Anheuser-Busch InBev tries a tea-lemonade "light alcohol" drink for Michelob.

Ann Taylor woos younger women by featuring stylish students.

Avon replacing Andrea Jung as CEO.

Best Buy finds that deep discounts sacked profits.

Canadian Tire buys house in Toronto just for webisodes.

China plans to impose duties on U.S.-imported cars, ratcheting up trade tiff.

Chrysler picks up sales and financial momentum while parent Fiat treads cautiously.

CNN rehires Christiane Amanpour, who will continue to contribute to ABC News.Continue reading...

Big-tobacco companies have been losing battles for years as smokers have been run out of bars and restaurants across America as well as heavy taxes that help fund anti-smoking programs. The anti-tobacco marketing appear to have helped make smoking uncool, with less than 20% of American adults smoking last year, part of a "decades-long decline" as the Wall Street Journal puts it.

So tobacco companies cheered the recent blocking by a U.S. judge blocking the U.S. government's move forcing tobacco companies to put nasty imagery on its packaging to show smokers what might happen to them if they continue inhaling their nicotine.

Now the Associated Press reports that the tobacco companies have another reason to pass around cigars: “States have cut funding for tobacco prevention programs 12 percent this year, to the lowest level since 1999,” according to a new report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Cancer Society and other groups.Continue reading...

Tobacco giant Philip Morris isn't one to dawdle. As soon as Australia's controversial mandatory "plain packaging" for cigarette brands (examples above) were passed on Nov. 21st, Morris launched a multi-billion-dollar legal action against the Federal Government. 

The country's Health Minister Nicola Roxon called it a "great day for Australia," while Philip Morris Asia (which oversees its brands sales in Australia) announced it would fight tooth and nail to challenge the laws both domestically and internationally.

“We are left with no option," said Philip Morris Asia spokesperson Anne Edwards in a press release. "The Government has passed this legislation despite being unable to demonstrate that it will be effective at reducing smoking and has ignored the widespread concerns raised in Australia and internationally regarding the serious legal issues associated with plain packaging.”Continue reading...

As CBS News notes, breast cancer patients are "dismayed" at the FDA's decision to pull Roche's Avastin drug for breast cancer treatment in the U.S.

The blockbuster drug will no longer be available for treatment of advanced breast cancer, a blow to women with the disease who have been lobbying to keep the drug available as an option when all others have failed. The drug remains on the market to treat colon, lung, kidney, and brain cancers.

"I did not come to this decision lightly," stated FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg. "Sometimes despite the hopes of investigators, patients, industry and even the FDA itself, the results of rigorous testing can be disappointing."

“We are disappointed with the outcome. We remain committed to the many women with this incurable disease and will continue to provide help through our patient support programs to those who may be facing obstacles to receiving their treatment in the United States,” commented Hal Barron, M.D., chief medical officer and head, Global Product Development at Roche, which makes the cancer drug through its Genentech division. “Despite today’s action, we will start a new Phase III study of Avastin in combination with paclitaxel in previously untreated metastatic breast cancer and will evaluate a potential biomarker that may help identify which people might derive a more substantial benefit from Avastin.” Continue reading...

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon yesterday blocked the new FDA Graphic Warnings Rule mandated by Congress in June under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009.

The controversial ruling forces tobacco companies (already on the hook for a public education campaign) to show graphic images on cigarette packs, including rotting and diseased teeth and gums; a man with a tracheotomy smoking; the corpse of a smoker; diseased lungs; and a mother holding her baby with smoke swirling around them.

Six tobacco companies — R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Tobacco Co., Commonwealth Brands Inc., Liggett Group and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. — filed the suit, which Leon said it’s likely they would win.Continue reading...

Michael Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Republican presidential wannabe Herman Cain slapped with more charges of sexual harassment.

U.S. district judge sides with tobacco companies and finds FDA's proposed graphic cigarette packages unconstitutional.

Bank of America must pay $410 million to settle debit card overdraft class action suit.

Coca-Cola named Ad Age's marketer of the year.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tells Charlie Rose that Steve Jobs was an advisor (but says Apple didn't attempt to buy him out).

Google's head lobbyist steps down.

National Geographic Channels names new U.S. president and CMO.

New York Times top digital exec announces retirement.

& Zynga reportedly plans post-Thanksgiving IPO, on Nov. 24.

The U.S. government is always happy to make a few extra tax dollars but there is one source of tax cash that they are hoping to stop receiving — and are even willing to spend money to try and help make it end.

We’re talking, of course, about cigarettes, the cough-inducing habit that our culture is working hard to stamp out with its collective heel. That stamping often comes in the form of so-called sin taxes so high that it can cost close to $15 to buy a pack of smokes in New York City. And, of course, there are the nasty packages slated for Sept. 2012 that will inform consumers of just what tobacco can do to you or your unborn child that cigarette manufacturers will soon have to put their product in.

Uncle Sam is now planning to augment the graphic shock packaging with the dreaded E word: education.Continue reading...

MF Global faces federal investigation over missing funds as its bankruptcy proceedings rattles Wall Street.

Unilever shelves some Culver brands.

AIG makes headlines as earnings slump continues.

Apple may be mulling end of Mac Pro line.

Autodesk shifts R&D budget toward the cloud.

Boeing must help airlines learn to fly new Dreamliner.

Debenhams tests virtual pop-up stores in the U.K.

DirecTV and News Corp. renew contentious carriage deal.

E! Network caught by surprise by Kim Kardashian divorce.

FDA ordered by President Obama to ease drug shortages.Continue reading...