By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

A new TV ad campaign from Salem Five bank features an animated version of Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia. The campaign’s message? Salem Five is as passionate about banking as Pedroia is about baseball. The campaign was created by Boston ad agency Connelly Partners. The script for one spot has Pedroia saying things like this: “Baseball’s not just my job, it’s my life. I eat, drink and sleep baseball. I breathe baseball. If I ever cried, I’d cry baseballs. But I don’t cry because I’m the laser show, man.” Then the voiceover announcer says: “Passion’s everything – we hear you, Dustin. At Salem Five, banking is our baseball.” The spot ends with the bank’s tagline, “Keep talking – we’re listening.” With $2.9 billion in assets, Salem Five has 23 retail branches.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The conclusion of a new survey from Staples Inc. may not come as a shock to a worker putting serious RPM’s on the boss’s hamster wheel --- more than 70 percent of both office workers and managers believe that workers are more productive today than they were five years ago. Mobile technology and telecommuting are among the reasons why, according to the survey from Staples Inc., the Framingham company known for office supplies. The survey is from Staples Advantage, the company’s business-to-business division. By the way, Staples is also claiming that it can make shopping for Fourth of July parties more productive as well. Staples isn’t just stocking office supplies --- these days, it’s also carrying US flags, barbecue grills, and ketchup.

By Globe Staff

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Watertown, announced in a Monday press release that it was added to the Russell 3000, Russell 2000, and Russell Global Indexes when the Russell Investment Group reconstituted its family of US indexes after stock market close on June 28. Annual reconstitution of Russell’s U.S. indexes captures the 4,000 largest U.S. stocks as of the end of May, ranking them by total market capitalization. Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals is developing a portfolio of potent new antibiotics designed to be effective against dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria, including multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens. Tetraphase’s lead product candidate, eravacycline, is a fully synthetic tetracycline derivative being developed as a broad-spectrum intravenous and oral antibiotic for use as a first-line empiric monotherapy for the treatment of multi-drug resistant infections.

By Gail Waterhouse, Globe Correspondent

There’s about to be one less card taking up space in your wallet. Shaw’s has gotten rid of its Rewards Card.

The West Bridgewater supermarket chain on Friday eliminated its loyalty card that offered shoppers sale prices on selected items. Now, Shaw’s says, anyone can enjoy “card free savings” throughout the store, with a focus on lower pricing for items shoppers buy most, such as milk, bread and eggs. The store will also continue to have its weekly sales

The move comes as Shaw’s prices increased compared to the competition, including chains such as Market Basket, which has no rewards card but is known for its low prices.

In addition to lower prices for all Shaw’s shoppers, stores have redesigned signs and employees are wearing new uniforms.

By Globe Staff

The Boston Globe has been awarded two citations by the Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism, which seek to honor the best reporting on children, youth, and families in the US over the past year. A story titled “Led by an innocent into a web of evil” was the runner-up in the single-article category for larger news organizations. Reported by business reporter Jenifer B. McKim and edited by deputy business editor Mark Pothier, the story looked at the investigation of a global child pornography ring. The investigation led to the arrests of 42 men and the discovery of more than 140 sexually exploited children. In the multimedia category, the Globe won an honorable mention for “68 Blocks: Life, Death, Hope,” a series on a year in Boston’s troubled Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a Boston company known for textbooks and education content, said it that has unveiled a “Reentry Prerelease Program” designed specifically for correctional facility education centers. Citing industry statistics about high recidivism rates, the company noted in its press release that its reentry program “provides resources that cover not only academics but an array of social skills, from career guidance to problem solving to relationship management.” In the past, educators at correctional facilities have often had to fashion their programs bit by bit, taking pieces of content from a variety of sources, said Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which is also known as HMH. A major selling point of its Reentry Prerelease Program is that it is the only “all-in-one” solution of its kind on the market, HMH said.

By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

At least five groups are believed to have submitted bids to buy the Boston Globe by Thursday’s deadline, according to people involved in or briefed on the offers.

Bidders include a group led by former Time Inc. chief executive Jack Griffin and two members of the Taylor family who sold the Globe to the New York Times Co. in 1993. A bid also was submitted by former Globe president Rick Daniels and investor Heb Ryan.

Also bidding is Robert Loring, founder of Revolution Capital and owner of the Tampa Tribune; and John J. Gormally Jr. of Gormally Broadcasting in Springfield.

In addition, Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Boston lawyer, submitted a bid that involves taking on the Globe’s pension liability. A sixth bidder may be Red Sox owner John Henry.

By Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff

In a case that could have implications for US-China relations, a federal grand jury indicted Chinese wind turbine maker for stealing key technology from a Massachusetts firm.

The criminal charges — trade secret theft and criminal copyright infringment — escalate a two-year legal battle playing out in China between American Superconductor Corp. of Devens, which does business as AMSC, and Sinovel Wind Group Co. of Beijing, one of the largest wind turbine makers in the world. It may also add to one of the biggest sources of tension between the United States and China: the theft of intellectual property from American companies.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Cushman & Wakefield, a large commercial real estate firm, said Thursday that it has relocated its Boston office from 125 Summer St. to 225 Franklin Street in larger space designed to promote its culture of collaboration, teamwork, and information sharing. “At Cushman & Wakefield, we understand that teamwork and collaboration are what drive innovation and meaningful value for our clients,” Thomas L. Collins, executive managing director of Cushman & Wakefield’s New England Area, said. The new 36,555-square-foot space occupies most of 225 Franklin St.’s third floor, and Cushman & Wakefield said it has options to expand into the balance of the floor; 225 Franklin is a 34-story office building directly adjacent to Post Office Square Park. The firm’s Boston head count is 98.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin is calling on the US Securities and Exchange Commission to maintain a high standard of fiduciary responsibility as it develops rules under the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law, his office said Thursday. One provision of the Dodd-Frank law calls on the SEC to write regulations that would hold broker-dealers to high fiduciary standards in selling investment products. In some cases, broker-dealers sold products designed for sophisticated investors to Main Street consumers without making them fully aware of the risks involved. With the SEC in the process of drawing up the regulations that could make disclosures about risk more transparent, critics are claiming that some elements of the financial-services industry are lobbying for weak rules. Galvin is urging the SEC to resist such pressure.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Nordblom Co. said that a Tony C’s sports-themed restaurant has leased space at its 3rd Ave in Burlington shopping-and restaurant complex that will include a giant Wegmans supermarket and several other restaurants and retailers. Nordblom owns Northwest Park, a 4.6 million square-foot mixed-use development in Burlington that counts such companies as Thoratec, LeMaitre Vascular, and Scheidt & Bachmann as office tenants. Nordblom is now carving out a roughly 300,000-square-foot swath of the park and redeveloping it as “a retail-walking street” with a “boulevard layout” known as 3rd Ave in Burlington. The first 3rd Ave tenant is likely to open for business early next year, and Tony C’s is scheduled to open some time in 2014. Tony C’s is a concept developed by the Cronin Group, a Boston-based company.

By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff

The Massachusetts’ economy continues to outperform the nation’s, but the state’s relatively low unemployment rate masks significant problems for many people who want to find jobs but cannot, according to a report by top local economists.

While the housing market is bright spot for the state, with sales, prices and building permits all on the rise, other developments are worrisome, the economists said. Massachusetts’ exports to its major international markets slowed significantly in the last year as the global economy weakened, while federal tax increases and budget cuts are further undermining growth.

All this adds up to an economy that is growing, but not creating jobs fast enough for the tens of thousands of unemployed, underemployed and discouraged workers, the economists said.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC, a Quincy based chain of more than 400 stores, said that it will officially celebrate the opening of its second Nantucket location at 5 a.m. this Friday, June 28. The new store, located at 9 Salem St. just blocks from the Ferry, is stocked with fresh produce, seafood, meats, and Stop & Shop’s Own Brand products. The store features an organic and natural section as well as specialty and kosher foods, a selection of gourmet cheeses, and an olive bar. (In March, Stop & Shop said it acquired the lease of the former Grand Union location at 9 Salem St.) As part of the opening hoo-ha, Stop & Shop plans to give away 1,500 sand pails filled with items such as snacks, suntan lotion, and toiletry items.

By Gail Waterhouse, Globe Correspondent

The Supreme Court’s ruling that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional paves the way for married gay couples to receive more than a 1,000 federal benefits and protections their straight counterparts already have access to. The ruling applies to all married couples in Massachusetts, as well as the 11 other states and the District of Columbia where gay marriage is legal. “This is enormous,” said Arline Isaacson, co-chair of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. “The right to marry is not only critical socially and societally, but it also has huge economic implications.” The 1,138 federal benefits and protections already given to opposite-sex married couples will now apply to same-sex couples, and will affect the way businesses handle employee benefits, like healthcare and family leave, as well as hiring and new employee orientation practices.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The Massachusetts Division of Banks said Wednesday that new regulations will prevent national and state lenders from foreclosing on a homeowner’s property if modifying their mortgage loans cost less. The regulations, a product of legislation signed by Governor Deval Patrick last August, require lenders to consider all available loss-mitigation options before proceeding to foreclosure. After several months of drafting, the regulations have now just gone into effect. Foreclosures surged during the recession as many homeowners who lost jobs were unable to keep current with their monthly mortgage payments. But now Massachusetts foreclosure numbers are down, partly because of an improving economy and partly because some lenders were waiting to see whether the new regulations would prompt them to revise their foreclosure procedures, analysts have said.

By Deirdre Fernandes, Globe Staff

The state approved $11.9 million in economic development tax credits Wednesday to 10 companies that promised to create new jobs and invest in local communities, including Athenahealth Inc. and Richline Group Inc., a subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

The Economic Assistance Coordinating Council approved $9.5 million, the largest award on Wednesday, to Athenahealth to help the company add 1,900 new jobs and expand their operations in Watertown. Athenahealth has promised to nearly triple its workforce over the next 10 years. The electronic medical records company already has 1,100 employees in Watertown.

The council also agreed to award Richline, a jewelry manufacturing company, $400,000 in tax credits to support its growth in Attleboro, plans to add

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Babson College and Dar Al-Hekma College said they have signed a cooperation agreement designed to support women’s leadership and entrepreneurship. Dar Al-Hekma is a private college for women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Babson is the latest institution to partner with Dar Al-Hekma. Other partners include Columbia University, Lehigh University, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, Babson said. Kerry Healey, president-elect of Babson, signed the agreement after addressing nearly 200 member of the Dar Al-Hekma College’s graduating class in Jeddah. “I look forward to our collaboration,” Healey said in a statement. “Your graduates virtually glow with ambition and talent.”

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Fluent, a firm that helps brands such as Macy’s connect with college students, has a new name and a new larger office in Boston. The firm, previously known as Campus Entertainment, has moved from an 800-square-foot office in Charlestown to 4,800-square-foot space on Kingston Street --- space once occupied by the defunct Boston ad agency Modernista. Fluent started the year with 21 employees, including 12 in Boston. The current headcount is 38, with 24 of them in Boston. According to fluent, its specialty is “translating brands for the college world” --- hence the new name, the agency claims to be fluent in the language of so-called “college millennials,” or consumers between the ages of 18 and 24. Fluent has done work for Microsoft, Zipcar, Kotex, Dove, and L’Oreal.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The HoneyBaked Ham Co. of Georgia, an Atlanta-based food retailer, said it is “eyeing aggressive growth” in the Northeast as part of a larger objective to sign more franchise deals in areas that are hotbeds of ham lovers. Not quite half of the company’s more than 400 locations are operated by franchisees. With only 20 locations open collectively in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, the company thinks that area is ripe for expansion. Company officials say they believe the brand has the capacity to open 30 more franchise locations across the region over the next five years. “Our great tasting signature hams and turkeys leave an unforgettable mark across the country, and the demand is growing in the Northeast region,” company vice president Molly Kesmodel said.

By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

The financial officer of the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church testified in federal bankruptcy court Tuesday that she used restricted grant funds to pay church expenses at the direction of the church’s pastor, and that the two kept the matter secret from other church officials.

The Reverend Opal Adams, who handles bookkeeping and accounting for the historic Roxbury church, said she tapped $825,000 from the Lilly Endowment to pay Charles Street AME expenses, including salaries, in recent years. She also testified that it was the Reverend Gregory Groover, the church’s pastor, who asked her to do so.

The church filed for bankruptcy protection last year after its lender, OneUnited Bank, threatened to auction off threatened to auction off Charles Street AME property.

By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff

Winchester Hospital’s board has signed a letter of intent to affiliate with Lahey Health, the parent organization of Lahey Clinic in nearby Burlington, in the latest example of a community hospital seeking to join a larger health care network as the market consolidates.

In a joint statement released late Tuesday afternoon, the two parties said they were teaming up to better coordinate care for the patients they serve in communities stretching from northeastern Massachusetts into southern New Hampshire. The presidents of Lahey and Winchester were not immediately available to discuss their affiliation plans.

The preliminary deal, which still requires a formal agreement to affiliate, was struck against a backdrop of continuing expansion of larger Boston-based hospital groups.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Slade Gorton, a Boston company that imports, manufacturers, and distributes seafood products, is teaming up with Elevation Brands, a Framingham company specializing in allergy-friendly foods, to offer gluten-free menu items to foodservice customers. Their press release cited data from the Celiac Disease Center, which estimates that 18 million Americans suffer from Celiac disease, an intolerance to gluten found in wheat, barley, and other grains. Also cited were industry data that projects that the US market for gluten-free products is growing dramatically. Slade Gorton and Elevation Brands said that a dominant player has yet to emerge in the niche that would provide the foodservice industry with a reliable source of allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods. The Slade Gorton-Elevation Brands partnership is an effort to win a big share of that market.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Grant Thornton LLP, a firm that offers audit, tax, and advisory services, said that it has relocated its Boston office to 75 State St. from 226 Causeway St. The firm’s new space occupies 41,369 square feet, and the office will be able to accommodate more than 300 employees; the firm’s current Boston headcount is about 175. Another benefit of the new office: It is designed to help reduce the firm’s carbon footprint. The new space is designed to support employee collaboration and innovation, the firm said in a press release. All workspaces have access to natural light as well as to modern conference and team rooms. “We are very excited to be relocating to the heart of Boston’s financial district,” Scott Levy, Grant Thornton’s New England managing partner, said in a statement.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

An investor confidence index maintained by State Street Global Markets posted a 106.8 reading for the four-week period ending June 21, up 11.9 points from the revised reading 94.9 for the previous four-week period. State Street Global Markets is the investment research and trading arm of State Street Corp., the Boston-based financial services company. Since mid 2009, the monthly State Street Investor Confidence index has used a reading of 100 to indicate neutral. A reading above 100 signifies that institutional investors are deploying more exposure to risky assets. The index was developed by Harvard University professor Kenneth Froot and Paul O’Connell of State Street Associates to measure investor confidence or risk appetite quantitatively by analyzing the actual buying and selling patterns of institutional investors.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Neon pencil pouches and locker chandeliers could be among top selling items during the upcoming back-to-school shopping season, Staples Inc. said. As a general rule, the Framingham-based company rings up the lion’s share of its sales selling office supplies to small businesses and people with home offices as its big customers. But at back-to-school time, the retailer also gets lots of store traffic from students and parents looking to load up on needed items for the new school year. In the old days, when students used slide rules and fountain pens, product lines were generally infused with about as much excitement as a chalky pedagogue’s wardrobe. Now, though, a flair for fashion is de rigeur for the stylish scholar. “Neon is the hottest fashion trend of the season,” Staples decrees.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

HFF, a provider of commercial real estate and capital markets services, said that it has arranged $90 million in financing for the Boston Harbor Garage, a 1,380-space parking garage with 30,000 square feet of street-level retail. HFF said it worked on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between the Chiofaro Co. and Prudential Real Estate Investors, to secure the five-year, fixed-rate loan through Hartford Investment Management Company. The Boston Harbor Garage is located at 70 East India Road, next to the New England Aquarium and along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. “This property has consistently performed extremely well throughout the years and remains one of the highest-income producing garages in the city,” HFF senior managing director Riaz Cassum said in a statement.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The sale of single-family homes in Massachusetts rose 6 percent in May on a year-to-year comparison basis as the number of transactions hit their highest May level in seven years, the Warren Group said Tuesday. A total of 4,820 single-family homes were sold in the Bay State last month. Meanwhile, median home prices rose for the eighth straight month, the Warren Group said. The median price for single-family homes sold in May was up almost 12 percent to $324,500 from $290,000 in May 2012. “Now that we’re well into the prime spring selling season, activity is increasing for sales volume as expected,” Timothy M. Warren Jr., chief executive of the Warren Group, said in a statement. “We’re expecting home sales to continue to rise on a year-over-year basis this summer.”

By Deirdre Fernandes, Globe Staff

A former personal banker with Bank of America’s Reading branch was indicted Monday for allegedly running a Ponzi-like scheme, luring friends and family into investing millions into fake accounts by promising high returns and eventually stealing from elderly bank customers to pay the investors, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Elaina Patterson, 53, of Wilmington, was charged with 15 counts of larceny of over $250 from a person over 60 years old and 16 counts of larceny over $250, according to Coakley’s office.

The alleged scheme, conducted over the course of 12 years, involved 31 people and some $6 million, and led to the indictment by a Middlesex County grand jury Monday, Coakley said.

Neither Patterson nor her lawyer returned calls for comment.

By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

In a full day on the witness stand as the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal bankruptcy case returned to court Monday, Rev. Gregory Groover acknowledged that the church had misused $825,000 of restricted endowment funds to meet expenses over nearly five years.

The amount was far more than church leaders had acknowledged in prior hearings in US Bankruptcy Court in Boston. The Lilly Endowment funds were earmarked for a residency program for pastors in training.

A lawyer for OneUnited Bank questioned the pastor about monthly financial statements showing negative cash flow since Charles Street AME began struggling with nearly $5 million in loans owed to the bank..Charles Street filed for bankruptcy protection last year, as OneUnited Bank. threatened to auction off the Roxbury church.

By Associated Press

ROVIDENCE — The debate over whether Rhode Island should pay the debts associated with its failed investment in 38 Studios will likely dominate legislative action on an $8.2 billion state budget proposal. The Rhode Island House is scheduled to debate and vote on the spending plan Tuesday. Lawmakers have submitted 70 proposed changes to the legislation, unveiled last week. Some lawmakers want to default on the money the state owes for a failed loan guarantee to former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s bankrupt video game company. They argue the insurer will pay bond holders if the state defaults. But Governor Lincoln Chafee says the state’s financial reputation would suffer and its borrowing costs would rise.

By Associated Press

DALLAS --- Tenet Healthcare Corp. plans to buy fellow hospital operator Vanguard Health Systems Inc. for about $1.8 billion, in a deal that will expand its reach into new markets as millions of patients start to gain insurance coverage through the health care overhaul. According to Vanguard’s website, its facilities include the 348-bed Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, and the 420-bed MetroWest, with its two locations, MetroWest-Framingham Union Hospital in Framingham and MetroWest-Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick. Tenet said Monday that it will pay $21 per share, a 70 percent premium to Vanguard Health’s Friday closing price of $12.37. The companies said the transaction also includes $2.5 billion in debt, and they value the entire deal at $4.3 billion.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The average price for gas in Massachusetts was $3.48 a gallon in the latest weekly AAA survey, down 2 cents from the previous week’s average, AAA Southern New England said Monday. Massachusetts prices are down 3 cents over the past month, AAA Southern New England added. The current national average for gas is $3.56. A year ago at this time, the Massachusetts average price was 11 cents lower at $3.37 a gallon. The range in prices in the latest AAA survey for Massachusetts was 37 cents, from a low of $3.32 to a high of $3.69. AAA’s weekly surveys focus on the price of self-serve, regular unleaded gas.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

TreeHouse Foods Inc., a company known for pickles and non-dairy creamers, said Monday that it has agreed to buy Cains Foods L.P., a privately owned Ayer- based manufacturer of shelf stable mayonnaise, dressings, and sauces. In a press release, TreeHouse said it has agreed to pay $35 million in cash for the business. Headquartered in Illinois, TreeHouse said it believes it is the largest manufacturer of pickles and non-dairy powdered creamer in the United States. Other product lines include salad dressings and skillet dinners. As for Cains, its products are sold under the Cains, Naturally Delicious, and Olde Cape Cod brand names. Said TreeHouse CEO Sam Reed, ‘‘Cains will be a great fit within the TreeHouse family, rounding out our industry leading assortment of private label pourable and spoonable dressings.’’

By Katie Johnston, Globe Staff

A Residence Inn by Marriott that opened in the Seaport District this week brings 120 new hotel rooms to an area in great need of lodging. The property, at 370 Congress St., will be housed in a six-story 1900s building thought to be a former sugar and molasses warehouse. The nearby Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is in need of more than 2,000 new hotel rooms within walking distance, according to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, and if the center is allowed to double in size, as proposed, the area would need as many as 6,000 new rooms. The authority just announced plans to develop a 1,200-1,500-room headquarters hotel across the street from the convention center.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

The National DCP LLC, the exclusive purchasing and distribution entity for Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in the continental US, said it plans to shift some administrative positions currently located in its office in Bellingham to a new corporate office in Duluth, Georgia. That new office in Georgia is scheduled to open in August, said the company, which is a sourcing, purchasing, and distribution cooperative. “Approximately half of the 135 administrative positions currently located in Bellingham will be given the opportunity to relocate to the new corporate office or remain locally,” the company said. “The over 1,100 NDCP employees, including those who work on the operations side of the 35 distribution centers and hub locations across the country, will not be affected by the move including those currently based in Bellingham.”

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Citizens Bank and the Citizens Bank Foundation said they are awarding grants totaling $275,000 to support workforce development and youth summer jobs programs to community organizations in Boston and Springfield. Citizens said it is awarding grants to the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston, Boston Private Industry Council, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Roca Inc., and YMCA of Greater Boston. “Citizens Bank understands the value of investing in tomorrow’s workforce today by providing youth and adults with the opportunity to become self-sufficient,” Jerry Sargent, president of Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens Massachusetts, said in a statement. “It is gratifying to see the exciting and innovative job-training and workforce development programs our community partners are putting into action throughout our Commonwealth.”

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

EF Education First, a company with offices in Sweden and Switzerland and its North American headquarters in Cambridge, said is now collaborating with a team from the Harvard Graduate School of Education that seeks to unlock some of the mysteries of how Chinese and Russian speakers learn to write in English. Teaching English as a second language has turned EF into a global company with 35,000 employees, including 900 in Cambridge. To accommodate its growth, it has a $125 million building under construction next to its existing Cambridge facility. The second building is expected to open in the spring of 2014, and the company is looking to add 300 more employees in Cambridge. Meanwhile, the collaboration with the Harvard team is set to explore why students from certain countries learn English more easily than students from other places.

By Associated Press

MONTPELIER — The Vermont Department of Labor says the state’s unemployment rate ticked up one tenth of 1 percent in May to 4.1 percent. Officials say the increase is consistent with national trends in which the rate increases because more people are looking for work. The Vermont numbers released Friday do not take into account layoffs at the Essex Junction IBM facility. May unemployment rates for Vermont’s 17 labor market areas ranged from 2.8 percent in Hartford to 5.9 percent in Newport. The rate compares with a rate of 4 percent in April and 4.7 percent in May 2012. Vermont’s unemployment rate was the third lowest in the country. It compares to a national unemployment rate of 7.6 percent.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Bloomberg Businessweek has ranked Babson College third out of 124 schools for its undergraduate micro-economics program, Babson said. In developing the rankings, Bloomberg Businessweek asked undergraduate business students from this year’s graduating class, via online survey, about their business school experience, from getting in to getting a job. Bloomberg Businessweek issues results in a number of categories, and Babson fared well in the survey of a specialty category that ranked micro-economics programs. Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management was ranked first on that survey, and the Warrington College of Business Administration at the University of Florida was second. Babson Professor Lidija Polutnik said, “Our faculty are passionate about making sure their students understand the connections between microeconomic theory and real-life business practice.”

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Folks who like to shop till they drop may now be able to phone and text till they drop as well --- at least if they’re shopping at some of the local malls operated by the Simon Property Group. Simon Property said it is about to install electronic charging stations at many of its New England malls, including Burlington Mall, Northshore Mall in Peabody, South Shore Plaza in Braintree, and the Mall at Chestnut Hill. The charging stations are expected to arrive in early July. “The electronic charging stations will be easily accessible, located near soft seating areas, and will provide shoppers a convenient way to charge cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other personal electronic devices,” the company said in a press release.

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Rockland Trust, a commercial bank whose network includes 75 retail branches, 10 commercial lending offices, four investment management, and three residential lending centers in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, announced a multi-million dollar financing project for the Hannah B. Griffith Shaw Home for the Aged, a 40-bed residential care and 20-bed skilled nursing facility in Middleborough. This construction will add 59,000-square-feet to the Shaw Home, nearly doubling its size and adding more skilled nursing home beds. “At Rockland Trust, we are committed to improving our communities, especially through projects that support some of our more vulnerable populations, including senior citizens,” John Davison, project lender at Rockland Trust, said. “This expansion of The Shaw Home will greatly improve the facility and give the nonprofit more space to offer exceptional services to the elderly.”

By Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff

Attorney General Martha Coakley has asked state utility regulators to reject a request by Western Massachusetts Electric Co. for $20 million from a storm fund to recover the costs of responding to major weather events that occurred from 2008 to 2011, including Tropical Storm Irene.

Depending on what regulators approve, some or all of the utility’s reimbursement request could be collected from customers through a charge on their bills. Coakley asked regulators to cut the amount to be recovered to about $4.2 million.

In a brief filed Tuesday, Coakley, who acts as the state’s ratepayer advocate, said the request was excessive because it included employee bonuses, promotional t-shirts, and other discretionary costs not directly related to the company’s storm response.

By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

The Kraft Group is no longer pursuing a bid to buy The Boston Globe, according to a person briefed on the plans of the New England Patriots owners. As previously reported, the Krafts have held meetings with Globe managers and investment bankers for The New York Times Co., which is selling the Globe. However the group has now decided not to bid, according to the person briefed on the matter, who was not authorized to speak publicly. Jonathan Kraft, president of the Kraft Group, has declined requests for an interview. A Globe story Wednesday about the June 27 deadline for submitting bids included the Krafts on the list of possible bidders. The Times Co. declined to comment.

By Alyssa Edes and Emily Overholt, Globe Correspondents

Americans who want to be gluten-free now will have another option: Dunkin’ Donuts announced Wednesday it will begin offering gluten-free doughnuts and muffins in all its U.S. locations this year. “At Dunkin’ Donuts, we recognize the importance of providing our guests with many options, including alternative choices for people with food and dietary restrictions,” said Michelle King, director of global public relations in an email. The Canton-based company tested the new products in a handful of locations around Boston and Miami, generating buzz on social media. They are currently available in Hartford. The gluten-free is the latest craze in the food industry. According to a 2012 report from Packaged Facts, gluten-free sales in the U.S. are expected to reach more than $6.6 billion by 2017.

By Globe Staff,

Massachusetts employers increased hiring for the first time in four months while the unemployment rate rose as more people looked for work in May, the state reported Thursday.

The state added 3,500 jobs in May, ending three consecutive months of job losses. The state has gained 14,500 jobs since the beginning of the year. The unemployment rate rose to 6.6 percent from 6.4 percent in April as the economy did not create enough jobs to absorb the nearly 9,000 additional workers who entered the job market.

The labor force has grown in each of the past two months, which economists view as a sign of an improving economy. More people tend look for work when they sense increasing opportunities, economists say.

By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

David Bergers, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Boston office for the past seven years, has joined LPL Financial Holdings Inc., a large brokerage network that has struggled with regulatory and compliance problems.

He will become general counsel, replacing Stephanie Brown.

Bergers joins a long line of officials from the nation’s top securities watchdog who have left to work for the industry they once regulated. Boston-based LPL was recently fined $7.5 million by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the industry’s self-regulatory body, for failing to properly retain broker e-mails.

By Taryn Luna, Globe Correspondent

The owner of three local restaurants agreed to pay more than $200,000 in back pay and damages to workers after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation discovered the businesses violated wage laws.

The labor department said kitchen workers were paid a weekly salary and not compensated for overtime between 2010 and 2012 at Pomodoro of Brookline, North End Pomodoro of Boston and Matt Murphy’s Pub of Brookline.

The agency said Siobhan Carew, the owner of the restaurants, also didn’t combine hours the employees worked in the different locations each week and violated record-keeping regulations.

Carew did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Thirteen workers will split the settlement of $205,380.

By Deirdre Fernandes, Globe Staff

Sovereign Bank donated $100,000 to Wheelock College Wednesday to support school’s financial literacy, college readiness, and career awareness programs in Mattapan.

The three-year partnership between the college and the bank will boost programming at the Mattahunt Wheelock Community Center. The center helps more than 200 mostly lower-income families and children in Mattapan.

Some of the funds will be used to support the college’s first international conference, a three-day event to discuss global challenges and opportunities facing children and families.

Sovereign is owned by Spanish banking giant Banco Santander SA.

Sovereign provided the grant through its parent company’s primary philanthropic arm, Santander Universities. Santander Universities has partnerships with 1,050 universities worldwide and has funded scholarships totaling $8.5 million in the United States.

By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

The Boston Globe has reached a new 10-year agreement with the Boston Herald to print the entire press run of the tabloid starting in July. Under an existing agreement, the Globe prints and delivers about one-third of the Herald’s print circulation. Since 2012, the Globe has printed and delivered the Herald’s city edition, Sunday through Friday, as well as the newspaper’s full press run on Saturdays. The Herald stopped printing and delivering its own papers after the company moved out of its long-time South End property and cut print and labor costs. The Globe and the Herald remain separate companies. In addition to the Herald, the Globe prints and delivers the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, the Enterprise of Brockton, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, and regional editions of The New York Times.

By Gail Waterhouse, Globe Correspondent

After years of planning and negotiating, the giant Fenway Center development project finally won its last required approval Wednesday.

State Department of Transportation directors approved a lease covering 4.5 acres of land and air rights over the Massachusetts Turnpike, a key agreement for the development. The transportation board had unexpectedly tabled the matter of the lease before a vote last month.

After a brief discussion Wednesday, directors signed off on the $227 million, 99-year lease that developer John Rosenthal needed to build his $500 million mixed-use property on Brookline and Beacon streets by Fenway Park. The development would turn what are currently parking lots into a multi-building complex with retail, office and residential space.