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Today’s headlines
Retailers' holiday reduced to a sprint
Businesses are counting on a last-minute rush of shoppers to save their season. Analysts' forecasts are divided.

Fallout of Enron's collapse
FLORIDA FIRES FIRM: The state says Alliance Capital's decision to keep buying Enron shares contributed to a $306-million loss.

Fallout of Enron's collapse
TEARFUL TESTIMONY: Former workers tell a Senate committee tales of losses.

Ford settles class-action bias lawsuit
Without admitting guilt, the automaker will pay $10.5-million to end charges it discriminated against older, white men.

Housing market rebounds
Housing starts jump 8.2 percent in November, the biggest percentage gain since January.

Business digest

Robert Trigaux
Consumers losing the brand-name/generic drug battle
How goes the drug war? Not that one, but rather the drug war by pharmaceutical giants to keep generic versions of their top-selling brand drugs off the market. That's the war that's really socking it to our wallets.