The Lead
Food Companies Work To Make It Look Natural
June 18, 2013 | by Candice Choi, AP Food Industry Writer | Comments
Food companies are responding to the adage that people eat with their eyes. Americans still love their fast food and packaged snacks, but they're increasingly turning their noses up at foods that look overly processed. Home-cooked meals — or ones that at least look like they were homemade — are seen as more wholesome and authentic.
Stora Enso Lays Off 2,500 Workers
June 18, 2013 7:48 am | Comments
Nordic paper maker Stora Enso says it will lay off 2,500 workers, or some 9 percent of its total...
European Car Sales Hit 20-Year Low
June 18, 2013 7:38 am | by Colleen Barry, AP Business Writer | Comments
Passenger car sale demand for May dropped by 5.9 percent on the same month last year in the 27-...
Lego To Expand Czech Facility To Meet Demand
June 18, 2013 7:35 am | Comments
Danish toymaker Lego says it will expand a factory in the Czech Republic and create some 800...
Senators Introduce Export Bill
June 18, 2013 2:19 pm | CommentsU.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte are teaming up to help small businesses make the most of their export opportunities. The senators on Tuesday reintroduced the bipartisan Small Business Export Growth Act, which is aimed at cutting down on bureaucratic hurdles and giving businesses more exporting assistance.
Techne To Buy Bionostics For $104M
June 18, 2013 1:32 pm | CommentsBionostics develops, manufactures and distributes products that verify the proper operation of in vitro diagnostic devices mainly used in blood glucose and blood gas testing. The company has supply relationships with the vast majority of in vitro diagnostic device manufacturers, Techne said.
Obama: Difference Between Spying And Hacking
June 18, 2013 12:25 pm | CommentsObama says every country engages in intelligence gathering, which he called an occasional source of tension. But the president says there's a big difference between China trying to find out what he's saying in meetings with the Japanese and a hacker connected with the Chinese government breaking into Apple Inc. or other U.S. companies.
Boeing Nets Orders For 102 Stretch 787s
June 18, 2013 12:24 pm | CommentsBoeing announced the formal launch of its 787-10 program at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday and says it already has commitments for 102 jets from five customers: Air Lease Corp., Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, International Airlines Group and GE Capital Aviation Services.
S. Korea Begins Bidding For $7.3B Fighter Buy
June 18, 2013 11:39 am | by Sam Kim, Associated Press | CommentsSouth Korea has begun accepting bids from aircraft makers to supply 60 new fighter jets at an estimated cost of $7.3 billion. Two arms procurement officials said the bidding began Tuesday and is scheduled to end next week. Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle, EADS' Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are competing.
Boeing Opening Info Tech Center In St. Louis-Area
June 18, 2013 11:34 am | CommentsMissouri Gov. Jay Nixon said Monday that Boeing Co. plans to open an information technology center in the St. Louis area that is expected to create at least 400 jobs. Nixon made the announcement during a conference call from France, where he was visiting as part of a weeklong European trip to promote Missouri's business interests.
U.S. Safety Agency Investigating Suzuki Small SUVs
June 18, 2013 11:31 am | CommentsU.S. safety regulators are investigating problems with air bag sensors in the seats of some small Suzuki SUVs. The probe covers 205,000 vehicles including Grand Vitaras from the 2006 through 2011 model years and SX4s from 2007 through 2011.
Consumer Prices Rise Just 0.1 Percent
June 18, 2013 11:29 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | CommentsU.S. consumer prices rose slightly last month, as higher energy costs partly offset cheaper food. The small increase is further evidence that consumers are benefiting from mild inflation.The consumer price index ticked up a seasonally adjusted 0.1 percent in May from April, the Labor Department said Tuesday.
easyJet To Buy 135 Single-Aisle Airbus A320s
June 18, 2013 11:28 am | CommentsThe companies said at the Paris Air Show that the British-based airline scooped up 35 current generation A320s and 100 of its A320neo. At list prices, the order would cost $11.9 billion, but easyJet said it received deep discounts, as is typical. It has an option to buy another 100 of the new generation A320s.
Rambus And STMicroelectronics Announce Settlement
June 18, 2013 11:26 am | CommentsMemory chip designer Rambus Inc. and STMicroelectronics, one of Europe's largest chipmakers, announced a licensing agreement Monday and said they have resolved all litigation between them.The companies said their agreement will allow STMicroelectronics to use more security measures in multimedia chip sets.
U.S. Official: Solar Plane To Help Ground Energy Use
June 18, 2013 7:54 am | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | CommentsThe lightweight technology will pay off on the ground far more readily than in the air. This project should lead to cleaner appliances, greener cars and more energy-efficient building, said Solar Impulse CEO Andre Borschberg, who also is one of the pilots.
Lawmakers: Put Dangerous Chemical Site Info Online
June 18, 2013 7:51 am | by Will Weissert, Associated Press | CommentsOther state officials told lawmakers that 129 facilities store at least 5 tons of ammonium nitrate and other potentially explosive materials. Sixteen of those were fertilizer-mixing facilities similar to the West Fertilizer Co., which blew up following a fire that ignited ammonium nitrate.
Chrysler Expected To Formally Refuse Jeep Recall
June 18, 2013 7:34 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | CommentsIn one of the biggest-ever showdowns between an automaker and the government, Chrysler on Tuesday is expected to file papers explaining its refusal to recall 2.7 million older Jeep SUVs that are at risk of catching fire in rear-end collisions.
Texas Governor Woos Disgruntled Conn. Gun Makers
June 18, 2013 2:36 am | by Stephen Singer, AP Business Writer | CommentsTexas Gov. Rick Perry extolled the tax policies and regulatory climate of his state as he courted gun manufacturers that have threatened to leave Connecticut since the state passed new gun-control laws in response to the Newtown school massacre.
EU Official: Trade Deal With U.S. A 'Game-Changer'
June 17, 2013 2:12 pm | CommentsThe top official with the European Union's executive arm says a free trade deal with the United States would be a "game-changer" for the global economy. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the statement Monday ahead of a formal launch of the trade effort at the Group of Eight Summit in Northern Ireland.
J&J To Buy Aragon For At Least $650M
June 17, 2013 2:08 pm | CommentsJohnson & Johnson said Monday that it has agreed to buy Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc. for at least $650 million in cash, boosting its position in prostate drug development. The privately-held San Diego, company is focused on the development of drugs to treat hormonally-driven cancers.
Whey From Greek Yogurt Used To Produce Power
June 17, 2013 2:07 pm | by Michael Hill, Associated Press | CommentsAt the Gloversville-Johnstown wastewater plant west of Albany, it's pipelined from the nearby Fage yogurt plant, where it goes into a 1.5 million-gallon tank filled with anaerobic bacteria, called an anaerobic digester. The resulting methane gas becomes combustible fuel that generates nearly enough electricity to power the plant.
Nuclear Weapons Plant To Improve Fire Safety
June 17, 2013 1:52 pm | CommentsThe new construction comes after the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board raised safety concerns earlier this year about more than a decade of delays in completing improvements to an aging fire protection system at the West Texas facility, the Amarillo Globe-News reported Sunday.
Hundreds Sickened In Bangladesh Garment Factory
June 17, 2013 1:50 pm | CommentsSeveral hundred garment workers were sickened at their factory outside Bangladesh's capital on Sunday, apparently after drinking water there. Police official Mohammad Jahid said many of the workers were treated at various hospitals after the incident at East West Factory in Gazipur district.
MAPI: Rebound In Production, Modest To Moderate Growth
June 17, 2013 12:19 pm | CommentsStrong industrial activity in early 2013 softened somewhat recently but the sector should have enough momentum to continue growth, according to the quarterly Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation U.S. Industrial Outlook (EO-124), a report that analyzes 27 major industries.