IBT Staff Reporter

Google is more than a fabulously successful company -- it is a cultural phenomenon facing increasing U.S. government scrutiny despite its chief executive's campaign support for President Barack Obama.

U.S. retailers posted better- than-expected monthly sales results for a second straight month in April, giving fresh evidence that consumer spending is warming up with the spring weather.

Oprah's Chicken Giveaway has left some outlets of the Louisville-based chain literally chicken-less as they met unexpected extreme public demand.

American International Group , the insurer bailed out by the U.S. government, reported a $4.35 billion first-quarter loss on Thursday, its sixth-consecutive quarterly loss.

The Candidate: Melanie came to me as a proactive move to prepare herself for a possible layoff. Seeking an administrative position, she had developed a résumé presenting her 9 years of administrative experience, degree, and Certified Professional Secretary designation.

The World Health Organization is watching a suspected flu case in Benin which, if confirmed, would be the first on the African continent.

Oracle Corp Chief Executive Larry Ellison said he won't sell off Sun Microsystems Inc's hardware business, dispelling speculation that he only wanted the company for its software units.

Wall Street stocks slid on Thursday as investors took profits from the technology sector's recent surge, while analyst downgrades hurt telecoms and a tepid response to a government bond auction raised fears about public finances.

Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke said that the results of stress test results today - showing 10 banks need $75 billion in additional capital - should give comfort to investors and the public about the ability of banks to weather an even more adverse economic situation than the nation is facing.

Global leading steel maker, ArcelorMittal said on Thursday it has agreed to end its arbitration and litigation against the Czech Government and Nova Hut and Vitkovice Steel by acquiring 10.9 percent of its stake.

ATI Petroleum, the petroleum exploration management and operations company, has released UBS’s Indicative Valuation report of ATI Petroleum’s (“ATIP”) 10% interest in oil and gas Blocks 102 and 106, located in offshore Vietnam.

After semi-retiring in 2003, Chris D'Avignon took a year off and rode his motorcycle around the West where he

The much anticipated stress test results were finally released on Thursday by the Federal Reserve reflecting that 10 of the nation's 19 largest banks need a total of about $75 billion in new capital.

Oracle Corp Chief Executive Larry Ellison dispelled speculation that he will divest the hardware business of Sun Microsystems Inc , which his company plans to buy for more than $7 billion.

An unexpected drop in new claims for U.S. jobless aid hinted that the country's battered labor market might be steadying, government data showed on Thursday, although employment conditions remain very weak.

U.S. regulators told top banks on Thursday to raise $74.6 billion to build a capital cushion officials hope will restore faith in financial firms and set a course out of the deepest recession in decades.

Activision Blizzard Inc.'s first-quarter profit beat expectations on strong sales of the videogame maker's most popular titles like Guitar Hero and Call of Duty.

U.S. regulators told top banks on Thursday to raise $74.6 billion to build a capital cushion officials hope will restore faith in financial firms and set a course out of the deepest recession in decades.

President Barack Obama on Thursday proposed to wring $17 billion in savings from the fiscal 2010 budget as he sought to allay worries about soaring deficits and build support for a hefty domestic agenda.

The Obama administration has proposed cutting billions of dollars in big tax breaks for oil and natural gas companies on Thursday.

Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Officer, Jereoen van der Veer mocked electric vehicles, saying the cars' technology is a thing of the past and requires too much infrastructure.

The European Central Bank (ECB) Thursday cut its main interest rate by 25 basis points to 1% and is likely to unveil more measures to boost the economy of the euro area.

Search engine operator Google Inc. said Thursday it has eliminated over half its greenhouse gas emissions over the last 5 years and has compensated for the emissions it cannot eliminate with carbon offsets.

Xerox unveils its top of the line ColorQube series printer, a ground-breaking high-speed solid ink multifunction printer that can reduce cost and energy

Hedge fund manager Doug Kass said he is selectively shorting U.S. financial stocks, which have more than doubled since bottoming in early March, on the belief that they have been priced to perfection ahead of the banks' stress test results later on Thursday.

Wells Fargo & Co , the fourth-largest U.S. bank, announced on Thursday a $6 billion common stock offering, as the bank faces regulatory stress tests to determine whether it needs to strengthen its capital.

The U.S. government was preparing on Thursday to draw a line separating the weak from the strong in the banking sector in an attempt to put the worst of the financial crisis behind it.

U.S. stocks slid on Thursday as investors took profits from the technology sector's recent surge, while analyst downgrades hurt telecoms and a tepid response to a government bond auction raised fears about public finances.

European governments, employers and trade unions agreed on a plan Thursday to fight fast- rising unemployment.