By JULIE WATSON, The Associated Press Updated 8:51 AM Friday, May 25, 2012 CORONADO, Calif. — Like a Hollywood star, Coronado's 1.5 mile-long beach literally sparkles, thanks to the mineral mica glinting in its sand.That's one of the reasons why Coronado — flanked by the iconic hotel featured in Marilyn Monroe's 1958 film "Some Like It Hot" — has been named the No. 1 beach in the United States in the 2012 survey by "Dr. Beach" professor Stephen P. Leatherman of Florida International University.It is the first time "Dr. Beach" has given the top slot to California in the more than two decades that he has been ranking beaches in the United States based on their environmental quality and safety for swimmers.Coronado Beach, on a ... Continue reading →
NEW YORK (AP) — Profits at big U.S. companies broke records last year, and so did pay for CEOs.The head of a typical public company made $9.6 million in 2011, according to an analysis by The Associated Press using data from Equilar, an executive pay research firm.That was up more than 6 percent from the previous year, and is the second year in a row of increases. The figure is also the highest since the AP began tracking executive compensation in 2006.Companies trimmed cash bonuses but handed out more in stock awards. For shareholder activists who have long decried CEO pay as exorbitant, that was a victory of sorts.That's because the stock awards are being tied more often to company performance. In those instances, CEOs ... Continue reading →
Simon’s $137 million is almost entirely in stock awards that could eventually be worth $132 million. The company said it wanted to make sure Simon wasn’t lured to another company.HOW LONG IT TAKES OTHERS TO MAKE THAT MUCH: A minimum wage worker — paid $7.25 per hour, as some workers at Simon malls are — would have to work one month shy of 9,096 years to make what Simon made last year. A person making the national median salary, $39,312 by AP calculations, would have to work 3,489 years.BY THE HOUR: Assuming Simon worked a 60-hour week, his pay was $43,963.64 per hour, or $732.73 per minute. To put that in perspective, the minimum-wage worker would have to labor for nearly three years to make ... Continue reading →
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Grammy-winning folk musician Doc Watson was in critical condition Thursday at a North Carolina hospital after falling at his home in Deep Gap earlier this week.Watson's daughter, Nancy, told The Associated Press that the 89-year-old Watson fell Monday at his home. She said he didn't break any bones but that he was "real sick."A spokeswoman at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem said Arthel Watson — Arthel is his legal first name — was in critical condition Thursday.The blind singer and guitarist has won several Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award. He also received the National Medal of the Arts.Watson also received the North Carolina Award, the state's highest civilian award, in 1986. He and his family received a North Carolina Heritage Award ... Continue reading →
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Master flatpicker Doc Watson was in critical condition Thursday at a North Carolina hospital after falling at his home in Deep Gap earlier this week. Watson's daughter, Nancy, said in a telephone interview that Watson fell Monday at his home. She said he didn't break any bones but that he was "real sick." A spokeswoman at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem said Arthel Watson — Arthel is Doc Watson's legal first name — was in critical condition Thursday. The 89-year-old blind musician has won several Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award. He's also received the National Medal of the Arts. He's known as a master of the flatpicking style of guitar playing and also for starting Merlefest, an annual gathering of musicians ... Continue reading →
RALEIGH, N.C. — A bill to compensate people who were sterilized against their will won't become a political pawn in the budget process, the House speaker vowed Thursday after a senator said he feared that would happen. House Speaker Thom Tillis said he doesn't want the bill, which has bipartisan support and would make North Carolina the first state to compensate such victims, to be tarnished by political games. "Because anybody who would do that needs to be recognized for what they are, and I don't believe there's anybody in the House or Senate that would behave that way," Tillis said at a news conference. He was responding to Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham, who said he had some colleagues say they were considering putting the ... Continue reading →
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Master flatpicker Doc Watson is in a North Carolina hospital after falling at his home in Deep Gap earlier this week. She says he didn't break any bones but that he's "real sick."Watson's daughter, Nancy, said in a telephone interview that Watson fell Monday at his home. She says he didn't break any bones but that he's "real sick." A spokeswoman at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem said Arthel Watson was still being evaluated, and doctors didn't have a condition for him. Arthel is Doc's first name. The 89-year-old Watson has won several Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award. He's also received the National Medal of the Arts. He's known as a master of the flatpicking style of guitar playing and also for ... Continue reading →
