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Coast Guard suspends search for 2 Va. men missing after their fishing boat sank off NJ coast. ...
Senate OK's health care bill in victory for Obama
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Months ago, a delegation of Republican senators went to the White House with a request for President Barack Obama to take a more gradual approach to health care. He demurred, according to one official familiar with the...
Congress raises debt ceiling to $12.4 trillion
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The Senate voted Thursday to raise the ceiling on the government debt to $12.4 trillion, a massive increase over the current limit and a political problem that President Barack Obama has promised to address next year. ...
Business Highlights
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Stocks end shortened session at new 2009 highs NEW YORK (AP) _ Stocks ended a holiday-shortened session Thursday at new highs for the year following upbeat reports on unemployment and durable goods orders. A weaker...
Maui Land fieldworkers pick last pineapples
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Fieldworkers at Hawaii's last major pineapple plantation have picked their last crop. Maui Land and Pineapple Co. shut down its century-old agricultural operation Wednesday to focus on real estate development. The...
Treasurys fall, pushing interest rates higher
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Bond yields crept higher Thursday after upbeat readings on jobless claims and factory orders sent positive signals about the economy. The encouraging economic reports caused investors to demand higher yields on bonds....
Key facts on holiday shopping 2009
4:00
Key facts about this holiday shopping season: _ SPENDING: Holiday shoppers have brought retailers a mildly positive season. Spending through Dec. 19 is tracking a little below the 1.6 percent growth forecast by...
Prisons: Madoff had dizziness, high blood pressure
3:59
The federal Bureau of Prisons says dizziness and hypertension were responsible for the hospitalization of Bernard Madoff. Spokeswoman Traci Billingsley says Madoff is being treated at a hospital at the Butner federal...
Pa. high court backs ruling on mercury pollution
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Pennsylvania's highest court is upholding a decision to throw out a state rule that required coal-fired power plants to cut mercury emissions beyond federal standards. The state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that...
Donald Trump buys southern NJ golf course
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Donald Trump has made two more acquisitions, this time adding a southern New Jersey golf course and one in New York's Hudson Valley to his portfolio. Dan Scavino, executive vice president the Trump Organization's Trump...
Jobless claims, goods orders signal modest rebound
3:33
A fitful economic recovery is drawing strength from a stabilizing job market and signs that manufacturing will contribute to the rebound. The evidence signals a better-than-expected end to the year, though doubts remain...
Agriculture futures trade mixed on the CBOT
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Agriculture futures were mixed Thursday on the Chicago Board of Trade. Wheat for March delivery fell 4.5 cents to $5.245 a bushel, while March corn rose 3.75 cents to $4.085 a bushel and oats for March delivery rose...
Spin off gets Cablevision CEO second salary, bonus
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The chief executive of Cablevision Systems will be getting a second salary, bonus and incentive awards after the company spins off its Madison Square Garden operations in next year's first quarter. A regulatory filing...
Stocks end shortened session at new 2009 highs
3:23
Stocks ended a holiday-shortened session Thursday at new highs for the year following upbeat reports on unemployment and durable goods orders. A weaker dollar also helped buoy the market, lifting energy and materials...
Weaker dollar drives gold higher for 2nd day
3:22
Gold prices inched higher for a second day in a row, boosted by a weaker dollar. Gold for February delivery rose $10.80 to settle at $1,104.80 an ounce in quiet, holiday-shortened trading on the New York Mercantile...
New NY teachers trying to get into better pension
3:11
Prospective full-time teachers are scrambling to get into the current state pension tier before a reform measure designed to save New York taxpayers billions of dollars takes effect New Year's Day. The change adopted...
Gov't lifts bailout cap for Fannie and Freddie
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The Obama administration says it is removing the $400 billion financial cap it will provide to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to keep the mortgage giants from failing. Treasury Department officials said the cap will be...
USDA announces signup for disaster program
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Farmers hurt by bad weather last year will soon be able to sign up for aid under a federal disaster program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that signup for losses suffered during the 2008 crop...
Shoppers give stores last-minute sales surge
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Shoppers appear to have given the nation's stores a needed last-minute sales surge. Early readings from Toys R Us, Sears Holdings Corp. and several mall operators show packed stores on Christmas Eve following a busy...
How the major stock indexes fared on Thursday
2:38
Stocks ended a holiday-shortened session Thursday at new highs for the year following upbeat reports on unemployment and durable goods orders. A weaker dollar also helped buoy the market, lifting energy and materials...
Energy futures on upswing but retail prices flat
2:15
Energy prices are ending the year on an upswing with large storms, falling supplies, a weak dollar and a slightly better employment picture sending futures higher. Crude futures closed above $78 per barrel for the...
Federal waste dump sells tons of excavated salt
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Hundreds of tons of salt excavated from the Department of Energy's underground nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico are destined for cattle feed in Texas. The DOE's Carlsbad field office has reached an...
YRC Worldwide, Apple, General Steel are big movers
2:09
The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE: Merrimac Industries Inc., up $4.36 at $15.90 Diversified...
Obama hails Senate passage of health care bill
2:08
President Barack Obama has hailed Senate passage of an historic health care bill, saying the government is now "finally poised to deliver on the promise" of overhauling a troubled system. Speaking not long after the...
Rockwell Collins CEO gets $7.9M in fiscal 2009 pay
1:58
Rockwell Collins Inc., which develops aviation electronics and communications equipment for commercial and government applications, gave Chief Executive Clayton M. Jones total compensation valued at $7.9 million in...
Mortgage rates inch above 5 percent
1:19
The average fixed-rate for a 30-year mortgage climbed above 5 percent for the first time in two months, leading to a decline in mortgage applications. The average fixed rate on a 30-year mortgage was 5.05 percent this...
Mo. senators split on health care legislation
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Missouri's senators split over legislation overhauling the nation's health insurance system _ as have the state's two leading Senate candidates. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill voted for the health care bill Thursday,...
Neb. commission used state time to get donations
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The Nebraska Highway Commission inappropriately used state resources to solicit money for a golf outing, cocktails and dinner at one of the nicest facilities in the state, according to an audit released on Thursday. ...
ID theft settlement gets preliminary approval
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A federal judge has given preliminary approval to a settlement between Countrywide Financial Corp., and millions of customers whose detailed financial information was exposed in a security breach. Under the terms of...
2 Michigan brothers sentenced in investment scheme
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Two Lansing, Mich.-area brothers have been sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $21.6 million in restitution as part of what authorities described as an oil and gas investment scheme. Fifty-five-year-old...
A look at economic developments around the globe
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A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Thursday: ___ BEIJING _ Asian markets moved higher amid expectations China will maintain loose monetary policy. China's central bank...
Registration rules set for makers of baby products
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The government is requiring the manufacturers of products for infants and toddlers to create programs for keeping in touch with people who own cribs, strollers, changing tables and other items. Under the new rule,...
Teva joint venture buys stake in Japan drugmaker
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Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the world's largest generic drugmaker, said Thursday its Japanese joint venture will buy a majority stake in Taisho Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Teva-KOWA Co., a venture between...
North Dakota oil patch posts record production
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North Dakota's oil patch will set a production record in 2009, despite a year that began with depressed crude prices and a drop in drilling activity, state and industry officials said. North Dakota will produce about...
Natural gas stocks decline less than expected
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Natural gas stockpile levels fell less than expected last week, the government said Thursday. The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report that natural gas inventories held in...
2 fires at Valero refinery in Texas; no injuries
10:30
Authorities say two small fires broke out at a Texas refinery. Bill Day of Valero Energy Corp. says nobody was hurt in either blaze Thursday at the Texas City refinery. Day says the initial fire was reported around 5...
New Mexico dairies to share nearly $3 million
10:29
The Farm Service Agency says it will issue nearly $3 million in payments to dairy farmers in New Mexico. The payments will be made through the Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Program. Eligible producers will receive a...
Silver Club Casino in Nevada sold for at auction
10:27
The Silver Club Casino in Sparks sold for $2.5 million at a foreclosure auction on the steps of the Washoe County Courthouse. Northern Nevada Asset Holdings, which held the mortgage note on the property, was the only...
Christmas Eve means a furlough day in Connecticut
10:25
Most Connecticut state employees have Christmas Eve off, but not by choice and not with pay. Thursday marks the third furlough day workers have taken during the current fiscal year. State employees, as part of a labor...
Maine boosting number of foreclosure counselors
10:23
With more than 7,000 Mainers already in default on their mortgages, the state is boosting the number counselors to help homeowners avoid foreclosures. The Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection says it's working to add...
Glendale to buy youth sports complex near stadium
10:21
The Glendale City Council has voted to purchase the remainder of its lease on a sports complex near the University of Phoenix Stadium. The Glendale Youth Sports Complex is a 14-acre property, featuring soccer and...
Lured by deals, shoppers treat themselves, too
10:20
Maria Prieto couldn't resist. Shopping for Christmas presents at a Gap Kids recently, she thought about that 25-percent off coupon she had. Why let it go to waste? So the nurse from New Jersey did what industry...
Redevelopment agency acquires old Utah Theater
10:18
The Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City has taken a step toward revitalizing downtown by acquiring the old Utah Theater. The RDA will buy the Main Street theater for $5.5 million from a developer. The purchase of...
Judge denies Verizon request to restrain ex-worker
10:15
A federal judge at Little Rock says he won't issue a restraining order against a former employee of Verizon Wireless who went to work for Allied Wireless Communication Corp. The decision Wednesday by U.S. District...
USDA: Minnesota corn harvest 93 percent complete
10:07
Minnesota farmers who still have corn in their fields made limited progress toward harvesting it last week. In its weekly crop weather report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday the corn...
Key dispute over Pa. casino bill said to be solved
9:55
Legislative leaders have apparently resolved a key disagreement holding up a measure to expand casino gambling in Pennsylvania and promise enough revenue for the cash-strapped state to stop Gov. Ed Rendell from laying...
Oklahoma sets unemployment claims record in 2009
9:53
Oklahoma has paid out more than $575 million in unemployment claims so far this year, a record as the number of jobless in the state remains near a 21-year high, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Employment Security...
Nevada sales plunge nearly 18 percent in October
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Taxable sales in Nevada plunged 17.8 percent in October compared with the same month last year, marking the 12th straight month of double-digit declines, the state Department of Taxation reported. Nevada merchants sold...
Judge blocks NYC mayor's Brooklyn rezoning
9:48
A judge has halted a plan by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration to rezone an 18-acre site in Brooklyn known as the Broadway Triangle. Wednesday's preliminary injunction came in response to a lawsuit filed in...
Louisiana accuses company of selling bogus bonds
9:47
Louisiana insurance regulators are suing a company accused of selling worthless construction bonds for bids on hundreds of millions of dollars in government projects, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said. Infinity...