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YAVNE, ISRAEL - Orbotech has reported that its Q1 profits fell 34%.

WASHINGTON – After losing several appeals, the National Association of Manufacturers released the names of 65 companies that provided significant funding to the trade group for first-quarter lobbying activities.

NAM tried to keep the names secret, but ultimately lost an appeal to the Supreme Court for a stay against disclosing the names. A new lobbying law requires trade groups and coalitions to divulge names of members that give more than $5,000 in a quarter for lobbying activities. The failure to comply was $250,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.

In its April 30 amended report, NAM provided a Web site link to funders’ list. It also revealed first-quarter lobbying expenditures of more than $2.2 million.

Donors included the American Petroleum Institute, AT&T Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Northrop Grumman, Clorox and U.S. Steel, among others. Individual contributions or their specific lobbying activities are not specified.

In the first quarter, the group lobbied patent reform, taxes, trade agreements, climate change, energy-related legislation, transportation, tort reform, high-speed Internet deployment, health and immigration reform.

NAM lobbied Congress, White House, U.S. Trade Representative's office and the Defense, Treasury and Commerce departments, among many others.

NAM, with about 11,000 members, filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the lobbying law, and is still appealing an April 11 decision by a federal judge who rejected its argument that a provision violates First Amendment rights.

A federal appeals court and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejected the group's requests for stays.

YAVNE, ISRAEL – Valor Computerized Systems announced its financial results for the period ending March 31, 2008.

WASHINGTON -- The EPA is proposing a major reduction in allowable airborne lead. The new proposal is expected to come into affect in mid-September. The new EPA proposal lowers allowable concentrations of lead in the air to a range 0.10 to 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter, compared to the current human health standard of 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter.

The current lead health standard remains unchanged since it was originally enacted 30 years ago. While lead contamination in the environment has been on the decline, lead emissions largely from industrial sources remain an air quality issue. The new proposal would reduce allowable airborne lead by up to 93% from current standards.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the proposed requirement still "would leave children in harm's way."

1,300 tons of lead is released annually in the U.S.