News In Brief

THERE'S MORE IF YOU NEED IT

It probably wasn't envisioned when negotiators hammered out NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, but Canada has found a new way to make money from exports. Hint: It's a renewable resource that costs absolutely nothing to produce. But it must be enjoyed quickly before it disappears. Last week, the province of Quebec shipped off to San Juan, Puerto Rico, 300 tons of ... snow. The white stuff is to be used in building snowmen for a children's Christmas party scheduled for Friday. The Weather Channel predicts the temperature in San Juan that day will hit 86 degrees F.

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

What do the Indianapolis Colts and St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church have in common? Answer: a need for parking in the same block. Neighborhood businesses said they'd make 400 slots available for folks attending Christmas Eve mass after the National Football League refused to reschedule the 4:15 p.m. Colts-Minnesota Vikings game.

Investing's most influential people named by magazine

It was a no-brainer for SmartMoney Magazine to put Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Green-span - whose words often sway the stock market - atop its list of most influential people in investing. To determine the rankings, which appear in this month's issue, the publication rated nominees according to money controlled directly or indirectly; influence over the economy and markets; and effect on investor behavior. The top 10 and their ratings on a 100-point scale:

1. Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve 98.0

2. Ned Johnson, Fidelity 92.0

3. David Pottruck, Charles Schwab 91.5

4. David Komansky, Merrill Lynch 91.0

5. Abby Joseph Cohen, Goldman Sachs 90.0

6. John Brennan, Vanguard 75.0

7. David Blitzer, S&P 500 66.0

8. Sandy Weill, Citigroup 63.0

9. Bill Gross, Pimco 52.0

10. John Chambers, Cisco Systems 50.5

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