Beer battle: Pabst Brewing Company and MillerCoors are going to trial, with hipster favorite Pabst contending that MillerCoors wants to put it out of business by ending a longstanding partnership through which it brews Pabst’s beers. The case has high stakes for Pabst, whose lawyers argue that the company’s very existence relies on the partnership with Chicago-based MillerCoors. The trial in Milwaukee County Circuit Court began today and is scheduled through Nov. 30. Read the full story.
Tobacco trim: In a landmark move bound to further shake the tobacco industry, the Food and Drug Administration plans to propose a ban on menthol cigarettes next week as part of its aggressive campaign against flavored e-cigarettes and some tobacco products, The New York Times reports. The proposal would have to go through the F.D.A. regulatory maze, and it could be several years before such a restriction took effect. But such a move has been long-awaited by public health advocates, who have been especially concerned about the high percentage of African-Americans who become addicted to menthol cigarettes. Read the full story.
Nose dive: Fuel costs are driving more small airlines out of business. More than 20 carriers have gone bust around the world this year, the highest number in a decade, The Wall Street Journal reports. Most are smaller European airlines, such as Primera Air, a Scandinavian budget operator that collapsed in October just months after starting flights to the U.S. Primera said rising costs prompted its demise, along with delays securing new planes from Airbus SE to expand its fleet of 14 jets. Read the full story.
