Business/Economy

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Labor unions are flexing their political muscle in New Mexico against proposed budget cuts and in defense of collective bargaining rights.

Several hundred people rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday in support of union workers in Wisconsin, which are protesting a plan by the Republican governor to roll back public employees' rights to negotiate benefits and working conditions.

KRSN AM 1490 hosted a FAN Club and the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the radio station’s new location in the Hilltop Shopping Center on Arkansas Street Wednesday evening. KRSN owners Gillian and David Sutton had their daughter Michaelle cut the red ribbon .

WASHINGTON (AP) — More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, one week after claims had fallen to the lowest level in nearly three years.

The big drop a week earlier had occurred largely because bad weather in many parts of the country had kept people from applying for benefits.

The Labor Department said Thursday that 410,000 people sought unemployment assistance last week, a jump of 25,000 from the previous week. The rise was much larger than economists had expected.

NEW YORK (AP) — Bookseller Borders, which helped pioneer superstores that put countless mom-and-pop bookshops out of business, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, sunk by crushing debt and sluggishness in adapting to a rapidly changing industry.

The 40-year-old company plans to close about 200 of its 642 stores over the next few weeks. All of the stores closed will be superstores, Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis said. The company also operates smaller Waldenbooks and Borders Express stores.