updated Thu December 13, 2007

U.S. Export Trade Group Spent $150,000 to Lobby Government on Budget Appropriations

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Coalition for Employment spent $150,000 to lobby the federal government, according to a disclosure form.The trade group, through Exports Inc., pushed for a Bush administration proposal th...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Toyota President Expects US Sales to Grow in 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Toyota Motor Corp. expects its vehicle sales in the United States to grow by about 3 percent in 2008 on the strength of more than a dozen new or updated vehicles, a top company executive said...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Chief Technology Officer at Virtual World Second Life Resigns

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Virtual world Second Life's chief technology officer -- a colorful Navy veteran who delights in mocking creationism -- has resigned.Cory Ondrejka, employee No. 4 at San Francisco-based Lin...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Judge Rejects Automakers' Lawsuit, Says California Has Authority to Regulate Vehicle Emissions

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California scored a major victory Wednesday in its bid to be a player in the fight against global warming, as a federal judge ruled that the state has the authority to regulate greenh...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Product Recalls: Fishing Games, Vacuums, Seafood Sauce, Burritos, Magnets, Kudzu

The following recalls have been announced:-- About 14,000 fishing games, imported by Far East Brokers and Consultants Inc. and made in China, because parts of the game contain high levels of lead, which is toxi...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

New Jersey Denies License for Tropicana; Atlantic City Casino to Stay Open Under Supervision

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Irked by massive layoffs, cleanliness problems, customer complaints and a regulatory violation at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, New Jersey's Casino Control Commission refused to g...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Stocks Give Up Sharp Gains on Fed Plan to Work With Other Central Banks on Credit Problems

NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street closed only moderately higher in an erratic session Wednesday as investors remained unconvinced by a Federal Reserve plan to work with other central banks to alleviate the global cr...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Judge Approves $57.5 Million Settlement in Sprint Stock Case

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) -- A state judge on Wednesday approved a $57.5 million settlement that ends a class-action lawsuit against Sprint Nextel Corp. over how it combined its wireless and wireline stocks three years...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Fed Acts to Give Squeezed Banks a New Way to Get Cash; Could Make Them More Willing to Lend

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Banks squeezed by a global credit crisis have a new way to get their hands on cash so they can keep making loans to individuals and businesses. The Federal Reserve, under pressure to take mor...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Toys "R" Us CEO Vows to Keep Pressure on Toy Safety Amid Slew of Toy Recalls

NEW YORK (AP) -- Concerns about toy safety since last summer's recalls, along with worries about the economy, have made shoppers more cautious and have resulted in generally sluggish toy sales. No retailer has ...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Fed Works With Other Central Banks to Deal With Credit Crunch, but Wall Street Still Concerned

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced a novel approach to injecting money into the banking system as it struggles to combat a severe credit crunch that threatens to drag the country into...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Major Cable Companies to Unveil Voter Registration Campaign

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Four of the nation's largest cable companies plan to unveil on Thursday a voter registration campaign aimed at minority voters.Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc., Cox Communications Inc....

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Oil Prices Fall to Near $94 a Barrel After Previous Day's Jump on US Inventory Report

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Oil prices fell slightly Thursday after a jump in the previous session on unexpected declines in U.S. crude and heating oil stocks and following the Federal Reserve's announcement of a...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Biogen Idec Shares Plunge 27 Percent After It Says It's Ending Search for Potential Buyer

BOSTON (AP) -- Two months after Biogen Idec Inc. said it was considering putting itself up for sale, the biotechnology company said it will remain independent, sending its shares plummeting nearly 27 percent. T...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Asia-Pacific's 2008 Economic Prospects Made Uncertain by US Subprime Crisis, Think Tank Says

SINGAPORE (AP) -- The economic outlook for the Asia-Pacific region is the most uncertain it has been since the 1997-98 financial crisis because of a possible spillover from the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis, a ...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

China's Industrial Output Growth Slows to 17.3 Percent in November, Second Month of Decline

SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- China's industrial output growth slowed in November to register the second straight month of decline in the expansion rate, according to statistics released by the government Thursday. T...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

'The Office', 'Dexter' and 'The Wire' Among Contenders for Top Honors at Writers Guild Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- NBC's "The Office," Showtime's "Dexter" and HBO's "The Wire" are among the contenders for top honors at the 60th Writers Guild Awards.Nominations were announced Wednesday for achievement in ...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

The Gross-Out `Jackass' Team Dirties Up the Internet With a New Movie and Web Site

NEW YORK (AP) -- The next batch of painful "Jackass" stunts is coming to a computer screen near you.The first two films -- spun off from the former MTV series -- co-starred Johnny Knoxville and his gang of gros...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Common Childhood Vaccine Recalled Over Contamination Concerns; US Says 'Not Health Threat'

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The recall of a routine vaccine for babies due to contamination risks could trigger a shortage and likely will alarm parents, but officials said there is no known health threat.The recall ...

updated Thu December 13, 2007

Stocks Give Up Sharp Gains on Fed Plan to Work With Other Central Banks on Credit Problems

NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street closed only moderately higher in an erratic session Wednesday as investors remained unconvinced by a Federal Reserve plan to work with other central banks to alleviate the global cr...