NATIONAL BRIEFING

SHIPPING

DHL to Cut 9,500 U.S. Jobs

DHL said it would significantly reduce its air and ground operations in the United States and cut 9,500 jobs within the country. It said it would discontinue U.S. domestic-only air and ground products on Jan. 30 to focus entirely on its international offerings. The decision could greatly scale back a possible venture between Deutsche Post's DHL and UPS.

The DHL-UPS deal was expected to last up to 10 years and infuse Atlanta-based UPS with up to $1 billion in annual revenue, if completed as first proposed in May. UPS has said the deal would mostly involve the transport of DHL packages between airports in North America -- not the pickup or delivery of DHL packages to customers.

CONSUMER SAFETY

Tougher Crib Rules Urged

The staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is recommending tougher mandatory safety standards for cribs, following several recent deaths and recalls of 2.5 million cribs.

In an analysis of more than 1,200 incidents, agency experts found that problems with crib hardware, assembly instructions and the quality of wood components can create a suffocation hazard. Cribs are mainly governed by voluntary regulations, which CPSC staff concluded in a Nov. 5 memo to acting chair Nancy Nord and commissioner Thomas Moore are "inadequate to prevent entrapment deaths and injuries of young children."

The commissioners are expected to vote later this week on whether to move forward with new regulations.

EARNINGS

Starbucks said profit fell 97 percent compared with the corresponding period a year earlier, to $5.4 million, on fewer U.S. customers and the cost of closing poorly performing stores. Revenue rose 3 percent, to $2.52 billion.

Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat company, said fourth-quarter profit rose 50 percent, to $48 million from $32 million in corresponding period a year ago. Revenue in the period ended Sept. 27 was $7.2 billion, up 10 percent. The results fell short of analysts' predictions, as the company lost money in its chicken segment. For the fiscal year, Tyson earned $86 million, down 68 percent. Full-year revenue was $26.86 billion, up 4.4 percent.

Sirius XM Radio reported a wider third-quarter loss as plummeting automobile sales slowed subscription growth and the company had a write-down related to the drop in its share price. The loss of $4.88 billion compared with a loss of $120.1 million in the corresponding period a year earlier. Revenue more than doubled, to $488.4 million.

Six Flags said its third-quarter profit rose 64 percent compared with the corresponding period a year earlier, to $138 million, as the theme park operator reduced expenses and as revenue rose 5 percent, to $489.3 million. Washington Redskins majority owner Daniel Snyder is chairman of Six Flags.

TREASURY BILLS

T-bill rates fell. The discount rate on three-month Treasury bills auctioned yesterday fell to 0.355 percent, their lowest level on record, from 0.53 percent last week. Rates on six-month bills fell to 0.99 percent, their lowest level in more than four years, from 1.1 percent. The annualized return to investors is 0.36 percent for three-month bills, with a $10,000 bill selling for $9,991.03, and 1.009 percent for a six-month bill selling for $9,949.95. Separately, the Federal Reserve said that the average yield for one-year Treasury bills, a popular index for making changes in adjustable rate mortgages, fell to 1.24 percent last week from 1.44 percent the previous week.

Compiled from reports by Washington Post staff writers, the Associated Press and Bloomberg News.