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July 24, 2008
Insider Newsletter A weekly summary of the best in BusinessWeek and BusinessWeek.com

NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY The Real Question: Should Oil Be Cheap? Expensive oil hurts, but there's a case to be made for a floor under the price of crude

Editor's Memo Sure, high oil and gas costs are causing plenty of pain, but in our Top Story, author John Carey makes the case that expensive energy has its upsides—efficiency, innovation, and less congestion being just a few. BusinessWeek magazine digs up some dirty little secrets about the IndyMac crisis in "Why Did IndyMac Implode?" And from the Technology Channel, Yahoo! and Microsoft aren't quite ready to give up their moment in the spotlight while Yahoo continues to struggle for independence in a slow market. As Starbucks' star wanes, independent coffee shops are finding ways to shine. They've learned a lot from their world-famous rival. Read about it in "Vying with Starbucks: A Love-Hate Thing." The Insider also brings you a featured video on a boot camp for female business owners seeking VC funding (they learn to speak "low and loud") and tips for controlling your credit card limits. And speaking of the subprime crisis (as many of us still are), back in the day, a lot of those banks stuck their names on big-time sports stadiums. Are those names now a black mark against the teams that play there? Check out our slideshow, "A Subprime Scorecard," for the stats. -- Katherine Davis

FROM THIS WEEK'S ISSUE OF BUSINESSWEEK NEWS Why Did IndyMac Implode? A report quotes customers and ex-employees claiming the firm fudged incomes and pressed for dubious loans NEWS All Eyes on India's Nuclear Prize The nation plans to quintuple its nuclear power capacity, but Russia and France may sew up most of the deals BUSINESS OUTLOOK Why the Dollar May Be Ready for a Rebound As outlooks for the euro zone and Britain dim, central bankers will likely be forced to lower interest rates, creating conditions that could restore some of the U.S. currency's value   FROM BW.COM'S TECHNOLOGY CHANNEL MICROSOFT MOVES ON YAHOO Yahoo's Tenuous Case for Independence To justify repelling Microsoft's bid, the Web portal must show investors it can pump up growth and generate revenue from its search business PHILANTHROPY Online Auctions Raise Big Bucks for Charity Nonprofits can raise more money in less time by offering their Warren Buffett lunches and Michael Jordan sneakers for bidding on the Web TECHNOLOGY Microsoft's Online Chief Signs Off As CEO Ballmer splits the Windows and online businesses, Kevin Johnson, a prime force behind the Yahoo bid, will leave to run Juniper Networks   FROM BW.COM'S SMALLBIZ CHANNEL SALES & MARKETING Vying with Starbucks: A Love-Hate Thing As Starbucks' expansion loses steam, independent coffee shops reveal the subtle ways they compete with the coffee powerhouse SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING Equalizing Equity Access for Women CEOs Springboard's current venture capital forum targets equity financing for media companies run by female entrepreneurs. We track its process SPECIAL REPORT: HOME BASED BUSINESS To Expand Your Business, Go Home Moving out of your brick-and-mortar offices and running your company solely online can cut expenses and boost productivity   FROM BW.COM'S ASIA & EUROPE CHANNELS TELECOMMUNICATIONS Vodafone: A Bad Omen for Europe? A cut in the wireless company's sales forecast makes investors fear the slowdown in Spain could spread elsewhere on the Continent Beijing's Plan to Fight Olympic Traffic Beijing's Plan to Fight Olympic Traffic   FROM BW.COM'S LIFESTYLE CHANNEL NEWS & FEATURES The Diesels Are Coming. But Will Anyone Want Them? New technology has made diesels cleaner and greener than ever, but high pump prices may scare off potential customers TOP NEWS How Whole Is Whole Grain? A settlement between Sara Lee and the Center for Science in the Public Interest may lead to more accurate claims about whole grains on food labels   FROM BW.COM'S INNOVATION & DESIGN CHANNEL IDEA AWARDS 2008 Brazil's Best Product Designs The first location-specific program for the International Design Excellence Awards celebrated 53 examples of top Brazilian design   FROM BW.COM'S INVESTING CHANNEL STOCKS IN THE NEWS No Stock Offering for Wachovia…Yet CEO Steel says he has no plans to issue shares, but analysts say Wachovia may be forced to raise capital as its loan portfolio deteriorates INVESTING Banks Stick with Stadium Sponsorships While healthy banks can benefit from naming rights, some money-losing firms with expensive deals—like Citigroup—could lose out INVESTING Credit Cards: How to Protect Your Limits To lower their overall default risk and protect profits, some card issuers may reduce your credit limit. Here are tips for keeping it steady  BW MALL   SPONSORED LINKS Earn From 3.04% to 3.35%  with AAA rated, GE Capital Corp. Not an offer of securities for sale Try Currency Trading  Learn to Trade FX with a Free Demo. Free Commentaries and Market news. Notre Dame Certificates  Earn an Executive Certificate from Notre Dame - Online! Enroll Now. Get up to $500k HSBC Term Life Ins. at HSBCusa.com  Apply online today. No medical exam. No agent visit. Get instant coverage if you qualify. Award Winning Wine DVD  For those who get dispirited when selecting wine. A simple solution is the "Wine Fundamentals" DVD. Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 View our corporate privacy policy. To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2008, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

FEATURED SLIDE SHOWS > > Banks' Ballparks: A Subprime Scorecard Big Pharma: A Market Remedy?   Advertisement   What's Your Problem? We all have workplace problems. Share with us, and your fellow readers, the hurdles you've faced—and how you've tried to clear them     IN YOUR FACE: India's Economic Woes Reader Vivek A Writes: "Private entrepreneurship and the energetic youth of India with its changed expectations and increased awareness of the world will not allow India to fall behind." Read the story and tell us what you think. >   Featured Blog I think we are seeing the very first—and very subtle—initial steps in what will be a combination of United and Continental. Justin Bachman Other BusinessWeek Blogs The Auto Beat Globespotting Blogspotting Brand New Day Byte of the Apple Deal Flow Economics Unbound Eye on Asia Fine On Media Games, Inc. Getting In Green Business Hot Property Investing Insights Management IQ The New Entrepreneur NEXT: Innovation Tools & Trends NussbaumOnDesign The Oil & the Glory Recession in America The Tech Beat What's Your Story Idea? Working Lunch Working Parents READ MORE > ADVERTISEMENT Generate Serious Income in Turbulent Markets In today's market, there's more to trading covered calls than just buying a stock and selling a call. With a complimentary 3 month subscription to Bernie Schaeffer's "Covered Call Plus", you'll learn how to maximize income without limiting your upside while still reducing downside exposure.   FEATURED VIDEO Venture Capital Forum Women media business owners take part in a one-day boot camp to learn how to pitch their companies to venture capitalists, part of their preparation for a VC forum hosted by Springboard   Advertisement   FEATURED COLUMN The Fireside Chat vs. the Podcast In today's troubled economy, government and corporations need to borrow FDR's playbook and truly connect with constituents through Web 2.0, say Peppercom's Steve Cody and Sam Ford