Portland misses out on smart parking, and Bullseye Glass isn’t the only company to face violations.
OREGON NEWS
Smart parking, we hardly knew ye. When Portland took second place in the Smart City Challenge, it missed out on more than a $40 million grant from the U.S. Transportation Department. The Oregonian reports a Google sister company had proposed to integrate itself into Portland’s parking system. Sidewalk Labs sent Portland, and the other Smart City finalists, a plan for temporary free use of its program. Sidewalk helps drivers identified open parking and facilitates payment, as well as allow users to weigh the different transit options based on time commitment and cost. Portland is reportedly still interested in making a deal.
Lured by light rail. In a blog post last week, editor Linda Baker described Seattle’s new light rail extension, known as Link, as a world class operation. It appears other Portlanders want a piece of the action. New Seasons is now vying for a retail space at Link’s new Capitol Hill rail station. The Portland-based chain is up against Seattle’s Central Co-op, which has local backing. The Portland Business Journal has more.
Missing the mark. Nike’s stock went on a bit of a rollercoaster yesterday when the Beaverton-company’s fourth quarter earnings came in 2% lower than this time last year. Nike earned $8.2 billion last quarter, an 11% increase. But projections had growth at the 13% mark, which caused the short-lived 6% share drop. Nike, according to The Oregonian, remains confident in its future growth.
Neutral position. Gov. Kate Brown has outlined a spending plan for the corporate tax initiative known as IP-28, but has yet to take a stance on the issue. Brown said yesterday that she will take a stance, eventually. “I think that it’s more important that I get the decision right, than have it be done quickly,” she said. Read more from OPB.
EPA violations. Bullseye Glass isn’t the only company in Oregon to face fines from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Statesman Journal reports from January to March, eight Oregon facilities were penalized to the tune of $335,210. The biggest offender? Oregon State University.
Sweat equity. A Bend startup sets its sights on high performance athletes. Read my profile of Zealios to learn more.
Family leave. An expert panel discussed the business of family leave during our Hot Topics forum yesterday. Research Editor Kim Moore gives us the highlights.
NATIONAL NEWS
Ikea recall. Nearly 36 million dressers are being recalled after the Malm chest and dresser were linked to six deaths. Ikea’s recall covers six Malm models, sold between 2002 and 2016. The products have a history of tipping over if not secured to the wall. Ikea is offering either refunds or a free wall-anchoring kit as part of the recall. Reuters has more.
Calm after the storm. The stock market appears to be rebounding from last week’s Brexit. The U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union fed fears that the global economy would be disrupted. But investors are reportedly deciding the risk is limited to the U.K. Read more from the Wall Street Journal.
