IBT Staff Reporter

President Barack Obama on Tuesday encouraged Americans to submit their questions about the economy over the Internet and said he will answer some of them live on the White House Web site on Thursday.

The Obama administration on Tuesday mounted a full-scale push for government authority to shut down troubled institutions like insurer AIG to avoid the need for future bailouts.

Bridgewater Associates Inc, one of the world's biggest hedge-fund managers, said on Tuesday it might be interested in participating in the U.S. Treasury's public-private investment program, calling it a big transfer of money from the government to the banks and to the buyers.

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with about a dozen top bank chief executives on Friday, including executives from JPMorgan & Co, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Bridgewater Associates Inc, one of the world's biggest hedge-fund managers, said on Tuesday it might be interested in participating in the U.S. Treasury's public-private investment program, calling it a big transfer of money from the government to the banks and to the buyers.

President Barack Obama will meet with about a dozen top bank chief executives on Friday, including executives from JPMorgan & Co, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

U.S. Federal Reserve policy-makers fanned out across Europe on Tuesday to express confidence that current policies can restore economic growth over time.

The top two U.S. financial officials told lawmakers angry over bonus payments to AIG executives that the government needs authority to shut down troubled institutions like the giant insurer to avoid future bailouts.

The Obama administration on Tuesday mounted a full-scale push for government authority to shut down troubled institutions like insurer AIG to avoid the need for future bailouts.

Corrects the bailout figure in paragraph 5 to $180 billion

Goldman Sachs Group Inc is prepared to pay back the U.S. government's $10 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program investment as soon as allowed by regulators, but some hurdles remain, a person familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

Stocks slid on Tuesday as investors paused to reassess the likely success of the government's latest plans to clean up bank balance sheets and revive the financial system, a day after initial euphoria over the plan drove huge gains.

McCormick & Company Inc. said Tuesday, its first quarter sells revenue declined 1% and its profit increased 12 %, due to Lawry’s acquisition and consumers cutting back to save money, Alan D. Wilson, President and CEO said.

Newell Rubbermaid Inc plans to slash its dividend in half for the second time in two months as it tries to maintain an investment-grade rating while taking steps to repay debt coming due later this year.

World’s leading steel company, ArcelorMittal, said Tuesday that the initial 750 Million Euro ($1 billion) bond could increase up to 1.25 billion euro.

Stocks slid on Tuesday as investors paused to reassess the likely success of the government's latest plans to clean up bank balance sheets and revive the financial system, a day after initial euphoria over the plan drove huge gains.

Ford Motor Co Chief Executive Alan Mulally's total compensation fell 37.4 percent to $13.6 million in 2008 from the prior year as the automaker fought a downturn in auto sales, the company said on Tuesday.

A U.S. corporate directors' group on Tuesday recommended a slate of new governance principles for company boards, including better communication with investors on executive pay and improved oversight of business risks.

China is not afraid of the Internet, its Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, even as access to the popular video sharing site YouTube was apparently blocked.

Oil rose slightly on Tuesday after U.S. stock markets bounced off their lows amid lingering optimism that the government's plan to unburden banks of soured assets could help shore up the ailing economy.

Time is making Warren Buffett's investment in Goldman Sachs Group Inc look better.

After sustaining record losses in 2008, U.S. pension funds are unlikely to return to the high level of stock market allocations favored before the global financial crisis and will probably favor greater bond allocations, the author of a study said on Tuesday.

After sustaining record losses in 2008, U.S. pension funds are unlikely to return to the high level of stock market allocations favored before the global financial crisis and will probably favor greater bond allocations, the author of a study said on Tuesday.

Stocks edged lower on Tuesday as investors paused the day after a huge bounce to gauge if the government's latest plans to shore up the economy will be enough to sustain the recent rally.

U.S. Stifel Financial Corp will acquire up to 55 branches of UBS Wealth Management Americas to expand across the United States in a deal that will boost the investment bank's profit in the first year.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety said on Tuesday that four of 12 small SUVs it tested received its top rating for their ability to withstand roof damage in rollover accidents that often prove deadly.

Today, Netflix Inc., announced its integration with Facebook Connect as part of its plan to make Netflix features more broadly accessible to members and their friends.

Small-town Texan realtor Rick Cumins is going to see a paycheck in April -- his first since December.

Oil fell nearly $1 to below $53 a barrel Tuesday on expectations U.S. inventory data would show an increase in crude stockpiles and as the greenback made gains against other currencies.