Two student-owned startup businesses took home the top honors and received funding commitments at the annual Olin Cup Awards ceremony at Washington University's Olin Business School.

Here is a selection of business news tidbits from this week's paper and possibly some news items that didn't make it into the paper.

The credit crunch and tax-break uncertainty were pulling San Francisco lawyer Charles Ferguson's energy practice into a lull. Three deals in the billion-dollar range stalled in the past year, thanks to the souring U.S. business environment. So he and his

BUSINESS EDITORS:@ Here are Canadian Press Business staffing plans as of 4 p.m. ET. Plans may change as circumstances warrant. Queries should be addressed to business editor John Valorzi at 416-507-2146 or David Paddon on the business desk at 416-507-2138

It's all fun and games for the audience: theater under the stars, in a barn, in an air-conditioned room after a hot day on the beach. But it is business for those setting the stage: designers, box office attendants, ushers, performers and the person...