News Headlines - 07 November 2014

▽Krugman Urges Abe to Delay Sales Tax Increase, Says PM’s Aide - Bloomberg

Paul Krugman met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today and said he was concerned that a further increase in the nation’s sales tax planned for next year could hurt the economy, according to one of Abe’s aides.
Krugman, a 2008 Nobel laureate in economics, urged Abe to delay the bump scheduled for October 2015, without indicating how long he should postpone, said Etsuro Honda, an adviser to the Japanese leader who was present at the meeting.

▽Dollar Shortages Spread Amid Russian Ruble Collapse | The Moscow Times

Rising demand for foreign currency meant U.S. dollars and euros were unavailable at some Russian banks and exchange points Friday as the ruble went into free fall during morning trading.
The Russian currency nosedived 3.8 percent against the dollar after markets opened, hitting a historical nadir of 48.64 against the greenback and shooting past the 60 rubles to the euro mark for the first time.

▽Court Upholds Marriage Bans in Four States - NYTimes.com

A federal appeals court in Ohio upheld on Thursday the right of four states to ban same-sex marriage, contradicting rulings by four similar courts and almost certainly sending the issue on a rapid trajectory to the Supreme Court.
The much-anticipated decision, written by Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton, an appointee of George W. Bush, overturned lower court rulings in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee that were in favor of same-sex marriage.

▽Toy Story 4: Why Disney Can't Quit Churning Out Toy Stories - Businessweek

The company promised Wall Street analysts this morning it will release a fourth iteration of Pixar’s Toy Story franchise on June 16, 2017. And it has the same old gang lined up: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and the director John Lasseter. “These wonderful characters are clearly just as relevant and beloved as ever,” Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said on the conference call.
Apparently, Lasseter wasn’t too keen on a fourquel. Here’s how he described the evolution of the project in a statement this morning:

▽Robin Williams' autopsy found no alcohol, illegal drugs - CBS News

Authorities say an autopsy on Robin Williams found no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system when he committed suicide at his Northern California home in August.