Here's to the many brands that have been stepping up in the wake of Hurricane Sandy's devastation on the U.S., providing everything from money to food to power and their employees, products and services to help disaster relief efforts. A partial list of charitable first-responders follows (and if we miss any, please let us know in the comments):

AT&T will extend late-payment windows for wireless and wireline customers, waive late payment fees and not disconnect services because of non-payment, and in an unprecedented open-network arrangement with T-Mobile, will enable roaming to customers of both companies in the impacted areas. AT&T wireless customers can make a $10 donation (up to $50) for Hurricane Sandy relief by texting to relief organizations. AT&T and T-Mobile also joined forces on a wireless roaming agreement, while Verizon Wireless is offering free charging for all cellphones.Continue reading...

Mark J. Miller, who wrote about Ikea's new European foray into the hotel business yesterday, discussed this and other best and worst brand extensions on CNBC's Street Signs yesterday.

CNBC joins with Yahoo to bolster web reach via content, programming and distribution alliance.

Comcast and fellow U.S. cable operators face DOJ inquiry over treatment of Netflix and Hulu.

New York's proposed big soda ban goes to public comment as former Coca-Cola exec switches sides.

American Express sponsors Kenny Chesney concert for live-streaming on YouTube.

Apple is likely killing Ping.

Burger King's summer BBQ menu rolls out with sweet potato fries and bacon sundae.

Citi partners with USAID to foster mobile commerce in developing nations.Continue reading...

Amazon signs up authors, nudging publishers out of the deal.

Anadarko to pay BP $4 billion after Gulf spill.

BMW launches greener 3 Series worldwide.

CNBC uses levity in new advertising campaign.

Dell seeks use for acquisition cash now that PC business is fading.

Ford workers now appear likely to approve UAW pact as the company boosts output of EcoBoost motors for truck sales.

Hulu puts owners in new quandary.Continue reading...

World markets are in a new danger zone, head of World Bank says, but the markets notched solid gains early on Monday.

AOL finds content growth comes at a cost

BNY Mellon accused of favoritismin Florida suit.

CNBC gets a bounce from covering stock-market ills.

Dick’s Sporting Goods supports concussion testing of high-school athletes.

Google to buy Motorola Mobility in largest acquisition.

Lowe’s cuts view of prospects.

Ralcorp rejects latest takeover bid by ConAgra.Continue reading...

Talk about good timing: Yesterday, on the eve of an adoring CNBC special planned for tonight about the company, BMW raised its annual global sales and profit outlook. The world’s leading luxury car brand now forecasts 2011 sales of 1.6 million vehicles, up from the 1.5 million projected previously. BMW already sold about 20% more cars in the first half than a year earlier.

The CNBC special, BMW: A Driving Obsession, debuts at 9pm Eastern with a promise to tell “the fascinating story behind a once small, struggling company that transformed itself into a global luxury car powerhouse, and is now going flat out to maintain its edge.”

The one-hour documentary gets inside BMW’s tech center, profiles the brand’s chief designer, and even travels to England to peek in on manufacture of BMW’s Rolls Royce line.Continue reading...

While nowhere near as shocking as News Corp.'s surprise closure of News of the World, across the Atlantic CNN delivered its own shocker this week. Eliot Spitzer is out as CNN replaces his nine-month old In the Arena roundtable program that followed the demise of Parker Spitzer, and faithful Anderson Cooper regains his flagship positioning with Anderson Cooper 360 moving to 8 p.m. ET starting August 8th.

Spitzer's ouster isn't the only news. Additional changes to the CNN schedule include the shifting, in late September, for The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer from 5-7 p.m. to a late afternoon 4-6 p.m. slot; John King’s show will move to 6 p.m.; while Erin Burnett, recently hired from CNBC, will assume the 7 p.m. slot as the lead-in to Cooper.

The only prime-time show unaffected is Piers Morgan Tonight, the 9 p.m. interview show introduced six months ago to replace Larry King.Continue reading...

It still holds true that yesterday’s crises make today’s television hits, and tonight is the HBO debut of Too Big to Fail, based on New York Times writer Andrew Ross Sorkin’s eponymous book.

The movie depicts the failure of Lehman Brothers during the financial crisis of 2008. In high praise, Michael Kinsley writes, “I’ve never come closer than the two minutes after watching Too Big to Fail to understanding what a “credit default swap” is.” 

A suitably start-studded cast includes William Hurt in the role of former Treasury secretary Henry M. "Hank" Paulson Jr.; Billy Crudup as Tim Geithner, and Paul Giamatti as Ben Bernanke. But equal weight goes to CNBC and their anchors.Continue reading...