November 23, 2005

Texas Pacific Group, Blackstone Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Hellman & Friedman, which purchased Houston's electric utility Texas Genco for $900 million in 2004, are selling company to NRG Energy for gain of $5 billion; deal causes jaws to drop in Houston's energy circles and angers and perplexes people who are feeling sting of surging electricity prices (Market Place column) (M)

Bush administration brings criminal charges against Jose Padilla, whom it has held as enemy combatant for three and a half years, accusing him of being part of North American support cell that worked to support violent jihad campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere overseas from 1993 to 2001; indictment is narrower in scope than previous accusations and makes no direct mention of Al Qaeda or previously alleged plot to detonate radioactive or 'dirty' bomb on American streets; Justice Department officials do not disavow accuracy of those accusations, but say that in considering criminal charges, they were hamstrung by difficulty of using in court any intelligence obtained from Padilla and other terror suspects when they were in military custody without lawyers; bringing criminal charges averts constitutional showdown over president's authority to detain American citizens as enemy combatants without formal charges; administration had Nov 28 deadline to file its legal arguments with Supreme Court in Padilla case, which Justice Department now considers moot; time line of developments in Padilla case; photo (M)

SHE had thought for many years about volunteering, but her two children were young, it was hard to get away, it didn't quite work. After 9/11, when her cousin Muriel Siskopoulos died in the World Trade Center, after she watched how much help came to New York from so far away, Zina Klein decided that it was time. Her oldest son was beginning college, and her daughter was only a few years behind. So she signed on with the federally coordinated emergency rescue team that is sponsored by Westchester Medical Center, where she has worked as a nurse since 1990.

Warner Music Group reaches $5 million settlement with New York State Atty Gen Eliot Spitzer to resolve accusations that it made payoffs to persuade radio programmers to play certain songs; settlement is latest in Spitzer's widening probe, which has exposed payments to radio programmers in exchange for playing music and routine manipulation of playlist information; Warner will play $5 million, to be distributed to nonprofit organizations that finance music education and appreciation; will also pay $50,000 to cover costs of inquiry (M)

Wal-Mart, which stumbled after offering higher prices to spare already-weakened competitors--and its image--in 2004, will return to its old self day after Thanksgiving with campaign to match rivals' advertised discounts on what is known as Black Friday; retail analysts say Wal-Mart's strategy is highly unusual and could change competitive landscape on one of busiest shopping days of year; competitors say they are largely immune to attack because vast majority of doorbusters are exclusive to their stores; photo (M)