BUSINESS NEWS
Jeff Gammons/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise industry trade association, announced earlier this week the adoption of a "Cruise Passenger Bill of Rights."
CLIA also will submit the bill to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), requesting formal global recognition and applicability under the IMO's authority over the international maritime industry.
The passenger bill of rights will be effective immediately for U.S. passengers who purchase their cruises in North America on CLIA's North American member cruise lines, regardless of itinerary, CLIA said.
Cruise lines already employ
...Read more
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- An increase in durable goods orders suggests economic growth may be holding steady this spring. U.S. orders for long-lasting manufactured goods were up in April, led by demand for non-defense aircraft and parts, which increased by $1.9 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Following a 5.9 percent decrease in March, new orders were up two of the last three months. In April, orders increased 3.3 percent to $222.6 billion, a $7.2 billion jump.
Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.3 percent. Overall shipments decreased 0.6 percent and capital goods shipments fell 3.3 percent. Unfilled orders increased
...Read more
Mike Simons/Getty Images(CINCINNATI) -- Procter & Gamble says its former chief executive A.G. Lafley is returning to his old job, replacing CEO Bob McDonald, effective immediately.
The change comes after investor complaints about P&G, and calls for an overhaul on how it markets new products in the U.S. and overseas.
"A.G.’s track record and his depth of experience at P&G make him uniquely qualified to lead the Company forward at this important time,” said Jim McNerney, director of P&G’s board. “The Board expects A.G. to further improve results, implement the current productivity plan, and facilitate an ongoing succession process. The Board
...Read more
Jemal Countess/Getty Images(CANNES, Paris) -- At a Cannes Film Festival charity auction as star-studded as one of the Great Gatsby’s parties, a pitch rang out that sounded like a sci-fi sequel to Catch Me If You Can.
“How would you like to go to space with Leonardo DiCaprio?” said an auctioneer, the actress Nicole Kidman. “I can’t believe he offered this, by the way,” she added.
The lot? A ticket on the maiden voyage of Virgin Galactic sitting right next to Gatsby, himself, Leonardo DiCaprio.
After three days of astronaut training, the winner would join a flight set to take off from
...Read more
Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The markets head into the long holiday weekend with little change for the Friday session.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 8.60 points to close the session at 15,303.10. The blue chips index earlier Friday had dropped 95 points. The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 both gave up a fraction of a point to close at 3,459.14 and 1,649.60, respectively.
Friday marked the end of the first losing week for the Dow and the S&P since the week of April 19.
The markets will be closed Monday for Memorial Day.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
Digital Vision/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- It seems like airlines these days are piling on more and more fees, while the flying experience is not always so pleasant. But there are some perks worth paying for, according to the findings of a new Harris Interactive survey that examines how fliers who take at least one trip a year feel about certain perks and annoyances when traveling.
Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed say it would be preferable to let a stranger fall asleep on their shoulder during a flight than to have to pay the airline a fee for carry-on bags.
Despite complaints about add-on charges, 58 percent of those surveyed claim they'd
...Read more
Bloomberg News Photo by Diane Bondareff(NEW YORK) -- Despite wet and chilly Memorial Day weekend weather forecasts in some parts of the country, retailers will be displaying their summer goods in full force and with discounted prices.
Memorial Weekend sales at some national retailers started as early as Tuesday, so shoppers may want to shop earlier rather than later, according to Thayer Meicler, co-founder of the free location-based app SaleSorter.
"Whenever there's a big sales weekend, it's always best to be an early bird shopper so you can have dibs on the best items," Meicler said.
Sales for spring and summer items are the most prevalent so
...Read more
Tim Boyle/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Kmart’s new ad is a gas. Literally.
In its new tongue-in-cheek ad “Big Gas,” the retailer promotes a special discount on gas. Throughout the spot, customers praise the “big gas” savings and “big gas” prices, but their repeated, rapid use of the phrase makes it sound as though they’re saying “big a**.”
The ad starts out with customers getting gas at the pump.
“Ugh, I hate these big gas prices,” one woman says.
Another woman chimes in: “Sounds like you could use some big gas savings.”
There’s more of this, with customers
...Read more
Ben Hider/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Don't mess with Ronald McDonald.
That was the message Thursday from the fast food chain's chief executive Don Thompson, who defended his company from attacks by the watchdog group, Corporate Accountability International, before a shareholders’ meeting.
Lately, CAI has been demanding that McDonald's assess whether its attempts to add more nutritious items to its menu is working. Two years ago, the group wanted the company to retire its mascot, Ronald McDonald, claiming it was a blatant marketing scheme targeting kids.
Whether it's true or not, the clown is still around and Thompson says he's here to stay, telling shareholders,
...Read more
Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Stocks tumbled hard in early trading on Thursday, but recovered most of their losses by the closing bell.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 12.67 points at 15,294.50. The Nasdaq Composite gave up 3.88 points to close at 3,459.42. The S&P 500 finished the session down 4.84 points, closing at 1,650.51.
The markets appear to be on track for a losing week, but are still well ahead for the month of May.
Meanwhile, new home sales are going through the roof. The National Association of Homebuilders says they soared last month to the second-highest level since the summer of 2008,
...Read more
Tim Boyle/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A report from the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday showed jobless claims dropping for the week. The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell 23,000 to a level consistent with solid job growth.
The four-week average of those applying for unemployment benefits ticked down just 500 to 339,500. These claims figures are one indicator of a strengthening job market.
The jobs market still has a ways to go -- employers need to add thousands of more jobs to significantly bring the unemployment rate down.
The housing recovery, though, is playing its part in the job market; the demand
...Read more
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Sales of new homes rose in April by nearly 30 percent compared with a year ago, according to a report by the U.S. Commerce Department.
This is the latest evidence of a recovering housing market, six years after the housing bubble burst, leading to a recession.
Home prices are also rising but have yet to get back to the highs seen during the bubble.
The median price of a new home sold in April was $271,600 – adjusted for inflation, this price is still below the price of a new home during the boom.
“We’re now about half-way back to what could be considered a full recovery,”
...Read more
MSN(SEATTLE) -- The new Microsoft TV commercial shows a Windows 8 Asus tablet pitted against an Apple iPad in what’s reminiscent of a classic Apple ad, complete with vintage white background.
Microsoft’s tablet is shown demonstrating its Start Screen Live Tiles feature, multi-windowed Snap multitasking, and even Microsoft Office compatibility. All the while, Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, is heard saying that she’s sorry, but she just can’t do any of those things:
“I’m sorry, I don’t update like that.”
“I’m sorry, I can only do one thing at a time…I guess
...Read more
VStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- New Jersey authorities are investigating 29 establishments for serving customers cheaper booze as a substitute for top-shelf liquor, including one that allegedly offered rubbing alcohol and food coloring as scotch.
“This alleged scheme is a dishonest ruse to increase profits, and it is a slap in the face to the consumer,” said state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa in a statement. “Consumers should have the peace of mind of knowing that they will get what they spent their hard-earned money on every single time -- no exceptions.”
A spokesman for the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
...Read more
Mailbox App(ATLANTA) -- Earlier this year an app came out for the iPhone and within weeks it had a line of one million users waiting to get access to it. It wasn't an app that let you spin a globe or another that let you play a range of instruments. It was a basic e-mail app called Mailbox.
Mailbox, which was bought by Dropbox for around $100 million in March, has a different take on dealing with e-mail overload, and now it's being released for the iPad.
"Whether you like it or hate it, you have to use email. You don't get a choice. It's the world's collaboration system," Mailbox CEO Gentry Underwood told ABC News. "We target those people who feel
...Read more
Advertisement
