Business Notebook
Nation & World
Economic-health index rises
An index designed to predict the health of the U.S. economy posted a fourth straight solid gain in December. The Conference Board says its index of leading indicators increased 0.5 percent in December after a revised gain of 0.4 percent in November. The index also posted solid gains in September and October after a flat reading in August. The December increase reflected strength in a number of components of the index. Conference Board economists said this suggested the economy was gaining momentum at the end of last year.
More privacy for Obamacare users
Bowing to an outcry over online privacy, the Obama administration reversed itself Friday, scaling back the release of consumers’ personal information from the government’s health insurance website. The administration made the changes to HealthCare.gov after The Associated Press reported earlier in the week that the website was quietly sending consumers’ personal data to private companies that specialize in advertising and analyzing Internet data for performance and marketing.
Anheuser-Busch buying craft brewer
Anheuser-Busch says it is buying Seattle-based craft brewer Elysian Brewing Co. for an undisclosed sum. It is the latest in a string of craft brewery acquisitions by Anheuser-Busch as it tries to counter soft sales of its own brands, such as Budweiser. Anheuser-Busch and Elysian announced the deal Friday and said it will bring the brewer’s beers – most notably Immortal IPA – to a larger audience.
Expedia buying Travelocity
Expedia has acquired travel booking site Travelocity from the Sabre Corp. for $280 million in cash. The deal adds to Expedia’s growing portfolio of websites. The Bellevue, Wash.-company already owns nearly a dozen travel sites including Hotels.com, Hotwire and Egencia, the world’s fifth-largest corporate travel management company. Since 2013, Expedia Inc. has been powering Travelocity’s U.S. and Canadian websites and providing Travelocity access to Expedia hotel supply and customer service program. So for users, this acquisition will have little noticeable change.
Obama planning India trip
President Barack Obama arrives in India this weekend anxious to take another step in moving the world’s two largest democracies beyond the deep tensions that have beset their relationship in recent years. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last fall appeared to ease some of the strain, with officials in both countries praising the easy chemistry between Modi and Obama. S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley in November went to India — the homeland of her parents — for 10 days on a trade mission, creating a media stir.
Sports Illustrated axing its staff photographers
Sports Illustrated is laying off all six of its staff photographers as it restructures its photography department. Scott Novak, a spokesman for parent company Time Inc., says that the magazine will be able to expand its contributor base worldwide by relying on freelance photographers. Novak said Friday that the decision to move away from staff photography is not unprecedented at the magazine. Sports Illustrated was founded in 1954 and has a weekly audience of more than 19 million.
The Associated Press contributed.
This story was originally published January 24, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Business Notebook."