Compliance

Millions of Americans will continue to receive long-term unemployment benefits under legislation approved Friday in Congress, but the scope of the program is being scaled back to cover fewer people by the end of the year.

A united House Republican leadership surrendered crisply and cleanly on legislation to extend expiring payroll tax cuts for 160 million Americans, skipping most if not all of the self-defeating drama that accompanied their far noisier retreat on the same issue late last year. In doing so, they helped avert an...

Congress has passed legislation renewing a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and jobless benefits for millions more, backing the main items on President Barack Obama's jobs agenda in a rare burst of Washington bipartisanship.

Congressional leaders are gauging lawmakers' reactions to a tentative deal extending a 2 percentage-point payroll tax cut and extra jobless benefits through 2012, a pact bargainers reached after House Republicans conceded that the tax cut would not have to be paid for with spending cuts.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.'s fourth-quarter profit sank 34 percent as an acquisition by the world's largest generic drug maker improved revenue but raised expenses.

With New York medical practitioners issuing more painkiller prescriptions in one year than the state has residents, the Senate passed legislation Monday meant to curb the illegal trade and illicit use of hydrocodone and other addictive opioid drugs.

In an abrupt about-face, House GOP leaders announced Monday they're willing to extend the two percentage point cut in the payroll tax through the end of the year and add the roughly $100 billion cost to the nation's $15 trillion-plus debt.

Most of the cuts at Labor would come from an expected decrease in spending on unemployment insurance programs as the overall unemployment rate declines and fewer people claim benefits.