Concrete lab denies faking test results
Concrete lab denies faking test results
NEW YORK
A concrete-testing laboratory faked results for a LaGuardia Airport control tower, the new Yankee Stadium, the Lincoln Tunnel and more than a dozen other projects around the city, creating thousands of phony reports for tests designed to make sure concrete was strong enough, prosecutors said Thursday.
American Standard Testing and Consulting Laboratories Inc. President Alan Fortich and five staffers pleaded not guilty to racketeering and other charges in the latest of a string of prosecutions of concrete-testing labs.
Prosecutors said they believed any safety concerns had been addressed by retesting, plus some upgrades in projects they wouldn’t specify.
But the case spotlighted the stubborn presence of concerns about fraud in an industry important to the safety of a city of skyscrapers and subways.
Judge awards $309M to MGA over Bratz
SANTA ANA, Calif.
A federal judge has ordered toy giant Mattel Inc. to pay more than $309 million to rival toy maker MGA Entertainment Inc., its founder and some associated subsidiaries in the fight over Bratz.
The final judgment was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
It awards MGA $172.5 million for damages related to trade-secret appropriation and MGA and its Chief Executive Officer Isaac Larian more than $137 million for copyright infringement, breach of contract and other issues.
Mattel says in a statement it is disappointed with the rulings and that it is reviewing its legal options.
Apple, Samsung smartphones at top
NEW YORK
Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. zoomed to the top of the list of global smartphone makers in the second quarter, blowing past Nokia Corp. and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., according to research firm IDC.
Korea’s Samsung made the biggest jump, from No. 4 in the first quarter to No. 2 in the second, on the strength of its Galaxy phones, which run Google Inc.’s Android software. It sold 17.3 million smartphones in the second quarter, up from 10.8 million in the first, IDC said.
Apple rose to No. 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million in the first quarter. That relegated Finland’s Nokia, the longtime leader, to third place.
Oil falls to lowest level in 3 months
NEW YORK
Oil posted its biggest one-day drop in three months as investors worried about another recession.
Crude prices tumbled nearly 6 percent Thursday, outpacing a broad sell-off on Wall Street, where major indexes were down more than 4 percent.
This should be good news for motorists. If oil holds at these lower levels, the drop could be felt within days at gas pumps across America.
Associated Press