Bill would protect Missouri from financial court penalties
The state of Missouri no longer would face financial punishment for wrongdoing in some civil lawsuits under legislation debated this week in the state Senate. The proposal would give the state what’s called “sovereign immunity,” the legal concept that protects government agencies from lawsuits in many cases. The legislation would mean the Missouri government couldn’t [&hell[...]
Consumer agency hears about student loan servicing problems
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says borrowers are reporting widespread problems with the companies servicing their student loans. In a report released Tuesday, the bureau found servicing practices that “may be contributing to student debt stress” after analyzing more than 30,000 comments from the public as part of an inquiry launched in May. Some of […]
SBA opens local centers for disaster loan applicants
The Small Business Administration says business owners affected by the summer’s severe storms and flooding will have access to low-interest federal disaster loans through. Through Thursday, Sept. 10, SBA representatives will be available to meet with and answer questions for potential applicants at Disaster Loan Outreach Centers. The Jefferson County center is located at Mercy […]
Federal court backs patent protecting Eli Lilly cancer drug
Shares of Eli Lilly rose Wednesday after the drugmaker said a federal court upheld a patent protecting one of its top-selling drugs, the cancer treatment Alimta. The Indianapolis company said Tuesday after markets closed that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana ruled in Lilly’s favor regarding the infringement of a vitamin […]
Survey: Most economists say Fed will raise rates in 2015
The vast majority of business economists expect the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates before the end of the year, according to a survey released Monday. Minutes from the Fed’s meeting in late July showed that officials could raise rates as early as September. Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents believe the Fed will raise rates […]
US home sales soar in July to fastest pace since early 2007
Americans stepped up their home-buying for a third straight month in July, as sales accelerated to the strongest pace in eight years. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that sales of existing homes rose 2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.59 million, the fastest rate since February 2007. Sales […]
Rdio enables saving of tracks from 500 live radio stations
Rdio, the music subscription service backed by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, is partnering to bring simulcasts of 500 traditional radio stations to its app in the U.S. The move is the next step in its partnership with station owner Cumulus Media Inc., which took a 15 percent stake in Rdio in 2013. By gaining access […]
Google forms a new holding company, ‘Alphabet’
Google is creating a new company to oversee its highly lucrative Internet business and a growing flock of other ventures, including some — like building self-driving cars and researching ways to prolong human life — that are known more for their ambition than for turning an immediate profit. The new company will be called “Alphabet,” […]
Push for higher minimum wage ignites worry about enforcement
As a campaign to raise the minimum wage as high as $15 has achieved victories in such places as Seattle, Los Angeles and New York, it has bumped up against a harsh reality: Plenty of scofflaw businesses don’t pay the legal minimum now and probably won’t pay the new, higher wages either. Some economists, labor […]
Companies exploit live-streaming apps Periscope, Meerkat
Companies have learned to use Facebook, Instagram and other social media to drum up business and now they’re finding ways to exploit two new apps, Periscope and Meerkat. The apps allow users to stream live video using just a smartphone. Fast-food company Wendy’s used streaming for the first time in June to spotlight its summer […]
Survey: US businesses added 185,000 workers in July
The rate of hiring by U.S. businesses slowed in July, according to a private survey. But job gains remained at a solid level, which should help boost overall economic growth. Payroll processor ADP said Thursday that companies added 185,000 jobs last month, down from 229,000 in June. The government will issue its […]
US economy posts solid 2.3 percent growth rate in Q2
The U.S. economy posted a solid rebound in the April-June quarter after a harsh winter, led by a surge in consumer spending and a recovery in foreign trade that bode well for the rest of the year. It also ended up squeezing out some growth in the first quarter, reversing an earlier estimate that the […]
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