WASHINGTON
- Robert M. Ball, a former Social Security commissioner considered by many as its chief defender and the father of Medicare, has died at age 93.Ball’s death Tuesday was announced by the National Academy of Social Insurance, which he founded in 1986. No cause was given.Ball first [...]
NEW YORK - A still-anxious Wall Street closed lower Wednesday, sacrificing the advance it made after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates half a percentage point. Investors collected profits after nearly three sessions of big gains, unwilling to leave money on the table amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
It wasn’t surprising that the market pulled back, having [...]
Minneapolis’ attempt to protect circus animals may run them out of town. A new ordinance would allow elephants in circuses, but kids would no longer be able to ride or touch them.
If that happens, the show may not go on.
We’ll seriously consider leaving the city if we can’t do elephant rides, said Tim Davison, [...]
TRENTON, N.J.
- Merck %26 Co. posted a $1.63 billion fourth-quarter loss Wednesday as a whopping charge for its Vioxx litigation settlement dragged down results.The maker of allergy and asthma pill Singulair and osteoporosis treatment Fosamax said the net loss amounted to 75 cents per share, compared with [...]
COLUMBUS, Ohio
- Six years after the collapse of the country’s biggest health care finance company, a trial is nearing for five executives accused of a $1.9 billion fraud that helped bring the company down.The case involves one of the largest alleged white-collar crimes after Enron or WorldCom, [...]
WASHINGTON
- Parents who struggle to install their child safety seats or fasten their toddlers in the back-seat chairs are receiving some new guidance from the government.The Transportation Department said Wednesday it was revamping a consumer ratings system for child safety seats to help parents and caregivers make [...]
WASHINGTON
-
The Treasury Department said Wednesday it will sell $22 billion in debt at its quarterly auction next week as officials study ways to finance the economic stimulus package, which is expected to boost this year’s deficit by more than $100 billion.
[...]
MADRID, Spain
-
A motorist who struck and killed a 17-year-old cyclist in northern Spain %26mdash; and then sued the boy’s parents over the damage to his Audi %26mdash; has dropped the lawsuit, the family said Wednesday.
Businessman Tomas Delgado collided [...]
FRANKFURT, Germany
-
Reinsurer Munich Re AG said Wednesday it expects to post a bigger profit in 2007 than last year, beating its previous target of more than $5.17 billion.
The Munich-based company, the world’s No. 2 reinsurer behind Swiss Re, [...]
PARIS
-
French bank BNP Paribas SA on Wednesday estimated fourth-quarter net profit plunged 42 percent.
France’s largest bank by market value pointed to a deepening crisis in the market during the second half of the year and said it had [...]
