Business_Finance

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Thomas M. "Mac" Middleton, chairman of the Maryland Senate Finance Committee, said Gov. Martin O'Malley's wind-energy bill could be amended for utilities to shoulder more of the potential costs. (Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times)

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“We will never bow to political pressure,” Nancy Brinker, CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, said Thursday on its website. (Associated Press)

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** FILE ** Real estate mogul Donald Trump (left) smiles as Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich talks to the media after the two met in New York on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

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K. Hovnanian Homes is building 41 single-family homes on quarter-acre sites at Belmont Crest in Upper Marlboro. The Delaware model, with 3,021 square feet, is priced from $415,990.

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Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke testifies on Capitol Hill before the House Budget Committee on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Newt Gingrich is doing better than rival Mitt Romney when it comes to donations in smaller amounts. Mr. Gingrich received more than twice as much money as the former Massachusetts governor from people giving donations less than $200.

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Mitt Romney is coming off a win in the Florida primary with an edge in fundraising as well. He ended 2011 with 10 times more money in the bank than former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Mr. Romney has steadily raised $1.5 million weekly. (Associated Press)

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Maryland Gov Martin O'Malley (center) shakes hands with lawmakers before delivering his State of the State speech Wednesday in Annapolis. Mr. O'Malley reiterated his call for tax increases to fund what he considers necessary programs. "There are costs and there are values," he said. "We cannot kid ourselves into thinking that by failing to invest in our future we are somehow saving resources." (Associated Press)

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A memo from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to fellow Republicans lays out plans get a 20 percent tax deduction for small businesses passed before April 15. (Associated Press)

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Sam Moore sings "America the Beautiful" at the Alice Cooper Benefit Concert, Thursday, March 10, 2011 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Ariz. Proceeds from this show will go the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, a fund established by the family of Ron Barber, the District Director for U. S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot and injured. The charitable fund was established after the shooting that killed six people and wounded 13 others. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES

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American Airlines baggage handlers help passengers check luggage Wednesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. American's corporate leadership is having closed-door meetings with union representatives about the future of employees' jobs and pensions. (Associated Press)

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Chrysler rode higher sales of Jeeps and other revamped vehicles to its first annual net income since 1997. Automotive sales overall started off strong in 2012. (Associated Press)

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The D.C. Council Committee on Finance and Revenue voted to repeal authority for online gambling in the District, Washington, DC, Wednesday, February 1, 2012. (Andrew Harnik / The Washington Times)

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The stock market is seen Feb. 1, 2012, on a video view finder in Frankfurt, Germany, after the EU Commission announced not to allow a merger of Deutsche Boerse with the NYSE. (Associated Press)

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One World Trade Center, now 90 stories high and on its way to being the nation's tallest building, stands above the New York skyline, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is aiming for a completion date in the fall of 2013. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

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"This isn't about economic policy; this is about payback to political donors and corporate CEOs. It has nothing to do with job growth because it doesn't create jobs whatsoever." - Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President

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Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (left), shakes hands with Sen. Tim Johnson, South Dakota Democrat and chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, after a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The committee held the hearing to review the first semiannual report of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)