var speaking = new Array();
var count = 0;
speaking[count++] = new Array("Cash for Clunkers - Useful for Some, Especially Auto Dealers", "18:57", "PS_Cash4Clunkers", "The government's new Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) stimulus program - immediately dubbed "Cash for Clunkers" in the popular press - may prove to be helpful to the beleaguered automotive industry, but its environmental, fuel-efficient cloak is relatively superficial. The program, set to begin in late July and run through October 2009, provides credit of either $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new car when the owner of an old gas guzzler trades it in. The credit amount depends on how much better the new car's mileage is compared to the old. It is hoped that CARS will result in sales of at least 250,000 more vehicles than would have been sold otherwise. Boosting sales is important for an industry whose sales dropped from 16 million new units in 2007 to a current rate of between nine and 10 million, say Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James' alternative energy analyst, Dan Wewer, hard line retail analyst, and Kevin Collver, a tax and estate planning consultant with the Financial Planning Group, in this edition of Professionally Speaking, hosted by Larry Pugliese.", "7/2/2009");
speaking[count++] = new Array("Gasoline Prices May Stay Steady Through the Summer", "13:57", "PS_Adkins_May18", "Americans who take to the highways for summer vacations may find gasoline prices similar to what they are now, as the summer travel season begins. AAA automotive experts, estimating that more than 32 million would travel over Memorial Day -- up 1.5% from last year -- says 83% of those will be hitting the road. Price stability at the pump -- despite expected volatility in the price per barrel in commodities markets, and leaving aside unanticipated events and geopolitical issues -- is likely because of excess capacity in the industry. With demand generally down because of the overall economy, supply shouldn't be an issue. Even an increase in hybrid vehicles on the road is unlikely to affect demand. More likely to have an effect is any significant movement in the distillate fuel market (jet fuel, diesel for the trucks and railroads), says Raymond James' Director of Energy Research Marshall Adkins in this edition of Professionally Speaking, hosted by Larry Pugliese.", "5/19/2009");
speaking[count++] = new Array("Markets React Favorably to 'Less Bad' News", "11:39", "PS_Brown_April17", "While some degree of investor optimism is warranted - and the economic data are not all bad - in general, the news remains discouraging even as the decline slows down. Studies of past recessions suggest those caused by financial crises tend to be more severe and longer-lasting than others. A quick, "V-shaped" recovery is very unlikely. Job losses have been incredibly steep, and the unemployment rate may reach 10% by the end of the year. The economy may have bottomed out by then, but even as it begins to recover, showing gradual improvement in 2010, we can expect joblessness to continue to rise. Job market moderation would be welcome news, says Raymond James' Chief Economist Scott Brown in this edition of Professionally Speaking, hosted by Larry Pugliese.", "4/20/2009");
speaking[count++] = new Array("Three-Pronged Government Approach Designed to Turn Economy", "16:21", "PS_Brown_Mar2", "The Federal Reserve's attempts to improve the flow of credit, the $787 billion fiscal stimulus package and the Treasury Department's financial stability plan to put the nation's financial system back on solid ground together constitute the government's three-part effort to right the economy - but it will all take time to work. These measures won't turn things around on a dime, and, so far, nothing has restored a sense of confidence in the financial markets, as bad news continues to feed on itself. However, as we wait for the economy to stop falling, there is hope for gradual recovery when the gears of these programs begin to turn, suggests Raymond James' Chief Economist Scott Brown in this edition of Professionally Speaking, hosted by Larry Pugliese.", "3/3/2009");