Archive for September 2008

Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August increased to 4.6 percent from 4.3 percent in July, the highest level since February 2005. Unemployment in August 2007 was 3.8 percent of the work force. The national …

The federal government, in what will be its most far-reaching attempt yet to contain the financial crisis, is poised to establish a program to let banks get rid of mortgage-related assets that have been hard …

U.S. stocks surged this morning, extending the biggest two-day global rally since 1970, as the government moved to halt the credit-market seizure and regulators cracked down on investors who were short-selling shares of financial companies, …

If plans for a proposed Lifetime Fitness in Urbandale go forward next month, it will be at least the ninth fitness center slated to be built, under construction or opened in Greater Des Moines this …

Microsoft Corp. and Poet LLC were each granted awards this morning by the Iowa Economic Development Board, enabling the companies to move forward with two large projects in Iowa. Microsoft, which plans to build a …

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. has reached a deal to acquire Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Group Inc. for approximately $4.7 billion, or $26.50 per share.

Constellation is a Fortune 125 company with 2007 revenues of $21 billion. …

The Federal Reserve boosted the amount of dollars central banks around the world can auction to $247 billion, an increase of $180 billion, in an effort to ease a tightening in lending and the worst …