IBT Staff Reporter

The Senate on Thursday looked poised to narrowly approve Ben Bernanke's nomination to a second term running the world's most powerful central bank, despite misgivings over perceived policy missteps.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday looked poised to narrowly approve Ben Bernanke's nomination to a second term running the world's most powerful central bank, despite misgivings over perceived policy missteps.

Bank of America Corp's new chief executive, Brian Moynihan, will receive a base salary of $950,000 this year, according to a source familiar with his employment agreement.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd posted a surprise fourth-quarter profit, helped by recent additions to its now 38-ship fleet.

Google is rolling out a 'social search' initiative that will allow users to see photos and information from their friends related to their search.

Borders Group Inc said on Thursday it is laying off about 10 percent of its corporate staff in an effort to contain costs as it contends with dwindling sales.

Toyota Motor Corp has halted U.S. sales of some of its best-selling vehicles under to address a product safety crisis that threatens its once untouchable reputation for quality.

AT&T's chief executive said during an investors conference call that the company was gearing up for the introduction of new smartphones and the iPad on its network.

The U.S. recession and slow global economy have created big opportunities for investments in promising green start-ups, an area that at one time had lofty valuations, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Steve Westly said.

NYSE Euronext , which runs the New York Stock Exchange, said on Thursday it had resolved stock quote delays that affected the NYSE and the NYSE Amex cash markets earlier in the session.

Biogen Idec Inc said on Thursday it has received notice from billionaire investor Carl Icahn that he intends to nominate three people to its board as he seeks to expand his influence at one of the world's biggest biotech companies.

J.D. Salinger died yesterday at the age of 91 in his New Hampshire home, his literary agent said today, according to various reports. He died of natural causes.

A hacker broke into 49 government websites and laced the compromised sites with expletives towards the US President.

New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods edged higher in December and the number of workers filing applications for jobless aid fell last week, indicating the economy remains on a recovery path.

Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off a sleek tablet that it called the iPad, pitching the new gadget at a surprisingly low price to bridge the gap between smartphones and laptops.

Verizon was dealt a blow yesterday after Apple unveiled that its latest creation will use AT&T services rather than Verizon's.

AT&T reported a 26 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit, fueled by wireless subscriber additions, particularly among users of e-readers, smartphones and netbook computers to the Web.

The unfortunate explosion of NASA's Space Shuttle Challenger in January 28, 1986 will be remembered on Friday.

Top policymakers warned on Thursday the world economy is not out of the woods and a global recovery is still far from secure, urging caution as central banks work on withdrawing critical support.

U.S. stocks were lower in mid-day trading on Thursday as technology stocks led the declines.

The experiment could make it possible to someday take a sample of a patient's skin and turn the cells into a tailor-made transplant to treat brain diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, or heal damaged spinal cords.

(Corrects quote in paragraph 5 to clarify Barry Ritholtz said Obama's speech could be a relief to some traders, not that he finds it a relief.)

President Barack Obama's job-creation program could produce a short-term political boost, but it's unlikely to significantly stem job losses and reduce the unemployment rate anytime soon, according to economists.

After spending most of his first year in office focused on Wall Street, President Obama tried to reconnect with disenchanted Main Street voters in his first State of the Union address.

Motorola Inc forecast a loss for the current quarter due to heavy spending to bring more smartphones to the market, disappointing investors who had expected the cellphone maker to post a profit.

US Airways Group and JetBlue Airways Corp's posted quarterly results that beat expectations and sent their shares higher, underscoring a recovery in the industry clobbered recently by sagging travel demand.

MSNBC's commentator Chris Matthews sparked criticism Wednesday night when, while assessing President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, said he forgot the President was black.

Maikel Peppelenbosch of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands said tests showed that apigenin -- a common component of fruit and vegetables -- was able to halt the development of two kinds of cells in leukemia and cut their survival chances.

U.S. stocks slid further on Thursday, sending the Nasdaq index down more than 2 percent, as the appetite for riskier assets ebbed and materials and technology shares slumped.