7-Eleven, JetBlue and Bliss go presidential with "poll" promotions as Pizza Hut comes up with a controversial dare ahead of next week's debate.

Toyota recalls 7.4 million vehicles globally for power-window glitch and 2.5 million Lexus vehicles, as it plugs Prius on the Home Shopping Network.

Samsung signs TV deal with Spotify.

BAE and EADS terminate merger talks.

Bain Capital buys maker of Craftsman Tools.

Ballmer touts new era at Microsoft as bonus trimmed.

Cadbury tells bishop it's not precious about purple.

Chevron is rejected by Supreme Court in Ecuadorian case.Continue reading...

Amazon teases new Kindle Fire devices during NFL kick-off while Kobo unveils new range of "e-readers for everyone."

Albertsons scales back retail operation with store closures.

Andy Roddick retires after U.S. Open loss, as Roger Federer is knocked out and loses world #1 title.

Ben & Jerry's sues over x-rated Ben & Cherry's.

Bentley moves US management team to VW HQ.

Bill Clinton helps seal Barack Obama nomination at DNC convention.

Billabong attracts $700 million bid from Bain Capital.

BP unveils new technology to boost oil production.Continue reading...

It was inevitable that Bane, the villain from this week's Batman reboot, The Dark Knight Rises, and Bain, the Wall Street investment firm run by Republican candidate for President Mitt Romney, would collide. With the new Batman film out this week, the time was ripe.

After the jump, a gallery of some of better (and worse) Bane-Bain fan photoshop work as well as a legitimate question if the crossover could actually improve Mitt Romney's stiff, joyless brand as the GOP frontrunner gears up for November's US presidential election.Continue reading...

Saab draws fresh interest after deal with Koenigsegg collapses. [WSJ]

iPhone-on-steroids may arrive mid-2010, available on AT&T and Verizon Wireless. [24/7 Wall St]

Monsanto's market dominance in crop seeds draws antitrust scrutiny. [WaPo]

Google fights to become the Number 1 search engine in Japan. [NY Times]

Wal-Mart's co-op ads are attractive, but costly for featured brands. [AdAge]

Panasonic takes on low-cost competitors with cheaper white goods. [FT]

Companies use Twitter for customer service assistance during the holiday season. [NY Times]

(More headlines: "Extreme" beer, C&C.)Continue reading...