Digest
The U.S. trade deficit grew larger in January as imports, including crude-oil prices, zoomed to all-time highs.
The latest snapshot of trade activity, reported by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, showed the country’s trade gap increased to $58.2 billion. That was up from a trade shortfall of $57.9 billion in December.
Imports of goods and services climbed to a record high of $206.4 billion in January.
The trade gap widened even as exports of U.S.-made goods and services totaled a record high of $148.2 billion in January.
Federal officials say W.R. Grace and Co. has agreed to pay $250 million as reimbursement for government expenses in the investigation and cleanup of asbestos in Libby, Mont.
The U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday the sum is the highest in the history of the federal Superfund program of environmental cleanup.
The $250 million deal settles a claim the government filed to collect money for past and future costs of cleaning Libby schools, homes and businesses contaminated with asbestos.
Google Inc.’s long-anticipated acquisition of online ad service DoubleClick Inc. is expected to turn the Internet search leader into an even more powerful marketing vehicle.
The $3.1 billion deal, completed Tuesday after nearly a year of regulatory wrangling, also may intensify the pressure on Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc paydayloans.com. to resolve their stormy courtship.
Google took control of DoubleClick a few hours after Europe’s antitrust regulators removed the final stumbling block by approving a deal that was announced 11 months ago.
U.S. regulators cleared the transaction in December.
A conservative group is ending its two-year boycott of Ford Motor Co. for donations to what it calls gay organizations.
Ford said Tuesday, however that it has decreased overall charitable spending and advertising in recent years because of financial losses.
The Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association says the automaker has met its conditions, including not making donations to gay organizations and ceasing almost all advertising in gay publications.
Ford said in a statement Tuesday that its principles haven’t changed.
A California appeals court said a woman who was paralyzed after her Ford Explorer rolled over is entitled to $82.6 million in damages from the carmaker.
The 4th District Court of Appeal was asked by the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case after Ford Motor Co. appealed the award, arguing that it was being punished even though the design of the vehicle met federal safety standards.
Benetta Buell-Wilson was driving on an interstate east of San Diego in January 2002 when she swerved to avoid a metal object and lost control of her 1997 Explorer, which rolled 4