Sep. 24, 2010 at 6:26 a.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Retail
By Problem Solver
By Kristin Samuelson and Julie Wernau | If you missed your opportunity in April to take advantage of the government rebates on new energy-efficient appliances, today’s your lucky day. But you better move fast.
The state of Illinois is offering consumers approximately $3 million in rebate money to replace their old clothes washer, dishwasher, freezer, or refrigerator with a new Energy Star qualified model at participating stores starting at 8 a.m. Friday. The rebates will provide a 15 percent discount (up to $250) on the appliances, but you have to act fast because the rebate program will stop once the funding runs out.
Sep. 23, 2010 at 2:21 p.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Small business
By Associated Press
The Democratic-controlled Congress on Thursday sent President Barack Obama a long-delayed bill to help struggling small businesses with easier credit and other incentives to expand and hire new workers.
The $40 billion-plus bill is the last vestige of the heralded jobs agenda that Obama and Democrats promoted this year. They ended up delivering only a fraction of that after emboldened Senate Republicans blocked most of the agenda with filibusters. Get the full story »
Sep. 23, 2010 at 1:08 p.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Health care,
Pharmaceuticals
By Associated Press
A new analysis of government data finds that millions of seniors face double-digit hikes in their Medicare prescription premiums next year unless they shop for cheaper coverage. Get the full story »
Sep. 23, 2010 at 12:51 p.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Pharmaceuticals
By Reuters
European regulators said Thursday GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia should be taken off the market but U.S. officials allowed it to stay, with major restrictions due to concerns about heart risks.
The differing rulings were an attempt to end a row over drug safety that has dogged the reputation of the medicine and its maker in recent years. Get the full story »
Sep. 22, 2010 at 1:57 p.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Pharmaceuticals,
Recalls
By Reuters
U.S. health regulators knew that Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil unit was using a contractor to buy back potentially faulty batches of Motrin, though there was no formal agreement with the government, lawyers for the company told lawmakers.
Still, in a letter to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday, J&J’s lawyers said though the purchases of defective painkiller from retailers were legal, “moving forward the company would handle things differently.” Get the full story »
Sep. 21, 2010 at 1:20 p.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Government
By Reuters
The Federal Reserve said Tuesday it stood ready to provide additional support to bolster a modest economic recovery, suggesting it may be preparing to do more to keep unemployment from rising and prices from falling. Get the full story »
Sep. 21, 2010 at 1:13 p.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Health care,
Insurance
By Associated Press
Seniors enrolled in popular private health insurance plans through Medicare will pay a little less on average next year, the Obama administration said Tuesday.
The average monthly premium in so-called Medicare Advantage plans will dip to $35.69 in 2011, a 45-cent reduction from $36.14 this year, Medicare officials said.
Sep. 21, 2010 at 11:49 a.m.
Filed under:
Food,
Government,
Investigations
By Associated Press
A company that has engineered salmon to grow twice as fast as the conventional variety says its food should not be labeled any differently in the grocery store if it is approved by the U.S. government.
The chief executive of the company, Ron Stotish, argued at a Food and Drug Administration hearing Tuesday that genetically modified salmon have the same flavor, texture, color and odor as the conventional fish. Get the full story »
Sep. 21, 2010 at 7:44 a.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Housing,
Real estate
By Associated Press
Home construction increased last month and applications for building permits also grew. But the gains were driven mainly by apartment and condominium construction, not the much larger single-family homes sector. Get the full story »
Sep. 21, 2010 at 7:34 a.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Technology,
Transportation
By Associated Press
Targeting distractions behind the wheel, the Obama administration proposed Tuesday to bar truck drivers from sending text messages while hauling hazardous materials.
The requirements would complement separate rules being finalized by the Transportation Department that prohibit commercial bus and truck drivers from sending text messages on the job and restrict train operators from using cell phones and mobile devices on duty. Get the full story »
Sep. 21, 2010 at 6:29 a.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Energy,
Government
By Associated Press
Oil prices slipped to near $74 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as traders looked to a key U.S. central bank meeting later in the day for possible new polices to help boost economic growth.
Benchmark crude for October delivery was down 59 cents, to $74.27, a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.20, to settle at $74.86, on Monday. Get the full story »
Sep. 21, 2010 at 6:03 a.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Pharmaceuticals
By Reuters
An experimental weight-loss drug made by Vivus Inc. helped obese people lose more than 10 percent of their weight after two years in a clinical trial, but safety details were scant for the drug, which in July was turned down by a panel of U.S. experts.
The company said Tuesday that the second year of a clinical trial found that patients taking the highest dose of its drug, Qnexa, lost an average of 26 pounds, or 11.4 percent of their body weight. Patients taking a placebo had weight loss of 2.5 percent. Get the full story »
By Reuters
BHP Billiton CEO Marius Kloppers visited the home city of Potash Corp. on Monday but failed to win the support of the provincial premier for its $39 billion offer to take over the world’s largest fertilizer supplier.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said he still has concerns about BHP’s proposal after meeting with Kloppers, who sought to bolster the chances that Canada would approve the bid by winning the province’s support. Get the full story »
Sep. 20, 2010 at 2:05 p.m.
Filed under:
Defense,
Government,
Manufacturing
By Mary Jane Grandinetti
Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. said Monday that received a contract worth up to $641 million to build earth-moving tractor scrapers for the Defense Department.
It’s the largest single award from the department that the Peoria-based company has received, the company said in a statement. Get the full story »
Sep. 17, 2010 at 1:41 p.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Pharmaceuticals
By Dow Jones Newswires
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it has started a safety review of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.’s diabetes drug Actos looking at links to bladder cancer.
The FDA said the review was prompted from preliminary, five-year data from an ongoing study involving the drug. The study, designed to follow patients for 10-years, is being funded by Takeda. Get the full story »
