Friday, February 23, 2007 - In our look at Consumer News, Starbucks looks to expand its horizons. The Seattle-based coffee  merchants are branching out beyond their neighborhood shops into beans for home brewing, vending machines and other branded products. The company says its core business will remain the stores. Starbucks is working with Pepsi to put vending machins in universities and train stations.

Payday lenders are banding together to initiate consumer protections in their industry. Thos lenders extend credit to customers based on a written check until the next payday. But customers often rool the loans over, and the percentage rate can be more than 300 percent annually. Lenders now say they will give more time to customers who need it, but consumer advocates call the efforts a hollow attempt to avoid government oversight.

And finally good news for all you easy riders out there. Employees at Harley-Davidson's biggest manufacturing plant have approved a new contract. They agreed on a 12% increase over the next three years. All 2,800 of them are expected to be back to work by Monday, after being out since February 2nd.