Business Briefs – May 29, 2019

Airlines Group: Boeing Jet Won’t Return Before August

GENEVA (AP) – The global airline trade group says it expects the Boeing 737 Max jet will remain grounded at least through mid-August after two deadly crashes. The spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, Anthony Concil, said Wednesday that the group estimates the planes will not fly for at least another 10-12 weeks.

AP: Purdue Foreign Arm Caught Up In Opioid Probe in Europe

PARMA, Italy (AP) – A new Associated Press report finds Big Pharma still pushed opioids overseas even amid the American epidemic. The report details a vast corruption investigation in Italy alleging pharmaceutical officials paid a pain doctor who wrote studies and organized events that would help them market opioids in the country. Two managers with the foreign arm of Purdue Pharma have accepted pleas in connection with the case.

As Craft Beer Market Grows, So Do Wild Flavors

(AP) – Brewers have always experimented. But as craft beers have boomed, competition for attention has intensified. That has a lot of brewers looking for ways to differentiate themselves and get noticed. The Brewers Association says the U.S. had 7,346 craft brewers last year, up 93% from 2014.

On The Money: Mainstream Autos Get Driver-Monitoring Devices

DETROIT (AP) – Would you pay more for a car or SUV that warns you if you’re falling asleep or not paying attention behind the wheel? Auto companies are figuring that because your life could depend on it, you will. As safety features such as automatic emergency braking and lane-centering make their way from luxury vehicles down to lower-cost rides for the masses, distracted driver alert systems are coming with them.

Veteran China Dissident Urges Linking of Human Rights, Trade

TOKYO (AP) – Veteran Chinese dissident Wang Dan is urging Western nations to restore the link between human rights and trade with China. Wang was speaking Wednesday in Tokyo days ahead of the 30th anniversary of the 1989 student pro-democracy protests centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, of which he was a key leader.

Climate Change Debate in the Focus at Exxon’s Annual Meeting

DALLAS (AP) – Activist shareholders used Exxon Mobil’s annual meeting to renew their accusations that the company is failing to confront a future that may include stricter regulations to limit climate change caused by burning fossil fuels.

A representative of the Church of England’s endowment fund said Wednesday that Exxon has moved more slowly than other major oil companies to disclose information about emissions.

Verizon’s 5G Network in Chicago Lives Up to the Hype Most of the Time.

CHICAGO (Chicago Tribune) – Verizon’s 5G network is up and running in Chicago, and when it works, the fifth generation of wireless lives up to the hype. But the network is still in its very early days, with spotty coverage and limited uses.

Verizon holds no illusions about the coverage issues.

“We’re still testing, still learning,” said Verizon spokesman Andy Choi.