05/11/2008 High demand, price of rice good news to US farmers The greater demand and new foreign customers driving the global price hike have been a boon to American farmers, who are welcoming the reprieve after years of shouldering high fuel and fertilizer costs and weak prices for their grain.

Cablevision reportedly close to getting Newsday
Cablevision Systems Corp. is close to buying the Long Island newspaper Newsday from Tribune Co. for $650 million, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday.

Attachmate chief accused of animal cruelty in bison shootings The chairman and chief executive of one of Seattle's biggest software companies is accused of animal cruelty and theft in the slaughter of 32 bison on a Colorado ranch in March.

05/09/2008 Boeing begins talks with machinists union Pay, pensions and health care are the big issues in the talks that began today between Boeing and its machinists union. Tough issues

05/10/2008 Seattle superfans get their comic on at 'Comicon' This weekend's Emerald City Comicon lets comic book and sci-fi fans rub elbows with the artists and stars behind their favorite stories. Raw video | Slide show

Bar owner skirts law with smoking club A local bar has done its best to fight the state's smoking ban. Frankie's Sports Bar in Olympia just started a new "Members Only" club that is cigarette-friendly.

05/09/2008 Gates: Microsoft will focus on search Microsoft Corp. will focus on growing its own advertising and Internet search business after it withdrew its takeover offer for Yahoo Inc., Chairman Bill Gates said Friday.

Top 3 air carriers boost fuel charge The three biggest U.S. carriers said Thursday they have again raised ticket prices, this time by $20 roundtrip, to recoup rapidly rising fuel costs.

More shoppers turning to discounters Caught in the maelstrom of higher gas and food prices, Americans — even more affluent ones — are seeking shelter in wholesale clubs and discount apparel chains.

'Giant cow's stomach' to be built near Monroe
A manure digester planned for Western Washington will produce methane gas that will be burned to generate electricity.

TIMES: Many Dreamliner buyers face delays of more than two years
Last month, Boeing set back the first delivery of its 787 Dreamliner by about 15 months. But many airlines have since discovered the delay for their first plane is even worse — between two years and 30 months for some of the largest 787 customers.

Texas may claim millions in Amazon.com sales taxes
Texas officials may claim that Amazon.com owes millions in sales taxes on purchases that state residents made from the Internet retailer.

Oil surpasses $126 per barrel
Oil prices surpassed a record $126 per barrel Friday on the eve of the U.S. driving season as a weakening dollar drove investors to snap up commodities.

Survey says executives see oil prices falling
Even as oil prices ascended to new highs of more than $124 a barrel this week, many oil and gas industry executives say they expect the price to fall significantly by year's end, a new survey shows.

RealNetworks plans spinoff of casual games business RealNetworks says its games business will become an independent company.The Seattle-based company says an initial public offering is possible.

Trade deficit drops by bigger-than-expected amount
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in March as demand for imports fell by the largest amount since the last recession was ending.

Google hopes for long-term ad deal with Yahoo
Google Inc.'s top executives expressed hope Thursday that the Internet search leader will be able to form a potentially lucrative advertising partnership with Yahoo Inc. — a deal that would lower the odds of Microsoft Corp. renewing its attempts to buy Yahoo.

05/08/2008 Traffic down in Puget Sound For decades, traffic has grown 3 percent each year in the region, but not any more. High gas prices are forcing people to change their commuting habits. More people riding the bus

05/09/2008 Salt water tested as fuel source After much speculation, a process that converts sea water into a possible fuel source is gaining legitimacy. Could this end the energy crisis?

05/08/2008 American Airlines 767 loses panel in flight to Paris Federal regulators said Thursday they are investigating how an American Airlines jet lost a panel from its belly shortly after taking off from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport before continuing on across the Atlantic and landing safely in Paris.

Consumer borrowing unexpectedly surges in March
Consumer borrowing rose in March at the fastest pace in four months, more than double the increase of the previous month, in what was seen as a sign of rising economic stress.

With Microsoft mum, analysts mull next moves for Live Search Without the influx of Web traffic that Microsoft bet would quickly follow a Yahoo buyout, the software maker is facing a long slog if it wants to turn its money-losing online services business into a Google-killer.

Jobless claims post sharp decline
The number of newly laid off workers seeking unemployment benefits dropped much more than expected last week.

Firefighters push for ban on novelty lighters Firefighters worry these devices could cause a whole lot of trouble. Some look like small toys

Alaska Airlines launches more flights to California Alaska Airlines has added two weekday roundtrip flights between Seattle and San Francisco, for a total of 10 daily roundtrips.

Consumers spending cautiously at stores
Consumers gave some of the nation's retailers a little relief in April following months of dismal sales, but business was helped along by heavy discounting that could hurt fiscal first-quarter earnings.

Facebook adds safeguards to protect kids Washington's attorney general says the changes are designed to thwart sexual predators, fraud and online bullies at the popular online hangout.

Court issues split decision in Microsoft patent row
A federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated one of two patent cases tossed out last year in the ongoing user-interface technology dispute pitting Alcatel-Lucent against Microsoft Corp. and Dell Inc

Housing aid bills face presidential veto
Strapped homeowners could refinance into government-backed mortgages and states would get money to deal with foreclosed property under Democrats' housing aid plan.

Papa John's surpasses $1 billion in online pizza sales The nation's third-largest pizza delivery chain trumpeted the $1 billion milestone Wednesday, noting that its U.S. online sales have been growing at an average clip of more than 50 percent per year.

05/07/2008 Kirkland's Clearwire, Sprint Nextel to form wireless company Kirkland, Wash.-based Clearwire and Sprint Nextel are planning to merge their wireless broadband units to create a new wireless communications company.

New flights boost international travel out of Sea-Tac On Thursday Northwest Airlines is expected to announce yet another direct flight to Asia – most likely China. New flights keep coming

Woman says personal medical info could leak out Dee Brouse claims someone was able to get some of her medical information by impersonating her.

Seattle company aims to 'fix' the ticketing industry The Seattle based Web site known as Brown Paper Tickets promises the smallest service fees in the industry, and they're catching on in cities across the nation.

Grays Harbor Co. hopes high gas prices boost tourism The county's spending $120,000 on commercials that sell Grays Harbor as a getaway where you can visit the beach or the rain forest, all within one tank of gas from Seattle. New commercials

Report: HP plans to cut Corvallis, Ore. jobs An Oregon newspaper reports Hewlett-Packard plans to eliminate another 300 to 400 jobs at its Corvallis campus.

Gates: Microsoft going an 'independent way' Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates says the company isn't pursuing other Internet deals right now after withdrawing its' bid for Yahoo.

Worker productivity up in first quarter
Worker productivity rose by a better-than-expected amount in the first three months of the year while labor cost pressures eased.

Co-founder of Baskin-Robbins chain dies at 90
Irvine Robbins, who as co-founder of Baskin-Robbins brought Rocky Road, Pralines 'n Cream and other exotic ice cream concoctions to every corner of America, has died at age 90.

Experts expect greater demand for urban condos Some real estate experts are saying the market for urban condominiums could soon turn back in favor of sellers.  Seattle condo prices slowly climbing

05/06/2008 Bernanke: More action to stem home foreclosure crisis A rising tide of late mortgage payments and home foreclosures poses considerable dangers to the national economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned anew Monday.

Microsoft signs software deal with Hyundai and Kia
Microsoft Corp. has signed a worldwide deal with automakers Hyundai and Kia to use its in-car software that allows people to use voice commands to control personal music players and telephones.

Gas prices soar on the San Juan Islands Gas is well over $4 on Lopez Island, forcing farmers like Bruce Dunlop, who produces 20,000 pounds of meat each year, to increase prices.

Areva plans to build uranium plant in Idaho French-owned energy services company Areva Inc. will build what it's said will be a $2 billion uranium enrichment facility near the eastern Idaho city of Idaho Falls.

Microsoft adds TV shows to Zune Marketplace
Microsoft Corp. said late Monday it will now sell TV shows, including popular NBC series, on the Zune Marketplace, a move that brings its selection of content for the digital media player a step closer to what Apple Inc.'s iTunes offers for Apple's much more popular iPod.

Seattle City Light customers warned of phone scam In the past few days, at least four customers have received phone calls from people claiming to be City Light employees and requesting credit card information.

Yahoo, McAfee to offer search results security
Yahoo Inc. and McAfee Inc. are joining to offer alerts about potentially dangerous Web sites alongside search results generated at Yahoo.com.

05/05/2008 Boeing chief says no more 787 delays Boeing CEO James McNerney also says the process that cost the company an Air Force tanker contract was flawed. McNerney predicts no more delays

Big drop in Western WA home prices, sales Pending home sales in April 2008 compared to April 2007 dropped 32 percent across 19 counties. Home prices are down 5.5 percent.

Fed says banks are tightening lending standards The Federal Reserve reports that more banks are tightening lending standards on home mortgages, other types of consumer loans and business loans in response to a spreading credit crisis.

Pork, chicken prices may be going up Americans may be getting another helping of food inflation, and it seems likely to come from higher prices for chicken and pork.

Service economy unexpectedly expanded in April
Data showing an unexpected expansion in the service sector in April raised hopes that the U.S. economy will be spared a sharp downturn even though many observers feel it is already in a mild recession.

Yahoo shares tumble after Microsoft withdraws bid Investors are trashing Yahoo shares, sending them down 14 percent. Hopes for the once-dominant search engine are dimming Monday after Microsoft's withdrawal of a nearly $44 billion takeover bid over the weekend.

Iraq buying 40 Boeing jets worth $5 Billion
Iraq on Monday signed two deals worth $5 billion to buy 40 planes from Boeing and 10 planes from Canada's Bombardier to upgrade Iraqi Airways' aging fleet.

Wal-Mart expands low-price drug program Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, announced Monday it would expand its discounted prescription drug program to offer 90-day supplies for $10 and add several women's medications at a discount. It also said it would lower the price of more than 1,000 over-the-counter drugs.

Marvel turns 'Iron Man' into gold The Marvel Comics adaptation, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the guy in the metal suit, hauled in $100.7 million during its opening weekend and $104.2 million since debuting Thursday night, the second-best premiere ever for a nonsequel, according to studio estimates Sunday.

05/04/2008 Yahoo CEO on hot seat after rebuffing Microsoft's $47.5B bid Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang will have to deliver on his pledge to end a two-year funk and prove the company is worth more than $37 per share -- a price the stock hasn't reached since January 2006.

05/03/2008 Microsoft abandons bid for Yahoo Microsoft says it's dropping its 3-month-old bid to buy Yahoo because the two sides couldn't agree on an acceptable sales price.

05/02/2008 Fed approves crackdown on unfair credit cards The Federal Reserve and other regulators initiated steps Friday to end "unfair and deceptive" credit card industry practices assailing consumers who are already struggling to cope in a bad economy.

Linen 'n Things files bankruptcy, to close 120 stores A Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Linens 'n Things is the latest sign that the retail sector is becoming leaner and meaner amid a difficult consumer environment.

Microsoft sweetens offer for Yahoo Microsoft Corp. finally dangled a higher takeover bid in front of Yahoo Inc. Friday, hoping to reach a friendly deal after weeks of saber rattling.

Agreement reached at McMinnville mill
Labor and management say they have a tentative deal on a three-year contract at the Cascade Steel Rolling Mills in McMinnville.

Report: Microsoft-Yahoo deal may go hostile Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported early Friday that Microsoft may be preparing to go straight to Internet pioneer Yahoo's shareholders.

Jobless rate falls in April as fewer jobs cut Employers cut far fewer jobs in April than in recent months and the unemployment rate dropped to 5 percent, a better-than-expected showing that nonetheless reveals strains in the nation's labor market. Job growth has been anemic

Weyerhaeuser swings to loss in first quarter
Weyerhaeuser says it swung to a loss in the first quarter, hurt by a sagging housing market and record low prices.

05/01/2008 Consumer spending up but reflects higher prices Soaring prices for food, gas and other everyday products pushed up consumer spending to a faster pace than expected in March.

Are rising fuel price affecting RV sales? With gas and diesel prices at an all-time high, you'd think the RV industry would be a complete wreck. It's not.

Home Depot to close 15 US stores, cites poor performance It is the first time the home improvement retailer has ever closed a flagship store for performance reasons.

Jobless claims surge last week
The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits soared last week.

Exxon Mobil 1Q profit grows 17 percent
Exxon's earnings were boosted by higher oil prices but the results fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Feds declares West Coast salmon fisheries disaster It's official: This year's West Coast salmon fishery is an economic disaster.

Consumer may benefit from a Fed rate pause
While the Federal Reserve's aggressive drive to lower interest rates appears to be over, there could be benefits for consumers in other places — like some relief from soaring gasoline and food costs.

Sisters accused of stealing from Weyerhaeuser A 24-year employee of Weyerhaeuser and her sister face multiple charges of theft after allegedly stealing money in a scam that lasted several years.

AT&T launches TV service on new phones
AT&T Inc. is launching its new video service for cell phones Sunday on two phones, and will charge $15 per month for 10 channels.

Coast Starlight to resume normal operations Amtrak announced its Coast Starlight route between Seattle and Los Angeles will resume normal operations next week for the first time since a massive January landslide covered tracks east of Oakridge.

Thursday protests may cause major traffic disruption May Day rallies are expected to draw thousands of protestors Thursday, and on the Seattle waterfront, longshoremen may join in. Traffic disruptions expected

04/30/2008 Starbucks 2Q profit sinks 28 percent Starbucks Corp. says its fiscal second-quarter net income sank to $108.7 million as U.S. consumers responded to rising food and gas prices by making fewer latte runs

Fed cuts key interest rate quarter point Today's move by the Federal Reserve is smaller than the aggressive easing of rates that the policy-makers undertook earlier this year.

Gas prices could hurt San Juan tourism Kenmore Air is raising its rates Thursday, as are some fares for ferries headed to to the San Juan Islands. The high price of vacationing

Report: Microsoft directors mulling higher Yahoo bid Microsoft directors are meeting Wednesday to consider raising their $41.9 billion bid for Yahoo Inc. instead of pursuing a threatened hostile takeover attempt, according to a published report.

Economic downturn fueling car lease-trading If you're about to break a car lease - stop. There's a service that can help you break free of that lease without breaking your contract. Avoid costly lease penalties

Pyramid Breweries to be acquired by Magic Hat Pyramid Breweries Inc. has agreed to be acquired by Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performance Arts Center Inc. for $2.75 a share in cash.

Wilcox Family Farm in Cheney closes today The 100-year-old business announced it was going out of business earlier this month due to tough economic times.

Administration brings back 1-year Treasury bill
The Bush administration says it is bringing back the one-year Treasury bill that it stopped issuing seven years ago when the budget was in surplus.

Economy grows by only 0.6 percent in first quarter The bruised economy limped through the first quarter of this year at a six-tenths of a percentage point growth rate as housing and credit problems forced people and businesses alike to hunker down.

GM posts $3.3 Billion loss General Motors Corp. struggled to a $3.3 billion first-quarter loss, due in part to a weak U.S. market, a strike at a major supplier and plummeting sales of sport utility vehicles and pickups.

Fed expected to cut key interest rates one more time The Federal Reserve, which began the year aggressively fighting a severe credit crunch and economic weakness, may push the pause button after delivering perhaps one more quarter-point cut in interest rates.

04/29/2008 Seattle booze ban called ineffective Strong, cheap alcoholic beverages are supposed to be illegal in several Seattle neighborhoods, but residents complain they continue to be sold over the counter every day. Retailers accused of skirting ban

WaMu replaces chief risk officer