Vital Signs for the Week of Oct. 3 (BusinessWeek Online

Vital Signs for the Week of Oct. 3 (BusinessWeek Online via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance)
On tap: September employment report, business activity reports from the Institute for Supply Management, August factory orders, and more

Concentra Completes Acquisition of Beech Street Corporation; Company Announces Refinancing of Senior Credit Agreement (RedNova)
Concentra Operating Corporation ("Concentra" or the "Company") today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Beech Street Corporation in a $165 million cash transaction.

News from Reuters (The Globe and Mail)
TORONTO (Reuters) - A Canadian judge has ruled Ravelston Corp. Ltd., the insolvent holding company of one-time newspaper baron Conrad Black, can plead not guilty to several U.S. fraud charges in connection with the sale of newspapers.

Katrina Contributes To Drop in Spending (Washington Post)
Katrina propels largest drop in spending since September 2001; experts predict rebound as funds pour into rebuilding effort.

Economy wobbles in wake of Katrina (Seattle Times)
Consumer spending fell in August at the steepest rate since the Sept. 11 attacks as Hurricane Katrina slashed Americans'...

Concentra Completes Acquisition of Beech Street Corporation (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
Concentra Operating Corporation today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Beech Street Corporation in a $165 million cash transaction. This acquisition expands Concentra's offerings in the group health market and enhances its existing lines of service to the nation's leading health plans, insurers and third-party administrators.

Lowest-Priced New Vehicles for 2006
Low price doesn't mean skimping on safety equipment anymore; some lowest-priced new cars include six standard airbags.
Ann Job