Safety regulators in the U.S. are investigating whether to add more than 1 million General Motors midsize cars to a recall for brake light problems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it’s checking into complaints about the 2004 to 2011 Chevrolet Malibu and the 2007 to 2009 Saturn Aura. The safety agency says the brake lights may not come on when the pedal is pressed, while at other times the lights can illuminate for no reason.
In 2009, GM recalled about 8,000 Pontiac G6 midsize cars from the 2005 model year for the same problem. The government announced in February that it’s investigating whether to add 550,000 G6s sold from 2005 to 2009.
US employers boost openings in January
U.S. employers advertised more job openings in January, suggesting that hiring will remain healthy in coming months.
Job openings rose 2.2 percent in January from December to 3.69 million, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Openings had fallen nearly 5 percent in December, and they remain below November’s level of nearly 3.8 million.
Yet the report provided further evidence that the U.S. job market is strengthening. Employers laid off the fewest workers in January than in any month since records began in 2001. And the number of Americans who quit their jobs rose to the highest in more than four years. People usually quit when they have another job, so more quitting suggests it is easier to find work.
Google pays $7 million in Wi-Fi privacy case
Google will pay a $7 million fine to settle a multistate investigation into a snoopy software program that enabled the Internet search leader to intercept emails, passwords and other sensitive information sent several years ago over unprotected wireless networks in neighborhoods around the world.
The agreement announced Tuesday covers 38 states and the District of Columbia, part of the area where households and local merchants unwittingly had some of their communications on Wi-Fi networks snatched by Google Inc. from early 2008 until the spring of 2010.
Jobless rates creep up in area Ohio counties
Unemployment in the four Ohio counties bordering northeast Indiana – Defiance, Paulding, Van Wert and Williams – rose in January, a report showed Tuesday.
Williams County had the biggest jump in joblessness at 8.8 percent in January, compared with 6.8 percent in December; Paulding increased to 8 percent from 6.2 percent; Defiance was 8.3 percent from 6.6 percent; and Van Wert was 8.5 percent from 7 percent.
Twinkies buyer: Cakes may return by summer
Hostess is moving ahead with plans to sell its Twinkies, and one of the new owners says the spongy cream-filled snacks could be back on shelves by summer.
The bankrupt company had earlier picked a $410 million joint offer from Metropoulos & Co. and Apollo Global Management as the “stalking horse” bid to set the floor for an auction.
In a document filed in U.S. bankruptcy court Monday, however, Hostess Brands said the auction would not be held because no other qualified bids were submitted for the cakes, which include Ding Dongs and Ho Hos.
