Home » The Lane Links — A daily digest of Kentucky business news you want to know

The Lane Links — A daily digest of Kentucky business news you want to know

If you are reading this digest on your Apple iPhone, you can thank Corning Inc. in Harrodsburg.

The Courier Journal reports that the 60-year-old glass factory in Central Kentucky played a pivotal role in enabling the worldwide sale of millions of iPhones. Corning’s contribution to one of the most innovative gadgets in a generation wasn’t known until October, when a biography of the late Steve Jobs was published. READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

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Despite the death of the casino bill in the General Assembly in February, Kentucky electronic gambling revenue continues to grow, reports the Lexington Herald Leader.

In March, Kentucky Downs in Franklin posted a 19.75 percent increase in wagering on instant racing, a slots-like game in which players bet on previously run races.

Its success could be short-lived, however. The Kentucky Court of Appeals hears oral arguments April 25 on the constitutionality of the wagers. GET THE ENTIRE STORY HERE.

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With only one day left in this year’s General Assembly session, state lawmakers still haven’t come to terms on a six-year, $10.6 billion proposal to fund road and bridge projects across Kentucky, the Herald Leader reports. State Rep. Sannie Overly, D-Paris, said Monday that House and Senate lawmakers have been working to try to mesh competing Road Fund budget proposals. READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

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Federal lawmakers are facing a growing pressure to raise the minimum wage, which was last increased at the federal level to $7.25 an hour in July 2009, according to the New York Times.

State legislators in some states argue that $7.25 an hour is too meager for anyone to live on and are pushing to raise the minimum wage above the federal level in their states. READ THE ENTIRE STORY HERE.

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President Barack Obama will make a case today for the so-called “Buffett Rule,” the New York Times reports.

The proposal would ensure that the wealthiest Americans pay at least 30 percent of their income in federal taxes.

Obama will be speaking at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton in the latest of his string of visits to a state that is a prime battleground for the election. LEARN MORE HERE.

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed Monday at below 13,000 for the first time in a month.

The Associated Press reports that stocks closed sharply lower after investors delivered their verdict on disappointing job growth in March. It was the worst four-day losing streak of the year for the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500. READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

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Facebook announced Monday it will purchase Instagram, an Internet start-up in San Francisco, for $1 billion in cash and stock.

Instagram is essentially a social network built around photography, the New York Times reports. GET THE DETAILS HERE.