The rural economy is sputtering in 10 Midwest and Great Plains states as farmers try to cope with this summer's severe drought, according to the newest monthly survey of bankers released Thursday.

Insurance company Unum Group said Thursday that it elected Timothy Keaney to its board.

White House officials have announced an initial $30 million investment to form a manufacturing hub in Ohio aimed at boosting technology in a three-state region.

New Mexico's pension fund for educators has posted modest investment gains in the past year, reflecting continued volatility in the financial markets.

The union for the Pittsburgh-area's transit agency is urging its 2,300 members to approve a four-year contract including a wage freeze, more pension contributions by workers, and health care concessions to avoid more than 500 layoffs and a 35-percent cut of bus and light-rail service.

Towers Watson & Co. rebounded from an annual low this week, jumping 7 percent Wednesday, with at least one industry watcher saying that the sell-off was overdone following a disappointing fourth quarter.

The Associated Press analyzed nine economic recoveries since the Great Depression that lasted at least three years. By most measures, the recovery from the Great Recession of 2007-2009 is the weakest.

The National Hockey League Players' Association has made its first proposal in the latest round of collective bargaining talks with the NHL.