Bank of America shares rose 52 cents to 6

Athletes learned long ago that while management has the money, they have the power. Without athletes to compete, there would be no sporting events for owners to profit from.Athlete unions were an essential evolution in the world of professional sports. As athletic competition began bringing in more and more money, the athletes realized that their percentage of that money was shrinking. But the purpose of these unions went far deeper than just money.The athletes began to realize that they needed to think about more long-term benefits, such as health care, pension plans, and substance abuse programs.The fighters for the UFC should begin to take a long hard look at the growth of the UFC and the sport in general and should begin to start thinking about benefiting the group as a whole.A point that should be addressed first and foremost would deal with a substance abuse policy. The UFC as an employer should at least have to provide some form of treatment plan for fighters that are dealing with substance problems. Once that has been established then fighters could focus on revenue sharing, health care and pension issues.A union may not necessarily be the way to go for the fighters but they should definitely be looking to acting more as a collective.

The fighters need to be working towards improved contract terms and more protection as a whole.A union may not be the answer right now, but we could see the progression in the future if certain issues are not addressed today.. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Merrill Lynch Chief Executive John Thain defended the acquisition of the brokerage by Bank of America Corp and said the bank knew of Merrill's losses and bonuses before the merger closed. Crisis in CreditIn a memo to Merrill employees, Thain also said he plans to reimburse Bank of America for a $1.2 million renovation of his office a year ago, calling the cost "a mistake in light of the world we live in today."The renovation expenses, including reports of a trash can that cost $1,405, became a symbol of corporate greed and waste.Thain's insistence that Bank of America was well aware of Merrill's financial condition raises pressure on Bank of America Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America this month took $20 billion of new capital from the U.S. government to cover Merrill losses.Lewis faces shareholder anger and several lawsuits for failing in December to disclose Merrill's losses and talks with the U.S Treasury Department The merger closed on January 1.

Through Friday, Bank of America shares had fallen 82 percent since the merger was announced Sept 15. Merrill awarded bonuses in December, rather than wait until after the new year as in had in the past.Bank of America shares rose 52 cents to $6.76 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; editing by John Wallace) Crisis in Credit. CHICAGO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - CME Group Inc (CME.O) saidtechnical issues halted Globex electronic trading of lean hog,pork belly, feeder cattle, and cash-settled butter futures at10:05 a.m CST (1605 GMT) on Monday. Stocks It was not known when trading would resume in the markets. (Reporting by Karl Plume; Editing by David Gregorio) Stocks. In the fishbowl that is Portland, so many fans seem to want to be so involved in the personal lives of some of the Trail Blazers players.Many are international men of mystery while others tend to leave the personal stuff a lit more out there for the fan feeding. And with the season upon us, we wanted to satisfy your cravings by giving you a quick glimpse into the extracurricular activities of some of your favorites.How did we capture such personal and candid photos Some secrets are best kept as just that...secrets.Brandon Roy. The next Portland hipster Andre Miller. That isn't Watts, but he's still representin'.