1. UTILITIES:
N.C. regulators approve pact with Duke, Progress
The North Carolina Utilities Commission unanimously voted today to approve a settlement with Duke Energy Corp. that halts two state investigations into the company's $32 billion takeover of Progress Energy Inc. The six-member commission formalized a settlement that the agency's staff and Duke Energy reached last week, which requires Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers to step down from leading the combined utility by the end of next year.