US agency warns car owners to get air bags fixed

DETROIT — A potential crisis over defective air bags widened Monday as the U.S. government issued an urgent plea to more than 4.7 million people to get their cars fixed.

The inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are inflated in crashes.

Safety advocates say at least four people have died from the problem and there have been multiple injuries. They also say more than 20 million vehicles in the U.S. are equipped with the faulty air bags.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned people whose cars have been recalled during the past two years for faulty air bag inflators to take them to dealers right away. The inflators are made by Takata Corp., a Tokyo-based supplier of seat belts, air bags, steering wheels and other auto parts. So far, automakers have recalled about 12 million vehicles worldwide because of the problem.

"This message comes with urgency," NHTSA said in a statement. The agency has been investigating the problem since June, and has cited six related injuries.

The warning covers cars made by Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, General Motors and Ford.

Toyota issued the latest recall Monday, covering 247,000 older model vehicles including the Lexus SC, Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia and Tundra.

Like many of the other recalls, the Toyota recall covers vehicles in South Florida, along the Gulf Coast, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa — all areas that have high absolute humidity. Toyota, in documents posted on the NHTSA website, said the company and Takata are still trying to pinpoint the cause of the rupture and to gauge the influence of high absolute humidity.

Absolute humidity is a measurement of water vapor in the air, while relative humidity, which is commonly used in weather reports, measures air moisture content relative to the air temperature.

Toyota has been testing the air bags, and it found an unusually high incidence of inflator failures along the coasts, according to spokesman John Hanson. The investigation continues and the recall could be expanded to more areas, Hanson said.

Toyota says it knows of no crashes or injuries from the cars it has recalled.

Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, estimated there are 20 million to 25 million cars in the U.S. alone that are equipped with the faulty air bags.

Toyota said repairs will be done for free and notices will go into the mail starting around Oct. 25, according to documents. People who live in areas that are outside of the recall zone who are afraid of driving their cars should contact their dealerships, Hanson said.

Last week, two U.S. senators questioned why the safety agency is allowing the recalls to be done on a regional basis because cars could be driven to, or people could move to the high-humidity states.

They also cited the May 27, 2009, death of 18-year-old Ashley Parham of Oklahoma City. She was driving a 2001 Honda Accord across a high school parking lot in Midwest City, Oklahoma, when it hit another car. The air bag inflated and sent shards of metal into her neck, causing her death.

"Based on NHTSA's open investigation, the agency will take appropriate action, including expanding the scope of the recall if warranted," an agency statement said.

Takata has said it recognizes the critical role that government plays in public safety, and it is supporting safety regulators.

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Justices will decide privacy case on hotel records

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to referee a dispute over police access to hotels' guest information without first getting a search warrant.

The justices said they will hear an appeal by the city of Los Angeles of a lower court ruling that struck down an ordinance that requires hotel operators to open their guest registries at the demand of police.

The federal appeals court in San Francisco divided 7-4 in ruling that the ordinance violates the privacy rights of the hotels, but not their guests.

Courts in other parts of the country have upheld similar laws.

Cities argue that the ordinances help fight prostitution and illegal gambling, aid in the pursuit of fugitives and even could be a tool to track suspects following a terrorist attack. Los Angeles has said the ordinance makes prostitutes and drug dealers less likely to use hotels if they know that the facilities must collect information about guests and make them available to police on a moment's notice.

Judge Paul Watford wrote for the appeals court that the records are a hotel's private property and "the hotel has the right to exclude others from prying into the contents of its records."

In dissent, Judge Richard Clifton said that courts previously have ruled that hotel guests have no expectation of privacy in records of their names and room numbers. "A guest's information is even less personal to the hotel than it is to the guest," Clifton said.

The case is Los Angeles v. Patel, 13-1175.

In a second case from California, the justices said they will consider reinstating the conviction and death sentence in a 29-year-old triple murder in San Diego.

The state appealed a lower court ruling that overturned the conviction and sentence for Hector Ayala. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said Ayala was denied a fair trial because prosecutors excused all seven black and Hispanic jurors who might have served.

The jury convicted Ayala of killing three people during a drug robbery at a San Diego garage in 1985.

The case is Chappell v. Ayala, 13-1428.

The third appeal accepted Monday questions whether a convicted felon still can sell or transfer guns that he can no longer own because of his criminal conviction.

Tony Henderson, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent who pleaded guilty to distributing marijuana, voluntarily turned 19 guns over to federal authorities after he had been charged.

Henderson wanted to sell the weapons to a friend or transfer them to his wife because federal law prohibits people convicted of crimes from owning guns. But lower federal courts ruled against Henderson.

The case is Henderson v U.S., 13-1487.

All three cases will be argued during the winter.

___

Associated Press writer Sam Hananel contributed to this report.

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US stocks move higher; IBM disappoints

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks moved higher Monday in midday trading following a turbulent week. The market's gains were partly held back by IBM, which slid after reporting results that missed investor expectations.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average lost 30 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,351 as of 12:05 p.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose nine points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,895 and the Nasdaq composite was up 33 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,291.

BIG BLUE'S RED DAY: IBM was the main reason the Dow was down Monday. IBM fell $12.40, or 7 percent, to $169.63 after the company reported earnings that missed Wall Street's expectations. The company also missed on revenue and warned that it may not meet its profit goals for the foreseeable future. IBM was the biggest decliner in both the Dow and in the S&P 500.

RELATIVE CALM: The quiet trading on Wall Street came after a wild ride last week, when the Dow moved between triple-digit losses and triple-digit gains. Investors remain concerned that economic weakness in Europe could spread to the U.S.

BUSY WEEK: This is one of the busiest weeks for company earnings. A total of 130 companies in the S&P 500 index will report quarterly results this week, including big names like American Express, Cola-Cola and AT&T. Apple, which will release its earnings report after the stock market closes, rose $1.69, or 1.7 percent, to $99.37.

ENERGY: One symptom of the concerns over the global economy has been the sharp fall in oil prices in recent weeks. U.S. benchmark crude fell 20 cents to $81.88 a barrel in New York. Brent crude fell 62 cents to $85.56 a barrel.

JAPANESE RALLY: Japan's Nikkei had its biggest rally of the year Monday, gaining 4 percent. The rally comes after a report that the Government Pension Fund will increase its holdings of Japanese stocks to 25 percent from 12 percent. South Korea's Kospi was up 1.6 percent at 1,930.06 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.2 percent to 23,070.26.

BONDS: U.S. government bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.19 percent.

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Massachusetts gas prices drop 9 cents per gallon

BOSTON — Massachusetts gas prices continued their downward spiral, dropping another 9 cents per gallon in the past week to an average of $3.17.

AAA Southern New England said Monday the cost of a gallon of self-serve, regular in the Bay State has now dropped 22 cents in the past month, prices are 21 cents lower than at the same time a year ago, and are at their lowest level since February 2011.

Yes despite the steep drop, Massachusetts prices are 7 cents above the national per-gallon average.

AAA found self-serve regular selling for as low as $2.89 per gallon and as high as $3.43.

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China's growth likely to slow, research group says

NEW YORK — China's economic growth will decelerate to 4 percent a year between 2020 to 2025 — well below widespread expectations of steady 7 percent to 8 percent growth over the next decade, a business research group predicted.

The Conference Board forecast Monday that China will endure a rockier-than-expected transition from fast growth based on exports and massive investment in factories and real estate to a slower but steadier economy based on increased spending by Chinese consumers.

"This adjustment process will necessarily be painful," the report warned. "The full transition of China's economic growth model is likely to be a long slog."

Chinese officials have acknowledged that the transition will require tough choices, such as reducing government loans to inefficient but politically connected companies. But they have been slow to act, the Conference Board said. "China's leaders have forestalled needed structural adjustments" by rolling out stimulus measures whenever the economy starts to sputter, the report said.

The government is aiming for growth of 7.5 percent this year, well below peak growth of 14 percent in 2007.

The Conference Board said that U.S. and other foreign companies can benefit in some ways from more moderate growth in China. It will be easier to attract skilled Chinese workers, who will increasingly value steady employment instead of jumping from company to company in search of higher pay as they could in the boom years. It will give foreign companies opportunities to buy struggling Chinese firms. And the report also predicted that it means the Chinese government — which has been investigating foreign companies for allegedly anti-competitive practices — will be "more hospitable" to foreign companies that want to invest in China.

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Canadian Pacific ends CSX deal talks

Canadian Pacific Railway has ended talks with U.S. counterpart CSX about a possible combination and plans no more discussions.

The railway operator did not say on Monday why it ended talks, but it did note in a brief statement that regulatory concerns appear to be a major deterrent for railroads considering combinations.

A CSX spokeswoman declined to comment on Canadian Pacific's statement.

Several reports had surfaced recently that CSX Corp. had rejected a merger offer from Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. Both railroads declined to comment on the deal talk, but CSX CEO Michael Ward did say last week that the Surface Transportation Board, which regulates freight rail prices, would likely take a cautious approach to consolidation because there are only six Class I railroads in the U.S. and Canada.

Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX Corp. operates more than 21,000 miles of track in 23 Eastern states and two Canadian provinces. Other large railroads include Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF and Canadian National.

Ward also said last week that past railroad mergers in the 1990s lead to poorer service after the deals as the companies worked to integrate the different railroads.

Canadian Pacific said Monday that it believed that regulatory approvals would be achievable for the right deal.

Railroad lobbyists have told Congress that the industry is struggling to keep up with a sharp increase in freight rail demand created in part by an oil fracking boom and two years of unusually bountiful harvests. Shippers have complained that widespread delays in freight rail shipments are hurting an array of industries.

Canadian Pacific said that a "pro-competition, customer-friendly" railway combination that also focuses on safety is a solution that could not be ignored on its merits by regulators. The railroad operator added that the industry's significant problems "will only worsen over time if solutions aren't put in place immediately."

CSX shares fell 2.9 percent, or 99 cents, to $32.87 in midday trading Monday while broader indexes were nearly flat. The stock had climbed about 18 percent so far this year, as of Friday's close, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose about 2 percent.

U.S.-traded shares of Canadian Pacific dropped $1.06 to $198.44.

___

AP Business Writer Josh Funk contributed to this report from Omaha, Nebraska.

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Lady Gaga drops a wad on equestrian estate In Malibu

YOUR MAMA'S NOTES: Though her most recent album, ARTPOP, was both commercial and critical dead weight, show boating international pop superstar Lady Gaga still has the dough-re-me to plunk down $23 million for an ocean view equestrian estate in Malibu. That's right, butter beans, that nutty, meat wearing beotch bought an ocean view equestrian estate in Malibu.

• BUYER: Lady Gaga
• SELLER: Dan Romanelli
• LOCATION: Malibu
• PRICE: $23,000,000
• SIZE: 10,270 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 6 full and 6 half bathroom

Property records show the seller was Warner Bros. exec Dan Romanelli and digital marketing materials show the gated, 5.98-acre spread, set above Zuma Beach with panoramic coastal views, includes a Giannetti Architects-designed 10,270-square-foot European farmhouse type mansion with five bedrooms and six full and six half bathrooms.

A long, olive tree-lined drive sweeps past the stone-faced front of the house to a parking lot size motor court. The manse's interiors were done up by accomplished lady decorator Madeline Stuart and include a roomy entry and stair hall and a generous combination living/dining room with rustic wood floors, a 19th century stone fireplace mantelpiece, exposed wood beam ceiling and floor-to-ceiling French doors with ocean views. The high-quality kitchen, with custom cabinetry painted deep sage and white, micro-mosaic tile backsplash, is open to an informal eating area and a family room with vaulted exposed wood beam ceiling and another 19th-century carved stone mantelpiece.

A glassed-in breezeway opens to a courtyard with outdoor fireplace and leads to an office, gym and elevator. There are two guest/family bedrooms on the main floor with en suite bathrooms, walk-in closets and direct access to private terraces. The second floor master suite has another antique fireplace mantel, a sitting area, French doors that open to an ocean view terrace, dual walk-in closets -- one with a safe room-- and two bathrooms with radiant heated stone floors.

The fully fitted and kitted basement, accessible by elevator and secret staircase, level features an 800-bottle temperature-controlled wine cellar, a media lounge with wet bar games area and a professional-grade two-lane bowling alley. In addition to the main house, the property encompasses a self-contained guest cottage with kitchenette plus a staff apartment. The extensive grounds include numerous ocean-side terraces for dining, lounging and sunset watching, a custom-tiled saltwater swimming pool and spa, built-in barbecue, a lighted bocce ball court and gravel pathways that meander around the grounds. Horse facilities include a 6-8 horse barn with tack and feed room and several fenced pastures and a riding ring.

As far as this property gossip knows, back in Miss Gaga's native New York City she still resides in a rented, $22,000 per month two bedroom and two bathroom duplex penthouse on Central Park South that was formerly occupied -- according to the lady herself in this Spring 2014 video -- by Tony Bennett and Liza Minnelli.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Ratings: Manning milestone big for NBC's 'Sunday Night Football'

NBC dominated Sunday's ratings race with its San Francisco-Denver matchup on "," with audiences tuning in to see Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning make NFL history by throwing his 509th career touchdown pass. Opposite the game, the dramas on ABC and CBS held steady while Fox's comedy lineup saw gains.

In Nielsen's metered-market overnights, the Denver Broncos' 42-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers averaged a 14.8 household rating to become the No. 2-rated "Sunday Night Football" game of the football season (behind the Week 1 game between Denver and Indianapolis). The game turned out to be a lopsided affair, with the Broncos expanding its 21-10 halftime lead with three more touchdowns in the third quatrter.

The game peaked with a 17.0 household rating in the 9:30-10 p.m. ET half-hour, when Manning broke Brett Favre's NFL record of 508 career touchdown passes. He would go on to throw No. 510 early in the second half, and then sat out the fourth quarter because his team was so far ahead.

In fast nationals that aren't adjusted for time zone differences, "Sunday Night Football" averaged a 7.0 rating/19 share in adults 18-49 and 20.5 million viewers overall on NBC's stations between 8:30 and 11 p.m. ET, with these numbers expected to rise by about 10% in the nationals.

Elsewhere, Fox benefited from an NFL overrun, as the closing half-hour of the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game and post-game show "The OT" provided a nice lead-in for the Treehouse of Horror episode of "The Simpsons" (3.5/10 in 18-49, 7.6 million viewers overall), with the show up 6% week to week and standing as the night's No. 1 broadcast entertainment series in 18-49. It was followed by "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (2.5/7 in 18-49, 5.2 million viewers overall), which grew 14% week to week, and "Family Guy" (2.5/6 in 18-49, 4.9 million viewers overall), which shot up 32% from its most recent original of two weeks ago.

Closing the night for Fox, "Mulaney" (1.1/3 in 18-49, 2.3 million viewers overall) held at its low score of last week.

At ABC, "America's Funniest Home Videos" (1.1/3 in 18-49, 5.3 million viewers overall) was down a tick kicking off the night, and followed by "Once Upon a Time" (2.7/7 in 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall), which was up slightly from last week and nearly 30% higher than the same night a year ago (2.1). "Resurrection" (1.4/3 in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall) held at its week-ago number, and "Revenge" (1.3/4 in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall) was up a tenth.

For the night, ABC was up vs. the same Sunday of a year ago for the fourth straight week to start the season.

CBS' numbers are subject to slight revisions due to a roughly 15-minute football overrun in some Eastern and Central time zones. "60 Minutes" (1.2/4 in 18-49, 11.1 million viewers overall) was followed by the steady "Madam Secretary" (1.4/4 in 18-49, 12.4 million viewers overall), which again built on its lead-in and was the night's most-watched broadcast entertainment series overall. "The Good Wife" (1.4/4 in 18-49, 10.8 million viewers overall) was up a tenth, and "CSI" (1.4/4 in 18-49, 8.8 million viewers overall) matched its week-ago score.

Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: NBC, 5.9/16; Fox, 3.6/10; ABC, 1.6/4; CBS, 1.4/4; Univision, 0.8/2; Telemundo, 0.2/1.

In total viewers: NBC, 17.4 million; CBS, 10.8 million; Fox, 9.0 million; ABC, 5.8 million; Univision, 2.2 million; Telemundo, 0.7 million.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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First aquaculture project in federal waters soon

NANTUCKET, Mass. — Federal officials say the first shellfish aquaculture project permitted in federal waters off the East Coast is likely to begin in the spring off of Nantucket.

The project is focusing on mussels. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says scientists and fishermen are partnering on a project to grow blue mussels within a 30-acre area in Nantucket Sound. The structures utilized in the project consist of 480-foot polysteel ropes suspended in the water column at depths of 20 to 30 feet using anchor lines and buoys. Mussels are hung vertically from the rope.

NOAA officials say about 85 percent of the demand for premium fresh mussels in the country is imported from Canada.

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APNewsBreak: Colorado seeks ban on most edible pot

DENVER — Colorado health officials want to ban many edible forms of marijuana, including brownies, cookies and most candies.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recommended that retail marijuana edibles be limited to lozenges and tinctures.

The recommendation has been obtained by The Associated Press in advance of a third and possibly final workgroup meeting Monday to draw up rules for identifiable markers or colors for edible marijuana products so they won't be confused with regular foods.

The health department's recommendation would effectively take most forms of edible marijuana off store shelves. The final decision will be made by the Department of Revenue, which oversees retail marijuana sales.

Lawmakers have ordered regulators to require pot-infused food and drink to have a distinct look when they are out of the packaging.

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