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- Calif. KFC workers in hot water after sink baths
Three employees of a Kentucky Fried Chicken have been suspended for bathing in a deep sink used to clean dishes. The prank was discovered after one of the young women posted photos on a social networking site of the trio posing and cavorting in the steaming water in their underwear and swim wear. The photos were filed in a gallery called "KFC moments." Captions included "haha KFC showers!" and "haha we turned on the jets." A manager of the fast-food restaurant said the three were reprimanded and suspended Tuesday. She said no manager was on duty when the photos were taken as the three had closed the restaurant for the night. - Kentucky foreclosures down in November
New foreclosure filings in Kentucky declined in November for the second time in three months, RealtyTrac reported Thursday. The California foreclosure tracking firm said new filings were down 19.1 percent from October and 43.7 percent from November 2007. Kentucky continued to be ranked 43rd among the states in new filings, the same ranking as in October, when filings were down 35 percent from October 2007. The state was ranked 38th in September after a 5.7 percent uptick. - Ford's gamble to leverage assets for debt pays off
DEARBORN, Mich. . A decision Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally made during his first months on the job might just save the automaker. In 2006, the chief executive fresh from Boeing Co. wanted to concentrate on smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, matching production with consumer demand, and focusing on the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands. The company has announced the closing of 17 factories and eliminated 50,000 jobs since its latest restructuring started in 2005, many through buyout and early retirement offers. It sold non-Ford brands Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin and is considering the sale of Sweden's Volvo. Smaller cars produced by its European unit are coming to the United States starting in 2010. But to fulfill his vision, Mulally needed at least $17 billion. He took his plan . one very similar to the one Ford submitted to Congress last week . to 40 banks at a time when credit flowed freely, and he ended up raising $23.5 billion. He bet all of Ford's buildings, stock, intellectual property, stakes in foreign automakers, and even its trademark blue logo as collateral. - Marathon delays decision on company split
HOUSTON . Marathon Oil Corp. said Thursday it has delayed a decision on whether to split into two separate companies, citing the recent volatility in global financial markets. Marathon announced in July it was considering a move to create one publicly traded company focused primarily on exploration and production and another on refining and marketing. Marathon owns the oil refinery in Catlettsburg, Ky., which it bought from the company previously known as Ashland Oil. Marathon previously said it expected to make a decision by year's end. Marathon President and Chief Executive Clarence P. Cazalot Jr. said in a statement Thursday the review so far indicates that a separation may enhance shareholder value. - New jobless claims worse than forecast
WASHINGTON . New claims for jobless benefits surged last week and came in worse than expectations that were already gloomy . and economists say the figures would get even worse without an auto industry bailout. Initial applications for unemployment benefits rose to a seasonally adjusted 573,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was nearly 50,000 more than expected and up from a revised 515,000 the week before. The last time that figure was so high in a single week was in 1982, but the labor force has grown by about half since then. Adding more damage to the already ravaged labor market, Bank of America said it expected to cut as many as 35,000 jobs over the next three years, including some from investment bank Merrill Lynch, which it agreed to buy in September. - Trade deficit rises unexpectedly in October
America's trade deficit rose unexpectedly in October as the global recession dampened sales of U.S. products in foreign markets and the volume of oil imports surged. Analysts, however, saw the increase as a momentary blip in a trend dominated by recession that should lower the deficit significantly in the coming year. The trade deficit rose to $57.2 billion in October from $56.6 billion in September, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Analysts had expected the deficit to decline to $53.5 billion on lower oil prices. But a record spike in the volume of oil imports surprised economists and overwhelmed a record drop in crude oil prices. So far this year, the U.S. trade deficit is running at an annual rate of $709.1 billion, up slightly from last year's imbalance of $700.3 billion. Last year's decline in the deficit came after the trade imbalance had set record highs for five straight years. - Stock futures point to sharply lower open
A dejected stock market headed for a plunge at the opening of trading Friday as the Senate's rejection of a $14 billion lifeline for the auto industry intensified investors' concerns about a deepening recession. The defeat of the bailout bill late Thursday has prompted calls from lawmakers for the Bush administration to use a portion of the $700 billion financial rescue package to prop up the struggling companies. The bill failed after the United Auto Workers refused to meet Republican demands for big wage cuts. General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC have said they could run out of cash within weeks without government help. Ford Motor Co., which would also be eligible for aid under the bill, has said it has enough cash to make it through next year. The failure of the bill is feeding investors' concerns about job losses. More evidence of the ravaged labor market came late Thursday, as Bank of America Corp. said it expected to cut as many as 35,000 jobs over the next three years, including some from investment bank Merrill Lynch & Co., which it agreed to buy in September. Dow Jones industrial average futures dropped 310, or 3.61 percent, to 8,287. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures fell 40.40, or 4.62 percent, to 834.10, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 45.00, or 3.78 percent, to 1,145.00. - UK awards Reynolds building project
The University of Kentucky announced Wednesday that the South Hill Group of Lexington has been selected as the finalist for redevelopment of the Reynolds Building project on South Broadway. The project entails redevelopment of the prime 6-acre site on the west side of campus and complete renovation of the Reynolds art building, which would be leased back to the university with the option to purchase it. Negotiations, which are expected to take up to three months, will now begin between UK and South Hill Group to determine the details and design of the project. The company's plan proposes also constructing a fine arts building, an honors dormitory, conference center with hotel rooms, retail space and residential units. - Kentucky Grilled Chicken is on its way nationwide
LOUISVILLE . KFC, the fast-food chain known for fried chicken, plans to introduce a new grilled chicken option across the country next year in hopes of lifting lagging U.S. sales. David C. Novak, chairman and CEO of KFC's parent, Yum Brands Inc., revealed plans for a second-quarter rollout of the grilled item during an investment conference in New York on Wednesday. KFC is pinning much of its hopes for a U.S. turnaround on Kentucky Grilled Chicken, which will hit nationwide stores with the longest market test in KFC history. "This product will be a major transformational product for us," Novak told analysts. - WLEX hires new general manager
Lexington's NBC affiliate WLEX-TV (Channel 18) has hired Pat Dalbey to replace retiring general manager Tim Gilbert, who will leave the station at the end of February. Dalbey comes to the station after serving for 10 years as the vice president and general manager at CBS affiliate WTVY in Dothan, Ala., where he was also a regional vice president for station owner Gray Television for five years. He resigned from that job in June after what he called a "disagreement with the company." Asked whether the resignation was his choice, he said no. - A new season for LCA
It was no coincidence that the first pre-game song blaring over the loudspeaker at Lexington Christian Thursday night was 'N Sync's I Want You Back. The Eagles were still smarting from their three losses to Lexing