Briefs: Lufthansa to buy stake in JetBlue

NEW YORK -- Germany's biggest airline, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said Thursday it is paying $300 million for a 19 percent stake in JetBlue Airways Corp. Lufthansa is barred from a takeover under current U.S. laws restricting foreign ownership of domestic airlines to 25 percent, but lifting that cap was a key demand of European negotiators during talks earlier this year on an "Open Skies" deal, which was reached in March. The Bush administration proposed lifting the cap but backed down in the face of opposition from U.S. airlines and labor unions.

Lehman Brothers' profit falls

NEW YORK -- Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. reported its third straight quarter of losses Thursday. However, Lehman relied on a strong performance from its equities business to sidestep losses stemming from the subprime mortgage collapse, offsetting most of a $3.5 billion writedown. For the three months ended Nov. 30, profit after paying preferred dividends was $870 million, or $1.54 per share, compared to $987 million, or $1.72 per share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 3 percent to $4.39 billion from $4.53 billion a year earlier.

Dow Chemical finds new partner

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Dow Chemical plans to sell a 50 percent interest in five of its global businesses to a Kuwaiti company for about $9.5 billion and form a new joint petrochemicals venture, the company said Thursday. Dow said it expects to close the deal with Petrochemical Industries Co., a subsidiary of state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp., in late 2008.

TV antenna users can get coupons

WASHINGTON -- With the looming 2009 nationwide switch to digital broadcasting, the federal government, starting Jan. 1, will offer households that rely on an antenna to watch TV two coupons worth $40 each to buy converter boxes. For information on this program, residents can call (888) 388-2009, in English or Spanish, or visit www.ntia.doc.gov.