Christian Universities Online Publishes 50 Most Affordable Christian Colleges for 2017

DURHAM, N.C., - (PRNewswire) - Leading Christian higher education resource, Christian Universities Online has published a ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Christian Colleges for 2017 (http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/50-most-affordable-christian-colleges-and-universities-2017/). College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, claimed the top spot on the list. Erskine College of Due West, South Carolina, and Bob Jones University of Greenville, South Carolina, came in second and third respectively.
Other schools making the list include (in alphabetical order):
Belhaven University - Jackson, Mississippi
Bethel College - Mishawaka, Indiana
Bryan College - Dayton, Tennessee
Campbellsville University - Campbellsville, Kentucky
Carson-Newman University - Jefferson City, Tennessee
Central Christian College of Kansas - McPherson, Kansas
Charleston Southern University - Charleston, South Carolina
Cornerstone University - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Emmanuel College - Franklin Springs, Georgia
Fresno Pacific University - Fresno, California
Grace College and Seminary - Winona Lake, Indiana
Hannibal-LaGrange University - Hannibal, Missouri
Harding University - Searcy, Arkansas
Howard Payne University - Brownwood, Texas
Huntington University - Huntington, Indiana
John Brown University - Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Judson College - Marion, Alabama
Kentucky Christian University - Grayson, Kentucky
King University - Bristol, Tennessee
Lee University - Cleveland, Tennessee
Louisiana College - Pineville, Louisiana
MidAmerica Nazarene University - Olathe, Kansas
Milligan College - Milligan College, Tennessee
Mississippi College - Clinton, Mississippi
Missouri Baptist University - Saint Louis, Missouri
Montreat College - Montreat, North Carolina
Mount Vernon Nazarene University - Mount Vernon, Ohio
North Central University - Minneapolis, Minnesota
North Greenville University - Tigerville, South Carolina
North Park University - Chicago, Illinois
Nyack College - Nyack, New York
Oklahoma Baptist University - Shawnee, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Christian University - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Regent University - Virginia Beach, Virginia
Shorter University - Rome, Georgia
Southern Nazarene University - Bethany, Oklahoma
Southern Wesleyan University - Central, South Carolina
Southwest Baptist University - Bolivar, Missouri
Spring Arbor University - Spring Arbor, Michigan
Sterling College - Sterling, Kansas
Toccoa Falls College - Toccoa, Georgia
Trevecca Nazarene University - Nashville, Tennessee
University of the Southwest - Hobbs, New Mexico
Warner University - Lake Wales, Florida
Waynesburg University - Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Williams Baptist College - Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
York College - York, Nebraska
To determine this list, Christian Universities Online compared Net Price tuition data gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Net Price is determined by subtracting the average amount of federal, state/local government, or institutional grant or scholarship aid from the total cost of attendance. Total cost of attendance is the sum of published tuition and required fees, books, and supplies, as well as the weighted average for room and board and other expenses. This ranking was produced using this single data point. Every school in the ranking is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) or member eligible. Site editor Anna-Rebekah Orr states that the goal of the ranking is to identify schools whose cost is not prohibitive to families on a budget. Orr goes on to say, "It is encouraging to know that students looking for affordable Christian higher education have so many options."
Christian Universities Online (http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/) is an online resource for students and families researching Christian higher education. The site publishes rankings and reviews of the best Christian colleges and universities, information about Christian scholarships and financial aid, and many other resources for finding, getting into, and paying for a quality Christian education.

Business Briefs

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Columbia Sportswear Company (NASDAQ:COLM) welcomed an August 10 ruling by the United States District Court for the District of Oregon that Seirus Innovative Accessories infringes one of Columbia’s design patents. Columbia alleges that Seirus created its HeatWave products by copying Columbia’s patented Omni-Heat® Reflective products, which have earned industry-wide acclaim.

Columbia filed the suit against Seirus in Oregon in January 2015 accusing it of willfully infringing three patents relating to Columbia’s revolutionary Omni-Heat® Reflective technology. One of the three Columbia patents covers a particular design of a heat reflective material.
In his decision, Judge Hernandez found that “The overall visual effect of the Columbia and Seirus designs are nearly identical,” and that “The striking visual similarity between Seirus’s design and Columbia’s patented design is likely to confuse an ordinary observer, and therefore, Columbia’s motion is granted.”

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 FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) is hosting a special Teacher Appreciation Day across the country to help teachers save while they prepare for the new school year. The first 100 teachers at each Staples store on Teacher Appreciation Day, Wednesday, August 17, will receive a free sample kit with special coupons; plus every teacher with a valid teacher ID will receive 10% off of their purchase.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National health spending in June 2016 was 5.2% higher than in June 2015, totaling $3.36 trillion (seasonally adjusted annual rate). For the first 6 months of 2016, health spending grew at a rate of 5.3%, slightly below the 2015 estimate of 5.5% made by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), but modestly above the 4.8% rate that CMS projects for all of 2016. The health spending share of gross domestic product (GDP) stood at 18.2% in June, tied for the all-time high in our series, first hit in February 2016.

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CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report: Average card APR remains locked at 15.18 percent

AUSTIN, TX - (PRNewswire) The average APR on new card offers held steady this week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report.
The average is comprised of 100 of the most popular credit cards in the country, including cards from dozens of leading U.S. issuers and representing every card category. Introductory (teaser) rates are not included in the calculation.
Rates for card categories tracked by CreditCards.com are listed below:

Credit Card Rate Averages
	Avg. APR	Last week	6 months ago
National Average	15.18%	15.18%	15.18%
Low Interest	11.98%	11.98%	11.96%
Balance Transfer	14.38%	14.38%	14.35%
Business	13.12%	13.12%	13.12%
Student	13.42%	13.42%	13.42%
Cash Back	15.32%	15.32%	15.26%
Airline	15.08%	15.08%	15.17%
Reward	15.29%	15.29%	15.28%
Instant Approval	18.04%	18.04%	18.21%
Bad Credit	22.56%	22.56%	22.88%
Source: CreditCards.com
Updated: 8-03-2016

For the eighth week in a row, the national average APR has remained fixed at 15.18 percent.
Interest rates on new credit card offers are currently near record highs and show few signs of dropping anytime soon. After increasing steadily earlier this year in response to the Federal Reserve's December 2015 rate increase, minimum rates on new credit card offers have largely remained unchanged. Since March 1, for example, the national average has changed just three times. It has increased twice and fallen just once.
A number of card issuers have increased maximum interest rates on new card offers; but the increases aren't reflected in the national average because CreditCards.com only considers a card's lowest available rate when calculating average interest rates.
The CreditCards.com credit card rate survey (permalink: http://www.creditcards.com/rate-report) is conducted weekly, using offer data from leading U.S. card issuers' websites. Introductory offer periods and regular interest rates will vary with applicants' credit quality and issuer risk-based pricing policies.

Business Updates

WICHITA, KS -Aug 1, 2016 (PRNewswire) - Spirit AeroSystems Inc. [NYSE: SPR] President & Chief Executive Officer Tom Gentile will speak at the Jefferies Industrial conference in New York, N.Y., on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at 1:20 p.m. (EDT).

Remarks from Gentile will be webcast and will be available at http://www.spiritaero.com/investor.aspx. 
Individuals are advised to check the website ahead of time to ensure their computers are configured for the webcast.
On the web: www.spiritaero.com
On Twitter: @SpiritAero

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NEW YORK, NY - Aug. 1, 2016 (PRNewswire) - Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP) ("we," "us," "our" or "Avon") announced today that it has commenced cash tender offers (each offer, a "Tender Offer" and, collectively, the "Tender Offers"), subject to certain terms and conditions, to purchase up to a total of $650 million aggregate principal amount of its outstanding (i) 5.750% Notes due 2018 (the "5.750% 2018 Notes"), (ii) 4.200% Notes due 2018 (the "4.200% 2018 Notes"), (iii)  6.500% Notes due 2019 (the"2019 Notes") and (iv) 4.600% Notes due 2020 (the "2020 Notes" and, together with the 5.750% 2018 Notes, the 4.200% 2018 Notes and the 2019 Notes, the "Securities"), subject to the Series Maximum Tender Amount (as defined below) for both the 2019 Notes and the 2020 Notes (together, the "Capped Securities").
The Tender Offers are scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on August 26, 2016 (such date and time, as it may be extended by us, the "Expiration Date"). The terms and conditions of the Tender Offers are described in an Offer to Purchase dated August 1, 2016 (the "Offer to Purchase") and a related Letter of Transmittal (together, the "Tender Offer Materials"). Holders of the Securities are urged to carefully read the Tender Offer Materials before making any decision with respect to the Tender Offers.

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NEW YORK, NY - July 25, 2016 (PRNewswire) - Nadeem Faruqi, founding partner at Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities firm headquartered in New York City, is investigating the Board of Directors of Joy Global, Inc. ("Joy" or the "Company") (NYSE:JOY) for potential breaches of fiduciary duties in connection with the sale of the Company to Komatsu America Corp. for approximately $3.7 billion. 
The Company's stockholders will only receive $28.30 in cash for each share of Joy common stock they own.
Click here for more information: www.faruqilaw.com/JOY.  There is no cost or obligation to you.
The investigation focuses on whether Joy's Board of Directors breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's stockholders by failing to conduct a fair sales process and whether and by how much this proposed transaction undervalues the Company to the detriment of Joy's shareholders.

Stay Cool and Within Your Budget During this Summer Heat

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) - With much of the country stuck in high heat and humidity for the next few weeks, GreenPath Financial Wellness, a nationwide non-profit financial counseling and education organization, is sharing some tips on ways you can save money on utility costs, during this summer heat wave.
It's very easy to crank up the air-conditioning, during this extreme heat. If you do, be prepared for a larger energy bill at the end of the month. Here are some tips to cope:

• Consider using fans to help move cool air more effectively.
• Close your window blinds during the day to keep out the sun and heat.
• Invest in a smart thermostat so you can regulate temperatures throughout the day to use less energy.
• Turn up your thermostat, while you are at work or away from home for an extended time. Does your house really need to be 65 degrees if no one is home?
• Use your vents wisely. Shut off rooms that aren't used on a regular basis to help conserve cool air.

Make sure to prioritize your utility bills each month, as these are essential for daily living. It is more expensive to turn the lights back on, after they have been shut off, than to address your monthly bill.
If you need assistance, GreenPath can help you prepare and review your budget, to help prioritize your expenses and budget for increasing utility costs. We can also refer you to local city and state programs to help you apply for utility assistance.
On days of extreme heat, don't forget about those who may need your help. Always remember to look in on shut-in neighbors and relatives. Also, watch your pets and neighborhood pets closely. They need more shade and water during this heat wave.
GreenPath provides in-person credit counseling, financial education and debt management services in more than 60 locations in 16 states. The company also offers licensed services by phone and Internet throughout the United States. For more information about GreenPath, visit www.greenpath.org or call (866) 648-8122.

Office Depot Announces Confrence Call

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions, will announce fiscal second quarter 2016 results before market open on Wednesday, August 3, 2016. A conference call to discuss the results will be held that day at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
To listen to the conference call via webcast, please visit the Office Depot Investor Relations website at investor.officedepot.com. A replay of the webcast and a copy of the presentation will also be available on the website.

Thank You Tom Harris

I want to take this opportunity to give a great big thank you and shout out to Tom Harris and the Colonus Group.  Who has agreed to support our blog here.  The Colonus Group offers financial services to individuals and companies all over the world.  Fore more information, please visit their website at https://www.colonus-hedging.com/.