MailTribune.com Headlines: Business

State jobless rate falls below 8 percent

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:40:11 -0400

SALEM — The unemployment rate in Oregon has dipped below 8 percent for the first time since the nation fell steeply into the Great Recession in the fall of 2008. The state unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in May and, after a revision, 7.

Sunday Afternoons to open new retail site

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:31:20 -0400

ASHLAND — Transition has been a way of life for Sunday Afternoons.

Consumer prices rise mildly; home starts soar

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:29:26 -0400

WASHINGTON — Higher costs of housing and power to run homes pushed consumer prices mildly higher in May, but inflationary pressure in the U.S. was largely subdued, and the cost of health care eased again.

Chrysler gives in, will recall 2.7 million vehicles

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:28:50 -0400

DETROIT — In a course reversal, Chrysler Group LLC said Tuesday it will recall 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty SUVs as requested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

U.S., EU to start talks on free-trade deal in July

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:43:19 -0400

WASHINGTON — The U.S. and the European Union will begin talks next month on an ambitious free-trade deal between the two rich regions, which exchanged more than $645 billion in goods last year.

Obama considers limiting plants' CO� emissions

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:42:49 -0400

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is considering a sweeping initiative to address climate change, including the first limits on carbon dioxide from power plants, the country's biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, according to people...

Homebuilder confidence rises

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:42:18 -0400

WASHINGTON — A gauge of confidence among homebuilders jumped in June, hitting the highest level since 2006, on more optimism about future and current sales, according to data released Monday.

Tea: It suits Americans more and more

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:04:47 -0400

Tea expert David DeCandia has spent his entire 17-year career in the shadow of coffee.

Prosecutors seek new measures as thefts of smartphones increase

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:16:02 -0400

NEW YORK — Law enforcement officials nationwide are demanding the creation of a "kill switch" that would render smartphones inoperable after they are stolen, New York's top prosecutor said last week in a clear warning to the world's smartphone...

Google launches goofy, Internet-beaming balloons

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:16:02 -0400

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Wrinkled and skinny at first, the translucent, jellyfish-shaped balloons that Google released last week from a frozen field in the heart of New Zealand's South Island hardened into shiny pumpkins as they rose into the...

Microsoft app arrives for the iPhone

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:46:10 -0400

Microsoft Office users with iPhones, rejoice: Word, PowerPoint and Excel now are available on your smartphone.

Consumer sentiment declines in June to 82.7 from 84.5

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:00:40 -0400

WASHINGTON — Led by gloomier views on current conditions, a gauge of consumer sentiment declined this month, missing analysts' expectations, according to data released Friday.

Painting planes presents problems

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:00:37 -0400

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Georgia — When cargo aircraft are overhauled at Robins, the first and last stop is the paint/depaint facility, and it's about more than making sure the planes look nice.

Rupert Murdoch files for divorce from his third wife, Wendi Deng

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:51:05 -0400

LOS ANGELES — Rupert Murdoch filed for divorce Thursday, seeking to break up his 14-year marriage to third wife Wendi Deng.

Tuber cartel? Lawsuit says yes

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:59:18 -0400

BOISE, Idaho — A battle between grocers and potato growers has been silently hitting shoppers' pocketbooks, according to a U.S.

Retail sales jump 0.6 percent in May on vehicle purchases

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:58:57 -0400

WASHINGTON — Americans stepped up purchases at retail businesses in May, spending more on cars, home improvements and sporting goods. The gain shows consumers remain resilient despite higher taxes and could drive faster growth later this year.

Accusations fly as Erickson stock plummets

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:50:04 -0400

The private equity firm that has controlled Erickson Air-Crane since 2007 is being accused of questionable moves that may have enriched some insiders at the expense of shareholders.

Local company gets in the QVC loop

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:41:39 -0400

LoopRope creator Jeff Dahl has relentlessly poured his company's revenue into marketing since he began selling his product three years ago.

Improving economy may help U.S. deficit

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:40:29 -0400

WASHINGTON — The government reported Wednesday that the U.S. budget deficit widened in May by $139 billion. But the annual deficit stayed on track to finish below $1 trillion for the first time since 2008.

Boost in quitting hints at job confidence

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:40:06 -0400

WASHINGTON — More Americans are quitting their jobs, suggesting many are growing more confident in the job market.