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  • Toys R Us appeals $20M award in Mass. slide death

    BOSTON (AP) -- On a warm summer day in July 2006, Robin Aleo climbed to the top of a 6-foot inflatable pool slide and slid down head first. As she neared the bottom, the slide partially collapsed and Aleo slammed her head on the concrete pool deck, causing fatal injuries. (   05/04/2013 2:01 PM )

  • Obama emphasizes trade with Latin America

    SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) -- President Barack Obama said Saturday that the U.S. places great importance on its trading relationships with Latin America and will continue working to improve those ties so the entire region can become more competitive in a 21st century world. (   05/04/2013 1:54 PM )

  • Why the US economy is taking so long to recover

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- The American economy and job market are moving in the right direction, just not very quickly. (   05/04/2013 1:30 PM )

  • Guyana to send rice to Venezuela under Petrocaribe

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) -- Guyana says it will resume rice shipments to neighboring Venezuela following the renewal of a $130 million rice-for-oil deal between the two South American countries. (   05/04/2013 12:27 PM )

  • Drilling is new focus for clean energy investors

    NEW YORK (AP) -- A decade ago, large investors in so-called clean technology had a straightforward goal: finance companies that would help eliminate the world's dependence on oil, natural gas and coal. (   05/04/2013 12:03 PM )

  • Technologies transforming energy: a glossary

    NEW YORK (AP) -- Here's a look at some key energy terms and technologies. (   05/04/2013 11:55 AM )

  • New technology propels 'old energy' boom

    NEW YORK (AP) -- Technology created an energy revolution over the past decade -- just not the one we expected. (   05/04/2013 11:53 AM )

  • In parts of Plains, drought fears nag in 3rd year

    FREDERICK, Okla. (AP) -- When Kent Walker walked through his dusty fields one morning this spring, the ominous signs were right there at his feet. His wheat crop that should have been thick, dark green and thigh-high was thin, brown and barely covered the top of his shoes. It looked like the start of an ugly rerun. (   05/04/2013 11:15 AM )

  • Mass. lawmakers to hear medical marijuana bills

    BOSTON (AP) -- A legislative committee plans to hear several proposals to change Massachusetts' medical marijuana law as the state prepares for implementation of the voter-approved measures. (   05/04/2013 11:11 AM )

  • Maine governor still pushing bond for new prison

    AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Gov. Paul LePage's push for a new prison to replace the aging, hodge-podge Maine Correctional Center in Windham has been overshadowed lately by other issues swirling about the State House, such as the Medicaid debt to hospitals, a new school grading system and a proposed tax code overhaul. (   05/04/2013 11:01 AM )

  • Warren Buffett leads annual meeting like no other

    OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Before facing questions from a crowd of more than 30,000, billionaire Warren Buffett started Saturday being mobbed by fans at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting. (   05/04/2013 10:46 AM )

  • States fear losing aid for 'uninsurables'

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of people with serious medical problems are in danger of losing coverage under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul because of cost overruns, state officials say. (   05/04/2013 10:46 AM )

  • Outlook grim in Venezuela's essential oil industry

    MORON, Venezuela (AP) -- Only the filthy water from broken sewer pipes keeps the dust down in front of Ramon Boet's shop, which sells statues of saints and other religious objects. (   05/04/2013 10:39 AM )

  • In Menendez's troubles, echoes of past scandals

    WASHINGTON (AP) -- An ethical cloud is following Sen. Robert Menendez in Washington, even as he has leading roles in some of Congress' most important policy debates. (   05/04/2013 10:35 AM )

  • New technology propels 'old energy' boom

    NEW YORK (AP) -- Technology created an energy revolution over the past decade -- just not the one we expected. (   05/04/2013 10:26 AM )

  • Jeweler, Costco face off in NY over Tiffany rings

    NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal judge in New York has asked big-box wholesaler Costco and little-blue-box jeweler Tiffany & Co. to try to settle a multimillion-dollar trademark dispute. (   05/04/2013 10:25 AM )

  • Conn. bill would report chatty drivers to insurers

    HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Frustrated by drivers who ignore Connecticut's ban on talking and texting on hand-held cellphones, some state legislators want insurance companies to know when their customers break the law. (   05/04/2013 10:06 AM )

  • Bangladesh toll 547; search becomes more gruesome

    DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- Ten days after the horrifying collapse of a garment-factory building, life has become still more gruesome for crews working to recover bodies at the site. The death toll rose to 547 on Saturday and the stench of decaying flesh was sickening evidence that the work is not yet done. (   05/04/2013 9:40 AM )

  • China city quashes protest against petro plant

    BEIJING (AP) -- After word spread about an environmental protest that was planned for Saturday in the central Chinese city of Chengdu, drugstores and printing shops were ordered to report anyone making certain purchases. Microbloggers say government fliers urged people not to demonstrate, and schools were told to stay open to keep students on campus. (   05/04/2013 8:32 AM )

  • Ex-Finmeccanica chief freed from jail

    MILAN (AP) -- The former CEO of the Italian defense giant Finmeccanica was freed Saturday from jail pending his trial on corruption charges next month. (   05/04/2013 7:49 AM )

  • Solar plane lands in Ariz., 1st leg of major trip

    PHOENIX (AP) -- Flying for several hours after sundown, a solar-powered airplane landed in Phoenix early Saturday morning on the first leg of a cross-country trip. (   05/04/2013 6:39 AM )

  • Solar plane lands in Ariz., 1st leg of major trip

    PHOENIX (AP) -- A solar-powered airplane landed in Phoenix early Saturday morning after flight from California that included several hours in the air after sundown. (   05/04/2013 4:04 AM )

  • Solar plane lands in Ariz., 1st leg of major trip

    PHOENIX (AP) -- A solar-powered airplane landed in Phoenix early Saturday morning after flight from California. (   05/04/2013 3:42 AM )

  • MIT, mecca for geek culture, makes a fashion statement

    The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that mecca for geek culture, is ready to make a fashion statement. A handful of fashion-minded MIT students are creating companies targeting niche consumer styles and voids in the retail industry. Some aren't even using algorithms. The businesses were showcased at a university-sponsored fashion event this week and range from more conventional ventures working with textiles to make and sell garments to companies creating tools to enhance the online shopping experience. Some aim to solve problems that have long plagued the retail industry. This minisurge of MIT start-ups is driven by a budding category of fashion industry entrepreneurs at a school best known as a breeding ground for data-heavy, software-based technology companies. (   05/04/2013 3:16 AM )

  • Stocks surge to new highs after hiring climbs

    NEW YORK (AP) -- Optimism about the economy swept through the stock market Friday, pushing two widely watched indexes past major milestones. (   05/04/2013 2:56 AM )

  • More US jobs added than expected in April, unemployment at a four-year low

    Employers nationwide added jobs at a faster-than-expected rate last month and the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in more than four years, taming concerns that the US economy is sputtering. The Department of Labor said Friday that companies increased payrolls by 165,000 jobs in April -- better than most economists expected and enough to drop the jobless rate from 7.6 to 7.5 percent. Perhaps more significantly, labor officials also made revisions to the February and March numbers that showed more job gains than had been previously reported. "It's a good report with a lot of good news," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm in Lexington. "There's more strength in the economy than previously thought." (   05/04/2013 2:54 AM )

  • NRA's new president has penchant for bold words

    HOUSTON (AP) -- The incoming leader of the National Rifle Association has a long history with the powerful gun rights lobby and a penchant for bold statements that are sure to enflame an already explosive national debate over gun control. (   05/04/2013 2:07 AM )

  • Today in History

    Today is Saturday, May 4, the 124th day of 2013. There are 241 days left in the year. (   05/04/2013 12:02 AM )

  • Bangladesh official: Disaster not 'really serious'

    DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Bangladesh's finance minister downplayed the impact of last week's factory building collapse on his country's garment industry, saying Friday that he didn't think it was ''really serious'' hours after the 500th body was pulled from the debris. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith spoke as the government cracked down on those it blamed for the disaster in the Dhaka suburb of Savar. It suspended Savar's mayor and arrested an engineer who had called for the building's evacuation last week, but was also accused of helping the owner add three illegal floors to the eight-story structure. The building owner was arrested earlier. The government appears to be attempting to fend off accusations that it is in part to blame for the tragedy because of weak oversight of the building's construction.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • William Cox; Dow Jones heir sold company; at 82

    NEW YORK -- William C. Cox Jr., patriarch of the Bancroft clan that controlled Dow Jones & Co. for 105 years and sold it to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. in a decision sparking a family feud, has died. He was 82. He died on May 1 at his home in Hobe Sound, Fla., where he had lived since 1985, his daughter, Ann Bartram, said today in an interview. The cause was complications from diabetes. Mr. Cox was at the center of a protracted family dispute that ultimately led to the sale of New York-based Dow Jones, owner of the Wall Street Journal, to News Corp. in 2007. A former executive and board member with Dow Jones, Mr. Cox eventually supported Murdoch's $5.2 billion takeover bid after initially rejecting it. He, along with his wife and children, controlled about 8 percent of the shareholder vote at the time, and his change in position represented the first big crack in the family bloc that opposed Murdoch. (   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Henry Hope Reed; architecture critic disliked modernism

    NEW YORK -- Henry Hope Reed, an architecture critic and historian whose ardent opposition to modernism was purveyed in books, walking tours of New York City and a host of curmudgeonly barbs directed at advocates of the austere, the functional and unornamented in public buildings and spaces, died Wednesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 97. The death was confirmed by Paul Gunther, president of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art. Walking historical tours of New York are now staples of the city's cultural menu, but when Mr. Reed first began leading them for the Municipal Art Society in 1956, they were novel enough to be the subject of a news article in The New York Times. Modernism was in favor at the time, but a reporter accompanying a tour on the East Side of Manhattan, north of Union Square, described how persuasive Mr. Reed's bias against it was: ''The tour ended at Pete's Tavern,'' the reporter, John Sibley, wrote. ''Over their drinks, the hikers reviewed the tour. The flamboyant architectural adornments of the last century had impressed them, but they bemoaned the encroachment of bleak and sterile streamlined apartment buildings.'' (   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Los Angeles subway installs turnstiles for first time

    LOS ANGELES -- There is a startling new sight at the subway station at Hollywood and Vine these days, set amid the handsome trappings of vintage film projectors and movie paraphernalia: five subway turnstiles. Their appearance amounts to an acknowledgment of the failure of the rider honor system that Los Angeles embraced when it began constructing its subway system nearly 20 years ago. This might not exactly come as a news flash to anyone who has traveled the subways of New York or the Washington Metro, but a gateless subway entrance is not the most effective way to motivate riders to pay their carriage. Los Angeles transit officials say that millions of dollars in annual revenues have been lost because of riders who calculated, reasonably enough, that they could ride the subway free.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Solar-powered plane set for cross-country flight

    The first plane that can fly day and night powered only by the sun is set to begin a transcontinental journey that will reach Washington by mid-June. Solar Impulse, scheduled to lift off from this World War II-era airfield on Friday, has room for only one person and an average cruising speed of about 43 miles per hour. But its Swiss developers say the technology suggests the possibilities of clean-energy flight. The plane has an ultra-light, carbon-fiber frame that allows it to weigh 3,500 pounds -- about the same as a mid-size car. It has the wingspan of a 747 and a slender fuselage, giving it the look of a giant, high-tech dragonfly.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Dow flirts with 15,000 as stocks surge to new highs

    NEW YORK -- Stocks surged to all-time highs Friday when a surprisingly good jobs report finally gave investors a clear sign of US economic strength after weeks of conflicting signals. The market jumped from the opening bell, traders donned party hats, and a wave of buying helped the Standard and Poor's 500 index close above 1,600 for the first time. The Dow Jones industrial average briefly rose above 15,000, a milestone. ''There's euphoria today,'' said Stephen Carl, the head equity trader at The Williams Capital Group. ''That's what you'd have to call it.'' On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, brokers sported baseball caps emblazoned with ''Dow 15,000.''(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Dell computers sold to Syria despite sanctions, report says

    WASHINGTON -- Large amounts of computer equipment from Dell have been sold to the Syrian government through a Dubai-based distributor despite strict trade sanctions intended to ban the selling of technology to the regime, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The disclosure of the computer sales is the latest example of how the Syrian government has managed to acquire acquired technology, some of which is used to censor Internet activity and track opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad. According to internal company e-mails, cash transfer statements, sales receipts, and shipping documents, the computer equipment was sold by BDL Gulf, an authorized dealer for Dell in the Middle East and Africa. The company is owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a member of the Saudi royal family.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • The Washington Post Co. earnings decline

    WASHINGTON -- The Washington Post Co. reported an 85 percent drop in earnings, although profits from continuing operations fell by 55 percent while revenue inched up slightly. The company reported strong operating profits for its television broadcasting and cable divisions. But its Kaplan education unit lost money and its flagship newspaper continued to suffer steady and substantial declines in its circulation and print advertising.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Boston Fed helps launch 'Working Cities' grant competition, to fund economic development

    The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston hosted the kickoff of a "Working Cities" challenge Friday, a prize competition in which 20 Massachusetts towns and cities will vie for grants to help with long-term economic development goals. Prizes will range from $50,000 to a top payout of $700,000 for a half-dozen cities. The program is funded by Living Cities, a New York-based collaboration of large nonprofit foundations and financial institutions, as well as the state of Massachusetts and various state agencies. Cities competing in the program include Worcester and Springfield, as well as Brockton, Chelsea, Somerville, Malden, New Bedford, and Salem. Their proposals must include diverse populations and aim to improve the lives of lower-income people, while also making lasting changes.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Bangladesh garment industry fears exodus of West's retailers

    A day after the Walt Disney Co. disclosed that it was ending apparel production in Bangladesh, that country's garment manufacturers expressed alarm that other Western corporations might follow Disney's lead. They feared that could bring about a potential mass exodus that would devastate Bangladesh's economy and threaten the livelihoods of millions of people. Mohammad Fazlul Azim, a member of the Bangladesh Parliament and an influential garment factory owner, implored brands not to leave Bangladesh, noting that many factories do comply with safety standards. Factory owners in Bangladesh as well as Western apparel retailers have faced intense pressure from governments, consumers and labor groups to improve workplace safety there after a building containing five garment factories collapsed last week outside the nation's capital, killing more than 430 people.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • BlackBerry may lose if Pentagon opens door to Samsung, Apple phones

    WASHINGTON -- BlackBerry's last stronghold in the smartphone market may be under siege. A review of Apple and Samsung's software for use on the Defense Department's secure classified and unclassified networks is expected to be completed within two weeks and could further curtail BlackBerry's once dominant position among the security-conscious government employees. The Defense Department may allow its employees to choose among Samsung and Apple smartphones and tablets for the office, according to a statement from the agency. BlackBerry is trying to win back customers with new smartphones designed to appeal to fans who crave modern smartphone features but need the security that has kept BlackBerry in the good graces of many businesses and government clients.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Report: SAfrica losing battle against corruption

    South Africa is fighting a losing battle against corruption which sucked up nearly $111 million in taxpayers' money last year, according to a new report that contradicts government statements that efforts to stamp out financial misconduct are going well. ''Corruption is rampant,'' the author of the report, financial forensics expert Peter Allwright, said Friday. ''It's out of control ... and the dedicated units that have been created to fight financial misconduct are in essence fighting a losing battle.'' South Africa is awash in scandals about misuse of government money and power -- in one of the latest, taxpayers forked out around 250 million rand (nearly $28 million) on upgrades to President Jacob Zuma's private residence in his home village, including three new houses, a sewerage treatment plant, and an underground bunker.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Foreign exchange rates hurt Bruker profit

    Shares of Billerica-based Bruker Corp. fell after the scientific equipment maker's results for the first quarter declined and missed analysts' estimates. The company also lowered its financial outlook for fiscal 2013, citing weakness in the Japanese yen. Profit for the first quarter declined 64 percent over the same period last year as revenue was hurt affected by changes in foreign exchange rates. primarily due to a steep drop in the Japanese yen.The company's business in Japan represents about 10 percent of its total revenue. Bruker's first-quarter net income was $5.4 million or 3 cents per share, down from $15.1 million or 9 cents in the prior-year period.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • LinkedIn's outlook disappoints investors

    LinkedIn Corp. earnings and revenue soared in the first quarter, but its outlook for the rest of the year disappointed Wall Street. and its stock plunged in extended trading.

    Shares of the online professional networking service fell $21.67, or 10.8 percent, to $180 after hours. The stock had closed above $200 for the first time after hitting a record high of $202.91 earlier in the day in anticipation of the results.

    LinkedIn earned $22.6 million, or 20 cents per share, in the first quarter. That's up from $5 million, or 4 cents, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings were 45 cents per share in the latest quarter, well above analysts' expectations of 30 cents.

    Revenue grew 72 percent to $324.7 million from $188.5 million. Analysts, on average, had expected revenue of $317.6 million, according to a poll by FactSet.

    LinkedIn went public in May 2011 at a share price of $45. Its stock has soared since as the company has consistently beat expectations with its results. As of Thursday's closing, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company's stock was up 75.6 percent year to date, compared with a 12 percent increase for the Standard & Poor's 500 index.

    LinkedIn has thrived by establishing itself as the go-to place for employers to find talented workers and for people to get job tips and other advice to manage their careers. It doesn't cost anything for people to set up a professional profile on the site -- the company makes most of its money by charging employers and headhunters for analytical tools and additional access to LinkedIn profiles and the site, such as the ability to send messages to users.

    But investors turned sour on LinkedIn's forecast for the current quarter and the full year. implied that its winning streak could end. The company said it expects revenue between $342 million and $347 million, short of a for the April-June period. Analysts had forecast $360 million forecast for the second quarter.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Stocks surge to new highs after hiring climbs

    After weeks of conflicting signals about the economy's strength, Wall Street was cheered by a surprisingly strong jobs report . The stock market surged, traders donned party hatsand the wave of buying drove three indexes through major milestones. The ''There's euphoria today,'' said Stephen Carl, the head equity trader at The Williams Capital Group. ''That's what you'd have to call it.''The Dow Jones industrial average punched through another milestone15,000 before easing back. The S&P 500 closed above 1,600 for the first time. The Dow rose 142.38 points to close at 14,973.96, up 1 percent. The S&P 500 index surged 16.83 points, or 1 percent, to 1,614.42The Russell 2000 also reached a record high. US firms added 165,000 workers in April and more in February and March than earlier estimated. The jobless rate fell to 7.5 percent, the lowest level in four years. 7.5 percentThe surge in U.S. hiring comes after weeks of conflicting signals about the strength of the global economy. The unexpectedly strong numbers jolted markets higher from the start of trading.Companies that stand to benefit most from an upturn in the economy led stocks higher. Those that make basic materials and produce oil and gas rose the most in the S&P 500 indexU.S. Steel, GE, and Dow Chemical led the way.(   05/04/2013 12:00 AM )

  • Boston bomb suspect died of gunshots, blunt trauma

    BOSTON (AP) -- A suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings died from gunshot wounds and blunt trauma to his head and torso, a funeral director said Friday. (   05/03/2013 11:23 PM )

  • Pressure on Bangladesh, retailers to fix factories

    DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- In the aftermath of a building collapse that killed more than 530 people, Bangladesh's garment manufacturers may face a choice of reform or perish. (   05/03/2013 10:36 PM )

  • Bangladesh official: Disaster not 'really serious'

    DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- The death toll in the factory-building collapse in Bangladesh rose to more than 530 on Saturday, a day after the country's finance minister downplayed the impact of the disaster on the garment industry, saying he didn't think it was "really serious." (   05/03/2013 10:28 PM )

  • Fire hits 2 downtown buildings in Waterville

    WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) -- Fire has torn through a building in downtown Waterville, damaging two shops and leaving three people homeless. No injuries were reported. (   05/03/2013 10:12 PM )

  • Central America struggles to unite for Obama trip

    SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) -- President Barack Obama on Friday addressed a Central American region that continues to be plagued by violence, drug trafficking, corruption and poverty, despite the success of a seven-year trade agreement with the United States. (   05/03/2013 9:08 PM )

  • As the Dow breaks 15,000, is it too late to buy?

    NEW YORK (AP) -- Are stocks worth buying now? (   05/03/2013 8:36 PM )

  • No Medicaid decision from Fla. Legislature

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida Democratic leaders want Republican Gov. Rick Scott to veto the state budget or call a special session after the Legislature adjourned without passing an expansion of the state's Medicaid program. (   05/03/2013 8:29 PM )