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]]> Neighborhoods in southwest Florida and elsewhere are losing more than just neighbors. Homeowners in foreclosure are ripping out bathtubs, wiring, countertops, sinks, windows, garage doors and even the trees from the yard and selling them for cash. Sat, 4 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090704/business/907041040 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090704/business/907041039
]]> NEW YORK -- One of the big mysteries in the chaotic days following Michael Jackson's death was whether he left behind a will. After initially stating the entertainer likely died without one, the superstar's family reversed course and produced a 7-year-old will this week. Sat, 4 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090704/business/907041039 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090704/business/907041032
]]> WASHINGTON -- The Founding Fathers left one legacy not celebrated on Independence Day but that affects us all. It's the national debt. Sat, 4 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090704/business/907041032 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/business/907029875
]]> The association that represents California State University faculty said Thursday that the Sonoma State University Foundation “betrayed the public’s trust” by making loans to Clem Carinalli, a former board member who said he is now unable to make payments on a $1.25 million loan. Fri, 3 Jul 2009 07:11:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/business/907029875 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/articles/907031120
]]> LOS ANGELES -- A federal judge on Thursday tentatively threw out the convictions of a Missouri mother for her role in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old neighbor girl who ended up committing suicide. Fri, 3 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/articles/907031120 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/business/907029928
]]> Workers were denied overtime, vacation pay, promised bonuses, meal and rest breaks, reimbursement of expenses and other employment rights, according to the complaint filed in court. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 16:48:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/business/907029928 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/business/907031054
]]> The Justice Department confirmed on Thursday that it was conducting an antitrust investigation into the settlement of a lawsuit that groups representing authors and publishers filed against Google. Fri, 3 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090703/business/907031054 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/news/907029987
]]> WASHINGTON - Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate climbed to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent. Workers also saw weekly wages fall, suggesting Americans will have little appetite to spend and the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:42:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/news/907029987 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021042
]]> NEW YORK -- Wine and spirits maker Constellation Brands Inc. said it is benefiting from consumers switching from higher-priced beverages to those that offer more buzz for the buck. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021042 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021063
]]> WASHINGTON -- Brighter news on manufacturing is offering more hope that the longest recession since World War II is near an end. But with construction and many other segments of the economy still weak and unemployment rising, any rebound likely will be slow. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021063 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021035
]]> Struggling online video startup Joost, begun with much fanfare in 2007 by the same people behind Skype and Kazaa, is restructuring its business after discovering it can't survive on advertising to fund its operations. The chief executive, Mike Volpi, has stepped down but will remain as chairman. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021035 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021053
]]> CHICAGO -- Enough with the "green shoots" of recovery already. When does the economy start growing for real again? Thu, 2 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021053 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021044
]]> WASHINGTON -- The economic downturn appears to be bringing out the worst in some people. The Federal Trade Commission announced a major crackdown Wednesday on scammers trying to take advantage of people worried about the tough economy by promising jobs that don't exist, get-rich-quick schemes, debt-reduction scams and other phony services. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021044 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021038
]]> McDonald's Corp. will begin selling a new line of bigger burgers today priced at about $4 each to bring in customers looking for a beefy alternative to pricier burgers at sit-down restaurants. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021038 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021029
]]> DETROIT -- U.S. car and truck sales showed signs of stabilizing in June after a year of sharp declines, but every major automaker except Honda Motor Co. reported lower sales than in May. Thu, 2 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090702/business/907021029 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/articles/907019843
]]> Losses in 6-figures; developer was member of endowment's board Wed, 1 Jul 2009 22:35:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/articles/907019843 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907019885
]]> Can’t find a job? Don’t give up. Orchard Supply Hardware is hiring 70 to 80 workers for its new store in Santa Rosa. The home improvement retailer will hold a job fair next Tuesday in Santa Rosa. Hundreds are expected to attend the all-day event. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 17:10:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907019885 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/news/907019948
]]> Facebook is overhauling its complicated privacy controls in an attempt to simplify them for its 200 million-plus users. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 11:38:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/news/907019948 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011050
]]> On the shopping list for budget-minded consumers: groceries, gas -- and a flat-panel TV? Shelling out hundreds of dollars on a TV is hardly wallet-friendly, but LCD and plasma sets have been flying off the shelves all year, with some retailers saying TV sales are better now than they were during the holiday season. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011050 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011043
]]> NEW YORK -- General Motors' chief executive was grilled by a string of lawyers on Tuesday about his company's bid to sell its "good" parts into a new company and emerge from bankruptcy protection. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011043 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011055
]]> NEW YORK -- The good news is that Wall Street finished its best quarter in years on Tuesday -- part of a dizzy spree that lifted the broad market 35 percent since early March. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011055 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011018
]]> A small Swedish software company said Tuesday that it would buy the Pirate Bay, a notorious Internet file-sharing service whose founders were recently sentenced to prison for copyright violations, and hoped to turn the site into a legal source of free music and movies. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011018 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011016
]]> Customer satisfaction with airlines has reached a four-year low, according to a J.D. Power and Associates study released Tuesday. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011016 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011015
]]> United Airlines has caused an uproar among travel agents with plans to force them to the pay credit-card fees when their customers buy tickets with plastic. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011015 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011017
]]> Sears said Tuesday that it plans to offer a buyer protection program for its home appliances to help consumers who lose their jobs during the recession. Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090701/business/907011017 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/articles/906309943
]]> Land owner Clem Carinalli and his debt consultant laid out best and worst scenarios for repaying lenders at meeting attended by more than 100 people Tuesday in Santa Rosa. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:01:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/articles/906309943 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/business/906309925
]]> Rail fans waved and snapped photos as a work train rolled through Petaluma on Tuesday, marking the Northwestern Pacific Railroad’s return to Sonoma County after an eight-year hiatus. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:31:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/business/906309925 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/business/906301014
]]> Petaluma's Tegal Corp., hit hard by a global slump in the market for computer chips, may seek a buyer or pursue liquidation, company officials have told federal regulators. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/business/906301014 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/news/906309965
]]> NEW YORK - There is a clear trend home prices declines are moderating - another sign the beleaguered housing market is stabilizing, according to data released Tuesday. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:18:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/news/906309965 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/business/906301023
]]> SAN FRANCISCO -- General Motors Corp. said Monday it is ending its joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp. at the only automobile manufacturing plant in the Bay Area as it continues to shrink its operations under bankruptcy protection. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:03:00 -0400 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090630/business/906301023