• UAL SCALES BACK REQUEST FOR FEDERAL AID United Airlines has filed a scaled-down request for government assistance in a last-ditch try to tap into a loan guarantee program created to help the airline industry after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
• MARTHA STEWART SAYS SHAREHOLDERS OFFER SUPPORT Coming off a year “fraught with real sorrow,” Martha Stewart says she hopes her namesake company can function as usual while she prepares for a likely prison sentence.
• HYBRID CARS CHALLENGE MECHANICS Some hybrid car buyers fear that when their warranties run out they'll have to stick with dealership repairs instead of independent mechanics, which tend to be less expensive.
• ORACLE’S PEOPLESOFT BID RATTLED MICROSOFT Oracle Corp.’s hostile takeover bid for rival PeopleSoft Inc. convinced Microsoft Corp. that the software market’s competitive landscape had changed permanently, prompting Bill Gates to ponder how his company could protect its turf, according to evidence and testimony in a key antitrust trial.
• PORTS RUSH TO MEET TERROR SECURITY DEADLINE New security rules take effect July 1, but with thousands of ships and ports still not in compliance, the U.S. faces a tough choice: Enforce the deadline and risk global trade upheaval, or allow more time and continue to risk terror activity.
• MARKETS TRADE MIXED Stocks were mixed Thursday as a series of attacks overseas, a weak reading on sales of manufactured goods and a lower forecast from AT&T Corp. stifled investors’ buying enthusiasm.
• RISING RATES POSE NEW CHALLENGE FOR INVESTORS With the Federal Reserve about to officially usher in a new era of rising interest rates, a prudent investor might use the occasion to re-examine portfolios, strategies and risks.