NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — In a sign that its bid to buy T-Mobile is dying, AT&T teamed with its adversary, the U.S. Department of Justice, to put their antitrust court battle on hold until the middle the middle of next month. In that time, AT&T said it will “evaluate all options” and consider revising its deal.

In plain English, the delay means AT&T is searching for Plan B. It wants to find a way to scoop up T-Mobile’s assets without running afoul of regulators — a move that will probably involve scrapping its takeover bid.

AT&T has been scrambling for weeks to save its proposed $39 billion deal, which would make it by far the most dominant U.S. wireless carrier. The company’s latest strategy ran into an iceberg on Friday, when a federal judge suggested that she might dismiss the antitrust case AT&T needs to win to keep its merger alive.

Boeing Co’s biggest labor union on Wednesday ratified a four-year contract extension, ensuring the upcoming version of the planemaker’s best-selling 737 narrowbody will be built in Washington state and likely ending Boeing’s high-profile dispute with the National Labor Relations Board.

The International Association of Machinists (IAM) said 74 percent of the vote was in favor of the deal. About 31,000 members were eligible to vote.

“Today our members cast their vote for jobs, for their futures, for the future of this community and for the future of Washington state,” said Tom Wroblewski, president of IAM District 751, in a press conference announcing the results.

The deal gives Boeing some assurance that strikes will not disrupt its operations as it ramps up production of many of its models. For the union members in Washington, ratification also means local jobs for which it has campaigned. A tentative deal was reached last week, nine months before the expiration of the current contract.

Commissioned by dealnews.com, the free Black Friday App allows you to browse both “leaked” ads and discounts featured by major retailers.

Available on Android and iPhone, the app keeps you up-to-the-minute on the latest deals. Users can search for their favorite stores or browse by category. You can save deals that intrigue you to your shopping list, share deals on Facebook and Twitter, and seek out stores near you. For deals available online, the app will let you make purchases straight from your phone.

NEXT: TGI Black Friday

The news Friday that American corn supplies are larger than many had expected sent corn futures prices down, which some might take to mean that at some point people get a better deal on everything from corn chips to soda.

After all, that’s the basic law of supply and demand.

But these days, some say those types of assumptions are no longer applying to food.

Reuters reported Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture pegged U.S. corn stocks as of Sept. 1 at 1.128 billion bushels, above estimates of 964 million bushels. Although supplies are larger than expected, the corn supply is still at its lowest level since 2003.

NEW YORK — Maybe gold isn’t so safe after all.

After months of setting record after record, the price of gold plunged $104, or 5.6 percent, Wednesday to finish at $1,757 per ounce. That was the biggest percentage drop in nearly 3½ years and a blow to investors who thought the metal could go only one way — up.

“Gold was considered a safe haven for years because it wasn’t popular, but now it’s popular,” said Cetin Ciner, a professor of finance at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. “You can’t have a fad and a safe haven at the same time.”

NEW YORK — General Electric Co. said Tuesday it will spend $3.2 billion for a controlling stake in French equipment developer Converteam as it continues to position itself as a major player in what’s expected to be a 20-year boom in oil and natural gas demand.

Converteam, which serves a variety of industries including oil and gas companies, is the latest of $11 billion in acquisitions by GE’s energy business. GE also has acquired Dresser Inc., Wellstream Holdings, Lineage Power Holdings and Well Support in the past six months.

WASHINGTON — Americans are noticing higher prices at the grocery store, and it’s about to get worse.

Food prices at the wholesale level rose last month by the most in 36 years. Cold weather accounted for most of it, forcing stores and restaurants to pay more for green peppers, lettuce and other vegetables, but meat and dairy prices surged, too.

The big questions are how long food prices will keep rising and how high they’ll go.

The impact is already visible. Wendy’s, paying higher prices for tomatoes, now puts them on hamburgers only by request. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts have raised prices because they pay more for coffee beans. Supermarkets warn customers that produce may be of lower quality, or limited.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — College grads are getting offered bigger paychecks for the first time since 2008.

Students who will graduate this spring are receiving job offers with starting salaries averaging $50,034 per year, up 3.5% from last year, according to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — In an effort to put 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015, the Obama administration has proposed a plan that would put up to $7,500 directly in the hands of car buyers without having them jump through any tax hoops.

Plug-in car advocates love the idea but dealers aren’t so sure about it.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — If you’re looking for a flat-screen TV deal, this week is a good time to buy — but extreme bargain hunters may find even better deals next month.

The week before the Super Bowl typically brings sales of up to 10% off the listed price for flat-screen TVs, as manufacturers try to lure in viewers eager to watch the big game on a new screen, according to research firm DisplaySearch.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — U.S. stocks managed to tick higher Thursday, pushing the Dow and S&P to their highest levels since the summer of 2008.

The major indexes have been inching higher for months, but Stifel Nicolaus managing director Tom Schrader expects stocks will soon head lower.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — China has accused Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, and its French competitor Carrefour of price gouging and misleading consumers by advertising false discounts on goods sold in their stores.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Chinese agency that coordinates economic and social development, made those charges in a statement posted on its website on Wednesday.