Community Business Site Interviews BAM! | Business 2 Community

I live in Siskiyou County, which encompasses a handful of small towns in the far northern reaches of California. A new website launched in this area called Interview Siskiyou that features interviews with over two dozen local business owners in our community.

I was interviewed by Arthur Cronos, who runs the site, and felt like he asked some great questions that shed some light on what it?s like to be a small business owner. In order to share some fresh business and personal insights with my BAM! Blog readers, I?ve included my interview here.

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Interview Siskiyou: What made you want to start BAM! Small Biz Consulting?

NA: ?I had 15 years of experience in the advertising industry back in Minneapolis, MN. When I moved to Mt. Shasta in 2008, I saw a lot of small business owners struggling with their marketing (or ignoring it completely), which was negatively affective their revenue. Many were missing opportunities to create a unique brand, and most weren?t taking advantage of the affordable and effective marketing tactics and strategies available. Seeing this was painful because I?m truly passionate about branding and marketing, and I knew these businesses could be doing better. So I decided to start BAM! with the goal of helping my clients become Heavyweight Marketing Champions.

IS: If you had to pick one thing out of your day, what?s the most exciting or favorite?

NA: There are two things that stand out: First, I love mornings in my home office. Firing up my espresso machine and computer, pulling out my weekly to-do list, and diving into the work at hand. Whether I?m working on client projects, or engaged in the blogging, social media and marketing activity I do for BAM! Small Biz Consulting, I find the promise of each new day to be quite inspiring.

Secondly, on days when I have client meetings, I really enjoy visiting my clients on their turf, speaking with them and hearing first-hand what their objectives, desires, problems and frustrations are with their business. Whether I?m conducting a BAM! Free 30-Minute Needs Assessment, presenting a marketing proposal, or providing website training on their new WordPress platform, I learn so much with each and every conversation. To me, spending this one-on-one time with my clients is priceless.

IS: Who is your ideal customer?

NA: If you?re a small business owner who meets the following criteria, You will be a good fit with BAM! Small Biz Consulting:

• You realize you could be doing more when it comes to your branding and marketing.
• You are truly ready to make the effort to implement change.
• You are somewhat accessible, regardless of your busy schedule.
• You have an allotted marketing budget and are ready to invest in your brand.
• You understand and appreciate the value that I bring to the table.
• You realize that marketing is a long-term commitment and not a quick fix.

IS: What do you consider your biggest weakness?

NA: I?m currently capacity limited because I?m doing all the work myself (for my clients as well as my own company). While I do have a network of talented strategic partners, most of the client budgets I?ve been working with so far have not been large enough to allow for additional contractors to get involved.

IS: How are you improving on that weakness?

NA: Seeking clients with bigger budgets! Also, I?m strengthening my relationships with my strategic partners, so when the larger projects do roll in, my extended team is ready to go.

IS: What is your biggest strength?

NA: I truly desire to help improve the conditions of each and every client. If I don?t think I can do so, or if I don?t feel the client is truly willing to so, I will not accept the assignment. I can occasionally be bold, direct and curt with my clients ? BAM! ? but that?s because I truly want the best for them and their business.

IS: How do you like running your own business?

NA: Personally, I don?t fish, but I?ve heard a saying used by old-timer fishermen that goes, ?The worst day fishin? is better than the best day workin?!? That?s exactly how I feel about self-employment: All the stress, the problem-solving, the income tax headaches, the setbacks and the occasional client miscommunications is far better than the mind-numbing, soul-sucking, clock-punching tedium I?ve experienced working certain jobs as an employee.

IS: If you could change one thing about your businesses day-to-day routine, what would it be?

NA: Well, the beauty of self-employment ? and the consulting field in particular ? is that you can create your own routine, and every day is different. If I want to go swimming with my girlfriend on Tuesday afternoon, hit the mall in Redding on a Friday morning and spend all day Sunday building a website, I can. In fact, that?s exactly what I did last week!

IS: What?s the main reason a person would choose to hire BAM! Small Biz Consulting as opposed to other choices, including the choice of doing nothing at all?

NA: A solid referral from someone they trust who is a satisfied BAM! client is an ideal starting point. In lieu of that, I encourage my prospects to shop around. They will certainly find cheaper solutions, as I provide premium services, but they will not find someone as experienced and well versed in big-picture thinking who truly cares about improving the condition of their business, and ultimately making their lives better.

IS: If you had a chance to say one thing to a brand new customer, before they walk in the door, what would it be?

NA: If you?re looking for a cheap product or a quick fix, keep walkin?. If you?re ready to invest time, effort and money in creative, effective solutions that will grow your business with more loyal customers, then step in the ring with BAM! and I will help you become a Heavyweight Marketing Champion!

Source: http://www.business2community.com/expert-interviews/community-business-site-interviews-bam-0237945

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Will Games curse leave London out of gold rush?

Jim Seida / NBC News

East Londoner Dean Houssein sells coffee, drinks and snacks from the back of a van near the London's Victoria Park, a short train ride from the Olympic Park. He said that during the Games, the area has been "deader than dead."

By Alastair Jamieson and Ian Johnston, NBC News

LONDON ? Quiet restaurants, empty sidewalks and spare seats on the subway have left businesses in central London without an Olympic gold rush, despite Britain's medal success?-- and have raised new questions about whether the world's largest sporting event brings any economic benefit to host countries.

It is a major concern in Britain, which is still entrenched in double-dip recession even after the construction boom created by the Games.

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Attractions including St. Paul's Cathedral and the London Zoo have seen a 40 percent drop in visitors since the opening ceremony on July 27. Dire warnings of travel chaos scared many away, and those who do come are congregating in the shopping mall that abuts the Olympic Park in East London, or inside the bars and opens spaces of the sprawling park itself.

Even small businesses within sight of the landmark 80,000-seater main stadium have seen none of the expected dividend.

East Londoner Dean Houssein, who usually works as a taxi driver, decided to sell coffee, drinks and snacks such as chocolate gold medals from the back of a van near Victoria Park. It seemed like a prime location -- big screens in the park show action from the Games to crowds of thousands and the Olympic Park itself is just a 5-minute train ride away.

"It's been like a f****** ghost town ... deader than dead," Houssein said. "I've never seen the area like this. It's costing me money. It's really not happening. I need to go back to my normal job, I've got bills to pay like everyone else," he said last week.

Asked what the business was called, he replied with a wry smile, "I was thinking of calling it 'Dean the Coffee Machine,' but I'm not selling it. I'm drinking it all myself, getting the shakes."

Full coverage in London 2012: Hosting the Games

Even as authorities warned of major delays and congestion, the Daily Telegraph published a slideshow of deserted stations and sidewalks.

Theater producer Nica Burns told the Evening Standard newspaper that her venues were "bleeding."

"For my six theaters, last week was the worst this year," she said. "I think the Olympics are great ? but I feel like I've been the bulls-eye for the archery competition."

Peter Vlachos, a marketing expert at the University of Greenwich, in southeast London, has been surveying local businesses about the impact of the Games. "One word came back: Disaster," he told The Associated Press.

"There are 23,000 people walking past (local shops) in the morning to get to the grounds, and at the end of the day the same 23,000 people rushing back to their hotels," he said.

"The Olympics were sold to the business community as if it was going to be a huge windfall, and it hasn't materialized," he said.

Race to London's Olympic Park: Fastest way is ... ?

Big traders are also suffering. Stores on the city's flagship shopping drag, Oxford Street, have seen footfall slump by up to one-fifth.

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Click for more from the 2012 summer games in London.

"Of all months to see a drop in trade, August is the worst," said Bernard Donohue, chief executive of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. "We expected a drop in international visitors -- it's the well-known displacement effect that happens at every Olympic Games -- but we didn?t expect all the domestic visitors to stay away, too."

British Prime Minister David Cameron last week repeated official estimates that London 2012 would bring $20 billion-worth of economic benefits over the next four years, mostly in the form of inward investment urban regeneration ? enough to the justify the $14 billion cost of staging the Games.

"That figure is based on somewhat shaky calculations," said Samuel Tombs of London-based analysts Capital Economics, which predicts Britain will fall back into recession within weeks of the closing ceremony.

"There are some short-term benefits, particularly in the service sector, but long-term gains are unproven. We expect modest growth in the third quarter -- partly boosted by Olympic ticket sales which are officially recorded in this quarter -- but our current prediction is that we will see growth shrink again in the fourth quarter."

Christians, Muslims and even a 'vegan turkey' seek converts at London 2012

'The Olympic Curse'?
Could Britain be the latest victim of "The Olympic Curse" -- a phenomenon that in 1976 left Montreal with a 30-year debt headache?

Jim Seida / NBC News

You can lead the world to London, but you can't make them shop. Pedestrians walk past an Olympic-themed window display in a Tommy Hilfiger store on Regent Street, central London, on Aug. 2.

Athens is estimated to have spent between $15 billion and $32 billion on hosting the 2004 Olympics -- a contributory factor in the country's economic crisis -- and recent pictures show many of the venues lying vacant and abandoned.?Research from Oxford University's Sa?d Business School concludes that host cities have averaged a 179-percent cost overrun in the past 50 years, although recent Games have seen among the lowest overspends.

Olympic hosts: Londoners open their homes to the world

Transit authority Transport for London last week abandoned the use of pre-recorded public announcements, voiced by Mayor Boris Johnson, warning Londoners to plan for an expected visitor boom that never materialized.

The New West End Company, which represents stores in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, is spinning the unexpected quietness as a boon for locals under the slogan 'No tickets needed.' "It's a Londoner's dream at the moment -- they can get around easily and get a table in a good restaurant," said spokesman Jace Tyrell.

The decline in visitor numbers in London could mean that other British tourist hot spots, including Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, and northwest England's Lake District, see fewer summer visitors.

Olympics officials accused of anti-Semitism over Munich remembrance

Jonathan Denby, head of the Lakes Hospitality Association, told BBC Radio 4: "We get probably 100,000 Japanese tourists during the summer. This year in July and August there are none.

Traveling around traffic-plagued London can be a hassle at the best of times -- never mind during an event such as the Olympic Games. NBCNews.com put the city to the test in a race to the Olympic Park.

"No visitors are coming in from Asia because they couldn't get hotel accommodation in London and they were frightened of all the travel restrictions in London, so they just decided to stay away for the five-week period of the Olympics," he said.

"If you want to know where all the Londoners are, a lot of them are in the Lake District," Denby added.

Forging an Olympic legacy
There have been some winners. The recently opened Westfield shopping mall, through which tens of thousands of spectators walk from Stratford station in order to reach the Olympic Park, became so busy over the weekend that it closed to all except ticket-holders. A worker at The Cow, a bar at the end of the mall overlooking the stadium, said it was making $50,000 a day from food and drink sales.

Jim Seida / NBC News

Thousands of people move through the recently-opened Westfield shopping mall on their way to and from the London Olympic Park on Aug. 2.

In Manchester, one of England's largest cities, more than 100,000 extra visitors have flocked to the central Exchange Square to watch the Olympic action on giant screens, to the delight of local businesses, according to the Manchester Evening News.

For others, it may be too early to judge with Cameron's predicted windfall will come true.

"We thought we might get some extra customers during the Games," said Roger Love, co-owner of London Fields Fitness, which offers personal training and pay-as-you-go classes in East London.

"In fact, not a single extra person has come to us because of the Olympics. The local area is as quiet as it was the morning after last year's riots.?Having said that, we haven't lost any business, either ? and there may be greater interest in sport and fitness longer term. In the park this morning I overhead someone asking their child if they wanted to be a swimmer or a runner, so there could be more future business for us -- and perhaps a real Olympic legacy -- after all."

More world stories from NBC News:

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/07/13146553-will-games-curse-leave-ghost-town-london-out-of-the-medals?lite

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Anti-angina drug shows protective effects from carbon monoxide

ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 2012) ? An international research team, led from the University of Leeds, has found that a common anti-angina drug could help protect the heart against carbon monoxide poisoning. Animal studies have shown that the anti-angina drug ranolazine can significantly reduce the number of deaths from arrhythmias -- irregular or abnormally paced heartbeats -- that have been triggered by carbon monoxide.

The findings could have important implications for the development of a protective treatment for adults and children who have been exposed to toxic levels of the gas.

"When patients are admitted to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning, the main problem doctors face is preventing damage to the body whilst the body slowly removes the chemical," said University of Leeds' Professor Chris Peers, who led the research. "We've shown that ranolazine can rapidly protect the heart and prevent the kind of cardiac events which threaten patients long after their exposure to the gas."

Carbon monoxide poisoning causes 1.6 million deaths worldwide every year. Many people who have been exposed to the gas develop cardiac arrhythmias, which if left untreated can lead to a fatal cardiac arrest.

Until now, however, the underlying biochemical mechanisms causing damage to the heart have not been fully understood, preventing the development of effective treatments.

Ranolazine, which is sold under the trade name Ranexa, was approved in 2006 in the US for the treatment of angina. The drug works by targeting a sodium channel in the heart -- the same channel that can also induce irregular heartbeats.

Researchers at the University of Leeds examined the effect of ranolazine in single cardiac cells, to learn why carbon monoxide can trigger arrhythmias. They found that exposure to the gas caused a key membrane channel carrying sodium ions through the heart to stay open for longer. This in turn caused calcium to build up within cells, with the combined effect altering the heart's regular cycle.

Colleagues at the Universit? Montpellier 1 and Universit? de Avignon in France then trialled ranozaline on rats exposed to carbon monoxide, to test its protective effects. They found that the drug markedly reduced the chance of arrhythmia in the animals.

"Whilst the link between arrhythmias and carbon monoxide has been known for over 50 years, this is the first piece of research to explain the underlying process," said University of Leeds' Professor Derek Steele, who co-authored the research. "At the molecular level, we have shown that the mechanism underlying this adverse effect of carbon monoxide is a rise in the level of nitric oxide within cells, which in turn alters the function of the sodium channel."

The findings may also help those living in built-up areas or whose work involves daily exposure to lower levels of carbon monoxide, such as firefighters, the researchers believe. A recent and extensive epidemiological study of nine million people in the US1 showed a clear link between environmental carbon monoxide exposure and hospitalisation due to cardiovascular complaints. As ranolazine is a daily medication for angina, the researchers suggest it may be suitable to protect patients from the harmful effects of chronic exposure, though human clinical trials will be required to confirm this.

"The next step will be to replicate these findings in human trials. As the drug has been clinically approved, roll out of this treatment could begin soon after we have these results," said Professor Peers.

Dr H?l?ne Wilson, Research Advisor at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which co-funded the study, said: "This study is a good example of research being used to better understand the underlying causes of an abnormal heart rhythm and in this case it has uncovered the ability of an old drug to perform a new trick. Carbon monoxide poisoning is tragically common but hopefully these promising results can be replicated in people so that it saves lives in the future."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Leeds.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. P. C. Hopewell, F. du Melle, J. F. Murray. Evolution and Revolution:The Formation of Today's American Thoracic Society (part 2). American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201206-1005PP

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/RsVTNHjP_gg/120806102228.htm

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Cell-infused 'spray-on-skin' helps leg ulcers heal more quickly

Spray-on medical solutions packed with cells certainly seem to be catching on. A new study published in The Lancet highlights a spray infused with skin cells and blood clotting proteins that helps leg ulcers heal quicker. Normally, the open wounds only undergo a compression bandage treatment and typically heal after six months. Patients who were also spritzed with the cell-imbued solution, however, experienced a rapid decrease in ulcer sizes soon after being treated. Three months into the regimen, 70 percent of those who had the mist applied were healed of the malady. Not only does the new remedy speed up the healing process, but it also avoids the need for a skin graft, another method used to hasten rehabilitation. Cost is a potential concern, but further tests are still needed to determine the therapy's practicality.

[Image credit: Shutterstock]

Filed under: Science

Cell-infused 'spray-on-skin' helps leg ulcers heal more quickly originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By Your Own Bootstraps: Quick Tips On Self Improvement

The number of people looking to improve themselves is huge, if not limitless. There are different areas in each person?s life where they want to makes these changes. If you are looking to apply some personal development to your life, look no further than the wonderful advice that is contained in this article.

Create a personal development plan by determining what your personal values are. It wouldn?t make sense to work on areas in your life that contradict your values. Spend your time on things that are in line with your values. This is the best way to make long-term changes.

TIP! Choose someone you admire to assist you with your goals and accountability in personal development. Someone to help guide you is always helpful.

Have a notebook or a smartphone app to jot down notes wherever you go. Pack some paper with you when you go out. Write down your idea in detail, then implement it at a later time when you can expand on the issue.

Go out of your way to give other people compliments. Resist the urge to focus on the negative and instead speak out in kindness to others and you will find yourself being kinder to yourself, as well.

Your physical limitations should be your guide when working toward achieving a goal. You should give it your very best effort and you need to know when you are giving too much. Taking care of your physical abilities is more important than achieving a goal. Hurting your body is going to be counter to what you are hoping to achieve in improving yourself.

TIP! If you notice that you are consistently failing to meet your goals and live up to expectations, you should attempt to diagnose the probable causes. Look for stories of other people who have successfully achieved goals similar to your own, then compare your approaches.

You will miss many opportunities to develop personally if you put off making decisions. Even if your knowledge is not what it could be, have the courage to make choices. Great decisions encourage sharp instincts. Even when your decision is incorrect, you can learn a lot from the mistake that you made. A bad choice will just open up the door for a better one.

A great organizational system can help you track your progress. If you break big goals down into little sub-goals, you will gain confidence as you achieve the sub-goals. You can use off-the-shelf tools like day planners or diaries to monitor your personal development progress.

Give yourself a boost of confidence by reciting all the things you like about yourself. Make a self-empowering post-it note or note card. Carry it around, and read it when you need to. An even more effective solution would be to read the list out and have it recorded on video; playing it back when you are feeling low. How will this help with your personal development?

TIP! Research how other people became successful. You can build upon the trails they blazed and avoid mistakes they made by finding out how they reached fulfillment.

Always treat people respectfully, whether they have power and can do something for you, or whether they?re an ordinary person. The way you act toward others says something about your character, not theirs.

Are you having trouble meeting someone that you can love and call your own? Try the world wide web. Many couples meet online now. There could be someone out there who is searching for their significant other, and that could be you. Both of these sites have pros and cons.

Every now and then, you may find yourself making a poor decision when it comes to food. Allowing stressful situations to build can be as harmful as eating an unhealthy diet, and therefore, it is important to remind yourself to maintain perspective and your calm at all times.

TIP! If you want to improve yourself, write down a specific list of things you want to improve. For example, should you want a greater amount of confidence, write about it.

Make the important aspects of your life the focus of how you live. You will surely find inner peace by focusing your thoughts on things that are important as opposed to those that don?t matter at all.

Your physical well-being and mental health are connected. Be sure to get plenty of exercise and nourishment. You cannot keep a healthy mind without taking care of your body.

TIP! Maintaining benevolent wishes for others can lead to an increase in the good things you bring into your own life. If you consider things this way, you will wish only good things for those around you.

Begin your personal development with a look at your leadership qualities. Leadership can be defined in many ways, but most people like to define it as ?influence.? Identify the leadership qualities you possess. Have certain people and events made more significant impacts on your life? What changes did those events bring forth in you? What skills would you contribute to a group? When you can answer those questions, you?ll know how to be part of a team.

Use your core principles to guide you as you begin to take action. All people have beliefs that tell what they are about. If you have this rooted in a good foundation, your self-esteem will benefit greatly due to this. This will also promote consistency in your life and actions, which is a trait almost everyone finds admirable.

Most people know they want to improve something in their life but remain unsure of how to get started. Reading this article for insight was the easy part. Next, you must commit yourself to applying these ideas to your daily life. If you notice that you are starting to lack motivation, read over this article again to lift you back up

Source: http://www.uptownrenaissance.com/by-your-own-bootstraps-quick-tips-on-self-improvement

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The Distinctive Nike Air Max Makes use of Of Physical fitness Gear ...

In terms of physical exercise and reaching the individual physical fitness targets that we set for ourselves, frequently we need to have Nike Air Max a lot more health and fitness gear than just our own physique. Increasing health ranges and attaining overall well being, needs a dedication into a regimented eating and workout plan that may outcome in the shedding of extra fat and making of muscle. But in an effort to reach these goals we need to initially identify the sort of physical exercise that is most likely to imply success for our certain body along with the sort of health and fitness gear that will support us do it.

For cardiovascular exercise ? the health equipment is dependent upon the kind of exercise you select. Runners ? and walkers for that subject ? require a superb pair of shoes as their physical exercise gear. Nike Air Max Right shoes can in no way been underestimated; they will further physical fitness targets and stop injury. Whether or not running or walking, pounding on pavement can put an huge quantity of stress on knees, ankles, ft, and also again. High quality shoes can soak up the shock and make this health and fitness encounter a considerably more pleasurable one.

Other physical fitness equipment corresponds to other cardiovascular exercise ? kickboxing typically requires a punching bag; boot camp programs may possibly need a medicine ball; along with a high-energy stage course will need a strong stage on which to carry out your workout routines. For those who favor to get their physical exercise by machine, health and fitness equipment may possibly consist of the treadmill, stair climber, stationery bicycle, and elliptical device.

But needless to say, health gear extends to other types of workout as well. Weight Nike Air Max coaching needs a range of weights ? both machine and no cost weights. Core instruction ? for example yoga and Pilates ? needs mats as being a part of conditioning equipment.

Health and fitness equipment doesn?t have to be high-end expensive pieces of machinery. The best possible physical health and fitness might be achieved within the convenience of the house by basically making use of every single day objects around the residence as a way to dietary supplement your physical exercise schedule. Do dips on a kitchen area chair, squats against a wall, or sprints on your stairs ? workout doesnt need to be Nike Air Max confined to a health club. As a make any difference of fact, several persons contemplate their physical exercise videos to become one of the most important bit of conditioning equipment that they?ve.

Fitness Nike Air Max gear can increase your work out and go an extended way towards assisting you accomplish your conditioning goals. Preserve your possibilities in health and fitness equipment creative ? youll quickly find out that workout is often tranquil satisfying.

Established Air Max Online Store sells numerous cheap Nike Air Max 90 right now with Efficient Delivery service, Protected Checkout & Incredible Customer Satisfaction.

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Source: http://hostel333.com/?p=76784

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Russia mogul under pressure wants to sell assets

MOSCOW (AP) ? A Russian tycoon whose holdings include a leading investigative newspaper critical of the Kremlin said Friday that he wants to sell his Russian assets because of pressure from state security services.

Alexander Lebedev, worth $1.1 billion according to Forbes magazine, said the main KGB successor agency has targeted him with a series of investigations and inspections to push him out of business.

"For the past three years my business has been deliberately and continuously destroyed by Division K of the Federal Security Service's economic security department," Lebedev said on his blog. "Haunting and pressure has targeted not only me and workers of my companies, but my family members as well."

He said the main reason behind the Russian Federal Security Service's pressure on him was corruption investigations by the Novaya Gazeta he has financed, alleging that some of its officers were involved in corruption.

Lebedev and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev own a 49 percent stake in the newspaper, while the remaining shares are controlled by Novaya's staffers. Lebedev also owns two newspapers in Britain, the Independent and the Evening Standard.

The Novaya Gazeta's relentless criticism of the Kremlin and its investigations into official corruption have put many of its journalists under fire. Four of its reporters have been killed since 2000, including Anna Politkovskaya, a fierce critic of the Kremlin and its policies in Chechnya who was gunned down in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building in 2006. Others have been harassed and attacked.

Lebedev said on Ekho Moskvy radio that he may hand over some of his assets to Novaya so that the newspaper may continue operation, because he no longer has no cash to keep funding it.

Lebedev has also supported Alexei Navalny, a charismatic anti-corruption crusader and blogger who was a key driving force against massive protests in the past winter against Vladimir Putin's rule. Earlier this week, Navalny has been charged with theft amid a widening crackdown on dissent that followed Putin's re-election to a third term in March. He may face 10 years in prison if convicted.

Lebedev, a KGB veteran like Putin, has avoided blaming the president for his woes. He said that security officers targeted him because he was the "main sponsor of the opposition," but dismissed that claim as "utter rubbish." He added, however, that he had expected the Kremlin to intervene to stop attacks on him.

Lebedev has made his money in the banking industry and owns the National Reserve Bank. He also has a stake in Russian flag carrier Aeroflot and owns Red Wings airline and other assets.

Lebedev said that it would be hard for him to sell his assets because the security services would discourage any potential buyers. He said he had no intention of leaving Russia, adding that he would try to take a more active role in politics.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-08-03-Russia-Tycoon%20in%20Trouble/id-9414f0be1c4e4244b70315d05a5c462b

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