Broker Regulation

A Republican plan to cut jobless payments and raise business taxes to speed repayment of North Carolina's $2.5 billion federal debt on unemployment benefits won tentative approval Tuesday in the state Senate, all but ensuring enactment this summer.

WellCare Health Plans Inc.'s fourth-quarter earnings fell 43 percent as rising medical costs outpaced revenue gains. But analysts had predicted worse, and the health insurer said it received a rate hike from Kentucky, a state where it has struggled with expenses.

President Barack Obama did some cherry-picking Tuesday night in defense of his record on jobs and laid out a conditional path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that may be less onerous than he made it sound.

The federal government reported a rare surplus for January and is on track to run the lowest annual deficit since President Barack Obama took office.

Team Health said Tuesday that a secondary offering of about 9.6 million shares of its common stock has been priced at $33.40 per share.

Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. reported Tuesday that its revenue and profit for the fourth quarter met market expectations for the consulting and professional services firm.