By Washington Post; At last, the Obama administration has cut a deal with South Korea, paving the way for congressional approval of a long-stalled free-trade agreement with that crucial Asian ally. Now, what about Colombia and Panama? Alas, the administration's answer still appears to be "not yet." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs announced Friday that the president would not be… Read more »

By Laura Petrecca; USA Today One small provision in the new tax law could spur big-ticket business spending — and if a government analysis proves correct, bolster hiring. The "100% expensing" policy allows businesses in 2011 to fully write off "productive capital investments" such as delivery trucks, machines and aircraft rather than depreciate the cost over a period of years. With… Read more »

By Cheddy Wigginton; UPI The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act included a requirement that may have businesses screaming on January 1st, 2012. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as the Obama healthcare bill, included a requirement that should have businesses screaming beginning January 1, 2012. Although the new reporting requirement does not apply to… Read more »

By Lori Montgomery; Washington Post Congress approved the most significant tax bill in nearly a decade late Thursday, overcoming liberal resistance to continue for two more years tax breaks enacted under president George W. Bush and to provide a fresh boost of federal support to the tepid economic recovery. The package, brokered by President Obama and Republican leaders in the wake… Read more »

By Jessica Dickler; CNN Money Holding on to a seasonal job past New Year's Eve is almost as difficult as keeping all your resolutions. But Donna Marholz is hoping she will be among those who are lucky enough to land a permanent position next year. After losing her job two years ago, she has been looking for work ever since. She applied for a temporary position at Kohl's and was hired… Read more »

By Eric Dash; New York Times The Federal Reserve, fulfilling a Congressional order to examine whether merchants were being charged excessive fees to process debit card transactions, proposed new rules on Thursday that analysts said could cut those fees as much as 90 percent. The Fed’s report went much further than the 50 percent reduction that Wall Street analysts had expected.… Read more »

By Sarah Needleman; Wall Street Journal President Obama's newly proposed tax package is being praised, though with cautious optimism, by several of the nation's most prominent small-business advocacy groups. The Republican-backed deal with its temporary extension of Bush-era income tax cuts would have a direct impact on a large segment of entrepreneurs, whose small-business income… Read more »

By John Waggoner and Paul Davidson; USA Today The sweeping tax deal between the White House and Republicans would help prevent the economy from lapsing back into recession — and may give the recovery the jolt it needs to become self-sustaining, economists say. The agreement, announced Monday, has all the hallmarks of a compromise: No one is entirely happy, but individuals, businesses… Read more »

By Ken Newton; St. Joseph News Press Americans might have voted for change in November, but they also wanted certainty, Congressman Sam Graves believes. And an extension of current tax policies before the lame-duck Congress adjourns would have served that purpose, the lawmaker said. “I’d like to see everything kept as it is,” he said Thursday morning. “I think that would do more for… Read more »

By Sarah Needleman; Wall Street Journal When it comes to hiring, Main Street remains reluctant to fully open its doors. U.S. small businesses continued to hire in November, this time adding the most jobs in a month's time in nearly three years, according to payroll company Automatic Data Processing Inc. But job growth remains modest compared with prerecession years, and many… Read more »