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Business news in brief

In the Region

D.A. to meet with drivers

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has agreed to meet with the Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Limousine Association, a group of about 480 limo drivers mostly affiliated with UberBlack, the luxury car division of Uber Technologies Inc., a Williams spokesman said Friday. The taxi and UberBlack drivers want Williams to enforce the Philadelphia Parking Authority's ban on lower-cost UberX operations in the city. UberX is allowed to operate in other Pennsylvania counties. Uber said the Parking Authority does not have the authority to regulate UberX because UberX is a mobile app and ride-sharing program, not a car service.

Elsewhere

'Star Wars' breaks record

Star Wars: The Force Awakens matinees were putting the movie on course to top $100 million in North American ticket sales on Friday, giving the picture a good chance to break the $208.8 million opening-weekend record set this summer by Jurassic World. The trend, if it holds, would also mark the first time a movie has surpassed $100 million in a single day, Walt Disney Co. said Friday in a statement, topping the mark held by a Harry Potter picture. The projection puts the film's two-day total above $157 million, with Saturday and Sunday still to go. - Bloomberg News

FDA targets teen tanning

The $3 billion U.S. tanning industry is about to take a serious hit. So will skin cancer, the FDA hopes. The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it wants to stop children under 18 from indoor tanning. In a proposed rule, the agency seeks to ban salon operators from allowing minors to buy tanning bed time, and require adults to sign a document acknowledging the risk before they drop their clothes and strap on goggles. It's the U.S. government's toughest action yet to curb the use of tanning devices, which the World Health Organization has dubbed carcinogenic to humans. - Bloomberg News 

Amazon mulls jet lease

Amazon.com Inc. is considering leasing 20 Boeing Co. 767 freighter jets to help gain more control over its delivery methods and costs, a source said. The tech-savvy retailer is interested in building up its cargo operations as consumers increasingly order online, especially during the holiday shopping season. Controlling its own planes and crew would help Amazon shave time and money getting goods to customers' doorsteps, and help keep its warehouses stocked with inventory. Amazon has run into delays with the shippers it depends on, United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. - Bloomberg News