A New Orleans congressman is asking Gov. Bobby Jindal to reconsider his position against expanding Louisiana's Medicaid program, as allowed under the federal health care overhaul.

Aetna Inc. said Friday that its board authorized it to repurchase $750 million of its common stock.

Minnesota is eliminating MinnesotaCare health insurance premiums for poor children as the state implements a 2009 law aimed at covering 16,000 uninsured children.

Republican Mitt Romney says the news that more Americans sought unemployment benefits last week is the latest proof that President Barack Obama should be voted out of office in November.

Congress passed a bill this week to freeze American Samoa's minimum wage, responding to employer concerns and a government financial report that suggest automatic increases were harming the U.S. territory's economy.

A measure of future U.S. economic activity declined in June, the latest signal that the economic recovery is sputtering.

Arkansas would save $372 million over the next several years if it goes forward with an expansion of Medicaid under the federal health care law after the savings from the law and new state tax revenue are factored in, state officials said Tuesday.

Low-wage workers plan to march next week in Manhattan to ask for higher salaries, better working conditions and a raise of the state's minimum wage.