Category: Business

WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) — Demand for relatively safe four-week Treasury bills pushed yield rates down to zero for the U.S. Treasury. There was $5.42 in bids on the dollar, as the

WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) — U.S. mortgage activity rose last week as long-term interest rates were mostly lower, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday. The association said mortgage activity rose 7 percent

LAND O’ LAKES, Wis., May 8 (UPI) — A Wisconsin librarian won at least $1 million in the Frito-Lay “Do Us A Flavor” contest by suggesting Cheesy Garlic Bread flavored potato chips.

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 8 (UPI) — A prototype laser system for defense against short-range threats has been successfully tested in the United States by Lockheed Martin. Lockheed said the Area Defense Anti-Munitions

WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) — Bailed out U.S. mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Wednesday it earned $4.6 billion in the first quarter of the year due to a recovery in the housing

NASHVILLE, May 8 (UPI) — Fifty-year-old U.S. vacuum cleaner maker Oreck Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, court papers show. The company has been struggling to overcome turnover in top

MIAMI, May 8 (UPI) — Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross has pledged to give half his fortune of $4.4 billion to charity. He is now one of nine new members to join

DAVENPORT, Iowa (April 30, 2013) — Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE: LEE), a major provider of local news, information and advertising in 50 markets, has reached agreement with Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A,

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 7 (UPI) — Google’s latest computerized device, the Google Glass, is likely to run into widespread legal challenges, attorneys and market observers say. The computer on an eye

NEW YORK, May 7 (UPI) — U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said it is selling Viagra online to prevent consumers from buying potentially harmful counterfeits. Pfizer also said that each year there 24

NEW YORK, May 7 (UPI) — U.S. retail receipts slipped 1 percent in the week ending Saturday, the International Council of Shopping Centers reported Tuesday. The ICSC-Goldman Sachs weekly sales report said

DETROIT, May 6 (UPI) — General Motors on Monday refuted a columnist’s claims that its operations in China benefited from the U.S. taxpayer-funded bailout. “Speculation over the possible loss of GM jobs

SHANGHAI, May 6 (UPI) — Chinese consumers are buying less mutton from produce markets over fears it may turn out to be rat, fox or mink meat, a meat supplier says. Last

NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) — Bank of America says it has agreed to pay U.S. bond insurance firm MBIA $1.6 billion to settle complex mortgage securities issues. The dispute has been

NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) — Retail chain Walmart retook its spot at the top of the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. companies, the magazine said Monday. Fortune said Walmart,

NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) — U.S. stock markets closed mixed Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 5.07 points or 0.03 percent to 14,968.89. The S&P index added 3.08 points or

WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) — A leading Democrat in the U.S. Senate said the bones of an immigration reform bill will remain in place despite some anticipated tweaks. Senate Majority Whip Dick

WEST, Texas, May 5 (UPI) — The fertilizer plant where an explosion killed 15 people in Texas carried $1 million in liability insurance, a fraction of the cost of damage, officials said.

BEIJING, May 5 (UPI) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived Sunday in China, saying he planned to ask China to help the Palestinian economy. Before his visit, Abbas told China’s state-run Xinhua

PEORIA, Ill., May 4 (UPI) — Caterpillar Inc. says it will lay off another 300 workers at its Decatur, Ill., factory by the middle of the summer. The announcement Friday came weeks

PURCHASE, N.Y., May 3 (UPI) — Soft drink brand Mountain Dew said Friday it cut ties with U.S. hip-hop artist Lil Wayne because one of his lyrics defiled civil rights icon Emmett

NEW YORK, May 4 (UPI) — A federal judge in New York approved a $2.43 billion settlement to end claims Bank of America misled shareholder when it purchased Merrill Lynch & Co.

BEIJING, May 4 (UPI) — U.S. automaker Chrysler is preparing to recall 4,783 Compass and Patriot model cars in China due to fuel tank problems, a Chinese government agency said. The General

CUPERTINO, Calif., May 4 (UPI) — U.S. Cellular is the latest cellphone company to carry the Apple smartphone, and analysts say two other major providers may soon offer the iPhone as well.

HOLLYWOOD, May 4 (UPI) — U.S actor Robert Downey Jr. said he earned approximately $50 million after box-office bonuses for his role as Iron Man in last year’s “The Avengers.” Downey confirmed

WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) — Japanese automaker Toyota said it would recall 11,489 FJ Cruiser SUVs due to headlights that could temporarily blind oncoming drivers. The recall involves 2007-13 Cruisers with “Auxiliary

BAGHDAD, May 3 (UPI) — Iraq has inaugurated a $17 billion natural gas project run by Royal Dutch Shell that the Financial Times hails as a “milestone” in the country’s postwar recovery,

NEW YORK, May 3 (UPI) — Amtrak is chugging along with its efforts to get U.S. states to pick up the cost of subsidizing unprofitable routes, officials said. Amtrak is trying to

WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) — BlackBerry may lose favor with a big customer — the U.S. Defense Department — as department officials say they’re considering Apple and Samsung alternatives. Following a review

REDMOND, Wash., May 3 (UPI) — Microsoft says it has finished transferring Hotmail.com users to Outlook.com and has 400 million active Outlook.com accounts as a result. Microsoft on Thursday announced the completion

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 2 (UPI) — A U.S. developer for the Google Glass wearable computer says he’s written an app called Winky that will let users snap photos by just blinking

NEW YORK, May 2 (UPI) — Concern among U.S. workers about income, benefits and job security is on the rise, research firm Harris Interactive said Thursday. “American workers are increasingly worried about

DETROIT, May 2 (UPI) — A Michigan woman who once worked for GM as an engineer and her husband have received prison terms for conspiring to sell hybrid-vehicle technology to China. Shanshan

NEW YORK, May 2 (UPI) — U.S. stocks headed higher Thursday after the European Central Bank lowered its lending rate to 0.5 percent, a historic low. The Dow Jones industrial average added

IOWA CITY – On Thursday at the Old Capitol on the campus of the University of Iowa, university leadership, students, and donors announced For Iowa. Forever More: The Campaign for the University of

WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) — U.S. mortgage activity rose modestly last week as long-term interest rates were mostly lower, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday. The association said mortgage activity rose 1.8

PRINCETON, N.J., May 1 (UPI) — Survey firm Gallup said its monthly U.S. job creation index was positive in April, coming in at the high end of an established, long-term trend. The

WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) — The U.S. Federal Reserve said Wednesday it will keep its monetary policy intact, leaving security purchases and interest rates where they are for now. The Fed, wrapping

SAN FRANCISCO, May 1 (UPI) — Windows 8 is advancing in the desktop operating system market but has yet to match the milestone Windows 7 had reached at the same stage, a