Supreme Court Roundup; Justices Raise the Bar for Convicting Drug Kingpins
Date: 02 June 1999
By Linda Greenhouse
Linda Greenhouse
Supreme Court raises bar for conviction of drug kingpins in 6-3 ruling, which requires juries to unanimously agree that defendant committed each drug offense of series in order to convict for running continuing criminal enterprise; places new burden on Federal prosecutors to use precision in framing cases brought under 1970 drug law, which imposes minimum sentence of 20 years for engaging in continuing series of violations; sets aside 1994 conviction of Eddie Richardson, leader of Chicago drug gang who received life sentence for repeated sales of heroin and cocaine between 1984 and 1991; Court declines to address question of news media's liability in 'ride-alongs' with police to private homes to witness search or arrest; ruled earlier that such police action is unconstitutional; Court refuses to hear appeal of decision on copyrights by lower court, which ruled West Publishing Corp is not entitled to copyright system of page numbering it uses in judicial opinions it publishes, nor factual information it adds to opinions (M)
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Farmers' Right to Sue Grows, Raising Debate on Food Safety
Date: 01 June 1999
By By Melody Petersen
Melody Petersen
Critics say state laws intended to protect farmers and food companies from criticism that might scare consumers away their products are putting a chill on continuing debate about what the public should eat; though some publishers and broadcasters continue putting out reports on food, others have stricken information from scripts, avoided certain food issues or dropped book project out of concern over high cost of defending lawsuits; only 13 state such laws, but because books and television shows must play to a national audience, the statutes in effect are reaching across state borders, causing consumers everywhere to get less information about food safety; photo; map (M)
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REYNOLDS METALS WILL LOOK FOR ACQUISITIONS OR MERGER
Date: 02 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Reynolds Metals Co chairman-chief executive Jeremiah Sheehan says Reynolds will pursue acquisitions or 'merger of equals' to compete better around the world; Reynolds and other aluminum producers have been trying to find ways to expand to challenge Alcoa Inc, world's number 1 producer (S)
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CHEMICAL MAKERS CROMPTON AND WITCO AGREE TO MERGE
Date: 02 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Crompton & Knowles Corp and Witco Corp agree to merger valued at $978.9 million; Crompton sharesholders will own 55 percent and Witco shareholders 45 percent of new company called C&K Witco (S)
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AMSOUTH TO BUY FIRST AMERICAN FOR $6.3 BILLION
Date: 02 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
AmSouth Bancorp agrees to buy First American Corp for $6.3 billion in stock, doubling its assets (S)
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INFOUSA TO BUY DONNELLEY MARKETING FROM FIRST DATA
Date: 02 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
InfoUSA Inc agrees to buy Donnelley Marketing Inc data base unit of First Data Corp for about $200 million in cash (S)
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NEWELL ELIMINATES 400 POSITIONS AT ITS RUBBERMAID UNIT
Date: 02 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Newell Rubbermaid Inc has cut 400 jobs from its recently acquired Rubbermaid unit; Newell also lowers its second-quarter profit outlook (S)
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BROADCOM BUYS ARMEDIA TO EXPAND ITS BUSINESS IN INDIA
Date: 02 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Broadcom Corp acquires Armedia Inc, maker of digital video decoders, for about $67.2 million in stock (S)
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CONCUR BUYS SEEKER, ADDING OFFICE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
Date: 02 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Concur Technologies acquires Seeker Software for about $131.8 million in stock (S)
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At the Box Office, a Force Is With 'Phantom Menace'
Date: 01 June 1999
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace dominates box office over Memorial Day holiday weekend with estimated $64.8 million in ticket sales, passing $200 million mark faster than any film in history; total gross hits $205 million; film Notting Hill, from Universal Pictures, unit of Seagram Co, opens at number 2 with $27.8 million, making it studio's second strong release this month; strong opening gives struggling Universal another dose of good news after its recent hit The Mummy, which has brought in $117.1 million so far (M)
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