By Michelle Hicks Dolan Media Newswires Boise, Idaho — Prior to his State of the Union Address to Congress and the American people, President Obama outlined for the middle class retirement security initiatives that include significant implications for employers. One ...

Tagged with: 401(k) Congress Obama retirement State of the Union

By JULIE PACE Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday offered help for people struggling to pay bills and care for their families, appealing to a middle-class he says has been “under assault for a long ...

Tagged with: Biden Congress economy Obama State of the Union tax credits unemployment

By Alan Zibel AP Real Estate Writer Washington (AP)— The Federal Housing Administration is raising fees and tightening lending standards to shore up its strapped finances and avoid a taxpayer bailout. The government agency has seen its losses rise with ...

Tagged with: Congress Federal Housing Administration Mortgage Bankers Association

By Paul Snyder Construction and development experience does not guarantee industry support for two Wisconsin congressional candidates. “It’s always a tremendous opportunity to have a member of your industry running for office because they’re people who actually know the business,” ...

Tagged with: candidate Congress Deschane election International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 Kagen McGowan recovery Russ Feingold stimulus U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate Wall Wisconsin Builders Association

By ALEX VEIGA AP Real Estate Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even a holiday gift from Uncle Sam couldn’t brighten the homebuilders’ outlook in December. The National Association of Home Builders said Tuesday its housing market index fell by one ...

Tagged with: builders Congress homebuilders homes housing market index National Association of Home Builders new home sales tax credit unemployment

By CHARLES J. HANLEY AP Special Correspondent COPENHAGEN (AP) — This decade is very likely to be the warmest since record keeping began in 1850, and 2009 could rank among the top-five warmest years, the U.N. weather agency reported Tuesday ...

Tagged with: Brown climate Congress Copenhagen Environmental Protection Agency EPA European Union fossil fuels global warming green greenhouse gases Obama

By DINA CAPPIELLO and H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency took a major step Monday toward regulating greenhouses gases, concluding that climate changing pollution threatens the public health and the environment. The announcement ...

Tagged with: Bush carbon dioxide Clean Air Act climate Congress Environmental Protection Agency EPA fuel global warming greenhouse Obama Supreme Court

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration will lose $200 billion less than expected from the federal bailout program and is looking at using part of the savings to fund new job creation efforts. A ...

Tagged with: bailout budget Congress Geithner jobs Obama Pelosi TARP Treasury Troubled Asset Relief Program

By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — As unemployment spikes, the cost of compassion is going up too. By as much as $100 billion. That’s the potential price of a push by Democrats in Congress to continue providing ...

Tagged with: benefits Congress unemployment White House

By J.W. ELPHINSTONE AP Real Estate Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The number of homebuyers who signed contracts to buy previously occupied homes rose for the ninth straight month as buyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit for ...

Tagged with: Congress homebuilding homebuyers NAR National Association of Realtors tax credit