Today's Business Beat — Aug. 18, 2014

McDonald’s confronts its junk food image

McDonald’s is trying to change its image. In the past 18 months, the chain has introduced the option to substitute egg whites in breakfast sandwiches and rolled out chicken wraps as its first menu item with cucumbers. Last fall, it announced plans to give people the choice of a salad instead of fries in combo meals. And in coming months, mandarins will be offered in Happy Meals.

Wal-Mart promises shorter checkout lines this holiday season

Wal-Mart Stores says it will staff every register during peak shopping hours during the holiday season. The world’s largest retailer calls the plan its “Checkout Promise.”

Boeing expected to increase 737 production

Boeing Co. is expected to increase production targets for its popular 737 jets. The speculation was fueled by chief financial officer Greg Smith’s comments at an investors conference last week and the company’s growing backlog.

MB Financial completes Cole Taylor deal

MB Financial Inc. on Monday completed its acquisition of Cole Taylor Bank’s parent company. The deal for Taylor Capital Group Inc. was valued at $680 million when it was announced in July 2013.

ADM loads first shipment at new Brazilian terminal

Archer Daniels Midland Co. said Monday the first loaded ship has left the company’s new port terminal in northern Brazil.

Government wants to require cars to talk to each other

The Obama administration says it wants to require that future cars and trucks be equipped with technology that enables them to warn each other of potential danger in time to avoid collisions.

Moto 360 price tipped by Best Buy

Motorola is expected to unveil its Moto 360 watch on Sept. 4. While the Chicago company hasn’t said how much the watch will cost, Best Buy may have spilled the beans when it mistakenly posted a product page Sunday. The watch was listed for $249.99, which is in line with what many observers expected.

Madison Dearborn selling Schrader Intl in $1 billion deal

Sensata Technologies plans to inflate its presence in pressure sensing equipment with a $1 billion deal to buy Schrader International from private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners.

AAR plans jet-repair center at Rockford airport

A $40 million jet-repair and maintenance center is planned for the Rockford airport. Construction will begin next year on the center, which is leased to Wood Dale-based AAR Corp.

MetroSouth, Vista parent details attack on patient records

The company that owns MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island and Vista Medical Center in Waukegan says a cyberattack took information on more than 4 million patients from its computer network earlier this year. Hospital operator Community Health Systems said no medical or credit card records were taken in the attack, which may have happened in April and June.

Ingersoll to buy Cameron unit for $850 million

Ingersoll-Rand PLC said Monday it has agreed to buy the centrifugal compression business from Cameron International Corp. for $850 million, as it looks to grow its compression business.

Dollar General enters bidding for Family Dollar

There’s now a bidding war for Family Dollar, with Dollar General offering a package it values at $9.7 billion for the discounter in an effort to trump Dollar Tree’s bid.

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte arrives early this year

Starbucks plans to bring back its cult favorite item, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, earlier this year. Some customers will be able to get their fix beginning Aug. 26. [Entrepreneur]

Panoramic views inside a windowless airplane?

Paris-based Technicon Design’s IXION Windowless Jet Concept provides a 360-degree view using cameras mounted on the plane’s exterior to capture the scenery and then project that on high-res screens on the interior cabin walls and ceiling. [Mashable]