Business briefs: Corn, soybean harvest sets record

DES MOINES, Iowa – Farmers set corn and soybean records last year, harvesting the largest crops ever as a cool summer allowed the plants to mature under mostly favorable conditions.

The abundance has kept commodity prices low, however, meaning many farmers will struggle to make a profit this year, especially if they’re paying high rent for land.

Farmers harvested a record 14.2 billion bushels of corn, 3 percent more than the 2013 crop, which set the previous record. The average bushel-per-acre yield was 171, significantly better than the 158 bushels per acre in 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in its final tally of the 2014 crop year released Monday. The record crop came even though farmers harvested about 5 percent fewer acres than in 2013. Record yields were estimated in 21 states, including Illinois and Nebraska.

Soybean production also set a record at 3.97 billion bushels, up 18 percent from 2013. Farmers harvested a record 83.1 million acres in 2014.

Arts, culture contribute $698 billion to economy

WASHINGTON – Creative industries contribute more to the U.S. economy than previously thought, the government said Monday in its first official analysis of the arts and culture sector’s economic value.

The report from the National Endowment for the Arts and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows arts and culture contributed more than $698 billion to the economy – about 4.32 percent of U.S. goods and services. The study is based on 2012 data, the most recent figures available, and includes nonprofit, for-profit and government-funded programs.

Six industries account for the bulk of arts and culture production: broadcasting, movies and videos, publishing, retail sales, performing arts and advertising.

Attempted miles theft hits American, United

DALLAS – Thieves have broken into customer accounts at American and United airlines and in some cases booked free trips or upgrades.

The airlines say the incidents happened in late December. American began notifying affected customers by email Monday.

United Airlines said thieves booked trips or made mileage transactions on up to three dozen accounts. The airline said it would restore miles to anyone who had them stolen.

American Airlines said about 10,000 accounts were affected. The company has learned of two cases in which somebody booked a free trip or upgrade without the account holder’s knowledge.