WEEK IN REVIEW
Monday Billtargets hailstorm suits
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and a key legislator said a bill filed Monday will crack down on a small group of attorneys they say are abusing the system by filing unnecessary lawsuits after hailstorms.
MyFit Foods closes
MyFit Foods shoppers and employees expressed surprise at the shutdown of the Austinbased prepared-meals provider.
Judge won’t stop pipeline
Afederal judge refused to stop construction on the last stretch of the Dakota Access pipeline, which could be operating in as little as 30 days.
Tuesday Lowpoint for Alpine High
Alpine High lost some altitude after Apache Corp. reported that its muchtrumpeted oil field discovery so far is producing less than analysts expected.
Starbucks experiment
Starbucks said it would serve “affogato” varieties of hot or cold coffee over ice cream at 100 stores in Orange County, Calif., with pricier versions sold at 10 locations with its “reserve” bars.
Doll maker branches out
For the first time in its 31year history, American Girl, a maker of pricey 18-inch dolls, introduced a boy. His name: Logan Everett.
Wednesday Cabinet nominee pulls out
Andrew Puzder withdrew as President Donald Trump’s labor secretary nominee as controversy deepened over his personal life and private sector background.
Pipeline protests criticized
Joey Mahmoud, a top executive at Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, compared foes of the Dakota Access pipeline opponents to terrorists, saying they have “assaulted numerous pipeline personnel,” destroyed millions of dollars’ worth of construction equipment and even fired a pistol at law enforcement during demonstrations against the 1,200-mile pipeline.
Yellen defends Fed
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen defended the central bank’s independence as Republican lawmakers push for major changes in how the central bank operates and how regulators oversee the nation’s banking system.
Thursday Trade show takes stand
The lucrative Outdoor Retailer trade show, which has been staged in Salt Lake City for two decades, announced it would be leaving Utah over the latest disagreement with state leaders about their stance on public lands.
Government sues insurer
UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest health insurers, may have improperly taken billions of dollars from Medicare by claiming for years that people under its care were sicker than they were, according to a lawsuit that was made public at the Justice Department’s request.
Friday Stock indexes hit new highs
Stock indexes inched ahead to record highs, barely, after a lateafternoon push erased losses from earlier in the day. It caps the fourth straight week of gains for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, its longest such streak since July.
Kraft Heinz bids for Unilever
Kraft Heinz disclosed that it had made a $143 billion takeover offer for Unilever. If completed, it would be the largest cross-border merger since the British wireless provider Vodafone’s $183 billion acquisition of Mannesmann of Germany in 2000. Unilever said it had spurned the offer, which it said “fundamentally undervalues” the British-Dutch company.