Business

Port to decide on NorthPoint

OLYMPIA - The Port of Olympia Commission will vote Monday on the next step in the redevelopment of NorthPoint, the 2.4-acre parcel at the tip of the port peninsula that could become home to a hotel and restaurant or a mixed-use office building and restaurant.

Sea-Tac dodges the bullet

It was business as usual - maybe even business a little better than usual - at Sea-Tac Airport Thursday morning despite a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration computer glitch that blocked airlines from filing flight planes earlier in the day.

Glitch snarls air travel

ATLANTA - For the second time in a little more than a year, a glitch at one of the two centers that handle flight plans for the nation's air travel system set off delays and cancellations for passengers around the country.

HOUSING: Foreclosures spread to good loans

The foreclosure crisis likely will persist well into next year as high unemployment pushes more people out of homes, pulls down housing prices and raises concerns about the broader economic recovery.

INTERNET: More than a third of AOL workers will go

The struggling Internet company AOL plans to shed up to 2,500 jobs – more than a third of its work force – as it prepares to separate from Time Warner and finally sever their ill-fated marriage.

SHOPPING CENTERS: Mall owner renegotiates mortgages

Mall operator General Growth Properties Inc., which filed the largest U.S. real estate bankruptcy case in history earlier this year, said Thursday its lenders have agreed to restructure some $8.9 billion in shopping mall mortgage loans.

LOW-END RETAIL: Spending at Kmart finally goes up

Shoppers increased their spending at Kmart stores for the first time in at least seven years this fall, picking up cheap toys, shoes and items for their homes.

COFFEE: Starbucks gives chief executive a raise

Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest coffee-shop operator, approved a pay raise for Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz to $1.3 million after three quarters of profit growth.

Jobs still a concern, says Smith

LACEY - The U.S. economy fell by an estimated $16 trillion in value during last fall's economic meltdown, so job creation and helping small businesses remain key priorities, Congressman Adam Smith told a Thurston County Chamber of Commerce lunch forum on Wednesday.

Heavy rain dents canned pumpkin

While the Grinch was out stealing Christmas, Mother Nature was sneaking off with a slice of Thanksgiving.