Ford Motor Co. and the dealership that serviced a 2020 F-250 Super Duty can’t force the pickup’s owners to arbitrate their lemon law claim, a California appeals court ruled.
The Walt Disney Co. is tapping Morgan Stanley executive James Gorman to serve as its next chairman, beginning early next year. The entertainment giant also announced that it anticipates naming its new CEO in early 2026.
Gorman will become chairman on Jan. 2, 2025. He will succeed Mark Parker, who is leaving after serving on Disney’s board for nine years.
Gorman is currently chair of Disney’s succession planning committee. He serves as executive chairman at Morgan Stanley, but will be stepping down from that post at the end of the year. Gorman previously served as Morgan Stanley’s CEO from 2010 to 2023 and chairman from 2012 to 2023.
Gorman has previous succession planning experience, as he oversaw the process at Morgan Stanley.
“The Disney board has benefited tremendously from James Gorman’s expertise and guidance, and we are lucky to have him as our next chairman – particularly as the board continues to move forward with the succession process,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement on Monday.
By STEVE PEOPLES and LINLEY SANDERS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters remain largely divided over whether they prefer Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris to handle key economic issues, although Harris earns slightly better marks on elements such as taxes for the middle class, according to a new poll.
A majority of registered voters in the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research describe the economy as poor. About 7 in 10 say the nation is going in the wrong direction.
But the findings reaffirm that Trump has lost what had been an advantage on the economy, which many voters say is the most important issue this election season above abortion, immigration, crime and foreign affairs.
“Do I trust Trump on the economy? No. I trust that he’ll give tax cuts to his buddies like Elon Musk,” said poll respondent Janice Tosto, a 59-year-old Philadelphia woman and self-described independent.
An AP-NORC poll conducted in September found neither Harris nor Trump had a clear advantage on handling “the economy and jobs.” But this poll asked more specific questions about whether voters trusted Trump or Harris to do a better job handling the cost of housing, jobs and unemployment, taxes on the middle class, the cost of groceries and gas, and tariffs.
Troubled Spirit Airlines has obtained some financial leeway, borrowing $300 million and obtaining another extended deadline for refinancing a large chunk of its debt, the company has disclosed.
The Dania Beach-based discount airline, which is still the predominant carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in terms of passengers carried, said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that its credit card processor advanced a 2025 note extension deadline to Dec. 23. The borrowing consumed the entirety of the available amount of $300 million under a revolving credit facility.
“Spirit has to address debt payment timing and resizing the fixed cost structure, and it is still unclear if this can be completed with/without Chapter 11,” Raymond James airline analyst Savanthi Syth said in a weekend note to investors.
In the regulatory filing, management said Spirit expects to end 2024 with more than $1 billion in cash. The report drove Spirit’s flagging common stock price up by 31% to $1.91 in after-hours trading on Friday. The shares have plunged by 90% for the year.
Artificial intelligence has helped dealerships improve their back-office functions and service operations. Chatbots have been a mixed bag.