Breaking News

Survey: More Small Biz Owners Say Business Conditions Better Than In Years NEW YORK - More small business owners say business conditions are good or excellent today than at any point in years, according to the latest Citibank Small Business Pulse released Tuesday.

Tim Hortons Teams With MEDC For MIVirtualCareerFair June 26 LANSING - Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop is teaming up with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. up to host a live MiVirtualCareerFair event on June 26 from 10 am – 4 pm online and at participating restaurants around Michigan.

Oakland University Robotics Team Wins International Competition Honors AUBURN HILLS - For the first time, the Oakland Robotics Association took the top prize at the 21st annual Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition topping 53 collegiate teams from across the globe. Team members won the Lescoe Cup.

Survey: Michigan Business Owners Plan To Make Investments In Workforce LANSING - The latest Michigan Future Business Index survey shows business owners have seen added growth over the past six months and now plan to make investments in their workforce through increased wages and training.

Airfoil Wins Silver Anvil Award For Microsoft Business Group Campaign DETROIT – Public relations agency Airfoil was honored Thursday night by the Public Relations Society of America as a winner of the Silver Anvil Award in the Technology-Software and Services category for its representation of the Microsoft Small-and Medium-Sized Business Group's 2012 business-to-business campaign.

Microsoft Releases Mobile For iPhone REDMOND, Wa. - Microsoft inched a bit closer Friday to bringing the one app to the iPhone that's long been missing: Office.

Cyber Defense

BlackBerry Issues Security Alert For New Z10 Smartphone SAN FRANCISCO - BlackBerry has issued a security advisory notice to those who have bought its flagship Z10 touchscreen smartphone - the first BlackBerry 10 device to launch following the company's bid for revival, back in February.

Heard Of The Game Bad Pigs? Or Is Tt Bad Piggies? SAN FRANCISCO - Some clever hacker decided to create a malicious app deceivingly similar to one of the top games in the Google Play store. And, it was downloaded more than 10,000 times before people took notice.

Entrepreneur's Corner

Tickets Still Available For SBAM Annual Meeting Luncheon June 20 LANSING - The Small Business Association of Michigan will hold its Annual Meeting and Networking Luncheon on June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Lansing Center.

Nonprofit Enterprise At Work Wins $2,000 Grand To Support Board Connect ANN ARBOR - Nonprofit Enterprise at Work has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the Michigan Equity Network to support the Board Connect program, Catalysts for Change.

CleanUpdate

Macomb County Wins $1 Million EPA Grant To Finance Brownfield Redevelopment MOUNT CLEMENS - The Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development has been awarded a $1 million grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create a Revolving Loan Fund to make low-interest loans available to help finance redevelopment projects for eligible Brownfield sites in the county, the only county in the state to received the EPA grant.

Annual Michigan Energy Fair In Ludington This Weekend LUDINGTON - The annual Michigan Energy Fair, sponsored by the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, is this weekend at the Mason County Fairgrounds.

TiE Detroit

Michigan International Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Gala Dec. 6 NOVI – The Michigan International Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations from local businesses in nine award categories.

TiE Detroit Creates Angel Group To Invest In Michigan Entrepreneurs NOVI - Michigan entrepreneurs will have yet another Angel group to pitch for investments starting in January when TiE Detroit Angels will officially invite start-ups to submit business plans.

Guest Columns

Pay It Forward By Voting Online To Get Breanna Rose A Wheelchair Accessible Van SOUTH LYON – Help change the life of one special little girl. You need NOT make a donation. You need NOT attend a benefit. All you need to do is give 30 seconds of your day, until May 10th, and you can change the life of Breanna Rose Strange.

Michigan Manufacturers Association Lauds New State Reg Accountability Laws LANSING - Delaney McKinley, Director of Human Resource Policy for the Michigan Manufacturers Association, praised Governor Snyder and the Legislature at the bill signing press conference for legislation (SB 1335, 1336 and HB 5917 and 5922) that establishes greater accountability for state-specific regulations and helps to ensure that Michigan companies are not forced to comply unnecessarily with more stringent standards than their competitors in surrounding states.

Biotechnology

Perrigo Puchases Fera Pharma $93 Milion In Cash, Contingent Payments ALLEGAN - Perrigo Co. said Monday it had purchased the ophthalmic sterile ointment and solution portfolio of Fera Pharmaceuticals LLC and its affiliates for an upfront payment of $93 million along with potential contingent payments of $36 million, some of which relate to Perrigo securing more product rights from Fera.

Focus Shifts To Michigan Senate On Medicaid LANSING - After a lengthy session by the House to pass a Medicaid reform bill that attempts to align the desire of Governor Rick Snyder to expand the program using federal money while making reforms some say are needed, members of the Senate are now reviewing that result and in the process of deciding how they will vote on the bill.

Politics

Gov. Snyder Heading To Israel On Trade Mission LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder announced Friday that he would make his fifth trade and investment mission trip, this time to Israel, in an attempt to strengthen ties in the academic, automotive and business communities. Previously, the governor has gone to locations in the Far East, Europe and Canada.

Medicaid Prompts Snyder, Tea Party Schism LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder has long enjoyed rock-solid support from the Republican Party, but the move by several prominent tea party activists to urge conservatives to "sit out" Snyder's anticipated 2014 re-election campaign puts into question whether Snyder can rely on a robust GOP turnout.

New Products/Contracts

Army Corps Approves $1.2 Million Emergency Dredging For Saginaw River SAGINAW - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved $1.2 million in emergency dredging to re-open the Saginaw River to shipping.

Merit Debuts New Web Site ANN ARBOR - Merit Network has launched its new interactive web site capable of being viewed as a mobile version, a standard graphic version, or a text-only version.

Webcasts

Plex Systems Hosts Food Processing Industry SQF Update May 1 AUBURN HILLS - Plex Systems is hosting a webinar for the food processing industry on May 1 to update users on the several new requirements and changes in the SQF Edition 7 certification. Ensure Readiness for SQF Change takes place at 1 pm. EDT.

Intelligence Squared Webcast: "Does The Internet Poison Politics?" NEW YORK - On April 17, Intelligence Squared U.S. will debate "When it Comes to Politics, The Internet is Closing Our Minds. Does the internet poison politics?"