AT&T has any particular benefit in litigating at this point," Foer said.

uggs on sale The joint motion "means that the deal is suffering the death by a thousand cuts," said Evan Stewart, an antitrust expert at the law firm Zuckerman, Spaeder LLP.

Other experts were skeptical AT&T can succeed in getting any kind of deal with T-Mobile USA approved.

"I think the deal as originally conceived is surely undone," said Andrew Gavil, an anti-trust expert at Howard University's School of Law.

"What remains to be seen is whether AT&T and Deutsche Telecom can construct any kind of alternative ... It seems like they would have done so by now, however, if there was an alternative that could satisfy the DOJ and still make business sense," he said.

Both the Justice Department and the FCC objected to the deal on the grounds that it would hurt competition in the U.S. wireless market. The purchase of No. 4 U.S. mobile operator T-Mobile USA would vault No. 2-ranked AT&T into first place in the U.S. market.

www.uggsonsalechristmas.com Sprint Nextel, the No. 3 U.S. mobile service has been fighting to block the deal.

Boehner: House will approve payroll tax cut bill

louis vuitton outlet WASHINGTON (AP) ¡ª House Speaker John Boehner predicted Monday that the House will approve legislation that renews a payroll tax cut and curtails extra benefits for the long-term unemployed.

The House is expected to approve the roughly $180 billion measure on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said the bill will go nowhere in the Senate, citing a provision all but forcing President Barack Obama to move ahead quickly with a controversial oil pipeline that would run from Canada to Texas.

Boehner, R-Ohio, sidestepped a question about whether he rules out eventually agreeing to a compromise with that chamber.

"The House is going to do its job, in time for the Senate then to do its job," Boehner told reporters.

cheap uggs Senate Democrats' version of the bill pays its costs largely by boosting taxes on the wealthy. Republicans prefer freezing federal workers pay and other spending cuts.

The House legislation would continue the Social Security payroll tax that workers pay at 4.2 percent in 2012, the same as this year. That tax is normally 6.2 percent, but was temporarily cut in a bid to spur the economy. The reduction means an extra $1,000 in the wallets of families earning $50,000 annually.

The Democrats' Senate bill, which that chamber has already rejected, would drop the payroll tax to 3.1 percent next year and provide employers with similar reductions, as Obama has proposed.

If Congress takes no action by Jan. 1, the payroll tax will return to 6.2 percent. Congress is hoping to adjourn for the year before Christmas.

The House GOP bill would also curtail the current 99 weeks of maximum unemployment coverage, dropping it gradually to 59 weeks by mid-2012.

cheap ugg boots And it would prevent a 27 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors next year, a reduction that could prompt some physicians to stop serving Medicare patients. It would instead increase their Medicare payments by 1 percent each of the next two years.

Boehner: House will approve payroll tax cut bill

louis vuitton outlet WASHINGTON (AP) ¡ª House Speaker John Boehner predicted Monday that the House will approve legislation that renews a payroll tax cut and curtails extra benefits for the long-term unemployed.

The House is expected to approve the roughly $180 billion measure on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said the bill will go nowhere in the Senate, citing a provision all but forcing President Barack Obama to move ahead quickly with a controversial oil pipeline that would run from Canada to Texas.

Boehner, R-Ohio, sidestepped a question about whether he rules out eventually agreeing to a compromise with that chamber.

"The House is going to do its job, in time for the Senate then to do its job," Boehner told reporters.

cheap uggs Senate Democrats' version of the bill pays its costs largely by boosting taxes on the wealthy. Republicans prefer freezing federal workers pay and other spending cuts.

The House legislation would continue the Social Security payroll tax that workers pay at 4.2 percent in 2012, the same as this year. That tax is normally 6.2 percent, but was temporarily cut in a bid to spur the economy. The reduction means an extra $1,000 in the wallets of families earning $50,000 annually.

The Democrats' Senate bill, which that chamber has already rejected, would drop the payroll tax to 3.1 percent next year and provide employers with similar reductions, as Obama has proposed.

If Congress takes no action by Jan. 1, the payroll tax will return to 6.2 percent. Congress is hoping to adjourn for the year before Christmas.

The House GOP bill would also curtail the current 99 weeks of maximum unemployment coverage, dropping it gradually to 59 weeks by mid-2012.

cheap ugg boots And it would prevent a 27 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors next year, a reduction that could prompt some physicians to stop serving Medicare patients. It would instead increase their Medicare payments by 1 percent each of the next two years.

U.S. Stocks Advance as S&P 500 Heads for Best Month Since 1974

abercrombie fitch U.S. stocks rose this week, driving the Standard & Poor¡¯s 500 Index toward the biggest monthly gain since 1974, after European leaders agreed to expand the region¡¯s bailout fund and American economic growth accelerated.

Bank of America Corp. (BAC), Alcoa Inc. (AA) and Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) jumped at least 10 percent to lead Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) gains. Raw-material and financial shares led an advance by all 10 industries in the S&P 500, adding more than 6.9 percent. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) rose 26 percent after profit beat estimates. Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) advanced 10 percent after abandoning plans to spin off its personal-computer business.

The S&P 500 rose 3.8 percent to 1,285.09, the highest since Aug. 1. It has rallied four straight weeks, the longest streak since January, and added 14 percent in October. The Dow gained 422.32 points, or 3.6 percent, to 12,231.11 this week.

 ¡°The crisis atmosphere has lessened,¡± Nick Sargen, chief investment officer at Fort Washington Investment Advisors in Cincinnati, which oversees more than $38 billion, said in a telephone interview. ¡°European policy makers have bought more time,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not a permanent solution, but it limits the immediate risk to the market.¡±

abercrombie & fitch uk Stocks gained after the European rescue fund was boosted to 1 trillion euros ($1.4 trillion) and investors agreed to a voluntary writedown of 50 percent on Greek debt. The S&P 500 had fallen five consecutive months, driven lower by concern the debt crisis would curb global growth, before starting to rebound on Oct. 3. The stock index recovered as better-than-estimated U.S. reports pushed the Citigroup Economic Surprise Index above zero for the first time since April.

Expanding Economy

Equities also climbed after the U.S. economy expanded in the third quarter at the fastest pace in a year, as gains in consumer spending and business investment helped support a recovery on the brink of faltering. Separate data showed that consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in October, while fewer Americans filed for unemployment assistance last week.

Companies most-tied to the economy gained as the Morgan Stanley Cyclical Index advanced 7 percent to its highest level since Aug. 3. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT), largest U.S. tiremaker, added 14 percent to $14.84. Ingersoll-Rand Plc (IR), the maker of Trane air conditioners, increased 16 percent to $32.34 in the biggest weekly rally since July 2009.

Caterpillar increased 11 percent to $96.85, its highest level since Aug. 2. The world¡¯s largest construction and mining- equipment maker posted higher-than-expected third-quarter profit and sales and said 2012 revenue will gain as the U.S. and global economies improve.

Corporate Earnings

abercrombie uk This week, 189 companies in the S&P 500 reported quarterly results. About three quarters of the companies that reported earnings since Oct. 11 beat analysts¡¯ projections, according to Bloomberg data. Earnings have surpassed estimates by an average 5.8 percent.

Advanced Micro Devices advanced 26 percent, the biggest gain in almost two years, to $5.94. The second-largest maker of processors for personal computers reported third-quarter earnings excluding some items that beat analyst estimates by 52 percent. The company also forecast fourth-quarter sales that may top some analysts¡¯ estimates on strong demand for laptops in emerging markets.

Akamai Technologies Inc. (AKAM) jumped 19 percent to $28.29. The operator of a server network that lets businesses speed data delivery forecast fourth-quarter sales of $303 million to $315 million, compared with the average analyst estimate of $310.9 million in a Bloomberg survey.

Dreamliner Delivery

Boeing Co. (BA) gained 5.5 percent to $68.17. Its profit topped estimates for the quarter when it delivered the first 787 Dreamliner and said the new model¡¯s production costs will be spread over 1,100 planes, matching analysts¡¯ projections.

abercrombie and fitch outlet Third-quarter corporate earnings ¡°show things aren¡¯t as bad as the market thought,¡± Terry Morris, who manages $2.2 billion at National Penn Investors Trust Co. in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, said in a phone interview. ¡°Maybe things will be kind of quiet in Europe now and we can get back to fundamentals.¡±

Financial shares in the S&P 500 rose 7 percent, the biggest advance since July 2010, as 76 of 81 companies rose. Morgan Stanley (MS) soared 13 percent to $19.31. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) jumped 9.8 percent, the most since July 2009, to $36.69. Bank of America, which has dropped 45 percent this year for the worst performance in the Dow, surged 14 percent to $7.35.

Biggest Rally

Raw-material producers gained 7.9 percent, the most among 10 industry groups in the S&P 500, after a report from HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics showed China¡¯s manufacturing may end the longest contraction since 2009. The report, along with Japanese data showing exports exceeded economists¡¯ forecasts, signaled that Asia¡¯s two largest economies are withstanding Europe¡¯s sovereign debt crisis.

abercrombie and fitch uk Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF), North America¡¯s largest iron-ore producer, advanced 21 percent to $72.81. Freeport- McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. gained 17 percent to $42.80 as copper futures posted the biggest weekly gain since at least 1988. Alcoa, the largest U.S. aluminum producer, jumped 13 percent to $11.57.

Hewlett-Packard gained 10 percent to $27.94, the highest price since Aug. 18. Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman abandoned plans to spin off its market-leading personal-computer unit, taking a step toward unwinding the moves that led to her predecessor¡¯s ouster.

Netflix Drops

Netflix Inc. (NFLX) plunged 28 percent, the biggest decline since 2004, to $84.14. The online-video service said it lost 800,000 U.S. subscribers in the third quarter, more than expected, and predicted more cancellations because of a price increase.

Tobias Levkovich, a New York-based U.S. equity strategist at Citigroup Inc., said the S&P 500 will extend gains through the end of the year. He estimates the index will end 2011 at 1,325, a 3.1 percent gain from today¡¯s close.

 ¡°We¡¯re not off to the races into a new bull market, but we are going to trade to the upside,¡± Levkovich said in an interview on Bloomberg Radio¡¯s ¡°Bloomberg Surveillance¡± with Ken Prewitt and Tom Keene.

louis vuitton outlet ¡°Valuations look pretty attractive, earnings expectations are starting to get more realistic and credit conditions have been fairly reasonable.¡±

U.S. Stocks Advance as S&P 500 Heads for Best Month Since 1974

abercrombie fitch U.S. stocks rose this week, driving the Standard & Poor¡¯s 500 Index toward the biggest monthly gain since 1974, after European leaders agreed to expand the region¡¯s bailout fund and American economic growth accelerated.

Bank of America Corp. (BAC), Alcoa Inc. (AA) and Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) jumped at least 10 percent to lead Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) gains. Raw-material and financial shares led an advance by all 10 industries in the S&P 500, adding more than 6.9 percent. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) rose 26 percent after profit beat estimates. Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) advanced 10 percent after abandoning plans to spin off its personal-computer business.

The S&P 500 rose 3.8 percent to 1,285.09, the highest since Aug. 1. It has rallied four straight weeks, the longest streak since January, and added 14 percent in October. The Dow gained 422.32 points, or 3.6 percent, to 12,231.11 this week.

 ¡°The crisis atmosphere has lessened,¡± Nick Sargen, chief investment officer at Fort Washington Investment Advisors in Cincinnati, which oversees more than $38 billion, said in a telephone interview. ¡°European policy makers have bought more time,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not a permanent solution, but it limits the immediate risk to the market.¡±

abercrombie & fitch uk Stocks gained after the European rescue fund was boosted to 1 trillion euros ($1.4 trillion) and investors agreed to a voluntary writedown of 50 percent on Greek debt. The S&P 500 had fallen five consecutive months, driven lower by concern the debt crisis would curb global growth, before starting to rebound on Oct. 3. The stock index recovered as better-than-estimated U.S. reports pushed the Citigroup Economic Surprise Index above zero for the first time since April.

Expanding Economy

Equities also climbed after the U.S. economy expanded in the third quarter at the fastest pace in a year, as gains in consumer spending and business investment helped support a recovery on the brink of faltering. Separate data showed that consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in October, while fewer Americans filed for unemployment assistance last week.

Companies most-tied to the economy gained as the Morgan Stanley Cyclical Index advanced 7 percent to its highest level since Aug. 3. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT), largest U.S. tiremaker, added 14 percent to $14.84. Ingersoll-Rand Plc (IR), the maker of Trane air conditioners, increased 16 percent to $32.34 in the biggest weekly rally since July 2009.

Caterpillar increased 11 percent to $96.85, its highest level since Aug. 2. The world¡¯s largest construction and mining- equipment maker posted higher-than-expected third-quarter profit and sales and said 2012 revenue will gain as the U.S. and global economies improve.

Corporate Earnings

abercrombie uk This week, 189 companies in the S&P 500 reported quarterly results. About three quarters of the companies that reported earnings since Oct. 11 beat analysts¡¯ projections, according to Bloomberg data. Earnings have surpassed estimates by an average 5.8 percent.

Advanced Micro Devices advanced 26 percent, the biggest gain in almost two years, to $5.94. The second-largest maker of processors for personal computers reported third-quarter earnings excluding some items that beat analyst estimates by 52 percent. The company also forecast fourth-quarter sales that may top some analysts¡¯ estimates on strong demand for laptops in emerging markets.

Akamai Technologies Inc. (AKAM) jumped 19 percent to $28.29. The operator of a server network that lets businesses speed data delivery forecast fourth-quarter sales of $303 million to $315 million, compared with the average analyst estimate of $310.9 million in a Bloomberg survey.

Dreamliner Delivery

Boeing Co. (BA) gained 5.5 percent to $68.17. Its profit topped estimates for the quarter when it delivered the first 787 Dreamliner and said the new model¡¯s production costs will be spread over 1,100 planes, matching analysts¡¯ projections.

abercrombie and fitch outlet Third-quarter corporate earnings ¡°show things aren¡¯t as bad as the market thought,¡± Terry Morris, who manages $2.2 billion at National Penn Investors Trust Co. in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, said in a phone interview. ¡°Maybe things will be kind of quiet in Europe now and we can get back to fundamentals.¡±

Financial shares in the S&P 500 rose 7 percent, the biggest advance since July 2010, as 76 of 81 companies rose. Morgan Stanley (MS) soared 13 percent to $19.31. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) jumped 9.8 percent, the most since July 2009, to $36.69. Bank of America, which has dropped 45 percent this year for the worst performance in the Dow, surged 14 percent to $7.35.

Biggest Rally

Raw-material producers gained 7.9 percent, the most among 10 industry groups in the S&P 500, after a report from HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics showed China¡¯s manufacturing may end the longest contraction since 2009. The report, along with Japanese data showing exports exceeded economists¡¯ forecasts, signaled that Asia¡¯s two largest economies are withstanding Europe¡¯s sovereign debt crisis.

abercrombie and fitch uk Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF), North America¡¯s largest iron-ore producer, advanced 21 percent to $72.81. Freeport- McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. gained 17 percent to $42.80 as copper futures posted the biggest weekly gain since at least 1988. Alcoa, the largest U.S. aluminum producer, jumped 13 percent to $11.57.

Hewlett-Packard gained 10 percent to $27.94, the highest price since Aug. 18. Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman abandoned plans to spin off its market-leading personal-computer unit, taking a step toward unwinding the moves that led to her predecessor¡¯s ouster.

Netflix Drops

Netflix Inc. (NFLX) plunged 28 percent, the biggest decline since 2004, to $84.14. The online-video service said it lost 800,000 U.S. subscribers in the third quarter, more than expected, and predicted more cancellations because of a price increase.

Tobias Levkovich, a New York-based U.S. equity strategist at Citigroup Inc., said the S&P 500 will extend gains through the end of the year. He estimates the index will end 2011 at 1,325, a 3.1 percent gain from today¡¯s close.

 ¡°We¡¯re not off to the races into a new bull market, but we are going to trade to the upside,¡± Levkovich said in an interview on Bloomberg Radio¡¯s ¡°Bloomberg Surveillance¡± with Ken Prewitt and Tom Keene.

louis vuitton outlet ¡°Valuations look pretty attractive, earnings expectations are starting to get more realistic and credit conditions have been fairly reasonable.¡±

RPT-WRAPUP 4-MF Global aims for sale by Monday -source

ugg boots on sale Oct 28 (Reuters) - MF Global Holdings Ltd is racing to sell all or part of its business this weekend, with its futures brokerage business seen as the most attractive, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday.

MF Global has reached out to major banks including Barclays PLC , Citigroup Inc , Deutsche Bank , Jefferies Group Inc , JPMorgan Chase & Co , Macquarie Group Ltd , State Street Corp and Wells Fargo , according to the source.

Private equity firm J.C. Flowers, which has a stake in MF Global, is also in talks about possibly taking it private, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"If it gets done, it needs to get done by Monday," the source said. "Whether it gets sold in parts or pieces, they are in good shape to orchestrate this process."

MF Global has declined to comment on its troubles.

Barclays, Citigroup, Deutsche, Jefferies and Wells Fargo also declined to comment, while the other banks and Flowers could not be reached immediately for comment late on Friday.

Pressure mounted on MF Global -- run by former Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Jon Corzine -- to sell after a week in which it posted a quarterly loss, its shares fell by two-thirds and its credit ratings were cut to junk.

The brokerage, which under Corzine increasingly used its own capital to trade, is paying the price for investments made on bonds of countries in the euro zone, and it is emerging as one of the hardest-hit U.S. firms in the fallout from Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

uggs on sale When a broker's credit rating drops to junk, it erodes confidence in its credit worthiness and can then restrict its ability to borrow -- the bedrock of any financial institution -- and fund day-to-day operations.

The firm's position in the repurchase market -- a vital place for short-term funding -- is under intense scrutiny because of the weakness in European debt.

MF Global is now scrambling to reassure sometimes skittish clients about its stability. But it told at least one fund that a number of clients are withdrawing money.

Its troubles become "a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Perry Piazza, director of investment strategies at Contango Capital Advisors in San Francisco. "The end game here is not good," he said.

MF Global stock dropped as much as 31 percent in early trading to 99 cents, its lowest ever, but later rebounded to $1.29. It was the second most actively traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

The company's bonds were trading in the mid-40s, which implies a high likelihood of default, after touching a morning low of 38 cents on the dollar. That was down from Thursday when the bonds, maturing in 2016 with a 6.25 percent coupon, were at 70. MF Global had offered the notes at par in August.

SALE PROCESS

The company tapped Evercore Partners Inc to advise it on strategic options including a possible sale, said a source familiar with the situation. A second source, who was briefed on the matter, said the company did not enter the talks with "specific targets and objectives."

ugg boots cheap "We believe MF could generate proceeds from sale of its customer asset portfolio or Futures Commission Merchant which frees up capital," Keefe Bruyette & Woods analyst Niamh Alexander wrote to clients. "However, we cannot quantify the cost of wind down or exiting broker positions that could offset those proceeds and wipe out equity."

MF Global's history dates back over 200 years, to a sugar broker that started in London. For years, MF Global focused on futures brokerage. In 2005, the company, formerly known as Man Financial, acquired Refco's U.S. futures business after that broker collapsed in an accounting scandal.

The company's futures business is in a cyclical downturn, but when interest rates rise, its income could surge and its clients could help boost another bank's broader sales and trading franchise.

Potential bidders are, however, unlikely to pay up for a business like the Futures Commission Merchant, in part because customers can take their relationships elsewhere, industry sources said.

Some customers are diverting money from the New York-based brokerage, according to hedge funds, rivals and analysts, though the extent of the outflows remained unclear.

A source at one of the firms that MF Global has reached out to said they wouldn't rule out their interest in some sort of a deal, but it would have to be something that involved taking on little risk.

A source at a different firm said it was difficult to buy the business because it is hard to evaluate the company's customers quickly, and the best customers could leave soon.

uggs uk Some potential buyers said they would look at the business if MF Global offered it for cheap, a third source said.

CORZINE AND EUROPE'S FALLOUT

Corzine, who became CEO in March last year after a term as New Jersey's governor, has been trying to transform MF Global from a brokerage that mainly places customers' trades on exchanges into an investment bank that bets with its own capital.

But its bets on bonds from euro zone countries, including those issued by Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, have gone bad, prompting regulators to press it to boost capital and ratings agencies to issue their warnings.

The loss of its investment grade rating, meanwhile, could hasten the exodus of customers away from MF Global.

"Given the uncertainty around timing of the agencies' next move, management needs to move quickly in order to avoid client defections and either work on strategic options or work with the agencies to get back to stable status," Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Carrier wrote to clients.

MF Global's bank loans were lower Friday amid rumors the company drew down its revolving credit lines, separate sources said. The extended revolver due 2014 is quoted 60-65 on Friday after a large piece of the paper is said to have changed hands on Thursday at 70, the sources said.

European Union leaders struck a deal this week to relieve the continent's sovereign debt crisis -- potentially good news for MF Global -- but many details of the EU deal still need ironing out.

ugg boots for cheap In Asia, the Singapore Exchange said MF Global's unit in the city state is meeting its financial obligations as a clearing member. That echoes assurances Thursday by U.S. clearers CME Group Inc , IntercontinentalExchange Inc and options clearinghouse OCC.

Occupy Wall Street braces for winter

cheap ugg boots Reporting from New York¡ª

"Is it time to Occupy Miami Beach?" a shivering Max Richmond asked another New York protester as she waited to get Vitamin C near the makeshift medical tent.

They laughed and hugged for warmth.

Since hundreds of anti-greed protesters descended on a park a block from Wall Street this fall, they have faced arrest, sleep deprivation, no bathrooms and rainy weather. They've had their backpacks and iPods stolen and their food tent invaded by freeloaders and tourists. But a downpour Thursday night followed by frost Friday was a reminder to even the most dedicated occupiers of what many have said will be their greatest test ¡ª a New York winter.

Organizers have predicted the freezing temperatures and snow would reduce the Lower Manhattan encampment to a small assemblage through winter.

"But that's OK with us," said Richmond, 26, a carpenter from upstate New York. "The hardy will stay. The junkies will go. And in the spring all somebody has to do is declare Occupy Central Park or Occupy Union Square and everyone will return. This was just practice."

ugg sale With a snowstorm predicted this weekend, the Occupy Wall Street protesters are already huddling at night under tents and tarps, layering on as much clothing as they can, ducking frequently into fast-food restaurants to get warm and occasionally sleeping in subway stations. A 19-year-old from Florida wrote to his mother asking for cold-weather gear. She sent a winter coat (and tucked his retainer in the package).

Even before the temperature had dropped, organizers were preparing for winter by stocking a nearby storage space with hats, gloves, coats, blankets, sleeping bags, food and other supplies. Donations were pouring in from around the country. An organic farmer from Hawaii sent macadamia nuts and bananas.

Mostly the donations have served the group's basic needs, although a few items are in short supply.

"We need shoes like crazy," said Michael Glaser, a young actor from Chicago who has been manning the "comfort station" handing out warm clothes. Wet feet have led to several cases of hypothermia, as well as athlete's and trench foot.

ugg boots outlet Several protesters were walking around barefoot Friday morning because their shoes had been stolen overnight, Glaser said, and he had nothing to give them.

Since Glaser found wet clothes and blankets on the ground that he had given out only hours before, he has been concerned that supplies are being wasted. He hoped protest coordinators would come up with a solution ¡ª fast.

When a rumor spread Thursday night that 250 tents would be handed out, people waited in line for hours. "There was a near riot when we ran out," said Glaser, noting they only had 36.

The large, rectangular park has become a hodgepodge of tarps and tents. Although the owner of Zuccotti Park had invoked a no-tent rule, so far authorities are letting most of them stay up.

It's also clear they don't want the demonstrators to get too comfortable.

discount uggs City fire and police officials on Friday confiscated gas tanks and half a dozen generators being used for electricity in the makeshift kitchen and for media equipment. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had declared them a safety hazard. Organizers were baffled; they said fire marshals had inspected the park the day before and hadn't mentioned any violations.

"It's strange that this happens on the first really cold morning," said Bill Dobbs, a volunteer with the press operation. But rather than prompt calls for further rebellion ¡ª plans already were underway Friday for an action targeting Midtown banks ¡ª organizers said they would ask for the generators back. Several protesters said cooperating with the city at this point in the season seemed important.

"We don't want anyone coming through at night pulling us out of our tents and leaving us out in the cold altogether," said Ray Kachel, 53, an out-of-work videographer from Seattle.

For the last three weeks Kachel has slept on a step in a sleeping bag. He said he hoped that once the weather cleared out more protesters, he'd be able to find a spot in a tent.

ugg "Whether I can sustain a cold, wet winter ¡ª well, I'm not certain," Kachel said. "But I'm going to try."

RPT-WRAPUP 4-MF Global aims for sale by Monday -source

ugg boots on sale Oct 28 (Reuters) - MF Global Holdings Ltd is racing to sell all or part of its business this weekend, with its futures brokerage business seen as the most attractive, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday.

MF Global has reached out to major banks including Barclays PLC , Citigroup Inc , Deutsche Bank , Jefferies Group Inc , JPMorgan Chase & Co , Macquarie Group Ltd , State Street Corp and Wells Fargo , according to the source.

Private equity firm J.C. Flowers, which has a stake in MF Global, is also in talks about possibly taking it private, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"If it gets done, it needs to get done by Monday," the source said. "Whether it gets sold in parts or pieces, they are in good shape to orchestrate this process."

MF Global has declined to comment on its troubles.

Barclays, Citigroup, Deutsche, Jefferies and Wells Fargo also declined to comment, while the other banks and Flowers could not be reached immediately for comment late on Friday.

Pressure mounted on MF Global -- run by former Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Jon Corzine -- to sell after a week in which it posted a quarterly loss, its shares fell by two-thirds and its credit ratings were cut to junk.

The brokerage, which under Corzine increasingly used its own capital to trade, is paying the price for investments made on bonds of countries in the euro zone, and it is emerging as one of the hardest-hit U.S. firms in the fallout from Europe's sovereign debt crisis.

uggs on sale When a broker's credit rating drops to junk, it erodes confidence in its credit worthiness and can then restrict its ability to borrow -- the bedrock of any financial institution -- and fund day-to-day operations.

The firm's position in the repurchase market -- a vital place for short-term funding -- is under intense scrutiny because of the weakness in European debt.

MF Global is now scrambling to reassure sometimes skittish clients about its stability. But it told at least one fund that a number of clients are withdrawing money.

Its troubles become "a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Perry Piazza, director of investment strategies at Contango Capital Advisors in San Francisco. "The end game here is not good," he said.

MF Global stock dropped as much as 31 percent in early trading to 99 cents, its lowest ever, but later rebounded to $1.29. It was the second most actively traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

The company's bonds were trading in the mid-40s, which implies a high likelihood of default, after touching a morning low of 38 cents on the dollar. That was down from Thursday when the bonds, maturing in 2016 with a 6.25 percent coupon, were at 70. MF Global had offered the notes at par in August.

SALE PROCESS

The company tapped Evercore Partners Inc to advise it on strategic options including a possible sale, said a source familiar with the situation. A second source, who was briefed on the matter, said the company did not enter the talks with "specific targets and objectives."

ugg boots cheap "We believe MF could generate proceeds from sale of its customer asset portfolio or Futures Commission Merchant which frees up capital," Keefe Bruyette & Woods analyst Niamh Alexander wrote to clients. "However, we cannot quantify the cost of wind down or exiting broker positions that could offset those proceeds and wipe out equity."

MF Global's history dates back over 200 years, to a sugar broker that started in London. For years, MF Global focused on futures brokerage. In 2005, the company, formerly known as Man Financial, acquired Refco's U.S. futures business after that broker collapsed in an accounting scandal.

The company's futures business is in a cyclical downturn, but when interest rates rise, its income could surge and its clients could help boost another bank's broader sales and trading franchise.

Potential bidders are, however, unlikely to pay up for a business like the Futures Commission Merchant, in part because customers can take their relationships elsewhere, industry sources said.

Some customers are diverting money from the New York-based brokerage, according to hedge funds, rivals and analysts, though the extent of the outflows remained unclear.

A source at one of the firms that MF Global has reached out to said they wouldn't rule out their interest in some sort of a deal, but it would have to be something that involved taking on little risk.

A source at a different firm said it was difficult to buy the business because it is hard to evaluate the company's customers quickly, and the best customers could leave soon.

uggs uk Some potential buyers said they would look at the business if MF Global offered it for cheap, a third source said.

CORZINE AND EUROPE'S FALLOUT

Corzine, who became CEO in March last year after a term as New Jersey's governor, has been trying to transform MF Global from a brokerage that mainly places customers' trades on exchanges into an investment bank that bets with its own capital.

But its bets on bonds from euro zone countries, including those issued by Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, have gone bad, prompting regulators to press it to boost capital and ratings agencies to issue their warnings.

The loss of its investment grade rating, meanwhile, could hasten the exodus of customers away from MF Global.

"Given the uncertainty around timing of the agencies' next move, management needs to move quickly in order to avoid client defections and either work on strategic options or work with the agencies to get back to stable status," Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Carrier wrote to clients.

MF Global's bank loans were lower Friday amid rumors the company drew down its revolving credit lines, separate sources said. The extended revolver due 2014 is quoted 60-65 on Friday after a large piece of the paper is said to have changed hands on Thursday at 70, the sources said.

European Union leaders struck a deal this week to relieve the continent's sovereign debt crisis -- potentially good news for MF Global -- but many details of the EU deal still need ironing out.

ugg boots for cheap In Asia, the Singapore Exchange said MF Global's unit in the city state is meeting its financial obligations as a clearing member. That echoes assurances Thursday by U.S. clearers CME Group Inc , IntercontinentalExchange Inc and options clearinghouse OCC.

Occupy Wall Street braces for winter

cheap ugg boots Reporting from New York¡ª

"Is it time to Occupy Miami Beach?" a shivering Max Richmond asked another New York protester as she waited to get Vitamin C near the makeshift medical tent.

They laughed and hugged for warmth.

Since hundreds of anti-greed protesters descended on a park a block from Wall Street this fall, they have faced arrest, sleep deprivation, no bathrooms and rainy weather. They've had their backpacks and iPods stolen and their food tent invaded by freeloaders and tourists. But a downpour Thursday night followed by frost Friday was a reminder to even the most dedicated occupiers of what many have said will be their greatest test ¡ª a New York winter.

Organizers have predicted the freezing temperatures and snow would reduce the Lower Manhattan encampment to a small assemblage through winter.

"But that's OK with us," said Richmond, 26, a carpenter from upstate New York. "The hardy will stay. The junkies will go. And in the spring all somebody has to do is declare Occupy Central Park or Occupy Union Square and everyone will return. This was just practice."

ugg sale With a snowstorm predicted this weekend, the Occupy Wall Street protesters are already huddling at night under tents and tarps, layering on as much clothing as they can, ducking frequently into fast-food restaurants to get warm and occasionally sleeping in subway stations. A 19-year-old from Florida wrote to his mother asking for cold-weather gear. She sent a winter coat (and tucked his retainer in the package).

Even before the temperature had dropped, organizers were preparing for winter by stocking a nearby storage space with hats, gloves, coats, blankets, sleeping bags, food and other supplies. Donations were pouring in from around the country. An organic farmer from Hawaii sent macadamia nuts and bananas.

Mostly the donations have served the group's basic needs, although a few items are in short supply.

"We need shoes like crazy," said Michael Glaser, a young actor from Chicago who has been manning the "comfort station" handing out warm clothes. Wet feet have led to several cases of hypothermia, as well as athlete's and trench foot.

ugg boots outlet Several protesters were walking around barefoot Friday morning because their shoes had been stolen overnight, Glaser said, and he had nothing to give them.

Since Glaser found wet clothes and blankets on the ground that he had given out only hours before, he has been concerned that supplies are being wasted. He hoped protest coordinators would come up with a solution ¡ª fast.

When a rumor spread Thursday night that 250 tents would be handed out, people waited in line for hours. "There was a near riot when we ran out," said Glaser, noting they only had 36.

The large, rectangular park has become a hodgepodge of tarps and tents. Although the owner of Zuccotti Park had invoked a no-tent rule, so far authorities are letting most of them stay up.

It's also clear they don't want the demonstrators to get too comfortable.

discount uggs City fire and police officials on Friday confiscated gas tanks and half a dozen generators being used for electricity in the makeshift kitchen and for media equipment. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had declared them a safety hazard. Organizers were baffled; they said fire marshals had inspected the park the day before and hadn't mentioned any violations.

"It's strange that this happens on the first really cold morning," said Bill Dobbs, a volunteer with the press operation. But rather than prompt calls for further rebellion ¡ª plans already were underway Friday for an action targeting Midtown banks ¡ª organizers said they would ask for the generators back. Several protesters said cooperating with the city at this point in the season seemed important.

"We don't want anyone coming through at night pulling us out of our tents and leaving us out in the cold altogether," said Ray Kachel, 53, an out-of-work videographer from Seattle.

For the last three weeks Kachel has slept on a step in a sleeping bag. He said he hoped that once the weather cleared out more protesters, he'd be able to find a spot in a tent.

ugg "Whether I can sustain a cold, wet winter ¡ª well, I'm not certain," Kachel said. "But I'm going to try."

Nicolas Sarkozy sur la crise: «Numéro de bonimenteur» pour la gauche, «homme de devoir et d'expérience» pour la droite

doudoune homme OLITIQUE - Toutes les réactions à l'intervention télévisée de Nicolas Sarkozy, jeudi...

Ils y vont tous de leur petite phrase. L’intervention télévisée du Président Nicolas Sarkozy, jeudi soir, pour expliquer aux Français la crise de la zone euro et ses conséquences, a provoqué de nombreuses réactions politiques.

>> Lire ici les réactions des éditorialistes.

Gouvernement

Dans un communiqué, le Premier ministre, François Fillon, a indiqué que «ce soir, nos concitoyens ont pu mesurer la gravité des responsabilités qui distingue la fonction du président de la République. Loin du brouhaha des oppositions et des joutes partisanes, Nicolas Sarkozy a invité nos concitoyens à affronter ensemble les réalités d'un monde difficile qui a changé et bousculé les conditions de la prospérité européenne.» «Face à une crise financière brutale et destructrice, le chef de l'Etat a démontré combien sa détermination et son expérience constituaient un atout pour protéger la France et relancer l'Europe.»

moncler doudoune François Baroin, ministre de l'Économie, a déclaré ce vendredi matin sur BFMTV que «le Président de la République nous a donné une feuille de route, au Premier Ministre, Valérie Pécresse et moi-même, pour dans les 10 jours proposer des mesures qui correspondent au fond, à la perspective d’activité économique l’année prochaine en fonction du ralentissement mondial (…). L’idée c’est d’avoir des mesures qui répondent à ce qui est souhaitable, c'est-à-dire soutien à la compétitivité économique».

Claude Guéant, ministre de l'intérieur, a estimé ce vendredi sur Europe 1 que Nicolas Sarkozy s'était montré «lucide» sur la question du chômage.

Toujours au gouvernement, Nadine Morano, ministre de l'Apprentissage et de la Formation professionnelle, a déclaré sur LCI que Nicolas Sarkozy «assume totalement sa fonction de président de la république en faisant fi de son image ou des sondages, c'est le devoir avant tout». «C'est un homme d'expérience solide qui doit emmener la France là où elle doit aller, c'est-à-dire vers la réduction de ses déficits publics.»

doudoune moncler femme Satisfecit également pour Nora Berra, secrétaire d’Etat chargée de la Santé, qui indique dans un communiqué que «ce soir, le Président de la République a rendu compte aux Français de la situation de l’Europe et de la crise».

Opposition PS

Jean-Marc Ayrault, patron des députés PS à l’Assemblée nationale, a jugé qu’«une nouvelle fois, Nicolas Sarkozy nous a ressorti sa panoplie usée de Superman, sauveur de la France, de l’Europe et du monde». «Voilà quatre ans que les Français ont droit à ce numéro de bonimenteur, mais aujourd’hui il ne marche plus», a-t-il ajouté.

doudoune moncler Dans un communiqué, le député PS de Paris Jean-Marie Le Guen écrit qu’«après des mois d'esquives, Nicolas Sarkozy revient dans une émission ennuyeuse, préparée sur mesure, pour se livrer à des polémiques anti-socialistes qui lui tiennent lieu d'explication, oubliant qu'il est au pouvoir depuis près de dix ans». «A la suite d'un sommet aux résultats fragiles et déséquilibrés, il ne s'est pas livré à l'exercice de vérité que les Français attendaient.»

Le député PS de l’Indre Michel Sapin a quant à lui expliqué que «les déficits d'aujourd'hui, ce n'est pas le résultat de trente années de laxisme, c'est le résultat d'une politique qui a été menée ces cinq dernières années, et cela il ne veut pas le regarder en face».

Communistes

moncler Le sénateur communiste Roland Muzeau s’est fendu d’un communiqué, indiquant que «ce soir, le président de la République, a joué au marchand de sable. Le numéro auquel il s'est livré, avait pour seul objectif de tenter d'endormir les Françaises et les Français afin de mieux leur faire avaler les effets désastreux d'une crise qui résulte directement de la soumission de l'Europe et de la France au diktat des marchés.»

Front national

Le vice-président du Front national, Louis Aliot, a déclaré sur LCI que le sommet de Bruxelles «est une rustine qui ne règle rien et ne laisse entrevoir rien de bon pour l'avenir». «Le chef de l'Etat nous dit 'rien n'est réglé', c'est assez angoissant pour l'avenir», a-t-il ajouté.

Parti Chrétien-Démocrate

doudoune Christine Boutin, la candidate à la présidentielle du Parti chrétien-démocrate (PCD), a jugé ce vendredi sur LCI que même si Nicolas Sarkozy s'est montré la veille très «pédagogue», on était «resté une peu sur sa faim».

Syndicats

Jean-Claude Mailly, le secrétaire général de Force ouvrière, a noté dans un communiqué qu’«autant les décisions prises la nuit dernière à Bruxelles agissent à court terme sans pour autant résoudre la crise, autant il est inadmissible d'attribuer la situation française aux retraites et aux fonctionnaires». «De 58,8 % en 2002, la dette publique est prévue à 78,1 % en 2010!»

«L'austérité en vigueur et qui risque de s'accroître ne pourra que fragiliser la croissance économique et l'emploi (…) Pour Force ouvrière, une autre politique économique est indispensable au plan national, européen et international. C'est aussi ce que défendra FO à l'occasion du G20», a-t-il précisé. www.doudounemonclervendita.com

Bank of America Rethinking Debit Card Fee

louis vuitton outlet After setting off a firestorm of criticism from consumers, Capitol Hill and the White House, Bank of America is rethinking elements of its plan to charge customers $5 a month to use their debit cards.

Although bank officials said their thinking was ¡°evolving¡± and no firm conclusions had been reached, the bank is likely to broaden the number of customers exempt from the fee. Customers who hold Bank of America credit cards, directly deposit wages into the bank or hold a minimum balance will not be charged under a new plan. Previously, the bank said the minimum balance required to avoid the fee was $20,000, but lowering that minimum is also possible.

The hesitation at Bank of America comes as other banks are also pulling back, at least for now. Wells Fargo said Friday that it was canceling a test that would have imposed a $3-a-month charge on debit card holders in Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon. JPMorgan Chase, which was testing a $3-a-month charge, has decided it will not impose a stand-alone debit card use fee, a person briefed on the situation said.

Bank of America officials were caught off guard after the planned $5 fee was disclosed late last month. Days later, President Obama said customers should not be ¡°mistreated¡± in pursuit of profit, while Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. called the move ¡°incredibly tone deaf.¡± Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, took the unusual step of denouncing the bank on the Senate floor, urging customers, ¡°Vote with your feet. Get the heck out of that bank.¡±

Despite the apparent change of heart, banks are likely to continue to find ways to make up for billions in lost revenue because of new federal regulations that sharply reduce the fees paid to the banks by merchants when consumers use debit cards. At the same time, other bank businesses, like lending and sales and trading, have been anemic.

louis vuitton Besides losing an estimated $6 billion from the reduction in the so-called swipe fees, the industry faces the disappearance of billions of dollars from the end of overdraft penalty fees.

'Real Housewives' Address Armstrong's Suicide

ugg boots sale "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" expressed shock and some measure of guilt over the suicide of cast member Taylor Armstrong's husband in the show's season premiere Monday night.

Russell Armstrong hung himself Aug. 15, after filming for the show's second season was complete. Difficulties in the Armstrongs' marriage were a storyline in Season 1 and cast members said Russell Armstrong's death came after a separation.

"I think a lot of us have some guilt about not seeing this coming," Kyle Richards said.

"For me it's very hard to move forward because it is such a tragic situation and so many people have been left hurt by it. But as difficult as that is, life goes on. It has to."

ugg sale The cast gathered at Adrienne Maloof's home on Aug. 29 to film a short prologue addressing the suicide for the season premiere on the Bravo network. The ensuing episode and the remainder of the season are being edited by series producers, presumably to take some of the focus off the couple's marital problems.

Taylor Armstrong did not appear in the prologue, but was involved in one of the show's most contentious moments after telling the group at a dinner party that she and her husband were in therapy.

"We're working on things," Taylor Armstrong said. "We're knee deep into so much psychotherapy that I'm sick of myself. So it's been really helpful for each of us to take a look at our own lives and what we brought into the relationship and how it's affecting our time together."

uggs on sale Ken Todd, husband of cast member Lisa Vanderpump, said he felt undergoing therapy was a sign of weakness, upsetting Taylor Armstrong, who called his comments "rude."

Russell Armstrong left no suicide note, but cast members speculated financial difficulties may have led to his suicide. They said Taylor Armstrong might not have been aware of the couple's troubles.

"The Real Housewives" series of shows thrives on gossip and internal strife among cast members and the Armstrongs' marriage was a frequent topic. Cast members noted in the show's prologue that they often only heard one side of the story, with some regretting they didn't have his perspective on events.

louis vuitton outlet "I think we were all told the same thing and we were only reacting to what we've been told," Camille Grammer said. "And what we we've been doing ¡ª I think we were all doing it ¡ª was we were just trying to protect our friend."

Flurry of hints suggest Apple¡¯s iPhone 5 will arrive in October

cheap uggs A slew of new iPhone 5 rumors corroborate rumors that the next-generation Apple handset will arrive sometime in October.

A new batch of evidence suggests the release of Apple¡¯s iPhone 5 is quickly approaching.

The first comes via This Is My Next, who received a screenshot from an anonymous Best Buy employee that the big box electronics retailer plans to install an ¡°Apple fixture¡± on the morning of Friday, October 21.

This is not just any new store fixture, the tipster says. According to the internal Best Buy memo, the manager must be at the store at 6am to oversee the installation ¡ª an hour earlier than they ever require for other fixture installations.

uggs for cheap OK, so that doesn¡¯t exactly equate to irrefutable evidence that the next iPhone will arrive around that date. But seeing as it¡¯s already September now, the mid-October timeline for iPhone 5¡äs release is looking increasingly likely. That, along with a special new fixture installation at one of Apple¡¯s biggest retail partners, and we have good reason to at least pencil in Oct. 21 as a date of interest.

Adding to the release date speculation is another internal Best Buy document, leaked to BRG, which says that ¡°pre-sales¡± of iPhone 5 ¡ª including a Sprint iPhone 5 ¡ª will start ¡°October week 1.¡± According to BRG¡®s source, the pre-sale designation could either mean that Best Buy will start taking pre-orders during the first week of October, or that actual pre-sales will start taking place.

louis vuitton bags Next, we have a tip given to 9to5Mac, which shows that Apple has begun to train retail store employees about iCloud and iOS 5. In general, Apple releases its new version of iOS around the same time as its next-generation iPhone. So, the thinking goes, if Apple is training employees on iOS 5, then iPhone 5 is right around the corner. In fact, as 9to5Mac¡®s Mark Gurman notes, if Apple really has started iCloud/iOS 5 training already, it ¡°could mean a launch sooner than the recently rumored dates of mid-to-late October.¡±

louis vuitton outlet Lastly, we have news from Bloomberg that German wireless giant Deutsche Telekom has already begun taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5, even though the company has no (public) knowledge of what the handset will be. Customers who ¡°expressly request the successor model to the iPhone 4¡å will be given a coupon for the upcoming ¡ª but still unconfirmed ¡ª device.

To sum up: We have a variety of unconfirmed ¡°leaks,¡± which contain vague and slightly conflicting information. That means none of this serves as a smoking gun for the next iPhone. Still, the details all point to essentially the same thing: the imminent release of Apple¡¯s iPhone 5, which appears to be set for October. louis vuitton shoes

'Real Housewives' Address Armstrong's Suicide

ugg boots sale "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" expressed shock and some measure of guilt over the suicide of cast member Taylor Armstrong's husband in the show's season premiere Monday night.

Russell Armstrong hung himself Aug. 15, after filming for the show's second season was complete. Difficulties in the Armstrongs' marriage were a storyline in Season 1 and cast members said Russell Armstrong's death came after a separation.

"I think a lot of us have some guilt about not seeing this coming," Kyle Richards said.

"For me it's very hard to move forward because it is such a tragic situation and so many people have been left hurt by it. But as difficult as that is, life goes on. It has to."

ugg sale The cast gathered at Adrienne Maloof's home on Aug. 29 to film a short prologue addressing the suicide for the season premiere on the Bravo network. The ensuing episode and the remainder of the season are being edited by series producers, presumably to take some of the focus off the couple's marital problems.

Taylor Armstrong did not appear in the prologue, but was involved in one of the show's most contentious moments after telling the group at a dinner party that she and her husband were in therapy.

"We're working on things," Taylor Armstrong said. "We're knee deep into so much psychotherapy that I'm sick of myself. So it's been really helpful for each of us to take a look at our own lives and what we brought into the relationship and how it's affecting our time together."

uggs on sale Ken Todd, husband of cast member Lisa Vanderpump, said he felt undergoing therapy was a sign of weakness, upsetting Taylor Armstrong, who called his comments "rude."

Russell Armstrong left no suicide note, but cast members speculated financial difficulties may have led to his suicide. They said Taylor Armstrong might not have been aware of the couple's troubles.

"The Real Housewives" series of shows thrives on gossip and internal strife among cast members and the Armstrongs' marriage was a frequent topic. Cast members noted in the show's prologue that they often only heard one side of the story, with some regretting they didn't have his perspective on events.

louis vuitton outlet "I think we were all told the same thing and we were only reacting to what we've been told," Camille Grammer said. "And what we we've been doing ¡ª I think we were all doing it ¡ª was we were just trying to protect our friend."