News For Saturday Aug 30, 2008 News For Saturday Aug 30, 2008

Business Business

Machinists union leaders call for Boeing strike - Added 7 hours ago

!!-- pobj:WASEA201-0827082217 -->Leaders of Boeing Co.'s Machinists union called Friday for a strike after rejecting the aerospace giant's "best and final" contract offer. They urged union members to reject the offer in...

Recalls: Smoked salmon, children's cosmetics bags - Added 9 hours ago

The following recalls have been announced: _Trans-Ocean Products Inc. of Bellingham, Wash., is recalling its 4-ounce Cracked Pepper Style Smoked Salmon (Lot No. 54933-2) because it may be contaminated with Listeria...

Stocks end lower on personal income data - Added 13 hours ago

Wall Street tumbled Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 170...

Russia names banned poultry plants - Added 14 hours ago

It's a game of political chicken, and U.S. poultry producers are caught in the middle. Russia, the top market for U.S. chicken exports, will be banning imports from at least 19 plants on Monday. While U.S. producers...

Treasurys fall as investors cash in gains - Added 14 hours ago

Treasury prices mostly fell Friday ahead of the long holiday weekend as traders booked profits in an abbreviated session. Investors examined an apparent improvement in Midwest business conditions, which perhaps...

Gas prices up as Gustav threatens Gulf refineries - Added 14 hours ago

Retail gas prices swung higher Friday _ the first increase in 43 days _ as analysts warned that a direct hit on U.S. energy infrastructure by Hurricane Gustav could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. ...

Ala. county offer plan to avoid massive bankruptcy - Added 14 hours ago

Alabama's largest county offered a plan Friday to restructure its $3.2 billion sewer debt and, at least for now, put off filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Gov. Bob Riley said an attorney for...

Stocks end lower on personal income data - Added 14 hours ago

Wall Street tumbled Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed. The Dow Jones industrial average more than 170 points,...

Summary Box: Russia names banned poultry plants - Added 14 hours ago

THE BAN: Russia, the top market for U.S. chicken exports, will start banning imports from 19 plants on Monday. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says the bans are because of ignored warnings about inspections. THE...

As summer ends, flyers brace for airline changes - Added 15 hours ago

!!-- pobj:NYBZ130-0410081426 -->The grip U.S. airlines have on travelers' wallets is about to get tighter as carriers go ahead with plans to trim their domestic schedules due to the high cost of fuel. Executives...

Gas prices up as Gustav threatens Gulf refineries - Added 16 hours ago

Retail gas prices swung higher Friday _ the first increase in 43 days _ as analysts warned that a direct hit on U.S. energy infrastructure by Tropical Storm Gustav could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. ...

Alitalia files for bankruptcy protection - Added 16 hours ago

!!-- pobj:ROM102-0526080800 -->Alitalia said Friday it has sought bankruptcy protection, taking the first step in a plan to reshape Italy's unprofitable and debt-laden national carrier. The company said in a statement...

Gold falls as doller gains ground on euro - Added 16 hours ago

Gold prices fell slightly Friday as a stronger dollar prompted selling from investors seeking commodities as an inflation hedge. The 15-nation euro bought $1.4671, down from $1.4702 late Thursday in New York. A...

Agriculture futures trade mixed in Chicago - Added 16 hours ago

Agriculture futures traded mixed Friday on the Chicago Board of Trade. Wheat for September delivery fell 9.75 cents to $8.0125 a bushel; December corn fell 2.75 cents to $5.85 a bushel; December oats rose 2.25 cents to...

Fears of isolation as investors flee Russia - Added 17 hours ago

At the outset of this year, Russia proudly proclaimed itself an island of stability at the annual economic gathering in Davos, setting itself apart from the tumult of the global financial crisis. Then came the war with...

1 killed, 1 injured in W.Va. chemical plant blast - Added 17 hours ago

!!-- pobj:WVCHD102-0828082303 -->!!-- pobj:WVCHD101-0828082303 -->Federal officials are investigating the cause of a plant explosion that rocked an area west of Charleston, hurling a fireball hundreds of feet into the...

US oil and gas rig count up by 33 - Added 17 hours ago

The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States rose by 33 this week to 2,031. Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,606 were exploring for natural gas and 416 for oil, Houston-based...

Incomes drop sharply in July while spending slows - Added 17 hours ago

Consumer spending slowed to a crawl and personal incomes plunged in July, reflecting the waning impact of $93 billion in economic stimulus payments. The Commerce Department report Friday showed that consumer activity...

Dollar rises, gold falls in Europe - Added 18 hours ago

The U.S. dollar was mostly higher against most other major currencies in European trading Friday. Gold fell. The euro traded at $1.4680, down from $1.4702 late Thursday in New York. In afternoon trading in New York on...

Dollar rises, gold falls in Europe - Added 18 hours ago

The U.S. dollar was mostly higher against most other major currencies in European trading Friday. Gold fell. The euro traded at $1.4680, down from $1.4702 late Thursday in New York. In afternoon trading in New York on...

Restaurants offering deals, but also hiking prices - Added 19 hours ago

Restaurant companies trying to get consumers back into their restaurants are planning to offer lots of deals this fall. But there won't be discounts across the board, since many chains are also raising prices on premium...

Pro-union Starbucks barista gets his job back - Added 19 hours ago

A barista who said he was fired from Starbucks Corp. for helping to organize fellow workers into a union has been given his job back. In a preliminary reinstatement agreement dated Aug. 14 obtained by The Associated...

GM recalling 944,000 vehicles - Added 19 hours ago

General Motors Corp. said Friday it was recalling 944,000 vehicles because of a problem with a windshield wiper fluid system that could lead to a fire. More than 850,000 sport utility vehicles, trucks and passenger...

Lafley's pay falls for year - Added 20 hours ago

Procter & Gamble Co. Chief Executive A.G. Lafley's total annual pay fell by nearly 15 percent after the company's internal financial performance slowed at the end of a three-year incentive plan, a regulatory filing...

A look at US airlines' domestic capacity cuts - Added 20 hours ago

AirTran Airways: Plans for capacity to fall 7 percent to 8 percent between September and December. Alaska Airlines: Its parent company has said the carrier's fourth-quarter mainline capacity will be cut by 5 percent...

Restaurants to offer more deals in the fall - Added 20 hours ago

Fall's cool winds could make eating out cheap a breeze _ depending, that is, on what you order. After a second quarter of too many empty tables and falling profits, restaurant companies are planning to woo diners back...

Realtors peddle real estate to bike-happy clients - Added 22 hours ago

!!-- pobj:ORJK201-0820081807 -->!!-- pobj:ORJK202-0820081808 -->With gas prices high, bicycles flying out of stores and a buyers' market for houses, a handful of real estate agents around the country are touting the...

European Union opens probe into 3 airline alliance - Added 1 day ago

The European Commission has opened an antitrust probe into a revenue-sharing deal between British Airways PLC, American Airlines and Spain's Iberia SA, a spokesman said Friday. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said the...

Japan's inflation rises as leaders unveil package - Added 1 day ago

Japan unveiled a stimulus package with 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) in fresh spending to shore up its flagging economy on Friday as figures showed that inflation has spiked to its highest in nearly 11 years, denting...

India's 2Q economic growth slows to 7.9 percent - Added 1 day ago

India's economic growth slowed to 7.9 percent in the April-June quarter, down from 9.2 percent in the same period last year, amid a slump in manufacturing, the government said Friday. Growth, which has averaged 8.8...

Euro area inflation falls - Added 1 day ago

Euro area inflation fell in August from a record high, offering some relief as economic confidence plunged to the lowest level in five years, the European Commission said Friday. Inflation dropped to 3.8 percent in...

EU opens antitrust probe into airline alliance - Added 1 day ago

The European Commission has opened an antitrust probe into a revenue-sharing deal between British Airways PLC, American Airlines and Spain's Iberia SA, an EU official said Friday. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said the...

Japan unveils $18 billion stimulus package - Added 1 day ago

Japan unveiled a 2 trillion yen, or $18 billion, stimulus package Friday, including assistance to small businesses and other pump-priming measures to shore up its flagging economy hit by soaring energy and material...

A farming ND county gets a boost from New York - Added 1 day ago

The lone grocery store in the south-central North Dakota farming town of Zeeland has been selling disposable diapers, just for adults. "We stock Depends, but we don't have any for babies," said Kyle Anderson, a store...

Judge: Qualcomm violates Broadcom ruling - Added 1 day ago

A federal judge ruled that Qualcomm Inc. violated a ban on wireless technology owned by rival chip maker Broadcom Corp., the companies said Thursday. U.S. District Judge James Selna found that Qualcomm violated an...

Toyota lowers 2009 global sales target - Added 1 day ago

Toyota lowered its global sales target for 2009 by 700,000 vehicles to 9.7 million Thursday, showing that even one of the world's most durable automakers is being hurt by rising material costs, a slowing U.S. market and...

Boeing sends machinists final offer - Added 1 day ago

Boeing Co. delivered a final contract offer to its union machinists Thursday that it said would boost pay by 11 percent on average over three years, the latest effort by the airplane maker to avoid a strike that could...

P&G SEC filing confirms antitrust probes - Added 1 day ago

Authorities in the United Kingdom are investigating potential antitrust violations involving an unnamed Procter & Gamble Co. subsidiary, the consumer products company said Thursday in a Securities and Exchange...

Colorado Springs man settles SEC fraud case - Added 1 day ago

A Colorado Springs man and his two oil and gas companies have agreed to pay $510,000 to settle civil fraud allegations, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday. The SEC alleged that between March 2002 and...

Amtrak supporters cheer commuter Biden's VP bid - Added 1 day ago

Amtrak's having a great year, with soaring gas prices making the long-struggling railroad a more popular option for travelers and helping it gain traction in Congress. Now its fans are excited about the vice...

Federal agency issues warning on popular bassinet - Added 1 day ago

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents and caregivers to immediately stop using a popular brand of bassinet after the death of a second baby attributed to the product. The warning covers the...

Stocks jump on better-than-expected GDP, jobs data - Added 1 day ago

Wall Street barreled higher Thursday after a better-than-expected reading on the gross domestic product and a drop in jobless claims gave investors some reassurance that the economy is holding up. The Dow Jones...

Treasurys fall as investors move back into stocks - Added 1 day ago

Treasury bonds mostly fell Thursday after a government report indicated the economy grew at a faster pace during the second quarter and at least temporarily eased investors' need for safe-haven bets. The Commerce...

Russian chicken ban more bad news for US producers - Added 1 day ago

The nation's chicken producers faced more bad news Thursday as Russia said that 19 U.S. poultry producers will be barred from exporting their products there, a move that would deprive them access to a key market. Meat...

Grains, oil prices sink as traders eye the weather - Added 1 day ago

Grains and fuel prices finished an erratic trading session lower Thursday as commodities traders kept a close watch on the weather near the Gulf Coast and in the Midwest. Consumers aren't in for a break in gasoline and...

Automakers face conflicting safety rules worldwide - Added 1 day ago

It seems like an easy solution: Americans are looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles, so Ford Motor Co. is bringing over some of the small, gas-sipping cars it's been selling to Europeans for years. But introducing...

Stocks jump on better-than-expected GDP, jobs data - Added 1 day ago

Wall Street barreled higher Thursday after a better-than-expected reading on the gross domestic product and a drop in jobless claims gave investors some reassurance that the economy is holding up. The Dow Jones...

Spring's economic rebound unlikely to last - Added 1 day ago

The economy pulled out of a dangerous rough patch in the spring, thanks largely to strong exports, but the rebound isn't expected to last. Economic slowdowns overseas could make exports tail off just as Americans are...

Freezer sales climb as food prices soar - Added 1 day ago

Once relegated to the dank corners of the basement, freezers are being embraced again by shoppers who are stashing bulk-sized purchases of meats, fruits and vegetables there as they work to combat rising food prices. ...

MBIA, Tiffany, UAL, Williams Sonoma are big movers - Added 1 day ago

Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE MBIA Inc., up $4.17 at $16.15 MBIA agreed to reinsure about $200 billion of municipal bonds...