Business news in brief

Giant Foods and Aldi Inc. have joined the grocery chains with Philadelphia-area locations that are recalling produce delivered by California-based supplier Wawona Packing Co. because of concern about listeria. Giant, which is based in Carlisle, Pa., and also owns Martin's Food Markets, said on its website that organic peaches and nectarines and certain Orchard Perfect-labeled peaches, nectarines, and plums had been removed from shelves because of Wawona's recall. - Inquirer staff

Parx Casino, in Bensalem, has signed an agreement with a British company to launch "simulated" gambling online in the fourth quarter, subject to regulatory approvals, Parx's partner, GameAccount Network P.L.C., announced. GameAccount said the online games, such as slots, poker, and blackjack, would initially be played without money at stake, but could be switched into "real money" games if Pennsylvania legalizes online gambling. Simulated Internet gambling is considered a stepping-stone to gambling with money and can be used to attract new gamblers, GameAccount said in an April presentation. Separately, Parx is seeking permission to offer gambling on smart phones and tablets at its property. - Harold Brubaker

Three Atlantic City-area state lawmakers want New Jersey casino regulators to force the Showboat and Trump Plaza to remain open at least four more months, to let prospective buyers kick the tires. Sen. James Whelan, a former Atlantic City mayor, and Assemblymen Vincent Mazzeo and Chris Brown wrote Tuesday to the state Casino Control Commission asking for the delay. They also say companies that close a casino should not be allowed to bar a new owner from running the site as a casino. The politicians want to avoid what they call the "nightmare" of a string of vacant casinos along the Boardwalk. - Associated Press

DuPont Co. may eliminate several thousand jobs as activist investor Nelson Peltz pushes the chemical maker for faster earnings growth. The percentage reduction to the workforce will be in the "low single digits," Dan Turner, a spokesman for Wilmington-based DuPont, said Tuesday in an e-mail response to questions. The company had 64,000 employees as of Dec. 31. The biggest single reduction in its workforce in recent years was the 2,500 jobs cut in December 2008, during the financial crisis, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Chairwoman and CEO Ellen Kullman is eliminating positions that will not be needed following the separation of the performance chemicals unit next year, while using the opportunity to streamline operations across all segments. The cuts will help Kullman with her plan to eliminate more than $1 billion in annual costs by 2019. - Bloomberg News

Sales of previously owned homes rose for a third straight month in June, pushing activity to the highest level in eight months and providing evidence that housing is regaining momentum. The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that sales of existing homes increased 2.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.04 million homes. It marked the first time that sales have been above the five million mark since October. Even with the three months of increases, however, sales were still 2.3 percent below the sales rate in June of last year. - AP

McDonald's Corp. said its profit slipped in the second quarter as sales in the United States continued to flag. The world's biggest hamburger chain has been struggling to boost sales in its flagship market amid intensifying competition, changing eating habits, and the persistent financial struggles of its lower-income customers. In the U.S., sales at established locations fell 1.5 percent for the period as fewer customers came into its restaurants. - AP

Nonprofit organization Goodwill Industries Inc. is working with federal officials to investigate a possible security breach. The Rockville, Md.-based organization said it was contacted Friday by a payment-card industry-fraud investigative unit and federal authorities, who said payment-card numbers may have been stolen from some U.S. stores. Investigators are reviewing information but no data breach has been discovered. Goodwill operates more than 2,900 stores and has annual retail sales of $3.79 billion. It sells donated merchandise to fund job programs. - AP

Verizon reported that its second-quarter earnings nearly doubled after it secured full ownership of Verizon Wireless. Profit rose from $2.25 billion last year to $4.32 billion this year. Revenue rose from $29.79 billion to $31.48 billion. Before February, Verizon Communications Inc. owned only 55 percent of Verizon Wireless, which is vastly more profitable than the Verizon's wholly-owned landline and FiOS properties. - AP