Obama: $30 billion stimulus plan

Speaking to a Wall Street audience, Obama proposed expanding government authority over financial institutions and spending $30 billion on a new stimulus package. His plan would also extend unemployment insurance for those who have lost their jobs. The American economy does not stand still, and neither should the rules that govern it, he said in […]

Peter J. Nelson: Government has health-care answers — but not a solution

Over the past several months, policymakers in St. Paul have been working tirelessly under a legislative mandate to develop solutions to the unremitting annual upsurge in health-care costs — and to do it while also improving quality and access.
Their work, much of it put to paper in the recommendations of the Health Care Transformation Task […]

Buffett makes $40 bln bet on derivatives

NEW YORK, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett’s Berkshire
Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (BRKb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ended 2007 with $40 billion of
exposure to derivative contracts designed to make money if junk
bonds stay out of default and stock indexes rise.
Berkshire’s maximum exposure under derivative contracts
rose from about $24 billion a year earlier, […]

Swiss Re Rises After Profit Falls Less Than Estimated

Swiss Reinsurance Co., the worlds
largest reinsurer, rose the most in a month in Zurich trading after
fourth-quarter profit fell less than analysts estimated.
Swiss Re gained 5.2 percent after saying it had no further
losses last year on top of a 1.2 billion-franc ($1.1 billion)
writedown […]

Wyeth Wins U.S. Approval for Pristiq in Depression

Wyeth, maker of the worlds best-
selling antidepressant Effexor, won U.S. approval to sell
Pristiq, a quicker-acting remedy.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the pill, derived
from Effexor, to treat depression, agency spokeswoman Sandy Walsh
said today in an e-mail.
[…]

Swiss Re Fourth-Quarter Net Falls Less Than Analysts Estimate

Swiss Reinsurance Co., the worlds
largest reinsurer, said fourth-quarter profit fell less than
analysts estimated as a 1.2 billion-franc ($1.1 billion) loss on
derivatives announced in November didnt widen.
Net income declined to 170 million francs from 1.3 billion
francs a year earlier, Chief Financial Officer George […]

Local business briefs

UnitedHealth pays to resolve IRS issues
UnitedHealth Group Inc. disclosed that it paid $106 million in December to resolve issues with the IRS related to accounting of historical stock-option grants and other compensation. The Minnetonka health insurer will pay another $20 million in the first quarter to resolve the tax issues in connection with tax years […]

Mooty lawyer flying solo

Bob Tennessen, a lobbyist who was a DFL state senator from Minneapolis a quarter-century ago, has opened a solo practice after departing the law firm of Gray Plant Mooty. Tennessen, known as a measured, buttoned-down lobbyist who often represents business interests, will take with him several long-standing clients from the transportation, data security and insurance […]

Hillary Clinton vows she can beat both Barack Obama and John McCain and win presidency

LYNDHURST, Ohio
- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton smothered Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain with kindness on Friday, then declared her rivals wrong on the issues and vowed to beat both in her quest for the presidency.She said Obama, her Democratic foe, has run an “extraordinary campaign,” and […]

35W bridge victims’ benefit package wins 1st round

A bill to compensate victims of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse took its first legislative step Thursday morning by winning approval from a state House committee.
A proposal by Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, to set up a Sept. 11-style fund passed the Government Operations Committee on a voice vote without dissent but not without debate.
Some […]