News and Finance

The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, but the larger-than-expected drop was seen as only a temporary improvement.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of jobless claims dropped by 9,000 last week to a total of 349,000.
While that was bigger than the decline that had […]

A possible deal between Delta Air Lines Inc and Northwest Airlines Corp faces severe challenges that beg the question: Can this merger work?
Delta (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Northwest (NWA.N: Quote, Profile, Research), in the final stages of merger talks, according to people briefed on the matter, are expected to face a tough antitrust […]

Steep food and fuel prices that are taxing global consumers and handcuffing recession-wary central bankers threaten to seep deeper into export channels, triggering a worrisome second round of global inflation pain.
The symptoms of price pressure are easy to spot. In Japan, shoppers are cutting back on potato chips and beer. More Americans are […]

Business conditions for manufacturers in the state of New York worsened for the fourth straight month, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Empire State Manufacturing Survey released Friday.
The regional Fed’s general business conditions index for New York manufacturers tumbled nearly 21 points to -11.7 in February, falling below zero for the […]

Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has decided to exclusively sell high-definition DVDs in the Blu-Ray format, dealing what could be a crippling blow to the rival HD DVD technology backed by Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research).
The move by the world’s largest retailer, announced on Friday, caps a disappointing week for […]

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Thursday the central bank will act as needed to help the struggling U.S. economy, but it has to be mindful that growth should pick up later in the year.
The Fed “will be carefully evaluating incoming information bearing on the economic outlook and will act in a […]

December Wholesale inventories increased 1.1% and sales fell 0.7% from November, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Friday.
Economists polled by Thomson financial had expected inventories to grow by only 0.3% and sales to increase by 0.5%.
According to the Census Bureau, inventories were worth about $411.6 billion. Inventories of motor vehicles and auto parts were up […]

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are inching closer to a combination that would create the nation’s largest carrier, and if a deal is reached it could be announced next week, a person briefed on the discussions told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Delta’s board of directors is expected to meet over the next several […]

All major automakers, except for General Motors Corp., saw their U.S. sales drop in January to start what industry analysts have predicted will be the worst auto sales year in the United States in more than a decade.
GM (GM, Fortune 500), led by strong crossover vehicle sales, reported an increase of 2.6% in January […]

A big cost-cutting program is not likely this year at Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the nation’s largest meat company, even as it struggles with losses in beef and possible losses in chicken, said the company’s chief executive.
“I don’t see us doing a massive CMI (cost management initiative). I don’t see […]