Price of gasoline in Maine falls more than two cents

AUGUSTA – There’s a little good news at the pump for Maine motorists as the average retail price of a gallon of gasoline in the state has fallen more than two cents.

Price-monitoring website MaineGasPrices.com reported Monday that gas dropped to $3.93 per gallon in Maine in the past week.

Maine prices dropped more than they did nationally, but remain 13 cents per gallon higher than the national average.

State prices are now almost 42 cents higher than the same time last year and about a penny higher than a month ago.

American Airlines’ CEO admits rough few weeks

NEW YORK – American Airlines’ CEO acknowledged Monday that passengers have had a rough few weeks on the airline but says the carrier is working through its issues.

“The operational performance is improving,” CEO Tom Horton said. “We’ll get past this just like other airlines before us have.”

The airline, which has been in bankruptcy protection since November, saw its on-time performance drop to 59 percent in September, according to Flightstats.com. In that same period Delta, Southwest and U.S. Airways were all above 85 percent. The drop is attributed to pilots writing up extra maintenance requests as part of an unsanctioned job action.

The airline has cut flights, and added reserve crews and extra planes to cover any last-minute delays.

Prepaid Bluebird card offers unique services for shoppers

NEW YORK – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and American Express are rolling out a prepaid card that they say offers unique services designed to help shoppers manage and control their everyday finances.

The two companies said Monday that Bluebird, begun during a pilot program late last year, acts like a checking account but without the fees that have increasingly frustrated shoppers. It will have no minimum balance and no monthly, annual or overdraft fees. They say the only fees that will be associated with the card will be transparent and within the user’s control, such as out of network ATM withdrawals by consumers who don’t use direct deposit.

Bluebird will be loaded with a number of features, including the ability to deposit a check to one’s Bluebird account by simply taking a picture with a smart phone.

YouTube plans to extend programming into Europe

LONDON – YouTube is extending its original programming initiative into Europe, with at least 60 new video channels from media companies including Britain’s BBC, London-based FreemantleMedia and the Netherlands’ Endemol.

The Google Inc.-owned video site said Monday the new channels, with content from Britain, Germany, France and the United States, will be in addition to the 100 channels launched in the United States last year. Like the pre-existing American offerings, the European channels will have a mix of celebrity-oriented, niche, and established programs.

The expansion into Europe marks another step in YouTube’s move into the territory normally occupied by traditional media companies.

World Bank cuts back growth forecast for Asia

BEIJING – The World Bank cut its growth forecast for Asia on Monday in a new sign of weakening global demand and warned China’s cooling economy faces the risk of a “more pronounced slowdown.”

The bank cut this year’s growth outlook for developing Asia-Pacific economies to 7.2 percent, down from its May forecast of 7.6 percent. The bank cut its forecast for China, the region’s biggest economy, to 7.7 percent from May’s 8.2 percent.

The bank cited weak global demand due to the lackluster U.S. recovery and Europe’s recession. It said Europe’s debt crisis still is a “major risk,” followed by the U.S. “fiscal cliff” – a mix of tax and spending cuts due to take effect at year’s end that might chill growth.