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33 Plaintiffs Dismissed In 'Popcorn Lung' Suits
March 22, 2010 5:03 am | CommentsJOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Eleven plaintiffs remain in a round of lawsuits against a microwave popcorn packaging plant in Jasper. Originally, 44 plaintiffs were part of lawsuits filed in 2006 against the makers of butter flavorings used at the Jasper Popcorn Co. plant, which has operated as Gilster Mary Lee Corp.
Auto Supplier Exec Dies, Evades Criminal Charges
March 22, 2010 4:56 am | CommentsPHOENIX (AP) — The death of a former top executive at CSK Auto Corp. means federal prosecutors won't be able to prove criminal charges that he manipulated earnings reports at the auto parts supplier. Prosecutors filed federal court documents earlier this month that notified the court of the death of former CSK president Martin G.
Rio Tinto Case Underscores 'Worsening Environment' In China
March 22, 2010 4:48 am | CommentsSHANGHAI, China — An Australian executive and three Chinese officials with mining giant Rio Tinto pleaded guility to accepting bribes in a Shanghai court, lawyers said Monday in a case that has strained relations between the countries. The lawyers said Stern Hu and the three Chinese nationals — Liu Caikui, Ge Minqiang and Wang Yong — pleaded guilty but disputed the amounts they are alleged to have accepted.
GM Recalls 60,000 Vehicles In S. Korea
March 22, 2010 4:33 am | CommentsSEOUL, South Korea — General Motors is recalling nearly 60,000 automobiles in South Korea due to potential problems with steering wheels, fuel hoses and seats, the company's local unit and the government said Sunday. The recall of 58,696 vehicles will begin Monday and cover four models manufactured in South Korea, said Kim Byeong-soo, a spokesman for GM Daewoo Auto&Technology Co.
Shareholders Sue Toyota For Drop In Stock Prices
March 22, 2010 4:16 am | CommentsMIAMI (AP) — Toyota shareholders incensed over a sudden drop in the Japanese automaker's stock price are heading to court with lawsuits claiming company executives deliberately misled investors and the public about the depth of accelerator problems in millions of its vehicles. At least three proposed class-action lawsuits filed by Toyota investors say the company gave false initial assurances that the sudden acceleration problem was a simple matter of floor mats trapping gas pedals, helping prop up the stock price.
PepsiCo To Slash Sugar, Salt, Fat
March 22, 2010 4:03 am | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — PepsiCo Inc. plans to cut the sodium found in each serving of its key brands by one-fourth in five years. The maker of Frito-Lay chips and Pepsi drinks announced several nutrition goals on Monday at the start of a two-day investor conference. The company also set two goals for the next 10 years: to cut the average added sugar per serving by 25 percent and saturated fat per serving by 15 percent.
Company Dividends A Factor In Death Of Golden Flake Heir?
March 19, 2010 4:53 am | CommentsBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — An angry letter and a bag of Golden Flake chips were taped inside Major Bashinsky's abandoned car when it was found near downtown Birmingham. Days later the snack food heir's body was fished out of a public golf course pond a few miles away, and now police are trying to find out if the chips that made his family wealthy had anything to do with his death.
Boeing Speeds Up Production On 777, 747
March 19, 2010 4:31 am | CommentsNEW YORK (AP) — Boeing will speed up production plans for its 777 and 747 models in anticipation of greater demand from commercial airlines in a couple of years. Both are wide-body planes capable of carrying more than 300 passengers and flying longer routes. They're also more fuel-efficient than other aircraft models.
China To U.S.: Back Off Our Currency
March 19, 2010 4:17 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | CommentsBEIJING (AP) — China is sending a Cabinet official to Washington in a bid to defuse trade tensions, the government said Friday, as it called on U.S. leaders to cool the "politicization and emotionalization" of a currency dispute. A deputy commerce minister, Zhong Shan, will go to Washington on Wednesday to meet with American trade, commerce and Treasury officials and members of Congress, the Commerce Ministry said.
'Runaway' NY Prius Driver Never Used Brakes
March 19, 2010 4:16 am | by Jim Fitzgerald and Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writers | CommentsHARRISON, N.Y. (AP) — Computer data from a Toyota Prius that crashed in suburban New York City show that at the time of the accident the throttle was open and the driver was not applying the brakes, U.S. safety officials said Thursday. The disclosure prompted an angry response from the police captain investigating the cause of the accident.
Biden: Manufacturing Is Essential To Middle Class
March 18, 2010 12:05 pm | by Emery P. Dalesio, AP Business Writer | CommentsDURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Manufacturing jobs are essential to support a vibrant middle class and the Obama Administration is working to boost U.S. manufacturing of growing technologies, Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday. "We're going to make sure that we don't just build the same old economy on top of the one that just collapsed," Biden said during a visit with Energy Secretary Steven Chu to Cree Inc.
Chemical Maker Violates U.S.-Cuba Embargo
March 18, 2010 12:04 pm | by Marcy Gordon, AP Business Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — Specialty chemicals maker Innospec Inc. pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges of bribery, defrauding the United Nations and violating the U.S. embargo against Cuba, U.S. authorities said. The Justice Department said Innospec entered a guilty plea before a federal judge in Washington to charges of wire fraud in connection with kickbacks it paid to the former Iraqi government under the UN oil-for-food program and bribes to officials in the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
Ford Shares Reach Five-Year High
March 17, 2010 10:37 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | CommentsDETROIT (AP) — Shares of Ford Motor Co. surged to a five-year high Wednesday after a ratings agency upgraded the automaker's debt and said Ford has the potential to improve its finances even further. The Dearborn, Mich., automaker's stock hit $14.11 per share in afternoon trading, a 4 percent surge to levels not seen since January 2005.
Senators Rally To 'Confront' Chinese Currency Manipulation
March 17, 2010 4:58 am | by Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer | CommentsWASHINGTON (AP) — A group of 14 U.S. senators unveiled legislation Tuesday that seeks to increase pressure on China to let its currency to rise in value against the dollar, saying Chinese "currency manipulation" is hurting the U.S. economy. The bill calls for stiff trade sanctions if China does not act.
China Set To Begin Rio Tinto Bribery Trials
March 17, 2010 4:47 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | CommentsSHANGHAI (AP) — A Shanghai court will Monday begin hearing China's case against four employees of mining giant Rio Tinto, including one Australian, on charges of stealing commercial secrets and bribe-taking. Stern Hu, the Australian national, will be among the four defendants appearing at the Shanghai No.
