Halliburton Corp., Vice President Dick Cheney's troubled former company, has hired spin doctor Michael Sitrick, whose firm was most recently hired by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to manage its pedophile-priests scandal. "Halliburton, being sued by shareholders for alleged fraud, is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and might face a financial meltdown if it can't negotiate a global settlement over asbestos litigation," notes the Washington Post.

In a new wrinkle on product-placement deals (known in the advertising lingo as "product integration"), the Island Def Jam Music Group is talking with Hewlett-Packard Co. about a deal to write product mentions into hip-hop songs. "If companies are willing to pay a premium to have their brands in movies, why wouldn't they jump at the chance to be in songs?" said a music industry executive.

Life is tough these days for corporate executives, sighs US News & World Report. "After being lionized by investors and the media and showered with money and perks for the past decade, corporate officers and directors are now feeling the heat," writes Matthew Benjamin. "To many executives, the job may not be worth the hassle," and many are worried about the legal liabilities that now come with the job.