Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

WASHINGTON - The U.S. House Wednesday approved a bill to increase funding for bioterrorism preparedness by $4.6 billion and to renew the law under which prescription drugmakers pay "user fees" to the FDA to speed the drug review process, Reuters reports.

NEW YORK - Seven of the major U.S. supermarket chains were targeted on Tuesday in a hidden camera report for "Dateline NBC" that accused some 33 stores of changing dates on meat, poultry and seafood packages.

DALLAS - Several Coca-Cola Co. employees have accused the company of repackaging nearly out-of-date soda cans and bottles and then reselling them at stores in minority neighborhoods, The Associated Press reports.

NEW YORK - Dateline NBC is scheduled to air a segment tomorrow at 10 p.m. about its 5-month-long hidden camera investigation looking into meat room practices of seven of the nation's largest grocery chains.

WASHINGTON - The FBI is investigating whether former executives for bankrupt retailer Kmart have committed any crimes as the company looks to reorganize after a Chapter 11 filing in January, USA Today reports.

NEW YORK - Wal-Mart is trying to buy a California bank in hopes that a banking license would lower its processing costs for some transactions, The New York Times reports.

MINNEAPOLIS - In an even more bizarre twist on a story reported earlier this week that the president of Rainbow Foods had challenged Cub Foods' president to a wrestling match to resolve a business dispute, Rainbow has now announced it wants to rumble for charity.

MINNEAPOLIS - Cub Foods on Monday said it has filed a lawsuit against Rainbow Foods, its parent company Fleming, and H.Brooks, a produce distributor, alleging that for more than a year, Rainbow has engaged in an ongoing scheme to steal Cub's Sunday newspaper advertisement prior to their publication.