Consumer prices rise by largest amount in 7 months

Consumer prices rose in February by the largest amount in seven months as gasoline prices surged again and clothing costs jumped the most in nearly two decades.

But the increase appeared to ease many economists' concerns about dangerous price movements in either direction. The recession is expected to dampen any inflation pressures for at least the rest of this year, while the slight uptick in prices over the last two months also has made the possibility of deflation more remote.

The Labor Department reported Wednesday that consumer inflation rose 0.4 percent in February, the biggest one-month jump since a 0.7 percent rise in July. Two-thirds of last month's …

Smelt season adds a taste of spring to local menus

This time of year brings out a hardy band of Chicagoans whodress funny, drink a lot and endure the cold near the lakefront. Irefer, of course, to baseball fans. But people who fish for smelt dothose same things every spring, too.

Annually, they flock to the lake for those silver fish that swimand spawn in Lake Michigan for a short span in early spring. Forthose who enjoy this spring treat but don't want to hang out on areapiers, smelts will surface at a few familiar spots.

Smelt-aholics around town know that David's Inn, 520 N. Michigan(337-8218), whips up a mean plateful of fried smelt for $4.25 onFridays, which includes coleslaw and fries. David's is open from …

Scottish Football Results

GLAGSOW, Scotland (AP) — Results Saturday in Scottish football (home team listed first):

Premier League

Celtic 5, Dundee United 1

Hearts 3, Aberdeen 0

Inverness 0, Rangers 2

St. Johnstone 0, Dunfermline 1

St. Mirren 0, Motherwell 1

First Division

Dundee 1, Ayr 1

Falkirk 2, Partick Thistle 1

Hamilton 5, Ross County 1

Morton 2, …

Pakistan eyes Taliban front after S. Waziristan

Pakistan may launch a new military offensive in a district near the Afghan border where insurgent leaders are believed to have fled to escape a government onslaught against the Taliban in nearby South Waziristan, the prime minister said.

The suggestion of another anti-Taliban operation illustrates the challenge facing the nuclear-armed U.S. ally: As it squeezes one extremist stronghold in its northwest, insurgents regroup in other parts of the rugged, loosely governed region.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the next front may be Orakzai, a district north of South Waziristan in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt. The government has launched a spate of …

Guide dog puppies in training

GUIDE dog puppies have been given a free rein to roam the railnetwork in the West.

Train operator First Great Western has provided puppy walkers withfree passes to enable them to travel with the pups on the railways.

Travelling on trains and buses is an essential part of getting thepuppies used to the working life that lies ahead of them.

Volunteer puppy walkers care for and educate guide dog pups fromsix weeks of age until they are about a year old, when they begintheir specialised training at a guide dog centre.

Terry Smith, puppy walking manager for the region, said: "We …

AIChE Management Conference a critical success

AIChE's Management Conference on Information Technology, the third in a series of recent conferences sponsored by AIChE and aimed at process industry executives, was held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on May 28th and 29th.

This year's conference explored the impact of the information technology explosion on chemical, petroleum, and pharmaceutical companies.

The conference, which was cochaired by Ron Robinson, president of Texaco Technologies, and Marty Clague, general manager of IBM's Global e-business, combined probing formal presentations with case studies and smaller workshops examining specific aspects of the industry's experience, along with projections of …

Bipartisan accord reached on war funding bill

President Bush would win $162 billion in long-overdue funding to carry out military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into next year under a bipartisan agreement sealed on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

The agreement reached between House Democrats and Republicans and the White House _ if passed into law as expected _ would finally put to rest Bush's long-standing battles with congressional Democrats over war funding.

House passage of the bill, expected Thursday, would also pave the way for a quick infusion of emergency flood relief for the Midwest, a 13-week extension of unemployment payments for the longtime jobless and a big boost in GI Bill college for …