Dollar continues to rise, with Treasury yields near year lows, as investors pare risk. The safe-haven dollar further strengthened Friday and Treasury yields hovered around their lows for the year as worries about the economy in 2010 diminished traders' appetites for risky bets.
Tenn. judge finds law allowing guns in bars is unconstitutional, 'fraught with ambiguity'. Tennessee's new law allowing people with handgun permits to be armed in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol is unconstitutionally vague, a judge ruled on Friday.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors bet on growth in the IPOs of a Chinese hotel chain and an online education company on Friday, but were less enthusiastic about a spin-off of mining giant Rio Tinto.
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - U.S. chocolate maker Hershey Co <HSY.N> is considering launching a bid of at least $17 billion for British chocolatier Cadbury Plc <CBRY.L> in an effort to outstrip a hostile offer by Kraft Foods Inc, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Northeast Pa. residents sue Houston-based natural gas driller over polluted water wells. Pat Farnelli says there's something in the water at her house. The last time she drank it, she says she vomited four times. It's made her children sick, too.
Report: Hershey may make $17 billion offer for Cadbury, topping Kraft's hostile bid. The Wall Street Journal reports that Hershey Co. may make a $17 billion competing bid for UK candy company Cadbury.
Gold prices inch higher, buoyed by safe-haven appeal; Other metals little changed. Gold prices finished higher for a sixth straight day Friday, rising even as the dollar strengthened.
BOSTON (Reuters) - Investors tempted to put money into star hedge fund manager John Paulson's new gold portfolio will have to commit at least $10 million and leave the money locked up for at least one year, according to a prospectus.
UC students protest 32 percent fee hike by occupying campus buildings. Students barricaded themselves inside buildings on University of California campuses to protest a 32 percent increase in student fees and budget cuts that have led to slashed programs and lost jobs.
Fitch increases rating outlook for Flowserve on leverage, operating performance. Fitch Ratings boosted its rating outlook for Flowserve Corp. on Friday citing the pump making and fluid handling company's low leverage, good operating performance and other factors.
JPMorgan Chase drops controversial arbitration clause from credit card contracts. JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Friday it is dropping a clause from its credit card contracts that required disputes with customers to be handled through binding arbitration, a move that could lead to consumers filing class-action and other lawsuits.
Gephardt pushes for more investment in medical research, says it can cut costs, find cures. Former U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt pushed Friday for Iowa to expand its focus on public health, arguing the state has the medical infrastructure in place to make it a leader in the field.
Senators want Chrysler, GM to give more details on dealer closures. Senators are calling on General Motors and Chrysler to release more details on ongoing talks over the automakers' plans to close thousands of auto dealerships as part of their bankruptcies.
Busy week for IPOs signals there's more to come, but investors remain picky about placing bets. The flurry of initial public offerings this week is confirmation that this fall's rebound in the market wasn't a fluke and sets the stage for more companies to raise money through IPOs in 2010. But the response to two of the newly public companies shows that investors continue to be careful about where they place their bets.
California investigates whether churches were cheated by leasing companies. California is investigating several companies suspected of bilking churches nationwide of hundreds of thousands of dollars through fraudulent computer leasing schemes, authorities said Friday.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell for a third straight day on Friday as investors took weaker-than-expected results from computer maker Dell <DELL.O> and homebuilder D.R. Horton <DHI.N> as a further sign that the recovery would be anemic.
Holiday travelers waited longer to book this year, if they're traveling at all. Holiday travelers waited a little longer to book their flights this year, likely holding out for better deals and waiting to see if they would still have a job. And some aren't going at all.
Ky. appeals court upholds $6M verdict in case of McDonald's worker who was strip searched. A Kentucky appeals court upheld a $6.1 million award to a former fast food worker who was forced to strip in a McDonald's restaurant office after someone called posing as a police officer.
Stocks slip as investors push into safe-haven investments; Dell weighs on technology stocks. The stock market ended a down week with light selling as investors grew uneasy about a rising dollar and spiking demand for the safest government debt.
UPS rates for ground, air express to increase in 2010; Fuel surcharge tables to be adjusted. UPS Inc., the world's largest shipping carrier, is hiking 2010 rates for ground packages by an average of 4.9 percent.
Becton Dickinson says it bought test making collaborator HandyLab for $275 million. Becton Dickinson and Co. said Friday it bought molecular diagnostic test maker HandyLab Inc. for $275 million.
Dollar and precious metals at a glance.
Business events and economic reports scheduled for the coming week. WASHINGTON ? National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for September, 10 a.m.
South Dakota decides not to appeal ruling in smoking ban case; question will go to public vote. The state has decided not to appeal a judge's decision that allows South Dakota's new smoking ban law to be referred to a public vote in the 2010 election.
Colorado's unemployment rate declines slightly to 6.9 percent in October from prior month. A shrinking labor force and about 1,000 new jobs have helped put Colorado's latest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October at 6.9 percent, a slight decrease from the previous month, the state Department of Labor and Employment said Friday.
TRW Automotive Holdings completes previously announced $259M notes offering. Car parts maker TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. said Friday that it completed a previously announced private debt offering.
Verigy shares rise after 4th-quarter loss, revenue top forecasts. Shares of Verigy Ltd. rose Friday after the maker of chip testing equipment turned in a stronger-than-expected performance in the fourth quarter.
Colorado governor paid $1.1 million to lobby state lawmakers; contracts under review. At a time of budget cuts, Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter's administration last year paid employees and outside contractors $1.1 million to lobby Colorado lawmakers on legislation ranging from renewable energy tax credits to increasing motor vehicle license fees.
GE, Vivendi talks over NBC Universal stretch on, Comcast not likely to pay more. A deal for Comcast Corp. to buy a controlling stake in NBC Universal and create one of the most powerful media companies in the world is taking longer than expected as the current owners tussle over price.
W.Va. lawmakers end special session with passage of gas tax, energy policy, road fund measures. West Virginia's Legislature ended its special session Friday with tweaks to the gas tax and state energy policy among the final bills to pass.
Oil prices remained depressed Friday amid a strengthening dollar and concerns over sustainable economic recovery.
Wheat, corn, soybeans fall on the Chicago Board of Trade; beef, pork futures trade higher. Agriculture futures were mostly lower early Friday on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Arizona lawmakers may have another special session to act on state's budget trouble. Arizona legislators are still struggling to conclude their special session on the state's budget troubles but already are working on ideas for another one that could be held in December to do more to close the $2 billion shortfall.
Indiana's October jobless rate at 9.8 percent, still below the national rate of 10.2 percent. Indiana's unemployment rate was almost unchanged from September to October, but officials said it's too early to tell whether the stability marks a long-awaited awaited rebound in employment.
Federal jury finds '3 Hebrew Boys' guilty of all charges in $80 million SC fraud scheme. Three South Carolina men have been found guilty of bilking thousands of investors out of more than $80 million.
With huge budget shortfall looming, Maine governor orders $63 million in cutbacks. Gov. John Baldacci ordered Maine state departments Friday to curtail spending by $63 million to make sure the budget is balanced.
The world's largest airliner, an Air France A380, touched down in New York on Friday after completing the superjumbo jet's first Atlantic crossing from Europe to the United States.
Barnes & Noble says customers ordering Nook starting today will receive it after Christmas. Consumers who haven't yet ordered Barnes & Noble's electronic book reader, the Nook, won't see one before Christmas.
Nevada's unemployment rate dips to 13 percent in October; economists urge caution. Nevada's unemployment rate dipped in October, but economists cautioned Friday that while the figures are encouraging, they're more a reflection of a shrinking job market than job creation.
Company agrees to 50-year contract to operate Baltimore port terminal. Maryland officials have entered into a 50-year contract with Ports America to operate Baltimore's Seagirt Marine Terminal.
Florida officers behind national junk fax scam face sentencing in Kansas courtroom. The president of a Florida consulting firm convicted in a massive fax blast scam blinked back tears Friday as he was sentenced to 68 months in prison for his role in defrauding thousands of small business owners across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Florida's unemployment rate continues steady climb to 11.2 percent in October. Florida's unemployment rate continued its steady upward climb in October to 11.2 percent ? last seen in the 1970s ? a tenth of a percentage point higher than September's adjusted rate, state officials said Friday.
WHO investigating swine flu mutations from Norway deaths, says significance still unclear. The World Health Organization said Friday it is investigating samples of variant swine flu linked to two deaths and one severe case in Norway, but that so far the significance of the mutation is unclear.
Barnes & Noble says customers ordering Nook starting today will receive it after Christmas. Consumers who haven't yet ordered Barnes & Noble's electronic book reader, the Nook, won't see one before Christmas.
Wis. law firm sues rival over search-engine keywords; suit based on privacy law, not trademark. A lawsuit in Wisconsin is bringing a fresh challenge to the practice of paying for keywords on Google and other search engines to boost one company's link over a rival's.
Low prices, weak dollar attracts international investors into US housing market. Canadian investor Arthur Wong is buying condos in Las Vegas and Phoenix like a shopper at Costco: In bulk, with slashed prices.
Medidata Solutions plans 4.5 million-share common stock offering; stock falls. Medidata Solutions Inc., a maker of software and services for clinical development of drugs and medical devices, said Friday it plans a public offering of 4.5 million shares of its common stock.
Procter & Gamble says its still interested in acquisitions in household, personal care brands. Procter & Gamble Co. is still interested in buying, and says size doesn't matter.
Goodyear fuel-efficient tire now available on Toyota Prius. Goodyear said Friday the 2010 Toyota Prius now includes its fuel-efficient tire, Assurance Fuel Max, as standard equipment.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - When the U.S. holiday shopping season kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving, retailers can expect to see millions of less frightened but even more bargain hungry customers cross their thresholds.
