Friday Night Scoreboad + Skinny: Briar Woods Girls Triumph Over Broad Run in Girls Soccer, Softball; Woodgrove with OT Boys Lax Win over Valley; Much More!

Friday, April 29 Scoreboard + The Skinny

Dulles District Rundown: Let's start with some of the shake-up in the Dulles District, especially with the Briar Woods girls beating Broad Run in soccer -- Spartans first district loss since May 2007! -- and the Falcons knocking the Spartans out of a virtual 3-way tie for first place in softball

Baseball: Broad Run had to come back against Briar Woods to

Friday Night Scoreboard

Friday, April 29 Scoreboard

Baseball
Battlefield 9, Heritage 2
Woodgrove 13, Park View 0 (5)
Potomac Falls 6, Tuscarora 0
Broad Run 8, Briar Woods 4
Dominion 6, Freedom 5
Stone Bridge 7, Madison 0

Softball
Battlefiled 11, Heritage 0 (5)
Woodgrove 5, Park View 2
Potomac Falls 5, Tuscarora 0
Briar Woods 5, Broad Run 1
Dominion 7, Freedom 2
Brentsville 9, Loudoun Valley 3
Stone Bridge 6,

Listen to Me on the Radio This Morning

I am going to be on the radio at 10:30 a.m. today, squawking about the Yankees. You can hear me talking to host Mike Lindsley on Syracuse's The Score 1260 AM. You can click here to listen live online. Mike is now a weekday host from 12-2 p.m. on the station. Congrats, Mike!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Warhol Bridge to Close for Nearly 4 Weeks

Driving from the North Side into downtown Pittsburgh will be a bit more difficult starting Monday. Allegheny County spokesman Kevin Evanto says the Andy Warhol Bridge (formerly the 7th Street Bridge) is closing down for four weeks for deck and steel repairs. However, pedestrians will still be able to use the span. One sidewalk will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and both sidewalks will be open after 4 p.m. and on weekends. Evanto says the bridge is scheduled to reopen May 27.

No Talks Over Transit Cuts

The president of Local 85 of the Amalgamated Transit Union went before the Port Authority Board to urge them to resume negotiations over contract concessions so that service that was cut by 15% a month ago can be restored.
Pat McMahon says there have been no contract talks since Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato left a meeting 4 weeks ago. During the public comment period at the PAT Board meeting, McMahon told board members they should either resume negotiations or resign.
It was Onorato who rejected an offer of $18.5 million in temporary concessions by the union, not the PAT Board. At the time, Onorato said he became involved because the PAT Board had already made its decision about service cuts. Onorato said the concessions offer did not address the legacy costs of health care and pensions for retired PAT workers.
PAT CEO Steve Bland said at the end of yesterday's board meeting that they gave the union information about health care costs 2 weeks ago, but have not received a reply.

Local Red Cross Volunteers Help in Alabama

The devastating tornadoes that hit the South Wednesday are now the second deadliest outbreak in U.S. history with 339 fatalities.
In 1925, 747 people were killed in a line of storms that ripped through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
Emergency buildings are wiped out, and in one neighborhood, the storms even left firefighters to work without a truck.
Alabama suffered the most destruction from the tornadoes with at least 248 deaths. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley says 1,700 people were injured by the tornadoes.

The American Red Cross of Southwestern Pennsylvania has deployed 2 emergency response vehicles (ERV) and 4 volunteers to Hoover, Alabama to help victims of the storms. The volunteers, Phil Shumway of Carnegie, Tom Palmquist of Bethel Park, Kenneth Brown of Pleasant Hills and Carole Magargee of Greenville, Mercer County left last night and are driving the ERV's to Alabama. They will assist with the mobile feeding of victims. Their deployments are expected to last 2 to 3 weeks but the Red Cross says the ERV's could remain on site longer.

The Week in Spandex - The Avengers assemble as Pixar say no to Marvel

Our weekly round-up of all the talking points from the world of movie superheroes including The Avengers, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, X-Men: First Class, Green Lantern, The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel and The Amazing Spider-Man…

Warner Bros. may have grabbed most of the attention these past few weeks with casting announcements on The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel but this week’s column is all about Marvel (well, pretty much all, anyway), with Monday gone marking the official beginning of principal photography on their epic superhero ensemble, The Avengers. Director Joss Whedon revealed the news himself via a statement on Whedonesque, with the principal cast members – the likes of Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Mark Ruffalo (The Incredible Hulk), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Stellan Skarsgård (Professor Erik Selvig) – expected to commence filming this coming week.

To mark the occasional the studio quickly released the first official set photo along with a press release that seemed to indicate a slight name change to Marvel’s The Avengers (is that really necessary?). We also managed to get a few scraps of info about the upcoming film throughout the week, with Mark Ruffalo stating that he has “a couple of lines as the Hulk” and describing his character as “the teammate none of them are sure they want on their team”. Chris Evans also revealed that Captain America will find himself in new threads, while Paul Bettany confirmed that he is set to reprise his role as the voice of Jarvis from Iron Man. Meanwhile a guy going by the name of XXXBobSmith claimed to have a copy of the screenplay for The Avengers and released a couple of pages in an effort to sell the script on to interested sites. Judging by the images the script certainly looks as if it could be legit (see for yourself here) and if so, then I hope Mr. Smith gets enough to pay for a decent lawyer.

Of course before we get to The Avengers we have two lead-in movies from Marvel Studios this year in Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Kenneth’s Branagh’s Thor opened officially in UK cinemas yesterday (read my review here and another from Liam Trim here) and with three days of preview screenings you’d have to expect the God of Thunder to topple Justin Lin’s Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist when the weekend box office figures are in. If you aren’t quite fully Thor-ed out yet, be sure to check out MTV's interview with Kenneth Branagh and a ‘Making of Thor’ feature that Total Film posted earlier in the week. Finally, on the Captain America front, Chris Evans and Samuel L. Jackson embarked on some last-minute filming in Times Square, which you’d imagine to be for the customary post-credits scene. You can check out some footage and images at Collider.

Moving on to the X-Men franchise and Fox have released another two trailers for Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming prequel X-Men: First Class, which hits cinemas in less than five weeks time. X-Men: First Class was the clear winner in our poll to find your most anticipated superhero film of 2011 [see the full results at the bottom of this article] and while the film’s poster campaign has been less than stellar the trailers really do look promising. In other First Class news, Hero Complex posted a preview of the film that includes comments from both Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, while the official X-Men Facebook site continued to update their ‘X-Perts’ Q&A series with Jason Flemyng (Azazel) the latest to take on fans’ questions. There’s also an interesting article over at Heat Vision about the dispute that’s taken place over the writing credits on First Class, which seems to have been resolved after the WGA stepped in to try and clear things up.

Another film arriving later this summer is Martin Campbell’s Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds as the first human Lantern, Hal Jordan. Yahoo debuted a couple of new character posters featuring Sinestro (Mark Strong) and Kilowog (Michael Clarke Duncan) along with the final one-sheet, with MTV releasing a promotional banner that gives us a good look at the Green Lantern Corps. Elsewhere Martin Campbell and screenwriter Greg Berlanti took part in an interview with Hero Complex in which they talked about how the upcoming film differs from other superhero efforts, while Variety announced that Warner Bros. are pumping an extra $9m into the VFX budget but remain confident that the film will be ready for its planned release date of June 17th.

Wrapping up the best of the rest…

… Pittsburgh may be doubling for Gotham City in Christopher Nolan’s final Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises but it seems that the production is also set to take in the Indian city of Jodhpur for two days of filming at Mehrangarh Fort in early May. Christian Bale is the only actor mentioned in the article but my guess would be that the location is either filling in for Peña Dura or somehow linked to the League of Shadows…

…Michael Shannon’s General Zod has found his “right-hand bitch” for Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot Man of Steel and thankfully it’s not Lindsay Lohan. Variety broke the news that German actress Antje Traue (Pandorum) has been cast as Faora and joins a cast that so far includes Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner…

...The Amazing Spider-Man is also set to swing into cinemas in 2012 and actress Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) has revealed that the six-month shoot on the Andrew Garfield-headlined reboot will draw to a close in mid-May...

...Disney COO and Pixar legend John Lasseter has moved to put an end to fan speculation surrounding a possible Pixar - Marvel team-up, telling IGN that "we've done superheroes here ourselves and so we have that kind of history with Brad Bird doing The Incredibles"...

...And finally, we've been running a poll over the past couple of weeks to find your most anticipated superhero film of 2011 and the results are now in. Take a look...

X-Men: First Class - 31% (165 votes)
Captain America: The First Avenger - 24% (130 votes)
Green Lantern - 22% (121 votes)
Thor - 21% (116 votes)

Gary Collinson

Short Film Showcase - Shooter (2009)

Presenting short films from independent filmmakers...

Shooter, 2009.

Directed by Ronnie B. Goodwin.
Starring Paul Hunter.
Written by Ronnie B. Goodwin and Paul Hunter.
Produced by Ronnie B. Goodwin and Basil Khalil.
Music by Gregor Narholz.

Shooter is a multi-award winning short from director Ronnie B. Goodwin about an ex-soldier (Paul Hunter) haunted by his experiences of conflict. Seeking solitude in the wilderness of the mountains, lochs and forests of Scotland, the shooter is torn between the images of the inhumanity of war that plague his imagination and the natural beauty that surrounds him. Running at just five minutes, Shooter does a fine job of conveying the protagonist's internal struggle to deliver a thought-provoking and emotive piece of filmmaking.

The film has enjoyed a successful run on the festival circuit these past two years, including 27 Official Selections (including the Cannes Short Film Corner, Palm Springs International Short Fest and the Edinburgh International Film Festival), 2 Jury Nominations and 4 International Awards, while it was also named Best in Festival at the Swansea Bay Film Festival in 2010. Shooter has also recently enjoyed its British TV premiere on the Sky Super Shorts Channel, and you can find out more about the film and Ronnie's upcoming projects at his official site.


Click here to view more short films and public domain features.

Santorum, Gingrich Bash Obama at NRA

A long list of politicians went before the members of the National Rifle Association gathered in Pittsburgh Friday for the group’s annual convention and several of them used the opportunity to take shots at President Obama.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich set the tone when he ripped the President for not having a foreign policy that encouraged gun rights in other nations. He said the Obama Administration is the most consistently anti-second amendment administration the nation has ever seen. “In its efforts to help get anti-gun international treaties, in its effort to appoint anti-gun judges, in its effort to avoid prosecuting gun criminals while taking away the rights of innocent citizens,” said Gingrich.

Former US Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania followed on the list of speakers and followed the growing theme. Santorum bashed Obama for a recent statement the president made that he believed that America became great when it passed Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment laws. “Our President has to believe in who we are and then reflect those values to the world. Not see America as something broken, something that wasn’t good or great before our big government policies were introduced,” said Santorum.

Both Santorum and Gingrich are said to be considering runs for the presidency.

Santorum went on to strike out at those who he says have told him that there needs to be “a truce on moral issues” during the upcoming presidential campaign. “They don’t understand. America is a moral enterprise. Unless we are a good and virtuous people, we will not be a free people; we will not have limited government. What makes America special is that we trust you.”

Several other speakers touched on the theme of the US Government gaining its power from the people, rather than the people being granted powers by the sovereign.

Listen to the Newt Gingrich’s speech to the NRA convention. (26:00)

Listen to Rick Santorum’s speech to the NRA convention. (15:00)

Listen to US Senator Pat Toomey’s speech to the NRA convention. (5:48)

Listen to Congressman Jason Altmire’s speech to the NRA Convention. (6:47)

Deals Of The Week: CATT Fight

Well, the cat (er catt) is out of the bag – and, n,o we aren’t talking about Kate Middleton’s decision to wear a long-sleeved ivory confection with flower appliqué details when she tied the Windsor knot.

While fashionistas, pundits, and the British nation had their eyes trained on Westminister Abbey, the biopharma industry was focused on the release of data comparing the utility of the high priced Lucentis versus the much cheaper Avastin to treat wet age-related macular degeneration. And as everyone now knows, the data from the 1200-patients trial sponsored by NIH suggest that in this particular setting, there seems to be little reason—based on overall outcomes—to spend thousands of dollars on Lucentis when Avastin works just as well for a fraction of a cost.

Dr. Phillip Rosenfeld, an ophthalmologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was particularly blunt in his assessment in a NEJM editorial that accompanied the data’s publication: "Healthcare providers and payers worldwide will now have to justify the cost of using ranibizumab [Lucentis]," he said.

That’s not to say Genentech and Novartis aren’t channeling their inner Churchill (or perhaps, more appropriately, their inner John Paul Jones). Already the companies are highlighting potential unanswered safety questions, including discrepancies in dosing and a slight increase in the incidence of non-specific serious adverse events, mostly hospitalizations. Expect the drug companies to play up whether the controlled conditions of the NIH trial can adequately be replicated in a real world setting too.

Given we are talking about people’s sight, those questions may provide a persuasive argument for docs and patients wary of not using the formulation that has FDA’s stamp of approval. Provided payers play along, of course.

And that's why Medicare’s decision is so critical. Avastin vs. Lucentis has become the poster child for the comparative effectiveness debate; thus, you can bet industry will be watching closely to see whether or not CMS initiates a coverage review that would limit Lucentis’ use. Such a decision would certainly give private payers more license to limit the medicine as a first-line treatment option.

The ripples of CATT will almost certainly be felt outside the walls of Novartis and Roche/Genentech as well. Ophthalmology – particular treating diseases that blind—has become an area of interest for big pharma because of the unmet medical need for new therapies. Because back of the eye diseases are treated by a highly trained and technically savvy group of specialists, the sector has long been a favorite of the venture community as well.

What does this mean for new AMD drugs coming down the pike like the complement inhibitors developed by Optherion or the anti-PDGF inhibitor developed by Opthotech? Given such medicines work by a different mechanism of action than the anti-VEGF inihibitors Lucentis and Avastin, their value proposition is still a little bit easier to explain. But whether potential partners will bite without superiority data is another question.

Certainly the CATT data seem to make life much tougher for Bayer and Regeneron, who now face some thorny questions about their VEGF Trap-Eye medicine, aflibercept. Phase III data released last fall showed the drug to be non-inferior to Lucentis, with fewer doses required. But with data from CATT suggesting drugs like Lucentis and Avastin can be given at less frequent intervals, a dosing advantage alone seems unlikely to be enough to ensure Regeneron and Bayer coverage and commercial uptake of their medicine – especially when data showing a much cheaper alternative can do the job.

Whether you think the CATT results are the cat’s meow or worth nothing more than a cat call, it’s time for another edition of deals of the week…

Johnson & Johnson/Synthes: The deal garnering the lion’s share of the PR this week is Johnson & Johnson’s $21.3 billion tie-up of orthopedic trauma device maker Synthes, announced April 27. Under the terms of the deal, J&J will pay $181.75 per share for Synthes in cash and stock, an 8.5% premium over Synthes’ stock price close on April 26 and a 21.7% premium over its close on April 14, when rumors about a possible tie-up first surfaced. It’s the largest deal in J&J’s history, coming half a decade after the diversified giant passed on upping its $25 billion bid for Guidant. Strategically the Synthes buy-out makes a lot of sense: it gives J&J the pole position in orthopedics boosting sector revenues from around $5.6 billion to more than $9 billion, and deepens its expertise in trauma fixation devices, an arena less prone to payer oversight and the vagaries of a slowing economy. (Fixing the damage arising from a major accident ain’t exactly elective.) At the time of the Guidant bidding war, analysts noted J&J’s interest in that company and the size of the deal said a lot about the health care company’s view on the relative merits of investing in med-tech versus pharma. Given the Synthes acquisition, the question of J&J’s dedication to Rx is sure to resurface, though the early approval of Zytiga may help the balance.

One interesting wrinkle is whether this big orthopedic deal could presage additional dealmaking in CV, since within J&J there’s historically been a school of thought linking opportunities in these two markets. As rumors about the possible J&J/Synthes tie-up coalesced, speculation ran the gamut. Thanks to the precipitous drop in market share of its drug-eluting stent biz, some predicted J&J would exit CV altogether, selling off its Cordis business; others said 'no,way,' opining this will spur J&J to re-up in CV, perhaps via acquiring percutaneous valve-leader Edwards Life Sciences.

Because J&J is paying for Synthes mostly in stock -- just 35% of the payment is cash -- the health care firm has plenty of ammunition for additional deal making. Given J&J's hefty balance sheet, its use of stock to ink the deal took some by surprise since it creates additional unwelcome earnings pressure. Even though the deal bolsters the struggling DePuy subsidiary, which like the consumer division, has seen major setbacks due to recalls, some claim J&J is simply putting a Band Aid (pun definitely intended) on its problems. Critics argue the company’s manufacturing problems are significant and that integrating Synthes will detract from the hard work required to fix a broken system. —The EBI Device team

Kadmon/Nano Terra: Sam Waksal’s Kadmon is at it again. After its deal-making bonanza last fall – recall the firm acquired Three Rivers and set up a strategic partnership with Valeant—Kadmon is teaming up with privately-held Nano Terra, a nanotech accelerator developing technologies with applications from biopharma to more industrial settings. Terms of the tie up weren’t disclosed but they do provide Kadmon with an exclusive license to three novel, clinical stage assets and access to Nano Terra’s proprietary Pharcomer Technology drug discovery platform. (FYI, the product candidates and the Pharcomer technology were originally developed by another private biotech, Surface Logix, and only recently acquired by Nano Terra, though no formal announcement about that deal appears to have been made.) Perhaps the most interesting asset for Kadmon is Slx-2119, a selective Rho-associated coiled-coiled kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitor that impacts cell shape and cell migration and may play a role in diseases as diverse as diabetes, cancer, and spinal cord injury. As part of the recent alliance, the assets and technology will be transferred to a new joint venture owned by Kadmon and Nano Terra called NT Life Sciences.—EFL

Sequella/Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund: Anti-infectives developer Sequella of Bethesda, Md., signed an unusual deal that gives Maxwell, a venture fund that specializes in Russian investments, rights to tuberculosis treatment SQ109 in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, which includes Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Maxwell is taking an undisclosed equity stake in Sequella, but the parties do not consider the transaction a round of funding. Sequella could receive up to $50 million from Maxwell, the first tranche being an upfront payment and near-term milestones that the companies declined to disclose. Run by former Pfizer discovery executive and incubator chief Alex Polinsky, Maxwell has responsibility for development and approval of SQ109 in its licensed areas. Sequella has completed three Phase 1 studies of SQ109 in the U.S. and is currently running Phase 2 efficacy studies in TB patients in Africa. It is also testing the compound as a treatment for Helicobacter pylori infections and fungal infections. Sequella officials told the IN VIVO Blog that the company has not raised traditional rounds of venture capital, instead leaning on individual investors and hedge funds to supplement government grants. -- Alex Lash

Eli Lilly/Medtronic: While drug companies routinely team up with device makers to find better ways to deliver drugs, the April 26 deal between Eli Lilly and Medtronic, to research and develop a new treatment for Parkinson's disease is notable for two reasons. For starters, the collaboration involves two very early stage technologies. But the alliance also facilitates Lilly's move into a new area of CNS that heretofore hasn’t been a primary focus. If all goes according to plan, the alliance will result in a combination of Lilly's modified form of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and Medtronic's implantable drug infusion system. Because the large protein growth factor can't get past the blood brain barrier, and, on its own, isn't targeted, the Medtronic device would deliver it directly to the dopamine-producing neurons that degenerate as Parkinson’s disease advances. The companies aren't disclosing much about the terms of their alliance, except to note that it is a 50-50 split in both costs and revenues and spans clinical development, regulatory and ultimately commercial stages. The aim is to produce a combination product that can be submitted jointly for regulatory approval. The partners don't have a fixed time line for getting their therapy through development, but expect to move it into the clinical within five years, said Ros Smith, a senior research director of regenerative biology at Lilly.While the modified GDNF is most advanced, Lilly also has several compounds in pre-clinical development for Parkinson's disease. Medtronic, for its part, doesn't currently sell a device that delivers drugs directly to the brain, although it markets a deep brain neurostimulation technology for treating Parkinson's disease and sells implantable pumps and catheters for delivery to the spinal cord.--Wendy Diller

Image courtesy of flickrer privatenobby used with permission through a creative commons license.

Dulles District Standings - Updated thru Friday Night April 29

Our standings page is out of date as we work to catch up on all the rainouts ... but here is the best guess at the Dulles District standings going into tonight. We hope to have out standings page updated by Sunday ...

Baseball
1, Broad Run 9-0
2, Potomac Falls 7-2
3, Briar Woods 6-4
4, Freedom 6-5
5, Dominion 5-4
6, Woodgrove 5-5
7, Loudoun County 4-5
8, Tuscarora 1-8
9, Park View 0-10

Softball

Toronto Motorsports Park Nitro Nationals to Include Star Power!

In some very significant news for Canadian drag racing fans -- the 2011 drag racing schedule at Toronto Motorsports Park (Cayuga Dragway) will include an appearance by Cruz and Tony Pedregon, star drivers from within the NHRA Full Throttle big leagues. The popular Brothers will make a special appearance, each bringing their 7000+ HP nitro Funny Cars to the track July 1-3rd, for the Canadian Nitro Nationals.

The Pedregons will headline that event’s rather significant nitro program which will see a total of eight fuel burners (4 nitro Funny Cars and 4 Top Fuel dragsters) race.
Last year Toronto Motorsports Park hosted its inaugural Canadian Nitro Nationals and that independent event drew jam-packed record attendance. That result combined with the impact of now renewed NHRA sanctioning for the popular drag racing facility, has allowed track owner Uli Bieri to further enhance his 2011 event version.

“We at Toronto Motorsports Park are thrilled to have both Tony and Cruz Pedregon coming to the Nitro Nationals,” said Uli Bieri. “This will be a match race like no other! Anyone who knows Funny Car racing knows the Pedregon name. To see either one is a real treat, but to see them both is a race you don't want to miss!”

For Tony and Cruz Pedregon it will mark the first time the duo have raced in Canada side-by-side in their careers. The talented brothers each have NHRA Full Throttle World Championship rings to their credits; Cruz in 1992 & 2008 and Tony in 2003 & 2007. Both are star attraction drivers and fan favorites within the marquee 22-event NHRA Full Throttle Championship series.

Currently Cruz Pedregon sits in 4th place in NHRA Full Throttle Championship points standings with his Snap-On Tools sponsored and Toyota-bodied car.

Tony Pedregon, driver of the Nitro Fish/STP Chevy Impala, has had one previous engagement racing in Canada. As driver for the John Force Racing Castrol GTX team, Tony drove at St. Thomas Dragway, back in 1996.

“I'm very excited and honored to be invited to compete in Canada,” added Cruz Pedregon. “The last time I was there was in 1992 in Montreal (now defunct NHRA Grand National). I know the Canadian fans are great and I hope they'll come out and support our Snap-on Tools Toyota. Tony and I plan on putting on a great show and breaking the track records for speed and elapsed time. We'll make plenty of noise!”

The Pedregons, who are second generation drivers originally from California, currently base their race team operations from Brownsburg, Indiana.

(Bruce Biegler – DragRaceCanada.com Photos)

Boys Basketball: More on Stone Bridge Hiring of Ben West to Lead Program

Ashburn (Apr. 29, 2011) - Stone Bridge High School Athletic Director Dave Hembach released the following statement on his hiring of South County assistant coach Ben West to lead the Bulldogs boys basketball program:

"I'm pleased to announce Ben West, of South County High School, has been named the new Boys Basketball Head Coach for Stone Bridge. Ben has coached at WT Woodson High School and at

Football: Magnificent 7! Stone Bridge Celebrates Group Moving to College Ranks

There are almost 100 photos from the celebration ... check them out!
Ashburn (Apr. 29, 2011) - The Stone Bridge High School football program threw a big celebration Wednesday to recognize seven football players from the talented Class of 2011 that are headed for the college ranks.

The seven players honored before teammates, coaches, family and friends included: Alex Mohkiber (Catholic), Kyle

Lacrosse: Potomac Falls Senior Frammartino to Play at Bethany College

Sterling (April 29, 2011) – Vince Frammartino, a senior at Potomac Falls High School, has committed to attend NCAAA Division III Bethany College next fall, where he plans to continue his lacrosse career.

After Visits to numerous campuses Frammartino stated: "This is the place I want to play. It is a place where I think I can make an immediate impact."

Frammartino is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound,

Banks Lose Their Pocket Change (CVH) (FPTB) (OPY)

Coventry Health Care, Inc (CVH) dropped sharply by 5.12%, falling to $32.6 in today's trading. Shares of Coventry Health Care, Inc have traded as high as $34.5 per share and as low as $16.61 in the last year.

Shares of First PacTrust Bancorp (FPTB) got clobbered by 8.42%, falling to $14.47 per share. Shares of FPTB have so far hit a 52-week high of $16.68 per share and a 52-week low of $6.8.

Oppenheimer Hldgs. Inc (OPY) dropped sharply by 5.82%, falling to $30.419 in today's trading. In the last 12 months, Oppenheimer Hldgs. Inc has seen a high of $34.87 and a low of $22.11 per share.

March Against Illegal Guns

A diverse group of organizations will remember victims of gun violence with a noon rally at Freedom Corner in the Hill District tomorrow and a march to the Convention Center, where the National Rifle Association is meeting. CeaseFire PA Executive Director Max Nacheman says the Supreme Court has upheld the right to bear arms but has also held that reasonable limits are appropriate.

Nacheman says the coalition wants the NRA to join them in seeking basic reforms: lost or stolen handgun reporting (which Pittsburgh passed and the NRA opposed) and fixing the broken background check system. He says loopholes allow criminals to buy weapons without background checks, and there are millions of missing records that could block prohibited purchasers from buying firearms. He says state and local governments should require a background check for every gun sale in America and should get the missing data into the system.

Even though Pennsylvania requires a background check for every handgun sale, even at gun shows, surrounding states do not, so people can easily bring in guns for which there's been no background check, according to Nacheman.

Reverend Chad Collins of the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network says Pennsylvania has more African American gun deaths than any other state, which wreaks terror on communities, and an average of 600 Pennsylvanians die each year from gun violence.

Pat Maisch will attend the rally. She helped take Jared Loughner’s ammunition clip away when he tried to kill Cong. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson last January.

Other sponsors are B-PEP, the National Council for Urban Peace and Justice, the Falk Foundation, and the National Council of Jewish Women.

Market Movers Today, SPPI, SPWRA, C, OXY

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SPPI) shares got clobbered by 14.0%, falling to $8.91 per share. In the last 12 months, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has seen a high of $10.5 and a low of $3.67 per share.

SunPower Corporation (SPWRA) catapulted higher by 34.62% to $21.7 per share. 16 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 3 million shares are exchanged in SPWRA each day.

Citigroup Inc. (C) stock fell 0.76% in today's trading to $4.555 per share. 178 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 427 million shares are exchanged in C each day.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) jumped 7.82% to $113.35 in today's trading. The move occured on volume of 11 million which is relative to the 4 million shares which trade on average each day.

Capital Goods Changing Hands (CAT) (BA) (DE) (CMI) (HON)

Shares of Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) traded higher by $2.89, pushing the share price to $115.53. In the last 12 months, Caterpillar Inc. has seen a high of $113.93 and a low of $54.89 per share.

Shares of The Boeing Company (BA) pressed higher by $1.41, moving the stock price to $79.96. The move occured on volume of 6 million which is relative to the 4 million shares which trade on average each day.

Deere & Company (DE) moved 1.55% higher to $97.4 per share in today's trading. 2 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 4 million shares are exchanged in DE each day.

Cummins Inc. (CMI) shares moved up 2.0% to $120.105 in the trading session today. Shares of CMI have so far hit a 52-week high of $119.84 per share and a 52-week low of $58.91.

Honeywell Intl. Inc. was up 0.57% today, moving to $61.36 per share. 3 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 4 million shares are exchanged in HON each day.

Football: Dominion Celebrates Baxter's Signing with Mount Union

Sterling (Apr. 29, 2011) - Dominion High School held a celebration for senior Trey Baxter, a 3-year varsity football player, who signed with Mount Union University in Ohio.

Baxter will be competing at defensive back for the Mount Union Football team next season. At Dominion, he was a first team Dulles District running back and second team Dulles District defensive back for the 2010 season.

Tech Stocks in a Slump (KVHI) (RIMM) (IM) (HLIT) (TRMB)

KVH Industries, Inc. got clobbered by 17.88%, falling to $13.0 per share. 493,556 shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 86,143 shares are exchanged in KVHI each day.

Shares of Research In Motion Ltd (RIMM) dropped sharply by 13.84%, falling to $48.76 in today's trading. The move occured on volume of 36 million which is relative to the 11 million shares which trade on average each day.

Ingram Micro Inc. (IM) dropped sharply by 9.4%, falling to $18.98 in today's trading. Shares of IM have so far hit a 52-week high of $21.63 per share and a 52-week low of $14.72.

Harmonic Inc. (HLIT) got pounded today, falling by 8.7% to $8.29 per share. Stock volume in Harmonic Inc. was 1 million shares in the trading session.

Trimble Navigation Ltd. (TRMB) fell off a cliff in today's trading. The stock was down 8.33%, moving down to $46.24 per share. The move occured on volume of 2 million which is relative to the 614,281 shares which trade on average each day.

To read the full report for RIMM click here.

County Executive Candidate Presents Plan for More Transparency

Rich Fitzgerald, former Allegheny County Council President and candidate for County Executive, presented his plan for an "Online Checkbook" that would allow the public to monitor expenses in county departments. The website would display what checks the county has issued, the amount of the payments, and who received them.

Fitzgerald says that this is a proactive measure to create transparency. "People today with tax dollars want to know that their tax dollars are being spent wisely. We have to account for every single dollar that we spend...but this is a way for the public to easily track the dollars without having to trapse downtown and go into the courthouse and go through the records."

Rich Fitzgerald says that this is something he believes he can do as policy if he is elected County Executive, but also would not be bothered if County Council approval is needed. He says Council has a track record of creating transparency and streamlining government, and they showed that by streamlining 9-11 services, reducing council staff and not increasing property taxes.

Stocks in the Spotlight, VFC, MSFT, SWKS, CHA

V.F. Corporation dropped sharply by 6.8%, falling to $101.27 in today's trading. The move occured on volume of 1 million which is relative to the 1 million shares which trade on average each day.

Microsoft Corporation fell 4.98% in today's trading to $25.3795 per share. The move occured on volume of 120 million which is relative to the 57 million shares which trade on average each day.

Shares of Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS) catapulted higher by 14.69% to $31.5501 per share. In the last 12 months, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. has seen a high of $37.82 and a low of $13.75 per share.

China Telecom Corporation Limited (ADR) (CHA) stock struggled to keep afloat today, and fell by 2.74% to $58.31 per share. Shares of China Telecom Corporation Limited (ADR) have traded as high as $66.42 per share and as low as $41.24 in the last year.

To read the full report for SWKS click here.

Lacrosse Round-up: Dominion Beats Potomac Falls in Backyard Rivalry - Plus Photo Gallery from JV Match! -- And Other Scores

Scott Shepherd shot the JV game ... check out all the photos here!

Sterling (Apr. 29, 2011) - The Dominion High School boys lacrosse team hosted neighbor Potomac Falls Thursday night and came away with a 14-10 victory, bringing their Dulles District record to 6-1, and leaving the Titans with two district games looming large next week against Loudoun County and Broad Run.

Potomac Falls took

Pharmaceuticals Swallow Losses (SUNH) (SKH) (REGN) (KND) (SPPI)

Sun Healthcare Group, Inc (SUNH) stock dropped sharply by 14.22%, falling to $11.7 in today's trading. The move occured on volume of 1 million which is relative to the 182,022 shares which trade on average each day.

Skilled Healthcare Group (SKH) stock fell off a cliff in today's trading. The stock was down 14.02%, moving down to $12.39 per share. Shares of Skilled Healthcare Group have traded as high as $15.93 per share and as low as $1.43 in the last year.

Shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) dropped sharply by 12.07%, falling to $56.81 in today's trading. 4 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 939,175 shares are exchanged in REGN each day.

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (KND) shares got clobbered by 10.98%, falling to $24.73 per share. Stock volume in Kindred Healthcare, Inc. was 4 million shares in the trading session.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (SPPI) shares got pounded today, falling by 7.14% to $9.62 per share. 4 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 992,160 shares are exchanged in SPPI each day.

Basic Material Stocks in the Red (WY) (BOOM) (PZG) (MEOH) (URZ)

Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) shares fell off a cliff in today's trading. The stock was down 5.04%, moving down to $22.7812 per share. Shares of Weyerhaeuser Company have traded as high as $51.19 per share and as low as $15.06 in the last year.

Dynamic Materials Corp. dropped $0.86 per share or 3.05%, falling to $27.32. The move occured on volume of 94,402 which is relative to the 103,105 shares which trade on average each day.

Paramount Gold and Silver (PZG) stock struggled to keep afloat today, and fell by 3.64% to $3.18 per share. Shares of Paramount Gold and Silver have traded as high as $4.52 per share and as low as $0.0 in the last year.

Methanex Corp. (USA) (MEOH) dropped $0.79 per share or 2.36%, falling to $32.65. In the last 12 months, Methanex Corp. (USA) has seen a high of $34.9 and a low of $19.23 per share.

Uranerz Energy Corp. (URZ) dropped $0.07 per share or 2.44%, falling to $2.8. Shares of Uranerz Energy Corp. have traded as high as $5.93 per share and as low as $0.87 in the last year.

Popular Stocks, REGN, LVLT, VALE, RAH

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) got clobbered by 11.64%, falling to $57.09 per share. 3 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 939,175 shares are exchanged in REGN each day.

Level 3 Communications, Inc. dropped $0.045 per share or 2.8%, falling to $1.565. Shares of Level 3 Communications, Inc. have traded as high as $1.84 per share and as low as $0.83 in the last year.

Vale (ADR) was up 1.48% today, moving to $33.58 per share. The move occured on volume of 8 million which is relative to the 20 million shares which trade on average each day.

Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. (RAH) shares jumped 6.79% to $76.27 in today's trading. Stock volume in Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. was 1 million shares in the trading session.

To read the full report for LVLT click here.

College Commitments: Loudoun County Athletes Sign - Brenneman to Golf at George Mason and Fisher to Play Baseball at DeSales

Leesburg (Apr. 29, 2011) - Two more Loudoun County High School athletes have signed to play college athletics with Andrew Brenneman joining the NCAA Division I George Mason's men's golf team in the fall and Nick Fisher slated to play catcher for NCAA Division III DeSales University.

Brenneman was offered by George Mason University in golf and signed this past week. He was a key component of the

Basic Materials Change Hands, FCX, SLW, CLF, POT, X

Freeport-McMoRan Copper (FCX) stock rose by $0.07 per share to $54.99. Stock volume in Freeport-McMoRan Copper was 7 million shares in the trading session.

Silver Wheaton Corp. (USA got hit in today's trading session, moving downwards by 0.48% to $40.872. The move occured on volume of 9 million which is relative to the 15 million shares which trade on average each day.

Shares of Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) struggled to keep afloat today, and fell by 1.08% to $95.55 per share. The move occured on volume of 3 million which is relative to the 3 million shares which trade on average each day.

Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (POT) stock pressed higher by $0.31, moving the stock price to $55.74. Stock volume in Potash Corp./Saskatchewan was 5 million shares in the trading session.

United States Steel Corp. (X) moved up 0.35% to $47.8274 in the trading session today. In the last 12 months, United States Steel Corp. has seen a high of $64.03 and a low of $36.93 per share.

To read the full report for X click here.

Hot Stocks of the Day (CAT) (MSFT) (VOD) (IM) (SPPI)

Caterpillar Inc. pressed higher by $2.73, moving the stock price to $115.37. Shares of Caterpillar Inc. have traded as high as $113.93 per share and as low as $54.89 in the last year.

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) stock dropped $1.08 per share or 4.04%, falling to $25.63. Shares of Microsoft Corporation have traded as high as $31.43 per share and as low as $22.73 in the last year.

Vodafone Group Plc (ADR) was up 0.66% today, moving to $29.1201 per share. In the last 12 months, Vodafone Group Plc (ADR) has seen a high of $29.75 and a low of $18.21 per share.

Ingram Micro Inc. (IM) stock dropped sharply by 9.02%, falling to $19.06 in today's trading. 3 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 1 million shares are exchanged in IM each day.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (SPPI) dropped sharply by 7.05%, falling to $9.63 in today's trading. Shares of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have traded as high as $10.5 per share and as low as $3.67 in the last year.

Conglomerates Switch Hands in High Dollar Volume, GE, MMM, UTX, EMR, TYC

General Electric Company (GE) fell 0.1% in today's trading to $20.58 per share. Stock volume in General Electric Company was 16 million shares in the trading session.

3M Company (MMM) moved up 0.15% to $97.38 in the trading session today. Stock volume in 3M Company was 1 million shares in the trading session.

United Technologies Corp. advanced 0.56% in today's session to $89.51 per share. Stock volume in United Technologies Corp. was 1 million shares in the trading session.

Emerson Electric Co. moved up 0.88% to $60.581 in the trading session today. Stock volume in Emerson Electric Co. was 1 million shares in the trading session.

Tyco International Ltd. moved 0.9% higher to $48.845 per share in today's trading. In the last 12 months, Tyco International Ltd. has seen a high of $53.38 and a low of $34.0 per share.

To read the full report for GE click here.

Most Popular Stocks on the Market (INTC) (BHP) (S) (IBM) (NTGR)

Intel Corporation (INTC) shares pressed higher by $0.02, moving the stock price to $22.82. In the last 12 months, Intel Corporation has seen a high of $23.51 and a low of $17.6 per share.

Shares of BHP Billiton Limited (ADR) (BHP) dropped $0.94 per share or 0.93%, falling to $100.1. In the last 12 months, BHP Billiton Limited (ADR) has seen a high of $104.59 and a low of $58.38 per share.

Sprint Nextel Corporation (S) shares moved 3.91% higher to $5.31 per share in today's trading. In the last 12 months, Sprint Nextel Corporation has seen a high of $5.31 and a low of $3.7 per share.

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) shares moved up 0.97% to $172.44 in the trading session today. The move occured on volume of 1 million which is relative to the 5 million shares which trade on average each day.

NetGear, Inc. (NTGR) stock catapulted higher by 22.76% to $41.74 per share. Shares of NetGear, Inc. have traded as high as $38.0 per share and as low as $17.44 in the last year.

To read the full report for INTC click here.

Industrials Steamroll Ahead, GIFI, INSU, NWPX, NDSN, DHI

Gulf Island Fabrication (GIFI) advanced 3.83% in today's session to $34.67 per share. Shares of GIFI have so far hit a 52-week high of $34.68 per share and a 52-week low of $14.18.

Insituform Tech., Inc. (INSU) was up 3.42% today, moving to $25.41 per share. Shares of INSU have so far hit a 52-week high of $30.0 per share and a 52-week low of $18.52.

Northwest Pipe Company traded higher by $0.67, pushing the share price to $24.47. Stock volume in Northwest Pipe Company was 26,650 shares in the trading session.

Shares of Nordson Corporation (NDSN) pressed higher by $1.52, moving the stock price to $57.26. In the last 12 months, Nordson Corporation has seen a high of $59.415 and a low of $26.975 per share.

D.R. Horton, Inc. (DHI) stock was up 3.22% today, moving to $12.49 per share. Shares of D.R. Horton, Inc. have traded as high as $15.44 per share and as low as $9.41 in the last year.

Industrial Stocks Lose Ground, MTH, FTEK, DRC, PGTI, MTW

Meritage Homes Corp. struggled to keep afloat today, and fell by 4.54% to $23.12 per share. 153,770 shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 362,835 shares are exchanged in MTH each day.

Shares of Fuel Tech Inc. (FTEK) got hit in today's trading session, moving downwards by 3.89% to $8.16. Shares of Fuel Tech Inc. have traded as high as $11.2 per share and as low as $5.15 in the last year.

Dresser-Rand Group Inc. fell 3.7% in today's trading to $52.79 per share. 490,014 shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 892,803 shares are exchanged in DRC each day.

PGT, Inc. dropped $0.07 per share or 2.81%, falling to $2.42. Shares of PGTI have so far hit a 52-week high of $3.7 per share and a 52-week low of $1.9.

Manitowoc Company, Inc. (MTW) struggled to keep afloat today, and fell by 2.63% to $21.83 per share. Stock volume in Manitowoc Company, Inc. was 2 million shares in the trading session.

Some Low Income Elderly Getting Free Home Fix-ups

1,000 volunteers from more than 30 Pittsburgh area companies and organizations will come together Saturday, April 30 for the 19th annual Rebuilding Day to provide low-income senior citizens with much-needed home repairs.
The event is sponsored by Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, a non-profit whose goal is to preserve affordable homeownership by providing rehabilitation services to those in need at no cost.
Alan Sisco, program director for the Pittsburgh chapter of the organization, says nationwide they operate in about 200 cities and towns to help low-income people "stay safe in their homes. So, we bring resources and skills to bear, to provide in Pittsburgh's case, primarily seniors with free home repairs."

Sisco says the work and all materials and supplies are free to the homeowner, and that Rebuilding Day highlights the extensive work they do throughout the year. He says there is an application process and low-income seniors are often referred to Rebuilding Together by social service agencies. According to Sisco, professional home inspectors volunteer to look at the homes and determine what needs to be done then "we take a look at what resources we have ...and match the home up with a qualified volunteer group."

This Saturday the volunteers will be working on 31 homes in the Pittsburgh area. "We'll be doing everything from cleaning up yards, clearing out gutters, painting, landscaping, building wheelchair ramps, installing wheelchair accessible bathtubs. We've got people receiving new roofs, where their roofs were leaking. We're installing new electrical service where outlets were no longer safe. There is nothing in the scope of home modification that is beyond our volunteers."

Sisco says it's truly a community effort with volunteers from companies, churches, schools and building trades unions.

Most Popular Stocks on the Market, NTGR, BAC, SIRI, CROX, OXY

Shares of NetGear, Inc. (NTGR) skyrocketed 26.47% to $43.0 per share. Stock volume in NetGear, Inc. was 1 million shares in the trading session.

Bank of America Corporation fell 0.48% in today's trading to $12.36 per share. 13 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 140 million shares are exchanged in BAC each day.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI) shares fell 0.76% in today's trading to $1.965 per share. Shares of SIRI have so far hit a 52-week high of $2.0 per share and a 52-week low of $0.86.

Crocs, Inc. (CROX) stock dropped sharply by 9.07%, falling to $19.359 in today's trading. Stock volume in Crocs, Inc. was 2 million shares in the trading session.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation moved up 3.06% to $108.345 in the trading session today. In the last 12 months, Occidental Petroleum Corporation has seen a high of $107.56 and a low of $72.13 per share.

To read the full report for BAC click here.

To read the full report for SIRI click here.

Oil, Natgas, Services on the Move (TGS) (HERO) (NR) (VQ)

Transportadora de Gas del (TGS) stock catapulted higher by 9.35% to $5.03 per share. The move occured on volume of 19,664 which is relative to the 45,871 shares which trade on average each day.

Hercules Offshore, Inc. (HERO) shares soared 5.45% higher, moving up $0.32 to $6.19 per share. 1 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 6 million shares are exchanged in HERO each day.

Newpark Resources, Inc. (NR) stock was up 4.49% today, moving to $8.14 per share. Shares of NR have so far hit a 52-week high of $9.5 per share and a 52-week low of $5.12.

Shares of Venoco, Inc. (VQ) traded higher by $0.48, pushing the share price to $17.54. The move occured on volume of 91,201 which is relative to the 640,468 shares which trade on average each day.

Gun Ownership in Homes Reaches All-Time Low

Fewer than one out of every three homes in the United States has a gun according to recently released data from the General Social Survey (GSS). Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarman says this could be due to a shift in demographics.

"As America's gun owning population is aging and dying off, they're not being replaced. You have young people who aren't picking up guns like they're parents did and more and more Americans are choosing to live in gun-free homes."

With the National Rifle Association coming to Pittsburgh this week, Sugarmann was passionate about his views against having a gun in the home.

"Here's the reality: it increases the likelihood of death and injury to you or a member of your family."

The survey found household gun ownership has reached the all-time low since it peaked in 1977. At that time 54 percent of American households reported having guns. By 2010, it had dropped to 33.2 percent.

Art All Night in Lawrenceville for the 14th Year

On Saturday, April 30th, Art All Night is returning for its 14th time. The 24-hour annual event is extending its hours to accommodate younger children and the overwhelming amount of people who attend. Tiffany Wilhelm, a publicity and promotions volunteer for the occasion says that the past two years have brought in about 12,000 people who gather for solidarity and art.

"The biggest overriding theme of the event itself is about community, about coming together, about creativity and all these things that make Lawrenceville and Pittsburgh special."

Wilhelm also says that each year the event has the same structure, but its the volunteers who come with suggestions that make the occasion different. This year, they are having live DJ mixing by local artists. She also notes that the event can be completely different depending on what time you arrive.

Children's activities start will be from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday and also from 10-2 p.m. on Sunday. Throughout the night will be live performances and art on display. Art All Night is spending its second year at the Iron City Brewery Property on 3340 Liberty Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.

Reaction to Impact Fee: Not Far Enough...or...Too Far

Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati may feel like he just can’t win. In the hours after he introduced a natural gas drilling impact fee in Pennsylvania – a plan that would assess a base levy of $10,000 against every Marcellus Shale well in the state – he’s been pounded by criticism and lukewarm reaction from both sides of the aisle.

House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody of Allegheny County released a statement calling the fee a “weak alternative” to a broader severance tax. “The huge corporations that will make billions of dollars by taking gas out of Pennsylvania must pay their fair share,” he argued. “This small impact fee will not achieve that. Right now, those corporations pay nothing. With this impact fee, they would pay only a small fraction of what they should.” Democratic Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh, an outspoken opponent of drilling who’s pushing for a statewide hydraulic fracturing moratorium, was equally critical. “There is evidence that the gas drilling industry will leave scars on the Pennsylvania landscape that will place a cost on state government and all Pennsylvania taxpayers,” he said in a statement. “A severance tax is uniform and fair, and is not unreasonable when you compare it to our competitor states. We should enact a severance tax now to make sure that we are not making our taxpayers pay for the impacts of the drilling industry.”

Environmental advocates are also cold on the idea. Myron Arnowitt of Clean Water Action didn’t like the fact the fee puts money into conservation districts, rather than the Growing Greener program. “There’s also no resources that will be available to the Department of Environmental Protection from this proposal. DEP has had their budget cut every year, and they are the agency that gets to oversee and make sure we don’t have negative impacts from Marcellus Shale drilling.”

Scarnati preemptively addressed these concerns during his initial conference call, pointing out a fee directing money to DEP – whose budget is located in state’s the state’s General Fund – would be vetoed by Governor Corbett. “Those that continue to talk about, we want a severance tax – a true statewide severance tax – I think they are forgetting the reality that we have a governor who has for a year said publically and privately he will veto a tax,” he said. “I don’t think that there’s any merit in either legislative body to be pushing ahead with a severance tax, and delaying this for well over another year.”

And while environmentalists and Democrats think his plan is too small, House Republicans are indicating it’s too large. House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin reacted to the idea: “Does our caucus support it, in that it has 102 Republican votes? No, it does not. But since, looking at where the money is spent, it is clearly not tied to the budget whatsoever. So it is an interesting proposal worthy of further staff evaluation.” If you’re not fluent in legislative-speak, when spokesmen say something like, “we’ll evaluate it” or “we’ll take a look at it,” they probably aren’t too inclined to call the measure to a vote.

Even Scarnati’s partner, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, was lukewarm on the fee, which would not provide funding to counties where drilling isn’t taking place. “My view is that the entire commonwealth needs to benefit from an extraction tax, regardless of whether or not communities have wells or pipelines in their own area,” he said during a brief phone interview.

Where does Corbett stand on the issue? His spokesman, Kevin Harley, told the Post-Gazette, “[the proposal] starts a conversation. The governor is obviously awaiting the findings of the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, who is looking at ways to grow the natural gas industry in an economically and environmentally responsible way and one of the things that they will be looking at is an impact fee.” In other words, we’ll get back to you. Scarnati, however, told reporters that when he and Corbett had lunch together this week, the governor effectively gave the measure a “yellow light.”

Grumblings aside, the reality is that of all the fees and taxes proposed, this new measure is the most likely to end up on Corbett’s desk. As one of the Senate’s top Republicans, Scarnati has the power to bring it to a floor vote. His statement that “it ain’t going to be easy” to pass a budget without also passing the fee shows he’s serious about making the bill a priority during the upcoming budget season, when most legislation gets passed into law. While hard-line liberals like Ferlo may vote against it, Democrats representing districts dotted with drilling rigs will likely vote yes. That would probably offset the “no” votes from conservative Republicans who think the measure goes too far.

The fee’s House fate seems a bit murkier. Majority Leader Mike Turzai is very conservative, especially on fiscal issues. He and a good chunk of GOP lawmakers are inclined to oppose any sort of tax or fee increase, no matter where it goes. That being said, public support for a severance tax or fee continues to grow – this week’s Quinnipiac University poll showed 69 percent of Pennsylvanians are in favor of the idea. Moderate Republicans in suburban districts will likely support the fee for that reason. So, in the House, passage could come down to whether Democrats agree with Scarnati’s assessment that this fee is the best they’re going to get, or whether they’ll vote “no” in a philosophical show of support for a broader tax.

Hot Stocks of the Day (LTUM) (PTR) (SPWRA) (NATI) (TRLG)

Shares of Lithium Corporation. (LTUM) broke even at $0.0 in today's trading. 0 shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 0 shares are exchanged in LTUM each day.

PetroChina Company Limited (ADR) broke even at $145.8 in today's trading. In the last 12 months, PetroChina Company Limited (ADR) has seen a high of $158.83 and a low of $99.02 per share.

SunPower Corporation (SPWRA) shares stayed at the unchanged level of $16.12 in today's trading. Shares of SunPower Corporation have traded as high as $19.88 per share and as low as $9.61 in the last year.

National Instruments Corp stayed at the unchanged level of $32.31 in today's trading. Shares of NATI have so far hit a 52-week high of $33.2 per share and a 52-week low of $18.5867.

True Religion Apparel, Inc. (TRLG) stock stabilized today at $27.79 per share. Shares of TRLG have so far hit a 52-week high of $33.12 per share and a 52-week low of $17.5.

To read the full report for TRLG click here.

Michael Bay rolls out a trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon

It's been a good couple of days for new trailers, what with X-Men: First Class and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and now comes the first official full-length trailer for Michael Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon, along with the following brief synopsis:

"Shia LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us."

Bay took some stick for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (personally I thought it had its moments, but not many) and it's been speculated that the director will quit the franchise after the release of this third feature. If that's the case then it certainly looks like he's going out with an almighty bang and it's hard not to be impressed by the sheer scale of the action in this trailer. Check it out...


For a detailed breakdown of the trailer head over to CinemaBlend and visit Apple to watch in HD.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon stars Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, Alan Tudyk, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Glenn Morshower, with voice talent including Peter Cullen and Leonard Nimoy. The film hits cinemas on July 1st.

Marcellus Town Hall

The Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a Marcellus Shale Town Hall Meeting in Oakland on Thursday afternoon.

Head by State Senator Jim Ferlo, 6 Senate Members spent several hours hearing from natural gas industry executives, public safety officials and environmental advocates.

Ferlo said a primary concern of his is the Commonwealth’s 100 year old legacy of industrial capitalism as well as protecting the lucrative industries in the state such as agriculture, tourism and water.

Among the speakers was Conrad Dan Volz, the outgoing director of The Center for Healthy Environments and Community out of The University of Pittsburgh.

"We are essentially spending billions of dollars as a country to make our infrastructure not hard targets for terrorists. And here we are placing wells that explode, catch on fire and have serious blow-out problems within a stone’s throw from people’s homes," he said.

The meeting was interrupted by about a hundred protesters ranging in age from 5 to 93 years of age. They came from a variety of different groups, mostly teacher’s unions and the Pittsburgh Interfaith Network. They marched for several blocks through Oakland chanting, “Stop the Blasts, Tax Oil Gas!”

Protestors spoke about taxing the natural gas industry and using the money to offset the large financial deficits targeting education in the state budget. This came on the same day that speaking elsewhere, Governor Tom Corbett reportedly suggested universities facing financial problems could drill for natural gas on campuses.

They then opened up the meeting to public comment.

Ferlo has introduced two pieces of legislation concerning Marcellus Shale. One calls for a one year moratorium on expanded drilling and the other would establish higher fees for DEP Violations, improve well-site safety and would establish a severance tax that would return revenue to local communities.

Listen to a longer version of the story here.

It Starts (NASDAQ: RIMM) (NYSE: MSFT) (NASDAQ: AAPL)

NEW YORK - The transition in tech has finally been completed. Out is Research in Motion's Blackberry and in is Apple's Iphone. Out is Microsoft's Office and in is Apple's Tablet.

Research in Motion disclosed after the closing bell today that they now expect earnings per share of $1.30 to $1.37 a share. This amount will likely fall below the $1.38 earned last share on a higher share count. The company has gone 28 straight quarters of year over year earnings increases on that particular quarter. The company is now exhibiting signs of negative growth which has been reflected in the company's valuation for almost a year. The company said the shortfall is because less customers are buying their phones. It added that the earthquake in Japan is not affecting supply. The company still expects to earn $7.5 a share over the full year.

Microsoft Corporation also announced their results for the quarter, revenue came in at $16.43 billion and net income was $5.23 billion or $0.61 per share. Like RIMM it has been a long time coming for former tech prince Microsoft to be officially passed by Apple. Apple reported $6 billion in profits in their most recent quarter which is substantially higher than Microsoft's and further cementing its dominance as the industry leader.

Wednesday Scoreboard and Thursday Schedule

Wednesday, April 27 Scoreboard

Baseball
Dominion at Park View PPD (moved to 4.30 at 9 a.m.)
Woodgrove at Briar Woods (need result)
Loudoun County at Freedom PPD (moved to 5.2)
Broad Run at Tuscarora PPD (Spartans leading 5-0 in 3rd when called)
Loudoun Valley 10, Wakefield 0

Softball
Dominion at Park View PPD (moved to 5.18)
Briar Woods 2, Woodgrove 1 SUSP (4th inning)
Loudoun County at

News: Wet Weather Postpones Games (Again!)

(Apr. 28, 2011) - The rain overnight and this morning has postponed some games this evening. Please check with your school before heading out, here is what VivaLoudoun has been sent by schools as of 3:30 p.m.:

Briar Woods
no changes reported

Broad Run
Today's boys and girls lacrosse games have been canceled for today. Varsity girls lacrosse will play tomorrow Friday April 29 at 6pm at Loudoun

Corbett Suggests Drilling at State Schools

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett says some Pennsylvania universities should consider drilling for natural gas below their campuses to help solve financial problems. The idea was offered up as the governor spoke to the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees, which was meeting at Edinboro University.

The idea comes as institutions of higher education see state funding about to be cut. Corbett's proposed budget for the next fiscal year would reduce aid to colleges and universities by 50 percent.

Corbett says six of the 14 campuses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are located on the Marcellus Shale formation.

Hot Stocks of the Day, FTNT, FOE, ARRS, XOM, SIRI

Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) shares catapulted higher by 14.93% to $47.96 per share. 3 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 921,651 shares are exchanged in FTNT each day.

Ferro Corporation got pounded today, falling by 9.71% to $15.06 per share. 4 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 808,852 shares are exchanged in FOE each day.

Arris Group, Inc. (ARRS) shares got clobbered by 9.39%, falling to $11.77 per share. Stock volume in Arris Group, Inc. was 5 million shares in the trading session.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) shares got hit in today's trading session, moving downwards by 0.62% to $87.24. The move occured on volume of 14 million which is relative to the 19 million shares which trade on average each day.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI) stock rose by $0.015 per share to $1.995. 47 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 55 million shares are exchanged in SIRI each day.

To read the full report for SIRI click here.

Diversified Stocks on the Move, FSS, ABB, UTX, TIN, SI

Shares of Federal Signal Corp. (FSS) moved 2.7% higher to $6.84 per share in today's trading. Shares of FSS have so far hit a 52-week high of $10.21 per share and a 52-week low of $4.91.

ABB Ltd (ADR) (ABB) moved up 2.67% to $27.29 in the trading session today. 2 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 2 million shares are exchanged in ABB each day.

United Technologies Corp. moved up 1.7% to $89.35 in the trading session today. 2 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 3 million shares are exchanged in UTX each day.

Temple-Inland, Inc. (TIN) rose by $0.23 per share to $23.33. Stock volume in Temple-Inland, Inc. was 422,438 shares in the trading session.

Siemens AG (ADR) (SI) moved 0.98% higher to $145.88 per share in today's trading. The move occured on volume of 373,504 which is relative to the 712,634 shares which trade on average each day.

Popular Stocks (SLV) (VCI) (SIRI) (AET) (MSI)

Shares of iShares Silver Trust (ETF) (SLV) rose by $0.49 per share to $47.49. Stock volume in iShares Silver Trust (ETF) was 172 million shares in the trading session.

Valassis Communications, Inc. (VCI) catapulted higher by 17.3% to $30.38 per share. Stock volume in Valassis Communications, Inc. was 4 million shares in the trading session.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI) traded higher by $0.02, pushing the share price to $2.0. In the last 12 months, Sirius XM Radio Inc. has seen a high of $2.0 and a low of $0.86 per share.

Aetna Inc. (AET) moved 4.25% higher to $41.5 per share in today's trading. The move occured on volume of 7 million which is relative to the 3 million shares which trade on average each day.

Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI) shares catapulted higher by 7.53% to $46.69 per share. 6 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 3 million shares are exchanged in MSI each day.

To read the full report for SIRI click here.

Technology Losers (TDSC) (AKAM) (TER) (ARRS) (MGIC)

Shares of 3D Systems Corporation (TDSC) fell off a cliff in today's trading. The stock was down 17.25%, moving down to $42.9 per share. Shares of TDSC have so far hit a 52-week high of $58.7 per share and a 52-week low of $11.1.

Akamai Technologies, Inc. fell off a cliff in today's trading. The stock was down 14.79%, moving down to $34.9185 per share. Shares of AKAM have so far hit a 52-week high of $54.65 per share and a 52-week low of $32.89.

Shares of Teradyne, Inc. (TER) dropped sharply by 13.48%, falling to $15.825 in today's trading. 14 million shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 5 million shares are exchanged in TER each day.

Arris Group, Inc. got clobbered by 9.31%, falling to $11.78 per share. Stock volume in Arris Group, Inc. was 5 million shares in the trading session.

Magic Software got clobbered by 7.25%, falling to $6.78 per share. In the last 12 months, Magic Software has seen a high of $9.74 and a low of $2.0 per share.

Bioethics Might Take Medical Ethics' Place

Dr. Edmund Pellegrino says that medical ethicist and bioethics should be working together for the good of patients. Dr. Pellegrino, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and medical Ethics at the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at Georgetown University Medical Center, spoke at Duquesne University about medical ethics' relationship with bioethics. Medical ethics is the system of ethics that is applied to physicians and patient care, while bioethics is interdisciplinary and focus on the question that arise from bio-science.

Pellegrino says that bioethics was formed out of three main events, the first being the cultural shift that began in the 1960s away from previously trusted authority figures. He says that this distrust that happened around the time of the Watergate scandal caused the second event, a mistrust of physicians and medical ethics.

The third event was an acceptance of multiculturalism. "And that's all fine, but then again it began to confuse one cultural set of values with the right rules and this fed into the idea of individual determination. 'What's right and wrong is what I say it is, what I say it is, what I believe. And don't tell me anything different and don't argue with me."

Dr. Pellegrino stresses that instead of just accepting the values that one already has, there needs to be discourse and public examination of whether those are right or not. He says that without examination of whether things are actually beneficial to society or a patient there can be no true progress.

Pellegrino says that he sees two possible futures for bioethics. One is where bioethics take the place of Medical ethics. "No matter how highly organized we can be, not matter how technical we can be, how scientific we can be. The human condition of being will and wanting to be helped, cured if possible, at least relieved of pain and suffering will be universal. Don't leave that to this vague notion of bioethics. I'm asking you to leave it to physicians."

The second future would be one which he most likes, one where bioethics and medical ethics can work together. He says that the aim of both types needs to be figuring out how to best look at the human condition of being ill and working in the best interest of people.

Diversified Manufacturer Losers, TYC, RTN, OLN, WSC, PHG

Tyco International Ltd. fell 0.55% in today's trading to $48.6 per share. Shares of Tyco International Ltd. have traded as high as $53.38 per share and as low as $34.0 in the last year.

Raytheon Company fell 0.88% in today's trading to $49.32 per share. Shares of RTN have so far hit a 52-week high of $59.75 per share and a 52-week low of $42.65.

Olin Corporation fell 0.49% in today's trading to $26.27 per share. Shares of Olin Corporation have traded as high as $26.45 per share and as low as $14.35 in the last year.

Shares of Wesco Financial Corp. (WSC) got hit in today's trading session, moving downwards by 0.39% to $388.99. 6,456 shares were traded so far in today's session. On average, a total of 5,608 shares are exchanged in WSC each day.

Koninklijke Philips struggled to keep afloat today, and fell by 0.43% to $29.86 per share. Stock volume in Koninklijke Philips was 423,441 shares in the trading session.

Hot Stocks of the Day (SIRI) (SAP) (TER) (PEP)

Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI) shares advanced 0.51% in today's session to $1.99 per share. The move occured on volume of 37 million which is relative to the 55 million shares which trade on average each day.

Shares of SAP AG (ADR) (SAP) fell off a cliff in today's trading. The stock was down 6.38%, moving down to $63.95 per share. Shares of SAP have so far hit a 52-week high of $67.56 per share and a 52-week low of $40.95.

Teradyne, Inc. (TER) stock got pounded today, falling by 14.08% to $15.715 per share. Shares of Teradyne, Inc. have traded as high as $19.19 per share and as low as $8.84 in the last year.

Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) advanced 2.66% in today's session to $69.74 per share. Shares of PepsiCo, Inc. have traded as high as $68.11 per share and as low as $60.32 in the last year.

To read the full report for SIRI click here.

Financings of the Fortnight Covets Thy Neighbor's Bubble

The B-word is back, and it rhymes with "trouble." With 21 US IPOs in April alone, no wonder the barbarians are lined up at the gates, clamoring to get a piece.

There have been 31 initial filings this month, the most active month since 40 companies filed in August 2007, according to IPO watchers Renaissance Capital. Exciting, no? So how many of these newly minted or wannabe public companies are in our little corner of the world? Two IPOs, Tranzyme and Sagent Pharmaceuticals, and no new filings.

Let that sink in for a moment. It's Bubble 2.0, or 3.0, or 6.0, with little old ladies in Pasadena trying to grab a piece of Facebook on private secondary markets, and not a single biotech firm filed papers this month.

Now, there might be some moral high ground in keeping one's distance from ye olde irrational exuberance. A bubble is generally a bad thing, leading to Pets.com and far too much exposure of Angelo Mozilo's tanning-bed face. No wonder the other side is protesting too much. See how hard this tech VC argues that the current mania is anything but a bubble?

But to those on the bio side of the fence, the lush green grass of Mark Zuckerberg's backyard looks awfully tempting. At BayBio last week, when talk on a mid-stage funding panel got around to building strong biotech companies, Pfizer business-development executive Jim McLoughlin cautioned other panelists to think long-term and not create a bubble. (As if they could.) Versant Ventures managing director Camille Samuels jumped in: "Hey, I'll take a bubble!"

She said it with a laugh, but consider the VC's alternative these days: Waiting for guys like McLoughlin (and the committees behind them) to decide they like your portfolio firm's Phase II asset enough to offer a modest up-front payment and earn-outs or milestones.

European investment firm LSP Life Science Partners isn't waiting around for the private equity exit ramp to materialize. Not only is it launching a public-equity fund, it has floated the fund, dubbed LSP Life Sciences Fund, on Euronext Amsterdam.

The firm claims a 150% return on public investments, which it began making in 2008 on behalf of Dutch pension fund administrator APG Investments. Its new dedicated fund, for which it raised £30 to £35 million privately, follows in the footsteps of life-science VCs like Abingworth, MPM Capital, and OrbiMed Advisors who have begun straddling the fence in recent years. On the private side, LSP's fifty or so holdings have included Jerini, KuDOS, U3 Pharma and Movetis. The first three sold privately, while Movetis listed in late 2009 before Shire gobbled it up a few months later. Our "Pink Sheet" colleagues will have more on LSP soon, so we don't want to, ahem, burst their bubble. Instead, let's pop the cork on another bottle of...

Synta Pharmaceuticals: On April 15, cancer and inflammation drug discovery company Synta Pharmaceuticals raised $35.2 million in a registered direct offering, the second-highest grossing PIPE this year behind Arena Pharmaceuticals. Synta sold 7.2 million shares at $4.89, a 6% discount to the ten-day average. Company insiders bought about 22% with institutional investors scooping up the rest. After several ups and downs in its ten-year history, Synta is The Little Discovery Engine That Could, dusting itself off after each disappointment. And there have been several. The Shionogi BioResearch spin-off raised more than $200 million in venture financing before a failed IPO attempt in 2005. Less than two years later, and after another $40 million cash infusion, the company finally went public, selling shares at $10 a pop. Soon thereafter it secured its first Big Pharma partner when GSK acquired US co-promote rights to the biotech’s elesclomol, an apoptosis-inducing candidate that disrupts cancer cell energy metabolism. But Synta got a shock in March 2009 when Phase III trials in metastatic melanoma showed more deaths in the elescomol arm than with the standard-of-care arm, and the trial was shut down. GSK returned rights, but not before forking over $130 million. After the elesclomol failure, Synta has pinned its hopes on its lead compound the Hsp90 inhibitor ganetespib, which is unpartnered.* For the April 15 RD offering, Synta issued no warrants and did not use an underwriter. -- Amanda Micklus

Silence Therapeutics: The shingle Silence hung out to advertise a placement of 275 million shares, with hopes of grossing up to £5.5 million, is a sign of the times for the RNA interference crowd. Silence is the latest RNAi firm to find itself in financial or strategic difficulties, and if shareholders don't approve the new stock sale, announced April 25, the company says it will run out of cash by the end of the third quarter. Whether or not that transpires, Silence says it is shutting down its California office, a legacy from its December 2009 merger with Intradigm, and looking to replace CEO Phil Haworth. When Silence and Intradigm tied the knot, the firms hoped their combination would speed the development of delivery systems, a major obstacle in turning fragile short interfering RNAs into viable therapeutics that reach their intended targets. Investors such as Alta Partners and Frazier Healthcare also backed the merged entity with a £15 million financing priced at 23 pence a share. If that sounds bad, please note that the new placement is priced at 2 pence a share. No, that's not a typo. Momentum in RNAi has been on the wane for the past two years, then came big red flags last fall when two major partners of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals delivered bad news. First Novartis, a 13% owner of the biotech, passed on an expensive option to expand its collaboration, then Roche said it was dropping all RNAi-related work. More dark skies earlier this year came when delivery firm Tekmira Pharmaceuticals brought a lawsuit against Alnylam; and RXi, undergoing a management overhaul, bought a struggling company for its late-stage breast-cancer treatment and shifted its focus away from RNAi. To top it all off, Merck & Co.'s $1.1 billion purchase in 2006 of Sirna Therapeutics, once Alnylam's rival, has yielded nothing that Merck is willing to discuss publicly. Meanwhile, Silence is offering shareholders a chance to buy up to £1 million in shares before the placement. Those who participate in full will only be diluted 45% by the placement; otherwise dilution will be about 54%, the company said in its notice to shareholders. -- Alex Lash

Bluebird bio: When a VC at last week's Bay bio meeting was asked about the next big thing, he pointedly said it wouldn't be RNAi, which was reminiscent of gene therapy. (He didn't mean it as a compliment.) Bluebird bio begs to differ, having just raised a $30 million C round from new investor ARCH Venture Partners and others to pursue its gene therapy technology, called LentiPak, to treat rare diseases such as childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CCALD) and beta-thalassemia/sickle-cell anemia. Formerly known as Genetix Pharmaceuticals, Bluebird aims to get lead program Lenti-D into a registrational Phase II/III trial for CCALD later this year. The firm says its technology, using lentiviruses instead of retroviruses as the viral vector, should provide better safety than the now-infamous gene trials of the previous decades. The LentiPak technology works this way: A patient's hematopoetic stem cells are extracted, exposed to a viral vector, then re-inserted into the patient, reconstituting his or her bone marrow. In addition to ARCH, the Series C is backed by returning investors Third Rock Ventures, TVM Capital, Forbion Capital Partners and Easton Capital Investment Group. Genzyme Ventures, which co-led last year's Series B, is not involved because of the ongoing merger with Sanofi-Aventis, Bluebird CEO Pat Leschly told "The Pink Sheet" DAILY. -- Joe Haas and A.L.

Circassia Holdings: Yes, Virginia, there are refreshing wellsprings of early-stage capital out there, and Circassia is fortunate to be in deep with one of them. The UK allergy vaccine developer said April 19 it has raised £60 million ($98 million), the second largest European venture round this year and one of the largest ever. It was led with a £15 million tranched commitment from Imperial Innovations Group, the tech transfer and investment arm of Imperial College, London, where Circassia's T-cell vaccine platform ToleroMune was developed. Imperial Innovations has exclusive rights to IP coming from the college, as well as access to technology from three other top UK schools. It recently said it has commitments from shareholders to contribute another £140 million ($220 million), nearly three times what the group has invested in start-ups. It's also one of the rare investment funds to go public itself, having raised £26 million in a 2006 listing on the AIM exchange. (Perhaps an inspiration for LSP?) Imperial has been a backer of Circassia since its founding in 2006, and the majority of the funds raised in this round will go towards financing phase III development programs for Circassia's cat and ragweed allergy therapies. Circassia also aims to use the funds to complete phase II testing of the company's house dust mite and grass allergy T-cell vaccines, and will advance the development programs for three additional allergy therapies and its psoriasis treatment, PAP-1, a selective Kv1.3 inhibitor, recently acquired from Airmid Inc. -- Faraz Kermani

Photo courtesy of flickrer Beige Alert under a Creative Commons license.

Melanie Senior contributed to this week's introduction.

*Due to an editing error a previous version of this column stated incorrectly that Synta's ganetespib compound was partnered. We regret the error.