LOCAL BUSINESS

07/03/2008

Ship Channel struggles to fill job surplus with skilled workers
The majority of the jobs there don't require college degrees, but they're the kinds of jobs high schools have been steering kids away from.

Gas prices driving Houston cabbies out
Houston taxi driver Yamare Ndiaye says he hasn't turned a profit in months.

American Airlines may lay off 900 flight attendants
In a hotline message to members, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants said the airline delivered a WARN letter, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, informing them of the looming layoffs.

CNN: Your gas money for a flat screen?

Trial ordered in deadly Concorde explosion
A French judge ordered Continental Airlines and five people to stand trial for manslaughter in connection with the 2000 crash of a Concorde jet that killed 113 people, a prosecutor said Thursday.

How cheap is it to drive green?
Going green with a hybrid vehicle that gets 40 to 50 miles per gallon may sound great. But after you factor in the cost of the car, maintenance and insurance, are hybrids really saving you money?

Was rocket moments from striking Continental flight?
A Continental airliner might have been only a minute away from colliding with what the pilot described as a model rocket.

07/02/2008

Experts: McCain off the mark with offshore drilling comments
Speaking to Houston oil executives, Republican presumptive nominee for president John McCain called for more drilling in the Gulf, claiming drilling was environmentally safe, even in the face of major storms. Those statements were not necessarily accurate.

Bulletproof fashions all the rage in Mexico
Bulletproof clothing is found at various stores in Mexico. The fashions range from casual to business attire and cost anywhere from $300 to $3,000.

Kroger expands ground beef recall
The Kroger Co. expanded its voluntary recall of some ground beef products beyond stores in Michigan and parts of Ohio to its stores in more than 20 states on Wednesday.

Microsoft and Yahoo stocks rise on deal talks
Yahoo Inc. shares rose more than 5 percent Wednesday as The Wall Street Journal reported Microsoft Corp. has talked to other media companies about teaming up to buy Yahoo’s search business.

American could cut 900 flight attendant jobs
American Airlines says it could cut 900 flight attendant jobs as it reduces flights to cope with record high fuel costs.

Supreme Court denies victims' request in BP case
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request by victims of a deadly 2005 explosion at a BP PLC plant near Houston to stop a settlement of criminal conduct in the case.

Oil prices flat ahead of U.S. inventory report
Oil prices were flat Wednesday ahead of weekly U.S. inventory reports and after Iran’s oil minister said the country would not cut oil deliveries even if it were attacked by Israel or the United States.

Some Galveston realtors riled up over Karl Rove speech
When political strategist Karl Rove speaks, a lot of people listen. Some heckle and a few throw things.

Blockbuster withdraws Circuit City bid
Blockbuster said Tuesday it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Circuit City as market conditions have worsened since the idea was first hatched in April.

07/01/2008

Can Congress help curb rising oil prices?
The government estimates speculators, those who buy energy on paper only, now account for 70 percent of crude oil trading on New York's commodities exchange.

Baggage fees lead to packed overhead bins
After two weeks of American Airlines charging $15 for the first checked bag, it now appears many travelers have resorted to stuffing all their items into one bag and squeezing them into an overhead bin.

Starbucks closing 600 stores
Starbucks Corp. said Tuesday it will close 600 stores in the United States in the next year and cut back the number of new stores it had planned to open.

AT&T to sell iPhone without contract
AT&T Inc. will sell the new version of the iPhone without a service contract for $400 more than the price with a two-year plan, a break from the rules set when Apple Inc.'s popular touch-screen gadget debuted last year.

Bush says housing deal possible
President Bush expressed confidence Tuesday he will reach a deal with Congress on a housing-rescue plan but prodded lawmakers to show “less politics.”

Auditing home energy use could save you
With gas and grocery prices going up, almost everyone is looking for a way to save money. Getting your house an electricity audit may help.

06/30/2008

Works begins on East End rail
Crews began laying the groundwork Monday for the next phase of light rail.

Oil prices fluctuate after passing $143 a barrel
Oil prices fluctuated Monday, surging past $143 a barrel for the first time and then falling back as a rising dollar prompted some investors to sell. Meanwhile, the price of gas at the pump hit another record high.

Wal-Mart logo gets a makeover
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Sunday the company will begin replacing logos on the front of its U.S. stores with a new design beginning this fall.

Airlines have lost a lot of market value
Over the past year, the combined market capitalization – the price of a share of stock multiplied by the number of shares outstanding – of the 10 largest airlines has plummeted 57 percent, losing $23.5 billion in value.

06/27/2008

Beware of title trouble if you’re buying a car
Diana Martinez Delgado would much rather be gardening then chasing down the title of her used truck.

AT&T moving headquarters to Dallas from San Antonio
AT&T had 60,000 employees when it moved to San Antonio in 1992 and now has about 310,000 workers around the globe.

Oil futures hit $142 a barrel
Retail gas prices inched lower overnight, but are likely to resume their own trek into record territory now that oil futures have broken out of the trading range where they had been for nearly three weeks.

07/02/2008

Alberta, Canada's Rocky Mountain playground
Saying that Alberta is Canada's Rocky Mountain playground says a lot.

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