Business news in brief

Investor Carl Icahn has agreed to lend Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. up to $5 million to help the owner of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City pay its bankruptcy expenses into January. The move, described in a Bankruptcy Court filing Wednesday, could indicate that a deal is near to keep the Taj Mahal open. Trump has said it will close the casino Dec. 12 if its biggest union does not drop an appeal of an October bankruptcy ruling that stripped workers of company-sponsored health insurance. - Harold Brubaker

The University of Nebraska has hired a Philadelphia-based branding firm to help the university brag about its institutes, online class offerings, and general educational opportunities. The Lincoln Journal Star says the 12-month, $605,000 contract is with 160over90, headquartered in Center City, which has done campaigns for Michigan State University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and other universities and institutions. Nebraska Regent Bob Phares says the company's name comes from an indication of high blood pressure, and 160over90 is "planning to raise the blood pressure of our constituents." - AP

New home sales advanced 0.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 458,000, the Commerce Department reported. That October increase follows a smaller 0.4 percent gain in September and put sales at the highest point since May. The strength last month stemmed from a big 15.8 percent increase in sales in the Midwest and a smaller 7.1 percent rise in the Northeast, offsetting declines in the South and West. The median price of a home sold in October was $305,000, up 16.5 percent from a year ago. - AP

U.S. regulators formally demanded that Takata Corp. take part in a nationwide recall of defective air bags. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told Takata in a letter Wednesday to file a report by Tuesday that identifies a defect in "driver's side air bag inflators and is nationwide in scope." Failure to do so may lead NHTSA to force a recall and issue civil fines of $7,000 per violation. - Bloomberg News

Consumer confidence unexpectedly declined in November, according to the private research group the Conference Board. Its confidence index fell to 88.7 this month from an October reading of 94.1 that was the strongest since October 2007. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan said its index of consumer sentiment rose to 88.8 in November, from 86.9 in October, making its November number the highest since July 2007. - AP

A lawmaker in Ohio wants stores in the state to pay triple wages for employees who work on Thanksgiving - an effort that comes as Macy's is allowing its workers to choose whether to work that day. State Rep. Mike Foley, a Democrat from Cleveland, said his bill would allow employees to bow out of the holiday shift without job sanctions while protecting family time from excessive consumerism. - AP

The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits jumped last week, pushing total applications above 300,000 for the first time in nearly three months. Weekly applications rose 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 313,000, the Labor Department said. That's the highest level since the first week of September. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 6,250 to 294,000. - AP

Samsung Electronics Co. said it will buy back shares valued at 2.19 trillion South Korean won ($2 billion) after its parent group announced the sale of stakes in chemicals and defense businesses. Samsung, the world's biggest mobile-phone maker, will buy back 1.65 million common shares and 250,000 preferred stock, according to a regulatory filing. The South Korea-based company, with a market value of 176.9 trillion won, will buy stock from the market by Feb. 26. - Bloomberg News

Orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods rose in October, but a key category that tracks business investment plans declined sharply for a second straight month. Orders for durable goods increased 0.4 percent last month following a 0.9 percent drop in September and an even bigger 18.3 percent plunge in August, the Commerce Department reported.

- AP

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.97 percent for the week ended Wednesday, down from 3.99 percent the previous week, and 4.29 percent a year ago. For a 15-year mortgage, the average for the last week was 3.17 percent, unchanged from the previous week, and down from an average of 3.30 percent a year ago, Freddie Mac said. - Reid Kanaley

A final judgment against Bank of America Corp. in a mortgage-bond lawsuit by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was signed by a federal judge, helping clear the way for the lender to complete a $16.7 billion global settlement of claims it misled investors about risk. - Bloomberg News