Is Trade with Cuba a Reality? by Dan McCue, World Trade Magazine
Just days after President Barack Obama announced a minor thaw in the longstanding estrangement between the United States and Cuba, Jack Maybank Jr. stood before an audience of entrepreneurs gathered at the College of Charleston in South Carolina and warned them not to misinterpret the opening as a newfound bridge to business relations with the United States’ most notorious neighbor.

Alabama Banks’ Regulatory Capital Levels Higher Than National Average
by Gary Kennedy, Director of Merger and Advisory Services for Sheshunoff & Co. Investment Banking
Profitability, as measured by quarterly annualized ROAA was up in the first quarter over year-end numbers. We aren’t sure whether to expect this to continue in the second quarter as the reality of this recession continues to play out in the loan portfolios across the state.

Lets Put a Lid On Cap-and-Tax by Tom Donohue,  U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The fact that the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill--officially known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)--passed the U.S. House by a razor-thin margin proves that members of both parties have deep concerns about this legislation. And rightfully so. Although the U.S. Chamber supports comprehensive legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we believe that ACES is fundamentally flawed. 

The Need for a Sensible Energy Plan by Jo Bonner, Alabama US Representative 

Editorial

Local Economic Development
Great companies create their own dynamic force with the creation of new products and services that carries them forward. Shouldn’t the Mobile Bay area do the same?