Local News : Secession? Houston wants out; Wasilla pondering – Frontiersman (Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman)

WASILLA — Rumors are flying about a possible secession attempt in the borough’s northern reaches. Bill Gamble, chief of the West Lakes Fire Department, said he spoke to Houston Mayor Roger Purcell at a meeting Thursday regarding consolidation of ambulance services in their neck of the borough.

REXEL : HALF-YEAR 2009 RESULTS (Marketwire)

PARIS–(Marketwire – July 31, 2009) – RESILIENT MARGINS IN A TOUGH ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT THROUGH ACCELERATED COST ADJUSTMENT STRONG DEBT REDUCTION AND RENEGOTIATED COVENANT – Sales of EUR 5.6 billion (-17.9% organic same-day) reflecting tough economic environment – EBITA1 of EUR 184.5 million; resilient margin at 3.3%, drop contained to 190 bps through: – gross margin improvement: +40bps – …

REXEL : HALF-YEAR 2009 RESULTS (ITNews)

(ITnews) – (Hugin) – RESILIENT MARGINS IN A TOUGH ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT THROUGH ACCELERATED COST ADJUSTMENT STRONG DEBT REDUCTION AND RENEGOTIATED COVENANT – Sales of E5.6 billion (-17.9% organic same-day) reflecting tough economic environment – EBITA1 of E184.5 million; resilient margin at 3.3%, drop contained to 190 bps through: – gross margin improvement: +40bps – efficient cost reduction of …

Europe’s CLO sector starts to reshuffle (Financial Times)

Alcentra, one of the biggest investors in European risky credit, is to take over the management of Rabobank’s collateralised loan obligations business, in a rare example of long awaited consolidation in the sector.

IW: German Budget Consolidation Must Do Without Tax Hikes (Nasdaq)

BERLIN -(Dow Jones)- Germany faces a drastic surge in debt but it must opt for spending cuts and do without tax hikes to consolidate its budget, the Cologne- based, business-funded IW economic research institute said Tuesday.