Sports stars sell memories, beat tax increase

NEW YORK | Rather than leave a 56-year-old uniform hanging in a closet at his Idaho home, Don Larsen decided it should be used for education.

Sports stars sell memories, beat tax increase

New York Yankees great Don Larsen reacts during a news conference in June announcing the auction of his 1956 perfect game uniform in New York.

Home in a home as families live together longer

It's a home within a home — and it could be coming soon to a home near you.

LinkedIn's 4Q revenue doubles, and stock soars

LinkedIn provided further evidence of online networking's popularity and moneymaking potential with a fourth-quarter performance that got a glowing review on Wall Street.

Rugby about to be full-time job for some Americans

Playing rugby is about to become a full-time job.

Outhouses, smokehouses, bomb shelters: Oddball spaces are still around

HACKENSACK, N.J. — There are certain spaces that home buyers crave, like giant kitchens and expansive walk-in closets.

Bid to block AT&T deal reflects telecom industry

The Obama administration has explained its effort to block AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile USA by saying it will fight mergers that would reduce competition and hurt consumers.

Delaying repairs can haunt owners when it's time to sell

In a recent article, I wrote that an expert recommended homeowners keep at least $5,000 in easy-to-liquidate assets, to cover emergency repairs or replacement costs.

GUEST EDITORIALS: Move forward with plan to join finance offices

Illinois Senate's unanimous passage of a constitutional amendment to merge the offices of treasurer and comptroller is a good sign — but don't get your hopes up yet.

GUEST EDITORIALS: Gov. Quinn is the anti-Walker

Illinois and Wisconsin are marching in different directions in responding to their financial problems.

GUEST EDITORIALS: Research doesn't support retention plan

A rule approved Tuesday adds another burden to overregulated public schools and an even greater burden on at-risk students. Effective next year, public schools will be required to hold back any third-grader who fails a new reading exam added to ISTEP-Plus.

5 Americans: How health care law affects them

CHICAGO (AP) — A couple on Medicare got a rebate check to help with prescription drug costs. A Chicago man with diabetes got health insurance through a new government program. And a Philadelphia businessman is hoping his company will qualify for a tax credit.

GUEST EDITORIALS: A 'mandate' for Gov. Quinn? Hardly

Shortly after Republican state Sen. Bill Brady conceded the governor's race last week, Gov. Pat Quinn went before the cameras to take a victory lap, claiming he had a clear "mandate" for the next four years.

Some apartments bar residents from smoking at home

No Smoking signs are popping up at some apartment complexes and condos, barring people from lighting up even in their own homes.

Diamond wins Nobel, but still blocked on Fed job

WASHINGTON | Peter Diamond's research on unemployment is good enough to earn him the Nobel Prize in economics — but not to get him on the Federal Reserve.

Professional investors revitalize home flipping'

Hoping there are big profits to be made in the aftermath of the housing collapse, professional investors are flocking to the business of buying foreclosed homes at distressed prices.

Where real estate once boomed, half-built eyesores stain landscape

So this is what they mean when they say the economy is a mess.

Distress homes multiply on market, but buyers find no easy sales

RALEIGH, N.C. | When Josh and Amanda Brandt began looking for their first house this year, they wanted what every buyer wants.

Recovery mixed on earnings, housing

WASHINGTON (AP) — A flurry of strong earnings reports renewed Wall Street's optimism in the economic recovery, even as new data Thursday showed homes sales sinking and claims for unemployment benefits rising.

Payrolls drop by 125K, jobless rate falls

WASHINGTON (AP) — A wave of census layoffs cut the nation's payrolls in June for the first time in six months, while private employers added a modest number of jobs. The unemployment rate dipped to 9.5 percent, its lowest level in almost a year.