"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

U.S.-Korea Pact Hinges on Autos

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 06:16 PM PST

U.S. and South Korean negotiators meeting to revive a stalled trade pact are down to one main sticking point, leaving the biggest U.S. free-trade deal since NAFTA hinging on a politically potent issue.

Qantas Pilots Faced Multiple Problems

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:50 PM PST

Shortly after a Qantas superjumbo jet suffered an engine blowout near Singapore, the pilots faced initial warnings of potential difficulties with two other engines, multiple electrical failures and problems with flight-control and fuel systems, according to a report by Australian investigators.

Deficit Plan Gets Key GOP Support

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 06:08 PM PST

Republican Sens. Tom Coburn and Mike Crapo said they both intend to vote in favor of the findings of the U.S. deficit commission, while a fellow Republican Rep. Paul Ryan will oppose the panel's report, an aide said.

Asia Higher, Japan Exporters Up

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 05:29 PM PST

Asian stock markets rose, with materials stocks rising in Sydney and exporters leading the way in Tokyo. The Nikkei advanced 0.5%.

Samsung Electronics Promotes Chairman's Son

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:43 PM PST

Samsung Electronics promoted the chairman's son to president from executive vice president, a widely expected move designed to refresh the company's executive ranks.

Questions Over Plan to Boost Lending

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 05:09 PM PST

The Obama administration's latest attempt to jump-start small-business lending is facing headwinds even before it launches.

Tax Breaks for Bailout Recipients Spark Debate

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:30 PM PST

A series of tax relief measures is saving companies bailed out by the government like GM, Citigroup and AIG billions of dollars at a time when concern over tax revenues has risen.

SEC Delays Plans for Whistleblower Office

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:26 PM PST

Agency officials said they can't do the work without a funding increase, and Republicans, who will control the House next year, may not be sympathetic to their pleas.

Australia Watchdog Reports A380 Engine Problem

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 05:19 PM PST

Australia's air safety watchdog identified a problem with oil pipes in an A380's Rolls-Royce-made engines as the most likely cause of an engine explosion on a Qantas flight in November.

Ellison Says Oracle Will 'Go After' H-P

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 03:57 PM PST

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said his company will use new hardware to attack onetime partner Hewlett-Packard in the market for server systems.

Spain Faces Hurdles on Reforms

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 03:49 PM PST

With markets increasing pressure on Spain, Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is running out of the political capital necessary to force through difficult reforms that could ease investor concerns.

Sands Dealt Setback in Macau

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:17 PM PST

Las Vegas Sands said the Macau government rejected an application for rights to a plot of land in the territory's lucrative Cotai area.

Some Data-Miners to Reveal What They Know

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 05:55 PM PST

Seeking to head off escalating scrutiny over Internet privacy, a group of online tracking rivals are building a service that lets consumers see what those companies know about them.

House Votes To Censure Rangel

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:12 PM PST

The House voted to impose the rarely used punishment of censure on New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel for nearly a dozen different ethics violations.

Tax-Cut Vote Shows Democratic Divide

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 07:43 PM PST

The House approved legislation that would extend current tax rates on income up to $250,000 while allowing taxes on higher earnings to rise, a largely symbolic vote that pointed to divisions among Democrats

Viacom Set to Appeal in YouTube Case

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 04:07 PM PST

Viacom says a new wave of digital piracy could threaten the U.S. media business unless federal courts overturn its defeat in a copyright-infringement lawsuit against Google's YouTube video-sharing site.

Military Retirees Resist Health Cuts

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 02:36 PM PST

Obama's bipartisan fiscal commission recommended looking at the Tricare military health-care program, as part of a top-to-bottom review of federal health-care spending. Military retirees are resisting cuts.

Madoff Trustee Sues J.P. Morgan Chase

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 06:50 PM PST

The lawsuit by Irving Picard is seeking more than $6 billion from the Wall Street bank, claiming it enabled the multibillion-dollar fraud.

GOP Senators Skeptical on Lifting 'Don't Ask'

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 09:44 AM PST

Senior Pentagon leaders faced skeptical Republican senators today, as the Obama administration made a final effort to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Dow's Rally Rolls On

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 02:23 PM PST

Stocks had their best two-day performance since July as better-than-expected retail and home sales painted a brighter picture of the U.S. economy.