Martin

Online shopping in some states is about to become more expensive. A wave of states have passed laws that will require consumers to pay sales tax on all internet purchases as soon as next year. Other states and the District of Columbia are pursuing similar measures. And in Maryland, Gov. Martin O'Malley wants to go further and levy a tax on songs and other digital products bought through popular sources such as iTunes.

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American Eagle Outfitters on Wednesday posted a 66% drop in its second-quarter net income as it was forced to slash prices on summer items and issued a weak forecast for the current back-to-school quarter."The second quarter was a challenging period, resulting in a miss to our sales and profit plans," CEO Jim O'Donnell said in a statement. "Given the inconsistencies in business trends and unpredictable consumer behavior, we have intensified our actions to improve efficiencies, streamline our process and strengthen profitability."For the three months ended in late July the teen retailer earned $9.7 million, down from last year's net