PROVIDENCE – Protesters unhappy with the state’s ultimately doomed investment in 38 Studios LLC urged Rhode Island leaders last week to default on the money the state owes for the deal, The Associated Press reported. more

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. House of Representatives last week approved legislation to increase accountability and transparency in tax credit programs and state agency reports. more

One major role of business executives – maybe especially those in human resources – is to teach. Many successful people say they owe the benefit of their experience to professionals coming up behind them. more

These days, banks can seem like characters in blockbuster movies: swirling in drama, thriving under turmoil, operating in crisis mode. Melissa Trapp, who manages Bank Rhode Island’s investment services, declares that she is “not headline material.” But she embodies the values that banks purport to deliver: sound judgment, a personal touch, little fanfare. more

Ann M. Kashmanian never thought about working in the health care industry when she was studying for a master’s degree in business administration at Northeastern University. Today, she helps keep several Ocean State hospitals on sound financial footing and works to make sure health care is available to everyone. more

Walk into People’s Credit Union in Middletown and you might see Ellen Ford, the president and CEO, sitting at a desk with an elderly woman, helping her balance her checkbook. more

The largest accounting firm in Rhode Island, Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co., has made connecting with the next generation of New England entrepreneurs part of its growth strategy. Longtime participants in the Rhode Island Business Plan competition, KLR is now launching an Emerging Business Center incubator space in its offices on North Main Street in Providence. more

Banco Santander SA agreed to sell half of its asset-management division to U.S. buyout firms Warburg Pincus LLC and General Atlantic LLC in a deal that values the unit at 2.05 billion euros ($2.67 billion), the latest disposal by Spain’s largest bank as it bolsters capital. more

Bank of America Corp. must face a lawsuit filed by a mortgage-bond trustee that seeks the repurchase of home loans backing $1.75 billion of securities, a judge ruled. more

Along with the name change to GTECH SpA, which will go into effect on June 3, Lottomatica Group SpA is also changing its company ticker. more