Government And Institutions

The Boston City Council is considering giving itself a $25,000 raise, boosting its pay by 29 percent.

Emergency manager Kevyn Orr's success in shepherding Detroit through its historic bankruptcy will leave him — at least temporarily — out of a job when, and if, his task in the Motor City is complete.

Wolf Creek nuclear power plant is asking federal regulators for more time to replace a faulty sensor unit that provides an early warning of reactor coolant leaks.

The rapidly rising demand for locally grown fruits and vegetables has created a robust new market for refugees who fled violence in their home countries and found peace in farming small plots of land in several U.S. cities.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a law to extend property tax breaks for installing electricity-generating solar panels on New York City buildings.

The Obama administration wants to put a stop to excessive payday or car title loans for military service members.

Thousands of middle-class families in New York will soon receive a $350 check from the state.

Facing another tough budget scenario, West Virginia is ready to let companies drill for oil and natural gas deep beneath 14 miles of the Ohio River.

European Union leaders say a major trade agreement with Canada has the backing of all 28 EU countries after last minute opposition from Germany had threatened to scuttle the deal.

Chile is enacting measures that raise taxes on large businesses to help finance improvements in education, health and other services.

Japanese stocks led most Asian benchmarks lower Friday while European stocks drifted in lackluster early trading after Wall Street's worst day since July, as investors awaited the latest economic data on the world's largest economy.

The Canadian-based owner of a gold mine in northern Nevada has agreed to pay a $182,000 civil penalty for failing to correctly report to federal environmental regulators the release of millions of pounds of toxic chemicals — including arsenic and cyanide — into the air and ground.

Farmers can start as early as next week on signing up for new safety net programs that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said replaces the much-criticized direct payments with government payouts based on the risks farmers face.

U.S. Bank is refunding about $48 million in the latest federal settlement by a major bank over improper billing for extra credit card products that customers didn't receive.

A judge has dismissed a legal challenge to New York's property tax cap from the state's largest teachers union in a decision that Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday was a victory for taxpayers.

Figures on government spending and debt (last six digits are eliminated).

Attorney General Martha Coakley said Partners HealthCare has agreed to cap prices at Hallmark Health Centers for six and a half years if it's allowed to acquire Hallmark under a revised deal.

A commission convened by Gov. Chris Christie to look into the health benefits and pension liabilities for public employees reported Thursday that the costs threaten to put a $90 billion drain on New Jersey's future state budgets.

California regulators say they're taking steps to restrict the use of an insecticide widely sprayed on the state's biggest crops, including grapes and almonds.

General Motors expects its sales in China this year to top 3.1 million vehicles and sees no impact on business from an anti-monopoly probe of the industry.