Three Men Tied To Enron Scandal Get Sentenced

Three former British bankers were sentenced on Friday to 37 months each in prison for their role in a fraud related to Enron. The three had proclaimed innocence for almost six years before pleading guilty last November to conspiring with Enron’s chief financial officer, Andrew S. Fastow, to enrich themselves at the expense of their former employer, the National Westminster Bank of England, or NatWest, now the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The three men, labeled the NatWest Three by British tabloids, were extradited to Houston in 2006, prompting street protests in London and an emergency session of Parliament. Their indictments in 2002 were widely seen as prompting Mr. Fastow to negotiate with federal prosecutors and ultimately provide the testimony that led to the convictions of his bosses, Jeffrey K. Skilling and Kenneth L. Lay, for their roles in the collapse of Enron in 2001. Mr. Fastow is serving a six-year prison term in Oakdale, La.

Clinton To Speak At Black Forum

Presidential politics will take center stage in New Orleans on Saturday at the annual "State of the Black Union" symposium, where the hottest topic is likely to be which candidate is there and which one isn't.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will address a largely African-American crowd of thousands in New Orleans' Ernest M. Morial Convention Center -- where thousands of the city's poorest residents sought shelter in squalid conditions after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Clinton's Democratic rival, is skipping the event. He'll focus instead on campaigning in Texas and Ohio in hopes of delivering a knockout blow to Clinton in those states' presidential primaries March 4.

The Republican presidential candidates, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, also declined to attend the symposium, which Tavis Smiley, the TV and radio talk show host, organized and will host.

Pfizer to acquire Houston based Pharmaceutical Company

Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc. has agreed to be acquired by drug maker Pfizer Inc. for about $195 million. The Houston bio-pharmaceutical company said New York-based drug firm Pfizer will make a $2.35 per share offer for the company.

Upon completion of the deal, expected in the second quarter, Pfizer will have rights to Thelin, Encysive's oral drug approved by several European Union countries, that treats pulmonary arterial hypertension, or high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery.

Pfizer said it is planning a late-stage trial of Thelin in the United States to obtain approval for the drug by the Food and Drug Administration.

Justices reject flood insurance plea

The nation's highest court dealt a blow Tuesday to property owners who want insurance companies to pay for damage from levee breaches after Hurricane Katrina, but the Louisiana Supreme Court is poised to tackle the issue later this month.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear appeals from Xavier University and dozens of other Louisiana policyholders who sued several insurers for refusing to cover water damage from the levee breaches that flooded 80 percent of New Orleans following the August 2005 hurricane.

The plaintiffs were asking the justices to review portions of an August 2007 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that insurers aren't obligated to cover water damage from a levee failure.

The 5th Circuit had refused to certify the issue as a question for the state Supreme Court to consider, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review that decision Tuesday.

Kohl's To Open Three Houston Area Stores

Kohl's will bring 450 jobs to the Greater Houston area when the retailer opens three new stores in April.

The Menomonee Falls, Wisc.-based retailer is planning to open new locations in Atascocita, Katy and League City.

In October, Kohl's announced its five-year growth plan of operating more than 1,400 stores nationwide by 2012, and the new Houston-area stores are part of that rapid expansion plan.

Kohl's currently operates 18 stores in the Houston area.

Loyola University Receives High Marks In Campus Safety

Loyola University, in New Orleans, has earned an "A" as one of the safest campuses in the country, according to the March issue of Reader's Digest.

Loyola ranked 37th in a survey last year of 291 colleges and universities, which were ranked on such factors as residence-hall security, emergency plans and preparation for handling safety and security problems.

Obama Will Appear In Houston On Tuesday

Senator Barack Obama will be in Houston for a rally at the Toyota Center early next week, his campaign announced today.

The candidate's "Stand For Change Rally" at 6 p.m. on Tuesday is scheduled for the first day of early voting for Texas' March 4 primaries. Tickets to the rally are free on a first-come, first-served basis at texas.barackobama.com/houston