Archive for December 2009

The Senate this morning approved legislation that would make the broadest changes to the U.S. health-care system in decades, Bloomberg reported.

The Senate vote was 60-39, with all Democrats and two independents backing an $871 …

After decades of rapid growth in which housing developments sprouted in swamps, farmland and deserts, the number of Americans moving to several states in the South and the West has slowed sharply because of the …

The top executives at the mortgage lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could get paid as much as $6 million apiece for 2009, despite the companies’ dismal performance this year, The New York Times …

Despite doubts about its viability and cost, a new government insurance program that would help the elderly and disabled stay in their homes is headed for passage as part of the Senate’s sweeping health-care-reform measure, …

BlackBerry users faced a second disruption in less than a week last night, prompting the device’s maker, Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM), to release new software to restore e- mail service, Bloomberg reported.

The breakdown …

An estimated 30,000 Iowans will continue to receive unemployment benefits through Feb. 28 under an emergency extension signed into law yesterday by President Barack Obama. The Worker Assistance Act of 2009 provides the framework for …

Economic development officials in Des Moines are working to extend the proposed Northeast Hubbell Avenue Corridor to the far northeast side.

The city had planned to designate about 50 acres in the vicinity of Cold …

Commercial property values in the United States are down 44 percent from their peak in October 2007, Bloomberg reported.

And as unemployment continues to reduce demand for apartments, offices and retail space, some analysts predict …

Next year could bring better dividends on stocks that cut payouts to weather the financial storm, BusinessWeek.com reported.

On the heels of a 21.4 percent decline in 2009 dividend payouts from companies in the large-cap …

Ready for that pay raise? Your employer just might be ready to give you one.

In 2009, 30 percent of employers froze salaries across the board, but according to Mercer’s 2009/2010 U.S. Compensation Planning Survey …