http://66.240.200.85/ en Copyright 2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:39:44 -0600 University of Connecticut officials say a plan to merge the UConn Health Center in Farmington with Hartford Hospital is unlikely to win official approval.President Michael J. Hogan told university staff and faculty Friday that a review by the UConn Board of Trustees concluded it cannot win approval for the proposed partnership with Hartford http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/uconn__merger_with_hartford_hospital_not_feasible.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/uconn__merger_with_hartford_hospital_not_feasible.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:09:51 -0600 Monsanto Co. is installing a water management system at an Idaho phosphate mine the company depends on to make its Roundup weedkiller to stop the leakage of selenium and heavy metals into a tributary of the Blackfoot River.The company hopes capturing runoff and underground water will remedy problems at the waste rock dump below its South Rasmussen http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/monsanto_aims_to_stop_leaks_at_idaho_mine_dump.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/monsanto_aims_to_stop_leaks_at_idaho_mine_dump.html John Miller The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:52 -0600 The publisher of the East Valley Tribune in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa said Friday that a buyer has made an offer that would keep the paper and its Web site in business.Publisher Julie Moreno told Tribune staffers that Irvine, Calif.-based Freedom Communications received a letter of intent to purchase the paper, which Freedom planned to close on http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/publisher_says_buyer_emerges_for_ariz__paper.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/publisher_says_buyer_emerges_for_ariz__paper.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:39:47 -0600 The collapse of a Bend real estate development company has resulted in charges against 13 people in what prosecutors say is the largest Oregon fraud case to emerge from the national real estate boom and bust.A federal grand jury in Eugene returned five separate indictments on Thursday that charged the principals in Desert Sun Development and http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/13_charged_in__19m_central_oregon_bank_fraud.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/13_charged_in__19m_central_oregon_bank_fraud.html William Mccall The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:09:51 -0600 Moody's Investors Service downgraded ratings for Liberty Media Corp. subsidiary Liberty Media LLC on Friday. The changes come shortly after shareholders approved the formation of a new company out of DirecTV Group Inc. and some of Liberty's entertainment businesses.Moody's lowered Liberty's corporate family rating to "B1" from "Ba2" and its http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/moody_s_downgrades_liberty_media_llc_ratings.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/moody_s_downgrades_liberty_media_llc_ratings.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:44 -0600 "Going Rogue" is going big.Publisher HarperCollins said Friday that Sarah Palin's memoir sold 300,000 copies its first day, among the best openings ever for a nonfiction book. In 2004, Bill Clinton's "My Life" debuted with sales of 400,000 copies. The year before, Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History" started at 200,000."Going Rogue" was http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/_going_rogue__is_going_big.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/_going_rogue__is_going_big.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:09:59 -0600 Southwest Airlines Co. said Friday it will require uncontested candidates for its board of directors to win a majority among shareholder votes cast to be elected, instead of just a plurality.If an incumbent fails to get a majority of votes cast, he or she must tender a resignation to the board, which can reject the offer to resign, the company http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/southwest_airlines_changes_board_election_rules.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/southwest_airlines_changes_board_election_rules.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:09:56 -0600 Major League Baseball has the perfect gift to bust a budget in a recession.A 20-DVD set of World Series films can be bought for $2,299, and it contains authenticated autographs of 12 Hall of Famers, including Yogi Berra, Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson and Mike Schmidt.A limited edition run of 100 sets was put together by Major League Baseball http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/pricey_gift__mlb_offers_series_film_set_for__2_229.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/pricey_gift__mlb_offers_series_film_set_for__2_229.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:09:54 -0600 The state of Wyoming has filed a new federal lawsuit seeking to block the National Park Service from restricting snowmobile numbers in Yellowstone National Park.The Park Service on Friday issued a temporary rule that would allow up to 318 snowmobiles and 78 snowcoaches per day into the park starting next month and continuing through next http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/wyoming_challenges_yellowstone_snowmobile_rules.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/wyoming_challenges_yellowstone_snowmobile_rules.html Ben Neary The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:09:52 -0600 West Virginia's Public Service Commission has approved a 5 percent rate increase for Hope Gas Inc.The $8.78 million increase approved Friday is substantially smaller than the $34.4 million increase the utility had requested.The company, which has not received a rate increase since 2005, said it needed more money to cover non-gas operations and http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/west_virginia_regulators_approve_gas_rate_increase.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/west_virginia_regulators_approve_gas_rate_increase.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:09:44 -0600 A Louisiana businessman was charged Friday with engaging in a Ponzi scheme to defraud about 160 investors — mostly elderly people — out of roughly $19.5 million and using some of the money to pay for cars, cruises, sports tickets and a house.A federal grand jury indicted Matthew B. Pizzolato, 26, of Tickfaw, on charges that include securities http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/la__businessman_indicted_in_alleged_ponzi_scheme.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/la__businessman_indicted_in_alleged_ponzi_scheme.html Michael Kunzelman The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:16 -0600 A former kosher slaughterhouse manager convicted of financial fraud has asked for an acquittal or new trial, saying prosecutors unfairly brought in evidence of immigration violations.In a motion filed late Thursday, Sholom Rubashkin's attorney said his conviction on 86 counts of financial fraud should be overturned because prosecutors didn't abide http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/former_iowa_slaughterhouse_manager_seeks_acquittal.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/former_iowa_slaughterhouse_manager_seeks_acquittal.html Nigel Duara The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:15 -0600 Overstock.com Inc. said Friday that it received a listing rule violation letter Thursday from the Nasdaq Stock Market related to the recent filing of its third-quarter report.The online retailer said Nasdaq informed the company that its Form 10-Q violated Nasdaq rules because it was not reviewed in accordance with an auditing standard. Nasdaq also http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/nasdaq_notifies_overstock_it_violated_listing_rule.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/nasdaq_notifies_overstock_it_violated_listing_rule.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:13 -0600 A billboard showing President Barack Obama wearing a turban has sparked a lot of attention at the suburban Denver used car dealership that put it up.The sign, completed Friday by artist David Lee, shows a grinning, cartoonish Obama and bears the words "PRESIDENT or JIHAD?"Underneath the president's image is a big yellow square with the phrase, http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/colo__billboard_links_obama_with_jihadists.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/colo__billboard_links_obama_with_jihadists.html Kristen Wyatt The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:11 -0600 Florida banking regulators on Friday shut down Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, marking the 124th U.S. bank to succumb this year to the struggling economy and rising loan defaults.The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over the small bank in Fort Myers, Fla., with $79.7 million in assets and $76.7 million in deposits.Central Bank, based in http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/small_florida_bank_shuttered__124th_this_year.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/small_florida_bank_shuttered__124th_this_year.html Marcy Gordon And Daniel Wagner The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:05 -0600 More than 15,000 mobile home owners insured by state-backed Citizens Property insurance Corp. will see an 11 percent increase on their insurance policies in 2010.Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty signed an order Thursday establishing rates for Citizens' 330,000 high-risk accounts. The approved rates are close to those requested by http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/fla__commissioner_oks_citizens_property_rate_hikes.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/fla__commissioner_oks_citizens_property_rate_hikes.html Brent Kallestad The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:02 -0600 Stocks fell for a third straight day Friday as a disappointing outlook from computer maker Dell Inc. suggested that an economic recovery could be uneven. The market, which has been shuttling between concerns about the economy and traders' need to find high-yielding investments, is back to worrying about the economy. Demand for safe haven http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/how_the_major_stock_indexes_fared_on_friday.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/how_the_major_stock_indexes_fared_on_friday.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:00 -0600 The U.S. is finally becoming a nation of savers. Now if only we could get something for our money.Interest rates are sinking to near zero for the first time since last year's financial meltdown, dampening spending as Americans earn less on their bank deposits and investment accounts.It's hardly encouraging news for an economy that sorely needs http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/americans_save_more_but_earn_less_as_rates_fall.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/americans_save_more_but_earn_less_as_rates_fall.html Stevenson Jacobs The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:40:58 -0600 Online retail brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. said Friday that it will sell $1.25 billion in senior unsecured notes in a public offering and use proceeds to retire debt and stagger the maturity of its long-term bonds.The company is offering $250 million of 2.95 percent notes due 2012, $500 million of 4.15 percent notes due 2014 and $500 http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/td_ameritrade_offering__1_25b_in_senior_notes.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/td_ameritrade_offering__1_25b_in_senior_notes.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:40:56 -0600 The New Hampshire attorney general's office wants to force a mortgage company that closed suddenly into bankruptcy.Financial Resources Management of Meredith closed abruptly Nov. 9 as did two other businesses sharing its address. Since then, the attorney general's office has heard from people claiming to have lost $23 million owed to them, and the http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/new_hampshire_ag_seeks_bankruptcy_for_mortgage_co_.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/new_hampshire_ag_seeks_bankruptcy_for_mortgage_co_.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:22 -0600 Among the stock activity stories for Friday, Nov. 20, from AP Financial News:SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shares of Dress Barn Inc. climbed a day after the company raised its yearly profit estimate above analysts' forecasts.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shares of sporting goods retailer Hibbett Sports Inc. rose a day after its third-quarter results beat Wall http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/movers_roundup__dress_barn__hibbett_sports.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/movers_roundup__dress_barn__hibbett_sports.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:20 -0600 Huntington Bancshares Inc., parent company of Huntington National Bank, said Friday that it will pay $338.9 million for subordinated bank notes tendered for an offer that expired Thursday.Huntington, based in Columbus, Ohio, had offered to buy notes with a principal amount up to $400 million.The expected settlement date for the offer is Monday. http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/huntington_bancshares_to_buy__338_9m_in_notes.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/huntington_bancshares_to_buy__338_9m_in_notes.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:18 -0600 The Texas Supreme Court on Friday said it will again hear arguments in the nearly 15-year legal battle over accusations that Exxon Mobil Corp. loaded abandoned wells with junk, sludge and even explosives to keep other companies from drilling there.A small drilling company that tried to enter the wells near Corpus Christi, and the land owners, http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/texas_high_court_agrees_to_rehear_exxon_case.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/texas_high_court_agrees_to_rehear_exxon_case.html John Mcfarland The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:39:43 -0600 State Treasurer Janet Cowell unveiled new rules Friday banning employees from taking gifts from companies that do substantial business with the agency and setting a limit on charitable solicitations.The rules come after former chief investment officer Patricia Gerrick said she was offered favors from investment firms while employed under Cowell http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/more_ethics_rules_issued_for_nc_treasurer_workers.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/more_ethics_rules_issued_for_nc_treasurer_workers.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:39:45 -0600 More states add jobs, but many for temporary staffWASHINGTON (AP) — In a sharp improvement, more than half of U.S. states added jobs in October, though economists said many of the gains likely occurred in temporary employment.That's customarily a positive a sign. Employers usually hire temporary workers before they add full-time jobs. But in http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/business_highlights.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/business_highlights.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:03 -0600 http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/treasury_bond_market_at_a_glance.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/treasury_bond_market_at_a_glance.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:01 -0600 Treasury prices mostly fell Friday, pushing their yields higher. Yields on short-term bills hovered near their lows of the year.The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered among the safest investments, dipped to 0.01 percent from 0.02 percent late Thursday. Its discount rate stood at 0.02 percent. The yield fell as low as 0.005 percent earlier http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/treasury_prices_fall__yields_inch_off_lows.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/treasury_prices_fall__yields_inch_off_lows.html Stephen Bernard The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:09:57 -0600 St. Louis Cardinals season ticket prices are increasing an average of 3 percent next year.The baseball club said Friday that nearly one-third of season ticket holders will have no price increase and about half will see an increase of $1 or less per ticket.The Cardinals say most of the areas with price increases have been flat since 2006. About a http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/st__louis_cardinals_announce_season_ticket_pricing.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/st__louis_cardinals_announce_season_ticket_pricing.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:09:54 -0600 Sun-Times Media Group, which was recently sold out of bankruptcy to an investor group, said Friday it named John Barron to the newly created group publisher position and as senior vice president of news and editorial operations.The owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and dozens of suburban publications said Friday that Barron also will remain publisher http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/sun_times_media_names_john_barron_group_publisher.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/sun_times_media_names_john_barron_group_publisher.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:09:50 -0600 Florida banking regulators have shut down Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, marking the 124th U.S. bank to succumb this year to the struggling economy and rising loan defaults.The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday took over the small bank in Fort Myers, Fla., with $79.7 million in assets and $76.7 million in deposits.Central Bank, based http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/regulators_shut_small_florida_bank.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/regulators_shut_small_florida_bank.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:41:11 -0600 Lawyers for the Minnesota House spell out in a 34-page brief why they believe Gov. Tim Pawlenty misused a state law to enact budget cuts without legislative consent.The brief filed Friday supports a lawsuit challenging some of the $2.7 billion in cuts made by Pawlenty. Specifically, six plaintiffs want a court to restore money for food assistance http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/minn__house_tells_court_governor_abused_budget_law.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/minn__house_tells_court_governor_abused_budget_law.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:41:10 -0600 Community colleges have joined Missouri's four-year colleges and universities in agreeing to freeze tuition next school year if state officials promise to nick and not slash their budgets.Gov. Jay Nixon said Friday that community colleges have promised to not raise tuition for in-state students if their budget cuts are limited to 5.2 percent. The http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/mo__governor__community_colleges_to_freeze_tuition.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/mo__governor__community_colleges_to_freeze_tuition.html Chris Blank The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:41:04 -0600 First-time claims for jobless benefits in Louisiana fell last week after a spike attributed to a temporary layoff in the transportation equipment industry.The Louisiana Workforce Commission reported 4,623 initial claims for the week ending Nov. 14. That compared with 5,488 first-time claims the prior week.Initial claims for the comparable week http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/louisiana_sees_decline_in_initial_jobless_claims.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/louisiana_sees_decline_in_initial_jobless_claims.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:41:02 -0600 Medidata Solutions Inc., a maker of software and services for clinical development of drugs and medical devices, said Friday it plans a public offering of 4.5 million shares of its common stock.Medidata, which filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, said the shares are being offered by certain stockholders of http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/medidata_shares_fall_on_offering_announcement.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/medidata_shares_fall_on_offering_announcement.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:41:00 -0600 Asian carp may have breached an electronic barrier designed to prevent the giant invaders from upsetting the ecosystem in the Great Lakes and jeopardizing a $7 billion sport fishery, officials said Friday.Scientists recently collected 32 DNA samples of Asian carp between the barrier and Lake Michigan in waterways south of Chicago, although the http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/asian_carp_may_have_breached_electronic_barrier.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/asian_carp_may_have_breached_electronic_barrier.html John Flesher The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:40:58 -0600 http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/figures_on_government_spending_and_debt.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/figures_on_government_spending_and_debt.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:40:56 -0600 Just two years after hitting a record low, the unemployment rate in Alabama climbed to 10.9 percent in October, the highest it has been in more than 25 years, state officials announced Friday.The rate rose from 10.7 percent in September and was worse than the national jobless rate of 10.2 percent for October.The 10.9 percent unemployment rate http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/ala__jobless_rate_rises_to_10_9_percent_in_october.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/ala__jobless_rate_rises_to_10_9_percent_in_october.html Bob Johnson The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:40:54 -0600 The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange:NYSE:Dillard's Inc., up $1.38 at $15.66An analyst upgraded the stock to "buy" and said efforts to cut costs and improve merchandise are paying off.D.R. Horton Inc., down $1.88 at $10.37The homebuilder's wider-than-anticipated http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/d_r__horton__j_m__smucker__dell_are_big_movers.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/d_r__horton__j_m__smucker__dell_are_big_movers.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:40:52 -0600 The Sacramento Monarchs folded on Friday, a shocking and disappointing development for the WNBA and one of its original eight franchises.The decision was largely based on the Maloof family's desire to focus all its energy and efforts on the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Maloof Sports & Entertainment had owned both teams.Now, the WNBA is left http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/kings_owner_will_no_longer_operate_wnba_franchise.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/kings_owner_will_no_longer_operate_wnba_franchise.html Janie Mccauley The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:40:54 -0600 More than 1,300 people have already voted on whether to let the Charles Town Races & Slots put table games in its casino.Early voting in Jefferson County began Nov. 13 and continues through Dec. 2.Wendy Evangelisti, an assistant clerk for elections, says 1,376 votes had been cast at the county courthouse by noon Friday.There are about 33,000 http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/early_votes_on_w_va__table_games_already_top_1_300.html http://66.240.200.85/news/ap/finance_business/2009/Nov/20/early_votes_on_w_va__table_games_already_top_1_300.html The Associated Press Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:40:47 -0600