As the New Year approaches, most people would like to say “good riddance” to something.
About 200 people nationally even entered a Good Riddance Day contest sponsored by Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp., sharing the 2010 memories they’d most like to shred. Get the full story »
Scientists have found that a pill used to treat HIV infection turns out to be a powerful weapon in protecting healthy gay men from catching the virus, according to a global study.
Daily doses of Truvada cut the risk of infection by 44 percent when given with condoms, counseling and other prevention services. Men who took their pills most faithfully had even more protection, up to 73 percent. Get the full story »
Even on the cusp of a long weekend, there’s no rest for the weary, according to a report Tuesday.
The majority, or 59 percent, of working Americans check their work e-mails during Thanksgiving, Christmas and other traditional holidays, according to a survey by Xobni (“inbox” spelled backwards), a Silicon Valley startup that organizes Microsoft Outlook inboxes and address books. Get the full story »
J. Crew says it will be taken private in a deal with two investment firms, including its former parent, worth $3 billion.
The preppy retailer will receive $43.50 per share to private equity firms TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners, confirming media reports Monday. That is a 16 percent premium to the stock’s closing price of $37.65. Get the full story »
Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., the world’s largest casino company, has changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corp. Harrah’s will continue to be one of the company’s brands, along with Caesars, Horseshoe, Total Rewards, and World Series of Poker. Get the full story »
First Midwest Bancorp Inc., the $8.38 billion-asset parent of First Midwest Bank, has named Amcol International Chief Executive Lawrence Washow to its board of directors. Get the full story »
Health care giant Johnson & Johnson is announcing another product recall, this one involving some Children’s Benadryl Allergy Fastmelt Tablets and Junior Strength Motrin Caplets. Get the full story »
The U.S. economy grew faster than previously estimated in the third quarter, government data showed on Tuesday, but still not enough to address stubbornly high unemployment. Gross domestic product growth was revised up to an annualized rate of 2.5 percent from 2.0 percent as exports, and consumer and government spending were stronger than initially thought, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate. Get the full story »
A group of utility executives who once lobbied Congress to cap greenhouse-gas emissions say they are now pressing ahead with their own efforts to clean up the industry.
“We’re making our own destiny,” said Chris Gould, vice president of corporate strategy for Exelon Corp. in Chicago, the nation’s largest owner of nuclear-power plants and one of the biggest backers of the failed “cap and trade” legislation. Get the full story »
Robert Feder, the former Chicago Sun-Times columnist whose local media coverage and criticism gave Chicago Public Media’s Vocalo both an identity and much of its Web traffic, announced early Tuesday on his blog he is leaving the site he joined only last fall.
A three-year insider-trading investigation shifted into high gear Monday as government agents raided the offices of three large hedge funds, sending shock waves through the financial world. In coordinated raids in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents seized documents at the offices of Level Global Investors LP, Diamondback Capital Management LLC and Loch Capital Management LLC.
Another hedge fund whose activities are being examined is Chicago-based Balyasny Asset Management LP, the people familiar with the matter say. Balyasny, which reported $1.8 billion in assets under management at midyear, didn’t respond to requests for comment. Get the full story »
Lawmakers in Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s own party mounted a rebellion Tuesday to try to oust him, an effort that could trigger a snap election and delay a massive EU-IMF bailout of Ireland. Cowen’s Cabinet colleagues in the Fianna Fail party said they were confident, however, that the rebels don’t have enough votes to pursue a no-confidence motion against Cowen.
The Cabinet gathered at Cowen’s office to complete its four-year plan for unprecedented budget cuts tied to Ireland’s international bailout. The plan, which proposes to slash $20 billion from the country’s 2011-14 budget deficits, is to be published Wednesday. Get the full story »
Reports: Third-quarter gross domestic product, 7:30 a.m.; Existing home sales for October, 9 a.m.
Major earnings: Campbell Soup Co., Hormel Foods Corp., Medtronic Inc.
Bloomberg | Chicago-based Boeing Co. and European Aeronautic, Defense and Space Co. shouldn’t see any significant fallout from a “clerical error” releasing some data on their bids for a $35 billion aerial tanker program, the Defense Department said. The Air Force disclosed Nov. 19 that the service mistakenly provided Boeing and EADS with “a limited amount” of data on the offers that are now under government review.
