Deals of the Hour

Trying to find out what's the deal with the world, tracking what's on sale and who's talking about it on Twitter. Update hourly.

Deals of the Hour / July 1, 2011, 6:50 pm

Minnesota government shutdown reflects widespread budget paralysis

"I cannot accept a Minnesota where people with disabilities lose part of the time they are cared for by personal-care attendants so that millionaires don't have to pay $1 more in taxes," Dayton said at 10 p.m. Thursday when it became clear that a ... (Source: Washington Post 2011-07-02T01:26:00Z)

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to meet in Wimbledon men's final

1 status by withstanding a barrage of artistic and athletic points from the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Tsonga. The Frenchman tumbled and twisted and twirled his body around the court and brought the crowd to its feet in the third-set tiebreaker when he saved two ... (Source: Los Angeles Times 2011-07-02T01:40:19Z)

Chavez's cancer revelation rattles Venezuela

Chavez denies accusations that he has lavished excessive oil-funded aid on allies, saying his government's oil deals with allies such as Cuba are mutually beneficial. Chavez aides insisted Friday that the president was still fully in charge and working ... (Source: Miami Herald 2011-07-02T01:40:19Z)

Detroit 5, N.Y. Mets 2: Verlander struggles, but cools Mets' hot bats

While Verlander struggled to find his rhythm, he continued to deal effectively and ... "Each day's a new day in baseball, and that's the beautiful thing about this. They go out and score however many runs in two days with a bunch of hits. (Source: Detroit Free Press 2011-07-02T01:11:41Z)

A royal wedding in Monaco, a state visit in Canada and remembrances of princesses past at both

"They'll be remembered as princesses — beautiful, radiant princesses," Martin said. Diana also was on the minds of some Canadians in the crowd greeting her son, William, and his wife. "Happy Birthday Lady Di. Canadians love you," read one sign held up ... (Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune 2011-07-02T01:11:41Z)

What's Behind Bank of America's Big Settlement

It's also possible Bank of America just got a great deal. As Yves Smith puts it : "BofA can judge what its risks are VASTLY better than the investors. There are a lot of reasons why it would make sense for BofA not to settle now. Yet it was all over this ... (Source: Motley Fool 2011-06-30T19:57:54Z)

Amazon, Overstock blame sales tax law

For Amazon affiliates, these fees vary from 4 to 15 percent of a sale. This move doesn't affect the third-party sellers who sell items through Amazon.com. Amazon says they already are responsible for determining what taxes must be collected on a sale and ... (Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin 2011-07-02T01:04:31Z)

Minnesota government shutdown begins after talks fail

Republican leaders had asked Dayton to call a special session to approve a 10-day funding extension, saying they believed they were close to a budget deal. Dayton dismissed the offer as "a publicity stunt." Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch said in a ... (Source: Reuters 2011-07-02T00:28:44Z)

Clearing the Decks at Bank of America

Mr. Lewis's $4 billion offer for the ... for trying to make a deal work. But London Stock Exchange's chief, Xavier Rolet, is inevitably weakened by the failure of this transaction. Moreover, a spate of failed exchange deals means there are many ... (Source: New York Times 2011-06-30T08:23:33Z)

Rumor: Google also wants to buy Hulu

It can probably go without being said, but it's pretty obvious why Google wants to bag Hulu: In addition to netting some seriously popular content, it would also get access to some important and profitable advertising deals. A ComScore report recently ... (Source: YAHOO! 2011-07-02T01:04:31Z)

Vulnerable feel the pinch of government shutdown

So far, 30 agencies had accepted United Way's offer of advances on their grants, seeking cash to stay up and running. The stoppage suspended some programs for the blind and visually impaired, including a radio reading service run by volunteers and ... (Source: Brainerd Dispatch 2011-07-02T00:50:12Z)

NFLPA, owners break talks one day after 15-hour session

But they had little to offer for an update. "We'll continue to meet next week, and the goal is to get a deal done," Smith said on his way out. Said NFL lead negotiator Jeff Pash: "We'll be back at it again next week." Friday marked the fourth straight day ... (Source: CNN Sports Illustrated 2011-07-02T01:18:50Z)

Mark W. Smith: Google+ is serious Facebook competitor

But the Circles in Google+ do offer a more concrete way of knowing exactly who can see what from the very outset. I found grouping friends to be surprisingly satisfying, confident that my list of "friends" was just that: people I could trust. I also made a ... (Source: Detroit Free Press 2011-07-02T01:04:31Z)

Vegas Advisors on Gambling

And Al also has an  ADDED BONUS  on today's report - a special  $20 Discount Coupon Code  that will save you $20 off your purchase today at VegasAdvisors.com .  Moving on to my freebie....  An overnight pitching change finds Jaime Garcia toeing the ... (Source: NBC Sports 2011-06-30T15:18:43Z)

PD Editorial: Amazon.com has a snit over tax change

We're hopeful the online giant won't get its way. As part of the budget deal, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation this week that requires online retailers to collect a 7.25 percent base tax on sales. Californians have long been required to pay sales taxes ... (Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat 2011-07-02T01:18:50Z)

Bank of America's $40 Billion Lesson

Lewis did have "reservations" about the deal but "the longer we looked at it, the more it created its own momentum," the WSJ quoted a person close to him. Unfortunately, making huge bets on sinking assets without knowing where the bottom laid is ... (Source: Forbes (blog) 2011-07-01T12:54:22Z)

Amazon fights California sales tax requirement

California merchants say Amazon and other online-only retailers have an unfair advantage because consumers can effectively get a nearly 10% discount by buying online ... some shoppers were closing deals Thursday instead of risking having to pay the ... (Source: Allentown Morning Call 2011-07-02T00:57:22Z)

Women's World Cup: England rallies to beat New Zealand

England looked in trouble early on. Its top striker Kelly Smith twisted her left ankle in the eighth minute as she sought to challenge Bindon on a high ball. She needed treatment before resuming, but was rarely a factor from then on. England came off a ... (Source: NorthJersey.com 2011-07-02T01:04:31Z)

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