The inquiry involves 208,710 of the SUVs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday on its Web site. There have been 82 complaints and 2,303 warranty claims that the belts may not stay closed or can't be unlatched after they are buckled, the Washington-based agency said. No accidents or injuries have been reported, NHTSA said.

The company's is cooperating with the agency and "will take appropriate action, if needed, when that investigation is complete," said Chrysler spokesman Max Gates.

The agency raised the investigation to an engineering analysis, after starting a preliminary evaluation in August. About one in four inquiries are upgraded to the second step, with the rest closed without further action. Seven in 10 of the upgraded investigations lead to a recall, according to government statistics.

During a radio interview, Pawlenty said he'll take his chief of staff and economic development commissioner with him to a meeting with Ford officials.

Pawlenty said the Minnesota group will outline a partnership with to promote renewable-fuel cars, such as hybrid cars or cars that run on ethanol or biodiesel.

The St. Paul plant employs nearly 2,000 people. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the St. Paul plant is among several Ford production facilities that could be on the chopping block.

's plans to spend $400 million this year refurbishing its plane cabins and adding new equipment as it emerges from three years of bankruptcy protection.

Computer systems will be upgraded and new check-in kiosks will be added at airports, the Elk Grove, Ill.-based company told employees in a weekly bulletin. It's the most that United has spent on capital improvements since 2001, Chief Operating Officer Pete McDonald said in the bulletin.

On Dec. 30, UAL received creditor approval for its plan of reorganization and expects to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February. The spending is part of the company's efforts to improve service and lure customers back after $7 billion in annual cost reductions that included two rounds of employee job, benefit and pay cuts.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has topped Chicago O'Hare International Airport as the nation's busiest in terms of takeoffs and landings, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

For the last several years, the Atlanta airport has been the busiest airport in terms of passengers, though FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said that full-year numbers in that category are not yet available for 2005.

The Atlanta airport also is considered the busiest in the world. Bergen wasn't immediately able to provide numbers of takeoffs and landings and passengers for airports outside the United States.

Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport was third in the United States in takeoffs and landings in 2005 with 718,291, while Los Angeles International Airport was fourth with 650,539, according to the FAA.

Lansing-based , a subsidiary of , purchased New Berlin, Wis.-based workers compensations company (). "We are thrilled to join the Accident Fund family," said Emil Pfenninger, president of United Heartland. Heartland writes business in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The financial terms of the acquisition were not released.

acquired all outstanding stock of on Dec. 30 for about $17.5 million, which includes an up-front cash payment and the assumption of certain liabilities.

Stryker, a Kalamazoo-based maker of surgical and medical products, said the acquisition will result in a fourth-quarter charge of about $16 million, or 4 cents a share.

Dofasco, the Canadian steelmaker that supplies the largest American and Japanese auto plants in North America, had accepted an earlier white-knight bid it solicited from ThyssenKrupp. On Tuesday, Dofasco quickly endorsed Thyssen's new offer.

"ThyssenKrupp's decision to increase its offer reflects the quality and strategic value of Dofasco," said Ekkehard Schulz, chairman of the executive board of ThyssenKrupp, which had earlier suggested it would not offer more for the Canadian company. "We will continue to pursue the acquisition of Dofasco, recognizing the significant growth opportunities for our combined North American steel operations."

"Woodland is a well-located property with a strong tenant mix that will enhance the quality of our portfolio," Ronald Rubin, PREIT's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

, the nation's biggest drugstore chain by sales, said that profit increased 5% in its fiscal first quarter, helped by higher generic drug sales.

It earned $345.6 million, or 34 cents per share, in the three months ended Nov. 30, up from $328.6 million, or 32 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding stock options expensing, Walgreen said it would have earned 36 cents per share.

probably sold 1.3 million Xbox 360 video-game consoles since the introduction in November, missing analysts' estimates, 's Rick Sherlund said.

Sales may have reached 900,000 in North and South America, 300,000 in Europe and 100,000 in Asia, Sherlund said. That would fall short of Goldman's estimate of as many as 1.8 million units, he said.

The lag may indicate production problems, Sherlund said. Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, is counting on the Xbox 360 to steal market share from in the $28.5-billion global video-game industry. The console sold out days after it went on sale in the United States on Nov. 22. Demand for the machine will probably outstrip supply for the next two quarters, Sherlund said.

is launching a movie download service that allows consumers to view full-length studio films, concerts and TV shows on portable devices powered by software.

The service will provide the content critical for the success of a number of devices that will be introduced at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off in Las Vegas this week. Video delivered over the Internet will be a key theme at this year's show.

The service, dubbed "Vongo," is available for a monthly subscription of $9.99 and will eventually include more than 1,000 movies, short films and other programs. The films will be available at the same time they are offered on the Starz premium movie cable channel, about five to six months after they are released on DVD.

Users will be able to download as many films as they want each month to up to three devices, including Windows-based computers and portable devices running Microsoft's Portable Media Center software.

A smaller number of films will be available several months sooner for a pay-per-view fee of $3.99. Subscribers will also be able to watch a live, streaming video feed of the Starz TV channel.

New products and features on the site, such as GMail and Map, are "creating additional demand for Google's search," said Rashtchy, in Menlo Park, Calif. "Last year we didn't expect any market share gain, yet they gained 5 percentage points in the U.S. alone."

Google shares doubled in 2005 to $414.86 as it exceeded Wall Street price and earnings estimates. The stock has more than quadrupled since the its initial public offering in August 2004 at $85 a share and is the 31st-largest company in the world with a $122.5-billion market value.

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