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Virgin Galactic spaceship cleared for test flightsVirgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, a commercial six-passenger spacecraft, to begin rocket-powered suborbital test flights, the company said on Wednesday. Virgin Galactic is owned by billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group.
Tax reform: The cases for going long-term, versus going prudentAs a behind-the-scenes debate begins among reformers over just how to fix the US tax code, some Republicans insist that big, broad-based reform would be easier to accomplish, while others in Congress advocate for a more step-by-step process.
Economic growth, or a slowdown in US productivity?Economic growth, or a slow down in overall productivity? Analyst Karlsson argues that what many economists had announced as an uptick in employment growth late last year and early this year was actually a slowing of US productivity.
As Ireland votes on EU treaty, many ask if it's worth cost of membershipThe strict rules of the EU fiscal treaty Ireland votes on today essentially block stimulus spending, and many Irish worry the country is stuck in an austerity-driven slump.
Academic elites migrate to 'green cities' in increasing numbersRecent studies suggest a divergence is occurring in average human capital levels across US cities, a path dependence story that college graduates want to live and work near others like them while also creating so-called "green" high amenity cities.
National Spelling Bee: 10 winning business words In the National Spelling Bee鈥檚 85-year existence, a wide range of words have crowned the winners 鈥� from science words like 鈥榗rustaceology,鈥� to musical terms such as 鈥榮oubrette,鈥� and 鈥榓ppoggiatura.鈥� The list of winning words also includes several that could slide right into the pages of this newspaper鈥檚 business section. In honor of the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee, here are 10 business words from past years that have determined the champion. Will this year鈥檚 winning word make the list?
Booming short sales poised to overtake foreclosuresBanks, eager to eliminate troubled mortgages through short sales rather than riskier foreclosures, are slashing prices.聽Average price of a short-sale home: $175,461, the lowest in at least seven years.
Miami Dolphins on 鈥楬ard Knocks鈥� is shrewd businessMiami Dolphins training camp will be featured in the documentary series 'Hard Knocks'聽 for its upcoming season. While some teams declined offers to appear on the HBO show, 'Hard Knocks' is a good fit for for a Miami Dolphins team struggling with falling ticket sales and a decade of football irrelevance.
Greeks shrug off Europe's warnings that turmoil could get worseEurope's dire warnings to Greece about the consequences of a potential default engender little fear among Greeks, who say the worst has already arrived.
To play or not to play: Is that Powerball ticket worth it?Lotteries exist to turn a profit. If you spend $1 on a lottery ticket, the lottery is going to keep at least some portion of that money. But just how bad a deal is it? Our personal finance analyst weighs in.
Top 40 richest list: Zuckerberg flames out as super-billionaire. Does it matter?Top 40 richest list from Bloomberg drops Facebook CEO Zuckerberg as his company's valuation ebbs. But making the Top 40 richest list is probably not Zuckerberg's big concern right now.
Could gold really be on the ropes?When looking at gold you can be an expert in the fairy tale aspect or accept the fact that it is the ultimate Greater Fool trade, for better or for worse. With levels reading 1500 an ounce, at least one analyst thinks the hallowed metal may be flirting with breaking under.
As fears about Europe's future worsen, the Dow closes downFearing a financial rupture in Europe, investors around the world fled from risk Wednesday. They punished stocks and the euro, and the yield on a benchmark US bond hit its lowest point since World War II. The Dow closed down 161 points to land at 12419.
New signs of global slowdown darken analyst's economic outlookData released this week may show new signs of a global slowdown. But one analyst isn't surprised. From the tech bubble burst to the housing collapse to the resurgence of gold, he's been (mostly) right. Not that he's saying 'I told you so.'
Your teen is ready to drive? Here's how to pick a driving school.Nearly half of US states require driver education for teens under 18. In choosing a driving school, look for one accredited by the AAA. 聽
Oil subsidies: Surprise! Liberals are fans, too.When asked if the federal government should eliminate subsidies for oil companies, most would respond with a resounding 'yes.' But such a policy would have unwelcome unintended consequences, and not just for billionaire oil tycoons.
Facebook opens office in DubaiFacebook established an office in the Middle East for the first time on Wednesday, in Dubai's Internet City.
US Treasury bond yields hit record low as eurozone worries mountA decline in global stock prices Wednesday shows that many investors are taking sanctuary in US Treasury bonds, anticipating major convulsions in the eurozone 鈥� and perhaps its breakup. 聽
Huge mortgage debts keep the housing market tumblingExperts have been calling for the bottom of the housing market each year since the crash, and prices continue to tumble. Why? In an overwhelming number of cases, homeowners owe more on their mortgages than their houses are actually worth.
Mortgage rates tumble to record lows. Again.The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage declined 2 basis points to 3.81 percent聽 since last week, the lowest value on on record for this MBA series, while the purchase application volume declined 0.6 percent, and the refinance application declined 1.5 percent over the same period.
