Mass. General, Brigham mull offer for Fla. facility
THE REGION
Two Florida real estate developers have approached Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital about opening a research hospital in South Florida, possibly in collaboration with other institutions. In a joint statement, the hospitals said executives are ''exploring the nature, feasibility, and potential benefits of such a project." They declined to comment further. Bruce Rendina and George de Guardiola have spoken to Mass. General president Peter Slavin about creating a hospital in their Abacoa Research and Business Center in Jupiter, which includes nearly 2 million square feet of commercial property. The men are also trying to bring The Scripps Research Institute's Florida operations to the site. (Liz Kowalczyk)
Cigarette maker will not supply Internet vendors
Massachusetts and 36 other states and territories dealt a severe blow to online cigarette retailers when Philip Morris USA agreed to stop supplying any vendor the states deem illegal. A spokeswoman for Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly said the agreement should stop shipments of Marlboros to nearly every Internet vendor since the companies routinely violate state tax laws and sell to underage smokers. The agreement with Philip Morris, the nation's largest cigarette company, follows earlier agreements with credit card companies and shipping firms that were designed to stop Internet sales of cigarettes. Other New England states participating in the agreement included Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. (Bruce Mohl)
Income increase for rich outpaced rate for poor
The wealthiest families in Massachusetts have been getting richer at a rate almost five times that of low-income families over the past two decades, according to a study released by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. The study found that the top 20 percent of households in the state saw their average annual incomes grow 77 percent between 1981 and 2003, while the lowest 20 percent saw gains of just 16 percent. The center said the gap between higher- and lower-income families has grown more in Massachusetts than in all but two other states. (Diane Lewis)
Housing development near Franklin Park approved
The Boston Redevelopment Authority approved a proposal by developer Lena New Boston to create Olmsted Green, a $150 million urban community of more than 500 town houses, condos, and rental units near Franklin Park, part of the Emerald Necklace of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Construction is set to begin in the spring. Olmsted Green is envisioned as a 42-acre mixed-use, mixed-income community. Separately, the BRA gave tentative designation to Fisherman's Park LLC to be the developer for primarily city-controlled land on the South Boston Waterfront. The developer proposes an ambitious seafood processing and distribution center named Fisherman's Park that aims to revitalize Boston as a working waterfront. The proposal is in its early stages and must go through city and state permitting processes. (Chris Reidy)
Airline to add daily flights to Savannah, Ga., Nashville
Delta Air Lines said it will add a daily nonstop flight from Logan International Airport in Boston to Savannah, Ga., and to Nashville, April 3. Delta is initially charging $178 round trip to Savannah and $198 to Nashville, excluding taxes and fees, for trips before May 25. Although bankrupt Delta plans to trim US service this year, Delta chief network planner Bob Cortelyou said that ''Boston remains an important focus city for Delta" where it sees opportunities for increasing nonstop service. (Peter J. Howe)
THE NATION
Natural gas futures fall to near six-month lows
Natural gas futures fell to their lowest level in almost six months after the US government released data that showed domestic inventories well above the five-year average for this time of year. Natural gas for February delivery fell 23.1 cents to $8.229 per 1,000 cubic feet. Separately, light sweet crude for March delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange climbed 41 cents to settle at $66.26 a barrel. (AP)
Investors, mutual funds at odds over global warming
Seventy-one percent of mutual fund investors would support shareholder resolutions urging companies to pay closer attention to global-warming issues, according to reports issued by shareholder activists. Large mutual funds routinely oppose or abstain from voting on proxy measures related to climate-change issues, generally arguing such measures don't directly improve the value of the stocks they hold. But in taking that position, the funds ''are completely at odds" with the views of their investors, said Pam Solo, president of the Civil Society Institute, which polled 845 mutual fund investors. (Ross Kerber)
