James S. Tisch, has said that politics had nothing to do with the company’s decision to spin off Lorillard. Read more..

By STEPHANIE SAUL - The New York Times

A large number of classic characters for children are being freshened up to try to cater to parents’ nostalgia and children’s YouTube-era sensibilities. Read more..

By BROOKS BARNES - The New York Times

It appears that broadcasters may have matched the $9.1 billion to $9.2 billion they took in last spring before the start of the 2007-8 season. Read more..

By STUART ELLIOTT - The New York Times

The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets fell after an increase in Chinese bank reserve requirements, increased worries about high food and oil prices, and fears about exports to the United States. Read more..

By KEITH BRADSHER - The New York Times

The European Union’s competition commissioner recommended that businesses and governments use software based on open standards. Read more..

By JAMES KANTER - The New York Times

The billionaire financier said that he would increase his stake after stockholders offered to sell him nearly half of the automaker’s outstanding shares. Read more..

By NICK BUNKLEY - The New York Times

The National Transportation Safety Board cited sleepy pilots as a reason that a regional jet slid off a snowy runway in Traverse City, Mich., in April, 2007. Read more..

By MATTHEW L. WALD - The New York Times

Japan’s salarymen have borne the brunt of its economic decline, enduring lower wages, job insecurity and long hours of unpaid overtime. Now, a few are fighting back. Read more..

By MARTIN FACKLER - The New York Times

U.S. News & World Report will publish every other week, while continuing to expand the consumer reporting and product rankings it has bet its future on. Read more..

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA - The New York Times