Maryland’s three casinos combined to generate $43.1 million in November, the largest amount since August, despite a deepening slump at the state’s first commercial casino in Cecil County.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. workers were more productive this summer than initially thought, while costing their companies less. The Labor Department said Wednesday that productivity grew at an annual rate of 2.9 percent from July through September. That’s the fastest pace ...

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Micros Systems Inc., of Columbia, a provider of computer systems to the hospitality and retail industries, announced that Peter Altabef, the former president of Dell Services, has been elected to succeed A.L. “Tom” Giannopoulos as its president and CEO, effective Jan. 2, 2013.

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DETROIT — A better economy and extra demand after Superstorm Sandy lifted U.S. auto sales last month. Carmakers from Chrysler to Volkswagen reported brisk demand in November, and said sales rose on everything from small SUVs to sedans. Americans are ...

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NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson Chairman Bill Weldon will step down from that post in late December and the world’s biggest maker of health products has picked new CEO Alex Gorsky to replace him. The New Brunswick, N.J., ...

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NEW YORK — The future of Twinkies is virtually assured. Hostess Brands Inc. got final approval for its wind-down plans in bankruptcy court Thursday, setting the stage for its iconic snack cakes to find a second life with new owners ...

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NEW YORK — A research firm says sales of personal computers in the U.S. didn’t get any boost from the launch of Windows 8, confounding the hopes of Microsoft and PC makers. NPD Group, which tracks U.S. retail sales, says ...

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WASHINGTON — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages stayed close to record lows this week, a trend that has made home buying more affordable and helped the housing market recover. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate on the ...

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Obama administration’s top immigration official says his agency is working to attract and keep more foreign-born high-tech entrepreneurs who are seeking to start a company in the U.S. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Director Alejandro Mayorkas ...

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Last Saturday, hundreds of small business owners in Maryland arrived at the shops where they earn their livelihoods — clothing boutiques, ice cream parlors, craft stores — to set up for the day. Then they waited.

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