Macy’s reports healthy gains
NEW YORK — Macy's broke out of its sales funk, reporting a healthy sales gain at existing stores for the holiday period as it benefited from an improving economy and its own initiatives like an overhauled customer loyalty program.
The department store chain also reported fourth-quarter earnings that nearly tripled from a year earlier, boosted by the sale of some real estate assets. It also issued an upbeat outlook.
Sprint to deploy 5G network in Houston
Sprint is set to deploy a 5G mobile network this year in six U.S. cities, including Houston and Dallas.
The new wireless network will offer 10 times the capacity of current LTE systems, the company said in a statement. Such speeds are promoted as aiding the development of new technology in the fields of cloud robotics, telemedicine, connected cars and drones, augmented and virtual reality, and more.
State tightens its hydraulic fracturing rules
Oklahoma is tightening its rules for fracking after studying a new cluster of earthquakes in one of the hottest U.S. regions for drilling.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission announced that all explorers within certain areas must use equipment known as a seismic array, which detects movement underground. The regulators also lowered the quake threshold for pausing work from 3.0 magnitude to 2.5, a level where humans can feel the earth move. The mandated delay is for at least six hours.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, loosens hydrocarbons from shale by blasting water, sand and chemicals underground. Since December 2016, Oklahoma officials have counted 74 earthquakes of at least 2.5 magnitude that may be linked directly to fracking, said Matt Skinner, a commission spokesman.
“While more study needs to be done, the indications are that those operators who have their own seismic arrays and took actions when there were seismic events too
small to be felt decreased the risk of having multiple, stronger earthquakes,” said Tim Baker, director of the commission’s oil and gas conservation unit.
Jane Walker will be on some Scotch bottles
It's not the alcohol playing tricks on your eyes: The striding figure on some bottles of Johnnie Walker will be Jane Walker.
Liquor maker Diageo says it plans to roll out bottles next month for a limited run. The company says it's the first time in the brand's nearly 200year history that its logo has been depicted as a woman.
German court lets cities ban diesel cars
BERLIN — In the country where the diesel engine was invented, a court has ruled that cities can ban diesel vehicles to combat pollution.
The ruling has farreaching implications, and cities in Europe will be watching to see how it plays out. Environmentalists are happy, while auto dealers and other businesses are worried.
SeaWorld CEO stepping down from post
ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld’s CEO Joel Manby is stepping down from his post as the theme park operator posted a fourth-quarter loss and continues to transform its business.
The company said Tuesday that John Reilly, chief parks operations officer, will take over as interim CEO. Chairman Yoshikazu Maruyama will serve as interim executive chairman until a permanent CEO is named.
Justices look at how older law affects the cloud
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has explored what happens when a decades-old law meets 21st-century technology.
The justices heard arguments in a dispute between the Trump administration and Microsoft over a warrant for emails stored in the internet cloud outside the U.S. The court signaled it will likely side with the government and force U.S. tech companies to hand over such files.