The city of Chicago has struck a deal with Delta Air Lines that could pave the way for upstart Virgin America to begin service at O’Hare International Airport.
A proposed ordinance introduced by Mayor Daley in city council Wednesday would give the city control over the L concourse gates in Terminal 3. The gates have been largely vacant since Nov. 17, 2009, when Delta shifted its operations at O’Hare to merger partner Northwest Airline’s base in Terminal 2. Get the full story »
The girlfriend of former Anheuser-Busch CEO August Busch IV died at his home after accidentally overdosing on the painkiller oxycodone, the St. Louis County medical examiner said Wednesday. Get the full story »
Emphasizing its performance roots, Dodge displayed a family of SRT8 vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show media preview Wednesday.
The potent lineup of Hemi V-8 powered cats includes a Caravan “man van” with an all black interior to “scare off the regular minivan buyer” said Ralph Gilles, Chrysler design chief. Get the full story »
Magic Johnson, who last year passed on a deal to buy Ebony and Jet magazines, will become chairman of Vibe Holdings, the owner of the magazines Vibe and Uptown and the Soul Train TV show. Get the full story »
The U.S. Postal Service warned Wednesday that it may default on some of its financial obligations later this year after reporting yet another quarterly loss.
The USPS, a self-supporting government agency that receives no tax dollars, said it suffered a loss of $329 million in the first quarter of the federal fiscal year 2011. That compares with a loss of $297 million a year ago. Get the full story »
A long-anticipated milestone was hit late last year: Smartphone shipments overtook PCs.
Manufacturers shipped 100.9 million smartphones to stores around the globe in the final three months of 2010, compared to 92.1 million personal computers, according to a study released this week by IDC. Get the full story »
Lawmakers of both parties expressed opposition Wednesday to having federal taxpayers help state and local governments cope with widespread budget problems, underscoring the impact that Washington’s crushing budget deficits are having on the appetite that Republicans and Democrats have for such aid.
“The era of the bailout is over,” Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told a House hearing on the debt problems facing scores of states and municipalities around the country. Get the full story »
Apple Inc. has started manufacturing a new version of its iPad tablet computer with a built-in camera and faster processor, said people familiar with the matter.
The new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the first model, these people said. It will have at least one camera on the front of the device, but the resolution of the display will be similar to the first iPad, these people said. It will also have more memory and a more powerful graphics processor, they said.
The new iPad will initially be available through Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., but not Sprint Nextel Corp. or T-Mobile USA in the U.S., according to some of the people familiar with the matter. Get the full story »
Residents of the United Arab Emirates can now access traffic information from their GPS device or phone using Chicago-based NAVTEQ’s Traffic program. Get the full story »
U.S. unemployment remains too high despite increasing signs of economic strength, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Wednesday, suggesting the central bank would push on with its $600 billion stimulus program. Get the full story »
At the Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday, GM design chief Ed Welburn unveiled a surprise — the amped-up 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1.
The car is based on the 1969 aluminum block ZL7, and will carry a Mustang Shelby fighting 6.2-liter, 550-hp supercharged V-8 with 6-speed manual. Get the full story »
The largest McDonald’s franchisee globally is planning a U.S. listing that could raise as much as $1 billion, the Financial Times said on Wednesday.
Arcos Dorados might file for an initial public offering within days and could start trading in New York in April, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources. Get the full story »
After shoveling 20 inches of snow last week, Chicagoans are dreaming of palm trees. But apparently the people with the palm trees are dreaming of…Chicago?
That’s right, The Windy City moved up Orbitz Worldwide’s list of top Valentine’s Day destinations this year to number five. Heck, Chicago even beat bookings to Oahu and Miami. Get the full story »
Boeing Co. may have overextended the global supply chain on its long-overdue 787 Dreamliner program, but the company is confident it will meet its third-quarter delivery target, Chief Executive Jim McNerney said Wednesday.
Speaking at an event broadcast on cable television network CNBC, McNerney said he believes the company is nearing the end of development for the light-weight, carbon-composite airplane that is nearly three years behind its original schedule. Get the full story »
