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]]> California's unemployment rate rose to 12.5 percent in October to set another modern record. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:32:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209990 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201104
]]> SAN FRANCISCO -- Yahoo Inc. is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon in its latest attempt to get people to use its Internet search engine more frequently. Beginning Thursday, Yahoo started mining the short messages posted on Twitter to find fresher information about hot topics. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201104 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201084
]]> SAN FRANCISCO -- The struggling Internet company AOL plans to shed up to 2,500 jobs -- more than a third of its work force -- as it prepares to separate from Time Warner and finally sever their ill-fated marriage. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201084 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201119
]]> CHICAGO -- Shoppers increased their spending at Kmart stores for the first time in at least seven years this fall, picking up cheap toys, shoes and items for their homes. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201119 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201118
]]> WASHINGTON -- The foreclosure crisis likely will persist well into next year as high unemployment pushes more people out of homes, pulls down housing prices and raises concerns about the broader economic recovery. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201118 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201076
]]> NEW YORK -- For Citibank credit card holders, there is one way to escape the bank's rate hikes currently under way: Meet a monthly spending requirement. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201076 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201114
]]> WASHINGTON -- A gauge of future economic activity and a report on unemployment benefits signaled Thursday that the recovery likely will remain weak in the coming months. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201114 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201056
]]> Dell Inc. said Thursday that its net income dropped 54 percent in the latest quarter and amid signs the company isn't fully benefiting from the computer industry's fledgling recovery. Dell's numbers missed Wall Street's forecasts, and the shares fell almost 6 percent in extended trading. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201056 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201057
]]> Gift cards are again the most-requested present for the holidays, but don't be surprised if you receive a discounted sweater instead. Shoppers are likely to pull back on buying the popular cards for friends and family this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201057 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201055
]]> Rates on 30-year mortgages stayed below 5 percent this week but remained above the record set earlier this year, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201055 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201054
]]> Packaged foods company Pinnacle Foods Group is buying Birds Eye Foods, the nation's largest frozen food company, for $1.3 billion. As a result of the deal, a planned public offering of Birds Eye Foods stock will be withdrawn. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/business/911201054 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911199910
]]> Keithley Instruments, which develops wireless test equipment in Santa Rosa, announced a deal Thursday to sell the product line to Agilent Technologies for $9 million. The deal includes Keithley’s radio frequency design center near Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, which has about two-dozen employees. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:32:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911199910 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199913
]]> Advocates say economy has put strain on food banks, charities to keep up with demand Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:20:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199913 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911199939
]]> Milk lovers across the U.S. submitted more than 12,000 entries in a contest staged by Clover Stornetta to create a new slogan for its Clo the Cow billboards, but the winning pun came straight from Rohnert Park. Fans of 'Dirty Harry' movies might recognize the winner. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:08:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911199939 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191047
]]> While the Grinch was out stealing Christmas, Mother Nature was sneaking off with a slice of Thanksgiving. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191047 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911189917
]]> With its hip scooter vibe and emphasis on alternative transportation, Revolution Moto was viewed by many as the type of business downtown Santa Rosa needs. But a dispute with the city means the shop will move to another location. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:44:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911189917 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911199958
]]> Bay Area home prices rose 4 percent in October - the first yearly gain in the region’s median price in almost two years - as foreclosure sales dropped and deals for homes over a half-million dollars increased, a real estate tracking firm said Thursday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:37:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911199958 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191055
]]> SACRAMENTO -- The corporate glass ceiling remains firmly in place at companies based in California, according to a study released Wednesday. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191055 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191043
]]> DALLAS -- The J.C. Penney Co. Big Book is dead -- a victim of shoppers' growing reliance on the Internet. Plano, Texas-based Penney confirmed that its fall/winter 2009 catalog is its last semiannual, telephone-book-size volume. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191043 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191041
]]> WASHINGTON -- The budding economic recovery isn't getting much help from the home-building industry, which normally creates jobs and drives growth when a recession ends. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191041 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191036
]]> SAN FRANCISCO -- Wells Fargo & Co. on Wednesday agreed to repay customers about $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit and regulatory investigations alleging the company improperly marketed risky investments as safe. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191036 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191007
]]> Shares of Fortinet Inc. rose sharply in the company's first day of trading on the Nasdaq, another sign that the recently moribund IPO market is coming back to life. The network security provider priced its initial public offering of 12.5 million shares at $12.50 each, above the expected range of $9 to $11 apiece. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:02:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191007 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191006
]]> Sony says some customers who pre-order its newest e-reader may not get the gadget in time for the holidays. The company said Wednesday it's trying to ship the $399 Reader Daily Edition for the holidays. But because interest has exceeded expectations, the company can't be sure that everyone who buys one will get it by Christmas. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:02:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191006 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191005
]]> American Express Co. is buying Revolution Money for about $300 million to keep up with trends in electronic payments, where new security features and online transaction options are shaking up traditional models. The deal pairs American Express, which traces its roots to 1850, with a 2-year-old startup. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:02:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/business/911191005 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911189930
]]> Two agencies in Sonoma and Mendocino counties are getting nearly $186,000 in federal grants for green job training, the U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday. Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County received $85,910 for training solar power installers and energy efficiency auditors. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:28:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911189930 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911189951
]]> While the fine wine industry is suffering from slow sales, a new study predicts modest growth should return next year as the economy improves, restaurants restock their cellars and wineries lower prices. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:17:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911189951 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/news/911189967
]]> Power-hungry TVs will be banned from store shelves in California after state regulators Wednesday adopted a first-in-the-nation mandate to reduce electricity demand. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:58:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/news/911189967 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911181060
]]> DETROIT -- The 2010 Ford Fusion was named Motor Trend magazine's car of the year Tuesday, beating out the Toyota Prius, BMW 7-Series, Chevrolet Camaro and others in the closely watched competition. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911181060 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911181053
]]> WASHINGTON -- Ford, Subaru and Volkswagen sit atop the insurance industry's annual list of the safest new vehicles, according to a closely watched assessment used by car companies to lure safety-conscious consumers to showrooms. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911181053 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911181055
]]> MIAMI -- More than 14,700 U.S. taxpayers came forward to disclose billions in offshore bank accounts in 70 countries under a voluntary Internal Revenue Service program allowing most to avoid criminal prosecution as long as they pay what they owe, IRS officials said Tuesday. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/business/911181055