News

Immigration Laws And The I-9 Trip Up Manufacturers

November 1, 2010 4:39 am | by Manuel Valdes, Associated Press | Comments

SEATTLE (AP) — They cost clothing chain Abercrombie & Fitch $1 million in fines, tripped up Meg Whitman's campaign for California governor, prompted mass layoffs across the country and have been at the center of countless other workplace immigration disputes. An obscure federal document called the I-9 form has emerged as a contentious element in the national immigration debate since the Obama administration vowed to go after employers who hire undocumented workers.

Miss. Toyota Supplier Hiring 300 Workers

November 1, 2010 4:34 am | Comments

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — A Toyota supplier in north Mississippi is taking applications for about 300 jobs at its Baldwyn facility. The job listings for Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi were posted on the Mississippi Department of Employment Security website Thursday. The company is looking for about 250 hourly workers and 50 supervisors that will work on salary.

After 84 Years, Pontiac Drives Into The Sunset

November 1, 2010 4:32 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | Comments

DETROIT (AP) — Pontiac, whose muscle cars drag-raced down boulevards, parked at drive-ins and roared across movie screens, is going out of business on Sunday. The 84-year-old brand, moribund since General Motors decided to kill it last year as it collapsed into bankruptcy, had been in decline for years.

Manufacturing Leads The Economy Out Of The Recssion

November 1, 2010 4:30 am | Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — The manufacturing sector likely grew in October for the 15th straight month, but at the slowest pace in almost a year. Economists expect that the Institute for Supply Management's index of manufacturing activity will drop to 54, according to a survey from Thomson Reuters, from 54.

Halliburton Admits To Skipping Cement Test On Oil Well

October 29, 2010 4:43 am | by Dina Cappiello, Associated Press | Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Halliburton Co. acknowledged that it skipped a critical test on the final formulation of cement used to seal BP's oil well before it blew out catastrophically in the Gulf of Mexico. The company, which was BP's cementing contractor, came under increased scrutiny when investigators from the president's oil spill commission revealed Thursday that tests performed by the company before the deadly blowout showed the cement to be unstable.

Honda's Profit Doubles, Mazda's Surges 10-Fold

October 29, 2010 4:42 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | Comments

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Mazda posted hefty profits despite a strengthening yen as the global recovery and government incentives for green cars drove sales higher. Honda, the manufacturer of the Insight hybrid, Accord sedan and Asimo human-shaped robot, said Friday its second quarter profit more than doubled to 135.

Oshkosh Corp. Earnings Fall On Higher Operating Costs

October 29, 2010 4:40 am | Comments

NEW YORK (AP) — Specialty vehicle maker Oshkosh Corp. on Thursday reported lower net income for its fiscal fourth-quarter that missed Wall Street expectations. For the three months ended Sept. 30, the Oshkosh, Wis., company earned $116.6 million, or $1.28 per share. That's compared with $140.

Wis. Printer Ready To Hire Hundreds, Restart Plants

October 29, 2010 4:39 am | Comments

SUSSEX, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin company that prints Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and L.L. Bean catalogs says it plans to hire hundreds of people immediately. Quad/Graphics is restarting equipment in Wisconsin that was shut down during the recession. The Sussex company is closing plants in Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee and Nevada and moving production to Wisconsin.

Student In Scissor Lift Dies Filming Notre Dame Practice

October 29, 2010 4:38 am | by Tom Coyne, Associated Press | Comments

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — As the Notre Dame football team drilled on its practice field, Declan Sullivan stood high above the turf in a hydraulic lift, videotaping the session so players could get an aerial view of their performance. Suddenly, the wind, already whipping so much that Sullivan tweeted that it was "terrifying," surged as high as 51 mph.

Microsoft's Income Rose 51 Percent Over 2009

October 29, 2010 4:36 am | by Jessica Mintz, AP Technology Writer | Comments

SEATTLE (AP) — A swell of spending by businesses on new computers, software and servers helped push Microsoft Corp.'s earnings for the most recent quarter past Wall Street's expectations. Business spending on technology slowed to a trickle during the economic downturn. Microsoft's report, released after the market closed Thursday, is the most recent evidence that corporate spending is back in full swing.

Phoenix Man Indicted For Violating Weapon Export Laws

October 29, 2010 4:35 am | by Bob Christie, Associated Press | Comments

PHOENIX (AP) — A Phoenix man and the company he heads have been indicted by a grand jury for violating federal arms export laws by shipping military aircraft engines to the Venezuelan air force and providing training on how to maintain them. The indictment announced on Thursday alleges that Floyd D.

Algae-Based Biofuels Gets Gov't, Military Support

October 27, 2010 4:48 am | by Jason Dearen, Associated Press | Comments

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (AP) — The forest green algae bubbling in a stainless steel fermenting tank in a suburban warehouse may look like primordial pond scum, but it is a promising new source of domestically produced fuels being tested on the nation's jets and warships. In a laboratory just a few steps away from the warehouse, white-coated scientists for a company called Solazyme are changing the genetic makeup of algae to construct a new generation of fuels.

Electrolux Building Vacuums Out Of Pacific Ocean Trash

October 27, 2010 4:46 am | by Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press Writer | Comments

HONOLULU (AP) — There's a story behind the blue, white and green plastic covering the surface of the Pacific Ocean vacuum cleaner. They're tiny bits of plastic collected from one of Hawaii's dirtiest beaches, Kahuku, where waves dump trash from the Pacific all day long. The machine made by Electrolux AB is fully functional and can suck up dirt from a rug like any other vacuum.

Tornado Tears Roof Off Wis. Manufacturing Plant

October 27, 2010 4:44 am | Comments

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (AP) — It's another day off for production workers at the Case plant in Racine County. A tornado tore a section of the roof off the plant in Mount Pleasant Tuesday, sending workers scrambling for cover. Two employees suffered minor injuries. Case spokesman Duane Nelson says the temporary shutdown includes all three plant functions; manufacturing, the North American parts operation and service training.

GlaxoSmithKline Pays $750 Million For Adulterated Drugs

October 27, 2010 4:41 am | by Denise Lavoie, AP Legal Affairs Writer | Comments

BOSTON (AP) — British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline PLC will pay $750 million to settle allegations that it knowingly manufactured and sold adulterated drugs, including the popular antidepressant Paxil, federal prosecutors in Massachusetts said. U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz announced Tuesday that the London-based company will pay $150 million in criminal fines and $600 million in civil penalties related to faulty manufacturing processes at its plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico.