December 23, 2006

Balmy temperatures on East Coast, with average highs this holiday season 15 degrees warmer than last year, have been disastrous for sales of all kinds of cold-weather clothing; glut of winter wear has sent chill through executive suites of major retailers, who count on big profits from coats in crucial holiday shopping season; they are even starting to grumble about first 'global warming Christmas'; photos (M)

The district attorney, however, plans to go forward with sexual assault and kidnapping charges.

Toyota Motor Corp issues forecast saying it will supplant General Motors, which has been at top in sales since 1931, in 2007; says it expects to sell 9.34 milion vehicles next year, which would exceed 9.2 million vehicles that GM expects to sell worldwide; Toyota's ascension is remarkable because it has reached top by borrowing many ideas from American makers and improving upon them; photo; graph (M)

New York State Comptroller Alan G Hevesi pleads guilty to defrauding government and resigns from office; charge stemmed from use of state employee to chauffeur his wife; Hevesi agrees to pay $5,000 fine and is spared jail as part of plea bargain; resignation and guilty plea end 35-year political career; photos (M)

Interview with Yul Kwon, Silicon Valley business strategic consultant and winner of television show Survivor: Cook Islands; he and financial planners offer advice on what to do with winnings; photo (M)