Business and Finance news

Federal health officials said Wednesday more illnesses and possibly more deaths may be linked to an outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe in coming weeks.
So far, the outbreak has caused at least 72 illnesses _ including up to 16 deaths _ in 18 states, making it the deadliest food outbreak in the United States in more […]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hinted that the second Greek bailout package might have to be renegotiated amid increasing market speculation Wednesday that European leaders want to force private holders of Greek bonds to take bigger losses.
Merkel didn’t rule out altering the terms to the euro109 billion ($148 billion) package, saying the decision must be based […]

Asian stocks enjoyed a vigorous rebound early Tuesday after a pledge by European officials to resolve the region’s debt problems helped soothe market sentiment.
Oil prices rose to nearly $82 per barrel while the dollar slipped against the euro and the yen.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 shot up 1.8 percent to 8,524.56. South Korea’s Kospi index jumped 4 […]

It’s been a day of missed, dropped and failed calls for AT&T wireless customers in Southern California, and the night is sounding very similar.
AT&T spokeswoman Meredith Red said late Saturday that a hardware equipment issue was disrupting service for wireless subscribers in the Los Angeles area, and technicians were working on the problem.
The service glitches […]

Investors in Asia dumped stocks Friday as weak economic indicators from major nations intensified fears of a new global recession, although a joint call to action by the Group of 20 nations helped calm markets in Europe.
Oil prices stabilized near $81 a barrel after diving to a near seven-week low on Thursday. The dollar was […]

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it will shuffle $400 billion of its portfolio to try to drive down long-term interest rates and get the economy going. But economists doubted it would do much good, the stock market sold off, and the Fed itself was unusually divided over the strategy.
Lowering interest rates makes it cheaper for […]

Most personal finance commentators say you need an emergency fund to cushion you from unexpected events, such as losing your job or facing a big unforeseen expense.
For many years I resisted. As the father of two young children, and with a huge mortgage, I didn’t have much spare cash. It always made more sense to […]

A union representing workers at three major grocery chains in Southern California is distributing picket signs as the clock ticks toward the end of a 3-day notice period required before calling a strike.
Union negotiators intend to keep talking if a resolution appears to be in sight when the period ends at 7:10 p.m. Sunday. They […]

The Obama administration was worried about the financial health of a troubled solar energy company even as officials publicly declared the company in good shape, newly released emails show.
An email from a White House budget official to a co-worker discussed the likely effect of a default by Solyndra Inc. on President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.
“The […]

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