A.C. casinos report a dip in 2007 winnings
Last year, for the first time in the history of Atlantic City's legalized gambling, the casinos won less money than they had the year before, figures released Thursday show.
Last year, for the first time in the history of Atlantic City's legalized gambling, the casinos won less money than they had the year before, figures released Thursday show.
The 5.7 percent decline to $4.9 billion was hardly a surprise. Month after month in 2007, the gaming halls reported wins that were down from 2006 levels - all attributed to new competition from slots parlors in Pennsylvania and New York and new smoking restrictions on Atlantic City casino floors.
Still, the first year-to-year decline provided a marker that the gambling mecca did not want. It also deprived the people of New Jersey of about $24 million in gambling-tax revenue, which the state uses to benefit senior citizens and people with disabilities. See:
US Airways shakes up its leadership in Philadelphia
US Airways Group Inc. has replaced its Philadelphia airport manager and posted two new senior executives here for the first time to improve operations and customer service in its biggest international hub.
The airline, Philadelphia International Airport's largest, with 60 percent of the traffic, said Monday that the two would assume new executive positions overseeing East Coast and Philadelphia operations - and that both would be based in Philadelphia.
Suzanne Boda, 48, was appointed senior vice president, East Coast, international and cargo operations, making her the highest-ranking executive the airline has ever based in Philadelphia.
Robert Ciminelli, 56, a former manager of American Airlines' operations at New York's LaGuardia Airport and its Dallas-Fort Worth airport hub, was named vice president of Philadelphia operations. See:
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Retailing industry reports unhappy holiday season
Retailers nationally and locally confronted a reality they had feared for months: Holiday sales were weak in this era of expensive gas and an uncertain economy.
By and large, owners of small shops and major chains in the Philadelphia area reported sales figures similar to the declines and modest increases posted by such national behemoths as Kohl's Corp. and Macy's Inc.
The numbers were met with unease across the retail sector, which has struggled to remain profitable in unsteady times.
"This has been a major topic of conversation with all my friends who have stores in the United States," said Center City boutique owner Joan Shepp, who reported that holiday sales at her shop appeared to be only modestly above levels last year. See:
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Comcast technology runs into an obstacle
In his keynote speech Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Comcast's Brian L. Roberts said his firm had embraced new technology to allow electronics companies to develop interactive devices that worked on Comcast's 25-million-subscriber network.
But hopes Roberts had of pleasing Comcast's - and the cable industry's - biggest foe, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, were quickly dashed.
Shortly after Roberts' speech ended, Martin said in a panel discussion that the new technology, called tru2way, was a good start but not the ultimate solution.
Martin also criticized Comcast and the industry for high rates and said the FCC would look into complaints that the firm cuts off customers who send vast amounts of data over their Web connection. See:
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Coming tomorrow
A building boom in Center City hotels spurred by Convention Center expansion is likely to begin.
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