Facebook Shares Hit New Low as a Lockup Period Ends

By SOMINI SENGUPTA 1 minute ago

Shares fell sharply amid fears that early investors eligible to offload their stocks would create a surplus on the market.

Shopper at a Walmart in Durham, N.C., this month.

Wal-Mart’s Earnings Suggest Strained Shoppers

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD 10:52 AM ET

Sales at stores open at least a year rose 2.2 percent in the United States. Revenue increased 4.5 percent, to $114.3 billion, which was below expectations.

Media Decoder Blog

Justice Dept. Approves, With Changes, Verizon Wireless Spectrum Purchase

By AMY CHOZICK 11:59 AM ET

The deal to pay $3.6 billion for wireless airwaves owned by Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cox Communications and Bright House Networks still needs F.C.C. approval.

DealBook

Best Buy Founder Presses Case for Takeover Talks

By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED 12:35 PM ET

Best Buy’s founder, Richard Schulze, sent a letter to the struggling retailer’s board, reaffirming his commitment to buying the company for as much as $8.8 billion.

Wall Street Moves Higher on Housing News

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 11 minutes ago

Investors seemed encouraged by the number of building permits in July, which jumped to the highest level since August 2008.

Jobless Claims Edge Up

Kim Seung-youn, the head of the Hanwha conglomerate, was sentenced to four years in prison.

Seoul Judge Surprises Tycoon With Prison Term

By CHOE SANG-HUN

Kim Seung-youn was convicted of embezzlement in a case that drew new attention to public mistrust in South Korea of the judiciary.

DealBook

Jon Corzine, the former chief of MF Global, at a House panel last year.

No Criminal Case Is Likely in Loss at MF Global

By AZAM AHMED and BEN PROTESS 2:22 PM ET

Investigators are expected to conclude that sloppiness, not criminal intent, was the main driver behind the disappearance of customer money.

Ratification of Union’s Deal With Caterpillar May Face Difficulties

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE

The accord would end a three-and-a-half-month walkout in Joliet, Ill., but local union leaders called for its rejection.

Jay-Z, second from right, helped break ground in 2010 for the Nets’ Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

With Arena, Rapper Rewrites Celebrity Investors’ Playbook

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

Jay-Z, who owns one-fifteenth of a percent of the Brooklyn Nets, has put his mark on almost every facet of the enterprise, his partners say.

A platform at Washington’s Union Station.

Frustrations of Air Travel Push Passengers to Amtrak

By RON NIXON

Passengers weary of the security and delays of airports are flocking to trains, which now dominate commercial travel in the Boston-Washington corridor.

Slide Show: Amtrak Dominates Northeast Corridor Travel

Insight & Analysis

State of the Art

A Tablet Straining to Do It All

By DAVID POGUE

Samsung’s new iPad rival, the Galaxy Note 10.1, is loaded with features, but not all are well organized or practical.

Today's Economist

Mitt Romney and Extreme Fiscal Policy

By SIMON JOHNSON

Paul D. Ryan’s budget proposals are clearer than Mitt Romney’s, but more radical, which may pose a challenge for the Republican ticket in the presidential campaign.

Video: Business Day Live | August 16, 2012

MF Global investigation could end without criminal charges. | Paul Ryan’s budget and the economy. | Jay-Z rewrites investor playbook with Nets arena in Brooklyn.

Small-Business Guide

Puneet Mehta and Jennifer Keck at Local Marketing Inc. After an earlier experience, he swore off outside financing.

Owners Should Know What They’re Getting With Private Equity

By JESSICA BRUDER

Private equity can be a valuable source of capital and expertise for small-business owners, but owners should know what they — and the investors — want from the deal.

You’re the Boss Blog

When Looking for a Loan, You Can't Fight Gravity

By AMI KASSAR

If you are eligible for a certain type of loan, it's unlikely that you are going to be able to twist a lender's arm into offering you a better one.

Bits Blog

Instagram Refreshes App by Including Photo Maps

By JENNA WORTHAM

Instagram, the popular photo-sharing application, released a new version of its service that will let users plot their archive of photographs on an interactive map of the world.

Tool Kit

The Joys and Hazards of Self-Publishing on the Web

By ALAN FINDER

Most self-published books don’t sell a lot of copies. But it’s easier than ever to try one’s luck.

App Smart

The Young Person’s Guide to the (Smartphone) Orchestra

By KIT EATON

Tablets and smartphones can be an easy way for children to learn the fun of playing musical instruments.

Media Decoder Blog

On Univision's Nightly News, a Plea for Presidential Debate on Latino Issues

By AMY CHOZICK

The hosts of "Noticiero Univision," Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas, will urge Mitt Romney and President Obama to participate in a debate or forum for its Hispanic viewers.

Spotlight on HCA

A Giant Hospital Chain Is Blazing a Profit Trail

By JULIE CRESWELL and REED ABELSON

Under private equity ownership, HCA made an aggressive push for more revenue that sometimes led to conflicts with doctors and nurses over patient care.