Craft store giant Hobby Lobby is bracing for a $1.3 million a day fine beginning January 1 for noncompliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare. The company opposes providing some contraceptives to employees through its company health care plan on religious grounds, saying some contraceptive products, like the morning after pill, equate to abortion.
Mississippi-River-Traffic
As politicians and barge companies express fear of a shutdown or significant disruption, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is tackling one of two significant problems presented in the drought-stricken Mississippi River.
Massachusetts-Pediatric-Dentist-Charged
A pediatric dentist charged with possession and distribution of child pornography can still treat children at his Framingham, Massachusetts, dental office under a judge's ruling, according to a news release from the Middlesex district attorney's office. Melvin A. Ehrlich, 52, was arraigned Thursday in Framingham District Court on three counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child pornography, according to the release.
TECH-Marvell-Lawsuit-Response
Marvell Technology Group on Thursday denied it infringed on technology patents, a day after a federal jury in Pennsylvania ordered the company to pay $1.17 billion in damages to Carnegie Mellon University. A lawsuit filed in 2009 by the Pittsburgh university claimed that Marvell and its U.S. operating subsidiary, Marvell Semiconductor Inc., infringed on its patented technology fundamental for "increasing the accuracy with which hard disk drive circuits read data from high-speed magnetic disks," according to a press release from K&L Gates, the law firm representing Carnegie Mellon.
POLITICS
POL-Fiscal-Cliff
President Barack Obama and congressional leaders will discuss the looming fiscal cliff impasse Friday at the White House, aiming for a last-minute deal to stave off automatic tax increases and spending cuts.
POL-Senate-Hawaii-Schatz
Hawaii's newest senator was nominated, appointed, and sworn into his seat so quickly he had to scramble to get himself ready for the red-eye flight to Washington. "I bought this coat yesterday," Brian Schatz told reporters after landing on the mainland dressed in an overcoat - hardly necessary in Hawaii, where temperatures were in the low 70s on Thursday. Hours later, he was sworn in by the Senate's top officer, Vice President Joe Biden.
POL-Markey-Senate-Massachusetts
Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said Thursday he will seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. John Kerry, who was nominated to become the next secretary of state last week.
POL-Clinton-Back-To-Work
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will return to work next week after a nasty bout with stomach flu and a concussion sidelined her for three weeks.
POL-Kerry-Confirmation-Preparations
It's better to be Santa than Scrooge, as Sen. John Kerry's staff realized belatedly. They backed off asking senior managers to work over the holiday weekend and Christmas Eve as they scramble to prepare their boss for his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of state.
POL-Bush-Hospital-Update
The family of George H.W. Bush expressed confidence Thursday that the former president will be released shortly from an intensive care unit at a Houston hospital, where he is being treated for an elevated fever.
MONEY
MONEY-dinosaur-smuggler
A dinosaur smuggler has pleaded guilty and now faces 17 years in prison.
MONEY-stocks-markets
U.S. stocks erased sharp losses Thursday as lawmakers scrambled to come up with a solution to the fast-approaching fiscal crisis.
MONEY-spain-bankia-shares
Shares in Spain's Bankia plunged Thursday as private investors ditched the stock before an imminent EU-backed rescue wipes out much of their holdings.
FEATURES AND COMMENTARY
TECH-top-tech-stories-2012
The top 12 tech stories of 2012
ENT-Patrick-Dempsey-Coffee-Chain
"Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey believes he and a group of investors are just what the doctor ordered for a struggling Seattle-based coffee chain. Dempsey said the group wants to save 500 jobs by purchasing Tully's Coffee, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. The company, citing "rising commodity prices and challenging lease economics," said it planned to close a number of underperforming coffee shop locations as part of its reorganization.
ENT-archery-pop-culture-2012
Starting with the success of "The Hunger Games," archery was big in 2012
