Twenty-plus Sears and Kmart stores in region could be up for closure

Sears Holdings says its hasn’t yet determined which 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears stores it will close after a disappointing holiday sales season.
The company, which has 4,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, announced today that it would close this number of stores after sales at its Kmart and domestic Sears stores in this […]

Italy again pays more to borrow

Italy paid sharply higher borrowing rates in an auction that raised euro567 million ($750 million), as markets continued to pressure the eurozone’s third largest economy to come up with reforms urgently.
Yields on 12-year bonds skyrocketed to 7.20 percent, a full 2.7 percentage points higher than last month.
While there were enough bids to cover the maximum […]

Holland Construction Services starts renovations

Holland Construction Services Inc. started extensive renovations at Memorial Care Center at 4315 Memorial Drive in Belleville.
The $6 million project includes an upgrade to the center’s exterior façade and indoor renovations of 34,000 square feet.
The renovations will involve 56 patient rooms, administrative offices, dining, living and reception rooms and a therapy area. Shower rooms, utility […]

Kerr to step down as Missouri economic development boss

The man in charge of boosting Missouri’s economy is stepping down.
David Kerr, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, will leave at the end of the year, Gov. Jay Nixon’s office said Tuesday.
Kerr, a longtime executive at AT&T in Missouri and Kansas before entering the public sector, said he was stepping down to spend […]

Berlusconi convenes final Cabinet meeting, to quit

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has convened his final Cabinet meeting before his expected resignation that will set in motion a political transition aimed at bringing back the country from the brink of economic crisis.
Berlusconi met with his ministers Saturday after parliament’s lower Chamber of Deputies passed European-demanded economic reforms. The Senate passed the legislation Friday, […]

IMF

BEIJING

Surveys show slow growth in China manufacturing

Surveys show China’s manufacturing remained sluggish in October, with a government industry group reporting the slowest growth in nearly three years.
The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said Tuesday that its monthly purchasing managers index fell an unexpectedly large 0.8 percentage point to 50.4, just above the 50-level that signifies expansion.
It forecast the economy would […]

Ask the expert: Gary Fischer, Ross & Baruzzini

What is a lean health care project, and what is its most important ingredient?
Lean health care construction projects are, by their nature, fast-track and don’t leave room for redesign. Under such projects, contractors order materials and begin construction while the design is being completed. Redesign can lead directly to cost increases. Poor starts in design […]

Welcome to the new arms race between online protection and oversharing

The rise of social media is pitting people who value privacy against those who want to share their lives with others.
That

Putin praises himself as ‘most hardworking’ leader

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has praised himself as Russia’s “most hardworking” leader since World War II.
In his first lengthy interview since last month’s announcement that he will seek a third presidential term, the 59-year-old prime minister said that Communist-era leaders were not physically capable and did not have “the will” to run the country […]