■ US ecomonyFed indicates slowness
Manufacturing slowed and the retail sales weakened as consumers turned cautious at the onset of war with Iraq, the Federal Reserve said in its survey of regional economies. "The pace of economic activity continued to be lackluster during March and the first two weeks of April," the survey said. "The onset of the war appeared to have some effect on sales and spending, although it is too early to ascertain the full effect of the war on both consumer and business confidence."
■ Credit Suisse
Former chief arrested
The former chief of the technology-banking unit at Credit Suisse First Boston was arrested Wednesday on accusations that he obstructed an investigation of initial public offerings of Internet stocks. Frank Quattrone becomes the first securities industry executive to face charges in a series of criminal investigations since the 2001 bust in the Internet boom on Wall Street. He allegedly told others in his California-based division to destroy documents in a probe of Credit Suisse First Boston's investment banking practices, in which the firm was suspected of giving its own clients first access shares when it issued IPOs.
■ Playing cards
Iraqi decks in demand
More than 700,000 decks of the only "official" Iraqi most-wanted playing cards have been sold since they hit the US market 10 days ago, producers of the cards said. Louis Amoroso, founder of GreatUSAFlags.com of Lake Forest, Illinois, the exclusive marketer for the cards manufactured by United States Playing Card Co of Cincinnati, Ohio, had originally projected sales of 500 decks a day. Sales are brisk and he expects to sell the millionth deck soon.
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