Delta to pickup Northwest’s order of 18 787s

Delta Air Lines Inc.  said Monday that it will take delivery of the first of 18 Boeing 787s in 2020, ending long-running uncertainty over the fate of the order.

The second-largest U.S. carrier by traffic inherited the order when it acquired Northwest Airlines and has been in talks with Boeing Co. about the planes’ fate after protracted delays in the aircraft’s entry into service. Get the full story »

Potash takeover opposition ‘no bargaining chip’

The Saskatchewan government’s opposition to BHP Billiton’s $39 billion takeover bid for Potash Corp., the crop nutrient producer based in the Canadian province, is not a negotiating stance aimed at squeezing concessions out of BHP, Premier Brad Wall said Monday.

Saskatchewan is recommending that the federal government reject the bid by BHP, the Anglo-Australian mining giant, on the grounds that it provides no net benefit to the country and will instead cost Saskatchewan revenue, jobs and strategic influence over a key commodity. Get the full story »

Report: More business spending, loans on-time

A key measure of U.S. business sentiment improved sharply in September, a lender group told Reuters Monday, as companies raised their investment in equipment and software and did a better job of staying current on their debts.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association said that U.S. businesses originated $5.8 billion in loans, leases and lines of credit last month to invest in capital equipment, which can include everything from tool-and-die machines and delivery trucks to office furniture and computer hardware and software. Get the full story »

EBay lists Groupon deals, adds perk for members

EBay Inc. said Monday that it has begun listing Groupon.com’s daily deals and allowing its members to collect and redeem points from purchases they make, in a move that will increase eBay’s presence in the fast growing group buying segment. Get the full story »

Former ShoreBank still on First Chicago kick

Crain’s Chicago Business | More former First Chicago employees are taking management positions ato run ShoreBank’s successor, the Urban Partnership Bank. Peggy Myles and Kristine Rull are among the latest to rejoin  Chairman David Vitale at Urban Partnership.

Wi-Fi Alliance certifies next step in wireless

Mashable.com | The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun certifying devices as Wi-Fi Direct capable. Wi-Fi Direct will enable device-to-device connections using current Wi-Fi standards, allowing the devices to basically become their own hotspots.

U.S. sets first mpg, emission limits for heavy trucks

The Obama administration on Monday proposed the first fuel efficiency and emissions standards for big tractor trailors and other commercial trucks that run mainly on diesel fuel.

The joint Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency initiative covers a range of vehicles from delivery vans to long-haul rigs and is expected to cut nearly 250 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the lifespans of vehicles produced within the program’s first five years. Get the full story »

ImClone’s Waksal back with pharma deal

Sam Waksal, the former chief executive of ImClone Systems Inc., whose insider trading scam sent him and Martha Stewart to prison, Monday announced an acquisition meant to catapult him back into the biotech game.

Waksal said that his drug company Kadmon Pharmaceuticals has bought the privately held Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals and that its treatments for hepatitis C, infections and cancer will be the backbone of his new enterprise. Get the full story »

Sprint’s Tablet is cheaper, but requires a contract

The Samsung Galaxy Tab. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

Sprint Nextel plans to sell its iPad rival, the Galaxy Tab from Samsung Electronics, for a third less than the tablet computer’s price tag at Verizon Wireless. But the offer still comes with a catch that at least one analyst said would limit sales.

On Nov. 14, Sprint will kick off sales for the $400 Tab, seen as the most credible competitor so far to Apple Inc.’s popular iPad, which has been on sale for $630 since earlier this year.

But while Sprint customers will pay less up front, they may end up forking over more cash over time. The discount comes with a two-year contract requiring monthly service fees starting at $29.99 for two gigabytes of data downloads. Get the full story »

New downgrades, warnings crush bond insurers

The bond insurance business, which fell to its knees during the 2008 financial crisis under the weight of soaring defaults, may have finally heard its death knell Monday. Get the full story »

Morgan Stanley adds Caterpillar’s Owens to board

Morgan Stanley added Caterpillar Inc. Chairman James Owens to its board of directors, the Wall Street bank said on Monday.

The addition of Owens, 64, brings Morgan Stanley’s board to 13 members. Get the full story »

Dollar resumes slide on ‘currency wars’ promise

The dollar resumed its months-long slide Monday after weekend talks by finance officials of the Group of 20 nations promised to avoid “currency wars,” but offered few specifics on enforcement.

Sony cuts PSPgo handheld prices in U.S., Japan

Sony Corp. said on Monday it would cut the price of its PSPgo portable game player in the United States and Japan this month as game makers enter the crucial year-end shopping period. Get the full story »

SEC queried Buffett’s Berkshire on loss accounting

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission questioned Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in the second quarter on why it was not writing down large losses on shares in Kraft and US Bancorp, but the company insisted its accounting was right. Get the full story »

Bernanke: Fed studying foreclosure practices

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in a speech on foreclosures and housing finance, said he expects a broad federal banking and housing agency investigation into alleged improper foreclosures to conclude next month. And he lauded the Chicago Federal Reserve for its analysis of foreclosure problems at the community level.