The head of the Health and Human Services Department is sketching out a stark choice for the nation's insurers: oppose reform and eventually lose customers, or work with the Obama administration to improve the legislation. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told...



Kathleen Sebelius - United States - Barack Obama - Presidency of Barack Obama - President

Stocks edged higher Wednesday after the government said businesses trimmed their inventories again in January. The Commerce Department said that wholesale inventories fell 0.2 percent in January following a 1 percent drop in December. Sales rose 1.3 percent,...



Dow Jones Industrial Average - Stock market - Business - Stocks and Bonds - Investing

The Food and Drug Administration says a Medtronic nerve stimulating implant failed to significantly reduce seizures in epilepsy patients. Medtronic Inc. has asked the FDA to approve its Deep Brain Stimulation implant for epilepsy, a neurological disease that...



Medtronic - Food and Drug Administration - Deep Brain Stimulation - Health - Conditions and Diseases

Royal Dutch Shell Plc said Wednesday it has stopped selling gasoline to Iran, the latest company to cease business with a country that is increasingly targeted by U.S.-encouraged sanctions. "We do not currently sell any gasoline to Iran," said Rayiner...



Iran - Royal Dutch Shell - United States - Middle East - Business

Fertilizer company Terra Industries said Wednesday its board favors a bid to be acquired by CF Industries instead of a previous agreement with Norway's Yara. Terra, based in Sioux City, Iowa, has given Yara five business days to meet or beat CF's offer. Yara $...



Norway - CF Industries - Fertilizer - Business - Terra Industries

After selling more than a million tickets to her last concert tour, Carrie Underwood is aiming higher this time. Really high. She plans to fly over the audience, for starters. "We're kind of going for broke on this one just because I feel like it's time,"...



Carrie Underwood - Play On - Concert - Entertainment - Shopping

Shares of Baltic Trading are little changed in their market debut Wednesday after the initial public offering raised $228.2 million. Baltic Trading Ltd. was recently formed by drybulk shipper Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. and is based in New York. The company...



Initial public offering - Business - New York City - Genco Shipping - Investing

Businesses trimmed inventories at the wholesale level again in January even though sales rose for a 10th consecutive month. The dip in inventories underscored that businesses remain cautious about restocking their depleted shelves. The Commerce Department...



Business - Marketing and Advertising - Salesmanship - Wholesale Trade - Consulting

Hundreds of protesters in Nigeria's capital are demanding to see the ailing president, who has not appeared publicly since returning from hospital treatment abroad last month. Protesters thronged Abuja's streets Wednesday with a letter demanding the...



Nigeria - Abuja - Africa - Government - Embassies and Consulates

Britain's economic recovery remains fragile, Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Wednesday, as he paved the way for a national election by announcing the government's budget would be published in two weeks. In a pre-election swipe at the main opposition...



Gordon Brown - Prime minister - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - Recession - History

The maker of Jack Daniel's whiskey and Korbel champagne saw its fiscal third-quarter profit drop on higher expenses that were expected, but adjusted results surpassed analysts' estimates. Brown-Forman Corp.'s stock climbed 61 cents to $56.50 in premarket...



Jack Daniel - Brown-Forman Corporation - Brown-Forman - United States - Recreation

World oil demand is projected to grow by 900,000 barrels per day in 2010, OPEC said Wednesday, revising up its previous month's forecast while cautioning that the increase is hinged on a sustained global economic rebound, particularly in the United States....



OPEC - United States - Business - Energy - Oil and Gas

Short line and regional railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. said Wednesday its traffic fell 9 percent last month from February 2009, mostly due to lower shipments of coal, coke and ores. The railroad shipped 63,583 carloads in February, compared with...



Genesee & Wyoming Inc - Coal - Rail transport - United States - Coke

Regensburg diocese tells AP it will investigate abuse claims at choir pope's brother once...



Turkey - Earthquake - Middle East - Science and Environment - Istanbul

The families of three Americans detained in Iran for months say their loved ones have been allowed to call home for the first time. The families said in a statement Wednesday that they received the calls Tuesday. The three reported being well. The families...



Iran - United States - Middle East - Politics - Science and Environment

Bank of Hawaii says it's come up with a way to generate more business for its clients. The bank has launched a free, online virtual coupon book that offers a wide range of deals in various categories, including automotive, clothing, dining, entertainment and...



Business - Bank of Hawaii - Financial services - Banking Services - Banks and Institutions

Financially troubled Portugal raised euro990 million ($1.34 billion) Wednesday in a key bond auction that had more bids than bonds available, suggesting the government's austerity plan is easing market concerns about the country's ability to pay off its high...



Portugal - Government - Financial crisis - Business - Austerity

Biden: Palestinians deserve 'viable' independent state with contiguous...



Joe Biden - United States - Middle East - Israel - Vice Presidents

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has sold leases for oil and gas drilling on more than 81,000 acres of federal land in Nevada for a total of about $373,000. About $122,000 of that will go to the state _ the same amount that will go to the U.S. Treasury. The...



Nevada - Bureau of Land Management - United States - Energy - Business