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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Obama weighs steps to spur jobs, wary on deficit

U.S. President Barack Obama has a range of fresh options to spur economic growth.

Wind sector cash inflow may blow small firms away

Small wind energy companies could be taken over cheap.

U.S. top court to hear business method patent case

Firms that develop new ways to do business will be watching closely.

INDUSTRIES

Freddie Mac posts $5 bln loss, predicts weak housing

Freddie Mac, the second largest provider of U.S. residential mortgage funding, on Friday posted a loss of $5 billion in the third quarter and predicted it would need more government support amid a "prolonged deterioration" in housing.

FINANCE

SEC sees evolution in insider trading

A top U.S. securities regulator said some funds may now view insider trading as a central tenet of their business models, rather than as a one-time opportunity for big rewards as sometimes happened in the 1980s.

ENERGY

Forty leaders plan to attend climate talks: U.N.

About 40 world leaders plan to go to Copenhagen next month to boost the chances of clinching a U.N. climate deal, the United Nations said Friday as preparatory talks wound down with scant progress.

FINANCE

Stephen Battaglia (L) of West Palm Beach, Florida searches for jobs on a computer at Workforce Alliance in West Palm Beach

Jobless rate hits 26-1/2 year high of 10.2 percent

The U.S. jobless rate unexpectedly jumped to a 26-1/2-year high of 10.2 percent last month, adding to pressure on the Obama administration to do more to tackle unemployment even as signs of recovery mount.

FINANCE

Blackstone profit tops view; sees more deals ahead

Private equity firm Blackstone Group LP posted a forecast-beating quarterly profit on Friday and said it is gearing up for more deals and IPOs as the lending and equity markets recover.

Citigroup says new rules may hit securitization

Citigroup Inc said on Friday that new accounting rules for securitization trusts may prevent the bank from funding some of its assets with a top debt rating.

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IBT Features

House Democrats scramble for healthcare votes

Inside IBT

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Photographer types on his laptop while using the internet in the Main Press Center at the Olympic Games in Beijing

FINANCE

Internet censorship seen liable to WTO challenge

Censorship of the Internet is open to challenge at the World Trade Organization as it can restrict trade in services delivered online, a forthcoming study says.

ENERGY

Carbon futures wilt on climate pact delay

European Union carbon emissions futures wilted slightly on Friday but were largely unaffected by news that a U.N. climate pact will likely be delayed into 2010, traders said.

TECH

Motorola basking in Droid's limelight

After much anticipation and buzz over it being the next "iPhone Killer," Verizon officially launched its Motorola Droid in the US on Friday.

A protestor holds on a placard during a workers meeting at the Opel plant in Bochum

INDUSTRIES

GM readies Opel plan, workers strike

General Motors Co on Thursday said it was readying a plan to restructure Opel and could pay off debt due this month as German workers went on strike to protest the automakers decision to keep the European unit.

Former Bear Stearns hedge-fund managers Ralph Cioffi arrives at court in Brooklyn

EQUITIES

Sparring over evidence at Wall Streeters trial

In closing arguments in the trial of the first high-profile Wall Streeters on fraud charges stemming from the financial crisis, a U.S. prosecutor said two hedge fund managers told "black and white lies," but a defense lawyer attacked the government for "misleading" the jury.