ATLANTA – An influential proxy services firm has advised Maytag Corp.’s (MYG) shareholders to vote down a lower takeover offer from a private equity firm, raising hopes that Maytag could back a raised bid from rival Whirlpool Corp. (WHR), whose stock rose nearly 5 percent on Friday. Institutional Shareholder Services …

NEW YORK – “Desperate Housewives” (search) star Teri Hatcher (search) will serve up life lessons in “Burnt Toast,” (search) a book of advice and inspiration Hyperion plans to publish in the spring of 2006. “I have had many women approach me, sharing their own stories, and ask me how it …

FOR MANY OF US, planning one’s estate includes determining which charities will receive donations, and in what form the donations will be made. For those holding appreciated stock, a strategic move could be to create what’s known as a charitable remainder trust, which allows you to roll the tax advantages …

DENVER – Firework shells carrying the sealed ashes of “gonzo” journalist Hunter S. Thompson (search) arrived in an armored truck at his mountain home as final preparations were being made for his star-studded farewell. The shells were scheduled to be launched Saturday night from a 150-foot-tall monument erected behind Thompson’s …

MIAMI – Concourse H at Miami International Airport (search) is open again after being evacuated this morning because of a suspicious package. Transportation Security Administration (search) agents reportedly found the package shortly before noon in someone’s luggage. A bomb squad was called in. Media reports showed an agent wearing a …

Think twice before buying more shares of a stock you just sold at a loss. If 30 days haven’t passed, your tax loss will be disallowed. Here’s the skinny on wash sales. The saving grace of making a poor stock or mutual fund investment is that you at least get …

NEW ORLEANS – When Hurricane Katrina (search) hits New Orleans, it could turn one of America’s most charming cities into a vast cesspool tainted with toxic chemicals, human waste and even coffins released by floodwaters from the city’s legendary cemeteries. Experts have warned for years that the levees and pumps …

Thinking of remodeling? Finding the right architect can make the difference between your dream home and your worst nightmare. 1. “Having an architecture degree and having a license are two very different things.” When Debbie Ford, a La Jolla, Calif., writer, hired an architect to oversee an addition in 2003, …

OCALA, Fla. – The defense in the tax fraud and conspiracy trial of Wesley Snipes rested Monday. Snipes, Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas P. Rosile were named in an eight-count indictment. Snipes and the co-defendants allegedly stopped filing his federal tax returns in 2000, demanded some $11 million in refunds …

MONROE, La. – Three people were reported shot Tuesday along U.S. Highway 165 in northeastern Louisiana. Police said a suspect, captured at a shopping mall in Monroe, had apparently been shooting at random with a shotgun. Details on the injuries were not immediately available. The first shooting happened late Tuesday …