03/16/2010

American Airlines flight attendants will seek to end talks

FILE/DMN

American Airlines flight attendants staged a mock strike at D/FW Airport in November.

The flight attendants' union at American Airlines Inc. meets today with the National Mediation Board to ask for release from contract negotiations with the Fort Worth-based carrier.
Full coverage: American Airlines
Blog: Airline Biz

Fed holds rates at record lows to foster recovery
The Fed's assessment of the economy was a little more upbeat than in January. It said the job market is stabilizing and business spending has risen.
Full coverage: Federal Reserve
Graphic: Key players on the Fed
Blog: Economy

Energy blog: Oncor smart meter tests in Killeen show tiny discrepancies
Oncor on Tuesday released more results of electricity meter tests as some customers complain that the new, digital meters caused their winter bills to rise.

Honda to recall 410,000 vehicles for brake problem
Honda Motor Co. says it is recalling about 410,000 Odyssey minivans and Element small trucks because of problems with the brake pedals.

U.S. housing starts fall 5.9 percent
The decline highlighted the challenges facing builders as they struggle to emerge from the worst housing slump in decades.

FCC unveiling national broadband plan
More corners of the country would have high-speed Internet access and existing connections would become much faster under a sweeping proposal to overhaul U.S. broadband policy.

Dallas-based Wilson Associates to design interiors for 19 hotels in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
The hotels are part of a massive redevelopment of eight square miles of Makkah, also known as Mecca, center of the Islamic world.

Oncap to acquire Dallas-based Sport Supply Group
Sporting goods and uniform supplier Sport Supply Group agreed to be acquired by the private equity firm for roughly $170 million.

Oncor says initial tests show little difference with smart meters
Oncor released the initial results of smart meter tests on Monday, but critics of the new electricity meters may not be satisfied.

Blockbuster trying to sell European unit, report says
Movie rental chain Blockbuster Inc. reportedly has put its European unit up for sale as it struggles with debt and faces more competition.

03/15/2010

Shoppers feel price aftershock in produce

JIM MAHONEY/DMN

Distributor Chef’s Produce, where Richard Torres is sales manager, has seen grape prices double since Chile’s quake.

Best bring extra bucks along for your next trip down the produce aisle. Earthquakes in Chile and frigid temps in Florida have zapped some winter items, especially grapes and tomatoes. Shoppers might see grape prices double, and tomato supplies will be squeezed well into April.

Sen. Christopher Dodd unveils sweeping financial regulation plan

Getty Images

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd announces details of the plan.

A new Democratic Senate bill to tame the financial markets would give the government new powers to break up firms that threaten the economy and would force the industry to pay for its failures.
Full coverage: Federal Reserve
Blog: Economy Watch

Continental Airlines to charge for food
Continental Airlines is ending free hamburgers, barbecue and sandwich rolls for many of its passengers in favor of a food-for-sale program.

Denton man sentenced to 17 years in drilling scheme
A Dallas-area man has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison and ordered to repay nearly $18 million after pleading guilty to fraud in an oil and natural gas drilling scheme.

Toyota casts doubt on runaway Prius case
A California man has claimed that his Prius sped out of control, but Toyota says the report is inconsistent with the findings of the company's preliminary investigation.
Full coverage: Archives, blogs, video
Timeline: Toyota's troubles
Spike in Prius complaints may not be all it seems

PepsiCo to buy back up to $15 billion in shares
PepsiCo said Monday that it will buy back up to $15 billion worth of its own common stock through June 2013.

Blockbuster announces board changes
Blockbuster Inc. said Monday Jackie Clegg has resigned from its board of directors effective March 5, having served six and a half years as a director.

03/14/2010

Investors will eagerly seek hints from Fed on funds rate

AP

Chairman Ben Bernanke and other Federal Reserve policymakers meet Tuesday.

It is widely expected that the Fed will keep the fed funds rate, its key lending rate, at a historic low near zero when it meets Tuesday. That means investors and analysts will pore over the Fed's economic assessment to get a sense of when rates might go up.
More market news
Check on your stocks and funds
Blog: Economy Watch

Companies caught in the middle of U.S.-Mexico trucking dispute

Getty Images

After a year of trade sanctions that U.S. companies complain are draining away cash and jobs, the long battle over whether Mexico's trucks should be allowed on U.S. highways rolls on.

SMU dean says much of California's loss is Texas' gain
Al Niemi, dean of Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, is an expert on why businesses leave states.

SMU center's director embraces growth
As a kid, Michael Cox read his dad's business magazines and was mesmerized by the charts.

Barbie, '60s friends are made for 'Mad Men'
Barbie and her signature hourglass figure are getting the Mad Men treatment.

Business letters

Business book reviews

03/13/2010

Federal report: Cost of Internet scams more than doubled in 2009
Online scammers are getting more sophisticated and, as a result, a lot wealthier. The amount of money Americans lost to Internet-based scams and fraud soared to $559.7 million last year, more than double the figure for 2008, according to a new report.

Don't forget to claim special tax breaks for 2009
As you're preparing your federal income tax return this year, there are some key tax breaks you need to be aware of to keep from paying Uncle Sam more than you must.

Ex-Southwest Airlines chairman a confirmed smoker
Fans of Herbert Kelleher will be happy to know that the chairman emeritus of Southwest Airlines Co. gave up smoking last May.

Zale faces Citibank penalty after credit card sales fall short
Zale Corp., the Irving-based jeweler, must decide whether to pay Citibank a $6 million penalty for not having enough credit card sales or risk an early end to the deal that provides financing for 40 percent of its U.S. purchases.

03/12/2010

Praised and pricey, 3-D TV has arrived

LOUIS DeLUCA/DMN

The sets are expensive and require glasses, but experts are confident the future for 3-D is so bright we'll all soon be wearing the shades.
Blog: Technology

American Airlines facing $787,500 in maintenance fines from FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it is proposing fines of $787,500 against American Airlines Inc. for improper maintenance involving three different cases.

Court OKs TV rules opposed by Comcast, Cablevision
A federal court Friday upheld regulations that require cable TV companies to make sports programming and other channels they own available on equal terms to rival TV providers such as satellite companies.

Retail sales rise unexpectedly in February
The advance, the biggest since November, provided hope that the recovery from the Great Recession is gaining momentum.
Business inventories flat in January
Stocks turn lower after weaker inventories report
Blog: Economy Watch

American Airlines won't be cutting more pilots April 1 after all
The airline in January warned that it would need to furlough up to 175 pilots in 2010. It laid off 78 on Feb. 28, and expected to send more out the door on April 1. However, the plans have changed.

Exxon chief doubts natural gas in cars is viable move
Exxon Mobil Corp. chief executive Rex Tillerson, it seems, has not joined the T. Boone Pickens army.

Speculation fuels spike in trading of GameStop shares
Grapevine-based GameStop Corp., the world's largest video-game retailer, gained the most in almost a year Thursday and trading of its bullish options jumped to a record on speculation that the company will be acquired.

Motorola's Backflip is aimed squarely at social networkers
AT&T's first Android phone isn't a technological stunner.

03/11/2010

Women homebuilders raising roofs in Dallas area

MICHAEL AINSWORTH/DMN

Frisco-based builder Shelley Reynolds has two custom homes under construction and two more in the planning stages.

In North Dallas, a growing number of women are in what has been a boys' club of a business. About 10 percent of the industry's 175,000-member trade group – the National Association of Home Builders – are women.
Map: Dallas-area home sales and prices

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State board tells Oncor to waive fee for smart meter tests
Regulations allow customers one free test every four years, but the Public Utility Commission says smart meter installs warrant a clock reset.
Texans shocked by high electric bills blame Oncor's smart meters
Video: Oncor tests smart meter next to analog model

Mortgage rates holding below 5 percent
A government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire March 31, but the Federal Reserve could extend it.
First-time jobless claims drop slightly
Foreclosure rates see smallest hike in 4 years
Blog: Economy Watch

Dr Pepper stock soars to record on buzz over Coke fees
Dr Pepper Snapple Group saw its stock price soar to an all-time high Thursday as investors reacted to an analysts’ upgrade and continued to bank that the maker of Dr Pepper is in line for a payday from the maker of Coke.

American Airlines union asks federal board to start countdown to strike
The Transport Workers Union asked the Natioinal Mediation Board today to release it from mediation and start the 30-day cooling off period that could lead to a strike against American Airlines Inc., the union said.

Chicago company takes over Sterling Plaza, Preston Commons
Capri Capital Partners LLC is now in the driver's seat at Sterling Plaza and Preston Commons in North Dallas' Preston Center business district.

Airline group cuts 2010 loss estimate in half
IATA now believes airlines worldwide will lose $2.8 billion this year, down from its $5.6 billion prediction three months ago.
Blog: Airline Biz

Texas Instruments, GetFugu to announce $100,000 investment in MobileLab at University of Texas at Dallas
Dallas-based Texas Instruments Inc. and Los Angeles-based GetFugu Inc. are announcing a joint $100,000 investment in the MobileLab research group at the University of Texas at Dallas today.

Heelys trimmed losses in 4th quarter and all of 2009 despite lower sales
Wheeled-shoe maker Heelys Inc. narrowed its loss for the fourth quarter and full year 2009, despite lower sales.

Paciugo Gelato, airport concessionaire team up
Paciugo Gelato & Caffè, a Dallas-based franchiser of Italian gelato shops, has signed an agreement with an Atlanta-based airport concessionaire to bring Paciugo outlets to U.S. airports.

Denbury Resources reaches deal on new headquarters at West Plano's Campus at Legacy complex
A day after shareholders approved a $4.5 billion merger, Plano's Denbury Resources Inc. has inked a huge new headquarters deal.

03/10/2010

Whole Foods prepares for grand opening of Dallas Park Lane store

DMN

Employees prepare for the Whole Foods opening.

Whole Foods Market’s newest and biggest store in North Texas, opening Monday on Park Lane in Dallas, represents five years of planning, renegotiating, rethinking, downsizing and waiting out a recession.

As bag fees hit a max, new airline charges are taking off

FILE/AP

Industry experts say airline passengers are checking fewer bags – and carrying on more – to avoid fees.

Even as airlines have been losing billions of dollars a year, they've used the ancillary fees on a variety of services and products to lessen the damage, and baggage fees have paid off the most.
Blog: Airline Biz
Full coverage: Airline industry
Deals: Cheap flights from D/FW Airport and Love Field

Texas cuts number of jobs added in January
Oops – it turns out state employers didn't expand payrolls in January by as much as the Texas Workforce Commission reported last week.
U.S. job openings rose sharply in January
Blog: Economy Watch

American Airlines, allies offer concessions to advance Oneworld partnership
The European Commission said Wednesday that American Airlines Inc., British Airways and Iberia have offered to surrender enough slots at London’s Heathrow Airport to give competitors six additional flights a day to U.S. cities.

Kimberly-Clark rolling out bathroom paper towels
Listen up, germs: Kimberly-Clark Corp. is on to you. It says you've been hiding out on hand towels in the bathroom. And now it's doing something about it.

Denbury to close Encore Acquisition's Fort Worth offices, move jobs to Plano after merger
Denbury Resources plans to offer most Encore Acquisition Co. employees a transfer to Plano and will eventually close Encore's downtown Fort Worth headquarters, a Denbury spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Hillwood breaking ground on next phase of Twin Creeks community in Allen
The 2,400-acre development west of U.S. Highway 75 is being built in a partnership with Dal-Briar Corp.

Three Rent-A-Center companies sue Aaron's
The three Plano-based companies that operate the Rent-A-Center chain filed a civil suit Tuesday against Aaron's Inc., accusing their Georgia-based competitor of false advertising.

NRG Energy to get up to $154M from government to install carbon dioxide capture system
NRG Energy Inc. won up to $154 million in funding from the Department of Energy to install a system to capture carbon dioxide from a coal-fired power plant.