Hospital to have Disney’s touch
The Walt Disney Co. is investing $100 million to personalize children’s hospital stays across the nation, beginning soon with Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
The project includes everything from themed treatment and patient rooms featuring interactive murals of Disney stories, linens and gowns featuring each child’s favorite characters, play carts with Disney-themed games and activities, and even pop-up movie theaters in the hospital.
“We are honored to be the inaugural hospital to collaborate with Disney on this exciting patientfocused initiative,” Texas Children’s Hospital CEO Mark A. Wallace said. Oregon sues Steve Wynn after sex allegations
SALEM, Ore. — The state of Oregon has sued Nevada gambling mogul Steve Wynn and the board of directors of Wynn Resorts for allegedly failing to act in the best interests of shareholders and stop sexual misconduct at the company, state officials said Wednesday. Expedia’s cruise unit expanding Texas presence
Expedia CruiseShipCenters is expanding its physical presence in Texas, where the Port of Galveston ranks as the country’s fourth-busiest cruise terminal and 1.09 million Texans boarded floating vacations in 2016.
One franchise location is open in Webster, and three more are in the Dallas area. With seven more sites under development, Expedia CruiseShipCenters plans to have a total of 23 of the retail cruise travel agencies operating in Texas over the next three to five years. Much of that expansion will be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the company said. Minister says China can handle its debt risks
BEIJING — China’s finance minister, Xiao Jie, has tried to defuse concern over the country’s rising debt, saying government borrowing is below danger levels.
The comments follow Beijing’s criticism last year of global rating agencies for their decision to cut its credit rating for China. European clocks slowed by lag in power grid
BERLIN — Millions of Europeans who arrived late to work or school have a good excuse — an unprecedented slowing of the frequency of the continent’s electricity grid.
The Brussels-based European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity says that the problem began in mid-January and affects 25 countries, from Portugal to Poland and Greece to Germany. 235,000 new workers hired in February
WASHINGTON — U.S. companies added a healthy 235,000 jobs last month, led by solid gains in construction, hotels and restaurants, and education and health care, according to a private survey.
Payroll provider ADP says February’s hiring comes after businesses added 244,000 people in January and 249,000 in December. U.S. consumer borrowing growth slows
WASHINGTON — American consumers increased their borrowing at a slower pace in January, as the category that covers credit cards recorded the smallest increase in three years.
The Federal Reserve says the January gain of $13.9 billion followed a $19.2 billion increase in December and a November surge of $30.9 billion. 11-year sentence for former CEO of Petrobras
SAO PAULO — A former chief executive officer of state oil company Petrobras was sentenced to 11 years in prison Wednesday as part of sprawling corruption investigation that has ensnared many of Brazil’s top business and political leaders.
Federal Judge Sergio Moro found Aldemir Bendine guilty of corruption and money laundering in connection with about $1 million in bribes paid by construction giant Odebrecht.
Moro said Bendine used his influence to illegally help the builder between 2014 and 2017. Wrongful death lawsuit filed over rig blast
McALESTER, Okla. — A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed over a Jan. 23 natural gas rig explosion in southeastern Oklahoma that killed five men — three from Oklahoma, one from Fort Worth and one from Colorado.
The lawsuit by Dianna Waldridge, the widow of 60-year-old Parker Waldridge of Crescent, Okla., alleges negligence by Red Mountain Energy and Red Mountain Operating, both of Oklahoma City, and Patterson-UTI Drilling and Patterson-UTI Energy, both of Houston.
Patterson-UTI declined comment in a statement, saying it is committed to preventing such accidents in the future.