WASHINGTON (AP) — With Democrats balking at his compromise with Republicans, President Barack Obama on Tuesday staunchly defended his decision to deal with the GOP in order to extend about-to-expire tax cuts for all Americans. “There are some who would have preferred a protracted political fight,” the president said at a White House news conference […]
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GOP, Dems nearing deal on taxes, jobless benefits
WASHINGTON (AP) — An outline of a bipartisan economic package is emerging that would temporarily extend the Bush-era tax rates for all taxpayers, while extending jobless benefits for millions of Americans. Differences remained over details, including White House demands for middle- and low-income tax credits. But the White House expressed optimism Monday, raising the possibility […]
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Maine gasoline prices rise
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A price-watching website says average retail gasoline prices in Maine have risen 7.6 cents per gallon in the past week to an average of $3.09. MaineGasPrices.com says Sunday’s average price in Maine compares with the national average, which has increased 8.4 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.94. Including […]
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Maine economy looking brighter
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s $1 billion-plus budget gap may not be that big after all. Revised revenue estimates that won forecasters’ blessing in Augusta on Tuesday point to a shortfall that could be roughly half that size. The Revenue Forecasting Committee endorsed figures that lower the shortfall through the next two-year budget cycle by […]
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Maine businesses to pay more to cover unemployment
Starting next year, the Maine Department of Labor is raising unemployment insurance premiums to replenish the state’s unemployment coffers, which have been strained by increased unemployment claims from out-of-work job seekers. The agency said Monday that annual premiums for businesses will increase between roughly $10 and $90 per employee when the increase takes effect Jan. […]
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Gas prices rise over 6 cents in a week
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A price-watching website says average retail gasoline prices in Maine have risen 6.2 cents per gallon in the past week to an average of $2.98 per gallon. MaineGasPrices.com said Monday that Maine’s latest average price compares with the national average, which has increased 3.1 cents per gallon in the last week […]
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Retail sales rise is led by higher auto purchases
WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge in auto purchases helped lift retail sales in October by the largest amount in seven months. But excluding autos, retail sales rose more modestly. October marked the fourth straight increase in retail sales after declines in May and June. Those drops had raised fears about the economic recovery. Still, economists […]
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Maine gasoline prices fall
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A price-monitoring website says average retail gasoline prices in Maine have fallen 0.2 cent per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.88 per gallon. MaineGasPrices.com says Sunday’s price compares with the national average, which has fallen 0.7 cent per gallon in the last week to $2.80. The website says that including […]
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College tuition costs climbing again this fall
College tuition costs shot up again this fall, and students and their families are leaning more on the federal government to make higher education more affordable in tough economic times, according to two reports issued Thursday. At public four-year schools, many of them ravaged by state budget cuts, average in-state tuition and fees this fall […]
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AP survey: Painfully slow economic gains into 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) — The job market and the economy will improve only slightly next year, according to an Associated Press survey of leading economists whose outlook for 2011 has dimmed over the past three months. The latest quarterly AP Economy Survey shows economists are pushing back their estimates of when key barometers of economic health […]