70% Americans think Economy has not improved at all

WASHINGTON — One year after Wall Street teetered on the brink of collapse, seven out of 10 Americans lack confidence the federal government has taken safeguards to prevent another financial industry meltdown, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.

Belgian drugmaker wins approval to enter competitive US market for rheumatoid arthritis drugs

WASHINGTON — Belgian drugmaker UCB said Wednesday it received federal approval for an injectable drug to treat arthritis, entering a competitive market dominated by some of the largest U.S. pharmaceutical companies.

Treasury asks Congress for authority to clamp down on shadowy derivatives market

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is asking Congress to extend its oversight of the financial system to include the shadowy market of derivatives, the kind of complex financial instruments that helped catapult the world into an economic crisis.

Senate panel approves Dr. Margaret Hamburg to head FDA

WASHINGTON — A Senate panel has approved President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the troubled Food and Drug Administration.

FCC votes to require to carriers to transfer local phone numbers within 1 day, down from 4

NEW YORK — The Federal Communications Commission voted Wednesday to force landline phone companies to act faster when their subscribers want to move their phone number to a rival service.

Google’s Street View halted by privacy watchdog in Greece

ATHENS, Greece — A privacy watchdog has banned the Internet giant Google Inc. from gathering images in Greece for its Street View service until it provides additional privacy guarantees.

Dell policy formalizes ban on exporting broken electronics and parts to developing countries

SEATTLE — PC maker Dell Inc. on Tuesday formally banned the export of broken computers, monitors and parts to developing countries amid complaints that lax enforcement of environmental and worker-safety regulations have allowed an informal and often hazardous electronic-waste recycling industry to emerge.

Alpha Natural to buy Foundation Coal for about $1.4B creating one of biggest US coal producers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Alpha Natural Resources said Tuesday it plans to buy rival Foundation Coal for about $1.4 billion in an all-stock deal that would create the nation’s third-largest coal producer.

Threat-spotting cameras raise question: Is surveillance better when Big Brother is a computer?

The surveillance cameras at Big Y, a Massachusetts grocery chain, are not just passively recording customers and staff. They’re studying checkout lines for signs of “sweethearting.”

Sun Microsystems: We may have broken US anti-bribery law; Oracle says it knew before $7.4B bid

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sun Microsystems Inc. says it may have broken anti-bribery laws with its actions in an unspecified location outside the United States.

FDA: Adults using testosterone gel must wash hands to protect children

WASHINGTON — A little testosterone might be good for adults, but it can cause serious harm to children, federal health officials warned Thursday.

Obama proposes ending $26 billion in oil, gas industry tax breaks, shutting down nuclear dump

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama wants to end $26 billion in oil and gas industry tax breaks, calling them “unjustifiable loopholes” in the tax system that other companies do not get.

Congressman seeks to end online gambling ban, pushes bill to regulate industry

WASHINGTON — It’s time to regulate gambling on the Internet rather than outlaw it, says Rep. Barney Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Bank of America, Boeing, Macy’s, Symantec among big market movers Thursday

NEW YORK — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:

Obama proposes ending $26 billion in oil, gas industry tax breaks, shutting down nuclear dump

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama outlined a budget plan Thursday that would end $26 billion in oil and gas industry tax breaks, point to a new direction for dealing with nuclear waste and shift government aggressively toward helping to develop renewable energy sources.

SEC chief Mary Schapiro favors idea of shared regulator powers in monitoring against risk

WASHINGTON — The head of the Securities and Exchange Commission favors a new proposal for federal regulators sharing oversight of companies that pose financial risks to the economy.

Old Parkinson’s drug tweaked into a diabetes treatment to try to reset metabolism

WASHINGTON — People with Type 2 diabetes may soon get a very different treatment approach: A drug that helps control blood sugar via the brain — an idea sparked, surprisingly, by the metabolism of migrating birds.

NRA convention site seeks OK to allow liquor service in banquet rooms, gun expo elsewhere

PHOENIX — Phoenix Convention Center officials want state officials to suspend their liquor license — but only in part of the building — so National Rifle Association conventioneers can carry and exhibit guns.

As demand for online services grows, libraries look to stimulus cash to boost Internet speeds

The libraries in Delaware County, Pa., are trying to shift into warp speed. The county is hooking eight branches to a fiber-optic network to help meet library patrons’ ever-rising demand for high-bandwidth tasks like streaming educational videos and uploading online resumes.

SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro says new short-selling rules a priority as interests make case

WASHINGTON — The head of the Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday she is making the issue of new rules restricting short-selling a priority as the agency heard from an array of interests about ways to limit trades that bet against a stock.

Amylin Pharmaceuticals asks FDA to approve its once-weekly diabetes drug exenatide LAR

NEW YORK — Biotechnology company Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday it asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve its highly anticipated once-weekly injectable diabetes treatment exenatide LAR.

SEC chief: agency considering tighter regulation of money-market funds to protect investors

WASHINGTON — The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering how regulation of money-market mutual funds could be tightened to better protect investors, the head of the agency said Monday.

Obama: Government rules will shrink Wall Street’s role; top talent may seek different careers

WASHINGTON — Wall Street is not going to play as dominant a role in the economy as regulations reduce “some of the massive leveraging and the massive risk-taking that had become so common,” President Barack Obama says.

AP answers your questions on the news, from ‘Simpsons’ stamps to the flags that fly on ships

You see a lot of different national flags flying from ships that navigate international waters, but there are a few flags you rarely see — including the red, white and blue.

SEC Chair says regulatory agency considering changes to CEO pay disclosure rules

NEW YORK — The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering changing a formula that critics say often allows public companies to low-ball in regulatory filings just how much top executives are paid.

Polo horse deaths in Florida cast light on compounded drugs; critics say oversight lacking

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Pharmacist Ephrem Degefu’s shelves are stocked with clean, white bottles of powdered chemicals, all essential ingredients in hundreds of commonly used medications.

FDA warns of rare botulism risk when Botox is used for off-label treatment of muscle spasms

WASHINGTON — Health officials warned doctors and patients Thursday about potentially deadly risks of using the anti-wrinkle drug Botox and similar drugs for unapproved uses to treat certain types of muscle spasms.

Obama to name South Carolina utility regulator to open chair at FCC

President Barack Obama intends to nominate Mignon Clyburn, a utility regulator and former newspaper executive from South Carolina, to the Federal Communications Commission.

China announces regulations for financial information in settlement with US, Europe

BEIJING — Beijing announced rules that ease controls on foreign financial information providers Thursday under an agreement with the U.S., Europe and Canada, but said those already operating in China must apply for permission to continue.

Institute of Medicine says new rules are needed to curb drug company influence over doctors

WASHINGTON — Millions of dollars in gifts, travel and consulting fees from the pharmaceutical industry should be eliminated to stop companies from influencing how doctors practice medicine, a report by the government’s top medical advisers says.