Regulations & Compliance

Boeing Asks Permission To Conduct 787 Test Flights

February 5, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Federal regulators say they are evaluating a Boeing request to conduct test flights of its 787 Dreamliners, which were grounded nearly three weeks ago after a battery fire in one plane and smoke in another. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the request, but officials declined to elaborate.

Foxconn To Widen Scope Of Union Elections

February 4, 2013 1:46 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Taiwan-owned Foxconn Technology Group, a leading maker of Apple's iPhones and gadgets for other global brands, is widening the scope of union elections at its sprawling facilities in China. The move, confirmed by the company Monday, follows a series of recommendations from an international panel hired by Apple to audit conditions for the 1.2 million workers in Foxconn's mainland factories.

Air India Still Flying Troubled 787s

February 4, 2013 1:01 pm | by CBS News | Videos | Comments

Air India continued to fly some of its 787 Dreamliner jets after the United States and other countries grounded the fleet as the probe into the aircraft's battery problems continues. Travel editor Peter Greenberg speaks to the "CBS This Morning" co-hosts about why some 787s are still allowed to fly.

Owners Of Bangladesh Factory Where 7 Died Arrested

February 1, 2013 10:29 am | by Julhas Alam, Associated Press | News | Comments

Two owners of a Bangladesh garment factory where seven workers were killed in a weekend fire were arrested Thursday as police investigated allegations of murder and negligence. Police were questioning Smart Export Garment Ltd. Chairman Sharif Ahmed and Managing Director Zakir Ahmed after a court placed them on a two-day remand.

Feds Sue RG Steel Owner For $97M In Pension Funds

January 31, 2013 1:59 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

An agency tasked with protecting retirees' pensions is suing the owner of bankrupt RG Steel. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. is seeking $97 million in a federal court in New York to cover unfunded liabilities and plan contributions. Renco Group allegedly dumped 24.5 percent of its ownership before the May 2012 bankruptcy, selling out to Cerberus Capital Management solely to avoid its pension obligations to more 1,350 retirees.

Judge Rejects Apple's Patent Damages Demands

January 30, 2013 1:40 pm | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | Comments

A judge rejected Apple Inc.'s demand to increase the $1.05 billion in damages a jury ordered Samsung Electronics Inc. to pay its fiercest rival in the smartphone market. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh also rejected demands from both companies to conduct another trial on different issues over claims that the South Korean company unfairly used technology controlled by Apple to build its iPads and iPhones to market knockoff products.

Next In BP Spill Saga: Civil Trial Worth Billions

January 30, 2013 10:19 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

Now that a $4 billion plea deal has resolved BP's criminal liability for the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill nearly three years ago, the company will turn its focus to a trial that could potentially cost it billions of dollars more in civil penalties.

MI Gov. Asks For Ruling On Right-To-Work Law

January 29, 2013 2:05 pm | by David Eggert, Associated Press | News | Comments

Gov. Rick Snyder asked the Michigan Supreme Court on Monday to rule quickly on the constitutionality of the new right-to-work law that takes effect in late March, saying questions on how it would impact 35,000 unionized state employees must be resolved before new contract talks begin this summer.

DuPont, Easton-Bell Feud Over Kevlar Trademark

January 29, 2013 1:57 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

The DuPont Co. is feuding with sports equipment maker Easton-Bell Sports over the use of the Kevlar trademark in packaging for bicycle tires and locks. DuPont filed a federal lawsuit in Delaware this week claiming that Easton-Bell's prominent use of the Kevlar trademark on tire and lock packages infringes on DuPont's trademark.

Report: Gov't Allowed High Pay At Bailed-Out Firms

January 29, 2013 10:20 am | by Marcy Gordon, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

A government report criticized the U.S. Treasury Department for approving "excessive" salaries and raises at firms that received taxpayer-funded bailouts during the financial crisis. The Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program said Treasury approved all 18 requests it received last year to raise pay for executives at American International Group, General Motors and Ally Financial.

China Levies Anti-Dumping Tax On U.S., EU Chemicals

January 28, 2013 2:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

China says it will impose anti-dumping duties on two chemicals from the United States and European Union for five years. The Ministry of Commerce said it ruled that U.S. and EU companies have been selling the chemicals at unfairly low prices, hurting China's domestic industry.

U.S. Officials Defend Handling Of Boeing 787 Mishaps

January 24, 2013 2:18 pm | by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | News | Comments

Obama administration officials struggled Wednesday to defend their initial statements that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is safe while promising a transparent probe of mishaps involving the aircraft's batteries. FAA is working as quickly as possible to find the cause of the problems, assembling a team of technical experts that includes experts from industry as well as the agency's staff, Huerta said.

Whirlpool Wins ITC Decision In Anti-Dumping Case

January 24, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a final ruling Wednesday determining that Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and other foreign manufacturers have been selling washing machines in the U.S. at below their market value, hurting the U.S. industry. The decision means the U.S. government will impose duties on imports of the washing machines.

Unions See Sharp Decline In Membership

January 23, 2013 2:14 pm | by Sam Hananel, Associated Press | News | Comments

The nation's labor unions suffered sharp declines in membership last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday, led by losses in the public sector as cash-strapped state and local governments laid off workers and — in some cases — limited collective bargaining rights.

Wal-Mart Warns Suppliers On Stricter Measures

January 22, 2013 2:04 pm | by Anne D'Innocenzio, AP Retail Writer | News | Comments

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has alerted its global suppliers that it will immediately drop them if they subcontract their work to factories that haven't been authorized by the discounter. Wal-Mart's stricter measure, along with other changes to its policy, comes amid increasing calls for better safety oversight after a deadly fire at a Bangladesh factory that supplied clothing to Wal-Mart and other retailers.

Court Won't Hear Challenge To Clean Air Act Rule

January 22, 2013 1:59 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The Supreme Court won't hear a challenge to a tough new clean air requirement limiting sulfur dioxide emissions. The high court on Tuesday refused to hear an appeal from businesses and industrial interests involving an Environmental Protection Agency regulation setting emission levels of sulfur dioxide, a colorless gas with the smell of rotting eggs.

Environmentalists Hail Obama Climate Change Focus

January 22, 2013 10:23 am | by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | News | Comments

Environmental groups hailed President Barack Obama's warning Monday about climate change, but said the president's words will soon be tested as he decides whether to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Obama pledged in his inaugural speech to respond to what he called the threat of climate change, saying, "Failure to do so would betray our children and future generations."

Aviation Technology Advances, FAA Tries To Keep Up

January 21, 2013 2:34 pm | by David Koenig, AP Airlines Writer | News | Comments

After two separate and serious battery problems aboard Boeing 787s, it wasn't U.S. authorities who acted first to ground the plane. It was Japanese airlines. The unfolding saga of Boeing's highest-profile plane has raised new questions about federal oversight of aircraft makers and airlines.

Toyota Settlement May Signal Future Legal Strategy

January 21, 2013 10:15 am | by Greg Risling, Associated Press | News | Comments

As Toyota Motor Corp. chips away at settling lawsuits claiming its vehicles suddenly accelerate, the question remains whether attorneys who sued could prove to a jury there was a design flaw. The company maintains stuck accelerator pedals, faulty floor mats and driver error are the reasons for vehicles unexpectedly surging, while plaintiffs' attorneys contend Toyota's electronic throttle control system is to blame.

Shanghai Workers Lock Up Execs In Labor Dispute

January 21, 2013 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Workers at a Japanese-owned electronic parts maker in Shanghai locked up around 10 Japanese executives for two days to press their demands for better pay and working conditions, releasing them early Sunday after police intervention. Among the captives was the president of Shinmei Electric Co., the parent company of the Shanghai factory.

Over 140 Nations Adopt Treaty To Cut Mercury

January 21, 2013 10:07 am | by John Heilprin, Associated Press | News | Comments

A new and legally binding international treaty to reduce harmful emissions of mercury was adopted Saturday by more than 140 nations, capping four years of difficult negotiations but stopping short of some of the tougher measures that proponents had envisioned.

A Closer Look At The American Taxpayer Relief Act Of 2012

January 21, 2013 8:00 am | by Mary Balmer, CPA, director of research and development for Sage North America | Articles | Comments

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, signed into law on January 2, 2013, avoids the scheduled increases to individual income tax rates for most Americans andextends a host of expired and expiring tax provisions for both individuals and businesses. A sigh of relief has been heard as at least one portion of the fiscal cliff was narrowly averted. It also ends the long and acrimonious debate over the Bush-era tax cuts.

Judge Dismisses IN Right-To-Work Law Challenge

January 18, 2013 2:13 pm | by Tom Davies, Associated Press | News | Comments

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by union members challenging Indiana's right-to-work law that was enacted last year. U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon in Hammond ruled that none of the union's arguments against the law could succeed in federal court, although a challenge could still be made in state courts.

Utah Car Device Company Settles EPA Complaint

January 18, 2013 2:06 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A Utah company that sold devices to remove emission controls on vehicles has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle claims by the Environmental Protection Agency that it violated the Clean Air Act. The EPA says the illegal devices allow cars to spew smoke containing particulates linked with health problems, including respiratory disease and bronchitis.

Toyota Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

January 18, 2013 10:21 am | by Andrew Dalton, Associated Press | News | Comments

Toyota Motor Corp. has settled with family members of two people killed in a sudden-acceleration crash in Utah as part of a lawsuit that was to go to court next month and serve as a test case for a group of hundreds more that are pending. Paul Van Alfen and Charlene Jones Lloyd were killed when their Camry slammed into a wall in 2010.