International Business, Companies & Industry News

Ford CEO Alan Mulally (left) shakes hands with Ford President of the America's Mark Fields at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit

Photograph by James Leynse/Corbis

For Mark Fields, Ford's Next CEO, the Challenge Is Not to Screw Up

Unlike when his predecessor, Alan Mullaly, took office, Ford, with its bestselling F-150, is in fairly good shape

Recent

Media & Marketing

The Upside Down Math of Film Subsidies
For every $1 in tax credits California gives studios, it makes back just 65¢.
Autos

Corvette's Most Impressive Spec: Sales Acceleration
Wall Street

A Punishing Month for U.S. Luxury Stocks
Movado, Coach, Tumi, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, and PVH all took hits
Currencies

A Mighty Ducks Child Star Has a Plan for Failed Bitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox
Sunlot Holdings, led by former child actor Brock Pierce, is pushing Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles to sell the exchange for a single Bitcoin
Innovators

Nine Hot New B-School Startups From Competition Season
Students won cash for businesses marketing products like folding sunglasses and cheap sanitary napkins
Books

News Corp. Picks Up Harlequin for $415 Million
The Toronto-based publisher of romance novels will become a division of News Corp.'s HarperCollins
Sports

So You've Decided to Buy the Los Angeles Clippers
Prepare to wire a large sum of money to a social pariah
Food & Drink

More Kiosks, Fewer Cashiers Coming Soon to Panera
In the new system, customers order and sit, and Panera's servers bring their orders to them
Consumer Electronics

Sony Expects an Even Bigger Loss—and That’s Good News for Sony
The numbers look bad now, but at least Sony is finally getting serious about its need to restructure, à la rival Panasonic
Entertainment

How Much Is That Ad View Worth When the TV Show Is a Week Old?
Evidence is that plenty of viewers come to a show after the three days following its first broadcast
Food & Drink

Shanghai Reopens Live Poultry Markets, but H7N9 Fears Linger
The markets had been closed since January in an effort to contain the spread of the H7N9 avian flu
Management

Everyone Knows Women Are Just as Good as Men, So Why Aren't More of Them in Charge?
A meta-analysis of data about whether people consider men more effective leaders shows that women rate as high or better than males do
Health Care

Weight Watchers Wakes Up Late to a World of Fitbits and Free Apps
In a fattening world, Weight Watchers stuck to a regimen of food-tracking and expensive morale-boosting sessions. Can remote trainers help?
Energy

Want Cheaper Oil? Pray for Stability in Libya
A second shipment of oil is being loaded at Libya's easternmost port of Hariga, where gunmen are said to be absent
Profiles

Pickled Herring Goes Back to the Future at New Russ & Daughters
New York’s last continuously family-owned Jewish smoked-fish emporium has opened cozy, delightful Russ & Daughters Cafe

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Food & Drink

Blue Bottle Coffee and the Next Wave of Artisanal Coffee Shops
Thanks to $45 million of Silicon Valley investment and founder James Freeman’s careful expansion, Blue Bottle Coffee has more funding than revenue
Transportation

Airline Mergers Bring Deep Service Cuts to Small and Midsize Airports
Nearly three dozen midsize airports have lost nearly one-quarter of their flights
Media & Marketing

Paula Deen Is Cooking Again. That Didn't Take Long
Backed by Najafi Cos., a private equity firm, Paula Deen Ventures plans to open a big restaurant and launch a live cooking tour this summer
Entertainment

Nascar Needs a Ratings Savior. It Might Just Be Carl Edwards
The driver’s crossover appeal could help Nascar rebound from its recent ratings slide
Health Care

Weight Watchers Wakes Up Late to a World of Fitbits and Free Apps
In a fattening world, Weight Watchers stuck to a regimen of food-tracking and expensive morale-boosting sessions. Can remote trainers help?
Manufacturing

China vs. the U.S.: It's Just as Cheap to Make Goods in the USA
New research shows there's almost no difference in manufacturing costs between China and the U.S.
Retailing

Michael Kors Wins Over Europe's Fashionistas
Customers like the classic American looks and lower prices, and Kors is challenging Europe's luxury brands
Media & Marketing

Del Frisco's Discovers That a Steakhouse Can Be Too Manly
Sullivan's Steakhouse is getting a makeover to appeal to women and younger consumers
Why Patton Boggs Has Come to Regret Picking a Fight With Chevron
A federal judge has dismissed a suit the law firm filed against Chevron concerning a multibillion-dollar pollution judgment in Ecuador
Commodities

For a Minnesota Mine, It's Jobs vs. the Environment
Plans for a mine in Minnesota's Iron Range could mean lots of jobs—and lots of environmental headaches
Transportation

The Dumb Way We Board Airplanes Remains Impervious to Good Data
Airlines seem uninterested in superior ways to load passengers on a plane—perhaps because they are profit from the stress they inflict
Travel

How Spirit Airlines Turned Cheap Seats and Sore Knees Into Steady Profits
The fastest-growing U.S. airline’s ultra-low cost "frill control" annoys numerous passengers. Many return, again and again
Apple's iPhone 6 Will Attack Samsung: Blair
April 29 (Bloomberg) -- Rosenblatt Securities Managing Director Brian Blair discusses his outlook for Apple and the iPhone 6 on Bloomberg…
Entertainment

HBO Teaches the Streaming Wannabes How to Make Big Money on Original Shows
Its catalog of old hits keeps getting bigger and bringing in more money from licensees
Food & Drink

McDonald's New Social Impact Goals Target Salt, Sugar, and Fat
The burger chain outlines objectives for recycling, sourcing, what's on its menu, and energy use

Shared

Manufacturing

China vs. the U.S.: It's Just as Cheap to Make Goods in the USA
New research shows there's almost no difference in manufacturing costs between China and the U.S.
Food & Drink

Blue Bottle Coffee and the Next Wave of Artisanal Coffee Shops
Thanks to $45 million of Silicon Valley investment and founder James Freeman’s careful expansion, Blue Bottle Coffee has more funding than revenue
Entertainment

Smartest Spenders in Sports 2014
Which sports franchises get the biggest bang for their bucks (you lose, Cubs)
Design

Spicing Up Old Captain Morgan? That's a Job for Diageo's Spirits Scientists
A look at how Diageo, the world's largest spirits maker, innovates
Media & Marketing

Paula Deen Is Cooking Again. That Didn't Take Long
Backed by Najafi Cos., a private equity firm, Paula Deen Ventures plans to open a big restaurant and launch a live cooking tour this summer
Entertainment

HBO Teaches the Streaming Wannabes How to Make Big Money on Original Shows
Its catalog of old hits keeps getting bigger and bringing in more money from licensees
Media & Marketing

Fireball Whisky: Selling a Brand, Shot by Shot
How a secretive company hired an unknown actor to get people to drink a repackaged schnapps
Science & Research

Bacteria Are Adapting to Drugs Faster than We Can Develop New Ones
Public health authorities warn that deadly bugs are growing resistant to antibiotics
Transportation

Airline Mergers Bring Deep Service Cuts to Small and Midsize Airports
Nearly three dozen midsize airports have lost nearly one-quarter of their flights
Fashion

Coach Responds to Falling Sales By Raising Prices
Beset by competition in the 'mass affluent handbag market,' Coach will trim its line, remove discounts, and undercut Europe’s luxury houses
Food & Drink

McDonald's New Social Impact Goals Target Salt, Sugar, and Fat
The burger chain outlines objectives for recycling, sourcing, what's on its menu, and energy use
Why Patton Boggs Has Come to Regret Picking a Fight With Chevron
A federal judge has dismissed a suit the law firm filed against Chevron concerning a multibillion-dollar pollution judgment in Ecuador
Entertainment

Nascar Needs a Ratings Savior. It Might Just Be Carl Edwards
The driver’s crossover appeal could help Nascar rebound from its recent ratings slide
Retailing

With Enough Customers, You Don't Need a Product
Deena Varshavskaya’s Wanelo connects young shoppers to mainstream stores, small boutiques, and most important, each other
Media & Marketing

Del Frisco's Discovers That a Steakhouse Can Be Too Manly
Sullivan's Steakhouse is getting a makeover to appeal to women and younger consumers

Discussed

Manufacturing

Why 'Smart' Guns Won't Transform the U.S. Firearm Industry
Could the government track "smart" guns? Would the weapons work reliably in a tense situation?
Autos

A Looming Fuel-Guzzling Problem for Detroit's Profitable Pickups
Carmakers must get their fleet average above 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Ford, GM, and Chrysler's strong pickup sales won't help
The Forecast for Air Travel: Thanksgiving Volume Once a Week at Major Airports
Failing to improve U.S. airports and the air traffic control system puts American businesses at a global disadvantage
Sports

Donald Sterling Has No Future With the Los Angeles Clippers
The worst punishments for the Clippers owner could come from the marketplace
Media & Marketing

Paula Deen Is Cooking Again. That Didn't Take Long
Backed by Najafi Cos., a private equity firm, Paula Deen Ventures plans to open a big restaurant and launch a live cooking tour this summer
Patton Boggs Hires Big Gun in Firefight With Chevron, Gibson Dunn
The Washington firm brings in Elkan Abramowitz, one of the country’s most high-profile white-collar defense lawyers
Sports

UNC Fake-Classes Whistleblower Resigns After Meeting With Chancellor
Mary Willingham, who exposed academic fraud at the University of North Carolina, has resigned after a meeting with Chancellor Carol Folt
Manufacturing

China vs. the U.S.: It's Just as Cheap to Make Goods in the USA
New research shows there's almost no difference in manufacturing costs between China and the U.S.
Health Care

FDA Warning on Pain Injections Comes Too Late for Some
It took five years for the FDA to issue a warning about the safety of steroid shots for neck and back pain
Entertainment

Nascar Needs a Ratings Savior. It Might Just Be Carl Edwards
The driver’s crossover appeal could help Nascar rebound from its recent ratings slide
Autos

How the Dodge Charger Gets Cops to Fall in Love With a Car
Fiat Chrysler's police vehicle is a muscle car with cool features and the rear-wheel drive that many cops prefer
Sports

Donald Sterling’s Lifetime Ban and the NBA’s New Power
Five takeaways from the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s press conference
Managing

When the Minimum Wage Goes Up, the Menu Price Also Rises
In the restaurant business, an increase in employee wages tends to push up food prices, as many chain eateries are already demonstrating
Media & Marketing

Byron Allen, Former Stand-Up Comic, Runs the 'Walmart of Television'
You may not have heard of the low-budget shows produced by this stand-up comic turned media mogul, but they're the future of TV—and he's killing it
Food & Drink

McDonald's New Social Impact Goals Target Salt, Sugar, and Fat
The burger chain outlines objectives for recycling, sourcing, what's on its menu, and energy use