Obama to include accountability in plan

President-elect Barack Obama vowed Tuesday to bar lawmakers' pet projects from his massive economic stimulus plan and to bring unprecedented accountability to federal spending.

Judge tosses suit challenging tobacco settlement

By BRETT BARROUQUERE A federal judge has dismissed a challenge to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between the states and 19 tobacco product makers saying there's no legal basis for attacking the ...

Court dismisses Arkansas suit over cold pills

Companies that make cold pills containing ingredients used to make methamphetamine cannot be forced to pay the costs of fighting the illegal drug in Arkansas counties, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Missouri Limits Jobless Benefits Hotline

Missourians seeking to extend jobless benefits will have to start doing that on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Department of Labor Info on Unemployment

Observing the decrease in consumer spending across the state and nation, it's apparent to deduce that unemployment rates may be on the rise.

OSHA prepares for possible pandemic

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's St.

Tyson agrees to fine over worker death

The Justice Department says Tyson Foods Inc. has entered a guilty plea and will pay a $500,000 fine for violations that resulted in the death of a worker at a plant in Texarkana.

Louisiana now meets federal ozone standards

Louisiana's Department of Environmental Quality says 2008 data show the state meets federal ozone standards.

Kempthorne touts Interior reforms in final speech

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne defended his two-year tenure in Washington, D.C., saying it was highlighted by ethics reforms he hopes will improve the agency's integrity after a slew of scandals.

The former Idaho governor, who took national office in May 2006 after Gale Norton's departure, spoke here Monday in what he called his 'last formal speech' as a Bush administration cabinet member. U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., has been nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to replace Kempthorne.

SEC promotes James Kroeker to acting chief accountant; latest in series of personnel moves

James Kroeker has been promoted to acting chief accountant at the Securities and Exchange Commission to replace the retiring incumbent, the agency announced Tuesday.

Madoff scandal, SEC role under scrutiny

"Somewhere inside of me was the thought that this was a regulated industry. It wasn't. The warning flags were just pushed aside," Goldstein told a House panel Monday.

A guide to mutual fund fees

In a tough investing climate mutual fund investors should take note of what investing fees they're being charged.