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Today’s headlines
Robert Trigaux
Outlook bleak for international tourism
Nobody's designed a way yet to tighten the nation's borders against terrorist threats but still lure millions of international tourists to play at Disney World, hit the gulf beaches and visit other travel hot spots in the country.

Stocks surge on positive results
NEW YORK -- Another wave of positive earnings news from companies such as IBM propelled stocks higher Thursday, giving Wall Street its fifth advance in six sessions. The Dow Jones industrials jumped nearly 240 points.

Checkers' changes promote efficiency
As the company sets its sights on a turnaround, the new modular stores are just one part of the plan.

Delta cutting more jobs amid low fares, demand
The airline is eliminating up to 8,000 more jobs. It first will offer voluntary buyouts and other options to try to minimize layoffs.

Airline pioneer Laker honored
The man who introduced low-cost trans-Atlantic fares opposes federal government bailouts and says too many airlines are flying today.

TECO's earnings increase 22 percent
The results were in line with preliminary earnings and had little impact on its stock.

Problems push Sears' stock to 12-year low
CHICAGO -- Worsening problems with credit-card debt prompted Sears, Roebuck and Co. to report a surprise drop in quarterly profits Thursday and warn of a fourth-quarter shortfall as well, sending its stock plunging 32 percent to a 12-year low.

Business Today
ENRON TRADER PLEADS GUILTY: A former top energy trader, considered the mastermind of Enron Corp.'s scheme to drive up California's energy prices, pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge. Timothy Belden, the former head of trading in Enron's Portland, Ore., office, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and promised to cooperate with prosecutors as well as any non-criminal effort to investigate the energy industry. "I did it because I was trying to maximize profit for Enron," Belden said. U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan said the guilty plea shows the rolling blackouts and huge price increases that rocked California last year were the result of illegal conduct. Belden will be sentenced April 17.