Syringa Networks sues Idaho over telecom bid
11:02
The telecommunications company Syringa Networks has sued Idaho, saying it illegally awarded a multimillion-dollar broadband contract to Qwest Communications Co. even though Qwest didn't have the lowest bid. In the...
Team Health stock climbs after trading begins
10:59
Shares of Team Health Holdings started climbing shortly after they debuted on the New York Stock Exchange. The Knoxville, Tenn., hospital staffing and administrative support company is offering 13.3 million shares at...
Walgreens offering swine flu vaccine in 27 states
10:57
Drugstore operator Walgreen Co. said Wednesday it is offering swine flu vaccinations in 27 states and the District of Columbia. The company said it plans to have the swine flu vaccine available in all 50 states by the...
Colo. firm chosen for Wyoming NCAR supercomputer
10:57
The National Center for Atmospheric Research has selected a Colorado company to work on a supercomputing facility west of Cheyenne and potentially become general contractor for the project. Boulder, Colo.-based NCAR...
Auxilium drug meets penile curvature study goal
10:54
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday its drug candidate Xiaflex met a key treatment goal in a midstage study focused on Peyronie's disease, or penile curvature. The company said the drug candidate improved the...
Weak economy caps inflation as housing starts rise
10:54
The economy is weak enough to keep inflation in check but strong enough to increase the pace of home construction and raise hopes for a sustained recovery. That was the picture sketched Wednesday by government data...
Oil jumps as US crude supply falls
10:48
Oil prices rose sharply Wednesday, wiping out a week's worth of declines after the government said supplies of oil and petroleum products dropped much more than expected. Benchmark crude for January delivery surged by...
Kentucky gov renews call for cap on payday loans
10:48
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is renewing his call for lawmakers to put a cap on the amount of interest payday lenders can charge customers. Beshear called Tuesday for a limit of 36 percent on the interest charges that...
Pilots described being caught totally by surprise
10:46
The pilots of the Northwest Airlines plane that overshot Minneapolis described to safety investigators being caught completely by surprise when a flight attendant called them to ask when the plane would be landing. ...
Laid-off workers at Smurfit-Stone to get aid
10:44
Workers losing their jobs at a Missoula-area mill are eligible for a federal job assistance program. Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. will close its paper mill near Frenchtown at the end of the year, eliminating 417...
Okla. state leaders order 10 percent budget cuts
10:41
Oklahoma officials ordered budget cuts of 10 percent across state government on Tuesday, after revenue collections on a downward spiral fell short of projections for an eleventh consecutive month. So far in the fiscal...
Crude oil stockpiles tumble by 3.7 million barrels
10:40
Crude inventories fell last week, while gasoline supplies grew, the government said Wednesday. Crude inventories fell by 3.7 million barrels, or 1.1 percent, to 332.4 million barrels, which is 2.9 percent above...
Judge allows release of funds to retirees
10:39
The Texas securities commissioner says defrauded investors in Houston-based National Life Settlements will get $19.8 million, or 69 percent of the amount they invested in the company. State District Judge Stephen...
Bristol-Myers sets exchange ratio for offering
10:37
Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said Wednesday it will offer 0.6313 shares of baby formula maker Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. for each share of its stock in an offering that expires at midnight Thursday. New...
Nevada gov tells cabinet to plan for bigger cuts
10:37
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons told agency heads to prepare plans for possible budget cuts of up to 10 percent to meet an ever increasing revenue shortfall. Budgets outlining cuts of 6 percent, 8 percent and 10 percent are to...
British Airways, union agree to emergency talks
10:33
British Airways PLC and union leaders agreed to meet Wednesday for emergency talks as the airline attempts to avert a 12-day strike by cabin crew staff over Christmas. BA is still pushing ahead with an emergency...
Abu Dhabi vows to fight for rights in Citi dispute
10:29
Abu Dhabi's main sovereign wealth fund, which is alleging fraud over its $7.5 billion investment in Citigroup Inc., vowed Wednesday to fight for its "legal rights" as it seeks compensation or an exit from the deal. ...
Mariner to spend $660M on 2010 capital projects
10:27
Independent oil and gas exploration company Mariner Energy Inc. on Wednesday said it plans to spend $660 million on capital projects in 2010. Two-thirds of the funding will go toward development and exploitation,...
Weekly holiday sales edge up
10:18
A research firm says holiday sales rose 1.1 percent last week compared with last year, as consumers are spending more after a post-Thanksgiving lull. For the week ending Saturday, sales are up 18.2 percent from the...
Stocks rise on benign reading for consumer prices
10:17
Stocks rose in early trading Wednesday following a benign reading on consumer inflation and a rebound in housing starts. Consumer prices excluding food and energy were flat in November, signaling that inflation isn't...
Auxilium reports positive mid-stage study results
10:13
Drugmaker Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Wednesday a midstage study of its drug candidate Xiaflex for the treatment of Peyronie's disease showed statistically significant improvements. The Malvern, Pa. company...
Contractor's 100th windmill goes up in Maine
10:06
The contractor that's erected windmills across Maine has reached a big milestone. Reed & Reed on Wednesday planned to put up its 100th windmill, weather cooperating. The turbine will go up at the Stetson II site,...
Governor talks jobs, recovery in southern Colorado
10:04
Gov. Bill Ritter is touring southern Colorado to support a program helping veterans find construction jobs and to discuss economic recovery strategies. At Fort Carson on Wednesday, Ritter will sign a proclamation...
Mo. gov in St. Louis, KC to outline jobs plan
10:03
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon plans stops in St. Louis and Kansas City on Wednesday to outline his proposal to create jobs in the life- and plant-science industries. Nixon will speak at 10:30 a.m. at the Donald Danforth...
Current account trade deficit widens in 3Q
10:01
The deficit in the broadest measure of foreign trade posted a sharp increase in the July-September quarter, a sign that the U.S. economy was beginning to rebound as demand for foreign goods increased. The Commerce...
Indiana Senate GOP to soon announce ethics package
10:01
Republicans who control the Indiana Senate say they will announce their own ethics legislation soon. House Democrats plan to take up their own bill on Wednesday to tighten lobbying and ethics rules. The bill by...
American proposes JAL as exclusive NE Asia partner
10:00
American Airlines has proposed making JAL its exclusive northeast Asian partner to keep it from Delta's clutches. American Chief Executive Gerard Arpey said Wednesday he told Japan Airlines that American will not...
Wyden introduces Oregon old growth forest bill
9:59
Sen. Ron Wyden is preparing to introduce his long-awaited bill balancing protection for old growth forests in Oregon with restoring unhealthy forests and creating timber jobs. The Oregon Democrat has a press conference...
Fed to strike upbeat note on economy
9:42
Focused on keeping the recovery going and driving down double-digit unemployment, the Federal Reserve is poised to leave interest rates at a record low. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues resumed a two-day...
Dollar weakens slightly ahead of Fed announcement
9:32
The dollar fell from a three-month high Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve's announcement on interest rates. In morning trading in New York, the 16-nation euro rose to $1.4545 from $1.4529 late Tuesday. Earlier...
Dems ready to push health bill despite setbacks
9:29
History may be calling but time's running out to act by Christmas, so Senate Democrats are coming to terms with the idea they won't get everything they want from health care overhaul. For the second time in less than...
Mo. farmers with best land face 2011 tax rise
9:22
Farmers who own the best agricultural land in Missouri might be saddled with higher taxes starting 2011 while those with less desirable plots could see their duties cut, under a proposal to adjust the productive value...
Time magazine names Bernanke 'Person of the Year'
9:20
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (bur-NANG'-kee) has been named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2009. Last year's winner was then-President-elect Barack Obama. The 2007 winner was Russian Prime Minister...
Honeywell International backs 2009 outlook
9:12
Honeywell International Inc. on Wednesday reiterated its 2009 outlook, but the manufacturing conglomerate forecast 2010 earnings below analyst estimates. In a statement, Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote said that...
Pittsburgh City Council set to vote on tuition tax
9:09
The Pittsburgh City Council is set to take a preliminary vote on a proposed first-of-its kind tax on student tuition. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says the measure could generate $16.2 million in annual revenue to help pay...
No bump in audience as Stephanopoulos joins 'GMA'
9:06
It looks like George Stephanopoulos (stehf-uh-NAHP'-uh-luhs) didn't get a very hearty welcome from viewers as the new co-anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America." Preliminary numbers from Nielsen Co. show that his first...
November housing construction up 8.9 percent
9:05
Construction of new homes, helped by better weather, rebounded in November following a setback in the previous month. The gain is a hopeful sign that the housing recovery is continuing, a development viewed as critical...
9:04
Federal Trade Commission sues Intel, charging chip maker with illegally stifling competitors. ...
DA: Letterman suspect sought to mask blackmail
9:02
A TV producer accused of trying to blackmail David Letterman for $2 million said he needed money to visit his son and would mask the transaction as a business deal, prosecutors said Tuesday. Robert J. "Joe" Halderman...
Colo. Supreme Court bans smoking in live theater
8:59
The Colorado Supreme Court has upheld a state ban on smoking by actors onstage, ruling that public health trumps actor's freedom of expression. The court ruled 6-1 on Monday that a state indoor smoking ban applies to...
Best Buy approves quarterly dividend of 14 cents
8:55
Best Buy Co. said Wednesday its board has approved a regular quarterly dividend of 14 cents. The retailer said the quarterly dividend is payable on Jan. 26 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 5. ...
Medicis declares quarterly dividend of 4 cents
8:53
Acne drugmaker Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. said Wednesday its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 4 cents. The dividend is payable on Jan. 29 to stockholders of record as of Jan. 4. ...
Dean urges defeat of emerging health care bill
8:52
Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean argued Wednesday that the health care overhaul bill taking shape in the Senate further empowers private insurers at the expense of consumer choice. "You will be forced to...
Germany approves 2010 budget with record new debts
8:50
Germany's new center-right Cabinet approved a 2010 budget plan on Wednesday that includes record levels of new debt and higher government spending as the country seeks to safeguard its recovery from recession. The...
EU drops Microsoft browser charges
8:50
The European Union has dropped long-standing antitrust charges against Microsoft Corp. after the company agreed to give users of the Windows operating system a choice of up to 12 other Web browsers. Under the terms of...
Panel: Great Lakes not losing extra water
8:48
Lakes Huron and Michigan are not losing extra billions of gallons of water daily because of navigational dredging as a Canadian group contends, a scientific panel said Tuesday. After a two-year, $3.5 million study, the...
Ex-Kennedy aide charged with defrauding Senate
8:47
A former office manager for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy has been charged with conspiring to defraud the Senate of more than $75,000 in pay and bonuses. Authorities charge that 39-year-old Ngozi T. Pole filled out...
Team Health stock to debut below expected price
8:27
Team Health Holdings said Wednesday an initial public offering of its shares priced at $12 per share, below the range the company previously expected. Team Health had said it expected shares to be priced between $14...
Ohio's Blade newspaper names executive editor
8:24
Kurt Franck has been promoted to executive editor at The Blade. The 53-year-old Franck joined the newspaper in 2000 as managing editor. He succeeds Ron Royhab, who is retiring as editor and vice president. Dave Murray...
Ohio Senate bill cuts telephone regulations
8:22
The Ohio Senate has approved a bill to reduce regulations on the traditional telephone industry as it tries to compete with an explosion in wireless services. The Senate approved the bill 29-3 on Tuesday over the...