Briefcase

Court overrules FAA on Nantucket wind farm

BOSTON – A federal appeals court on Friday said the Federal Aviation Administration misread its own rules in finding that turbines proposed for what’s expected to be the country’s first offshore wind farm are safe for local aviation, and sent the case back to the agency, possibly delaying the project already 10 years in review.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the FAA did not adequately determine whether Cape Wind’s 130 turbines – each 440 feet tall – would pose a danger to pilots relying on sight rather than the plane’s instruments.

Planned for Massachusett’s Nantucket Sound, the project has faced relentless opposition since it was first proposed a decade ago. Critics say its power would be too costly and the wind farm will spoil beautiful vistas, while posing environmental and navigational threats.

Associated Press

Biofuel-powered airliner makes two-hour flight

BEIJING – A jumbo jet powered by fuel made from oily nuts made a two-hour test flight Friday as part of a U.S.-Chinese renewable energy partnership.

The fuel, based on the oily nuts of the jatropha tree, is one of a series of research projects launched last year by the United States and China, the world’s two biggest oil consumers.

The fuel was developed by Boeing Co., Honeywell UOP, Chinese oil company PetroChina Ltd. and Air China Ltd. They say a commercial biofuel should be available in three to five years.

Government and company officials watched as an Air China Boeing 747-400 powered by a mix of half biofuel and half standard aviation fuel took off from the Beijing airport and flew for two hours.

Associated Press

The CW signs five-year agreement with Hulu

LOS ANGELES – Current-season shows on The CW are coming to Hulu.

The five-year deal announced Friday means that before the end of the year, the online video service will feature shows from five of the largest six broadcasters – ABC, NBC, Fox, The CW, and Univision. The only holdout is CBS.

Under the new deal, subscribers who pay $8 a month for Hulu Plus will get the five most recent episodes from The CW’s lineup the day after they are broadcast on television. The same episodes will then be available for free on CWTV.com three days after broadcast. Eight days after broadcast, the episodes will be available on the free version of Hulu.

Associated Press

Target stores to open earlier on Black Friday

NEW YORK – Target Corp. said Friday that its stores will open at midnight on Thanksgiving Day for the first time.

That’s four hours earlier than last year. The stores will stay open for 23 hours and close at 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25.

Associated Press

Ringling Bros. lawsuit dismissal upheld

WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by animal rights activists that claims the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus abuses its elephants.

The U.S. Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court judge that the Animal Protection Institute and a former Ringling employee Tom Ryder did not have the legal standing to sue the circus. The lower court found that Ryder was “essentially a paid plaintiff” because he received at least $190,000 from the animal rights activists pursuing the case.

The lawsuit claimed the circus is violating the elephants’ protection under the Endangered Species Act with the use of bullhooks for training and prolonged chaining during train rides between shows.

Feld Entertainment Inc. argued the elephants are not hurt and that the instruments are necessary to keep the animals under control and protect public safety. The company runs the circus and has an elephant sanctuary in Florida.

Associated Press