The keys to turning around Rhode Island’s economy are new ideas and workable solutions, according to a report released by the Rhode Island chapter of the Small Business Association of New England. more

Unemployment rates were lower in November in 322 of the nation’s 372 metropolitan areas, including the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area, according to nonseasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. more

Construction employment declined in 151 out of 337 U.S. metro areas – including the Providence-Fall River-Warwick and New Bedford areas – rose in 126 metro areas and stayed stagnant in 60 from November 2011 to November 2012, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. more

The Slater Technology Fund has committed to $250,000 in funding to a $750,000 seed round for Care Thread, a provider of secure mobile messaging and team-based collaboration solutions for the medical industry, Slater announced Tuesday. more

U.S. stocks rose, snapping a two-day drop in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, amid earnings optimism after Alcoa Inc. reported sales that exceeded projections. more

U.S. stocks fell, after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed to a five-year high, as investors awaited the start of the corporate earnings season tomorrow. more

As a former town council president, five-term Rhode Island state senator, 27-year vice president of a major Rhode Island corporation employing 1,200, and former president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce for 18 years, I thought I would weigh in on the state’s efforts to reinvent itself in the years ahead. more

The Consumer Price Index in the Northeast rose 1.8 percent over the last 12 months to 246.5 in December, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. more

Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee has signed an executive order in support of a new Transparency and Accountability Initiative as part of the “continuing efforts to promote open and honest government in the state of Rhode Island,” the Office of the Governor announced Thursday. more

Toy and game maker Hasbro Inc. plans to retire one of the eight iconic Monopoly game pieces in 2013, and it is letting fans vote online to determine the outcome, Hasbro announced Thursday. more