January 13, 2006

In over 18 hours responding to some 700 questions at his Supreme Court confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. mostly described a methodical and incremental approach to the law rooted in no particular theory. But to the extent Judge Alito claimed a judicial philosophy, it aligned him with the court's two most conservative members, Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

Federated Department Stores said yesterday that it would seek a buyer for Lord & Taylor, a chain of stores that have long appealed to shoppers who want to be fashionable but not necessarily slaves to trends. The announcement comes five months after Federated acquired the 55-store chain as part of its acquisition of May Department Stores. ''After a thorough review, we have concluded that Lord & Taylor does not fit with our strategic focus for building the Macy's and Bloomingdale's national brands,'' Terry J. Lundgren, Federated's chairman, said in a statement.

Raising the stakes in an increasingly hostile takeover battle for Guidant, Boston Scientific increased its bid by $332 million last night, to $25 billion. It also said it would assume all regulatory risk to completing the deal in an effort to wrestle Guidant away from Johnson & Johnson. Boston's Scientific's offer also came with an ultimatum: If Guidant does not declare the bid superior to Johnson & Johnson's $23.2 billion by 4 p.m. today, it will be withdrawn.

The leading nations of Europe joined with the United States on Thursday to declare an end, for now, to negotiations with Iran over dismantling its suspected nuclear weapons program and to demand that Iran be referred to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions. The Europeans' announcement was made at a news conference in Berlin two days after the Iranian authorities removed internationally monitored seals on nuclear facilities involved in the enrichment of uranium that Western nations say could be used in a bomb.

New York Guitar Festival will open three-week 2006 season with in-sequence performance of Bruce Springsteen 1982 album Nebraska; musicians including Michelle Shocked, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mark Eitzel and band National will perform entire album at free concert; festival includes more than two dozen concerts, seminars and other events at sites around city; photos (M)