Midday Buzz: Gas drilling opposition groups rallying today

Here’s the Midday Biz Buzz from the Star-Telegram’s Work & Money desk:

D/FW AIRPORT BOARD SAYS ALL TERMINALS WILL REMAIN OPEN

The board is trying to figure out ways to cut costs, but is taking any possibility of mothballing part or all of a terminal off the table. Full report

NORTH TEXAS HOME SALES DOWN AGAIN

North Texas home sales are down for the 18th month in a row, compared the same month the year before. Full report

GAS DRILLING OPPOSITION GROUPS RALLYING TODAY

As the Barnett Shale boom pushes pipelines farther into established neighborhoods, the City Council will sit down today with its natural gas drilling committee and state and federal regulators to discuss the web of pipelines being built to serve the gas field. Full report

ARLINGTON CHRISTMAS STORE TAKES OVER ANTIQUE MALL

Decorators Warehouse, a Christmas store at Bowen Road and Park Row Drive, is taking over an antique mall on Pioneer Parkway in Arlington and will move into the building. Full report

BACK-TO-SCHOOL RETAIL OUTLOOK LOOKS GRIM

Retailers’ July sales reports on Thursday showed an increasing shift toward buying necessities like food and household supplies at discounters and away from discretionary splurges on clothing. With the benefits of the government stimulus checks fading and jobless claims at a 6-year high, the big worry is how much shoppers — squeezed by high gas and food prices — will retrench in the critical months ahead. Full report

BLOCKBUSTER REPORTS $41.9 MILLION LOSS

Blockbuster Inc., the largest movie- rental chain, reported a wider second-quarter loss after an asset sale bolstered year-earlier results. The net loss was $41.9 million, or 23 cents a share, compared with a loss of $31.4 million, or 18 cents, a year earlier, Dallas-based Blockbuster said in a statement today. The loss adjusted for some costs missed analysts’ average estimate by 1 cent, driving the shares lower. Full report

COMING FRIDAY: SAVVY CONSUMER SAYS HOUSING BILL HAS SOMETHING FOR ALL

The new housing law signed last week has some relief for virtually all homeowners: For property tax payers, it offers a new deduction, even if you don’t itemize. For first-time home buyers, a new tax credit is available that acts as a 15-year no-interest loan. For senior citizens, the new housing bill means lower fees on reverse mortgages, higher loan amounts and more protections. And for homeowners fearing default, there is more money available for housing counseling and a new program for lenders to transfer failing mortgages to government-backed loans. Check out Friday's Work & Money section or star-telegram.com for Teresa's column. In the meantime, click here to read Teresa's previous columns.