BUSINESS DIGEST || Gift shop opening

Gift shop opening

NILES

Jodi and Todd Markovich will open their new store, Jotoddi’s Candy & Gift Shoppe, with a ribbon-cutting Monday.

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber will join the couple at 754 Youngstown-Warren Road to celebrate the opening at 10:30 a.m.

The Markoviches started a candy business out of their home 15 years ago, and their new store will offer a variety of coffee, cotton candy, flavored popcorn and nostalgic candy.

Brown touts bill to aid manufacturing

WASHINGTON

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, on Wednesday touted a bill he introduced with Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., to create a network that matches innovation in manufacturing with domestic production.

In a column for the Toledo Free Press, Brown said the Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013 would create a public-private partnership and establish “regional, industry-led” manufacturing hubs to garner local talent.

Brown promoted the program as a job creator that would grow cutting-edge manufacturing in the United States.

The bill has not moved from committee since Brown introduced it in August.

Judge clears way for airline merger

A federal bankruptcy judge has cleared the way for American Airlines and US Airways to complete their merger and create the world’s largest airline.

The judge ruled Wednesday that this month’s settlement of an antitrust lawsuit filed by the federal government didn’t upset American’s bankruptcy-reorganization plan, which is built around the merger. He rejected a request by a group of consumers to block the deal temporarily.

American said immediately after the ruling that it plans to complete the deal Dec. 9.

UK toughens welfare rules for migrants

LONDON

British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced measures to toughen welfare rules for migrants from the European Union.

The announcement came amid rising concern in Britain that migrants from Romania and Bulgaria — who could start working without restriction in the U.K. and the rest of the EU from Jan. 1 — would exploit the British welfare system.

The measures announced Wednesday include barring new migrants from getting jobless benefits for the first three months and deporting migrants caught begging or sleeping outdoors.

Cameron also proposed restricting the free movement of EU workers.

His comments were criticized by European Employment Commissioner Laszlo Andor, who said they were an “unfortunate over-reaction.”

Vindicator staff/wire reports