BUSINESS BRIEFS
Yahoo settles suit over China rights
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo Inc., reeling from a growing backlash over human rights and its China operations, settled a lawsuit yesterday that accused it of illegally helping the Chinese government jail and torture two journalists.
Neither side disclosed details other than to agree Yahoo would pay the attorneys fees of Shi Tao and Wang Xiaoning and the family member who sued on their behalf. Yahoo also said it would "provide financial, humanitarian and legal support to these families."
The settlement has reopened debate over Internet companies cooperating with governments that deny freedom of speech and crack down on journalists.
It marked a dramatic change of heart for Yahoo, which had steadfastly maintained it had to comply with a request from Chinese authorities to share information about the online activities of the two Chinese nationals.
VW, HONDA HAVE BEST RESALE VALUE
Car buyers looking for models with the best resale value would be wise to pick a Volkswagen or Honda, according to a survey by Kelley Blue Book.
Volkswagen is the brand with the best residual value, while Honda has four vehicles that are tops in various categories, including the Honda Civic for best sedan and the Acura MDX for best sport utility vehicle, Kelley Blue Book said in the survey being released today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
MEDICAID OUTLETS OWE $1B IN TAXES
WASHINGTON — Government auditors found that more than 30,000 Medicaid providers — about 5 percent — owed federal taxes totaling more than $1 billion last year.
A report by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, said it found examples of providers who owed taxes living in million-dollar homes, withdrawing $100,000 in cash from casinos and owning several luxury vehicles and a pleasure boat. The GAO looked at doctors, hospitals and other Medicaid providers in seven states: California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Medicaid is the federal-state partnership that provides health coverage to about 55 million poor people. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will take up the findings at a hearing today.
US AIRWAYS PILOTS MAY OUST UNION
PHOENIX — A group of disgruntled US Airways pilots is moving forward with plans to replace its union at the negotiating table as the carrier works to put all pilots on a single salary and benefits contract.
The fledgling US Airline Pilots Association said yesterday it has formally asked the National Mediation Board to call a representation election that could oust the current union, the Air Line Pilots Association International.
USAPA President Stephen Bradford said his group has collected more than 3,000 signatures out of about 5,300 pilots working for the airline. That's enough under federal rules to both call for a vote and win collective-bargaining rights, Bradford said.
MICROSOFT ISSUES 2 SECURITY ALERTS
SEATTLE — Microsoft Corp. issued two security fixes in a regular monthly update yesterday, including one that removes a dangerous bug in all versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Microsoft gave the serious security fix its most urgent "critical" rating. Hackers could exploit a vulnerability using Internet Explorer 7, and possibly other programs, and take over a user's computer for a variety of nefarious purposes, such as stealing passwords or pumping out spam.
The other fix, which Microsoft gave the second-highest "important" rating, is for computers running versions of Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003. Hackers could exploit the flaw in Microsoft's program to redirect Internet traffic from legitimate sites to fake ones.
