AB InBev reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice over its disputed $20.1 billion acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, which faces inquiry over Mexico worker deaths.

GE to buy Lufkin for $3 billion in oil-and-gas-industry play.

PepsiCo seeks to patent novel high-protein nutrition beverages.

Adidas stops controversial sale of t-shirts around injured Louisville player Kevin Ware.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong to be honored for pro-women Makers series.

Apple's former advisor to Steve Jobs admits brand screwed up iPhone naming system.Continue reading...

Apple and Samsung urged to make peace by patent trial judge.

Apple retail chief rehires employees he "mistakenly" fired, as brand's vision for TV set-top box becomes clearer.

Samsung launches Galaxy Note 10.1 in three major markets.

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange gets caught in a diplomatic stand-off as Ecuador offers him asylum.

Facebook shares drop to lowest point yet.

Best Buy founder presses his case for company takeover.

Budweiser sponsors Jay-Z documentary.

Heineken reportedly in talks with F&N to raise APB bid.

Macy's sues JCPenney over Martha Stewart deal after suing Stewart.

Nestlé loses bid to prevent sales of rival coffee capsules.Continue reading...

Jeremy Lin signs free agent deal with Houston Rockets, ending "Linsanity" in NYC if the Knicks don't make him a better offer.

Yahoo considers CEO of Hulu for top job.

Porsche tries to adjust to Volkswagen embrace.

Anheuser-Busch encourages responsible drinking.

Bausch & Lomb could go public by year-end.

Chevrolet plans to show off vehicles at MLB All-Star Game in Kansas City next week.

Chuck E. Cheese burns long-time voice with new mascot.

Dynegy files for bankruptcy.Continue reading...

BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion saw its shares slump today after warning Wall Street that it's forecasting an operating loss for the first quarter. With the company hiring bankers at JPMorgan and RBC to explore a sale, investors worried and layoffs looming, the Canadian government dismissed rumors of a possible takeover.

Other brand news:

Best Buy store closures spur Walmart ads.

NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg bans sale of large sodas and sugary drinks.

GM is shifting Chevrolet ad budget from Super Bowl to sponsoring the popular Manchester United soccer team.

Disney Channel joins the TV Everywhere brigade.

Exxon Mobil shareholders approve executive pay.Continue reading...

Amazon settles suit with college bookstores.

Apple slapped with escalating legal challenge by China's Proview, which wants iPad name globally.

AT&T seeks fees from developers for users' data use.

Bank customers are increasingly switching to avoid fees.

Billabong rejects $906 million bid.

Buddy Media acquires London startup.

Chevrolet declared America's favorite performance brand.

Coca-Cola's Olympic security concerns revealed by Wikileaks.Continue reading...

P&G delays $1.5 billion sale of Pringles.

Facebook struggles to get advertisers to pay for exposure.

Los Angeles Dodgers are for sale, owner Frank McCourt confirms.

Apple sees new CEO Tim Cook make it his own.

Bank of America blinks and withdraws $5 debit-card fee.

Bloomberg Businessweek ad campaign pitches personality.

BMW may see profit lead evaporate as new 3 Series eats into earnings and is topped by Mercedes-Benz in U.S. October sales.Continue reading...

Amazon faces profit squeeze from rollout of Kindle Fire.

Caterpillar signals U.S. export expansion with higher profits.

Coca-Cola plans to unveil white can to promote polar-bear protection.

Groupon battles perceptions that it's still valued too high.

Kodak talks with hedge funds about rescue financing.

McDonald's launches McRib nationwide once again.

NASCAR goes to college to cultivate fans.Continue reading...

Wikileaks spoofed Mastercard's "Priceless" campaign this week. Watch the spot below, along with new perfume commercials featuring Scarlett Johansson and Christina Aguilera, plus place branding with a twist and more.Continue reading...