Love him or hate him, Groupon's Mason makes a splash
Goofball, visionary, opportunist, maverick: Andrew Mason invites all manner of description but the one thing all agree on is that the Groupon CEO is one shrewd customer.
Wal-Mart Trims U.S. Health Insurance Coverage as Healthcare Costs Rise
Wal-Mart Stores Inc will no longer offer health insurance to new part-time U.S. employees who work fewer than 24 hours a week and will charge workers who use tobacco more for coverage as healthcare costs rise, the company said on Friday.
The Bewitching Past and Present of Salem, Massachusetts
The Salem Witch Trials and the traditions of Halloween have collided in Salem, Massachusetts, making it the most popular October destination in the U.S.
China Slams U.S. Over Solar Panel Dumping Complaint
China on Friday issued a harsh rebuke of an anti-dumping complaint filed by U.S. solar firms, warning the United States not to take protectionist measures that could harm the global economy.
AboveNet CEO keen to make his first acquisition
AboveNet Inc , a provider of broadband connections to big companies and carriers, is looking to make acquisitions to grow its business, a reversal from its previous stance to grow organically, Chief Executive William LaPerch said in an interview with Reuters.
LyondellBasell's Debt Buyback a Bullish Bet on Commodity Chemicals Recovery
Chemical maker LyondellBasell's plan to buy back nearly $2.8 billion in debt and pay a special dividend nearly the same size is a bullish bet that demand for commodity chemicals will recover from a recent soft patch and rally the rest of the decade.
Obama Has Written Personal Checks to Struggling Americans: Compassionate or Futile?
More than once, President Barack Obama has written personal checks to struggling Americans, he told a Washington Post reporter, in an admission that is bound to be controversial.
Greece may need 60 percent bond writedown; EU at odds
Private holders of Greek debt may need to accept losses of up to 60 percent on their investments if Greece's debt mountain is to be made more sustainable in the long-term, a downbeat analysis by the EU and IMF showed on Friday.
'Can You Call My Sister?' iPhone 4S Siri App Dubbed Troubling Feature
Apple’s new voice-recognition app for the iPhone 4S, better known as Siri, made its first commercial debut last night, proving the new iPhone is more than just a smartphone.
Rally reaches third week; hopes hinge on EU summit
The S&P 500 posted its third straight week of gains on Friday, lifted by optimism before this weekend's summit of European leaders and strong earnings from blue-chip stocks.
Wall Street ends up on summit optimism
Wall Street posted its third straight week of gains on Friday, lifted by optimism ahead of this weekend's summit of European leaders and strong earnings from blue-chip stocks.
Exotic Animal Owner Was 'In Over His Head,' Friends Say
The owner of an exotic animal preserve in Zanesville, Ohio, who set the animals loose before shooting himself on Tuesday owed nearly $70,000 in unpaid taxes, although officials would not speculate on whether that was a factor in his suicide.
Shock image threshold falls under internet pressure
The threshold for publishing gruesome images like those of Muammar Gaddafi's death is falling as the internet and social media make many of the editorial decisions that used to be left to a small group of professional journalists.
Insight: N.Y. gas drillers' victory soured by tough new rules
The end of a drilling ban in New York was meant to be a new dawn for energy companies. After years of waiting, they would finally be able to exploit the richest deposit of natural gas in the country.
Merkel rebuffs Sarkozy on euro zone solution
France's push to use more European Central Bank money to fight the euro zone debt crisis ran into strong resistance from Germany and other EU partners on Friday, leaving Paris looking increasingly isolated before a crucial summit.
Icahn interested in Navistar, Oshkosh merger
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn wants Navistar International Corp to consider merging with rival Oshkosh Corp , though he has not yet made a formal proposal to either company, several people familiar with the situation said.
Europe launches its bid to compete with U.S. GPS system
Europe launched the first satellites in its Galileo global navigation system on Friday, a first step toward creating a network the European Union hopes will eventually rival the U.S.-run GPS system and establish Europe as a space power.
Wall St. gains on EU summit optimism, U.S. profits
Wall Street advanced to its highest levels since early August on Friday on optimism ahead of this weekend's summit of European leaders to tackle the region's debt crisis and as strong earnings from blue chips lifted investor sentiment.
Kansas City Southern Profit Doubles as Higher Pricing, Fuel Surcharges Offset Increased Costs
Railroad company Kansas City Southern said quarterly profit doubled, beating forecasts, with carloadings and revenue at record highs, and said the U.S. and Mexican economies would grow moderately through 2012.
COMMODITY TRADERS: The trillion dollar club
NEW YORK - For the small club of companies who trade the food, fuels and metals that keep the world running, the last decade has been sensational. Driven by the rise of Brazil, China, India and other fast-growing economies, the global commodities boom has turbocharged profits at the world's biggest trading houses.
Online games firm Trion Worlds eyes IPO
Little-known online games company Trion Worlds, after raising $100 million in venture capital since 2007, is looking at becoming the newest debutante at the digital media IPO ball.
Air Products Profit up 19% as Strong Gas Sales to Electricity Producers Offset Lower Demand from Energy Firms
Air Products and Chemicals Inc forecast a fiscal first quarter profit below Wall Street's expectations, sending the industrial gas supplier's shares down as much as 5.1 percent.
Insight:New York gas drillers' victory soured by tough new rules
The end of a drilling ban in New York was meant to be a new dawn for energy companies. After years of waiting, they would finally be able to exploit the richest deposit of natural gas in the country.
AIG loses bid to move $10 billion fraud case vs BofA
A federal judge rejected American International Group Inc's request to move its $10 billion mortgage fraud lawsuit against Bank of America Corp back to a New York state court, where AIG believed the case belonged.
Prix Mobile award seeks stars of the web art world
A new global art-prize competition for pictures created using a mobile device opens on Friday to any competitor bold enough to subject their work to scrutiny by a jury.
EU/IMF approve next aid tranche for Greece: euro zone source
Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund have approved the payment of the next tranche of financial support to Greece, a senior euro zone source told Reuters on Friday.
U.S. Approves New BP Exploration Plan in Gulf of Mexico
U.S. regulators on Friday approved BP's new exploration plan, moving the company closer to drilling new wells in the lucrative deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico a year and a half after the biggest offshore oil disaster in U.S. history.
New York Gas Drillers Face Road Blocks Despite End of Drilling Ban
The end of a drilling ban in New York was meant to be a new dawn for energy companies. After years of waiting, they would finally be able to exploit the richest deposit of natural gas in the country. But as companies delve into new regulations for drilling in New York, they're discovering a bitter reality: half the land they had leased for drilling may now be out of bounds.
Insight: NY gas drillers' victory soured by tough new rules
The end of a drilling ban in New York was meant to be a new dawn for energy companies. After years of waiting, they would finally be able to exploit the richest deposit of natural gas in the country.
Bachmann's New Hampshire Campaign Staff Quits En Masse: Can She Rebound?
Michele Bachmann's entire presidential campaign staff in New Hampshire has quit, in the latest in a string of personnel losses. Can she rebound?