Monsanto to purchase cottonseed company
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Monsanto Co. will pay $1.5 billion in cash to purchase Delta and Pine Land Co. in a merger of two of the world’s largest seed companies, a move that would end a long-standing legal dispute stemming from a failed merger eight years ago. 

WATER COOLER
Guidelines smooth way when job turns personal
By J.W. ELPHINSTONE
Mixing personal relationships with professional aspirations can often spell disaster. But following a few guidelines can help spouses find success at work and home, one expert said.

Code talkers
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS - Marcie Jump wanted to work in health care, but without the usual patient contact. A job in medical records was - and still is - an ideal fit.

Campaign swing draws complaint
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is accusing several potential presidential candidates of dealing "misguided attacks" against the retail giant in events across Iowa this week.

Earnings slip at Wal-Mart
The Associated Press
For the past 10 years, Wal-Mart has produced quarter after quarter of higher earnings.

Gibson rocks as pricey American icon in Japan
TOKYO (AP) - The hand-aged Gibson Les Paul Special is a replica of the 1960 original, but an American master craftsman made it exactly the way the guitar would look today, complete with aging, cracked paint and tiny dents, scuffs and scratches.

Energy costs boost consumer prices
WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumer inflation accelerated in July, reflecting a big jump in gasoline and other energy prices. In evidence that the economy is slowing, industrial output in July slipped to just half the June pace.

Stocks soar on benign wholesale inflation
NEW YORK (AP) - An unexpected drop in wholesale prices sent stocks soaring yesterday, with the Dow Jones industrials climbing more than 130 points as Wall Street gained renewed confidence in the Federal Reserve’s management of inflation and the economy.

Judge rules against victims in hurricane insurance suit
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge ruled yesterday that an insurance company’s policies do not cover damage from flood waters or storm surge in a decision that could affect hundreds of upcoming cases related to property damage from Hurricane Katrina.

State officials oppose H&R Block loans
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Managers of three state pension funds with holdings in H&R Block Inc. urged the financial company yesterday to reform its practice of giving high-interest loans in anticipation of federal tax refunds.