Yeti breaks ties with NRA
The Austin-based Yeti cooler company is known for putting the chill on things, and it’s frozen its financial relationship with America’s largest gun lobbying organization in the midst of the national debate about firearms.
This week, Yeti cut ties with the National Rifle Association.
A group called Texas Gun Sense released a statement congratulating Yeti: “Congratulations for joining a growing number of businesses that have made a decision since the Parkland, FL shooting to change their firearm sales policies and/or cut ties with the NRA.”
The group cited a recent poll by Quinnipiac University that showed that 55 percent of Texas voters support stricter gun laws in the U.S.
The NRA’s annual meeting will be May 4-6 in Dallas.
Bankers are warned on Dodd-Frank
WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia is warning bankers that legislation rolling back financial rules put in place after the 2008 economic crisis could stall.
Warner says legislation re- vamping the law known as Dodd-Frank “will not pass if it comes back to the Senate” for another vote. His comments are a warning shot to House Republicans. They want to amend Senate-passed legislation that would provide regulatory relief for banks.
The former Yahoo settles hack charges
WASHINGTON — The company formerly known as Yahoo is paying a $35 million fine to resolve federal regulators' charges that the online pioneer deceived investors by failing to disclose one of the biggest data breaches in internet history.
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the action Tuesday against the company, now called Altaba after its email and other digital services were sold to Verizon Communications for $4.5 billion last year.
The company neither admitted nor denied the allegations.
New local location for Golden Chick
Golden Chick has opened a fourth location in the Houston market.
The 2,160-square-foot restaurant at 13600 S. Post Oak Blvd. at Orem Street is operated by franchise district director Bobby Brannon and area developer Lee Sanders. It will employ 40.
The brand was founded in Texas in 1967 and now has 185 locations in Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Pakistan. An additional Houston location is on tap for this year.
Smartwatches help Verizon’s growth
Verizon Communications’ wireless subscriber rolls surged last quarter, but it was thanks to smartwatches and other wearables — not the phones and tablets that were once its mainstay.
Monthly subscribers climbed by 260,000 in the first quarter, the carrier said Tuesday, marking its fourth straight period of growth.
High court backs patent procedure
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of a procedure that makes it easier to challenge questionable patents. The procedure, created by Congress in 2011, resembles a trial in federal court but is conducted by an executivebranch agency.
Supporters say it helps combat patent trolls, or companies that obtain patents not to use them but to demand royalties and sue for damages.
Opponents say the procedure violates the Constitution by usurping the role of the federal courts, violating the separation of powers and denying patent holders the right to a jury trial.
By a 7-to-2 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that the procedure was a permissible way for the agency that administers patents to fix its mistakes.
Legal settlement hurts Wynn results
Wynn Resorts reported a first-quarter loss on Tuesday, its bottom line weighed down by a nearly $465 million charge link to a legal settlement.
But after stripping away that one-time expense, it comfortably beat Wall Street’s profit expectations, boosted by its gambling business in Macau even as the company grappled with sexual misconduct allegations that forced the ouster of CEO Steve Wynn.
New products help Burger King owner
A new burger and a spicy chicken sandwich sold well at Burger King, helping boost profits for its owner Restaurant Brands International.
But the company's other chain, Tim Hortons, didn't do as well, and Restaurant Brands International plans to remodel those stores to try to get more people to buy its coffee and doughnuts.