Vacationers shopping for a cruise might soon have more things to consider than price and itineraries. They may be able to compare the number of passengers allegedly raped, robbed or lost at sea under a bill approved Thursday for a vote by the U.S. House of…

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Cruise line – cruise – United States House of Representatives – Travel – Recreation

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Bill would require cruise lines to report crime

Moody’s Investors Service said Thursday it raised its rating outlook on auto parts retailer Advance Auto Parts Inc. to positive from stable and affirmed its debt and liquidity ratings for the company. “The change in outlook to positive reflects the…

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List of auto parts – Advance Auto Parts – Vehicles – Shopping – Parts and Accessories

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Moody’s lifts rating outlook on Advance Auto Parts

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks jumped on Thursday as solid corporate profit reports and a drop in the number of Americans on jobless benefits gave investors reasons to buy equities following the S&P 500′s two days of losses.

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Earnings drive Wall St. rally; jobless claims help

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil jumped more than 5 percent to near $67 a barrel on Thursday as economic data sparked fresh optimism that the recession may be bottoming out.

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Oil jumps 5 percent, economic data raises recovery hope

Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica said Thursday its second quarter net profit fell 6 percent from a year earlier due to higher taxes and lower revenues in recession-stricken Spain and Europe, offsetting a strong performance from the company’s…

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Spain – Telefonica – Business – Net profit – Travel and Tourism

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Telefonica Q2 net down 6 percent

Spanish oil company Repsol-YPF said Thursday its net profits for the second quarter dropped by 59 percent because of lower oil prices and the global economic slowdown. Repsol-YPF reported earnings of euro373 million ($526.08 million), compared with euro905…

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Repsol YPF – Business – Petroleum industry – Net profit – Energy

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Repsol-YPF reports 2Q profits down 59 percent

The YTB-ers are back in town.

Thousands of sales agents for YTB International are arriving in downtown St. Louis today for the Wood River-based travel company’s annual convention, which runs through Sunday at America’s Center.

The company has gone through a lot of…

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A year later, a smaller YTB returns to St. Louis for its annual convention

NRG Energy Inc. on Thursday reported that its second-quarter profit more than tripled from a year ago, helped by its acquisition of Reliant Energy’s retail operations in Texas and the sale of a German mining business. NRG, which just fended off a hostile…

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NRG Energy – Reliant Energy – Texas – Business – Energy

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NRG 2Q profit more than triples

Farmworkers and their advocates are suing California workplace safety officials, claiming the state’s heat safety rules are too weak. The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of the United Farm Workers and five plaintiffs, most of whom have suffered…

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American Civil Liberties Union – California – Lawsuit – United Farm Workers – Law

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ACLU: Calif. heat rules don’t protect workers

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bonuses paid to executives at nine banks that received U.S. government bailout money in 2008 were greater than net income at some of the banks, the office of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday.

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Some banks paid bonuses bigger than income: Cuomo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. financial regulators would gain the power to restrict holdings of over-the-counter derivatives under legislation to be considered this fall, the chairmen of two House committees said on Thursday.

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U.S. bill would restrict OTC derivatives holdings

Oil prices surged above $66 a barrel Thursday, rising in lockstep with major global indexes in what has become a very volatile week for energy markets. With regulators meeting in Washington to consider new limits on speculators that some blame for wild swings…

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New York Mercantile Exchange – London – Business – Oil Prices – Energy

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Oil surges above $66 a barrel in volatile week

Alma Schneider’s 8-year-old daughter loves fashion. Her neighbor owns a wedding couture business. It was a match made in DIY heaven and an answer to a problem faced by other cash-strapped families trying to make it through summer without pricey kid classes…

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Haute couture – Fashion – United States – Recreation – Paris

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Parents with tight summer budgets turn to DIY camp

U.S. regulators announced plans Thursday to set up a Beijing office to help ensure Chinese exports are safe for Americans following a slew of recalls involving everything from pet food to children’s toys. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was…

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China – Consumer Product Safety Commission – United States – U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission – Beijing

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US seeks China office to ensure export safety

NEW YORK (Reuters) – One hundred ninety-seven years, one month and 14 days after its founding, Citigroup Inc has given a roughly 34 percent stake to U.S. taxpayers.

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U.S. becomes Citigroup’s biggest shareholder