Stocks mixed as investors reassess Fed worries
NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors recovered their poise by midday Thursday after an early sell-off sent stocks sharply lower....

Between economy and trouble, Obama approval steady
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy is recovering, the White House is dealing with multiple controversies, and President Barack Obama appears generally unaffected either way....

Applications for US unemployment aid fall to 340K
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 23,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, a level consistent with solid job growth....

US new home sales up 2.3 percent in April
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. sales of new homes rose in April and nearly matched the fastest pace in five years, driving the median price to a record high. The gains suggest the housing recovery is strengthening....

Shareholder adviser firm paying $300,000 fine
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A prominent firm in the business of advising big shareholders on how to vote in elections for company directors is paying a $300,000 fine to settle federal civil charges of failing to protect clients' confidential voting information....

Kerry Kennedy, farmworker protest Wendy's in NYC
NEW YORK (AP) -- Kerry Kennedy has joined farmworkers protesting outside Wendy's shareholder meeting in New York City....

Pritzker's ties to thrift, tax haven eyed
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of commerce is facing scrutiny in the Senate for her ties to a subprime mortgage lender that failed in 2001 and as a beneficiary of family offshore trusts in the Bahamas....

Review: Google music plan solid, serendipitous
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Google's new music service offers a lot of eye candy to go with the tunes. The song selection of around 18 million tracks is comparable to popular services such as Spotify and Rhapsody, and a myriad of playlists curated along different genres provides a big playground for music lovers....

House backs variable rate student loans
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that links student loan rates to the ups and downs of the financial markets in spite of a veto threat from President Barack Obama....

US rate on 30-year mortgages rises to 3.59 pct.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Average rates on fixed mortgages rose for the third straight week, hitting their highest levels since mid-March. Still, mortgage rates remained close to historic lows, a trend that should help sustain the housing recovery....