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VIDEO: Kaley Cuoco Getting Married on New Years Eve

Kaley Cuoco has set a date for her wedding! The actress will reportedly start 2014 as a married…

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The comedy of errors that are IMF forecasts is well known: it was covered most recently in “Hilarious Charts Of The Day: IMF’s “Growth Forecasts” Over Time.” Moments ago we got the IMF’s first forecast update for 2014 which also included the Fund’s first 2015 forecasts for growth around the world. Not surprisingly, they were largely higher across the board except for China which has seen its 2014 projected GDP growth collapse from 8.5% a year ago to 7.5% now, and is expected to drop modestly to 7.3% in 2015. The charts showing the progression of said hilarious forecasts are shown in their entirety below, about which one thing can be said with certainty: whatever the GDP growth rate in the world is in 2014 and 2015 it will be anything but what the IMF predicts it to be.

Continued

Flaton, Formerly at Lazard, Joins Zolfo Cooper

By: Emily Glazer

Carol Flaton, most recently a Lazard banker specializing in restructurings, has moved to turnaround firm Zolfo Cooper LLC to help strengthen its advisory practice.

Ms. Flaton, 49, started as managing director at New York-based Zolfo Cooper, which has about 50 people.

“I’ve known the guys for 15 years,” she said of people she’s worked with at Zolfo. “The middle of the night conference room negotiations either on my side or against it – the mettle is tested.”

The closely held firm had an advisory practice since it was founded in 1985. It advised restaurant chain Friendly’s and creditors in American Airlines Inc. and Eastman KodakKODK -0.40%. Zolfo Cooper also worked on Enron Corp.’s bankruptcy and film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. before and during its bankruptcy proceedings.

The firm has an “interim management” business, where its executives serve as chief restructuring officers, a temporary role to improve companies’ operations in distressed situations.

Ms. Flaton most recently served as a managing director in Lazard’s restructuring advisory group until this past fall. She worked on situations including real estate finance company Capmark Financial Group Inc.CPMK -8.54%, telecommunications firm LightSquared Inc. and energy producer Dynegy Inc.

Among other prior roles, Ms. Flaton worked on creditor-side advisory work at CitigroupInc.C -0.79% and spent roughly a decade at Credit Suisse Group AG, including a five-year stint in Europe.

Former Bush aide now top private equity lobbyist

By Lawrence Delevingne

Kenneth Mehlman, the public affairs chief at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. who was previously a leading Republican operative in Washington, is now the top lobbyist for the private equity industry.

Mehlman was elected Thursday as the chairman of The Private Equity Growth Capital Council, the most prominent industry advocacy group for firms like TPG Capital, Silver Lake, Apollo Global Management, Carlyle Group and Blackstone Group.

He will continue several long-running fights in Washington, including higher taxes for PE firms from a potential change in the treatment of carried interest and increased registration and disclosure rules from the Dodd-Frank Act.

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Mehlman succeeds Mark Tresnowski, the top lawyer for Madison Dearborn Partners. PEGCC, launched in 2007, is also led day-to-day by president and chief executive officer Steve Judge.

Mehlman joined KKR in 2008 from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he was a partner in the law firm's legislative and regulatory counseling practice. He is best known for his work on behalf of conservative politicians before: chairing the Republican National Committee and running George W. Bush's presidential reelection campaign in 2004.

Mehlman is also a prominent gay rights advocate and serves as a director of the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Mehlman's primary responsibilities will be to "help expand the PEGCC's outreach efforts to educate and engage a broad set of stakeholders about the value of a vibrant and dynamic private equity industry," according to a statement from the association.

"I have enormous respect for the PEGCC's important work engaging with public policy makers to encourage more economic growth and retirement security for millions of Americans," Mehlman said. "I also share the PEGCC's goal of building a community of investors who seek superior returns while also emphasizing active, responsible governance, long term investment and measuring success in years not quarters."

Mehlman also credited Tresnowski for his work in helping block changes to carried interest taxes as yet and countering negative views of the private equity industry that emerged during former Bain Capital executive Mitt Romney's failed presidential bid.

Remembering Nelson Mandela’s 1993 visit to Chicago:

“It was emotional for all of us. To be in the presence of someone so committed to a cause, you rarely meet people in your life like that.” Via Crain’s Chicago Business

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