Murder Inc. - Armour Pharmaceutical kept selling a blood- clotting medication despite a 1985 warning from a company researcher that its heat-treating process was not effective against the AIDS virus.
Two years later, six Vancouver, Canada, hemophiliacs - five of them children - contracted AIDS from the contaminated drug. More cases followed elsewhere. Armour had blocked the researcher from going public by invoking a confidentiality clause in his contract.
He'll see to it - "The idea that the government can be the primary instrument for the elimination of misfortune is a fundamental misunderstanding.... People will always be treated unfairly." - Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Good question - "How many out of work, practically broke, shaggy-haired and wise-cracking actors living in dinky guest houses end up - through no fault of their own - hobnobbing with celebrities and socialites, hosting radio shows... guesting on TV..." - Brian "Kato" Kaelin's proposal to publishers for a book about the turn in his life.
Solidarity, capitalist style - When leases are coming up for renewal, some companies now hire auditors who scrutinize the agreement and rent bills for rip-offs. That's not just to get a refund. One lawyer explains: "The more we find, the more leverage we have with the landlord. And if the problem affects other tenants, he has even more incentive to settle with us before our claim becomes public."
Spam unsavory? Perish the thought - A federal judge rejected the Hormel plea to ice Spáam, the evil boar in the coming Muppet movie. The company argued Spáam puts its product, Spam, in "an unsavory context."
Lofty pursuit - A new board game, "Squeeze the Juice," is on the market. Players take the role of members of the O.J. Simpson defense team, with the one who collects the most fees the winner. Declares the co-creator of the $24.95 game, "I'm looking to fulfill the American dream."
Might be a nice hobby-Ivana Trump, ex-spouse to real estate hustler Donald, is doing nicely with her own line of jewelry and clothing, plus an advice column. She would also like to be an ambassador, but, she observes, "It really doesn't pay much."
Timely credentials - Arizona's Gov. Fife Symington bid for office with the promise that he would apply his skills as a real estate shark to state government. Currently, he's bankrupt, with debts totaling nearly $25 million. His lawyer said creditors could expect less than a third of a cent on the dollar.