Wow, Look at the Dow!

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has pushed into the positive for the first time since January, CNNMoney.com reports. The Dow increased by 28 points, or 0.3 percent, ending higher than its 2008 close of 8,776.39. The Dow has now risen in 12 of the past 14 weeks, a sign that some are attributing to an imminent rebound in the economy. The Wall Street Journal, however, takes a more skeptical approach to explaining the Dow's strong performance: "One of the main reasons is disarmingly simple: Financial markets once again are awash in government cash."

Though it's been nine months since Lehman Bros. filed bankruptcy and sold its brokerage to Barclays, the bank is still haggling with Barclays (BCS) over the ownership of many things, right down to the office furniture. Lehman reportedly wants to pay $5.9 million to buy back desks, chairs, tables, cubicles, and other equipment used at its Manhattan offices. Bloomberg reports: "The New York-based investment bank's disputes with Barclays have ranged from whether the liabilities assumed by Barclays were less than what the parties assumed in setting the purchase price to who owns Lehman-logoed umbrellas."

Europe is leading the way to revamping the global financial system, the Washington Post reports. While the economic downturn has caused many world leaders to discuss more rigid financial standards, Europe has "seized the initiative" by "pushing through new measures and proposing others." Some of these measures, however, could impose some significant restrictions on the United States.

The shrinking of what's largely considered General Motors' (GM) oversized dealership network has prompted some political discontent, according to the Washington Post. Some states will be more affected than others as the cuts ensue. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois will be among the hardest-hit. Representatives from these states are speaking out against the cutbacks that may harm their respective constituents. For example, one New York representative says the following, "These are big names in local areas and having them shut down has a huge ripple effect in communities like mine."

Michael Jackson might have sworn that he would never go back to his 2,600-acre "Neverland" estate after dealing with child molestation charges in 2005, but that doesn't mean the place is best left unused. According to the Wall Street Journal, "the ranch is playing a role in an effort to rehabilitate Mr. Jackson's finances." Since the beginning of the year, workers have been fixing up the ranch as part of the proposed plan by real-estate investment firm Colony Capital LLC to "convert the former money pit into a lucrative asset."