Business and Economic News

Bill could help curb oversalting during Minnesota winters
A bill aimed at reducing the amount of salt used by commercial businesses that treat driveways, sidewalks and parking lots is getting traction this year in the Minnesota Legislature.
Shopko's closure to leave retail gap in small-town Minnesota
One city set to lose its Shopko store is Roseau, in northern Minnesota. Community development director Todd Peterson said when the store closes, it'll be an hour's drive to the next-closest large discount retailer.
U.K.'s Theresa May faces pressure to step down to save Brexit
Prime Minister Theresa May faces growing pressure from within her own party either to resign or to set a date for stepping down as a way to build support for her Brexit agreement with the European Union, British media reported Sunday.
Trump to nominate Stephen Moore to the Fed. Both say it raised rates too much
Moore, a conservative commentator and former Trump campaign adviser, has joined the president in criticizing the central bank. "The Fed is sucking the oxygen out of the economy," Moore has said.
Facebook left millions of passwords readable by employees
Facebook left millions of user passwords readable by its employees for years, the company said Thursday, an acknowledgment it offered after a security researcher posted about the issue online.
A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows bankers are losing confidence in the future of the region's farm economy in the wake of falling farm income and rising floodwaters.
MN jobless rate ticks up to 3.1 percent; jobs down from a year ago
Minnesota recorded a low February jobless rate, but it also saw a drop in employment from February 2018 — the first time annual total employment has declined since July 2010.
'I had one class left': Argosy closure forces students to make tough decisions
Following the school's abrupt closing, more than a dozen colleges in Minnesota say they are working with Argosy students who need to find a way to continue their education. But some students were pursuing degrees in fields so specific, that there might not be any local transfer options for their programs.
What's the next technological frontier?
When the World Wide Web debuted 30 years ago, it was seen as the new frontier -- the great equalizer, even. As we celebrate three decades of the web, how much have we gained from it? MPR News' Stephanie Curtis filled in for host Kerri Miller.