Beverage tax cited for Pepsi layoffsPHILADELPHIA — Pepsi says slumping sales due to Philadelphia’s new sweetened beverage tax is prompting layoffs of 80 to 100 workers at three distribution plants that serve the city.The company sent out notices Wednesday saying layoffs will occur over the next few months.The company employs 423 people in the city. Pepsi spokesman Dave DeCececco said the tax has cut sales by 40 percent in the city.The 1.5-cent-per-ouce tax on sweetened and diet beverages is imposed at the distributor level. If fully passed on to the consumer, it amounts to $1.44 on a six-pack of 16-ounce bottles.

Jackson’s ranch back on marketLOS OLIVOS, Calif. — Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch is back on the market with an asking price of $67 million.The 2,700-acre property near Santa Barbara, Calif., has been renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch. The listed price represents a significant cut from the $100 million it was on the market for last year.In addition to a 12,000-square-foot main residence and a 3,700-square-foot pool house, the listing boasts a separate building with a 50-seat movie theater and a dance studio. Other features on the ranch are a “Disney-style” train station, a fire house and a barn.Jackson sold the ranch to Colony Capital before his 2009 death for $22.5 million.

OSHA to fine Nissan more than $21KJACKSON, Miss. — A federal workplace safety agency wants to fine Nissan Motor Co. more than $21,000, saying the company’s Mississippi plant should have better trained a maintenance worker who lost three fingers in July.The citations were issued weeks before a Saturday rally to support unionization by the United Auto Workers, where pro-union speakers are likely to denounce the company’s safety record. Nissan, though, defends its safety record as “significantly” better than average.The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in proposed citations Feb. 10, said the company failed because the worker didn’t know how to disable the line before he tried to work on it. OSHA also demanded that Nissan install warnings that would go off before a conveyor line started.

SUV, pickup sales strong in Feb.DETROIT — Lured by Presidents Day deals, U.S. buyers snapped up pickups and SUVs in February, brightening what is usually a lackluster month for the auto industry.Overall sales of new vehicles fell 1 percent from last February to 1.3 million, according to Autodata Corp. But automakers made up the difference with strong sales of more profitable SUV and trucks. Sales of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup jumped to more than 50,500 trucks. Ford sold nearly 69,000 SUVs — a February record. Nissan said sales of its Rogue SUV were up 54 percent.General Motors and Nissan both saw 4 percent sales gains over last February. Volkswagen’s sales were up 13 percent and Honda’s sales were up 2 percent.