Posted on · Oscar Wyatt, Jr., sentenced for his role in UN Oil-for-Food scandal…Second judge recuses himself from BP case; BP pushes for judge to sign off on felony plea deal stemming from March 2005 Texas City refinery explosion…Houston business leaders participate in one-day business development mission to Mexico City… Houston oilman Oscar Wyatt, Jr., has been sentenced […]
Posted on · “Cyber Monday” follows post-Thanksgiving holidays sales…Lawyers who recovered $7.2 billion in settlements for Enron investors seek $700 million in fees…British newspaper says NatWest Three are nearing plea agreement in return for lighter sentence… The online holiday shopping season officially kicked off today. The Monday after Thanksgiving is tagged “Cyber Monday” by the National Retail Federation. […]
Posted on · A new collaboration between M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and a major drug company has been formed to reduce delays in the drug approval and development process. Houston Public Radio’s Ed Mayberry Reports. Click to Listen Typically, pharmaceutical companies bring FDA-approved investigational new drugs to cancer centers for clinical trial. But a collaboration between M.D. Anderson […]
Posted on · Jobless claims drop…Iraq war reservists not always getting their old civilian jobs back…Cactus Records re-opening today at new location… Jobless claims fell last week to their lowest level in a month. The Labor Department reports 317,000 laid-off workers filed claims for unemployment benefits. That was 13,000 fewer than the week before. The improvement was bigger […]
Posted on · Business Confidence Survey indicates expectations for higher growth rates…Worker productivity surges at fastest pace in four years…Survey finds consumers reducing spending this holiday season; concerns about all product recalls… Fifty-five percent of small business executives are optimistic about the economy heading into 2008, according to an Administaff survey. Their Business Confidence Survey says nearly 55 […]
Posted on · Valero refinery explosion in Port Arthur reduces plant output; refinery expansion planned for New Orleans…Federal Reserve Chairman looks for economy to slow in the coming months… An early-morning explosion at the Valero Energy Port Arthur refinery prompted an emergency shutdown of a unit that removes sulfur from hydrocarbons this morning. A Valero spokesman said no […]
Posted on · $ continues losing ground against ‘ and ?…Plains Exploration & Production and Pogo Producing shareholders approve combination… resident Bush proposes tougher policing of products from abroad… The dollar’s new low against the Euro comes amid expectations of more interest rate cuts in the U.S. and concern about the strength of the economy. The Euro rose […]
Posted on · Coast Guard continues monitoring offshore pipeline leak in east Texas…Oil supplies fall for third straight week as gas prices continue rising…HUD giving Harris County $20 million to help cover costs from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees… The U.S. Coast Guard and other responders are monitoring an offshore crude oil pipeline release about four miles offshore […]
Posted on · Supply managers see economic growth…Hiring managers rate permanent staff higher than consulting staff…Dell buys Equallogic in $1.4 billion deal… A faster pace of business for the nation’s services sector. The Institute for Supply Management says its index covering services rose a point in October to 55.8. Any reading above 50 indicates growth. The reading was […]
Posted on · Houston home starts and closings continue falling…Mayor Bill White calls for chemical industry to improve air quality…Crude oil futures prices end at new record… Houston home starts and closings continued falling in the third quarter, according to Houston-based MetroStudy, as reported in the Houston Chronicle. The research group blames poor mortgage lending practices. Developers started […]
Posted on · Robert Half International expects higher salaries in 2008 for accounting, financing, administrative and IT professionals…Spectra Energy plans $3 billion pipeline connecting Rocky Mountain natural gas supplies with Western markets…North Harris Montgomery Community College District approves name change… Robert Half International has released its 2008 salary guides for accounting, financing, administrative and IT professionals. Starting salaries […]
Posted on · City Of Seabrook craft agreement to settle Bayport legal issues…Gasoline prices climb about 16 cents nationwide over last two weeks…Chinese national oil company capitalization passes $1 trillion mark… Officials of Seabrook and the Port of Houston have signed an agreement to settle legal issues surrounding the port’s new Bayport container terminal. The memorandum of settlement […]
Posted on · Number of homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments soars…Consumer spending rises three-tenths of a percent…Willbros Group agrees to pay more than $32 million to settle alleged violations of Foreign Corrupt Services Act… A mortgage data company says a soaring number of U.S. homeowners struggled to make mortgage payments in the third quarter. RealtyTrac says more […]
Posted on · Employment holding steady despite housing collapse and credit crunch…Gasoline up a dime, but Houston’s average is lowest in Texas…Alabama Supreme Court throws out much of record $3.6 billion verdict against ExxonMobil… The Labor Department reports the unemployment rate is holding steady, while payrolls rose by a surprisingly strong 166,000 in October, the most in five […]
Posted on · Houston’s airport director updates activities at city’s three airports…Lyondell Chemical and Basell announce post-merger name…GDP expands at 3.9 percent–strongest in one and a-half years… The director of Houston’s Department of Aviation says all three of the city’s airports are healthy. Rick Vacar spoke to the Greater Houston Partnership about the role of the airports in […]