Investor's Business Daily articles from March 2005

Investor's Business Daily archives from March 2005

Biogen, Elan Crash For Pulling MS Drug After Patient Death; Biogen Off 43%, Elan 70%; Bombshell about Tysabri is just the latest black eye for FDA's safety record.(A)
March 1, 2005... Byline: MARILYN ALVA Biogen Idec and Elan withdrew their promising new multiple sclerosis drug on Monday, the industry's latest major withdrawal for safety concerns, sending shares of both companies crashing. After one patient died and...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
March 1, 2005... Biogen, Elan Dive On Withdrawal 1 Biogen fell 43% and Elan 70% on huge volume after voluntarily suspending sales of promising multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri due to a patient death. The firms hope to have it back on the market within 6...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... OMNIVISION TECH earned 33 cents a share in Q3, beating views and topping the year-ago profit by 21%. It pushed the upper end of its Q4 forecast above views. Shares fell. PEOPLESUPPORT made 18 cents a share in Q4, beating views but sliding...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... RETAIL Circuit City severs Amazon ties The No. 2 U.S. electronics retailer is ending a contract to offer its products and services over Amazon.com because of growth at its own Web site. Also, Circuit City's COO and Vice President John...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... MEDICAL Mylan, King end $4 bil merger The generic drug maker and the branded drug maker called off their planned all-stock merger, saying they couldn't agree on terms. Mylan had begun negotiating new terms for the takeover after King...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... TECHNOLOGY SAP to buy Retek for $496 mil The world's No. 1 business software maker will buy the retail management software maker for $8.50 per Retek share in cash, a 42% premium over the Fri. closing price. The buy's seen as a way for...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... TRANSPORTATION Yellow Roadway to buy rival USF The trucking firm will buy its competitor in a deal worth $1.37 bil in cash and stock; Yellow Roadway will also assume an expected $99 mil in USF debt. Yellow will pay $639 mil cash, and...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... Japan's Jan. production, sales up Industrial output rose 2.1% vs. Dec., more than expected. Also, retail sales gained 2.2% vs. a year ago -- good news after weak spending was largely to blame for shrinking GDP in the Oct.-Dec. period....

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... Broken optic nerve sees new life Scientists at Boston's Schepens Eye Research Institute have regrown damaged optic nerves, the key link between the eye and the brain, in mice. The technique could help restore eyesight in people whose optic...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... "Combatant' must be charged A federal judge ruled the Bush administration must either charge terrorism suspect Jose Padilla with a crime or release him after more than 2 years in custody. The judge said Padilla cannot be held indefinitely...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
March 1, 2005... Afghan army grows to 20,000 The number keeps increasing as the U.S. steps up training of a force that is supposed to relieve Americans on the front lines against Taliban-led militants. The 853 soldiers and officers of the 31st Battalion...

Clarence Birdseye Had A Hot Concept: Frozen Food; Innovate: The entrepreneur gambled that folks would warm to the fresh idea of refrigerating perishable meats and veggies.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
March 1, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE It was the 1920s, and Clarence Birdseye had a clear goal: selling packaged, frozen food to the public. For years, people scoffed at his idea. Everyone knew that freezing vegetables and fruits spoiled them --...

DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS Putting Customers First.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Amy Alexander 2 You want customers to love you, so you set service goals. You explain them in bold PowerPoint. Everyone knows the targets, so what could go wrong? Plenty. Lior Arussy, founder and president of Strativity Group...

She Gave Her Life To Nursing; Help Humanity: Edith Cavell died trying to keep Allied troops alive in World War I.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
March 1, 2005... Byline: PETER BENESH Edith Cavell lived and died by her principles. Cavell pioneered nurses training and helped elevate her profession to the respected status it enjoys today. Her personal moral code, determination to do the right...

Wireless Companies Turn Their Eyes To TV; Competing Standards Emerge; Verizon rolling out service for short video programs, but full TV still years away.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Stay tuned for video wars in the mobile phone industry. There's a major push under way to bring more TV content and video to wireless devices. Asia's big consumer electronics firms, as well as Europe's Nokia...

As XML Code Spreads, Startups Ready Products; IRS Policy Offers Boost.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2005... Byline: MIKE ANGELL As the tech industry looks for new sources of growth, XML is in view. XML, or extensible markup language, translates data among different computer systems and software types. That comes in handy for businesses...

Open-Source Database Seller MySQL Gaining Among The Mainstream.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
March 1, 2005... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN Don't get Marten Mickos wrong -- he likes the attention MySQL is finally getting after 10 years of obscurity. Riding on the coattails of Linux, the open-source database software maker is gaining appeal. But...

MAPINFO CORP. Troy, New York; Software Firm Preaches Gospel Of Location.(THE NEW AMERICA)
March 1, 2005... Byline: DAVID ISAAC In universities, geographers bemoan the fact they're often asked to justify funding for what's perceived as an antiquated discipline. It might help them to mention *MapInfo, which makes software designed to help...

M&A Funds Expect More Deals In '05; Many Play Arbitrage; Latest surge seen fueled by decent interest rates as well as deregulation.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(MUTUAL FUND PROFILE)
March 1, 2005... Byline: PAUL KATZEFF M&A fund managers are taking a place at the table too. They're among the money managers who expect to feast on mergers and acquisitions this year, in a widely forecast more-bounteous M&A market. "I expect 2005 to...

Democrats' Race Envy.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... Politics: Liberal activists who paint President Bush as a "divider, not a uniter" must be pulling out their hair as White House policy and personnel moves begin to chip away at traditional Democratic voting blocs. Bush's recent overtures...

Freedom Stirs.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... Democracy: To say change is in the air in the Middle East is an understatement. Events there have almost outrun the ability to report them. A fever is sweeping the region, and it has the feel of deja vu -- 1989 anyone? Lebanon's pro-Syrian...

What's Fair To Ask Of Washington.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... Immigration: As the "Collectinator" has learned, not all states get the same return on their federal tax dollars. Nor should they. But they do deserve a secure border. Governors seem hard-wired to complain that too little of the money sent...

Free Speech For Sale.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... Academia: The week's most infuriating news item so far is datelined Boulder, where University of Colorado officials are considering buying out professor Ward Churchill. Let's hope it's just a passing thought. Churchill's employment at the...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... A Bug's Life Regarding "Taking The Fifth" (Editorial, Friday): I've read a copy of the U.S. Constitution sent to me by my representative in Congress. I can find nowhere that fish, insects or animals have rights that trump those the...

Spotting The Pivot: Southwestern Offered 2 Buy Points.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
March 1, 2005... Byline: JONAH KERI In a choppy market, stocks often break out, then pause. That kind of action requires patience. It can also yield great opportunities. Take Southwestern Energy. The explorer and producer of oil and gas has forged a...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Dow, S&P 500 End Lower On Heavier Trade.(MAKING MONEY)
March 1, 2005... Byline: NANCY GONDO NYSE stocks sank through most of Monday, but pared losses late in the session. The Dow, down as much as 1% intraday, fell 0.7%. The S&P 500 ended with a 0.6% deficit after losing up to 1.1%. The SmallCap S&P 600 shed...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
March 1, 2005... Analyzing the price and volume changes in the major market averages each day is essential to successful investing. They reveal major tops and bottoms in the stock market. Most stocks follow the general market's trend. They tend to rise...

Build-A-Bear Carving Base For Five Weeks.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Nancy Gondo Build-A-Bear Workshop ran up more than 80% from its Oct. 28, 2004, IPO price through its Jan. 26 high. It fell 11% the next session after forecasting first-quarter and 2005 earnings below Wall Street estimates. But the...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Midday Rally Can't Turn Around Index's Slump.(B)
March 1, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER The Nasdaq lost 0.7% in higher volume Monday. A midday rally fizzled and wasn't enough to push the index into positive territory. Trucking companies were among the day's gainers, as analysts anticipate more...

Buffalo Wild Wings To Add Restaurants In '05.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Katharine Stalter Buffalo Wild Wings broke out of a 6 1/2 month base in November. The stock ran up to a high of 41.70 in January after the company raised fourth-quarter guidance, citing strong same-store sales and a decline in...

Japan's Sun Rising After Gloomy 2004, Latest Data Signal; But 5.2 Mil Germans Jobless; Output, spending, hiring hint at Japanese recovery, but will it last this time?(A)
March 2, 2005... Byline: CHRISTINA WISE A string of reports out this week fostered hope Japan may be shaking free of its recession even as Germany's labor slump worsens. Japanese retail sales rose 2.2% in January from year-earlier levels, the best...

Energy Giants Still Love Russia Despite Yukos, Investment Caps; Russia has big reserves, and Western oil firms are used to political risk.(A)
March 2, 2005... Byline: LAURA MANDARO When President Bush met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week, the two revisited a subject dear to both: energy. "The dialogue is "you got a lot of it and we don't have much,' " Bush told reporters...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
March 2, 2005... Japan Recovers, Germany Stalls 1Japanese household spending rose 2.6% in Jan. vs. a year ago, far over views. The world's No. 2 economy also added 400,000 jobs. Along with bullish retail sales and industrial output data, it seems Japan is...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... PACIFIC SUNWEAR earned 54 cents a share in Q4, a penny over views and 25.6% over the year-ago period. Sales rose 16% to $379.9 mil. Shares rose. CAL DIVE beat Q4 views and nearly tripled its year-ago profit, earning 65 cents a share....

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... RETAIL BJ's Q4 profit up 12.3% ex items The wholesale club earned 73 cents a share, 2 cents over views and 7 cents over the year-ago profit. Sales rose 7% to $2.05 bil, just missing views of $2.09 bil. BJ's Wholesale Club's same-store...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... BUILDING Hovnanian buys Orlando builder The New Jersey-based home builder expects to add 5 cents a share to its '05 earnings from buying the assets of Cambridge Homes, a privately held Orlando home builder. The deal gives Hovnanian a...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... TECH/INTERNET Google users also try out rivals While Google is the leading search engine among Web browsers, its users also frequently use other search sites. A survey by Nielsen/NetRatings found that at least 58% of Google searchers...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... DEFENSE / SECURITY Titan to settle probe for $28 mil The defense contractor agreed to pay a $13 mil fine to the Justice Dept. after pleading guilty to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and funneling $2 mil in payments to...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... Fed's Moskow still seeing slack Chicago Fed President Michael Moskow said excess labor and production capacity are keeping inflation down. High oil prices haven't raised core prices yet either, though the trend bears watching. He also...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... U.S. longevity hits record level Americans can expect to live a record 77.6 years, thanks to a decline in death rates from most major causes, including heart disease and cancer. An American woman's life expectancy is 80.1 years, while an...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... Arnold will try a special election Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he and supporters will start gathering signatures for a special election to let voters approve three measures blocked by the Democrat-controlled legislature. The...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
March 2, 2005... 2 dead in Haitian demonstration Police fired at peaceful protesters marking the one-year anniversary of the ouster of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, wounding nearly a dozen. Hundreds of U.N. soldiers from Peru and Brazil...

TAKE ACTION Get Organized, Energized.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
March 2, 2005... Byline: Cord Cooper 3 One reason salespeople miss revenue targets? They lack effective action plans. To do the job, plans should turn on: ** Priorities. Don't react to events of the day -- create them, says sales trainer Jack Perry....

Timely, Timeless Shakespeare; Ado About Something: He entertained the audience of his day with eternal verities.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
March 2, 2005... Byline: DONNA HOWELL William Shakespeare gets credit as a superbly talented playwright. What's less known is he excelled through astute planning and an eye toward the business of theater. "He made, actually, a lot of money at it. He...

China's Oil Thirst Could Push It Toward Fuel Efficiency; Eye On Solar And Wind; Nonprofit organization aims to help government set up policies, standards.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)
March 2, 2005... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA Oil-thirsty China will have more cars on the road than the U.S. by 2030. By then, it might well have nosed out the U.S. as the biggest importer of crude. Bryant Tong, managing director of privately held Nth Power,...

China's Software Biz Takes Root; Government Plan Spurs Field; Country faces big hurdles, such as high piracy rates, but gigantic market awaits.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 2, 2005... Byline: J. BONASIA As China prepares to join the World Trade Organization in 2007, its government is racing to modernize computer systems and telecom networks. Along the way, China's home-grown software industry may finally come into its...

Facing Internet Age, China Retools Laws; Change Will Take Time; Country plays catch-up with other nations, as it prepares for WTO rules.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 2, 2005... Byline: SHEILA RILEY China is retooling its legal system to speed up its transition to the global economy. That includes drafting new Internet laws. Since China has 1.3 billion potential consumers, U.S. businesses have reason to be...

Tokens, Pass Codes To Shore Up Security For Securities Trade; Technology Helps Verify Users; E-Trade to offer the devices to customers with accounts valued at $50,000 and up.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 2, 2005... Byline: DONNA HOWELL Security tokens, meet the stock-trading public. Banks and brokerages around the nation for many months have noodled the idea of outfitting their customers with security tokens, for safer logins. E-Trade Group on...

HP Price-Cut Threats Leave Rivals Unfazed; 'Clear Actions' Planned; HP has the most to lose from starting price war, other printer makers say.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 2, 2005... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN What if Hewlett-Packard declared a price war and nobody came? That's the scenario rival printer makers are painting after HP recently promised shareholders it will take "clear actions," such as price cuts and...

SUNTERRA CORP. North Las Vegas, Nevada; Back From The Brink, But No Time To Relax.(THE NEW AMERICA)
March 2, 2005... Byline: DAVID ISAAC Talk about needing a vacation from the grind. That's where Sunterra found itself a few years ago. The company, which develops and operates vacation ownership resorts, or time shares, piled up huge losses in fiscal...

Olstein Puts Data Under Microscope; He Returns 17% A Year; Fund manager eschews style-box pigeonholing, goes anywhere for profit.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(MUTUAL FUND PROFILE)
March 2, 2005... Byline: KEN HOOVER Robert Olstein is an expert in financial statements. For years, he published a biweekly newsletter called the "Quality of Earnings Report" that sought to peek behind the numbers that companies reported and hunt for...

Semper Fi.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 2, 2005... Military Justice: After watching the terrorist attack of 9-11, a veteran of the 1991 Gulf War put a promising future on hold to once again put his life on the line for a country that may soon put him on trial for murder. Marine 2nd Lt....

Demonizing Drugs.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 2, 2005... Health Care: Another day, another drug making bad news. This time it's a multiple sclerosis treatment, and it doesn't bode well for the pharmaceutical pipeline. Right now, that pipeline is heavy with drugs that fight heart disease, the...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2005... Current Fund Isn't To Be Trusted In "Social Security Must Focus On 2018, Not 2042" (On The Right, Feb. 22), Charles Krauthammer carefully analyzed the system's problem in an instructive and convincing way. Then when he is all set to...

Learning To Sell Short May Enhance Your Market Savvy.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
March 2, 2005... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG The Art Of Short Selling Is selling stocks short unpatriotic? Or simply wrong? This question has perhaps crossed the minds of some who have read this short series on the topic. Short selling --...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Dow, S&P 500 Rise; S&P 600 Hits New High.(MAKING MONEY)
March 2, 2005... Byline: NANCY GONDO NYSE stocks closed near their intraday highs Tuesday, but on lighter volume. The Dow and S&P 500 each rose 0.6%. The SmallCap S&P 600 index advanced 0.7% to an all-time closing high. Department stores saw the...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
March 2, 2005... Analyzing the price and volume changes in the major market averages each day is essential to successful investing. They reveal major tops and bottoms in the stock market. Most stocks follow the general market's trend. They tend to rise...

Black & Decker Rises To 50-Day Average.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
March 2, 2005... Byline: Nancy Gondo Black & Decker broke out of a three-month base in July and rallied over 35% through its Nov. 15 high. It traded sideways, forming a flat base above its 50-day average. The stock tried to break out in late December but...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE American Eagle Gives Apparel Retailers A Boost.(B)
March 2, 2005... Byline: KATHARINE STALTER The Nasdaq bounced back Tuesday from Monday's losses, advancing 1%. But that was mitigated by lower volume. Apparel retailers got a boost in anticipation of American Eagle Outfitters' fourth-quarter earnings...

Analysts Boost View For Kronos' Q2 Profit.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
March 2, 2005... Byline: Katharine Stalter Kronos broke out in late January. It moved up in heavy volume for three sessions, and has traded mainly sideways since. The stock is now in new high ground. The breakout followed Kronos' report of...

Hiring Still A Puzzle: Jobless Claims Low, Jobs Growth So-So; All Eyes On Friday's Report; Claims, other indicators signal strong job market, but firms, people skittish.(A)
March 3, 2005... Byline: KIRK SHINKLE When the Labor Department weighs in Friday with its monthly employment report, the market gets another chance to answer a most perplexing question: Where are the new jobs? Everywhere and nowhere, it seems. ...

Social Security Fight Heating Up With Air, Ground, Cyber Battles; Bush plan is in trouble as AARP, others mount effective ad campaigns.(A)
March 3, 2005... Byline: SEAN HIGGINS The battle over President Bush's push to add personal accounts to Social Security has gotten pretty rough. Just ask supporter Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La. Last month ads began to appear on TV and newspapers in his area...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
March 3, 2005... Oil Prices Surge On Inventories 1Near-month crude rose $1.37 to $53.05 a barrel, the most since late Oct.'s records. The Energy Dept. said U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles rose last week; distillates fell for a 6th week. The private API...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... STARBUCKS' Feb. same-store sales rose 9% in Feb., beating forecasts. Shares rose. MICHAELS STORES Q4 profit rose 17.6% to 80 cents a share, topping views. Sales rose 11% to $1.19 bil, with comps up 7% and customer traffic up 6%. It issued...

BUSINESS BRIEFS/IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... BUILDING Hovnanian beats, raises outlook The home builder reported after hours it earned $1.25 per share, up from 87 cents a year ago and 5 cents over views. Revenue rose 37% to $1.06 bil. At Jan. 31, backlog stood at 7,803 homes, up...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... RETAIL/APPAREL Costco results, views disappoint The warehouse club earned 54 cents a share ex items in Q2, up 13% but a penny under views. Revenue rose 9.6% to $12.66 bil. Comparable-store sales rose 7%. Costco said that views for Q3...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... MARKETS Top broker stock pickers ranked Buy lists at Morgan Keegan, Bear Stearns and Charles Schwab had the most success in '04, said research firm Zacks, which tracked the performance of stock recommendations. Morgan's list returned...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... METALS Novelis Q4 sales offset by costs The world's No. 1 aluminum rolled products producer and can recycler lost $1.26 a share, including $38 mil in items, reversing the year-ago profit of 72 cents a share. Novelis' sales rose 31% to...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... Mortgage apps off as refis drop The Mortgage Bankers Association's mortgage application index fell 2.4% to 710.1 in the week ended Feb 25. Refinancings dropped 9.9% on higher interest rates. But applications for buying a home rose 5.3%. ...

TRENDS/INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... Criminals fool fingerprint checks Some Colombian criminals have undergone surgery that transplanted their fingerprints to avoid detection and arrest, said newspaper El Tiempo. The country's attorney general has identified an accused drug...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... Hate group suspected in killings Chicago police are investigating whether the killings of a federal judge's husband and mother were carried out by hate groups linked to white supremacist Matt Hale. Hale, 33, is facing 40 years in prison at...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
March 3, 2005... North Korea might test missiles It demanded that the U.S. apologize for designating the communist state as an "outpost of tyranny" and it threatened to resume long-range missile tests. North Korea also held out the possibility of returning...

It Took A Family Man To Put Out The Welcome Mat; Create Your Market: To give travelers an alternative to no-tell motels, Kemmons Wilson created the Holiday Inn chain.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
March 3, 2005... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER Kemmons Wilson recognized a good opportunity when he saw one. In 1951, Wilson, his wife and five children hopped into their station wagon in Memphis, Tenn., and left on a family vacation to Washington, D.C. It...

NEVER STOP LEARNING Customer Complaints 101.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
March 3, 2005... Byline: Adelia Cellini Linecker 4 Handling customer complaints can cause heartburn. Who enjoys hearing someone blast off about some defective product or ill-rendered service? Still, as tedious as it is, handling complaints is key to a...

Marathon Woman Grete Waitz; Born To Run: Naturally quick, this record breaker still had to train, train, train.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
March 3, 2005... Byline: NANCY GONDO When Grete Waitz ran the New York City Marathon in 1978, she'd never run more than 12 miles at a stretch. The Norwegian planned to hang up her already successful track and field career after this race. She took...

Two Shaggy, Hairy Cats No Match For This Robot; Roomba Put To A Test; Though robotic vacuum remains far from perfect, it proves a worthy gadget.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 3, 2005... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Sure, the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner can pick up light dirt, dust and lint. But how would it fare cleaning up after my two Himalayan cats? Sherpa and Leah have made cleaning our house a Sisyphean task. They're...

IRobot Getting Ready To Unveil Newest Aid For Dirty Households; Domestic Helpers Get Digital; Its Roomba vacuum cleaner already is cleaning up, as robots slip into mainstream.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 3, 2005... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ After selling more than 1 million Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners, iRobot is looking to secure its lead in the market it created for home maintenance robots. The privately held Burlington, Mass., company is...

Cablevision's Bundle Adds Up With Users; Its Package Deal A Hit; Leads in subscriber gains during a soap-opera era for the cable TV industry.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
March 3, 2005... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Management discord has made some cable TV firms vulnerable to satellite rivals. Three of the cable TV industry's biggest players -- Cablevision, Adelphia and Charter Communications -- are mired in soap...

WORLD FUEL SERVICES Miami, Florida; Fuel Supplier Profits By Sea And By Air.(THE NEW AMERICA)
March 3, 2005... Byline: ALAN R. ELLIOTT Nothing puts your sport utility vehicle's lousy mileage in perspective like a quick look at the shipping trade. Tankers, cargo and passenger ships, powered by the putty-thick dregs of the oil refining process,...

STATION CASINOS INC. Las Vegas, Nevada; Casino Operator Keeps Betting On Locals.(THE NEW AMERICA)
March 3, 2005... Byline: DAVID ISAAC Bellagio. Mandalay Bay. Luxor. Big-name casinos like those are the ones typical tourists think about when planning a trip to Las Vegas. Not the locals. They're more likely to go to casinos off the Strip, the town's...

Westcore Targets Mid-Cap Cash Cows; Fund Plucks Leaders; Co-managers scout out sound fundamentals, savvy decision makers.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(MUTUAL FUND PROFILE)
March 3, 2005... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN Mutual fund managers often talk about buying with a value bent. But at $28 million Westcore Mid-Cap Value, buying low doesn't preclude picking quality growth prospects. "We're looking for healthy companies...

Referendum Justice.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 3, 2005... Law: This week's egregious Supreme Court ruling on executing minors underlines yet again how important it is that the right people are nominated to the bench. We're not here to argue the wisdom or folly of the 5-4 decision that now...

Nothing Doing.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
March 3, 2005... Leadership: Some members of Congress want to take Social Security reform a little slower. Others would like to forget about it entirely. These are no longer options. The debate has barely begun, but already even some pro-reform advocates...

LETTERS.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(Letter to the Editor)
March 3, 2005... Grade Inflation "California is one of the most stunning success stories" of fiscal responsibility, according to "Some States Leverage Bush Boom" (Wednesday). According to (the Cato Institute's) "fiscal restraint" index, Gov. Arnold...