Not exactly straight shooters, lawsuit claims [CapBiz A.M.]

Your first source for understanding business in greater Washington  •  Thu., Jan. 15, 2015 View in your Web browser

Not exactly straight shooters, lawsuit claims

Welcome to CapBiz A.M., your morning primer on business news with a focus on Washington. Reload: A Virginia appeals court has restored a 2011 case against security contractor Triple Canopy that claims the Reston, Va.-based company submitted false qualifications about its security guards during an Iraq contract. None of the guards hired to protect an air base knew how to operate their firearms, the suit said.(CAPBIZ) Across the pond: Cooley, the Silicon Valley-based law firm that over the last decade has grown dramatically in D.C. and Northern Virginia, has opened a new office in London to focus on corporate transactions. (CAPBIZ)

On a mission: In some ways, the entrepreneurship gender gap is narrowing. However, Washington can do more to help break down business barriers for women, one group says. (OSB)

Slump: After healthy spending in November, shoppers pulled back some in the weeks leading up to Christmas, leading to a slump in December retail sales. (WP)

Checking in: From smart mirrors to grocery store checkout via smartphone, once futuristic-seeming technologies are now hitting stores. (WP)

Savings: Amazon.com is not always the cheapest place to buy everything. And neither is Wal-Mart. Here’s why. (WP)

Long wait: Taxpayers will face the worst levels of service in more than a decade from the Internal Revenue Service this filing season, with as few as 43 percent of callers getting through to an agent, and then only after waits of 30 minutes or more, according to a new report. (WP)

Making sense: Google added a new, very snazzy feature to its Google Translate app on Wednesday — the ability to translate signs in real-time. (WP)

Loan: Alexandria will receive a $50 million loan from the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank to go toward the construction of a Metro station near Potomac Yard, the governor’s office announced. (WBJ)

Soaring: Mortgage applications soared in the first full week of the year as consumers raced to lock in mortgage rates that have hit their lowest level in almost 20 months. (WSJ)

On Wall Street

A dismal report on retail spending in the U.S. and signs of slowing global growth drove stocks lower and sent yields on government bonds plunging as investors sought safety. (Get the latest updates here)

What’s on tap today

George Mason University and Cardinal Bank’s 23rd annual 

economic conference (7:15 a.m.)

Weekly jobless claims (8:30 a.m.)

Help: Why empathy might make a good marketing strategy(ENT)

Follow: Cooley LLP

Extra: How did you kick off 2015? These men finished the world’s hardest rock climb. (WP)

Thoughts? Have feedback, tips or events we should know about? Email us here.