River beckons just outside new Danvers condo

This new townhouse condo along the Porter ­River in Danvers is designed for boaters as it includes a 35-foot boat slip right outside the door.

Unit 7 at Mariners Point at 58 River St. is one of 11 new units in four buildings being built on the two-acre site of a former marina. All have attached garages, covered back porches with water views and boat slips. The energy-efficient units have beige Hardiplank siding and architectural-grade Pella windows and glass sliders. Window moldings and other woodwork is also high quality.

The three-bedroom model Unit 7 has 2,353 square feet of living space on two levels with red oak flooring, and is listed for $775,000.

The unit has a small entry porch and front door that opens into a recessed-lit kitchen with antique white cabinets with serpentine trim, a wine rack and St. Cecilia granite counters with a glass-mosaic tile backsplash. There's a center island, a pantry/coat closet and stainless-steel GE Cafe appliances.

The large, open dining/living area has recessed and contemporary light fixtures and there's a gas fireplace with a black granite hearth in the living room.

A wall of windows and a sliding glass door lead out to a columned private back porch with river views. There will be a grassy common yard around the buildings, new granite and cement seawalls and boat slips.

Behind the living/dining area is a ceramic half bath, a washer/dryer hookup and direct access to a one-car garage.

A red oak staircase leads to three bedrooms on the second floor, off a hallway with a laundry closet with a stacked Samsung washer/dryer. The recessed-lit master bedroom suite has three large windows with river views, three closets with built-in closet systems and a bathroom with white Carrara marble vanity top, floors, walls and walk-in shower, plus a deep soaking tub.

The two other bedrooms are decent-sized with a second full bathroom with tumbled marble floors and tub/shower walls with glass-mosaic tile inlays.

The unit has two zones of gas-fired heating and central air conditioning. There's a private parking space in front of the garage, plus about a dozen visitor spaces.

The condo does not have a basement, but is built out of the flood zone so flood insurance should not be required.

Home showcase

• Address: 58 River St., Mariners Point, Unit 7, Danvers
• Bedrooms: Three
• Bathrooms: Two full, one half
• List price: $775,000
• Square feet: 2,353
• Price per square foot: $329
• Annual taxes: To be determined
• Monthly condo fee: $337
• Location: One mile to retail and restaurants in Danvers Square
• Built in: 2013-14
• Broker: Francine Cecieta of 
J Barrett & Co. at 978-808-0704

Pros:

• Private back porch looks out to river and boat slip
• Red oak floors, Pella windows, quality doors and moldings throughout
• Open kitchen dining/living area with 9-foot ceilings, wall of windows facing river
• Master bedroom suite with three closets, Carrara marble bathroom

Cons

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World Cup viewership up 8 percent in US

NEW YORK — Television viewership of the World Cup's opening game in the United States was up 8 percent over 2010, due to increased interest in ESPN's English-language telecast.

The Nielsen company said Friday that 9.5 million people in the U.S. watched Brazil's tournament-opening victory over Croatia, compared to the 8.8 million who saw Mexico take on South Africa in 2010's first game.

Univision's Spanish-language audience of 5.1 million was down from the 5.9 million who watched in 2010. That's not a surprise, given the game four years ago involved Mexico, and a large percentage of Univision's audience is of Mexican descent.

ESPN's opening day audience Thursday was 4.4 million, up 55 percent from the 2.9 million who watched in 2010.

Facebook said that some 58 million people worldwide posted messages about the first game, 16 million of them in the host country of Brazil, which won the game.

Twitter said that more than 12.2 million tweets were sent about the first day's match during the live telecast. Neymar was the most tweeted-about player for Brazil, and he gained 165,000 followers.

The sport's governing body FIFA said the opening match attracted record audiences for the year in Europe.

German broadcaster ZDF's coverage of Brazil's victory reached 15.9 million viewers, the biggest TV audience of 2014 so far in Germany. The match in São Paulo also drew in the biggest sports television audiences for 2014 in the United Kingdom, France and Italy.

ITV's live match broadcast in the UK was watched by 10.7 million people - 6.4 million more than the opening game from the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. RAI 1 in Italy broadcast the match to an audience of 9.1 million while coverage from TF1 in France reached 8.7 million viewers.

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MGM gets first Mass. casino license

MGM is the state's first official casino operator, pending the outcome of efforts to repeal the state's casino law.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission yesterday voted unanimously to grant MGM a license for its $800 million casino, hotel and entertainment and shopping complex in downtown Springfield.

"People are hungry to work," Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said.

MGM estimates the project will bring 3,000 permanent jobs and 2,000 construction jobs to Springfield.

MGM will pay the $85 million licensing fee only after the state Supreme Judicial Court decides whether a referendum to repeal the state's casino law can be allowed on the November ballot.

That decision is expected before July 9.

If the court blocks the referendum, MGM would pay the fee in about eight business days.

If the court permits the question, MGM pays only if the referendum is defeated.

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Tundra’s great take on cargo

The Tundra SR5, Toyota's workhorse pickup truck, takes driving big cargo to a new level.

Whether in the city or on a work site, the 381-horsepower, 5.7-liter iForce V8 engine commands the road — it is the "Big Dog." Pulling into traffic and passing on the highway can be done with authority and with power to spare.

The Tundra's steering wheel-mounted shifter makes downshifting a breeze, taking some stress off the brakes and giving you more control in turns. Its big 8-foot, 1-inch-long bed is perfect for cargo, easily fitting sheetrock, plywood, mulch or anything else you're hauling. The Tundra is right at home in the lumber yard, in the backyard or the garden center.

With the test vehicle's Radiant Red paint showing significant wear after 9,000 miles, the need for a bed liner seems obvious unless you wear your scratches like a badge of honor.

Spartan, but well thought out, the Tundra's interior has some decent optional features such as a built-in 7-inch high definition touchscreen Entune GPS and Bluetooth, but lacks heated seats, lumbar support, and interior storage. A middle seat folds down next to the driver, but lacks decent storage for a cellphone and a 12-volt charging receptacle.

You may need a step ladder to climb into this vehicle, especially if some of your precious cargo includes kids who take it as a challenge to climb Mount Tundra. Even the driver may need some assistance as there is no handle and no step to help you in.

Getting used to this behemoth takes a while and squeezing into those tight parking spots in parking garages will take some practice. And with the double cab and long bed extending this truck to almost 20 feet 8 inches, you can pretty much forget about parallel parking this beast. The width and the extra row of seating makes this a very roomy vehicle.

The good news is with all of the extra cargo space you can carry plenty of extra gasoline — and you may need it as it burns 13 miles per gallon in the city, 17 on the highway.

The Tundra, with a suggested retail price of $37,101 as tested, comes standard with a 2-inch receiver hitch. Both 7-pin and 4-pin trailer wiring hook-ups sit side by side on the rear bumper with weather protective housings.

Switching to four-wheel-drive was simple — especially compared to the recently reviewed 4Runner — as was getting into tow mode. Side view mirrors set further away from the vehicle make sense after you figure out how to set them up and help you to see what you are towing.

The bottom line: this Tundra is a tough truck that likes to take on tasks.

2014 Tundra SR5

• MSRP: $34,345
• As Tested: $37,101
• MPG: 13 city, 17 highway

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Mohegan Sun can't keep lawsuit documents private

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Mohegan Sun has lost its bid to have certain documents kept out of the public eye in a civil lawsuit over its failed Palmer casino plan.

The Connecticut-based casino operator and its partner in the failed Palmer venture, Northeast Realty Associates, will not be allowed to designate materials "attorneys' eyes only" during the case's discovery process, Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard Carey ruled Friday.

But the judge also ruled that the two sides do not have the right to provide state gambling regulators copies of discovery materials, as Northeast Realty sought.

The judge said the types of materials expected to be the focus of the lawsuit would be "adequately protected" without such confidentiality agreements, which he said are sometimes needed to protect trade secrets and other sensitive information.

Northeast Realty, based in Longmeadow, said in a statement that it was pleased with the decision, which it said will "lead to the production of documents by Mohegan without delay."

Northeast Realty alleges Mohegan Sun violated an exclusivity agreement preventing the casino from pursuing a gambling license anywhere else in Massachusetts other than the 150-plus acres it leased from Northeast. It's seeking monetary damages, an amount to be determined at trial.

Mohegan Sun, which has declined to comment on the lawsuit on previous occasions, denies violating the agreement in its legal filings.

Voters in Palmer rejected Mohegan Sun's casino plan in November 2013. Within weeks, the horse racing track Suffolk Downs announced it reached a deal with Mohegan Sun to operate a casino on the Revere side of its property.

That more than $1 billion proposal is one of two plans vying for the lucrative Boston-area casino license.

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MGM set to get panel OK

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is expected tomorrow to designate MGM as the state's first casino operator, but would not officially award the license until the state's highest court rules on a proposed November ballot question to repeal the state's gaming law.

The commission took a preliminary vote yesterday that it is prepared to award the license to MGM's $800 million Springfield casino if it accepts all of its conditions, including paying $85 million in licensing fees within 30 days of the award. But MGM doesn't want to do that if the law is ultimately repealed.

Under an MGM counter-offer, it would pay the licensing fees within five days if the Supreme Judicial Court next month votes not to allow the repeal question on the November ballot. But if the SJC does allow the ballot question, MGM would only pay the fees if the repeal referendum is defeated.

Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said MGM's concerns about paying the non-refundable fee were "perfectly reasonable" given the uncertainty around the court case.

In other casino news, Boston remains the only municipality still negotiating surrounding community agreements with Mohegan Sun, which wants to build a casino at Suffolk Downs in Revere, and Wynn Resorts, which wants to build one in Everett.

"The city continues to review documents and hold meetings," Kate Norton, a spokeswoman for Mayor Martin J. Walsh said.

Spokesmen for both Wynn and Mohegan Sun described the talks as "productive."

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

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The Ticker

Bain, Goldman Sachs 
settle antitrust suit

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bain Capital Partners LLC agreed to pay a total of $121 million to settle claims they suppressed competition in some of the biggest deals of the leveraged buyout boom before the financial crisis.

Goldman Sachs will pay $67 million under the agreement to settle the antitrust lawsuit while Bain Capital will pay $54 million, according to the preliminary settlement filed today in Boston federal court.

Shareholders of companies that were acquired accused Goldman Sachs, Bain, and banks and private-equity firms of conspiring to carve up the market for large leveraged buyouts, suppressing prices and depriving investors of billions of dollars.

Alex Stanton, a spokesman for Bain Capital in New York, declined to immediately comment on yesterday's settlement. Michael DuVally, a spokesman for New York-based Goldman Sachs, didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Legislature strikes minimum wage deal

State House and Senate negotiators have reached a compromise on a bill hiking the minimum wage in Massachusetts.

The bill would increase the current $8 per hour minimum wage by $3 over the next three years. The hourly minimum for the state's lowest paid workers would go to $9 on Jan. 1, 2015, to $10 the following new year, and finally to $11 on Jan. 1, 2017.

The measure would not tie future increases to inflation.

The bill — a compromise between a Senate bill calling for an $11 minimum wage indexed to inflation, and a House-passed bill calling for an increase to $10.50 per hour, without indexing — must be approved in both chambers. It also seeks to rein in unemployment insurance costs.

Today

• Commerce Department releases retail sales data for May.
• Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.
• Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates.
• Commerce Department releases business inventories for April.

TOMORROW

• Labor Department releases the Producer Price Index for May.
• The American Red Cross of Massachusetts has announced the appointment of Ralph Boyd, left, as its new CEO. Boyd has previously served as chairman and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation and been a U.S. assistant attorney general.
• Waltham-based AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc., announced the appointment of Melissa Bradford Klug as senior vice president of business development and strategy. Klug joins AMAG from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

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Noncompetes to get hearing

A top lawmaker is reversing course, saying his committee will hold a hearing on a bill that would ban noncompete agreements as business groups on both sides of the divisive issue say they are standing firm.

"Over the past several weeks, there has been a healthy and productive dialogue about the proper role of noncompetes in our state's economy," said Rep. Joseph Wagner (D-Chicopee), co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. "There are more options than either accepting noncompetes as they exist currently or banning them altogether. There is a middle ground that should be explored."

Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed a ban on noncompete agreements — a clause in employment contracts barring workers who leave a company from joining or starting another company in the same field for a year or two — as part of his economic development bill. Just two weeks ago when House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo unveiled his economic development bill that didn't include a ban on noncompete clauses, Wagner, who helped craft that bill, said the issue was "not the most significant matter."

While the omission in DeLeo's bill was seen as a setback for supporters of the ban, now the tide appears to have shifted with plans for a hearing on a standalone bill.

"It looks promising that a bill could be pushed forward during this legislative session," said C.A. Webb, executive director of New England Venture Capital Association, which represents many tech companies that want to see noncompete agreements banned.

Critics say the agreements stifle innovation and prevent employee mobility, while supporters say noncompetes are crucial for protecting intellectual property and trade secrets.

Yesterday, Patrick said the ultimate success or failure of the proposed ban would come down to the various business groups that have an interest in the issue.

"If we can get the industry to come to the table and work together and compromise, I think we'll get something done," Patrick said. "The extent to which it gets pushed depends on people who are working in the field."

Chris Geehern, a spokesman for Associated Industries of Massachusetts, said there has been no change to the group's staunch opposition to a ban.

"We think the current law governing noncompetes works well," Geehern said. "We frankly don't see any need to change the law."

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Deval Patrick inks pact with Japanese trade organization

Officials expect a new pact with a Japanese trade organization will strengthen the growing economic relationship between the Bay State and the Asian industrial giant.

"We've already seen a trend of Japanese life science companies choosing Massachusetts," said Angus McQuilken, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. "We expect to see that trend accelerate."

Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday signed an agreement with the Japan External Trade Organization to formalize a partnership "facilitating business and investment opportunities," according to the agreement.

"Japan is important to us," Patrick said. "(This is) an umbrella agreement, we will build out from here."

The state and the trade group began working on the Memorandum of Understanding after Patrick's economic development trade mission to Japan in December.

"Today is a new beginning in the history between Massachusetts and Japan," said Hiroyuki Ishige, chairman of JETRO.

Patrick said there are roughly 130 Japanese companies doing business in Massachusetts, which account for 10,000 jobs.

"That is important economic prosperity for us," Patrick said.

Japanese life sciences companies MBL International and Scivax will open a new lab today in Woburn, McQuilken said. The agreement is expected to have an impact throughout the Bay State business community.

David Brewster, president of energy intelligence software provider EnerNOC, said: "I firmly believe that the MOU that (was) signed will continue to foster collaboration and will bolster innovation between these two economies."

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Massachusetts House backs summer sales tax holiday

BOSTON — The Massachusetts House has given its support to holding another summer sales tax holiday.

An amendment added on Wednesday to an economic development bill calls for suspending the state's 6.25 percent sales tax during the weekend of Aug. 16-17. The exemption would not apply to tobacco products or items that cost more than $2,500.

The measure was sponsored by Rep. Brad Jones, the House Republican leader, and still needs approval from the state Senate and Gov. Deval Patrick.

Tax-free holidays have been held several times in recent years. Retailers welcome them as an opportunity to lure shoppers into stores to jumpstart a typically slow time of year.

State officials have expressed concern, however, about the loss of an estimated $20 million in sales tax revenue during the weekend.

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Stocks open lower after World Bank cuts outlook

U.S. stocks are opening lower in early trading on Wednesday after the World Bank cut its outlook for global growth.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down seven points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,943. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 62 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,883. The Nasdaq fell 15 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,321.

The World Bank said in a report late Tuesday that it expects global growth of 2.8 percent this year, compared with a January estimate of 3.2 percent.

The stock market still remains close to all-time highs after a slow and steady climb since April.

Synaptics jumped 28 percent to $85.06 after the maker of touch-screen technology said it would buy smartphone and tablet chipmaker Renesas SP Drivers for $475 million.

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Insurers propose changes to Obama health law

WASHINGTON — Insurers want to change President Barack Obama's health care law to provide financial assistance for people buying bare-bones coverage. That would entice the healthy and the young, the industry says, holding down premiums.

So-called catastrophic plans are currently not eligible for the law's subsidies, and only 2 percent of the 8 million consumers who signed up this year picked one. Subsidies bring down the cost of monthly premiums.

The proposed change is part of a package of recommendations that America's Health Insurance Plans, the main industry trade group released Wednesday. Others address how to smooth transitions for consumers who switch insurance companies, as well as making it easier for patients to find out which hospitals and doctors are in particular plans and whether their medications are covered.

"What is crucial for public policy leaders is to balance access and affordability," said Karen Ignagni, head of the trade group. "Unless people feel that coverage is affordable, they won't participate in the system."

Adults ages 18-34, the health care law's most coveted demographic, are under-represented among those enrolled for subsidized private insurance this year. Insurers are currently filing their proposed premiums for 2015, and increases of 10 percent or more are anticipated. Nonetheless, the new state insurance exchanges are poised to grow, with more carriers entering the market to compete for business.

Given the polarized politics of health care in Washington it's unclear how the industry's latest proposal might advance. It might get a chance if Republicans in Congress abandon their crusade to repeal Obama's law and start focusing on making changes to individual components.

The proposal could also encounter opposition from consumer groups, which take a dim view of catastrophic plans. Some consumer organizations have instead called for reducing out-of-pocket costs borne by consumers who buy a midlevel silver plan, the pick of 65 percent of those signed up this year.

Catastrophic plans offer low monthly premiums but require consumers to foot a hefty share of their annual medical costs. They are designed to protect healthier people from financial ruin due to an accident or an unexpected diagnosis of serious illness, although they also cover basic preventive care at no cost to the consumer.

Catastrophic plans currently available through the new insurance exchanges are only open to people under 30, as well those who have received a hardship exemption from the health law's individual requirement to carry a policy.

The industry proposal would create a new catastrophic plan open to people of any age and eligible for tax credits provided by the law. It would have an annual limit on out-of-pocket costs and preventive care would be covered at no charge to the patient.

Other elements of the insurers' plan can be voluntarily adopted by the companies or codified by government regulation.

They include a 30-day transition period for certain patients who switch insurance companies or whose doctors no longer participate in the plan. During the transition, patients would be able to remain under the care of their current physician while paying lower in-network rates. Similar transition policies would apply to medically necessary prescriptions.

The health insurance industry has a complicated relationship with the health care law.

Insurers spent tens of millions of dollars to defeat the legislation as it was being debated in Congress and still seek to roll back taxes and Medicare cuts that affect the plans.

But the industry has also become one of the administration's main allies in carrying out the law, enduring the cascade of rollout problems last fall and working behind the scenes to make sure consumers whose old plans got canceled were able to maintain coverage.

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Lew says economy still facing major challenges

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Wednesday that the economy should grow at much stronger rates the rest of this year as the country overcomes the impact of a harsh winter. But Lew said millions of Americans continue to struggle as unemployment remains too high and economic growth is too slow.

"Evidence continues to mount that our economy is gaining traction," Lew said in a speech to the Economic Club of New York. "Nevertheless, we cannot escape the fact that millions of Americans continue to struggle and their pain reminds us that our work is not finished. ... For too many families this hardly feels like a recovery."

In his remarks, which were distributed in Washington, Lew called for actions by the government and the private sector to boost hiring of the long-term unemployed and increase investment in productivity-enhancing equipment and critical infrastructure projects such as roads, railways and ports.

Lew said the country also needed a stronger commitment to education in the areas of science, math and engineering to make sure students have the skills they need to compete in the new economy.

Lew said that from 1948 to 2007, the economy grew at average annual rates of 3.4 percent per year. But he said the Congressional Budget Office is now projecting that after the economy returns to full employment, economic growth will only average about 2.1 percent per year — just two-thirds of the average right after World War II.

"The choices we make over the years to come can alter this projection," Lew said, suggesting increased investments would boost economic growth and productivity.

Lew's suggestions reflected many proposals that the Obama administration has put forward but which Congress has yet to enact. Among the areas Lew stressed:

__Worker training. Lew said the country needs to do a better job of helping workers laid off during the Great Recession to re-enter the workforce through improved worker training, career counseling and job training. Lew called on businesses to make a good-faith effort to hire from the ranks of the long-term unemployed.

__Investment. Lew said American businesses were sitting on historically high levels of cash and what is needed is for those businesses to come off the sidelines and make investments. Lew said the administration is seeking to reform the tax system to lower business tax rates to boost investment.

__Innovation and Productivity. Lew said the country must commit to improving education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math as well as providing support to cutting edge research and development to maintain America's position as a leading global innovator.

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Stock futures slip as World Bank cuts outlook

U.S. stock futures slipped after the World Bank downgraded its forecast for the global economy this year, citing a bitter American winter and the political crisis in Ukraine.

KEEPING SCORE: Less than an hour before the start of regular trading, Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 66 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,876. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures dropped eight points to 1,941 and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 16 points to 3,783.

GLOBAL GROWTH: In an outlook released late Tuesday, the World Bank said it said it expects the world economy to grow faster — 2.8 percent this year versus 2.4 percent in 2013. But its new estimate is weaker than the 3.2 percent expansion it had predicted in January.

TAKING PAUSE: The stock market took a breather on Tuesday, logging a small loss, after a string of record closes. After slumping earlier this year, the stock market has been on a slow and steady climb since April. In recent weeks, a number of encouraging economic reports have helped push the S&P 500 up 5.5 percent this year.

TOUCH SCREEN TECH: Synaptics jumped $12.70, or 19 percent, to $79.22 in premarket trading Wednesday after the maker of touch-screen technology said it would buy smartphone and tablet chipmaker Renesas SP Drivers for $475 million. Because of the deal, Synaptics also raised its fourth-quarter revenue outlook.

BONDS AND COMMODITIES: As stocks fell, government bonds rallied. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which falls when prices rise, dropped to 2.63 percent from 2.65 percent on Tuesday. The price of oil was little changed from Tuesday at $104.34.

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NASA postpones Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

LOS ANGELES — NASA has postponed its plan to send a "flying saucer" into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

Spokeswoman Shannon Ridinger says weather conditions caused Wednesday's launch of the saucer-shaped vehicle to be scrubbed. The next potential launch date is June 14.

For decades, NASA has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

After being launched via balloon from Hawaii, the new vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles. It will slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

Engineers will analyze the data to determine if the test was successful.

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Market momentum falters after record highs

LONDON — The positive momentum in stock markets slowed somewhat on Tuesday after major stock indexes in the U.S. and Germany struck record highs.

Optimism over the U.S. economy, coupled with a wide-ranging package of stimulus measures from the European Central Bank have shored up sentiment in the markets in recent days.

"It is hard to escape the feeling of an eerie calm before the onset of a possible storm, and this apprehension certainly goes some way to accounting for some of the caution creeping into the markets," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.

In Europe, Germany's DAX was flat at 10,004, having earlier risen to a fresh high of 10,033. Elsewhere, the CAC-40 in France fell 0.1 percent to 4,584, while the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was 0.3 percent lower at 6,856.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.2 percent at 16,917 while the broader S&P 500 index fell the same rate to 1,947.

Earlier in Asia, the picture was mixed, with Japan's Nikkei 225 closing down 0.9 percent at 14,994.80. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.9 percent to 23,315.74 and South Korea's Kospi added 1.1 percent to 2,011.80.

Elsewhere, the euro remained under pressure as traders priced in the growing differential between future U.S. and eurozone interest rates — lower interest rates tend to weaken a currency. While the ECB cut interest rates last week, the Federal Reserve has been trimming its stimulus ahead of an expected increase in official borrowing rates next year.

The euro has been drifting lower for much of the last month as expectations grew that the ECB would loosen its monetary policy. The currency was down 0.4 percent at $1.3542.

"The euro currency is finally starting to feel the weight of the might of the ECB," said Andrew Wilkinson, chief market analyst at Interactive Brokers.

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Philippines may soon make smoking warnings graphic

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine legislative committee approved a bill on Tuesday that would compel cigarette manufacturers to print illustrations of smoking hazards on cigarette packs to curb smoking in a country where tens of thousands die yearly from tobacco-related diseases.

The committee composed of both senators and congressmen passed the bill directing the Department of Health to issue 12 templates of pictures and illustrations that warn about the dangers of smoking.

The full Senate and House of Representatives are expected to formally pass the bill before it is signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III, who backed an earlier "sin tax" law that raised taxes on tobacco and alcohol products.

The illustrations, which could include pictures of cancerous lungs and throats, will occupy the lower half of the front and back panels of a cigarette pack. The current warning contains only words, saying that smoking is dangerous.

Philippine health officials said in 2012 that 17.3 million of the country's 96 million people smoke — one of Southeast Asia's highest rates — and 87,000 die per year from tobacco-related diseases.

"This is a big victory for health advocates," said Dr. Anthony Leachon, president of the Philippine College of Physicians.

Leachon said images of damaged body parts, such as before-and-after pictures of a lung ravaged by smoking, will have a greater impact, especially on non-smokers.

The bill also instructs the Department of Education to include the hazards of smoking in the school curriculum.

In recent years, more than 40 countries or jurisdictions have introduced cigarette labels with graphic anti-smoking warnings. The World Health Organization said in a survey done in countries with graphic labels that a majority of smokers noticed the warnings and more than 25 percent said the warnings led them to consider quitting.

The Philippine bill follows the passage in late 2012 of a "sin tax" law, which raised the excise tax on tobacco and alcohol products to discourage their use and raise revenues for health programs.

A recent survey commissioned by the Department of Health indicated that the law helped reduce smoking among the poor and young people, the main targets of the law.

It said that smoking prevalence among the very poor dropped from 38 percent in December 2012 to 25 percent in March this year. Smoking among people aged 18 to 24 also fell from 35 percent to 18 percent during the same period.

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GM CEO: No more serious safety issues lurking

DETROIT — A thorough review of General Motors' safety issues is nearing completion and hasn't turned up any more serious problems, the company's CEO said Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters before the company's annual meeting, Mary Barra also said that personnel changes related to a deadly ignition switch problem are finished. The company forced out 15 workers last week after an outside attorney blamed them for failing to act on the problem. Five others were disciplined.

The meeting comes just days after former U.S. Attorney Anton Valukas issued a report that blamed an inefficient corporate structure and misconduct or poor decisions by some employees for allowing a deadly defect in an ignition switch to go undisclosed for more than a decade. GM this year has recalled 2.6 million small cars with the faulty switches. They have been blamed for more than 50 crashes and at least 13 deaths.

Barra further said GM may "tweak the structure here or there" but she doesn't expect major changes.

GM began reviewing past safety issues after the ignition switch problem became public, resulting in a total of 15.8 million recalled vehicles in North America. Barra says the review has been extensive, but said the ignition switch issue was a "unique series of mistakes" made by the company over many years.

"I have nothing to conclude that there's anything like this," she said of the ignition switch recall. "We've been digging pretty deep."

Barra said there likely will be a few more recalls, but those related to the review should be announced by the end of June.

Board Chairman Tim Solso gave Barra a vote of confidence, saying the board is pleased with her work and that she and her team "will lead General Motors to make the necessary changes."

GM has hired attorney Kenneth Feinberg to come up with a way to compensate families of those killed and people injured in crashes caused by the faulty switches. Barra wouldn't say how much the compensation would cost, saying it was up to Feinberg. She said compensating people is the right thing to do for GM customers, the company and for shareholders.

Shareholders voted for the company-nominated slate of 12 directors, including for the first time a representative from the United Auto Workers union. Former UAW Vice President Joe Ashton was among those elected.

Two shareholder-sponsored issues failed, one allowing stockholders to vote all of their shares for one director, and another permanently separating the board chairman from the CEO position.

About eight protesters stood outside GM's headquarters ahead of the meeting. Ken Rimer, who lost his step-daughter in a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt accident in Wisconsin, and Laura Christian, who lost her birth daughter in a 2005 Cobalt crash in Maryland, said they didn't intend to meet with shareholders, but wanted their message to be seen and heard.

"I believe the shareholders need to know that they may be the key to helping hold GM to a safety standard rather than a profit culture. If they can see the human side of this, I think it will help all of us," Christian said.

Breaking into tears, Christian said she was trying not to look at GM's imposing skyscraper.

"I can't stand this place. To me, it's a physical representation of putting profits before our kids," she said.

It's uncertain that shareholders got the protesters' message. Of the more than two dozen shareholders in attendance, none asked a question related to the recall.

____

AP Auto Writer Dee-Ann Durbin contributed to this report.

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US wholesale stockpiles rose 1.1 percent in April

WASHINGTON — U.S. wholesale businesses built up their stockpiles of goods in April, a sign that companies expect stronger economic growth in the coming months.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday wholesale stockpiles expanded 1.1 percent in April, following a 1.1 percent gain in March. The result marks 10 straight months of rising inventories.

Sales at the wholesale level climbed 1.3 percent, led by autos, furniture and pharmaceutical drugs. Sales rose 1.6 percent in March. Year-over-year, sales are up 6.7 percent.

Because sales have roughly kept pace with the higher inventories, companies will likely need to continue restocking their shelves to meet rising consumer and business demand. That should help to fuel faster economic growth as more factories crank up their production and the spending ripples through the broader economy.

The Commerce Department report covers inventories held at the wholesale level. In a later report, the government will detail inventories at the manufacturing and retail levels.

The economy shrank in the January-March quarter due largely to the cold winter. Gross domestic product fell 1 percent in the first three months of 2013. Most economists expect the economy to accelerate over the coming months, as warmer weather fuels increased auto buying and hiring.

Employers added 217,000 jobs in May and 282,000 in April, the Labor Department said Friday. The 6.3 percent unemployment rate and continued job growth should lead to more robust growth.

The forecasting firm Macroeconomic Advisers estimates that the U.S. economy will grow at annual clip of 3.9 percent in the April-July quarter and 2.4 percent over the course of the entire year.

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FDA: Pregnant women should eat low-mercury seafood

WASHINGTON — The government is reminding pregnant women to stay away from certain fish that can be high in mercury. But the agency won't require package labeling on mercury content, which is what consumer groups had sought.

The draft advice issued Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency is unlikely to clear up confusion over exactly what seafood pregnant women and young children should eat and what they should avoid. Consumer groups have sued the agency, saying its warnings haven't been clear enough about what fish could pose a risk.

Those groups asked for labels on packages or at fish counters to help shoppers remember which products are OK during pregnancy or for youngsters.

The FDA says the update to its 2004 advice is an attempt to get pregnant women to eat more fish, since many types of low-mercury seafood are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids important for brain development.

But fish also can absorb mercury, a neurotoxin, from streams and oceans — and a small number of varieties harbor higher levels.

The advice echoes the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, which say that pregnant women should consume at least 8 ounces and up to 12 ounces — or two to three servings — of a variety of seafood per week. But it said they should not eat tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel because of the mercury content and it advised limiting white albacore tuna to six ounces a week.

For most people, accumulating mercury from eating seafood isn't a health risk. But for a decade, the FDA has warned that pregnant women, those who may become pregnant, and young children avoid certain types of high-mercury fish because of concern that too much could harm a developing brain.

The seafood industry has said the government shouldn't look at mercury by itself, but at the overall benefits of seafood.

___

Find Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MCJalonick

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Stock market rises slightly in morning trading

NEW YORK — The stock market nudged higher Monday morning after a handful of U.S. companies announced acquisitions. Family Dollar's stock jumped following news that investor Carl Icahn has taken a stake in the company.

KEEPING SCORE: A half hour after the market opened, Standard & Poor's 500 index crept up two points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,951.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 20 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,944, while the Nasdaq composite index rose eight points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,329.

On Friday, the S&P 500 index notched another record high, its eighth in 10 trading days. The index notched its third straight week of solid gains.

TYSON WINS: Tyson Foods emerged as the winner in a bidding war for Hillshire Brands, beating an offer by Pilgrim's Pride for the meat-processing company. Tyson raised its offer to $63 a share, beating Pilgrim's Pride's offer of $55 a share. Hillshire Brands jumped $2.95, or 5 percent, to $61.87, while Tyson Foods slipped $1.69, or 4.2 percent, to $38.32.

MERGER MONDAY: Merck announced a deal to buy Idenix Pharmaceuticals for $3.85 billion. Merck & Co. said Indenix has built a promising array of treatments for hepatitis C. Indenix soared $16.97, or 234 percent, to $24.20, while Merck eased 15 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $57.70.

ICAHN: In a regulatory filing on Friday, Carl Icahn said he and his affiliates have picked up a 9 percent stake in Family Dollar, a discount store, and plan to look for changes to boost the company's value. Family Dollar's stock jumped $7, or 12 percent, to $67.52.

APPLE SPLITS: Apple's stock fell 37 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $9185. That's after closing at of $645.57 on Friday. What happened? The difference reflects Apple's 7-for-1 stock split. Every Apple stockholder received six additional shares for every share they owned. The move doesn't affect Apple's market value.

BONDS AND COMMODITIES: In the market for U.S. government bonds, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 2.60 percent from 2.59 percent late Friday. Yields rise when bond prices fall. The price of oil rose 87 cents to $103.53 a barrel.

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UK phone hacking trial set to go to jury

LONDON — The last lawyer has argued. The final witness has been heard.

After seven months of courtroom drama and celebrity cameos, Britain's phone hacking trial will soon be in the hands of jurors. They are expected to retire this week to decide whether the dramatic fall of powerful editors political insiders Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks will end in criminal conviction, and possibly prison.

The prosecution and the defense agree that employees of the scoop-hungry News of the World hacked the phones of scores of people, including Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old who was kidnapped in 2002 and later found murdered. Revelation of that action, in 2011, triggered a wave of public outrage that brought down the 168-year-old tabloid and spurred criminal investigations in which dozens of journalists and officials have been arrested.

Judge John Saunders told jurors that the News of the World had invaded victims' privacy — their job is to decide who knew about it.

Brooks, Coulson and five other defendants deny the charges, which include:

PHONE HACKING: Brooks, Coulson and former News of the World managing editor Stuart Kuttner are accused of "conspiracy to intercept communications" — phone hacking. Brooks was editor from 2000 until she moved to sister paper The Sun in 2003; Coulson was her deputy. He edited the News of the World between 2003 and 2007, when he became communications chief to Conservative leader, and later prime minister, David Cameron.

Several News of the World employees have pleaded guilty to hacking in conjunction with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was briefly jailed in 2007 for eavesdropping on the voicemails of royal aides. Defense lawyers say there is no evidence to prove Brooks, Coulson and Kuttner — busy editors of a large paper in a fiercely competitive market — were aware of illegal actions by staff.

Prosecutors say they must have known; the News of the World paid almost 100,000 pounds a year ($168,000) to Mulcaire.

And they say Brooks and Coulson must have shared information with each other because they were having an affair. An intimate letter written by Brooks after the couple broke up provided the trial with one of its many riveting moments.

Lead prosecutor Andrew Edis told the jury that Brooks, Coulson and Kuttner all knew about phone hacking, and "none of them lifted a finger to stop it."

BRIBERY: Brooks, Coulson and ex-News of the World editor Clive Goodman are accused of paying public officials for information.

Prosecutors allege Coulson and Goodman bought royal phone directories and that the phone numbers were targeted for hacking.

Goodman was jailed along with Mulcaire in 2007 for hacking the phones of royal staff. But he did not disclose until this trial — after being promised that he would not face further phone hacking charges — that he also eavesdropped on Prince William and Kate Middleton, the latter more than 150 times.

Brooks is charged with conspiring to pay officials for information while she was editor of The Sun. Another charge, that Brooks paid an official for photos of Prince William in a bikini, was dropped due to lack of evidence.

COVER-UP: Brooks, her husband Charles, her personal assistant Cheryl Carter and News International security chief Mark Hanna are accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by hiding evidence from investigators. Prosecutors say that as the police net closed around the News of the World in 2011, Carter took boxes of notebooks from the company archive at Brooks' request.

They also allege that Rebekah Brooks, Charles Brooks and Hanna took electronic devices and other material from the Brooks' home and hid the belongings in a parking garage, where they were later found by a cleaner. The stash included a laptop computer, documents and several lesbian porn DVDs. Charles Brooks said he hid the material because he was embarrassed, not disposing of evidence.

THE DEFENSE

Defense attorneys accuse prosecutors of twisting innocent actions to fit a narrative of wrongdoing. Coulson's lawyer, Timothy Langdale, said prosecutor Edis was "more than capable of making running for a bus look sinister."

Laidlaw said prosecutors had subjected Rebekah Brooks to "a witch hunt," and the judge told jurors to ignore the vitriol directed at her online. Brooks gave her own account of events on the witness stand, describing her rise from cub reporter to top executive, the pressures of her career and her "car-crash" personal life.

Her husband was painted by his defense as an amiable but sometimes "daft" person incapable of masterminding a criminal operation. A character witness described how he once drank a pint of dishwashing liquid as a hangover cure. Charles Brooks' lawyer Neil Saunders said that "while he is a man who is capable of drinking a bottle of Fairy Liquid, he is not capable of committing this offense."

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

The trial has featured moments of high drama — including the revelation of Coulson and Brooks' love affair— and celebrity appearances. Jude Law and Sienna Miller testified about how their relationship, and Miller's fling with Daniel Craig, became headline news.

The final chapter is in the hands of eight women and three men on the jury, who will deliver their verdicts as soon as they have reached a decision on all counts.

If convicted, the defendants could face prison. The maximum sentence for phone hacking is two years in jail, while the other charges carry a maximum life sentence, although the average term imposed is much shorter.

Summing up, the judge told jurors that all the defendants — apart from convicted phone hacker Goodman — "are of good character."

"It does not mean that any of the defendants cannot lie," he said.

___

Follow Jill Lawless at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

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US stocks drift sideways in early trading

NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market is little changed in early trading after major indexes ended last week at record highs.

The Dow Jones industrial average edged up six points, or 0.04 percent, to 16,930 shortly after the U.S. market opened Monday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index nudged up less than a point, or 0.05 percent, to 1,950. The Nasdaq composite rose four points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,325.

On Friday, the S&P 500 index notched another record high.

Tyson Foods slipped 56 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $39.56 after it emerged as the winner in a bidding war for Hillshire Brands. Hillshire jumped $2.77, or 5 percent, to $61.70.

Merck fell 50 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $57.35 after the drugmaker announced a deal to buy Idenix Pharmaceuticals.

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Tyson wins bidding war for Hillshire Brands

NEW YORK — Tyson Foods Inc. has won a bidding war for Hillshire Brands, the maker of Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs, with a $63 per share offer.

Tyson had been vying with rival poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride for Hillshire Brands, which ended its bidding process Sunday. Tyson had previously offered $50 per share for the company. Pilgrim's Pride then raised its bid to $55 per share.

Pilgrim's Pride said Monday that it is withdrawing its offer.

Still, the deal is not sealed yet. It is contingent on Hillshire abandoning its plan to acquire Pinnacle Foods Inc., which makes Birds Eye frozen vegetables and Wish-Bone salad dressings. Hillshire Brands said Monday its board of directors has not yet approved Tyson's offer. The company said it does not have the right to end the deal with Pinnacle on the basis of the Tyson offer, or enter into an agreement with Tyson before the deal is terminated.

"There can be no assurance that any transaction will result from the Tyson Foods offer," Hillshire said in a statement.

Tyson's offer will be in place until Dec. 12, the final termination date of the deal with Pinnacle.

The takeover bids by Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson Foods were driven by the desirability of brand-name, prepared foods like Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. Those types of products are more profitable than fresh meat, such as chicken breasts, where there isn't as much wiggle room to pad prices.

While Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson both sell such products, their businesses have been more focused on supplying supermarkets and restaurant chains.

In particular, Tyson said it was drawn by Hillshire's stable of breakfast foods, which would better position it in the fast-growing category.

Hillshire, based in Chicago, had been trying to diversify its own portfolio by moving into other areas of the supermarket with the $4.23 billion acquisition of Pinnacle. But some investors questioned the wisdom of that deal, given the outdated image of many Pinnacle brands, and the differences in the two companies' product portfolios.

The offer from Tyson is worth $7.75 billion based on Hillshire's 123 million shares outstanding. Tyson values the deal at $8.55 billion, including debt.

Tyson shares fell 2 percent in premarket trading. Hillshire shares rose 4.7 percent an hour ahead of the market opening.

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High court rules on scope of bankruptcy authority

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court says bankruptcy courts have limited authority to rule on disputes outside the traditional bankruptcy process.

The justices ruled unanimously Monday that a Washington state bankruptcy court did not exceed its powers when it considered a lawsuit claiming the Bellingham Insurance Agency had wrongfully transferred assets to the another insurance company shortly before declaring bankruptcy.

Lower courts had upheld the bankruptcy court action. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the bankruptcy judge was simply making recommendations that were later approved by a federal judge and that all parties had consented to the proceeding.

The high court agreed that a bankruptcy court can rule on non-bankruptcy matters as long as a federal district court reviews those findings.

The case is Executive Benefits Insurance Agency v. Arkison, 12-1200.

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MGM poised to become state's 1st casino operator

BOSTON — MGM Resorts International is nearing a final ruling on its bid to become Massachusetts' first licensed casino operator, with a proposed $800 million project in Springfield.

Starting Tuesday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will hold a series of meetings in Springfield and Boston leading up to a Friday vote in Springfield on who receives the western region casino license.

MGM, which owns the Mirage, Bellagio, MGM Grand and other casinos, is the lone operator standing in a once-crowded field.

Plans by Penn National Gaming and Ameristar Casinos never went before Springfield voters, while proposals by Mohegan Sun in Palmer and Hard Rock International in West Springfield were defeated in local referendums.

MGM's plan for a casino, hotel, shopping and entertainment complex on 14 1/2 acres straddling the city's downtown and South End neighborhood was approved by Springfield voters last July.

Still, commission members have been reluctant to describe MGM as a shoe-in, noting the panel has reserved the right to not issue a license now or to impose stipulations or conditions on issuing the license.

Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said recently he doesn't expect the five-member commission will need all four days to make its decision. Each commission member is expected to present findings on one of five areas of MGM's 236-page application that they have been tasked to review.

Crosby, for example, will give an overview of the proposal, including how it "manifests an appreciation" for the Massachusetts "brand," ''leverages Massachusetts' existing assets" and enhances the state's existing tourism and leisure venues, according to the commission's evaluation guidelines.

Other commissioners will look at the project's finances, economic impacts, building and site design and impacts on local traffic patterns, gambling addiction and the state lottery.

One open question is whether the commission will take up MGM's request to delay formal "awarding" of the license at least until early July, when the state Supreme Judicial Court decides whether a voter referendum to repeal the casino law outright should be allowed on the November ballot.

Michael Mathis, CEO of MGM Springfield, has said the Las Vegas-based casino giant is concerned about some $200 million in fees and payments that effectively come due if it is awarded the license.

Those payments could be lost if the casino law is ultimately repealed.

Crosby and other commissioners have declined to say whether they support the delay. But MGM Springfield spokeswoman Carole Brennan says the casino is hopeful.

"The license isn't going to be awarded, we hope. We will be designated the licensee," she said.

The western region casino license is one of three authorized under the 2011 casino law.

In the eastern region, Mohegan Sun is proposing a more than $1 billion casino on the Revere side of the Suffolk Downs horse racing track, and Wynn Resorts has proposed a $1.6 billion casino on a former chemical plant in Everett. The commission anticipates awarding that license by the end of August, at the earliest.

In the southeastern region, Foxwoods and other casino operators have expressed interest, but no proposal has yet been put before local voters. The commission will likely not award that license until February.

The commission has already awarded the state's sole slot parlor license to Penn National Gaming. That slot facility, located at the Plainridge harness racing track in Plainville, is expected to open by June 2015.

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Mass, RI US senators to highlight climate change

BOSTON — U.S. senators from Massachusetts and Rhode Island are among at least five Democratic lawmakers calling on their Republican counterparts to come up with solutions to climate change.

The Democrats are members of the Senate Climate Action Task Force, a group formed to highlight climate change. They invited all 45 Republican senators to join them on the Senate floor Monday evening to present their own perspectives on climate change and to discuss the best way to address the problem.

Democrats who plan to participate in the session include Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and Rhode Island U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.

The episode comes nearly three months after Democratic senators delivered overnight speeches to highlight differences between Republicans and Democrats over climate change.

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Drones fly with Mass. users

Some Bay State businesses are already putting drones in the air to boost their bottom line as the Federal Aviation Administration hints it may be open to some commercial uses of the hovering craft.

"It's a novelty now, but I think it will become more of a mainstay," said Missy Cummings, a drone expert at MIT. "These drones can really improve business processes."

Lexington Realtor Jonathan de Araujo has been using a drone to take aerial shots of properties he is listing since last summer, and the birds-eye view has quickly found a place in de Araujo's real estate arsenal.

"The end result is just unparalleled," he said. "Everything we can do to give a more positive impression means more people at the open house. The idea is to just give a better, more positive, a more thorough impression of what you're looking at."

De Araujo uses his drone, a model outfitted with a camera and available to any consumer, to give his homes more context, including offering a complete view of a backyard, or showing how close the park down the street is.

"When you're taking stills from ground level, you're seeing one angle, one shot," he said. "It just made sense to add that extra dimension."

Last week, the FAA said it is considering letting seven movie and television filming companies use drones. Now, the only commercial drone flights permitted by the FAA are those by one company off the Alaskan coast. The FAA has been working for the past decade on potential safety regulations that would allow widespread commercial drone use, but those regulations have been repeatedly delayed. Most recently, the FAA has said it will release proposed regulations for operating small drones by November. That would be followed by a potentially yearslong process to finalize the regulations.

Dan Kara, a robotics and drone industry analyst with Myria Research, said the FAA is under pressure to clarify the guidelines because many, from individual real estate agents to Amazon.com, are using or expressing interest in making drones part of their toolkit.

"It's happening organically," Kara said.

Marcella Hoekstra, who runs wedding video company Heirloom Pictures, is planning on buying a drone soon.

"I've seen what these drones can do, and I've seen some really beautiful, sweeping shots of landscapes and architecture," Hoekstra said. "It's a wonderful way to explore ... and give the bride and groom a bird's-eye view."

Kara said some are looking to drones for the novelty — a club in Las Vegas is delivering high end champagne to its high-rollers by drone.

But others are advocating for the permitted use of drones for search and rescue missions, to get a good view of wildfires and to help farmers track their crops.

"There's no question drones can revolutionize (agriculture)," Cummings said.

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When there’s white smoke, check first for coolant leak

I own a 2003 Honda Accord. In April a large amount of white smoke came out of the front of the car when I started it. It has happened three more times, coming from the rear of the car. Three times the engine was cold, once warm. The Honda dealer found nothing, but told me to keep track of these instances. Nothing has leaked on the garage floor.

White smoke from an automobile can be caused by three things: condensing moisture, heated coolant and vaporized fuel. In your case I'd be suspicious of an external coolant leak that collects on some part of the exhaust system and is heated into smoke as the exhaust system heats up, leaving no evidence on the garage floor.

Do you smell the semi-sweet odor of antifreeze/coolant? Before you start the cold engine next time, open the hood and visually inspect for any coolant in the engine compartment. Make sure you are monitoring the coolant level in the radiator/reservoir.

If the white smoke is exclusively from the exhaust pipe, a leaking cylinder head gasket would be a suspect. In this case the coolant would end up being heated in the combustion chambers and blown out the exhaust as the engine starts.

White smoke from the exhaust on a cold morning start is normal condensation of moisture that has collected in the exhaust system overnight, and is of no concern.

White smoke from vaporized but unburned fuel — unlikely in this case — can be caused by a failed or stuck fuel injector allowing raw fuel to be carried through and vaporized in the exhaust system as it is heated.

My 2011 Subaru is squeaking so loudly I'm ready to tear my hair out! It started on the driver's side just behind the driver's seat, moved to under the driver's seat near the middle, and then under the console. All three areas are squeaking! It's been on a lift and nothing that can be seen is an issue, according to the mechanic. A body shop owner with 40 years experience found that the back of the rear seat hadn't been put in place properly and the spare tire was not tightened down securely. The noise lessened, but is still a major nuisance.

The most common causes of body squeaks and rattles are something flexing or something loose. The entire exhaust system and its hangers should be inspected for evidence of flexing, movement or contact. Next, all engine, transmission and drive shaft mounts should be checked.

If the squeaking is rhythmical and varies with engine or road speed, the noise may be coming from the transmission or drive shaft CV joints. Subaru issued a service bulletin addressing a high-pitched sound originating in the transmission extension housing. Thermal expansion can potentially damage a pre-loaded bearing, causing the noise.

I have a 2007 Dodge Caravan with the automatic door lock feature. When I drive in the rain, the locks start locking and unlocking rapidly for 60-90 seconds then quit for a while, then do it again. This continues even after removing the key, but quits after being parked for a while. I tried to disable the auto lock, using the instructions in the manual, but was unsuccessful. There is no separate fuse that controls this. Any thoughts?

Water/moisture is grounding the electrical circuit that operates the locks. A scan tool should be able to identify specific fault codes with the power door lock system, but you could try "watering" each window for a minute or so, one at a time, with a garden hose. Water may be getting by the window seals, running down the inside of a door and grounding the circuit, causing the rapid cycling of the locks. This may help you pinpoint which door or cylinder lock switch or connector is getting wet.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.

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Startup tests resistance to HIV drugs

A simple, fast, affordable test developed by a Boston-based MassChallenge finalist is able to determine which drugs HIV is resistant to, saving money and lives.

Using a technology called Pan Degenerate Amplification and Adaptation, Aldatu Biosciences allows doctors to match patients with drugs the HIV won't be resistant to, based on the genetics of the virus.

"If resistance is present, switching people to effective drugs improves quality of life and saves money by reducing the risk of new infections," Aldatu CEO David Raiser said. "If resistance is not present, money is saved by not switching patients to more expensive drugs unnecessarily. There are clear economic and public health benefits to performing the test, regardless of the result."

Aldatu's test produces results in about two hours, compared to roughly two days for current tests, Raiser said, and the price is $99, about one-third the cost of other tests.

"Ours is a simple 'sample in/answer out' format, whereas the current tests have multiple steps and require several pieces of equipment," he said.

Raiser and co-founder Iain MacLeod, Aldatu's chief scientific officer, plan to bring their test first to Botswana, where one in four adults has HIV and about 10 percent of those receiving treatment don't respond to it, but the price of the prevailing drug-resistance test prevents most doctors from using it.

"Presently, (doctors) give everyone the same drugs and wait for them to fail to see if they're resistant to the drugs," Raiser said.

If they are, they are put on a second line of drugs, which typically costs four times as much as the first, he said. And if they're resistant to that, they're put on a third line, which can cost 15 times as much.

"In some cases, people are being switched to a second or third line of drugs because doctors don't realize the virus isn't resistant; the patients just aren't taking their meds correctly," Raiser said.

"There's the ethical question of leaving people on ineffective drugs when their quality of life is poor and they're at risk of infecting other people with drug-resistant HIV," he said.

There is also the economic question, one that countries around the world are wrestling with.

"What happens in Botswana can and will impact what happens in the U.S.," said John Hallinan, chief business officer at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. "What's happening is a drain on the entire global health system. We think (Aldatu) has a very promising technology."

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