Lunch with a billionaire carries a pretty big price tag. The annual eBay charity auction for a mid-day meal with billionaire Warren Buffett has been won with a top bid of $2.6 million. For that, the winner and seven guests get lunch at a midtown Manhattan steakhouse and conversation with the world's third wealthiest person. Since 2000, Buffett's lunch auction has raised over $8 million for a San Francisco non-profit group that provides meals, health care and job training for the underprivileged. Source Link
Retail sales fell in May for the first decline in eight months, but analysts are cautiously optimistic that the drop isn't a sign of a stumble in the fragile economic recovery. An end to home buyer tax credits in April and fewer household appliance purchases may be one cause for the decline. It's not all bad news, as unexpected lower gasoline prices brought about some of the dip in spending. Core retail sales that closely correspond to typical consumer spending were up for the month. Source Link
New treatments for high blood pressure and cholesterol are being credited for a decline in the rate of heart attacks. Researchers say their study of heart attack cases in California showed a 24-percent drop since 2000, even as rates of obesity and diabetes were increasing. One factor being credited for the decline is the implementation of a public ban on smoking. Better treatment for heart attack victims using clot-busting drugs and stents are also reducing the death rate. Source Link
