Four charged

Stewart Parnell, president of the now defunct Peanut Corp. of America, was indicted along with three company managers over the sale of salmonella-tainted peanut products that sparked national outrage in 2009 after being tied to nine deaths. Stewart is charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead.

Jobless claims up

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped 20,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, a level that suggests slow but steady improvement in the job market. The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 8,000 to 360,750, the highest in six weeks.