American Arbitration Association

An arbitration panel on Thursday awarded $860,000 to two former Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery owners who accused the self-proclaimed "Painter of Light" and his company, Media Arts Group Inc., of fraudulently inducing them to invest in the business -- and then ruining them financially. While not singling out Kinkade in its finding of fraud, the panel ruled that the Morgan Hill, Calif.-based company and one of its executives, Richard F.

A report by an influential group representing the medical, legal and private arbitration professions has recommended scrapping the practice of requiring mandatory arbitration of patients' health-care disputes in favor of a voluntary system. The report, coming amid a national debate on managed-care industry reforms, is expected to heighten pressure on health insurers to change the way they resolve patient disputes.