Bitter rivals on store shelves in the candy aisle may also duke it out in court.
The Hershey Co. sued Mars Inc. this week. The maker of Hershey’s and Reese’s chocolate candies says the maker of Snickers, M&Ms and Dove candies is mimicking its packaging. Get the full story »
The holiday shopper are off and running — more or less. Follow what’s happening at the malls and major retailers.
Kim Kardashian. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
Keeping up with the Kardashians can be costly for young adults enticed by a debit card tied to the popular reality TV series, Connecticut’s attorney general said.
Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general and senator-elect, issued a “Black Friday” warning to parents about the ”Kardashian Kard” and other prepaid debit cards that he said burden cardholders with “outrageous” fees.
In a letter to University National Bank, which issues the Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard, Blumenthal complained about card fees of $59.95 for six months or $99.95 for 12 months, plus $7.95 a month thereafter, as well as fees for ATM withdrawals, cancellations and talking with a live phone operator. Get the full story »
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Nov. 26, 2010. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)
Russia may be able to join the World Trade Organization as soon as next year, completing over a decade and a half of membership negotiations, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
“Regarding our possible accession to the WTO in 2011, I think this is possible, and we would like this to happen,” he said at a joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Get the full story »
U.S. oil prices slipped in light post-holiday trading on Friday as Europe’s debt crisis pushed the euro to a two-month low against the dollar and investors eyed tensions between North Korea and South Korea. Get the full story »
Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne on Friday proposed a joint venture with Chrysler LLC to build Alfa Romeo and Jeep brand vehicles at Turin’s Mirafiori auto plant.
Airbus and Boeing have begun sounding out suppliers on their ability to cope with further production increases of their most popular jets, taking combined output well above 80 a month within four to five years.
Three senior industry sources told Reuters consultations had started on a historic upswing which could see Airbus producing as many as 44 A320 single-aisle planes by 2014 or 2015 and its rival simultaneously rising to as many as 42 737s a month. Get the full story »
A bailout package for Ireland is still under discussion and it isn’t clear whether it will be OKd Sunday, a spokesman for the European Commission said Friday.
“It’s not decided … We are not there yet … We’re making good progress,” Amadeu Altafaj Tardio, spokesman for Economic and Monetary Affairs, told journalists.
An EU source told Dow Jones Newswires earlier Friday that European Union finance ministers will hold a teleconference Sunday to discuss the economic situation in Europe. The call is likely to involve finance ministers from all 27 EU member states, the person said.
Boeing Co. said late Wednesday that debris was likely to have caused an onboard electrical fire on a test flight of 787 Dreamliner this month.
The company said the fire began as a short circuit or an electrical arc in the P100 power distribution panel and was most likely caused by “foreign debris.” Get the full story »
CBOE Holdings Inc. said its two offers for nearly 12 million shares of class A-1 and class A-2 common stock exceeded the maximum tender amount.
About 12.4 million of class A-1 common stock and 13.6 million of class A-2 common stock were validly tendered and not withdrawn, according to the final count by BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, which is handling the tender offer. Get the full story »
Deere & Co. reported a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday as sales of its tractors and harvesters in North America and other markets offset continued poor demand in Europe.
The world’s largest maker of farm equipment offered a cautious preliminary forecast for 2011 that fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts, however, sending its shares lower in premarket trading. It warned that the coming year would be complicated, with a record number of new model introductions as a result of new, more stringent emissions standards in many markets. Get the full story »
A large number of Nicor Gas customers are overpaying for a repair service that is rarely used, according to consumer advocates who argue that utility is improperly selling the service through an unregulated affiliate to divert revenue to the utility.
About 20 percent of Nicor customers are signed up for the service — Gas Line ComfortGuard — which covers the cost to inspect and repair a gas leak in a home. They pay $4.95 per month, but just 2 percent of those customers ever need the service, and the average payout is just 10 cents per month per customer, according to an analysis by consumer watchdog group Citizens Utility Board. Get the full story »
Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Wednesday gave banks final guidance on how to reduce problems with automatic programs that prevent customers from overdrawing their checking accounts — often with hefty fees attached.
The new guidelines, proposed in August, aim to give people better information about the cost of overdraft protection and to force banks to intervene when customers use the backstop too often. A 2008 FDIC study found that some people were chronically using overdraft protection as a way to obtain short-term — and very expensive — loans.
Standard fees are $20 to $30 each time a customer overdraws an account.
United Airlines ignored frequent-flier pleas to “save the tulip” this summer as it rolled out a new brand and paint scheme. But the Saul Bass-designed U could live on, at least on one of United’s Boeing 757 jets.
To celebrate its 85th anniversary, United plans to repaint one of its jets in a classic scheme, known as the livery in the airline business. Among the options: The “tulip,” paired with 1970s-style orange, red and blue stripes, a look that adorned United’s jets through the 1990s. Get the full story »
General Motors Co. said Wednesday that its Chevy Volt will carry an overall fuel economy rating of 60 miles per gallon, topping the Toyota Prius, the long-time fuel economy leader.
GM has begun to build the long-awaited Volt at a Detroit-area factory, with initial sales expected for December. Get the full story »
