TOP STORIES 
 
BP TO PAY $18.7 BILLION TO SETTLE GULF SPILL CLAIMS 

BP has agreed to pay $18.7 billion over 18 years to settle all federal and state claims arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in what the U.S. government called its largest legal settlement with a corporation.

ANTHEM, CIGNA REKINDLE MERGER TALKS 

Push for consolidation among health insurers continues. Anthem and Cigna renew their talks, even as Cigna continues to look at Humana; meanwhile, Centene agrees to buy Health Net.

JOBS MARKET CONTINUES ITS FITFUL RECOVERY 

After six years of fitful growth, a mixed jobs report for June illustrated how underlying softness continues to beset the U.S. economy. Employers added 223,000 jobs and unemployment fell to 5.3%, but wage growth remains slow and labor-force participation shrank.

U.S. STOCKS END SLIGHTLY LOWER 

Stocks ended slightly lower Thursday, even after the U.S. jobs report reaffirmed investors' belief that the Fed would be patient on rates.

DOLLAR TREE-FAMILY DOLLAR DEAL GETS FTC APPROVAL 

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar received FTC clearance for their merger and expect the deal to be completed July 6.

OFFICIALS BATTLE TO SWAY GREEK VOTERS 

Officials were battling it out for the minds of Greek voters ahead of a crucial vote on its creditors' demands that could decide whether the country leaves the euro or buckles down for further difficult negotiations.

U.S. REGULATOR TAKES AIM AT CHRYSLER 

Regulators are likely to take action before summer's end against Fiat Chrysler over recall lapses involving older Jeeps tied to rear-end crashes and millions of other vehicles, the U.S. auto-safety chief said.

GERMANY'S K+S REBUFFS POTASH TAKEOVER 

German salt and fertilizer company K+S AG rejected a takeover approach worth $8.75 billion by rival Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, saying the proposal undervalued the company.

SANTANDER CONSUMER USA CEO THOMAS DUNDON TO STEP DOWN 

Santander Consumer USA Holdings said that its chief executive and chairman, Thomas Dundon, was departing and would be succeeded by President and Chief Financial Officer Jason Kulas.

MEDICAID INSURERS TO MERGE IN $6.3 BILLION DEAL 

Centene agreed to buy Health Net for about $6.3 billion in a move that will boost the Medicaid-focused health insurer's presence in the western U.S.

U.S. JOBLESS CLAIMS RISE TO 281,000 

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week, but the level remains historically low.

IRAN'S SUPER TANKERS EYE WESTERN WATERS 

Iran's biggest oil shipping company has amassed the world's largest fleet of super tankers and is in talks to sail back into Western waters should a nuclear deal be struck.

ACTIVISM-DEFENSE SPECIALIST LEAVING GOLDMAN SACHS 

Activism-defense specialist William Anderson is leaving Goldman Sachs for Evercore Partners, according to people familiar with the matter.

VERTEX'S $259,000 CYSTIC FIBROSIS DRUG APPROVED 

Vertex's cystic-fibrosis drug Orkambi, which treats the most common mutation of the disease, received U.S. regulatory approval on Thursday.

INTEL PRESIDENT JAMES TO LEAVE 

Intel Corp. said President René e James is stepping down, one of several management changes as CEO Brian Krzanich shakes up the chip maker.

FORD RECALLS 432,000 CARS OVER SOFTWARE PROBLEM 

Ford is recalling 432,000 Focus, C-Max and Escape vehicles because of a software problem that could keep the cars from shutting off.

TESLA'S SECOND QUARTER DELIVERIES SURGE 52% 

Tesla Motors delivered 11,507 Model S electric sedans in the second quarter of the year, a 52% increase over the prior-year period and a pace that far exceeds electric-car sales by rivals.

INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE FUNDS FLOWED TO MALAYSIAN LEADER'S ACCOUNTS 

Malaysian investigators scrutinizing a government investment fund have traced nearly $700 million of deposits into what investigators believe are the personal bank accounts of Prime Minister Najib Razak, according to documents from a government probe.

BARNES & NOBLE NAMES BOIRE AS CEO OF RETAIL BUSINESS 

Barnes & Noble Inc. named Sears Canada Chief Executive Ronald Boire to lead its retail business as the company readies for a spinoff of its college stores.

UNIVISION FILES FOR IPO 

Univision Holdings Inc., owner of the dominant Spanish-language broadcaster in the U.S., kicked off the process to go public.

 
 
 
  ======= DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARIES ======= 
 
 
Briefly Blog 
5 THINGS TO WATCH ON THE ECONOMIC CALENDAR 
 

If the past week brought a flood of data-including a mixed report on June labor markets-this one's as dry as a California reservoir. As Greece remains the focus for investors, here's what to look for on the U.S. economy.

 
Heard on the Street 
AIG A WALLFLOWER AT INSURER-MERGER DANCE 
 

The acquisition of Chubb by ACE likely signals the start of a merger rush for U.S. insurers. AIG isn't likely to join in.