Articles

Consumer confidence plummets to new low-WEB ONLY

Americans’ already battered confidence in the economy went into free fall this month, sinking to new lows as consumers grow more fearful over massive job cuts and shrinking retirement accounts. The dismal news came just hours after major retailers, including Target Corp., Home Depot and Macy’s Inc., reported depressed fourth-quarter results as shoppers focus on […]

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OmniSource scrap yards under investigation-WEB ONLY

More than 50 Indianapolis police officers will no longer be allowed to work off-duty at a metal recycling business that is under investigation in the alleged purchase of stolen scrap metal. Raids by police and federal officials on six Indianapolis OmniSource scrap yards yesterday marked the culmination of a yearlong investigation. No one was arrested […]

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Indiana Senate: Use constitution to protect fund-WEB ONLY

Republican state lawmakers were never keen on House Democrats’ idea to take $500 million from a trust fund and spend the cash on local road projects. But the GOP-controlled Senate made the message clear yesterday as it approved a proposal to protect the fund by putting it into the Indiana constitution. Sen. Mike Delph (R-Carmel) […]

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‘Net metering’ power bills advance at Statehouse-WEB ONLY

Legislation to require Indiana’s investor-owned utilities to buy surplus power from businesses and municipalities that install wind turbines or solar panels is advancing in the General Assembly, and supporters predict it will be approved. With interest in renewable energy growing nationwide, supporters say passing a so-called “net metering” bill would spark more solar, wind and […]

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Major stock indexes fall to 1997 levels-WEB ONLY

The major stock market indexes have staggered to their lowest levels in more than a decade, pulled down by investors’ rapidly waning confidence. The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed  today at their lowest levels since 1997, succumbing to growing worries about a recession that has no end in […]

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Rose-Hulman president resigning after 3 years-WEB ONLY

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute will soon be searching for its third new president in five years. The engineering and science school announced today that Gerald Jakubowski was resigning effective June 30, three years after he took the job. No reason for his departure was announced, and the school said its board of […]

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Lugar says U.S. must rethink Cuba embargo-WEB ONLY

The U.S. policy of shunning communist Cuba by imposing a strict trade embargo has failed to prod the island nation toward democracy and should be re-evaluated, according to the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We must recognize the ineffectiveness of our current policy and deal with the Cuban regime in a way […]

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Obama sending $15B in Medicaid relief to states-WEB ONLY

President Barack Obama said today he would begin distributing $15 billion to the states within two days to help them with Medicaid payments to the poor. The money will begin reaching the states Wednesday from the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus program, Obama told the nation’s governors during a meeting at the White House. […]

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Lilly blood thinner prasugrel wins EU approval-WEB ONLY

European Union regulators have approved the blood thinner prasugrel, Indianapolis-based drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. announced this morning. The European Commission granted marketing authorization for prasugrel, which will be sold in Europe under the brand name Efient. Lilly spokeswoman Carole Copeland said the drug will be launched “in the coming weeks,” with a separate rollout […]

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Colts’ star free agents looking elsewhere-WEB ONLY

Marvin Harrison’s reluctance to take a pay cut could mark the end of his career in Indianapolis. Colts president Bill Polian told reporters yesterday at the NFL’s annual scouting combine that the team was trying to rework Harrison’s deal to lower the receiver’s salary cap number from approximately $13.4 million, the highest number of any […]

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State pawn shops see rise in business-WEB ONLY

The nation’s deepening recession has boosted business at Indiana’s pawn shops as people shed possessions – particularly electronics – for cash to pay bills. At Ace Pawn Shop in Bloomington, manager Chris Banul said business is up and he’s seeing more high-end items brought to the shop for collateral, or sold outright, as the economy […]

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State pawn shops see rising business-WEB ONLY

The nation’s deepening recession has boosted business at Indiana’s pawn shops as people shed possessions – particularly electronics – for cash to pay bills. At Ace Pawn Shop in Bloomington, manager Chris Banul said business is up and he’s seeing more high-end items brought to the shop for collateral, or sold outright, as the economy […]

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Lilly blood thinner earns European OK-WEB ONLY

European Union regulators have approved the blood thinner prasugrel, Indianapolis-based drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. announced this morning. The European Commission granted marketing authorization for prasugrel, which will be sold in Europe under the brand name Efient. Lilly spokeswoman Carole Copeland said the drug will be launched “in the coming weeks,” with a separate rollout […]

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Colts’ star free agents looking elsewhere-WEB ONLY

Marvin Harrison’s reluctance to take a pay cut could mark the end of his career in Indianapolis. Colts president Bill Polian told reporters yesterday at the NFL’s annual scouting combine that the team was trying to rework Harrison’s deal to lower the receiver’s salary cap number from approximately $13.4 million, the highest number of any […]

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Demand for GED classes soars with job losses-WEB ONLY

Donna Sharp made a good living in Elkhart even without a high school diploma, earning about $19 an hour putting stripes on recreational vehicles in this northern Indiana county known as the RV capital of the world. Then Monaco Coach Corp. announced in July that it was closing the plant in Wakarusa where Sharp worked, […]

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Dow falls to lowest close in more than 6 years-WEB ONLY

The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled to its lowest close in more than six years today as sharp declines in key financial shares led the market lower. The blue chips closed at their lowest level since Oct. 9, 2002, the last bear-market low. The Dow lost 89.68 points, or 1.2 percent, to end at 7,465.95. […]

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State illegal immigration bill targets ‘bad actors’-WEB ONLY

A bill that would revoke the business licenses of companies that repeatedly hire illegal workers won unanimous support from a Senate committee yesterday. The committee took the unusual step of holding three separate meetings on the proposal – listening to supporters and opponents – before taking a vote. Sen. Mike Delph (R-Carmel) supports legislation to […]

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Jobless-benefit recipients hit record high-WEB ONLY

The number of laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits has jumped to an all-time high near 5 million while new jobless claims remain well above 600,000. Both figures were worse than expected and new projections from the Federal Reserve show unemployment rising for the rest of this year. The Labor Department reported today that the number […]

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Mokulele Airlines avoids Republic seizure-WEB ONLY

Mokulele Airlines yesterday said it made a $300,000 loan payment, staving off seizure of its assets and operations by business partner Republic Airways Holdings Inc. Mokulele had defaulted on an $8 million loan, and Indianapolis-based Republic said it would come in and operate Mokulele if the Hawaii carrier failed to make the payment by the […]

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WellPoint unit subject of California probe-WEB ONLY

Two large health insurers, including a unit of WellPoint Inc., are being investigated for charging more than California-mandated rates for last-resort health coverage affecting some 19,000 people. Blue Shield of California charged premiums as much as 55 percent above the California cap, while policies of Anthem Blue Cross, a unit of Indianapolis-based WellPoint, have been […]

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