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Yahoo Inc. investors get another update on CEO Carol Bartz' turnaround efforts at the Internet giant on Tuesday when second quarter earnings are posted.

Analysts expect earnings will come in around 14 cents per share on revenue of $1.16 billion after subtracting Yahoo's advertising commissions.

That would be the Sunnyvale company's (NASDAQ:YHOO) best quarter since Bartz took over 18 months ago, clamping down on costs and replacing a number of top executives.

One key area investors will focus on is how Yahoo's advertising revenue growth holds up. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) posted a 24 percent increase in revenue last week, although its similarly strong earnings came in a bit below projections.

If Yahoo, which relies on online banner ads for most of its revenue, shows similarly strong growth in ad spending, it's believed that Bartz' belt-tightening will help the company exceed projections for the quarter.

Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney wrote in his preview of Yahoo results that, “In particular, we believe that the robust and accelerating Google U.S. revenue results, based on both Search and Display growth, provide a broad positive market read-thru for Yahoo.”

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McDonald’s smoothie sampling event July 22-24 has been called off due to unprecedented demand.

McDonald’s said it will review the possibility of rescheduling at a later date.

“The McCafé Real Fruit Smoothies are an absolute hit with our customers and we’re experiencing unprecedented demand for this delicious new choice on our menu,” said Neil Golden, Chief Marketing Officer for McDonald’s USA, in a statement no faxing 1 hour payday loans. “We always want to meet our customers’ expectations and provide the service, convenience and value they expect when visiting McDonald’s.”

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Austin game developer Heatwave Interactive Inc. unveiled Tuesday a Myspace version of its popular hip-hop social media game.

The "Platinum Life: Web Edition," which was also revamped for Facebook, allows players to create a music persona and maneuver through a career on a quest to reach the top of the industry. Likenesses include recognized artists such as Ludacris, Omarion, Trina, Shontelle, DJ Skee, among others, and users compete to earn points for new clothes, accessories, pets and money.

The company said the game features a streamlined interface and advanced icon customization abilities. Users complete missions, rock performances an battle other rappers, DJs and singers.

As part of the launch, Heatwave is giving away a trip to see Ludacris in concert. The prize includes airfare, hotel accommodations, concert tickets and ground transportation. Players can vie for a chance to enter through participating in a special "battle of the sexes" Platinum Life tournament payday loan.

Heatwave was founded in 2007 and employs 25. In June, the company recruited hip hop producer QD3 to its board of advisers, along with representatives from Lucasfilm Ltd., Atari Inc., Humongous Entertainment, Disney Co., Phillips Corp. and Broderbund Software Inc. Also known as Quincy Delight Jones III, the Sweden-born producer attended the Berklee College of Music, later producing albums for industry giants including the late Tupac Shakur, Prince and Dr. Dre.

In February, Heatwave Interactive bought online gaming platform Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, developed for online publisher PlayGrid.

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Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP Enterprise Services has signed a Continuity of Services Contract with the U.S. Department of the Navy worth more than $3.4 billion if all options are exercised, HP has announced.

The initial award to the unit, which is based in Herndon, Va., is $27 million, the Department of Defense said in its online contract digest.

The work is on the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, which provides IT support for more than 700,000 sailors, marines and civilians in the continental United States, Hawaii and Japan.

The initial job will be performed in Herndon, Va., and should be completed by Sept. 30.

Further work could continue through 2015 if all options are exercised, at some 2,500 locations including bases, camps, posts, stations, offices and single-seat storefronts in the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), and Puerto Rico.

This contract was not competitively procured, as HP Enterprise Services is the owner-operator of the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet and is the only source that can satisfy the Navy’s requirement for continuity of IT services, the DOD said pay day advance.

“The Department of the Navy needs to provide uninterrupted service to users while the Navy and Marine Corps execute a transition of one of the world’s largest and most secure defense network environments,” Dennis Stolkey, senior vice president for the public sector, HP Enterprise Services, said in a statement. “With the NMCI contract ending on Sept. 30, 2010, the Navy and HP have signed the CoSC to continue many of the IT services while enabling the Navy and Marine Corps to transition services to NGEN.”

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A public-private state partnership has been awarded $30 million in federal stimulus funding for a project to extend broadband access in Ohio.

The Ohio Middle Mile Consortium, a group of broadband providers around the state, sought the grant on behalf of the state. Gov. Ted Strickland said the funding will support the construction of 700 miles of high-capacity fiber to rural and underserved communities in 28 western counties paydayloans. More than 300 jobs could be created as a result of the project.

The consortium is tied to the Ohio Academic Resources Network, the technology arm of the University System of Ohio.

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The United Way of Central New Mexico’s Women in Philanthropy group has awarded $82,000 to five nonprofits to enhance women’s self-sufficiency.

Southwest Creations Collaborative will receive $30,000. The nonprofit employs low-income, mostly Spanish-speaking women who do sewing, piece-work and light manufacturing and who can access classes on-site to learn English and computer skills, complete their GED as well as use on-site, affordable childcare.

SER de New Mexico will get $20,309 to help it provide GED, life skills and job training to women, support their job search efforts and support child care needs related to employability.

ACCIÓN New Mexico Colorado Arizona, a microlender, will receive $13,500 to increase financial literacy training, improve client’s credit scores and loan repayment rates, and extend micro lending services to women.

WESST is getting $11,250 to provide money management training and access to capital through matched savings in individual development accounts cash advance today.

The Precious Gifts Housing Program will get $7,800 to support women with substance abuse problems and help them become financially literate through high school graduation or GED completion, and provide job skills training.

Women in Philanthropy is a group of more than 2,000 local women donors who give $1,000 or more annually to United Way. WIP in central New Mexico is the second largest group of United Way women donors in the nation.

The women self-sufficiency grants are focused on the following criteria: Programs working to prevent women from entering poverty by enhancing their employability; the ability to demonstrate indicators of success by using measurable outcomes of existing programs; the use of partnering organizations to achieve success; and nonprofits that did not receive a 2010 United Way Community Fund Grant.

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Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its outlook for Toronto-Dominion Bank to positive from stable.

One reason cited for the revision was the expectation that TD Bank would successful integrate its most recently announced U.S. acquisitions, including The South Financial Group.

South Financial (NASDAQ: TSFG), headquartered in Greenville, S. C., does business in Florida as Mercantile Bank and has 17 offices and $755.7 million in assets in the Tampa Bay area.

S&P said in a release that Toronto-based TD Bank has outperformed some of its domestic peers and it expects the bank to continue its strong domestic performance.

“In addition, TD Bank appears to have successfully exported its domestic business model into the [United States] where it was able to establish a formidable retail presence,” the release said payday loan online. It now ranks as the sixth-largest bank in North America by branches and holds the No. 4 position in North America by deposits.

However, growth in the United States exposes TD Bank to economic and asset quality difficulties, S&P said.

S&P also affirmed its bank and related entities, including its “AA-” long-term and “A-1+” short-term counterparty credit ratings.

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The Metropolitan Transit Authority plans to purchase the shuttered Peterbilt Motors Co. site in Madison in order to replace operations on Nestor Street that suffered $10 million in flood damage. The 66-acre site includes a 400,000-square-foot plant.

Authority CEO Paul Ballard said Seattle-based Paccar, Peterbilt’s parent company, has requested $21 million for the property, but that MTA expects to pay substantially less. Ballard noted the lack of demand for manufacturing facilities. MTA has identified $9.4 million in federal grants, stimulus funds, proceeds from property sales and other sources that it plans to set aside for the purchase. The remaining balance will be paid by Metro government, which plans to share the facility with MTA.

If the purchase goes through, Ballard said administrative functions and heavy maintenance would relocate to the property at 430 Myatt Drive. MTA would retain its Nestor Street property for dispatching, staging and light maintenance. The plan was approved by a unanimous vote of MTA’s board Thursday. Ballard said MTA previously planned to upgrade its existing facilities, but reconsidered after the flood.

“Quite honestly, we were planning on investing a lot of money in Nestor Street,” Ballard said. “We thought that we were safe from flooding.”

The 2,000-worker Peterbilt plant rolled out its last truck in 2008 and permanently closed its doors in December. The company had stopped producing trucks after it and the United Auto Workers Local 1832 failed to agree on a new contract, but Peterbilt officials said the permanent closure was the result of decreased demand for large trucks.

In addition to the property damage it sustained, MTA also lost $20 million worth of vehicles. MTA, which is currently borrowing buses from Cincinnati and Memphis, plans to purchase 25 Gillig buses for $8.9 million. Ballard said he expects FEMA and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency to cover 90 percent of the cost. MTA will not be purchasing hybrid buses, due to the cost, and Ballard said the purchase will delay the transition to a fully hybrid fleet by two years.

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Doctors who receive Medicare payments won a round Friday in their bid for a raise - but first they’ll suffer a big cut in their government reimbursements.

The Senate passed a bill Friday rescinding a 21% cut and adding a 2.2% increase for Medicare payments. The bill was passed by unanimous consent after lawmakers found a way to pay for the boost without raising the budget deficit.

The bill now goes back to the House of Representatives, which had previously approved it, because of Senate changes to the measure. A Democratic leadership aide said the House would take up the bill early next week.

But the delay in congressional action came too late to stop the first reduced Medicare payments to doctors from the scheduled 21.3% cut that went into effect June 1.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said that after waiting since May for congressional approval, it can’t wait any longer. So it is processing all claims from June 1 up till now.

"This is the largest reduction that the doctors’ payment has ever experienced," said centers spokesman Peter Ashkenaz.

With their future payments still uncertain, physicians found little reason to rejoice over the Senate approval.

"It’s going to go back to the House now, and it looks like they’re not going to be in session until Tuesday afternoon," said Dr. Lori Heim, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

"It’s definitely something that physicians are concerned about," said Jack Hoadley, research professor at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.

Hoadley said Congress usually makes fixes such as this one retroactive. But, he added, "even if it turns out there’s a retroactive fix, there’s a real cash issue."

Heim said she knows physicians who "already decided that they could no longer continue to see Medicare patients if the cut went through. There are other physicians that I’ve heard from who have decided to stop taking Medicare patients."

"This is really outrageous," she added.

The American Medical Association also weighed in.

"Congress is playing Russian roulette with seniors’ health care," said AMA President Dr. Cecil B. Wilson. "Congress has finally taken its game of brinkmanship too far, as the steep 21% cut is now in effect and physicians will be forced to make difficult practice changes to keep their practice doors open."

More than 43 million Americans receive medical care through Medicare. 

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U.S. consumer prices decreased in May for the second straight month as gasoline prices fell, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The consumer price index fell a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent after a 0.1 percent decline in April, the government said. Energy prices fell 2.9 percent, food prices were flat and shelter prices rose 0.1 percent. The core CPI — which excludes volatile food and energy prices in order to get a look at underlying inflation — rose 0.1 percent, just the second monthly increase this year.

The report matched expectations.

Energy prices were the big story in May, falling 2.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis. Gasoline prices fell 5.2 percent, seasonally adjusted. In the past year, energy prices are up 15 percent.

Excluding energy, consumer prices rose 0.1 percent in May. Most major categories of consumer spending showed flat or slightly rising prices.

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