CHRISTOPHER LEONARD

AP Business Writer
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Top meat antitrust regulator quits

A top federal antitrust regulator for meat companies is stepping down.

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Commodity prices off to strong start in 2012

It isn't taking commodities long to shake off the post-holiday doldrums.

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Meat industry criticizes USDA's new antitrust rule

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a new but stripped-down antitrust rule Thursday regulating meat companies that's far less sweeping than initial reforms that ran into strong opposition from businesses and Congress.

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Metals rise on hopes of continued growth

Metals prices closed higher Monday as early signs of a strong holiday retail season stoked hopes for economic growth.

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Congress set to cut money for meat industry reform

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday it will abandon portions of a sweeping antitrust rule proposed for meat companies if Congress does not provide money for enforcement.

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Metals plunge on worries about debt, economy

Metals prices are plunging on fears that debt problems in the United States and Europe could slow economic growth.

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Shares of defense companies fall on spending cuts

Defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman reported surprisingly strong third-quarter earnings Wednesday. But executives at both companies used the same discouraging word to describe what the future will look like: Flat.

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Corn supply tightens for 2012, raising prices

Americans can expect to pay slightly higher food prices next year, because of expectations that an unseasonably hot summer damaged much of this year's corn crop.

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Grain prices fall on fewer supply worries

Grain prices fell Thursday after a government report eased concerns about shortages later this year.

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Republicans question proposed meatpacking reforms

An effort by the Obama administration to overhaul antitrust rules for the meatpacking industry with the toughest regulations since the Packers and Stockyards Act was passed 90 years ago has run into skepticism from Republicans.

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Gold, silver rise on global inflation concerns

Gold and silver prices rose Tuesday after China increased interest rates to curb inflation and slow economic growth.

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Busch heir's once-charmed life takes tragic turn

Family lore says the first liquid to touch August Busch IV's lips was beer from the Anheuser-Busch brewery. As a child, Busch accompanied his father to business meetings at the brewery's headquarters. As a young man, he made his mark creating ads for the product that would dominate his life: Budweiser beer.

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Mass-transit tax break to shrink while fares rise

Just about everyone is about to get a tax cut, but one tax break about to expire will force hundreds of thousands to pay more for a daily expense: Their commute to work.

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AP IMPACT: Beef industry woes may mean poorer meat

In this Great Plains ranching town, cowboys still lasso steers as part of their daily routine and cattle producers like Bob Sears still take pride in the long tradition of raising American beef.

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Copper at two-year high on hopes for better demand

Copper prices are soaring to two-year highs after a new report signals the potential for improving demand in China.

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Court lets part of organic-milk case proceed

Dairy consumers who sued several national chains and the largest U.S. provider of store-brand organic milk claiming they falsely labeled the milk can continue with their lawsuit under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday.

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Economy 101: Jobless rate widens for black workers

When the unemployment rate rose last month, the pain wasn't spread evenly.

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State and local gov't workers' job security fades

For years, most people who worked for state or local governments accepted a fact of life: Their pay wasn't great. The job security was.

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More employees jump ship as economy improves

One sign of better economic times is when more people start finding jobs. Another is when they feel confident enough to quit them.

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US regulators examine competition in agriculture

Federal officials concerned about how much control a few corporations have over the nation's food supply pledged Friday to begin a new era of antitrust enforcement, seeking to balance agricultural power between companies, farmers and consumers.

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Employers vs. Consumers: Who will blink first?

To understand why jobs are so scarce, consider John McFarland and Nicole Rosen. The two share something in common: They're reluctant to spend freely.

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Frustrated job seekers deciding to call it quits

Many jobless people have reached a conclusion that captures the depth of the unemployment crisis: Looking for a job is a waste of time.

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Feds file antitrust suit against Dean Foods

The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against the nation's largest dairy company Friday, alleging that Dean Foods Co. purchased a smaller dairy company in Wisconsin to quash competition and drive up milk prices.

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For the unemployed, new job often means a pay cut

Unemployed for nearly a year, David Becker was relieved to land a new job in information technology last summer.

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Customers back ammonia-treated beef after report

Restaurant chains and beef processors defended their products' safety Thursday after a report that an ammonia treatment thought to kill harmful germs in meat isn't as effective as the industry and regulators believed.

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