Comcast: Rising costs force rate increase

Comcast: Rising costs force rate increase Comcast, primary provider of cable TV service in the Twin Cities, is raising rates on most of its television offerings starting Jan. 1 -- though it said the increase is the smallest in 10 years. Standard cable is going up to $59.45 from $57.50, and most digital packages are going up as well, generally by about $2 per month. Comcast attributed the increases to rising programming costs and other costs.

Comcast said it's not raising prices of its high-speed Internet and digital phone-voice services, and some Internet prices are even being cut by $2 a month.

Suzanne Ziegler

Mosaic to take $50 million charge Mosaic Co., North America's second-largest fertilizer producer, said it will take a $50 million pretax charge to permanently close two fertilizer plants in Florida.

The charge stemming from the previously idled plants will be recorded in the company's fiscal second quarter ended Monday, Plymouth-based Mosaic said. Mosaic is owned 64 percent by Cargill.