Government
High Court Rejects Tobacco Marketing Appeal
April 22, 2013 10:44 am | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court has rejected a First Amendment challenge by tobacco companies to a 2009 law that restricts how they can market their products. The justices on Monday left in place a ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati that upheld the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that, for the first time, gave the federal government authority to regulate tobacco.
Fla. Compounding Pharmacy Recalls Sterile Drugs
April 22, 2013 8:41 am | News | CommentsA Florida-based compounding pharmacy is voluntarily recalling all lots of its sterile non-expired drug products sold nationwide over concerns the products are not sterile and may contain bacteria, Food and Drug Administration officials said Sunday.
Cement Maker Fined, To Cut Emissions At CO Plant
April 22, 2013 8:19 am | News | CommentsA cement manufacturer in Lyons has agreed to pay a $1 million fine and to install controls to decrease its emissions of the pollutant nitrogen oxide, the U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday.
Safety Rules Limited For Small Fertilizer Plants
April 22, 2013 8:05 am | by Jack Gillum and Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsSmall fertilizer plants nationwide fall under the purview of several government agencies, each with a specific concern and none required to coordinate with others on what they have found. The small distributors — there are as many of 1,150 in Texas alone — are part of a regulatory system that focuses on large installations and industries.
IAEA: Japan Nuke Cleanup May Take Over 40 Years
April 22, 2013 7:37 am | by Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe government and plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. have predicted the cleanup would take up to 40 years. They still have to develop technology and equipment that can operate under fatally high radiation levels to locate and remove melted fuel. The reactors must be kept cool and the plant must stay safe and stable.
Survey: Fiscal Cliff Has Been 'Eh,' Not Armageddon
April 22, 2013 12:04 am | News | CommentsNinety-three percent of respondents said the political developments had no effect on employment levels in the first quarter, and 95 percent said they had no impact on capital spending plans. The NABE did caution, however, that businesses might have already accounted for the higher taxes and lower government spending in the fourth quarter.
Court Denies Beechcraft Contract Challenge
April 21, 2013 8:45 pm | News | CommentsKansas airplane maker Beechcraft has lost a legal battle to halt work on a high-stakes Air Force contract awarded to rival Sierra Nevada Corp. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Friday denied Beechcraft's request for a temporary injunction. The contract for 20 planes for use in Afghanistan is worth more than $427 million. It could be worth as much as $1 billion, depending on future orders.
FAA To Approve Resumption Of Boeing 787 Flights
April 19, 2013 2:23 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Federal Aviation Administration has accepted Boeing's revamped battery system for its beleaguered 787 Dreamliners and agreed to lift its grounding order, according to a congressional official.The order gives Boeing the go ahead to begin retrofitting planes with an enhanced lithium ion battery system.
Miss. Becomes 3rd State To Sue BP For Oil Spill
April 19, 2013 2:20 pm | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsAttorney General Jim Hood announced Friday that Mississippi had filed suits in federal and state court. The move comes one day before the three-year statute of limitations expires for claims related to the April 20, 2010 explosion and subsequent spill.
Unemployment Rates Fall In 26 States In March
April 19, 2013 2:17 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsUnemployment rates fell in more than half the U.S. states in March even though job growth slowed. Rates fell largely because many of those out of work stopped looking for jobs and were no longer counted as unemployed. Unemployment rates fell in 26 states, rose in seven and were unchanged in 17.
Beer Makers, DOJ Reach Deal
April 19, 2013 12:03 pm | by Sarah Skidmore, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsAnheuser-Busch InBev reached a final agreement with the Department of Justice, settling a dispute over its $20.1 billion acquisition of the Mexican brewer, Grupo Modelo. The world's largest brewer has been trying since June to buy the half of Grupo Modelo that it doesn't already own.
Maine Clinical Drug Trials Called Lifesavers
April 19, 2013 11:15 am | by Glenn Adams, Associated Press | News | CommentsMore than half of those trials targeted six of the most debilitating chronic diseases — asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, mental illness and stroke — and led to safer and more effective treatments, according to the report presented by Gov. Paul LePage, the drug industry and business leaders.
UK: GSK Paid Off Competitors To Delay Drugs
April 19, 2013 8:43 am | News | CommentsThe Office of Fair Trading alleges GlaxoSmithKline concluded agreements which infringed competition law with Alpharma Limited, Generics (UK) Ltd and Norton Healthcare Ltd. over the supply of paroxetine, a cheaper version of Seroxat. The watchdog says GSK's conduct amounted to an abuse of its dominant position in the same market.
Texas Requires Sprinklers, Feds Told None In Plant
April 19, 2013 7:54 am | by Ramit Plushnick-Masti, Associated Press | News | CommentsTexas Commission on Environmental Quality air permit chief Mike Wilson says the agency required sprinklers and safety barriers for the fertilizer storage and blending facility in West. The measures are required because the plant handles anhydrous ammonia, a flammable substance that can be used as a fertilizer.
Poll: Trust In Government, Obama Approval Slip
April 18, 2013 2:10 pm | by Charles Babington and Jennifer Agiesta, Associated Press | News | CommentsObama's overall job approval rating is at its lowest point since his re-election: 50 percent, with 47 percent disapproving. His approval rating among Republicans — 10 percent — is back to where it was before the election. Among independents, disapproval has crept up to 49 percent.
EU Aims To Get U.S. Trade Deal By Next Year
April 18, 2013 1:53 pm | News | CommentsCommissioner Karel de Gucht told reporters after a meeting of the 27-nation bloc's trade ministers in Dublin that the talks with Washington should be concluded by October 2014, when the term of the European Commission ends and a month before U.S. holds midterm elections.
EU OKs $2.7B Siemens Takeover Of UK Rail Firm
April 18, 2013 1:48 pm | News | CommentsThe European Union's antitrust body has cleared a $2.7 billion takeover of a British rail technology company by German industrial conglomerate Siemens. The European Commission said Siemens AG's takeover of Invensys PLC's rail division does not violate antitrust rules since the merged entity will continue to face strong competitors.
German Lawmakers Reject Boardroom Quota For Women
April 18, 2013 11:08 am | News | CommentsThe German Parliament has rejected an attempt to introduce a quota for women on companies' boards of directors — defusing for now a divisive issue for Chancellor Angela Merkel's government. Merkel's center-right coalition has long been at odds over whether to introduce a fixed quota and there are divisions within Merkel's conservative party, too.
Unemployment Aid Applications Rise To 352K
April 18, 2013 9:00 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsThe number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits increased just 4,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 352,000. The level is consistent with solid hiring and suggests the job market should rebound this month after slowing sharply in March. The Labor Department says the four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose to 361,250.
Fed: Strong Housing, Auto Sales Boost U.S. Economy
April 17, 2013 2:09 pm | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | CommentsA strengthening housing recovery and robust auto sales contributed to moderate growth across the United States in late February and March, according to a Federal Reserve survey. All of the Fed's 12 banking districts grew moderately and growth accelerated in two districts — New York and Dallas — from January and early February.
S.C. House Approves $120M For Boeing Expansion
April 17, 2013 1:49 pm | News | CommentsLegislation giving the Boeing Co. $120 million in incentives for their expansion plans in South Carolina is one vote away from reaching the governor's desk. The House voted 115-2 Wednesday to approve the bill. Another vote would send it to Gov. Nikki Haley, who is sure to sign it. The Senate approved the measure last week.
Agency Ordered Steel Test For Bay Bridge In 2008
April 17, 2013 11:54 am | News | CommentsAt least some of the failed rods are located beneath that cap and cannot easily be replaced, state transportation officials have said. Finding a fix for them could take weeks or even months, which could delay the planned Labor Day opening of the new span.
410 Pigs, 122 Dogs Found Dead In China
April 17, 2013 8:40 am | News | CommentsLocal authorities say chemical factories in the area have been ordered to suspend production. The chief of Yanshi city's propaganda office says the deaths are suspected to be related to the factories. Authorities say the deaths have nothing to do with the bird flu virus that recently spread to humans.
No Helmets Required For Elio Vehicle Under Bill
April 17, 2013 8:31 am | by Littice Bacon-Blood, Associated Press | News | CommentsOfficials with Elio Motors, located in the former General Motors plant in Shreveport, said the helmet requirement could harm sales by sending a signal to consumers that the vehicle was unsafe. The bill by Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, would modify the definition of autocycle to include enclosed motorcycles with a roll cage.
Amgen To Pay $25M To Resolve Kickback Case
April 17, 2013 8:24 am | News | CommentsThe Justice Department said Amgen paid kickbacks to Omnicare Inc. and PharMerica Corp., which sell drugs to long-term care providers like nursing homes and hospitals, and Kindred Healthcare Inc., which runs long-term acute care hospitals and nursing and rehabilitation centers.
