The focus of the proxy battle and the source of Birmingham's financial woe is the division that makes high-grade bar steel for critical applications like seatbelt bolts and motor shafts.

FORBES: Iron Wills

Also driving the mergers: the need to boost listings, a core source of revenue for the exchanges as they battle to preserve their share of trading volume against competition from new market entrants like Kansas City-based BATS Trading, which siphons about 8% of Nasdaq's daily volume and 5% of NYSE volume.

FORBES: NYSE Looks For Options

Tom Davis of Virginia is "stomping" John Linder of Georgia, one source said, in the battle to take over the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee.

CNN: GOP set to pick its leadership team