“Business and Finance” on The Daily Caller

Just as surely as summer is followed by autumn, it seems that these days every proposed corporate merger is followed by antitrust complaints — often from the merging companies’ competitors. The wireless industry is the latest sector to suffer this problem. Sprint, America’s third-largest carrier, has emerged as a chief opponent of a proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile, two of its main rivals. “No divestitures, no fixes, no conditions,” a senior Sprint government affairs officer told Ars Technica. “We want it stopped.” Sprint argues that the merger will create a duopoly in the telecommunications world, a claim AT&T calls “dystopian” and inaccurate. (more)

In his all-too-brief Austin Powers fez-wearing role, Will Ferrell is dropped down the villain’s secret chute into a pit of fire, where he intermittently cries for help and pleads “I’m still alive, only I’m very badly burned.” He would know what it is like to be a business owner under President Obama. (more)

Fast-food burger and Frosty purveyor Wendy’s said Monday that it will sell a majority stake in its fast-food chain Arby’s to Atlanta-based private equity group Roark Group (in case you’re wondering where else that name can possibly come from, it is indeed a reference to the main character in Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel The Fountainhead). Shares in Wendy’s/Arby’s Group were up 4.4% after the announcement. (more)

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as part of a broader probe of China-based firms listed on U.S. exchanges, moved to halt new share offerings in two companies after their independent auditors resigned. (more)

Consumers always benefit from choice in the marketplace. Small businesses are no different; that applies to their financing options, too. It’s a point worth remembering during this National Small Business Week. And it is an important reason Congress should stop delaying and pass legislation to raise the arbitrary cap that now constrains credit unions’ small business lending. (more)

To understand Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats, examine the Petri dish of their experiment in liberal (rebranded as “progressive”) policies in Obama’s home state. (more)

In an interview I gave this time last year, I spoke about how my company, American Electric Power, has been pushing the technology envelope for more than a century. We realized early on — and believe it even more today — that developing sustainable technologies was one of those areas where somebody had to step up and get things done. (more)

President Obama stated recently that he wants to make America the “best place on Earth to do business.” It wasn’t that long ago that America was the best place on Earth to do business. Somewhere along the line, we lost our way. (more)

“I’m not saying show us some love,” said Greg Martin, director of policy and Washington communications at General Motors, “but recognize that we made the hard, difficult decisions both in the boardroom and on the assembly line to get this business on sound market principles to run it.” (more)

I did something recently that I thought I would never do again. I bought a hardcover book from Amazon. And the reason may surprise you. The hardcover edition was $2 less than the electronic Kindle version. (more)

Retailers delivered another decent performance last month, with shoppers continuing to spend despite poor weather, high gasoline prices and a later Easter. (more)

For 17 years, Matthew Kluger and Garrett Bauer assiduously avoided each other, communicating through a go-between—and over that time, made each other rich in one of the longest-running insider-trading schemes ever uncovered, federal prosecutors alleged Wednesday. (more)

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal asked for a bailout Wednesday to relieve its crushing debt, joining Greece and Ireland by becoming the third eurozone nation to seek outside help amid a bruising financial crisis.  (more)

Work is quietly underway in the South Bay on a massive 22-story rocket whose power is rivaled in the U.S. only by the mighty Saturn V rocket, which took man to the moon, in a risky private venture that could herald a new era in space flight. (more)

Did the big March jobs report put President Obama back on the road to reelection? If so, he can thank the GOP, whose tax cuts saved him from himself. (more)

GENEVA — The World Trade Organization on Thursday partly upheld an EU complaint against US state support for Boeing, saying that billions of state aid for the aircraft maker amounted to illegal subsidies. (more)

Pop singer Britney Spears is being sued by her former business partners for breach of contract, fraud and deceit, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting. (more)

Reporting from Washington— Sprint Nextel Corp. urged federal regulators to block a proposed acquisition that would create the nation’s largest wireless carrier and leave two competitors in control of 75% of all cellphone subscriptions. (more)

Congress gave itself a three-week reprieve on a government shutdown, then spent the first 10 days on vacation. Now, lawmakers return with the shutdown deadline once again looming, and a deal seemingly as far away as ever. (more)

One year ago today, as President Barack Obama sat at his desk and signed into law the largest government takeover in American history, he said, “This is what change looks like. We proved that this government — a government of the people and by the people — still works for the people.” (more)