Wall Street Journal

Like stories about people doing dumb things while driving? The letters section of The Times received the following e-mail the other day. They forwarded it to me -- I'm the transportation reporter -- thinking (correctly) that I would be interested. The letter is from Jessica Bradshaw of Anaheim, who found herself driving on the eastbound Santa Monica Freeway last week and saw something a bit disturbing.

The Dow Jones industrial average might be up for sale by its owner, News Corp., a move that conceivably could result in a name change for the 125-year-old stock market barometer. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported Friday that News Corp. was considering selling its stock index business and had reached out to potential buyers. News Corp., which is controlled by Rupert Murdoch, declined to comment. Dow Jones & Co., which News Corp. acquired in 2007, offers thousands of stock indexes that are used as benchmarks by investors and licensed for use by mutual funds and other investment products.

Arnold Palmer turns 80 today, and for generations of golf fans, he's still "the King." In the early 1960s, Palmer's magnetic personality and brash playing style lured new fans, fattened tour purses, boosted TV ratings and helped usher pro golf into the modern age. He drew huge throngs at tournaments that followed him en masse, the crowds so deep that many in his "Arnie's Army" relied on cardboard periscopes to watch him play. His rivals, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, won more major tournaments; Palmer won over more fans.

Conservative critics of President Obama's foreign policy initiatives are having a tough week. On Thursday, Obama achieved a signature victory when the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved his resolution aimed at halting nuclear proliferation. His warm reception by the General Assembly -- some delegates were so awed by the American president that they couldn't resist snapping pictures during his Wednesday speech -- stood in sharp contrast to the welcome accorded George W. Bush, whose U.N. speeches were typically met with stony silence.

It is a story that no doubt will shock fans of the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions. According to the Wall Street Journal, NFL teams that play in domed stadiums have an advantage over those who don't. In an article bearing the headline, "Is it time for the NFL to ban domes?" the Journal points out that three domed teams -- the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints -- are undefeated and another -- the Atlanta Falcons -- are 3-0 at home. The Saints are on pace to break the league record for most points in a season, the Vikings rank second in points and the Colts are third in yardage.

Here's a funny question: Did you pay to read this? It's funny because it has two obvious and opposite answers. If you're at your kitchen table holding The Times' Calendar section, then of course you paid. On the other hand, if you're reading this on your home computer or office workstation, then of course you didn't pay. Everyone knows reading news online is free. It's so rigidly free, in fact, that most newspapers (including this one) that have tried to charge for their content have found such efforts to be a bit like pulling the sword from the stone.

Authorities investigating white powder found in envelopes at the Wall Street Journal in New York and Harvard Law School in Massachusetts said it was harmless. Police evacuated about 250 people from the Journal's Manhattan newsroom and executive offices after about a dozen envelopes were found. FBI spokesman James Margolin said five employees were decontaminated as a precaution. A newspaper spokeswoman said the postmark was Knoxville, Tenn. Each envelope contained a blank piece of paper and the powder, which was thought to be flour.

Imagem Music Group, a Dutch music-publishing investment fund, has agreed to purchase the musical-theater catalog of Broadway giants Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. No purchase price was announced, but the Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified sources, said the sale could bring in as much as $200 million. The deal gives Imagem licensing rights not only to such Rodgers and Hammerstein classics as "South Pacific," "Oklahoma!" and "The Sound of Music," but also to the works of more than 200 other writers, including Irving Berlin.

A suspicious surge in trading of Schering-Plough Corp. shares just before news of a merger deal with fellow drug maker Merck & Co. is being investigated by federal regulators, according to a published report. The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking to see whether any trades were made by people with inside knowledge about the merger talks, unidentified people familiar with the situation told the Wall Street Journal. Spokesmen at the SEC and both companies declined to comment.

Steve Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple Inc., received a liver transplant about two months ago in Tennessee but is expected to return to work this month, according to a published report. The charismatic CEO -- widely credited for the success in recent years of the maker of the iPhone, iPod and Mac computers -- began a medical leave of absence in January for an undisclosed condition. He handed his day-to-day management duties to Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer, until the end of June.