Starbucks has released a list of some 600 U.S. stores slated to close. I count one in Tacoma - downtown in the Rainier Pacific Bank Building – and 18 others in the state.

In the South Sound, the Federal Way store at 31515 20th Ave. S. will close, as will the store at the Kent Haggens and the one in the Orting Retail Center.

No final closure dates have been announced, and the company said in a release this afternoon that it has informed workers and management personnel at the affected stores about the closures.

For a look at the complete list, click here.

We’re only two months away from the opening of Ikea’s Tacoma Distribution Center.

Actually, it’s Ikea’s Frederickson Distribution Center – being completed on 65 acres in the developing industrial area in unincorporated Pierce County.

The company announced today that the official inauguration ceremony – for invited guests – will take place at the site, at 10 a.m. on Sept. 17.

The building, pictured above in a News Tribune file photo, contains 834,000 square feet and represents the first phase of a project the company expects to expand into more than 1 million square feet.

The distribution center will employ 125 workers and primarily serve four Ikea stores in Western Canada and three – Renton; Portland; and Draper, Utah – in the Western U.S. Goods shipped to the Port of Tacoma will be taken to the new facility, where they will be processed and sent on to their destinations. According to a release today, some 10,000 items will fill the center’s inventory.

George Brown, chief operating officer at Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System, is leaving to become president and chief executive officer of Legacy Health System in Portland. Brown will leave MultiCare by the end of this month.

According to a noon press release, he joined MultiCare in 1998 as vice president of Acute Care Services & Facilities, where he oversaw hospital operations at Tacoma General, Allenmore and Mary Bridge. In 2005, Brown reached his current position as COO, supervising clinical operations throughout the system.

Before coming to MultiCare, he served as commanding general at Madigan Army Medical Center and as commander of the Army Western Regional Medical Command at Fort Lewis.

While at MultiCare, Brown was active in restoring Level II adult trauma care to Tacoma, and he helped bring new operating rooms and robotic-assisted surgery facilities to the system.

“Over the last 10 years, we have grown and successfully implemented many initiatives that improve health care services to our community,” said MultiCare President and CEO Diane Cecchettini, in the release. “Dr. Brown has been a catalyst for many of these initiatives, and I commend him for his many contributions over the last 10 years. We wish him well in his new endeavor.”

Amazon is getting into the streaming video game today as it debuts an online store of movies and TV shows, according to The New York Times. Some of the more interesting aspects: You can purchase a movie at work and then watch it at home or anywhere with a computer. And unlike Amazon's original attempt at selling movies online, there's no software to download before watching.

According to The New York Times, today's launch is for a select audience and will be open to more users later in the summer.

Here's an excerpt from the story:

Customers of Amazon’s new store will be able to start watching any of 40,000 movies and television programs immediately after ordering them because they stream, just like programs on a cable video-on-demand service. That is different from most Internet video stores, like Apple iTunes and the original incarnation of Amazon’s video store, which require users to endure lengthy waits as video files are downloaded to their hard drives.

“For the first time, this is drop dead simple,” said Bill Carr, Amazon’s vice president for digital media. “Our goal is to create an immersive experience where people can’t help but get caught up in how exciting it is to simply watch a movie right from Amazon.com with a click of the button.”

Amazon is also pursuing the technology and media world’s holy grail — an Internet pipeline to the TV. It has struck a deal with Sony Electronics to place its Internet video store on the Sony Bravia line of high-definition TVs.

Tacoma Public Utilities reports this morning the construction project to expand the company's headquarter is finally finished.

It's called "Administration Building South."

From the news release: Designed by Tacoma firm BCRA, the multi-story structure is connected via a two-story bridge to the original Administration Building, and was designed to allow for the extensive growth of the Tacoma Public Utilities programs, including the Click! Network, Tacoma Power, and Tacoma Water. During master planning, an increase in nearly all of departments was identified, which dictated a need to expand both the Administration Building and the Maintenance and Shop capabilities of the complex. The new Administration Building South includes an Emergency Operations Center.

The design and construction process incorporated the use of sustainable concepts and made use of LEED criteria as a check to sustainability. The Shops Building has achieved LEED Certification.

Another smaller Northwest city is seeing its air service curtailed as a result of the airline financial crisis.

Delta Air Lines has told Yakima that it will terminate twice-daily service to its Salt Lake City hub at the end of August.

Delta blamed the high cost of fuel for the service curtailment.

Yakima had mounted a community campaign to raise pledges to buy tickets and to promote the service last year. That campaign successfully persuaded Delta to begin service to Yakima in June 2007.

The Eastern Washington city will retain air service to Seattle via Horizon Air, whose sister airline, Alaska, will likely gain some of the transfer passengers who've taken Delta to other destination from Salt Lake City.

Spokane, Bellingham and Pasco in Washington have seen their air service cut back in recent weeks, and Klamath Falls and North Bend in Oregon have experienced similar cutbacks.

Alaska Airlines began service to its third Hawaiian destination today.

The airline is flying a Boeing 737-800 aircraft daily between Sea-Tac Airport and Kahului on Maui.

The SeaTac-headquartered carrier began Hawaiian service last fall to Honolulu. It has since added service to Kauai.

Beginning Nov. 17, Alaska will connect Sea-Tac with Kona on the island of Hawaii.

The airline has also started service between the 49th state, Alaska, and the 50th state, Hawaii.

American, Continental and Delta airlines have reported second quarter losses this week, largely the result of fuel prices advancing quicker than fare and fee increases.

The second quarter is traditionally the second best quarter for U.S. airlines. Though analysts had predicted big losses, the losses reported at the three carriers, which totaled $2.5 billion, were less than some had expected.

One-time charges related to write-downs of outmoded equipment and goodwill increased the airlines' downside results.

Without those charges, for instance, Delta would have shown a profit of $137 million instead of the loss of $1.04 billion. American reported losses of $1.45 billion, while Continental was barely in the red with a loss of $3 million.

A decrease in crude oil prices this week has given new life to airline stocks today. American, Delta, Alaska, U.S. Airways, JetBlue and United stocks were all up today in early trading.

Alaska Air Group, the SeaTac-based parent of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, reports its earnings next week.

Aircraft leasing company Aviation Capital Group has ordered 15 737-700s from Boeing at the Farnborough Air Show in England.

The planes, built in Renton, are worth $934 million at list prices.

AGC is a frequent Boeing buyer having ordered a total of 96 Boeing jets including 91 737s and five 787 Dreamliners.

Pacific LifeCorp is the parent company of AGC.