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Stocks are closing lower on concern that lawmakers will run out of time to reach a budget deal before year-end.

The president of Dow Jones, Todd Larsen, resigned Tuesday after more than two years on the job and 13 years at the company. No reason was given for his departure. Dow Jones is the unit News Corp. that publishes The Wall Street Journal.

Apple is the world's most valuable company. The Dow Jones industrial average is probably the world's best-known stock index. So don't they deserve each other? Consider this: If Apple had been added to the Dow in June 2009, the last time there were serious rumors that it would happen, the average would be about 2,500 points higher than it is today and well above its all-time high.

McGraw-Hill is in advanced talks with CME Group to combine stock-market icons such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 into a joint venture.

The Dow Jones industrial average is closing with its biggest gain in nearly two weeks.

Les Hinton, chairman of News International in the years the alleged hacking occurred, stepped down as head of the Dow Jones division yesterday. That followed the exit of News International CEO Rebekah Brooks. She was editor of the News of the World, the newspaper implicated in the scandal, from 2000 to 2003.

Caterpillar drove the Dow Jones industrial average higher Friday after the company reported a huge gain in first-quarter earnings. The world's largest maker of mining and construction equipment rose 2.5 percent after its earnings increased more than five-fold. The company also raised its sales and profit forecast for the year.

Stocks started the week with big gains Monday on a major telecommunications deal and signs that Japan's nuclear crisis was stabilizing. The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 12,000 for the first time since a nuclear power plant in Japan failed following a massive earthquake and tsunami....

Stocks ended lower Thursday after early gains from a better report on jobless claims faded. The Dow Jones industrial average closed below 10,000 for the first time since early July.

Dow plummets nearly 220 points after trade deficit unexpectedly widens and reports from Asia, Europe spurs concerns recovery is veering off track.