Archive for June 18th, 2009

NEW YORK: When it comes to raising capital in the current economic environment, being married to a Google co-founder has its advantages. Regulatory forms filed Thursday showed the internet search giant recently invested another 2.6 million in biotech firm 23andMe, which was co-founded in 2006 by Anne Wojcicki.Wojcicki is married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin…. »

CHICAGO (Reuters) — Microsoft Corp. is willing to invest up to 10% of its operating income in its Internet search business for up to five years, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Thursday, as its “Bing” search engine starts to gain ground with Web surfers.Bing – part of Microsoft’s perennially money-losing online services unit –… »

NEW YORK: Americans are being told daily that health reform isn’t just the right thing to do — it will also help save the economy.”Health care reform is not part of the problem when it comes to our fiscal future, it is a fundamental part of the solution,” President Obama said in a recent address.The… »

NEW YORK: BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. reported a strong quarterly profit and sales Thursday but a disappointing outlook sent the company’s stock lower. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company said first-quarter net income rose 33% to 643 million, or 1.12 per share, for the three-month period ended May 31. Results included a 175 million tax… »

NEW YORK: The Treasury Department warned U.S. financial institutions Thursday that the North Korean government may resort to “deceptive financial practices” to get around economic sanctions. The advisory from the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network comes as the Obama Administration steps up its efforts to prevent North Korea from furthering its nuclear weapons program.The government… »

NEW YORK: According to some recent headlines, conditions are finally starting to improve for the unemployed.Some indicators are showing positive signs in the job market for the first time since the credit crisis caused job losses to soar last fall. But for the growing number of unemployed workers in the U.S., macroeconomic statistics aren’t worth… »

NEW YORK: Hop on your favorite broom. Let out your best cackle. Cuddle up with a black cat and twitch your nose like Samantha. Quadruple witching day is almost here!Now for those of you who don’t follow the markets religiously, you might be wondering what I’m talking about. But many investing experts have been chattering… »

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.(Reuters) — An Alabama court Thursday found former HealthSouth Corp. Chief Executive Richard Scrushy liable for fraud related to the company’s massive accounting scandal and ordered him to pay 2.9 billion.”The judgment is hereby entered in favor of the plaintiff and against Richard M. Scrushy in the total sum of 2,876,103,000,” said the… »

NEW YORK: Global warming is back.Over the last 12 months it seems lawmakers have been preoccupied with other pressing maters: bailing out the banks, saving the automakers, reforming healthcare.Global warming, a top-tier issue for much of the presidential campaign, kept a low profile. But that’s about to change. The House is set to debate a… »

NEW YORK (Reuters) — U.S. employers will see health care costs rise 9% in 2010 and they expect their workers to pay a greater share of their health plans, consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers said Thursday.PwC’s annual medical costs trends report also said more workers are likely to utilize their health insurance coverage because they fear they… »