BUSINESS BRIEFS: More travelers get on track

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More travelers get on Track

WASHINGTON — After half a century as more of a curiosity than a convenience, passenger trains are getting back on track in some parts of the country. The high cost of energy, coupled with congestion on highways and at airports, is drawing travelers back to trains not only for commuting but also for travel between cities as much as 500 miles apart.

2nd bias suit filed on Dell

AUSTIN — A former human resources manager at Dell Inc. has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the computer company, the second such complaint this week. Jill Hubley, who worked until September 2007 as a senior strategist in the Dell Americas human resources group, filed the lawsuit claiming gender discrimination in U.S. District Court in Austin.

Surcharges investigated

NEW YORK — American Express has received a request from the U.S. Justice Department for information regarding the credit card company’s policies related to merchant surcharging, according to a regulatory filing Friday.

The company said it received a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) on Oct. 14 from the Justice Department’s antitrust division. The department can issue CIDs to anyone it believes may have information related to an investigation, the filing said.

Kerkorian aims for Delta oil

LOS ANGELES — Tracinda, the investment arm of billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, says it will launch a cash tender offer for 14 million Delta Petroleum shares, in a move to boost its stake in the Denver-based oil and gas explorer to about 48.5 percent. Tracinda, which currently owns 36.1 million Delta Pete shares, or a 35 percent stake, is offering $11 per share for the added 13.55 percent stake.

Jury weighs business fraud

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal jury in Ohio has begun deliberating in the case of a former health-care financing executive accused of masterminding $1.9 billion in corporate fraud. Lance Poulsen is the founder and former chief executive of National Century Financial Enterprises. Prosecutors allege Poulsen fabricated data, moved money between accounts to hide shortfalls and misled the investors who funded his business model.

Wages, benefits rise slightly

WASHINGTON — Wages and benefits paid to U.S. workers rose by a moderate amount in the third quarter, the government said Friday, matching analysts’ estimates. The Labor Department reported that employment costs for civilian workers increased by a seasonally-adjusted 0.7 percent for the June-September period, the same increase as in the previous two quarters. That level of growth is the lowest since wages and benefits rose by 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2006.

AIG starts repaying debt

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — American International Group Inc. has reduced the amount it owes the U.S. government by $6.8 billion after the insurance company was granted access to the Federal Reserve’s new commercial paper program. AIG said it would be able to access up to an additional $20.9 billion under the new program designed to kick-start the flagging market for commercial paper. It used some of the proceeds to pay back part of an $85 billion government loan.

From Wire Reports

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