LANSING - A plan to slash use of coal-fired electric plants, encourage homeowners and small businesses to install energy-saving measures such as furnaces and new windows, weatherize 100,000 homes, change rate-setting standards to reward small-scale solar/wind energy production and a push to upgrade the electric grid were outlined by Governor Jennifer Granholm in her State
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama plans to unveil a series of new pay curbs Wednesday, including strict limits on executive salaries, the latest salvo from Washington aimed at reining in financial firms receiving federal assistance. Among the new restrictions being considered is a $500,000 cap on salaries for executives at companies that receive a substantial
LANSING - The first bill introduced and passed by a legislative chamber in the 95th Legislature is a tax cut, as the Senate on Thursday gave 25-11 approval to SB 1 phasing out the nearly 22 percent surcharge on the Michigan Business Tax. The measure passed after Senate members debated the proposal for more than
LANSING - The threshold for penalizing companies for underestimating their Michigan Business Tax liability would change under legislation unanimously reported out of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. As substituted, SB 98 would essentially exempt a company from state penalties if it paid 80 percent of its MBT in quarterly payments for the 2008 tax
DETROIT - Compuware said this week that its fiscal third-quarter profit fell to $35 million from $35.6 million last year. On a per-share basis, earnings rose to 14 cents from 13 cents in the year-ago period, as shares outstanding fell to 246.8 million from 282.5 million last year. Excluding one-time items, the information technology company
LANSING - A decision by President Barack Obama to order fast action on new rules requiring the automotive industry to meet tighter pollution and mileage standards, and to potentially allow individual states to set higher standards than the federal government, was more respectfully greeted by Michigan Democrats than Republicans, but the message was the same
NEW YORK - Pfizer Inc. hailed its planned $68 billion takeover of rival Wyeth as an ideal combination, but analysts say the deal will only partially solve some of the New York drug giant's long-term problems. The revenues generated by Wyeth's most attractive products, such as pediatric vaccine Prevnar, won't be sufficient to make up
ZEELAND - Economic development group Lakeshore Advantage has partnered with The Windquest Group - owned by Betsy and Dick DeVos - to offer a seed stage funding and incubator assistance to entrepreneurs who have exceptional technology and web application ideas. The catch is those entrepreneurs selected must agree to move to the greater Holland area
DETROIT - The Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan International Speedway have partnered to work with the auto industry to develop connected vehicle technologies that could create jobs and growth opportunities for the state. MDOT and MIS have entered into a partnership to use and market the Brooklyn-based racetrack and its existing road course to
LONDON, U.K - comScore reported that total global Internet audience (age 15 and older from home and work computers) has surpassed 1 billion visitors in December 2008, based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the highest share of global Internet users at 41 percent, followed by