Certain stores to take PayPal payments in ’13

SAN JOSE, Calif. – PayPal is expanding its payment services to more than 7 million stores across the U.S. in a partnership with Discover Financial Services.

EBay Inc.’s payments unit said Wednesday that retailers that take Discover cards will be able to process PayPal payments beginning next year. People will be able to pay in-person using PayPal cards and later, mobile devices.

The move marks the latest step in PayPal’s push into physical retailers as it expands from offering online payments.

The deal with Discover lets retailers use the point-of-sale systems that they already have in their stores to accept PayPal payments.

USDA suspends buys from slaughterhouse

FRESNO, Calif. – The federal government says it has suspended purchases of meat from a California slaughterhouse under investigation for animal cruelty and possible health issues.

The USDA bought 21 million pounds of beef from Central Valley Meat Co. in 2011 for the national school lunch program and other federal food programs.

In announcing the suspension Wednesday, the agency said suppliers of federal food programs must comply with humane handling regulations.

An undercover video taken at the slaughterhouse shows cows that may be sick or lame being shocked, kicked and repeatedly shot on their way to slaughter.

Deliberations begin in Apple-Samsung case

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Jurors began deliberating Wednesday in a multibillion dollar patent infringement case pitting Apple against Samsung over the design of iPhones and iPads – but few experts were expecting a quick verdict.

After a three-week federal trial in San Jose, a jury will try to decide if Samsung Electronics Co. ripped off Apple Inc. designs or whether Apple wronged Samsung.

With so much money and market clout at stake, a decision likely won’t come anytime soon, according to jury experts, attorneys and courtroom observers.

“This case has huge implications,” said University of Notre Dame law professor Mark P. McKenna. “It could result in injunctions against both companies” involving the sales of products.

It took the judge more than two hours to read the 109 pages of instructions to the jury. As a verdict is reached, jurors must fill out a 20-page form that includes dozens of check-off boxes.

“The verdict form is crazy,” said Karen Lisko, who runs a jury consulting company that specializes in patent trials. “It’s incredibly complicated.”

Hewlett-Packard loses $8.9 billion in quarter

SAN FRANCISCO – Hewlett-Packard absorbed the largest quarterly loss in its history as the Silicon Valley pioneer owned up to past mistakes that have left it scrambling to adapt to a shifting technology market.

The loss of $8.9 billion announced Wednesday didn’t come as a surprise. HP telegraphed the news earlier this month when it disclosed plans to take an $8 billion charge to reflect the shrinking value of Electronic Data Systems, a technology consulting service it bought for $13 billion in 2008.

HP also had to absorb charges to cover severance payments for the first wave of the 27,000 workers it is jettisoning to dramatically reduce its expenses as its revenue shrivels. The company now expects to drop 11,500 employees from its payroll by the end of October, up from its previous target of 9,000. Another 15,500 employees will be let go through October 2014.