April 15, 2006

Hundreds lost their jobs after skipping work to attend rallies against legislation in Congress cracking down on illegal immigrants.

There is increasing evidence that a thriving international trade in smuggled poultry is helping spread bird flu, experts say.

Lee R. Raymond, who retired from Exxon in December, was paid more than $686 million from 1993 to 2005.

Lee R Raymond, who retired as Exxon Mobil chairman and chief executive in Dec, was compensated more than $686 million from 1993 to 2005, according to analysis done for New York Times by Brian Foley, independent compensation consultant; that is $144,573 for each day he spent leading company; some Exxon shareholders, corporate governance experts and consumer groups were taken aback when they learned details of Raymond's compensation package, including more than $400 million he received in his final year at company; shareholder advocates point to what they describe as stealth compensation arranged for Raymond but not disclosed in proxy filings; consumer groups complain that while last year's rise in global oil prices left many consumers feeling less prosperous, oil executives have become lot richer from higher prices; graph; photo (M)

One-Third of all Americans wait until deadline to file income tax returns; 1.2 million more taxpayers than last year waited until final week to file; Internal Revenue Service expects 9.6 million taxpayers to file for extensions; tax accountants say lack of organization is often problem; individuals who take advantage of digital advances such as paperless statements and online filing tend to know less about their finances; tips on preparing throughout year for tax season; drawing; (M)