in the news

Corporate profitability rose to its historically highest level at the end of last year as manufacturing and service sector companies benefited from strong sales growth combined with lower energy prices and subdued wage pressures. (FT)

April 4, 2007 -- While the TV networks and advertisers haggle with Nielsen over the best way to track commercial viewing, Google is doing an end run around the ratings giant with a new system that will tell advertisers how many people watched their TV spots and for how long. (NY POST)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A man who contended that he was not required to pay income tax, and whose case led to an indictment against actor Wesley Snipes, was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison.

The New York Coal Trade Association, headquartered in New York City, recently held its 94th annual banquet and meeting at the New York Hilton. One of the guest speakers was Bob Murray, founder and CEO of Murray Energy Corporation and probably one of the few CEOs brave enough to challenge the militant climate control movement that threatens the future of America's economy. In his speech, he dared to say that he regards Al Gore as the shaman of global doom and gloom. He is not joking when he says, "He is more dangerous than his global warming."

The heavy condemnatory breathing on the subject of global warming outdoes anything since high moments of the Inquisition. ( William F. Buckley)

DENVER - The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season should be "very active," with nine hurricanes and a good chance that at least one major hurricane will hit the U.S. coast, a top researcher said Tuesday. (AP)

Europe has eclipsed the US in stock market value for the first time since the first world war in another sign of the slipping of the global dominance of American capital markets. (FT)

DETROIT (AP) - Toyota's U.S. sales jumped 11.7 percent last month, boosted by record hybrid sales and strong overall car sales, while industry leader GM's total slipped 4 percent, Ford posted a 9 percent decline and DaimlerChrysler fell 4.1 percent. The U.S. division of Japan's Honda posted a double-digit increase.

BAGHDAD (AP) - The Iraqi government announced plans Tuesday to shorten the curfew in the capital by two hours, saying security had improved enough to let residents stay on the streets until 10 p.m.