IN BRIEF

Tropicana Atlantic City has sale date extended

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission on Wednesday extended the sale date of the Tropicana Atlantic City until Jan. 29.

The new date gives the New Jersey Supreme Court time to hear an appeal from the casino's owners, Las Vegas-based Tropicana Entertainment, who are trying to get the property back.

The court agreed to hear arguments Nov. 17 but gave no time line for a decision.

Tropicana Entertainment lost its casino license in December, but has since restructured its executives and management structure, removing owner Bill Yung III from operations.

A state conservator had been negotiating the property's sale to Baltimore-based Cordish Co. for $700 million in cash and debt when the court decided to hear the case.

DENVER

Newmont Mining profits slip 51 percent

Newmont Mining Corp., which has several gold-mining operations in Nevada, reported a 51 percent drop in third-quarter net income as its chief executive reaffirmed the mining giant's 2008 forecast but said they may rethink some projects and priorities during the financial turmoil.

For the June-September quarter, Newmont reported net income of $196 million or 43 cents a share, which compares with net income of $397 million or 88 cents a share last year when Newmont recorded about $140 million in one-time gains.

Income from continuing operations was $177 million, down from $331 million a year ago.

Revenue dipped to $1.4 billion from $1.6 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters forecast on average earnings of 42 cents a share on revenue of $1.5 billion.

JACKSON, Miss.

Fish story: Seafood deal for casino companies

MGM Mirage Inc. and Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest casino companies, have signed a multimillion-dollar deal to begin serving domestic farmed-raised catfish at their Mississippi casinos.

The agreement comes nearly a month after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would buy up to $5 million worth of domestic catfish for school lunches and other programs amid a war between the nation's catfish producers and importers bringing fish in from Asia.

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., says Harrah's, the largest gambling company by revenue, and MGM Mirage signed the deal Wednesday at the Catfish Farmers of America headquarters in Indianola.

MGM Mirage owns and operates two Mississippi casinos -- the Beau Rivage in Biloxi and the Gold Strike in Tunica. Harrah's Entertainment has four, including three in Tunica, just south of Memphis, Tenn.

The casinos will purchase catfish from Mississippi growers and processors.

Delta-Northwest deal gets regulators' nod

Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. combined to create the world's largest carrier after the U.S. Justice Department gave its approval.

Delta, the third-biggest U.S. airline by traffic, and No. 6 Northwest take the top global spot as the largest carrier from AMR Corp.'s American Airlines. Delta Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson leads the new company, which keeps Delta's name and Atlanta headquarters.

The transaction was valued at $2.63 billion, based on Wednesday's closing stock prices. It was valued at $3.45 billion at the end of the day on April 14, when it was announced.

Northwest becomes a Delta unit, though customers of the two carriers will continue to check in and do business with the airlines as they did before, the company said in the statement.

Fewer than 1,000 jobs will be cut due to the combination, officials said.

DETROIT

GM-Chrysler merger faces money hurdles

Some issues standing in the way of General Motors Corp. acquiring Chrysler LLC have been resolved, but others remain including the biggest: how to finance the deal, two people briefed on the talks said.

Both people said GM's management, including CEO Rick Wagoner, would remain in place should a deal come to pass, because GM would run the combined company. Neither wanted to be identified because the talks are confidential. One said the deal isn't close yet.

"There are issues besides financing," the person said.

Talks between Chrysler's owner, Cerberus Capital Management LP, are still under way. The combined Nissan Motor Co.-Renault SA also is involved, but Cerberus reportedly would prefer to have GM take on Chrysler.

Treasury prices fall after Fed cuts rate

Longer-term Treasurys fell Wednesday after the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate.

The 10-year note fell 0.06 points at 101.16 and yielded 3.86 percent, up from 3.84 percent.