Michigan reports rare job growth

One of the biggest pieces of good news to come out of the Michigan economy in five years surfaced Tuesday, when the state announced that the number of people with jobs in the state grew by 11,000 between December and January. - 03/10/2010

Bank of America to cut some overdraft charges

New York -- Bank of America customers will soon be unable to spend more than they have in accounts linked to their debit cards. It's a step that may become a common move ahead of new regulations limiting overdraft fees. - 03/10/2010

Today's talker

Samsung, Panasonic ready to market 3-D televisions

Want to be the first one on your block with a 3-D television? It will cost you about $3,000. Samsung and Panasonic will start selling 3-D TVs in U.S. stores this week, inaugurating what manufacturers hope is the era of 3-D viewing in the living room. - 03/10/2010

Google opens Web store for business applications

San Francisco -- Google Inc. will sell the online services of other business software makers in an effort to fill its own product gaps and persuade more companies to rely on applications piped over the Internet. - 03/10/2010

Business briefs

Atlanta -- Delta Air Lines says it lost $65 million in revenue because of the repeated winter storms in February, which forced it to cancel roughly 7,000 flights. The airline provided the figures in a regulatory filing Tuesday. Delta, based in Atlanta, also said in the filing that its liquidity at the end of March will be slightly lower than it previously expected. - 03/10/2010

China February exports jump 45.7 percent

Beijing -- China's exports rose in February in a new sign of growing global demand that could help persuade officials to let the Chinese currency rise. - 03/10/2010

Google to digitize old books from Rome, Florence

Rome -- Google said Wednesday it will scan up to 1 million old books in national libraries in Rome and Florence, including works by astronomer Galileo Galilei, in what's being described as the first deal of its kind. - 03/10/2010

Cable, satellite TV firms ask feds to stop TV blackouts

Cable, satellite TV and other video providers have asked the government to intervene in ongoing fee disputes with TV networks -- big-money fights that are expected to escalate this year as more contracts expire. - 03/10/2010

With Twitter friend Conan, Mich. woman's life 'totally nuts'

Conway Township -- Last week, Sarah Killen had three Twitter followers. - 03/10/2010

Novi job fair helps engineers rebuild careers

Hundreds of job seekers eager to score an engineering position with General Motors Co. and other Michigan companies flocked to the Engineering Society of Detroit's spring job fair Monday. - 03/09/2010

Flint Journal adds Tuesday print edition

Flint -- The Flint Journal is bringing back a Tuesday print edition, less than a year after cutting back from seven days a week to three days a week. - 03/09/2010

Blue Care drops plan to buy Lansing HMO

Blue Care Network, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, has nixed plans to acquire an 80,000-member health insurance plan based in Lansing, after the Department of Justice said it would file an antitrust lawsuit blocking the purchase. - 03/09/2010

Battle brews between cable, broadcasters over local TV fees

Philadelphia -- Stay tuned for more fee disputes threatening local television stations on cable TV lineups. - 03/09/2010

McDonald's Feb. sales rise 4.8%

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Strong overseas growth for McDonald's Corp. in February outweighed U.S. sales that barely nudged upward as the world's largest fast-food chain posted a 4.8 percent increase in sales at restaurants open at least a year. - 03/09/2010

Business briefs

State releases list of jobs in high demand; Greektown Casino revenues up 8.4%; St. John adds to its name after merger; Kellogg CEO Mackay's pay falls 22% in 2009; OSHA proposes $3M fine for BP refinery in Toledo; AIG to sell Alico unit to MetLife for $15.5 billion; Fed expands eligibility for repurchase program; H&R Block 3Q profit rises despite drop in revenues - 03/09/2010

Attention-getter can backfire

For Michigan businesses, Obama name a mixed blessing

The Obama name is the biggest brand in politics these days, but it's turned out to be the wrong recipe for the Obama Coney Island of Lapeer and far from the right prescription for the Obama Pharmacy in Warren. - 03/08/2010

• CyberSurvey: If you were starting a business -- let's say an auto repair shop -- what name do you think would help it succeed?

Black, Hispanic businesses getting smaller share of federal stimulus dollars

WASHINGTON -- Hispanic and black businesses are receiving a disproportionately small number of federal stimulus contracts, creating a rising chorus of demands for the Obama administration to be more inclusive and more closely track who receives government-financed work. - 03/08/2010