Blood may be thicker than water; but don’t count on it.  Lawyers can be contracted on a contingency fee basis; but don’t count on it. Those lessons were learned by an Arizona woman who called the USD Senior Legal Helpline.  Her 86-year-old mother recently died in California, leaving an estate valued at $800,000, consisting of a house worth $490,000, and the balance in stocks and bonds.  The property had been held in a trust, with ... [full story]

If at first you don't succeed, buy the company and do it your way. That's what General Motors did after its on-again, off-again relationship with South Korean carmaker Daewoo Motors. GM started buying Daewoo assets for next to nothing in 2001, formed GM-DAT -- Daewoo Auto and Technology -- and went to work on a so-called global car. Today, GM owns more than 50 percent of the company, which ships cars to 120 countries.   CHEVROLET ... [full story]

MySpace Inc., and its parent company, News Corp., have been sued in California state court by four families who allege that their minor daughters were solicited online and then sexually abused by adult MySpace users, according to the law firms representing the families. Families from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina filed separate suits Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging negligence, recklessness, fraud, and negligent misrepresentation by the companies. The families are represented ... [full story]

Nike launched its new marketing campaign on Thursday, The Second Coming: Our Game, Our Time" to introduce the new statement shoe of Nike Basketball, the Air Force 25, while paying homage to the basketball revolution that Nike started 25 years ago with the Air Force 1. To kick it off, Nike premiered a short-form, music-fueled montage featuring in-studio highlights of two of the hottest young talents in hip-hop, Just Blaze and Juelz Santana, creating an ... [full story]

Small businesses on a tight budget often don't have money to throw around on their advertising. To get the best results, they have to make sure every ad they produce is effective. Advertising expert George Parker, author of MadScam (Entrepreneur Press, December 2006, $19.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com) cautions all small businesses to avoid making these common mistakes.Borrowed interest. Don't associate yourself with things that have no relevance to what you do. If you're in the roofing business, ... [full story]

Veteran public radio reporter and host Tess Vigeland is the new host of Marketplace Money(R), the weekend personal finance program produced and distributed by American Public Media(TM). Vigeland's first broadcast as host is scheduled for Saturday, March 3. Kai Ryssdal, who previously held the role, will remain as weeknight host of Marketplace(R), public radio's award-winning daily magazine on business and economics news. Marketplace Money extends the sound of Marketplace to the weekends as the "money ... [full story]

The Powerball jackpot continues to move upward. Even though the grand prize was not hit Wednesday evening, 946,640 players across the nation won a total of more than $7.6 million in prizes in America's favorite Game. Because no one correctly matched all six numbers the jackpot will grow to an estimated $205 million for Saturday night's drawing. The cash option for the Saturday, January 20th drawing will be an estimated $98.3 million. The numbers drawn ... [full story]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six additional companies to begin selling generic versions of the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor(R) (simvastatin), effective Dec. 27, 2006. Previously, only two generic simvastatins competed against Zocor; these drugs were approved in June 2006 and granted 180-day exclusivity, which ended on Dec. 23. "Statin drugs, such as Zocor, Lipitor(R), and the eight generic simvastatins are proven to be very effective in lowering cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular disease," ... [full story]

Super Bowl Sunday is more than just a big game; it's the most popular grilling day of the winter. According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association's (HPBA) State of the Barbecue Industry Report, Super Bowl Sunday is one of the Top 10 most popular grilling days of the year with 62 percent of grill owners looking to fire up their grills to feed family and friends for the Big Game."With millions of Americans cooking ... [full story]

Tektronix, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring solutions, announced that Parade Technologies, Inc., has validated their new DP501 DisplayPort(TM) Transmitter for compliance with the emerging DisplayPort standard using Tektronix test equipment. About Parade Technologies, Ltd and Parade Technologies, Inc.: Parade Technologies, Ltd is a privately-held fabless semiconductor company that specializes in developing digital video display interface products. About Tektronix: Tektronix is a leading supplier of test, measurement, and monitoring products, solutions ... [full story]