Oil prices rose above $80 a barrel Friday in Asia as crude investors eyed a surge in global stock markets.Benchmark crude for December delivery was up 47 cents to $8...

South Korea on Friday ratified a free trade deal with India that promises to slash tariffs on goods and services between two of Asia's biggest economies.The agreemen...

The economy is rebounding from its deepest slump since the 1930s, but it probably won't seem that way when the government releases its monthly employment report on Friday.<...

Despite signs of an economic revival gathering pace around the globe, the millions of people laid off during the worst recession in 70 years are unlikely to see relief any ...

Government officials put trillions of taxpayer dollars on the line to guarantee risky bank assets — a strategy that could cause permanent and costly market distortions, a...

Hawaii would be allowed to opt out of key requirements of national health care reform legislation, the only state given such a privilege because it already has its own comp...

Public Storage on Thursday reported third-quarter results that were better than analysts had expected as it benefited from more favorable foreign exchange rates.The ...

CBS Corp. on Thursday was faced with rumors about the possible departure of Oprah Winfrey's talk show from broadcast television to her own cable channel, The Oprah Winfrey ...

Leap Wireless International Inc. said Thursday its third-quarter loss grew 31 percent as competition and the weak economy were a drag on subscriber growth.The compan...

A group of economists and policy-makers slashed Kansas tax collection estimates Thursday by $235 million, reflecting signs of continued weakness in the state economy.Harris Stratex Networks reports fiscal 1Q loss

Harris Stratex Networks Inc., which makes wireless equipment, said Thursday it swung to a fiscal first-quarter loss, mostly due to restructuring and other one-time charges....

Sapient Corp., which helps companies with technology needs, said Thursday that services revenue would rise sequentially in the fourth quarter.The company said servic...

Technology-services provider Sapient Corp. said Thursday that third-quarter profits plunged by two-thirds, partly due to special charges, and the CEO said customers were gr...

JDS Uniphase Corp. said Thursday its fiscal first-quarter loss narrowed as demand for the company's communications equipment rose from fourth-quarter levels.The comp...

Virginia's largest electric utility has agreed to settle a pending rate case that will return nearly $400 million to customers and drive down monthly electric bills....

Casual dining chain Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. said Thursday its profit fell 8 percent on lower sales as people ate out less during the recession.Red Robin, base...

Restaurant chain California Pizza Kitchen said it boosted third-quarter profit by nearly 17 percent by cutting costs and expects 18 new stores to open next year.The ...

The sale of popular TV shows partly offset a drop in third-quarter advertising revenue at CBS Corp. but the company said ad trends are improving in the final three months o...

Semiconductor maker Skyworks Solutions Inc. said Thursday that revenue will grow in the current quarter, and set a profit target above analysts' expectations.Skywork...

Skyworks Solutions Inc., which makes semiconductors for wireless products, said Thursday its profit increased as lower operating costs offset a slight decline in sales....

American Water Works Co. said Thursday the president of its American Water Services and American Water Works Service Co. was elected chairman of the Design-Build Institute ...

Chinese semiconductor company Actions Semiconductor Co. said Thursday it has promoted Niccolo Chen to be its new CEO.Chen, who also holds the position of chief strat...

Biotech drug developer Alkermes Inc. said relocation charges and stock-based compensation costs pushed it to a loss in the fiscal second quarter.Alkermes said it los...

Total money market mutual fund assets fell by $31.26 billion to $3.339 trillion for the week, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.Assets of the nation's r...

Clothing retailer Bebe Stores Inc. said it posted a loss for its fiscal first quarter as its sales plummeted.In the three months that ended Oct. 3, Bebe lost $4.2 mi...

Independent petroleum refiner Holly Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter profit fell 53 percent because of lower gas prices and reduced refinery margins industrywide.<...

A legislative task force recommended Thursday that Oklahoma's workers' compensation agency be privatized, but it was divided on how to achieve that.Following months ...

Kansas policymakers met Thursday to evaluate how short revenue collections have fallen and determine and how deep a new round of state budget cuts might have to go.T...

Crocs Inc., seller of ventilated rubber shoes, said Thursday it moved to a profit in the third quarter as it recorded a big one-time gain from taxes and sales inched up.Stanley Works cuts forecast on Black & Decker deal

Hand tool maker Stanley Works on Thursday cut its 2009 earnings forecast to account for a charge stemming from its planned $4.5 billion purchase of rival Black & Decker...

Rising unemployment, swine flu and the threat of health care reform all ganged up on managed care companies in the third quarter and could hurt their performance heading in...

DirecTV Group Inc. is in an enviable position, as one of the few pay-TV operators seeing an increase in new subscribers in the third quarter.A partnership with AT&am...

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Hansen Natural Corp., which makes sodas and energy drinks, said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 8 percent on continued strength of its Monster Energy drinks and a gr...

Part of the struggle for Las Vegas casinos to overcome is eroding convention business. Companies have canceled meetings as they tighten spending and seek to avoid bad blood...

A bright forecast from Cisco Systems and upbeat economic news sent stocks soaring Thursday, propelling the Dow Jones industrials back above 10,000. The rally, coming a day ...

More people are visiting Starbucks Corp. coffee shops this year than last, and they're spending more money when they do, an executive said Thursday.But it was the co...

Bank of America Corp. on Thursday reiterated that the current credit environment will remain difficult into next year, as unemployment is likely to continue to rise....

October sales offer relief to merchantsNEW YORK (AP) — Stores are heading into the period with slashed inventories, determined not to have the fire sales that char...

A federal court has ruled that Tyson Foods Inc. violated federal labor standards for not paying production line employees for the time it takes them to put on and remove pr...

Can't pay the mortgage? You still might be able to stay in your home. Government-controlled mortgage company Fannie Mae is going to give borrowers on the verge of foreclosu...

The Environmental Protection Agency will set new nationwide emission standards for makers of polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as the plastic PVC, under a settlement with ...

How October sales at 30 chains compared with October 2008:_ Discount storesBJ's Wholesale Club Inc. -1.1 pctCostco Wholesale Corp. 5 pctTarget C...

Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. said consumer demand is healthy and improving as it reported a 74 percent jump in third-quarter profit.The Santa Clara, Calif.-based...

USAA opened coverage to all honorably discharged veterans Thursday, more than doubling the number of eligible military members eligible for its insurance policies and finan...

In videotaped comments, a state agency director appears to back off new standards Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's administration has been pushing that would require prevailing u...

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told lawmakers Thursday he wants more power to reduce state spending when times are tough.Meeting with members of the Joint Legislativ...

Among the earnings stories for Thursday, Nov. 5, from AP Financial News:SAN DIEGO (AP) — Medical technology company CareFusion Corp. said its profit slid 28 percen...

The attorney general's office is asking Virginia regulators to order the state's largest utility company to either cut rates or offer customers a refund.Attorney Gen...

Among the earnings stories for Thursday, Nov. 5, from AP Financial News:WASHINGTON (AP) — Fannie Mae is asking for an additional $15 billion in government aid afte...

Some suicide prevention groups aren't laughing over a scene in "The Office" where Steve Carell's character tries to scare young children by struggling in a hangman's noose....

Among the stock activity stories for Thursday, Nov. 5, from AP Financial News:NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Whole Foods Market Inc. tumbled after the upscale grocery c...

Sarah Palin's book tour is a gift for her base.No stops are planned in Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other major cities and book-buying commu...

Investment company RLJ Western Asset Management LP has raised enough money to join with the government in buying toxic assets held by banks, the Treasury Department said Th...

World Series television ratings bounced back from last year's record lows.The Yankees' six-game victory over the Phillies on Fox averaged an 11.7 rating and 19 share...

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The Indy Racing League will have Izod as a title sponsor next season, an agreement the IRL hopes will expand its fan base and take the series to a "new level."The si...

Fourteen people have been charged with illegally purchasing 77 million contraband cigarettes from undercover agents in Virginia and smuggling the cigarettes to New York.CVS Caremark, Costco, Dynegy are big movers

The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange:NYSE:Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., do...

Last week's episode of "The Office" where Steve Carell's character tries to scare children by faking a hanging has disturbed suicide prevention groups.The American F...

Prison and treatment services operator Cornell Cos. on Thursday said its third-quarter profit shot up 39 percent, driven by higher revenue from expansion and higher populat...

The U.S. Supreme Court is taking a close look at a question individual investors have long asked about their mutual funds, but the courts have largely ignored: Why am I get...

A task force is recommending that Oklahoma's workers compensation agency be privatized, but task force members are divided on how to do it.The Task Force on the Priv...

Three major bond rating agencies are complimenting the fiscal stewardship of the Patrick administration.Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investor Services and Standard & P...

Citigroup Inc. filed plans for an initial public offering of its Primerica Inc. life insurance unit late Thursday, and said it will sell the rest of the unit after it goes ...

Andre Agassi is responding to criticism of his crystal meth use with a plea for compassion, telling "60 Minutes" he needed help when he took the drug while depressed in 199...

International Game Technology on Thursday posted a fiscal fourth-quarter loss, but said it thinks demand for its slot machines and casino management systems has stabilized....

ESPN had better watch its back.Comedy Central has ordered a pilot from the satirical news magazine The Onion.The prospective half-hour scripted series will be...

More people visited Starbucks Corp. coffee shops in the fourth quarter this year than last, and they spent more money when they did, an executive said Thursday.But i...

Fannie Mae is asking for an additional $15 billion in government aid after posting another big loss in the third quarter as the taxpayer bill from the housing market bust k...

Health insurer WellPoint Inc. announced plans last spring to sell its pharmacy benefits management business to Express Scripts Inc. for about $4.68 billion. Analysts have w...

Airborne nitrogen pollution from vehicle exhaust and farm fertilizer is turning algae in the alpine lakes of Rocky Mountain National Park into junk food for fish, a study s...

Congressional ethics investigators have concluded that North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler did not act inappropriately while a residential development that he was involved in ...

A federal judge ruled Thursday that tobacco companies hoping to block new restrictions on their marketing have little chance of succeeding.The companies had asked U....

In a Nov. 4 story about MillerCoors earns, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the company is based in Denver. The company, a U.S. joint venture between Molson C...

Medical technology company CareFusion Corp. said its profit slid 28 percent in the fiscal first quarter compared with a year ago because of businesses that were not include...

A panel considering the governor's proposal to consolidate the University of Vermont with the five state colleges has recommended against merging the institutions.In...

A former member of Gov. Bob Riley's Cabinet claimed Thursday that Riley received campaign contributions from Mississippi Indians who operate casinos, with the money intende...

DuPont's CEO Ellen Kullman said Thursday the chemical company is well positioned to outperform the market and global competitors as the economy makes a recovery."By ...

A bright forecast from Cisco Systems and upbeat economic news sent stocks soaring Thursday and propelled the Dow Jones industrials back above 10,000. The rally, coming a da...

The Senate's Democratic majority won't attend Democratic Gov. David Paterson's address to a joint session of the Legislature Monday, when he will try to build support for a...

New York Gov. David Paterson is calling the Legislature back to Albany for a special session to cut the budget and possibly vote on legalizing same-sex marriage.Pate...

A judge on Thursday overturned a settlement allowing major outdoor advertising companies to convert more than 800 billboards in Los Angeles into digital displays, but decli...

CBS Corp. posted third-quarter earnings that beat analyst forecasts Thursday as sales of popular shows to other networks and higher subscription fees for pay-TV service Sho...

The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles are appealing their license revocations with the National Transportation Safety Board.The appeals...

Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by the Nielsen Co. for the week of Oct. 26-Nov. 1. Day and start time (EST) are in parentheses:1. NFL ...

Borders Group Inc., the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain, said Thursday it would shutter more of its small-format Waldenbooks stores in January as it focuses on its more...

Flight attendants at American Airlines say they will hold mock strikes around the country this month and could seek permission for real strikes early next year.The u...

It's been a rough year for the video game industry, but Activision Blizzard Inc. reported a profit for its third quarter because of a lower costs and a good response for ga...

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Oprah Winfrey is removing gospel singer BeBe Winans from her show's "karaoke challenge" until charges against him for allegedly pushing his ex-wife to the ground are resolv...

Two well-known companies surged in their market debuts Thursday despite what has recently been a difficult market for initial public offerings.Shares of Hyatt Hotels...

The Wisconsin Senate has approved a bill that would impose regulations and fees on mixed martial arts fights.Under the bill, every contest must have a licensed refer...

Private air service NetJets Inc., unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, says it will lay off up to 495 pilots nationwide because of a drop in demand.The d...

Air bags have long been mounted in the steering wheel, dashboard and sides of vehicles. Now, they're in the seat belts.Ford Motor Co. plans to introduce seat belt-mo...

Several groups say they will expand their protest against an Massey Energy mine in southern West Virginia through e-mail.The groups, which include The Sierra Club, A...

In a heated race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, Gov. Charlie Crist keeps moving away from his support of President Barack Obama's stimulus package that the gove...

Phoenix police found medicines, passports, stereo and video equipment, video games, laptop computers and even adoption paperwork in a house holding hundreds of pieces of st...

Some of New York City's largest employers — including Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and big universities — have started receiving doses of the much-in-demand swi...

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The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has released recommendations for protecting wildlife during wind energy development, including restrictions in sage grouse habitat and ...

When Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has been in the news during the past five years, the story usually has been about AIG, the company he built into an insurance conglomerate and...

Shares of Whole Foods Market Inc. tumbled Thursday after the upscale grocery chain offered a cautious outlook for its new fiscal year.Shares fell $5.22, or 16.3 perc...

A Long Island lawyer whose fat state retirement checks raised questions about public pension system abuses has agreed to give New York a $240,565 refund.Attorney Gen...

Commodities prices were little moved Thursday amid more evidence suggesting little threat of inflation.Gold prices, which have soared this week, approached but didn'...

Drug distributor Cardinal Health Inc. said Thursday it took a loss in its fiscal first quarter due to expenses from the spinoff of a former business, medical technology com...

Shares of Amdocs Ltd. rose Thursday after the telecommunications equipment maker posted higher fourth-quarter earnings and gave a solid forecast for its fiscal first quarte...

Treasury prices traded in a narrow range Thursday as investors welcomed additional signs that inflation is likely to remain in check.In late trading, the 10-year not...

Shares of the Shaw Group jumped Thursday soon after the CEO of the engineering and construction firm bought $6.4 million worth of shares this week.CEO James M. Bernh...

While the cable TV industry has been fairly resilient in a sluggish economy, Time Warner Cable Inc. said Thursday that it's not entirely immune to the drag.CEO Glenn...

A casino developer and poker champion behind last year's failed bid to expand gambling in Ohio has staked a claim to all four casinos the state's voters approved Tuesday.CVS says it is subject of FTC investigation

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating some of CVS Caremark Corp.'s business practices, the company said Thursday.The drugstore chain and pharmacy benefits ma...

Bounce it, kick it, catch it. Chase, throw or smack it. The ball, arguably the most popular plaything of all time, has finally earned a place inside a glass case at the Nat...

The wife of Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt lost her bid Thursday to be reinstated as the team's chief executive during a hearing in the couple's messy divorce....

First Citizens Bancshares Inc. on Thursday said its third-quarter profit more than quadrupled after it took over the assets of two failed banks.For the three months ...

Satellite TV operator DirecTV Group Inc. was one of the few pay-TV companies to gain subscribers in the third quarter, though earnings stayed steady because of the higher c...

Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. said Thursday that it signed a deal for Samick Musical Instruments Co. to take a minority stake in the company, boosting Steinway's liquid...

Chanting "Kill the bill," thousands of conservatives rallied at the Capitol on Thursday against the Democrats' health care overhaul plan, labeling it a government takeover ...

A federal judge ruled Thursday that tobacco companies hoping to block new restrictions on their marketing have little chance of succeeding.The companies had asked U....

Gov. Charlie Crist is seeking a special legislative session next month in hopes that lawmakers will approve a commuter rail system in central Florida.Crist has the a...

Hawaii's 16 hospitals are continuing to lose money.That's the finding of a study the Ernst & Young accounting firm conducted for the Healthcare Association of Ha...

The recession has had a major impact on how consumers shop but also how retailers draw them in and a major factor has been price. Food companies and grocers have tried to c...

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour says a company planning a $300 million plant in the Delta is still working on "an external issue" so he's not ready to set a date for a speci...

A northern Wisconsin tribe near the former hideout of Chicago mobster Al Capone that's now for sale says the tribe is always interested in reacquiring one-time Indian lands...

Congress took further steps to right the staggering economy by expanding a popular tax credit for homebuyers and extending unemployment checks for the growing legions of pe...

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has released a grim assessment of the industry's third quarter shipment and billings.The trade group reported Thursday...

Fitch Ratings warned Thursday that Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s deal for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. could overexpose Warren Buffett's company to weaknesses in the econ...

As Egypt gears for pop diva Beyonce Knowles' first performance in North Africa, Islamic conservatives are branding her show an "insolent sex party" that threatens the Musli...

Stanley Inc. received a five-year contract worth up to $49 million to provide cybersecurity services to an arm of the Pentagon, the company said Wednesday.The inform...

A new study confirms what your 130 Facebook friends and scores of Twitter followers may have already told you: The Internet and mobile phones are not linked to social isola...

Shares of Dolby Laboratories Inc. dropped Wednesday after an analyst said the audio technology maker's outlook for 2010 implies recovery in consumer spending might take lon...

Chrysler hopes to make billions of dollars to repay government loans and revamp all of its cars and trucks with an ambitious plan that hinges on doubling sales in five year...

Genealogy Web site Ancestry.com has succeeded in raising $100 million in its initial public offering. With more than a million paying subscribers, little competition, a sma...

The union representing Britain's postal workers says it will call off strikes planned for later this week — and remain at work through the December holidays — after rea...

Lax state laws allow arms traffickers, drug kingpins and money launderers to use U.S. companies to hide their illicit activities from investigators, government officials sa...

Sara Lee Corp., with leaner operations and more profitable product line, reported that its first-quarter profit jumped 23 percent and raised its outlook for the year.A look at economic developments around the globe

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Thursday:___FRANKFURT — The head of the European Central Bank hinted it...

Rates for 30-year home loans dipped below 5 percent this week after rising for three straight weeks.The average rate fell to 4.98 percent from 5.03 percent a week ea...

Columbus may have trouble holding on to the NHL's Blue Jackets because the club has been losing $12 million a year in central Ohio, according to a report released Thursday ...

Hurried repairs this summer at the Howard Hanson Dam have lessened the chances the Green River will flood this winter, the Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday.Corp...

Federal agents seized computers, bank and investment records, cash and even the key to a Ferrari during an all-night search at the office of an attorney suspected of operat...

Green Day already has New Year's Eve plans: They'll be ringing in 2010 with Carson Daly.The punk-rock trio are slated to perform during "NBC's New Year's Eve with Ca...

In a Nov. 1 story about CIT Group's bankruptcy filing, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Brandes Investment Partners LP holds 9.7 percent of CIT Group's common...

Shares of Great Wolf Resorts Inc., which operates indoor waterpark resorts in North America, climbed Thursday after falling a day earlier on news of a third-quarter loss du...

Shares of Aeropostale Inc. dropped Thursday, after the company reported surprisingly weak sales in stores open at least one year in October and an analyst downgraded the st...

Victoria's Secret is hoping a new push-up bra intended to boost women's busts as much as two sizes also will enhance its bottom line this holiday season.The lingerie...

Shares of Ancestry.com climbed in their first day of trading Thursday after the genealogy Web site's initial public offering priced in the middle of the expected range....

Developers of four new Ohio casinos looked eagerly to the future Wednesday, even as opponents concocted plans to stymie their efforts and surrounding states braced for econ...

Moody's Investors Service upgraded the senior unsecured ratings of Wyeth, citing the execution of an outstanding bonds agreement with Wyeth.Moody's upgraded the rati...

A solar panel company is moving some jobs overseas after receiving $58 million in state aid and being touted by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as a symbol of the state's ...

Leaders of rich and developing countries pledged at their last summit to even out the glaring imbalances that are weighing on the world economy. Their finance officials now...

No Doubt on Wednesday sued video game maker Activision for putting words in band members' mouths.The band sued Activision Publishing Inc. over a feature in the new "...

MetroPCS Communications Inc. shares fell Thursday after the low-cost wireless provider reported a higher quarterly profit but cut its full-year subscriber forecast, citing ...

In a headline for a Nov. 3 story about Papa John's International Inc., The Associated Press reported erroneously that the company's third-quarter profit was helped by the a...

Smart Balance Inc., maker of butter-like spreads, said Thursday it moved to a profit in the third quarter on higher sales as it sold a greater volume of its products.Bonuses could jump 40 pct on Wall Street, Stephen Bernard

Big bonuses could be back in store for some top executives and traders on Wall Street as profitability returned to the investment banking industry in 2009, according to a n...

Lear Corp. said Thursday that its reorganization plan was approved by a bankruptcy judge, paving the way for the auto supplier to emerge from Chapter 11 after just four mon...

The Jacksonville Jaguars have failed to sell out a home game for the fourth time this season.Sunday's game against Kansas City (1-6) will not be televised in Jackson...

Online job recruitment rose modestly, indicating the start of a mild hiring pickup, online job search site Monster Worldwide said Thursday.The Monster Employment Ind...

The Virginia Supreme Court upheld permits for construction of a multistate power line Thursday, rejecting a claim by the project's opponents that state regulators ceded too...

Casino mogul Steve Wynn has dropped out of the bidding to operate thousands of video slot machines at New York City's Aqueduct race track.Las Vegas-based Wynn Resort...

The global recession and pressure to divert funds to other health crises are hurting the fight against AIDS, a medical group warned Thursday, with one health worker saying ...

Natural gas transport and storage company Spectra Energy Corp. on Thursday said its third-quarter earnings sank 35 percent due in part to lower commodity prices.Quar...

An official with the Kaw Nation's development agency says a new casino just south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border is close to winning approval.Marketing director Nancy...

General Motors Co.'s top executive said Thursday that the automaker could tap some of its $50 billion in U.S. government aid to help restructure GM's European Opel unit. Th...

Oil refiner Frontier Oil Corp. on Thursday posted a third-quarter loss driven by continued weak demand and squeezed refining margins.Crude oil prices have climbed st...

A Virginia doctor who wrote tens of thousands of prescriptions for muscle relaxants and other drugs over the Internet without meeting or examining the patients has been sen...

General Motors Co. said Thursday it narrowed down its list of candidates to handle advertising for Cadillac to six agencies, a month after announcing it was dumping the lux...

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. on Thursday said its third-quarter profit rose 69 percent, boosted by higher live event revenue, especially from overseas.The medi...

When former Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan became the Florida university system's chancellor three months ago, he faced an imposing list of financial and political problems.T...

Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 42.5 percent, as the company benefited from lower costs, even while its sales fell.The compa...

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. said Thursday it closed on the sale of St. Regis New York's retail space for $117 million to investment group GFC Fifth Avenue ...

The dollar was nearly flat Thursday after the European Central Bank and Bank of England left their respective key interest rates unchanged.Higher interest rates can ...

Agriculture futures were mostly lower Thursday in early trading on the Chicago Board of Trade.Wheat for December delivery dropped 6.5 cents to $5.145 a bushel, while...

Shares of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. rose Thursday, a day after the auto parts supplier reported a third-quarter profit that beat Wall Street predictions and raised its ...

Omnicare Inc., which dispenses drugs to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 13 percent as lower costs and an income tax...

Telecommunications company CenturyLink on Thursday said its third-quarter profit more than doubled following its July purchase of Embarq Corp.The company, formerly k...

American businessman Stan Kroenke has moved closer to a mandatory takeover bid of Arsenal after buying another 200 shares in the Premier League soccer club.The Londo...

IndyCar officials are expected to announce Thursday that clothing maker Izod will become the series' title sponsor next season.A person with knowledge of the deal co...

Southeast Kansas customers of Empire District Electric Co. could be paying higher rates next year.Empire said Wednesday it has filed a request with the Kansas Corpor...

With 100 days to the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, the athletes village was handed over to the Games organizers Wednesday.The Vancouver Organizing C...

Right when more people need welfare, they're getting less from Hawaii's government.Monthly payments to poor, temporarily disabled people fell by one-third this week,...

Southwest Airlines Co. said Thursday traffic in October rose a modest 1.9 percent even as the discount carrier aggressively cut flights, so there were fewer empty seats tha...

Oil prices slipped Thursday as investors questioned whether the country would regain its appetite for petroleum.Benchmark crude for December delivery gave up 78 cent...

Companies across the economy are finding ways to do more with fewer workers, dimming hopes that hiring will take off anytime soon.Employers became leaner and more ef...

A drop in unemployment claims and an upbeat forecast from Cisco Systems Inc. gave investors new reason to be optimistic about the economy and sent stocks to big gains.<...

San Francisco Bay area households spend up to two-thirds of their income on transportation and housing costs, a severe burden that leaves workers with insufficient resource...

DirecTV Group Inc., the nation's largest satellite TV operator, said Thursday that its revenue grew 10 percent in the third quarter as it added more new customers, but its ...

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said it's time for the state to act on approving expanded gambling now that Ohio voters approved casinos in four cities.Beshear said Ohio...

A judge will let Tamarack Resort homeowners intervene in a foreclosure lawsuit against the failed Idaho vacation getaway but refused to endorse their plan to use a Mexican ...

State regulators are fining a Houston-based company because its natural-gas drilling operations polluted residents' water wells in northeastern Pennsylvania.Departme...

Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers — $6,500 cheaper.First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since...

Luxury department store Neiman Marcus Inc. said Thursday that its sales in stores open at least one year fell 6.2 percent in October.During the four weeks ended Oct....

A natural gas pipeline exploded in the Texas Panhandle on Thursday, shaking homes, melting window blinds and shooting flames hundreds of feet into the air, authorities said...

A look at key issues in the health care debate:THE ISSUE: Republicans are the minority party in both houses of Congress. What health care proposals have they advance...

Mississippi economic officials say Vitro America LLC is expanding its operation in the state.The company makes architectural glass and aluminum products.The M...

Rhode Island will allow a struggling slot parlor in Lincoln to offer gambling around-the-clock.Twin River spokeswoman Patti Doyle said Wednesday that the facility ha...

Biotechnology company Incyte Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter loss narrowed on lower costs as it prioritized is pipeline of potential products.Incyte is develop...

Federal agents spent the night searching the law offices of a high-profile South Florida attorney suspected in a massive fraud scheme.A spokesman for law firm Rothst...

A packed commuter train struck and killed a rail worker during the morning rush Thursday, disrupting service for three hours and stranding hundreds of riders on a system al...

In the blink of an eye, late-night TV is shifting from a white men's club to the start of a rainbow coalition.Wanda Sykes' weekly Fox comedy show debuts 11 p.m. EST ...

The chief executive of a North Dakota-based electric power cooperative says utilities must be engaged in the climate-change debate and use their unified voice.Basin ...

The Florida Public Service Commission is planning a self-examination amid complaints the agency has been too cozy with the utilities it regulates, the panel's top staffer t...

Drug developer King Pharmaceuticals said Thursday its third-quarter profit was cut in half by charges for related to its $1.6 billion buyout of rival Alpharma Inc.St...

Natural gas stockpiles rose again last week, the government said Thursday, matching the lower end of analysts' forecasts.The Energy Department's Energy Information A...

Billionaire Carl Icahn's investing vehicle Icahn Enterprises LP on Thursday said its third-quarter profit nearly quintupled as revenue shot higher and expenses declined.Stocks jump as jobs, spending data boost mood, Sara Lepro

Stocks jumped in early trading Thursday after the market got encouraging news on jobs and consumer spending, two of the economy's biggest trouble spots.The Labor Dep...

Irish rockers U2 returned to Berlin for a free mini-concert Thursday in front of the Brandenburg Gate, playing its classic singles and a duet with Jay-Z even as the show wa...

Hartwell Huddleston returned the extra combine he bought to help harvest what looked to be one of his best soybean crops ever.After two months with little letup in r...

Online-travel company Orbitz Worldwide Inc. said Thursday it turned a profit in the third quarter, after charges hurt results a year earlier.Separately, the company ...

The Indian government refused Thursday to allow foreign journalists to cover the Dalai Lama's visit to a northeastern state at the heart of a long-running border dispute wi...

AirTran Airways sees more opportunity to increase revenue from add-on fees it charges passengers.Chief Financial Officer Arne Haak told an investor conference Thursd...

Home to the nationally ranked Cal Bears and a clutch of Nobel laureates, the University of California, Berkeley, boasts brains and brawn.But with budget cuts fraying...

Companies across the economy are finding ways to do more with fewer workers, dimming hopes that hiring will take off anytime soon.Employers became leaner and more ef...

CVS Caremark disclosed more multibillion dollar contract losses in its pharmacy benefits management business and said the head of the unit will depart.CEO Tom Ryan s...

Health care data company IMS Health Inc. said Thursday it is being bought by investment funds TPG Capital and CPP Investment Board for $4 billion, in a move to help the com...

Shares of Hyatt Hotels Corp. rose sharply Thursday in the iconic hotel chain's first day on the New York Stock Exchange, with investors appearing to dismiss concerns about ...

Saks Inc. said Thursday sales at stores open at least a year rose 0.7 percent in October, beating analyst estimates of a decline.Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters e...

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. on Thursday said sales at stores open at least a year fell 4.5 percent in October, hurt in part by Halloween landing on Saturday.Shares fell in ...

Stocks climbed in early trading Thursday after the market got encouraging news on jobs and consumer spending, two of the economy's biggest trouble spots.The Labor De...

Thousands of borrowers on the verge of foreclosure will soon have the option of renting their homes from Fannie Mae, under a policy announced Thursday.The government...

Health care data company IMS Health says it agreed to be purchased by investment funds TPG Capital and CPP Investment Board for $4 billion.IMS shareholders are getti...

The Gymboree Corp. on Thursday said its third-quarter sales at stores open at least a year fell 4 percent, but the children's retailer nevertheless raised its profit foreca...

The number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits last week fell to the lowest level in 10 months, evidence that job cuts are easing as the econo...

Teen and children's apparel retailer Aeropostale Inc. said Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year rose 3 percent in October, but analysts expected a higher incr...

Online-travel company Orbitz Worldwide Inc. said Thursday it received equity investments totaling $100 million from two companies.Separately, Orbitz reported it swun...

Mall operator Macerich Co. on Thursday said its third quarter funds from operations slid 10 percent as revenue fell.The real estate investment trust posted FFO of $8...

Two attorneys and Wall Street professionals were among 14 people charged Thursday in a widening $53 million insider trading case that has snared one of America's richest me...

The United States spends more money than any other country, and its elite institutions are the world's best. But overall the system is wasteful, fails too many — and is f...

Teen apparel retailer American Eagle Outfitters Inc. said Thursday that sales in stores open at least a year fell 5 percent in October, missing analyst expectations that th...

A joint publishing venture between influential pastor Rick Warren and Reader's Digest magazine has collapsed less than a year after it was announced with great fanfare....

Sweden and Finland on Thursday approved a Baltic Sea pipeline project that would ship Russian natural gas to Germany, clearing two key obstacles for construction to begin n...

Fearing widespread layoffs, thousands of Opel workers walked off the job across Germany on Thursday to protest General Motors Co.'s decision to abandon the unit's sale to n...

DirecTV Group's third-quarter net income was about flat from a year ago, as higher costs offset a 10 percent increase in revenue.The nation's largest satellite TV pr...

MGM Mirage's latest casino project isn't open yet, but a drop in the $8.5 billion complex's value combined with falling revenue companywide to push the casino operator into...

The global smart phone market set a record for shipments in the third quarter as it continues to weather the economic turmoil, research firm IDC said Thursday.Smart ...

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. said Thursday its fiscal fourth-quarter loss narrowed, crediting a sales increase stemming from continued strong consumer demand for lawn and gar...

JDA Software Group Inc., which makes inventory management software for retailers, said Thursday it has agreed to buy rival i2 Technologies Inc. for about $434 million.<...

The Federal Aviation Administration has determined a runway incursion at Los Angeles International Airport last week was minor.In a statement Wednesday, the FAA says...

The dangerous Green River lost its sting in the early 1960s when a dam ended floods that frequently swamped its Seattle-area valley.But the years have weakened the d...

Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival is going on the road for one night next winter.The independent-film showcase is sending eight films playing at the festival f...

An explosion at a Utah oil refinery — the second this year — smashed windows, bent garage doors and peeled siding Wednesday from 10 nearby houses, officials said.Hindus, yoga teachers question US sales tax, Betsy Taylor

Yoga practitioners are criticizing a Missouri sales tax that applies to yoga classes, claiming they should be exempt because the lessons include spiritual elements.A...

MGM Mirage says it lost $750.4 million in its third quarter largely because the value of its latest casino project has fallen as gamblers spend less during the recession.Judge puts restraining order on Ill. abortion law, Caryn Rousseau

Just hours after a state board voted Wednesday to allow the enforcement of a long-debated Illinois law requiring a teenage girl's parents be notified before she has an abor...

A small Northern California city has banned medical marijuana growing and dispensing, a move opponents say will bring lawsuits.Red Bluff's city council approved two ...

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. said Thursday that sales in stores open at least a year sank 15 percent in September, slightly worse than analysts predicted.Analysts sur...

General Motors Co. CEO Fritz Henderson said Thursday its European Opel unit will pay for most of the $3 billion it needs to restructure.Henderson's comments came two...

Texas A&M University's tentlike athletic complex wasn't built to withstand the maximum winds prescribed by the building code, according to an engineering firm hired by ...

It seemed like a great idea — doing bypass surgery while the heart is still beating, sparing patients the complications that can come from going on a heart-lung machine. ...

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Thursday it will receive $22.5 million as part of a new contract with the Department of Health and Human Services over the intravenous fl...

Discount retailer TJX Cos. said Thursday that sales in stores open at least one year rose 10 percent in October on strong demand at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores.An...

Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. is betting that food and travel are an ideal combination. The company behind the Food Network is snapping up a controlling stake in the Tr...

European stocks recouped most of their earlier losses and Wall Street futures turned higher Thursday after weekly U.S. jobless claims data stoked hopes that the pace of lay...

Discount retailer Target Corp. said Thursday sales in stores open at least one year edged down 0.1 percent in October as consumers bought necessities like healthcare produc...

Stock futures are higher after the government reported a bigger-than-expected drop in workers seeking unemployment benefits.The Labor Department said initial claims ...

A consortium grouping U.S. and European oil giants Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC on Thursday signed a $50 billion deal to develop one of Iraq's most prized oi...

Productivity surged in the third quarter at the fastest pace in six years while labor costs continued to drop sharply, a combination that will bolster companies' profits bu...

ABC has booked a prime-time interview with pop star Janet Jackson, expected to be her first lengthy television interview since her brother Michael's death.ABC's Robi...

Falling commodity costs and internal cost-cutting helped food maker Sara Lee Corp.'s first-quarter profit rise 23 percent, the company said Thursday.The maker of Jim...

Dollar drinks, sandwiches and desserts will join more Arby's menus as the struggling fast-food chain jumps on the deep-discount bandwagon aimed at wooing customers who have...

Shares of Sanmina-SCI Corp. rose in Thursday, after the electronics services company said demand was increasing and issued an upbeat outlook.Shares rose 84 cents, or...

Discount retailer Fred's Inc. said Thursday sales in stores open at least a year edged up 0.4 percent in October, missing analyst expectations.The company said expen...

The European Central Bank and the Bank of England kept interest rates at record lows Thursday as their economies struggle to emerge from recession.The British centra...

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday that it was deferring the auction of controversial oil and gas leases in the high desert Adobe Town area in southwest Wyom...

An entrenched stalemate in the Capitol may mean students at major Pennsylvania universities will soon see higher second-semester tuition bills.The latest meeting Wed...

October's retail sales results, the best performance since April 2008, show that Americans are spending a little more. But will they be willing to pay full price this holid...

E.W. Scripps said Thursday its third-quarter loss narrowed despite another decline in revenue. The company continues to trim costs to cope with the advertising slump pummel...

The lawyer for an investment company that paid former state Senate leader Joseph Bruno to generate business testified Wednesday that company files did not contain disclosur...

Nebraska lawmakers may get an earful from people who might be affected by the $334 million in budget cuts they are considering.Public hearings on the cuts are schedu...

Texas bank PlainsCapital Corp. late Wednesday postponed its initial public offering, blaming market swings in financial stocks.PlainsCapital said it will hold off un...

Ohio voters have given their blessing to the opening of casinos in Toledo and three other cities, and that has Michigan officials and gambling interests paying close attent...

Sirius XM Radio Inc., the satellite radio provider that was on the brink of bankruptcy nine months ago, on Thursday reported a much improved third quarter as it signed up m...

Arizona legislators are planning a mid-November special session to chip away at the state's estimated $2 billion budget shortfall and keep agencies' doors open by reviving ...

Alabama Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks on Wednesday extended a two-year-old order banning the sale of untested fish from Vietnam and China in Alabama.Fla. justices consider mediation for foreclosures, Bill Kaczor

Mediation would be a good way to expedite a flood of mortgage foreclosures, members of a foreclosure task force said Wednesday, but some disagreed on the details in oral ar...

U.S. stock futures reversed an early slide and moved slightly higher Thursday ahead of more data on consumer spending and jobs, two of the market's biggest concerns....

With some American Indian groups waiting decades for formal recognition from the U.S. government, federal officials Wednesday pledged to overhaul the cumbersome process but...

The European Central Bank has left its main interest rate unchanged at 1 percent.The ECB's decision Thursday keeps the rate at a record low even as signs emerge the ...

The Semiconductor Industry Association said Thursday its forecast for global chip sales is brighter than its previous projections, reflecting an improving economy.Th...

Food maker Sara Lee says cost-cutting, increased market share and a decline in commodity costs drove its fiscal first-quarter profit up 23 percent.Solid sales of new...

The nation's retailers are reporting mixed sales results for October. Shoppers, enticed by cooler weather and holiday discounts, opened their wallets a bit more but were st...

Agrium Inc. said Thursday it is raising its bid for CF Industries Holdings Inc., in a final attempt to acquire its rival fertilizer maker.In a statement Thursday, Ag...

Global exchange operator Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. said Thursday its profit rose as it cut costs and recorded fewer special charges during the third quarter.Amid an incr...

The Bank of England said Thursday it will pour another 25 billion pounds ($41 billion) into the British economy to get the country out of recession as it kept its main inte...

News and information provider Thomson Reuters Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter net income tumbled 60 percent from a year ago, as revenue in its legal and market divisi...

Limited Brands Inc. said Thursday its October sales at stores open at least a year dropped 4 percent, falling short of Wall Street predictions.Analysts polled by Tho...

Thousands of Opel employees walked off their jobs to attend a rally at the automaker's headquarters Thursday, protesting General Motors Co.'s decision to abandon the unit's...

CVS Caremark Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter profit jumped 39 percent, but shares plunged after the company said its struggling Caremark pharmacy benefits management ...

Global exchange operator Nasdaq OMX Group says its third-quarter profit edged higher amid cost cutting and fewer special charges.Amid an increasingly competitive mar...

Power company Dynegy Inc. said Thursday that it posted a second straight big quarterly loss as it continues to write down the value of plants that it is selling as part of ...

The Bank of England says it will pour another 25 billion pounds ($41 billion) into the economy and keep its main interest rate at 0.5 percent for the eighth consecutive mon...

Sweden on Thursday became the second nation to approve a Baltic Sea pipeline that would ship Russian natural gas to Germany, saying the project meets its demands to protect...

The number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits likely dropped slightly last week, evidence that the job market is slowly improving as the economy recove...

The House is poised to send the White House a bill extending aid to over a million people in danger of exhausting jobless benefits and additional tax credits for prospectiv...

Economists expect productivity posted another sizzling advance in the July-September period while labor pressures plunged, a combination that will bolster companies' profit...

U.S. stock futures are slightly lower Thursday ahead of more data on consumer spending and jobs, two of the market's biggest concerns.Overseas, worries about the str...

Retail sales in the 16 countries that use the euro dropped by 0.7 percent in September, European Union statistics showed Thursday, evidence the economic recovery will be sl...

Time Warner Cable Inc., the nation's second biggest cable TV operator, said Thursday its profit fell 11 percent in the third quarter, weighed down by heftier interest expen...

Managed care company Cigna Corp.'s third-quarter profit soared 92 percent, as improving equity markets spurred a big turnaround in a discontinued business that hurt the ins...

Air bags have long been mounted in the steering wheel, dashboard and sides of vehicles. Now, they're in the seat belts.Ford Motor Co. plans to introduce seat belt-mo...

Sales of Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 7 operating system have been "fantastic" in Japan since its launch last month, CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday.He declined to ...

World stock markets fell Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve cautioned about the wider economic impact of rising unemployment. Investors awaited interest rate decisions...

Google is offering a new privacy control that will make it easier for people to see some of the information being collected about them.The "Dashboard" feature unveil...

Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA agreed last month to sell part of its interests in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, a company spoke...

Oil prices slipped below $80 a barrel Thursday as the U.S. dollar strengthened, making commodities like crude more expensive for international investors.By early aft...

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it returned to a profit in the latest quarter and trimmed its projected red ink for the year, underlining the gradual recovery under way fo...

World stock markets dropped Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve failed to reassure investors that a lasting recovery in the global economy was taking hold.The U.S. ...

Unilever NV, maker of Dove soaps and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, saw net profit fall 36 percent for the third quarter, mostly because earnings in the same period a year ag...

Billed as a way for the government to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on highways, the $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program sold thousands of commuter-friendly cars, even ...

The Bank of England's injection of 175 billion pounds ($289 billion) into the economy hasn't yet pulled Britain out of recession, and the central bank now faces a difficult...

Deutsche Telekom AG reported third-quarter net income rose 7 percent as it remained focused on controlling costs and developing key markets in the U.S., Britain and Poland....

Smith Micro Software Inc. said Wednesday it turned a profit in the third quarter but cut its 2009 revenue estimate, sending shares tumbling nearly 20 percent in aftermarket...

Cell phone distributor Brightpoint Inc. said Wednesday its third-quarter profit more than doubled, helped by tax benefits.Quarterly earnings jumped to $11.2 million,...

Cisco Systems Inc. doesn't want Wall Street to interpret its forecast for its first quarterly revenue growth in a year as evidence that the U.S. and other economies are roa...

Since its debut in 2007, millions of people have gravitated toward Apple's iPhone, wooed by its sleek hardware, simple user interface and abundance of applications.O...

ON Semiconductor Corp.'s third-quarter profit fell from a year earlier, but its adjusted results beat Wall Street expectations and its shares rose in late trading on a bull...

Qualcomm Inc. says its fiscal fourth-quarter profit slipped 9 percent as revenue from the mobile phone technology it licenses and mobile-phone chips it makes declined.<...

Semiconductor maker Microchip Technology Inc. said Wednesday that earnings and sales fell in the latest quarter, but its CEO said profit margins would improve as the compan...

Toyota said Thursday it returned to a profit in the latest quarter as government incentives boosted sales, leading the world's largest automaker to trim its projected red i...

Asian stocks markets dropped Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve failed to reassure investors that a lasting recovery in the global economy was taking hold.The U.S....

Australia launched an investigation Thursday into an oil rig leak that dumped thousands of barrels of fuel into the Timor Sea over more than two months before being plugged...

Panasonic Corp. said Thursday it has started its bid to take over smaller rival Sanyo Electric Co. for an estimated 402 billion yen ($4.4 billion), moving closer to create ...

Recognizing that a weak economy still needs a government boost, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to provide the jobless with up to 20 weeks in additional unemploym...

October sales reports from major retailers ranging from Target Corp. to Macy's Inc. are expected to offer more evidence of a spending recovery when they're released Thursda...

The most common deals under the government's $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program, aimed at putting more fuel-efficient cars on the road, replaced old Ford or Chevrolet pic...