Oregonian Business Updates

Electronic design software maker Cadence Design Systems Inc. says it has withdrawn its offer to buy smaller rival Mentor Graphics Corp. Cadence, which is based in San Jose, Calif., in June offered to buy Mentor for $16 per share. Cadence... The Associated Press

Five years ago, Portland leaders agreed to spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to start turning South Waterfront's 130-acre grassy plots and squat industrial buildings into a neighborhood of high-rise condo and office buildings. The dream: that South... Ryan Frank / The Oregonian

After 16 days on the defensive, embattled venture capitalist Craig Berkman took the stand Wednesday to tell his side of the story in a civil lawsuit with millions of dollars at stake. He did his best for his investors, he... goliver

The Oregonian and OregonLive.com have moved all business content to a new online home: oregonlive.com/business. The Oregonian's business editors and reporters update this page regularly with business and finance news from across the state and the nation. If you've linked... The Oregonian

MathStar Inc. said this morning that it will stop chip development to save money while the Hillsboro company looks into selling its business. MathStar, a startup funded through public stock rather than private investment, said last week that it would... Mike Rogoway, The Oregonian

When GeoTrust sold itself for $125 million in 2006, it was one of a tiny handful of profitable companies among the plateful of failures in which Craig Berkman poured investors' money early this decade. The company was the subject of... Jeff Manning, The Oregonian

U.S. Cellular promised to clearly disclose details of "free" cell phones under terms of an agreement announced today by the Oregon attorney general's office. The Oregon Department of Justice alleged that U.S. Cellular's ads promised free cell phones to customers... Mike Rogoway, The Oregonian

Plaintiffs in the trial of long-time Portland business financier Craig Berkman spent much of the day trying to nail down its case against Arthur Andersen, the now-defunct accounting firm that compiled financial reports for Berkman's three venture funds. Lawyers... Jeff Manning, The Oregonian

The Happy Valley City Council approved a cable television franchise for Verizon Communications Inc. this week, opening the door for cable competition in the small Clackamas County community. Verizon will compete with Comcast Corp. in the city of slightly more... Mike Rogoway, The Oregonian

Ford Motor Co. is cutting North American production of pickups and SUVs as car buyers eyeing record gas prices turn toward more fuel-efficient models. The automaker said today it no longer expects to return to profitability by 2009 and didn't... The Associated Press

Borders Group Inc. has not had substantial discussions regarding a possible sale of the bookseller and was moving forward on efforts to improve its business, Chief Executive George Jones said today. The CEO provided the update to investors during the... The Associated Press

Hillsboro-based semiconductor startup MathStar Inc. said this afternoon that it has hired an investment banker to help the company evaluate "strategic alternatives" -- a phrase businesses commonly use when they are considering a sale. MathStar, which moved its headquarters from... Mike Rogoway, The Oregonian

Microsoft is offering cash rebates when people make purchases after using its search engine as the software maker begins to reveal how it plans to take on Google Inc. following the failure of its $47.5 billion bid for Yahoo. Analysts... The Associated Press

The Federal Reserve today sharply lowered its projection for economic growth this year, citing blows from the housing and credit debacles along with zooming energy prices. It also expects higher unemployment and inflation. Even with the more downbeat outlook, Fed... The Associated Press

Boeing says it will lay off 750 Southern California employees following the loss of a lucrative satellite contract to a rival aerospace firm. Boeing said the cuts will be focused on engineering staff at its El Segundo and Seal Beach... The Associated Press

Merck & Co. has agreed to pay $58 million as part of a multistate settlement, which included Oregon, of allegations that its ads for the once-popular painkiller Vioxx deceptively played down the health risks. The agreement announced Tuesday also calls... The Associated Press

To help nail salon workers who speak Vietnamese only, Oregon OSHA has just translated a health and safety brochure developed by a small group of government and nonprofit workers that has been studying indoor air quality in nail salons. The... Anne Saker, The Oregonian

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Adidas AG, the world's second largest sporting goods company behind Nike, said Tuesday that Russia and the other former Soviet states could become its biggest market in Europe by 2010. In the January-March period, Adidas sales in... The Associated Press

Question 1: Have record gas prices forced you to rethink summer vacation plans? ( surveys) Question 2: Have higher food prices made you forgo fancy cheeses? ( polls) Question 3: Have mounting monthly bills caused you to give up a... Michelle Roberts, The Oregonian

MetroFi Inc., the contractor building Portland's free Wi-Fi network, told the city this week it will turn off the system in June if Portland or a private company doesn't step in to buy the network. Portland contracted in 2006 with... Mike Rogoway, The Oregonian