Largest NJ newspaper offers buyouts to cut losses

New Jersey's largest newspaper is offering more buyouts to employees as it faces mounting financial pressure.

Sales tax increase not deterring spending in Ariz.

The first month of Arizona's penny-per-dollar sales-tax hike did not significantly alter overall spending and indicates the increase likely did not dampen a crucial piece of the economy, state economists say.

Pa. capital city's debt mounts amid political feud

Pennsylvania's financially troubled capital city is trying to avoid layoffs as it misses more debt payments amid political bickering over how to repair the damage.

Millicom downgraded at Stifel Nicolaus

At nearly $100 each, shares of mobile phone operator Millicom International Cellular SA have become appropriately valued, a Stifel Nicolaus analyst wrote Tuesday.

Strikes in France, London foreshadow more protests

French strikers disrupted trains and planes, hospitals and mail delivery Tuesday amid massive street protests over plans to raise the retirement age. Across the English Channel, London subway workers unhappy with staff cuts walked off the job.

Non-word 'refudiate' gets most online searches

Maybe the language lovers who looked up "refudiate" this summer wanted to refute or repudiate its existence as a real word.

Potash says BHP won't be only bidder

The chief executive of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. believes BHP Billiton Ltd will not be the only bidder for the Canadian company.

Battle royal over health care repeal if GOP wins

If you thought passing the health care overhaul was messy, wait until Republicans try to repeal it if they regain power in Washington this fall.

Montana's Stillwater buying Toronto metals company

Stillwater Mining Co. is buying Marathon PGM Corp. for $118 million to gain control of the Canadian company's Ontario precious metals reserve and other properties, the companies announced Tuesday.

Official: Obama to back more business tax breaks

President Barack Obama will call on Congress to pass new tax breaks that would allow businesses to write off 100 percent of their new capital investments through 2011, the latest in a series of proposals the White House is rolling out in hopes of showing action on the economy ahead of the November elections.

Mexico's Pemex reports blast at major refinery

State-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos says an explosion has occurred at its Cadereyta refinery outside the northern city of Monterrey.

Stocks fall on fresh European bank concerns

Fresh worries about European banks sent stocks lower Tuesday. Treasury prices rose as investors sought out safe places to park their money.

Gates Foundation acknowledges flaws in report

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has taken another baby step toward increased transparency, acknowledging in its annual report that the world's largest charitable foundation is too secretive and hard to work with.

Schapiro: Anxiety on plunge may have fueled exodus

The head of the Securities and Exchange Commission says anxiety over the "flash crash" on Wall Street on May 6 may have contributed to the withdrawal of retail investors from the stock market in recent months.

Merriam-Webster's Words of the Summer runners-up

The runners-up to Merriam-Webster's 2010 Word of the Summer (refudiate), with definitions from the publisher's dictionary and, when applicable, the news event or story that generated interest in the word:

20 most stressed, 20 least stressed counties

Here are the 20 most economically stressed counties with populations of at least 25,000 and their July 2010 Stress scores, according to The Associated Press Economic Stress Index:

Duke Energy appeals tax bills on wind projects

Duke Energy Corp. is appealing the property tax bills on all four of its wind energy projects in Wyoming.

Flight attendant in passenger tiff to be evaluated

The flight attendant accused of onboard antics that captured the nation's attention when he told off a passenger and slid down the plane's emergency chute with a beer will undergo a mental health evaluation with the aim of avoiding jail time in a possible plea deal.

Rite Aid adds groceries to South Carolina stores

Rite Aid Corp. said Tuesday it will add discount groceries to some of its stores in South Carolina as it tests out a partnership with Supervalu Inc.

EU OKs new financial supervision deal

European Union nations agreed to create new financial oversight institutions Tuesday, hoping to prevent a repeat of the government debt crisis that nearly left Greece bankrupt and brought the European banking system to its knees.