WEEK IN REVIEW
Monday Gulf Coast expansion
French oil major Total said it would form a joint venture for major chemical and plastic plant expansions along the Gulf Coast.
She’s sticking around
The statue of a young girl will keep staring down Wall Street’s famed “Charging Bull” through February, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding that she’s “standing up to fear, standing up to power, being able to find in yourself the strength to do what’s right.”
Leggings uproar
United Airlines defended a gate agent’s decision to bar two teenage girls from a flight for wearing leggings, saying that the young passengers were traveling on a company travel pass and were in violation of the airline’s dress code. To be clear, United says, if you’re paying for your flight, “your leggings are welcome.”
Rolling again
Uber said it was resuming its selfdriving car program in Arizona and Pittsburgh after it was suspended following a crash over the weekend. The company said Monday that it paused over the weekend to better understand what happened in Arizona but feels confident in returning the cars to the road.
Tuesday Climate rules reversed
President Donald Trump signed executive orders that began rolling back the climate regulations adopted by his predecessor, but he may be too late to help a coal industry damaged by economic trends and growing support among citizens and businesses for cleaner forms of energy, analysts said.
Slower growth
The number of U.S. breweries continued to expand in 2016, even as sales growth from smaller, independently owned craft breweries slowed during what industry insiders acknowledged was a “challenging” environment, the Brewers Association, an industry trade group, reported.
Costly settlement for bank
Wells Fargo announced that it had agreed to pay $110 million to settle a class action lawsuit over up to 2 million accounts its employees opened for customers without getting their permission.
No additives
Chipotle Mexican Grill’s quest to sell preservativefree food is now complete. The chain’s U.S. stores are now selling flour tortillas made with just five ingredients — flour, water, canola oil, salt and yeast, Chipotle said.
Wednesday Amazon’s big plans in Katy
Amazon.com unveiled plans to build a 1 million-square-foot facility on 80 acres after Waller County offered the e-commerce giant a substantial tax incentive to build its 10th Texas distribution center in Katy.
Surgeon wins his case
Houston heart surgeon Miguel Gomez III was awarded $6.4 million in damages after a Harris County jury found that Memorial Hermann Health System defamed his reputation in an effort to protect its business from other hospitals and competitors.
Wall obstacles
Geographic and physical challenges — including the Rio Grande and threatened wildlife — will make it difficult to build the “big, beautiful wall” that President Donald Trump has promised on the U.S.-Mexico border, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said.
A step closer to a strike
Flight attendants at Mesa Airlines, which operates United Express flights in Houston, moved a step closer to a strike with 99.56 percent of voting members favoring the picket line should talks continue to stall, their union announced.
No distractions, please
PwC accountants won’t be allowed to have their cellphones backstage during future Oscar telecasts after the best-picture flub at this year’s Academy Awards.
Thursday Few specifics on NAFTA
The Trump administration submitted a vague set of guidelines to Congress for renegotiating the North American Free Agreement with Mexico and Canada, disappointing those who wanted a major overhaul of a decades-old trade deal that Trump described as “disaster” during the presidential campaign.
Quarter Pounder upgrade
McDonald’s said it will offer fresh beef Quarter Pounders nationwide by the middle of next year, after switching from frozen patties in a number of test markets. The smaller beef patties at McDonald’s restaurants, used on the cheeseburgers and Big Macs, will still come frozen.
Less skin, more beef
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are ditching the bikinis and getting back to the burgers. The chains are famous for advertisements featuring models and celebrities like Paris Hilton, Kate Upton and Emily Ratajkowski munching on burgers while scantily clad. The racy campaign had a defender in Andrew Puzder, who is stepping down as CEO of the chains’ parent company, CKE Restaurant Holdings.
Friday Targeting the trade deficit
President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders focused on reducing the trade deficit days before he holds his first meeting with his Chinese counterpart. The administration is touting the moves as evidence of it taking an aggressive but analytical approach to closing a trade gap that is largely due to the influx of goods from China.