Jim Zarroli

Jim Zarroli appears in the following:

Valeant Says It Will Cut Ties To Specialty Pharmacy Amid Fraud Allegations

Friday, October 30, 2015

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is ending its relationship with Philidor Rx Services, because of questions raised about whether it was using the specialty pharmacy to boost sales of Valeant drugs over cheaper versions.

As a result, Philidor will shut down as soon as possible, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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U.S. Economic Growth Slowed Considerably In 3rd Quarter

Thursday, October 29, 2015

The U.S. economy grew at a considerably slower pace during the third quarter as companies cut back on the size of their inventories, the Commerce Department said.

Growth came in at an annual rate of 1.5 percent — a sharp slowdown from the 3.9 percent gain recorded in the ...

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Is A Walgreens-Rite Aid Merger Good Medicine For Consumers?

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

The deal would unite two of the three largest drugstore chains in the U.S., creating a single company with nearly 13,000 retail outlets. but it will face intense antitrust scrutiny.

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Lions Quickly Disappearing In Much Of Africa, Study Says

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Lions are rapidly disappearing in large parts of Africa, and their population could be reduced by half outside of protected areas over the next two decades, according to a study published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Many lion populations are either gone or expected ...

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As Fed Officials Meet, A Rate Hike Suddenly Seems Less Likely

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

A few months ago, Federal Reserve policymakers were all but promising they would raise interest rates before the end of this year. Now, as the U.S. economy shows signs of a slowdown, a hike in 2015 is looking a lot less likely.

As the Fed's Open Market Committee begins ...

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Fans Offer Legos To Ai Weiwei After Company Refuses To Donate Its Toy Bricks

Monday, October 26, 2015

The Internet has exploded in support of Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei after Lego refused to donate its toy bricks for an upcoming exhibition in Melbourne, Australia.

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Fans Flood Artist Ai Weiwei With Offers Of Legos

Monday, October 26, 2015

The company that makes Legos has landed at the center of a social-media firestorm after Chinese artist Ai Weiwei complained that it refused to supply a bulk order of the toy bricks for his art.

Ai said he wanted to use the bricks for an exhibition on free speech at ...

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Supporters In Congress Make New Attempt To Revive The Export-Import Bank

Sunday, October 25, 2015

On Monday a bipartisan group of House members will try to revive the Export-Import Bank, a federal government agency that finances exports — which its critics deride as little more than a slush fund for big corporations.

The agency, known as the Ex-Im bank, essentially stopped doing new business on ...

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Drug Giant Valeant Tries To Rebut Allegations Of Fraud

Sunday, October 25, 2015

As criticism mounts over its business practices, multinational drug company Valeant Pharmaceuticals will hold a conference call Monday morning, in an effort to persuade Wall Street not to bail on its stock.

"We look forward to our call on Monday where we will address and refute recent allegations," said J. ...

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Insider Trading Charges Dropped Against Former SAC Official, 6 Others

Thursday, October 22, 2015

U.S. officials have dropped insider trading charges against former hedge fund manager Michael Steinberg, after an appeals court ruling struck down convictions in a related case.

Prosecutors also dropped charges against six cooperating witnesses who had pleaded guilty in the same case.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement ...

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White House Proposes Plan To Help Puerto Rico Emerge From Debt Crisis

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Obama Administration has suggested steps to help Puerto Rico emerge from its financial troubles but says it needs cooperation from Congress to really address the crisis.

"Without a comprehensive solution, which requires Congressional action, Puerto Rico and its creditors risk a long, difficult, and disorderly crisis," according to ...

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As Valeant's Troubles Mount, Its Stock Price Takes Another Dive

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Now, that's a lousy day in the market.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals, already under fire for its drug-pricing policies, was accused on Wednesday of creating phantom sales to falsely inflate revenues.

The allegations were made by Citron Research, a short-selling firm, in a report entitled, "Could this be the Pharmaceutical Enron?"

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EU Officials Say Starbucks And Fiat Got Illegal Tax Breaks

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The European Union wants Starbucks to pay up to $34 million in back taxes, ruling that the company received illegal state aid from the Netherlands.

EU officials also alleged that Fiat benefited from a similar deal with Luxembourg.

"Tax rulings that artificially reduce a company's tax burden are not in ...

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U.S. Wants To Register Drones As Their Numbers Proliferate

Monday, October 19, 2015

With the number of drones in the sky increasing rapidly, U.S. officials want to come up with a registration system to lower the risk posed to other aircraft.

The use of drones has doubled since last year, and pilots have reported numerous sightings of them.

There have also been reports ...

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War Of Words Escalates Between Amazon And 'The New York Times'

Monday, October 19, 2015

In a blog post published Monday morning, Amazon is pushing back against an August story in The New York Times that portrayed it as a soul-crushing workplace where employees were forced to work long hours and encouraged to tear each other apart at meetings.

"The Times got attention for ...

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Oprah Buys 10 Percent Share In Weight Watchers, Will Join Its Board

Monday, October 19, 2015

She liked it so much, she bought the company.

Oprah Winfrey will acquire a 10 percent stake in Weight Watchers International for $43.2 million and take a seat on its executive board, the company announced today. She will also receive options to buy an additional 5 percent stake.

"Weight ...

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Zombie Festival Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 5 Injured

Sunday, October 18, 2015

One person was killed and five were injured late Saturday when a shooter fired on a crowd at Zombicon, a Florida charitable festival where people dress up as zombies.

The shooting sent dozens of festival-goers, many of them in costumes, running through the streets of downtown Fort Myers, Fla., in ...

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Oscar Pistorius Will Be Released On Parole Next Week

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be released on parole on Tuesday, one year after his conviction for killing his girlfriend by shooting her through a bathroom door, South African officials say.

He will be held temporarily under house arrest, and his parole will continue through 2019.

As the Two-Way ...

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Fact Check: Did Glass-Steagall Cause The 2008 Financial Crisis?

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Taking on Wall Street makes for good politics in the Democratic Party. And several of the candidates at Tuesday night's debate had tough words about big banks. That was particularly true of former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Although he didn't say so directly, O'Malley suggested ...

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No Prosecution For Dentist Who Killed Cecil The Lion

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

The Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil the black-maned lion in Zimbabwe last summer, generating international outrage, won't face charges and can return to the country, government officials said.

Zimbabwe officials announced last summer that they would try to extradite Walter Palmer, the big-game hunter who killed Cecil in a bow-hunt, ...

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