Business
Sequestration To Hit Intelligence Community
WASHINGTON, (UPI) — The U.S. Director of National Intelligence is warning that sequestration budget cuts will affect acquisition programs and degrade operations. The assessment by James R. Clapper was given last week in testimony to U.S. Senate and House committees. “Sequestration forces the intelligence community to reduce all intelligence activities and functions without regard to […]
Report: Kochs Eye Newspapers As Forum For Their Views
NEW YORK, (UPI) — The conservative Koch brothers are considering getting into the newspaper business to help publicize their pro-business views, sources told The New York Times. Charles and David Koch have emerged on the short list of potential buyers of the Tribune Co., which owns eight major newspapers and emerged from bankruptcy in December. […]
Job Market Looks Fair For 2013 Graduates
CHICAGO (UPI) — Fifty-three percent of U.S. employers in a recent survey indicated they planned to hire a freshly minted college graduate in 2013, a survey found. The level of employers indicating they would hire a recent graduate this year was consistent with a survey in 2012, when 54 percent of U.S. employers indicated they […]
26 States See Unemployment Rates Fall
WASHINGTON (UPI) — Unemployment rates rose in seven states and fell in 26 and Washington, D.C., from February to March, the Labor Department said Friday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics state-by-state report said figures were “little changed” overall in March. From a year earlier, however, 39 states and the nation’s capital have seen unemployment rates […]
Bill Cramming Becomes A Mobile Problem
ATLANTA (UPI) — The Federal Trade Commission says it’s filed charges in Atlanta against a marketing firm for padding mobile phone bills with charges for unauthorized services. Commonly referred to as bill cramming, the FTC charged Wise Media, two of its owners and Concrete Marketing Research with benefiting from deceptive sales practices, The New York […]
Mortgage Rates Slide In Week
WASHINGTON (UPI) — U.S. mortgage rates slipped for the third consecutive week, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said Thursday. Rates for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages slid from 3.43 percent with an average 0.8 point to 3.41 percent with an average of 0.7 point, Freddie Mac said. Rates for 15-year contracts dropped from 2.65 percent to […]
Leading Index Slides One Tick
NEW YORK (UPI) — The U.S. index of leading economic indicators declined one tick in March, the Conference Board said Thursday. The Leading Economic Index slipped 0.1 percent to 94.7 following three consecutive months of increases. In January and February, the index rose 0.5 percent. In December it rose 0.4 percent. The leading index compares […]
Long-Term Unemployed Face Hurdles
CHICAGO (UPI) — Job seekers who have been unemployed long-term can be perceived as unemployable, making it even harder to find work, an employment firm based in Chicago said. John Challenger, chief executive officer of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said employers view candidates who have been out of work for six months or […]
McDonald’s Franchises Complain Of Too Many Deals
McDonald’s franchise operators in the United States are frustrated with mandates from headquarters to push low-margin sales, a survey found. “Every quarter we sell a smaller percentage of our menu at full (and profitable) price,” one respondent to the survey said in a comment. Another wrote the company was “couponing like there is no tomorrow.” […]
Mortgage Activity Up As Rates Drop
WASHINGTON (UPI) — U.S. mortgage activity rose last week, as long-term interest rates dropped, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday. The association said mortgage activity rose 4.8 percent in the week, while refinancing activity rose 5 percent. Interest rates for 30-year, fixed-rate conforming mortgages decreased from 3.68 percent to 3.67 percent during the week. Points […]
You can opt-out at any time. We protect your information like a mother hen. We will not sell or rent your email address to anyone for any reason.
