/raid1/www/Hosts/bankrupt/CAR_Public/040906.mbx              C L A S S   A C T I O N   R E P O R T E R

             Monday, September 6, 2004, Vol. 6, No. 176

                          Headlines

A.E. STALEY: Antitrust Settlement Hearing Set October 14, 2004
BIOLASE TECHNOLOGY: Settlements Will Impact Operating Expenses
BRISTOL-MEYERS: Judge Approves $150M Sum, SEC Charges Settled
CHIRON CORPORATION: Tainted Flu Vaccine Found, Shipments Halted
CP SHIPS: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suits in C.D. CA

CRESTWOOD FARMS: Recalls Chicken Products For Listeria in July
ENTROPIN INC.: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suit in CA
HALCYON MANUFACTURING: Recalls 4T BC Inflators Due To Defects
HOLLINGER INTERNATIONAL: Report Accuses Ex-CEO of Looting Firm
IBM CORPORATION: Recalls 225T AC Adapters Due To Shock Hazard

LAIDLAW INC.: Lawsuit Settlement Hearing Set October 13, 2004
LEOCH E-VEHICLE: Recalls 74,811 Scooters Due To Fire, Shock Risk
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS: OK Judge Approves $8.1M Back Wages Settlement
MICROSOFT CORPORATION: Settling Antitrust, Overcharge Lawsuits
MISSISSIPPI: 12 People Charged in $400M Fen-Phen Settlement Scam

NEVADA: Lawsuit Cites Warnings of Toxic Dust in Nuclear Dumpsite
NEW HORIZONS: Reaches $1.7M Settlement in CA Overtime Wage Suit
OREGON: Appeals Court Upholds Payout Formula, 9% Interest Denied
PELAGIC PRESSURE: Recalls 11.6T BC Inflators For Button Defects
PETMED EXPRESS: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suits in FL

PRICE LEGACY: Fiduciary Suits Filed in VA Over PL Retail Merger
PRIMUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Faces Securities Lawsuits in E.D. VA
PSS WORLD: FL Court Grants Class Status For Securities Lawsuit
QUAKER MAID: Recalls Ground Beef Because of Mislabeling in July
SAFETY-KLEEN: Lawsuit Settlement Hearing Set October 13, 2004

SONY PICTURES: Reaches $1.5M CA Suit Settlement V. Bogus Critic
SPRING HOUSE: Recalls Creamline Milk Products Due To Health Risk
ST. PAUL: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suits in MN Court
4UNITED STATES: DRI Holds Annual Meeting, 1000 To Attend
US UNWIRED: Shareholders Lodge Securities Fraud Suits in E.D. LA

VISTACARE INC.: Shareholders Commence Securities Lawsuits in AZ

                  New Securities Fraud Cases

ALLIED WASTE INDUSTRIES: Marc Henzel Lodges AZ Securities Suit
DECODE GENETICS: Schiffrin & Barroway Lodges NY Securities Suit
EXPRESS SCRIPTS: Wolf Haldenstein Lodges Securities Suit in MO
TECO ENERGY: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in M.D. FL
THORATEC CORPORATION: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Suit in CA

US UNWIRED: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in LA Court
VISTACARE INC.: Cohen Milstein Files Securities Suit Fraud in AZ
VISTACARE INC.: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in AZ
WET SEAL: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suits in C.D. CA
WHITE ELECTRONIC: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in AZ

WIRELESS FACILITIES: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Lawsuit in CA


                         *********


A.E. STALEY: Antitrust Settlement Hearing Set October 14, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------
The United States District Court for the Central District of
Illinois - Peoria Division will hold a fairness hearing for the
proposed $100,000,000 settlement by defendant A.E. Staley
Manufacturing Company ("Staley") in the matter In Re: High
Fructose Corn Syrup Antitrust Litigation on behalf of all direct
purchasers of High Fructose Corn Syrup in the United States
during the period July 21, 1991 through June 30, 1995.

A hearing will be held on September 14, 2004 at 10:00am in the
United States Courthouse, 204 Courthouse 100 N.E. Monroe Street,
Peoria, Illinois, for the Court to determine whether the
proposed settlement with Staley is fair reasonable and adequate.

For more details, contact Robert N. Kaplan, Esq. of Kaplan Fox &
Kilsheimer LLP by Mail: 805 Third Ave. New York, New York 10022
or by Phone: (212) 687-1980 OR For more details, contact Michael
J. Freed, Esq. of Much Shelist Freed Denenberg Ament &
Rubenstein, P.C. by Mail: 191 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1900,
Chicago, IL 60606 or by Phone: (312) 521-2000 or For more
details, contact H. Laddie Montague, Jr., Esq. of Berger &
Montague by Mail: 1622 Locus Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 or
by Phone: (215) 875-3000 OR In Re: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Antitrust Litigation by Mail: P.O. Box 910, Philadelphia, PA
19105-0910


BIOLASE TECHNOLOGY: Settlements Will Impact Operating Expenses
--------------------------------------------------------------
BIOLASE Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLTI), a medical technology
company that develops, manufactures and markets lasers and
related products focused on improving dental procedures,
provided an update on its anticipated operating expenses for the
second half of 2004. The Company estimates professional fees and
costs associated with Sarbanes-Oxley implementation, Diodem
patent lawsuit and shareholder class action litigation will
incrementally impact operating expenses by approximately
$900,000 in the third quarter and approximately $950,000 in the
fourth quarter.

Jeffrey W. Jones, BIOLASE's President and CEO commented,
"Although these one-time professional expenses and other related
costs for Sarbanes-Oxley implementation are affecting our short-
term bottom-line as we move toward the completion date, we
believe it is an important investment in the future of the
company."

Mr. Jones further commented, "BIOLASE has appropriate insurance
with a deductible of $250,000 that applies to legal fees related
to the shareholder class action litigation. BIOLASE also expects
to incur an estimated $850,000 of additional legal fees related
to the Diodem patent lawsuit in the second half of 2004. We
believe it is in our best interest to step up the legal
activities related to the Diodem matter and move towards a final
resolution of this matter, with the goal of allowing management
to put this distracting litigation behind us."


BRISTOL-MEYERS: Judge Approves $150M Sum, SEC Charges Settled
-------------------------------------------------------------
In the latest development to an August 4 settlement between
Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Securities and Exchange Commission
concerning allegations of accounting malpractices and inventory
mismanagement activities, a federal judge has signed off on a
$150 million payment that the pharmaceutical giant agreed to pay
to settle the SEC charges, the Street.com reports.

The New York-based company settled the pending civil case by
shelling out a total of $150 million, including the $100 million
fine, into a shareholder compensation fund under court
direction. That agreement just came a few days after a $300
million settlement in a shareholder class-action suit covering
similar allegations.

The accounting issue revolved around Bristol-Myers' overstated
revenue between 1999 and 2001 by $2.5 billion in offering
wholesalers incentives to build up their inventories, a maneuver
known as channel stuffing.

Bristol-Myers neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing in
connection with the SEC investigation, which began in April
2002.


CHIRON CORPORATION: Tainted Flu Vaccine Found, Shipments Halted
---------------------------------------------------------------
Chiron Corporation will hold up shipment of about 50 million flu
shots, after it found tainted doses in its factory last week,
The Associated Press reports.

The Company intends to investigate what went wrong and to
determine whether the vaccine is safe to use.  "There's no
product that is going to go into the arms of the American public
that will not have been deemed to have met the highest standards
of safety," Chief Executive Howard Pien told AP.

He added that about 1 million doses have already been shipped,
but no vaccines have yet reached the public.  He said that the
Company hopes to ship between 46 million and 48 million doses by
early October, about a month later than usual.

The announcement came right before the flu season, causing US
health officials to express concern over the adequacy of the
vaccine supply.  Vaccinations usually begin in September and
continue through the flu season, with demand usually peaking in
October and November.

U.S. health officials told AP some people may not get flu shots
when they want this year, but that they were hopeful the
Company's production problems are only temporary.

"Based on what we know, we don't expect a major delay and we
believe we can effectively vaccinate the population at risk,"
Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, told AP.  "We are in daily contract with Chiron
and we will be tracking this along with the Food and Drug
Administration."

Last year's flu season got off to an unusually early and harsh
start, which caused demand for vaccines to outstrip supply for
the first time.  Health officials expect a record number of
people to request vaccinations this year, owing to the publicity
generated by last year's season and the subsequent shortage. The
CDC ordered 100 million doses to be made for this season, about
17 million more doses than last year.

Chiron would not give details on the nature of the
contamination, which Mr. Pien said was found in a small number
of batches at the company's factory in Liverpool, England, AP
reports.

Because of the production problems, Chiron also warned that its
earnings will meet the "low end" of a forecast range. The
company made the announcement after the stock markets closed. In
after hours trading, the company's stock was down about $3, or 6
percent, to $44.50.


CP SHIPS: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suits in C.D. CA
---------------------------------------------------------------
CP Ships Limited faces several securities class actions filed in
the United States District Court for the Central District of
California on behalf of purchasers of CP Ships Limited publicly
traded securities during the period between January 29, 2003 and
August 9, 2004.

The complaints charge the Company and certain of its officers
and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.  The complaints allege that during the Class Period,
defendants caused CP Ships' shares to trade at artificially
inflated levels through the issuance of false and misleading
financial statements.  As a result of this inflation, CP Ships
was able to complete a convertible note offering, raising net
proceeds of $200 million and obtain a new $525 million credit
facility.

The complaints further allege that on August 9, 2004, just
months after this offering and credit facility was completed, CP
Ships revealed that its results for 2002-2003, and possibly
other quarters, were false when issued.  The Company's August 9,
2004 announcement stated that 'in May, CP Ships began
implementing a new SAP financial accounting system in January.
The implementation has revealed some deficiencies in former
systems and related business and accounting processes, for which
corrective action has been taken and continues.  These
deficiencies resulted in insufficient accruals for certain costs
and also a number of balances from 31st December 2003 that needs
to be written off.

The estimated negative restatement of 2003 net income is between
$22 million and $27 million which will be in addition to the $8
million restatement of 2003 net income announced on 11th May
2004 in the first quarter 2004 report. Net income for 2003,
which after the $8 million restatement was reported at $74
million, would become between $47 million and $52 million. To a
lesser extent, 2002 will be affected with an estimated downward
revision of net income of about $7 million. Net income for 2002
had been reported at $52 million. Furthermore, first quarter
2004 net income will be revised downward by about $6 million
from the $8 million originally reported.' The stock dropped
below $13 per share on this news.

Also on August 12, 2004, a parallel class action was filed in
the United States District Court for the Southern District of
New York on behalf of all securities purchasers of CP Ships
Limited from April 23, 2003 through August 6, 2004. Among other
things the complaint filed in Southern District of New York
alleges that the Company's financial results were in violation
of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ('GAAP') and the
Company's own accounting interpretations, and that as a result,
the Company's financial results were materially inflated at all
relevant times.

The plaintiff firms in the litigation are:

     (1) Brian Felgoise, Mail: 230 South Broad Street, Suite
         404, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, Mail 215.735.6810, Fax:
         215/735.5185;

     (2) Charles J. Piven, Mail: World Trade Center-
         Baltimore,401 East Pratt Suite 2525, Baltimore, MD,
         21202, Phone: 410.332.0030, E-mail: pivenlaw@erols.com;

     (3) Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins (San
         Diego), Mail: 401 B Street, Suite 1700, San Diego, CA,
         92101, Phone: 619.231.1058, Fax: 619.231.7423, E-mail:
         info@lerachlaw.com;

     (4) Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP (New York), Mail:
         One Pennsylvania Plaza, 49th Floor, New York, NY,
         10119, Phone: 212.594.5300, Fax: 212.868.1229, E-mail:
         info@milbergweiss.com;

     (5) Schatz & Nobel, P.C., Mail: 330 Main Street, Hartford,
         CT, 06106, Phone: 800.797.5499, Fax: 860.493.6290, E-
         mail: sn06106@AOL.com;

     (6) Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP, Mail: 3 Bala Plaza E, Bala
         Cynwyd, PA, 19004, Phone: 610.667.7706, Fax:
         610.667.7056, E-mail: info@sbclasslaw.com


CRESTWOOD FARMS: Recalls Chicken Products For Listeria in July
--------------------------------------------------------------
Crestwood Farms, a Mocksville, N.C. firm, voluntarily recalled
in July approximately 404,730 pounds of frozen, fully-cooked
chicken products that may be contaminated with Listeria
monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety
and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

The products subject to recall are:

     (1) "SPEEDY BIRD, FULLY COOKED, Grill Marked, Boneless
         Skinless Chicken Breast." Each case is marked with the
         product code "8600."

     (2) "SPEEDY BIRD, Fully Cooked, Herb, Grill Marked, Chicken
         Breast Fillets, With Rib Meat." Each case is marked
         with the product code "8602."

     (3) "SONIC, Fully Cooked, Herb, Grill Marked, Chicken
         Breast Fillets, With Rib Meat." Each case is marked
         with the product code "62204."

     (4) "Fully Cooked, Herb, Grill Marked, Chicken Breast
         Fillets, With Rib Meat." Each case is marked with the
         product code "8671."

     (5) "SPEEDY BIRD, Fully Cooked, Breaded Chicken Breast
         Fillets." Each case is marked with the product code
         "8944."

     (6) "FULLY COOKED, Breaded Chicken Breast Fillets." Each
         case is marked with the product code "8945."

     (7) "FULLY COOKED, Grill Marked Chicken Tender Chunks."
         Each case is marked with the product code "8822."

     (8) "BUTTERFIELD, FULLY COOKED, GRILL MARKED CHICKEN BREAST
         FILLET." Each case is marked with the product code
         "8615."

     (9) "FULLY COOKED, « Inch All White Diced Chicken Breast
         Meat." Each case is marked with the product code
         "8800."

    (10) "FULLY COOKED, GRILLMARKED _ INCH WHITE DICED CHICKEN."
         Each case is marked with the product code "8802."

    (11) "FULLY COOKED, SEASONED CHICKEN BREAST STRIPS, With Rib
         Meat." Each case is marked with the product code
         "5333."

    (12) "FULLY COOKED, SEASONED CHICKEN BREAST STRIPS, WITH RIB
         MEAT, with Hickory Smoke Flavor and Caramel Color."
         Each case is marked with the product code "2955."

    (13) "SPEEDY BIRD, FULLY COOKED, Grill Marked, Chicken
         Breast Strips." Each case is marked with the product
         code "8821."

    (14) "SPEEDY BIRD, FULLY COOKED, Chicken Breast Strips."
         Each case is marked with the product code "8815."

Every case also bears the establishment number "EST. P-17400"
inside the USDA mark of inspection. The recalled products were
produced on various days between May 3 and June 17 and were
shipped to institutional customers nationwide.

The Company discovered the problem. FSIS has received no reports
of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can
cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease.
Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis
can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and
nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths,
as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with
weak immune systems - infants, the frail or elderly and persons
with chronic disease, HIV infection or in chemotherapy.

Consumers or media with questions about the recall may contact
company Vice-President Jim Harrison at 336-751-4751.

Consumers with food safety questions can phone the toll-free
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline
(1-888-674-6854). The hotline is available in English and
Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are
available 24 hours a day.


ENTROPIN INC.: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suit in CA
--------------------------------------------------------------
Entropin, Inc. faces a securities class action filed in the
United States District Court in California, styled "
[Unknown Plaintiff], et al. v. Entropin, Inc., et al., DOCKET
NUMBER: 04-CV-06180."  The suit was filed on behalf of
purchasers of the Company's common stock on March 15,2000.

The complaint charges that Entropin and certain of its officers
and directors violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 by making a series of
materially false and misleading statements concerning the
efficacy and timeline for clinical development of its
developmental drug Esterom.

The class action was filed on behalf of purchasers of stock and
warrants in Entropin's March 15, 2000 public offering in which
investors purchased units consisting of one share of common
stock and one common stock purchase warrant.

The plaintiff firm in this suit is Catanzarite Law Corporation,
Mail: 2331 West Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, CA, 92801, Phone:
800.326.5544


HALCYON MANUFACTURING: Recalls 4T BC Inflators Due To Defects
-------------------------------------------------------------
Halcyon Manufacturing, of High Springs, Fla. is cooperating with
the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission by
voluntarily recalling about 4,000 Halcyon SCUBA Buoyancy
Compensator (BC) Inflators.

The SCUBA BC bladder can have a slow leak because of
imperfections within the machining of the stainless air barrel
of their inflators. This can cause unexpected buoyancy problems
with divers, possibly resulting in decompression sickness.
Halcyon has reports of 10 incidents of BCs leaking. No injuries
or deaths have been reported.

Halcyon is recalling all stainless steel power inflators. They
have a stainless steel oral and power inflate button. Inflators
made of plastic are not included in this recall. The repaired
inflators have a groove at the base of their retainer nut. The
BCs sold with these inflators are black and the Halcyon logo is
on the front and collar of the BCs.

Manufactured in the United States, the inflators were sold at
dive stores nationwide from October 2003 through May 2004 for
about $46. The inflators also were sold as part of BC units
ranging from $270 to $600.

Consumers should stop using these BCs immediately and contact
Halcyon for information on receiving a free repair.

For more information, contact Halcyon Manufacturing at
(800) 425-2966 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through
Friday or visit their Web site: http://www.halcyon.net


HOLLINGER INTERNATIONAL: Report Accuses Ex-CEO of Looting Firm
--------------------------------------------------------------
A special committee of Hollinger International, Inc. filed a
report accusing former Company CEO Conrad Black of looting the
newspaper publisher of hundreds of millions of dollars for his
personal use, the Associated Press reports.

A probe by a special committee of three independent directors
was started in May 2003, at the urging of shareholders, led by
New York investment firm Tweedy Brown.  "This report is a small
step toward the eventual reimbursement of monies inappropriately
taken from this company," said Laura Jereski, an analyst at
Tweedy Brown, which owns an 18 percent stake in the publisher.

The report, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission, alleged that Mr. Black used company money to indulge
his appetite for private jets and club memberships.  The report
described a "corporate kleptocracy" at the top of the company
that publishes the Chicago Sun-Times.  The report named among
Mr. Black's abuses ". insatiable demands for cash from Black,
whether to prop up his empire or to fuel his political and
social ambitions in multiple countries."

The report further alleged Mr. Black, former Chief Operating
Officer David Radler and several other former executives
pocketed more than $400 million from Hollinger International,
representing 95.2 percent of the company's adjusted net income
from 1997 to 2003.  Mr. Black and Mr. Radler were the
controlling shareholders of Hollinger Inc., the parent company
of Hollinger International, via their private holding company
Ravelston Corporation.

The report also criticized the overall performance of the
company's board of directors and called its internal audit
committee "inert and ineffective," as Black siphoned off profits
for nearly a decade.

In a statement, Ravelston defended the publisher's board of
directors and said the report was "laced with outright lies."
"The report is full of so many factual and tainting
misrepresentations and inaccuracies that it is not practical to
address them in their entirety here," Ravelston said in a
statement, vowing to resolve the matter in court, AP reports.

Additionally, the report asserted that director Richard Perle, a
former Pentagon adviser who was a member of the board's
executive committee, "repeatedly" signed off on transactions
that were beneath the radar of the audit committee.  Mr. Perle,
who remains on the board, should be required to repay the more
than $3 million in bonuses.  He could not be immediately reached
for comment, according to AP.

The panel absolved two independent directors -- former Secretary
of State Henry Kissinger and Shmuel Meitar, vice chairman of
Aurec Ltd. -- of wrong-doing, saying they were deliberately fed
misleading information.  It said other independent directors,
including former Illinois Gov. James Thompson and former U.S.
Ambassador to Germany Richard Burt, were in a similar position.

Following the report, a stay on a lawsuit filed last January by
Cardinal Capital Management, a Hollinger International
shareholder, is likely to be lifted, said a source familiar with
the matter.  Cardinal had sued Black and the firm's directors,
alleging that independent board members stood by while Black and
other executives looted the company.


IBM CORPORATION: Recalls 225T AC Adapters Due To Shock Hazard
-------------------------------------------------------------
International Business Machines (IBM) Corp., of Armonk, N.Y. and
Delta Electronics Inc., of Taipei, Taiwan is cooperating with
the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission by
voluntarily recalling about 225,000 AC Power Adapters.

The adapters can overheat, cause damage to the circuit board and
melt through the housing, which poses a fire and electrical
shock hazard to consumers. IBM has received six reports of
incidents, including some with minor property damage. No
injuries have been reported.

The recalled 56W AC power adapters were shipped primarily with
IBM ThinkPad i Series, 390 and 240 Series, and s Series notebook
computers. The adapters have three hollow pins at the AC inlet
and part number 02K6549 on a label on the top of the unit. The
IBM logo appears on top of the unit. Adapters with solid pins
are not included in this recall.

Manufactured in China, the AC adapters were sold at electronics
and computer stores nationwide, the IBM Web site, phone orders,
mail-order catalogs, and resellers sold the adapters with the
ThinkPad computers from January 1999 through August 2000. The
adapters also were sold as an accessory during that time for
about $55.

Consumers should unplug the recalled adapters from the wall
outlet immediately and contact IBM for a free replacement unit.

Consumer Contact: Call IBM at (800) 410-5629 between 8 a.m. and
8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or log on to IBM's replacement
unit Web site: http://www.AdapterProgram.com


LAIDLAW INC.: Lawsuit Settlement Hearing Set October 13, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------
The United States District Court for the Central District of
South Carolina - Columbia Division will hold a fairness hearing
for the proposed $10,000,000 settlement with defendants James R.
Bullock, John R. Grainger, and Leslie W. Haworth ("the
Individual Defendants") in the matter In Re: Laidlaw Inc.
Stockholders Litigation on behalf of all purchasers, excluding
short sellers of Laidlaw, Inc. common stock in the open market
during the period from October 15, 1997 through April 27, 2000.
This proposed settlement does not affect the prior settlement
with PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada and PricewaterhouseCoopers
US.

A hearing will be held before the Honorable Joseph F. Anderson,
Jr., United States District Judge, United States Courthouse, 901
Richland Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201 at 2:00 p.m., on
October 13, 2004.

For more details, contact Robert I. Harwood, Esq. of Wechsler
Harwood LLP by Mail: 488 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY
10022 or by Phone: (877) 935-7400 OR Berdon LLP by Mail: P.O.
Box 9014, One Jericho Plaza, Jericho, NY 11753 by Phone:
(212) 832-0400 or Fax: (212) 371-1159


LEOCH E-VEHICLE: Recalls 74,811 Scooters Due To Fire, Shock Risk
----------------------------------------------------------------
Leoch E-Vehicle Ltd. and Target Corp., of Minneapolis, Minn. is
cooperating with the United States Consumer Product Safety
Commission by voluntarily recalling about 74,811 Leoch Electric
Scooters (also known as "Red Dragon" and "E-Scooter").

Improper wiring can cause a short circuit, posing a fire hazard
in the scooter. In addition, inadequate insulation may expose
electrical wiring, which poses a shock hazard. Target has
received two reports of the scooters catching fire. There have
been 13 reports of scooters starting and/or moving on their own.
One person reported receiving scratches as a result. There have
also been five reports of property damage, including two reports
of the scooters causing house fires.

The recall involves Leoch-brand scooters that were also sold
under the names "E-Scooter" and "Red Dragon." The scooters have
a seat, two wheels and footrests on each side. A sticker on the
left footrest reads, "E-Scooter." On the right footrest is a
sticker with a horse-head image. A serial number is printed
underneath the left footrest. The affected scooter's model
number is DK24250-3.

Manufactured in China, the "E-Scooters" were sold at Target
stores nationwide from February 2003 through June 2004 for about
$200.

Consumers should stop using the scooters immediately and return
them to any Target store for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: Call Target toll-free at (800) 440-0680
between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the
firm's Web site: http://www.target.com


MCDONNELL DOUGLAS: OK Judge Approves $8.1M Back Wages Settlement
----------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Chief District Judge Sven Erik Holmes concluded a
protracted 10-year lawsuit over the closure of McDonnell
Douglas' plant in Tulsa by approving an agreement ordering the
St. Louis-based company to pay former employees $8.1 million in
back wages, the Associated Press reports.

According to the federal judge, "This is a fair, reasonable and
adequate settlement," while acknowledging the objections of some
of the more than 1,000 workers who filed the class-action
lawsuit.

The agreement, which was reached by both the company and
plaintiffs, would require McDonnell Douglas to pay $5,800 each
to former workers of the company's military aircraft plant.

McDonnell Douglas closed its Tulsa military aircraft plant in
1994 after merging with Boeing Co. in 1997. Soon after the
merger, the laid off workers sued the company under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act, Judge Holmes then ruled in 2001
that McDonnell Douglas was indeed liable for violating the law
by closing the plant to save about $24.7 million in benefits
covered by the act.

Workers settled the matter of pension and health care benefits
last year for $36 million, however back pay remained a very
thorny issue after the company appealed Holmes' ruling including
the workers' claims to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
Denver. On May 21 in a 2-1 decision, the appeals court ruled
that the act kept the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit
from receiving back pay.

Plaintiffs' attorneys argued that the settlement should be
approved because the workers would receive a monetary award
despite losing the appeal.

According to Tom Wack, attorney for McDonnell Douglas, the case
could go on for another five years if the case was not settled.
He further adds, "If everyone in the class is not entirely happy
with this settlement, I can tell you the company isn't either."

Judge Holmes said he would settle attorney's fees on September
9, 2004 with Plaintiffs' attorneys asking for $1.62 million in
fees plus costs and expenses of about $170,000.


MICROSOFT CORPORATION: Settling Antitrust, Overcharge Lawsuits
--------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Corporation continues to work towards the resolution
of the antitrust, unfair competition and overcharge class
actions filed against it in various state and federal courts,
the Company stated in a disclosure to the Securities and
Exchange Commission.

The federal cases have been consolidated in the U.S. District
Court for Maryland.  These cases allege the Company has competed
unfairly and unlawfully monopolized alleged markets for
operating systems and certain software applications, and they
seek to recover on behalf of variously defined classes of direct
and indirect purchasers' alleged overcharges for these products.

To date, courts have dismissed all claims for damages brought
against the Company by indirect purchasers under federal law and
in 14 states.  Nine of those state court decisions have been
affirmed on appeal.  Claims on behalf of foreign purchasers have
also been dismissed by the federal court in Maryland.  Appeals
of these state rulings are pending in two states.  Courts in
eleven states have ruled that these cases may proceed as class
actions, while courts in two states have denied class
certification.

The Maryland Federal District Court has certified a class of
direct purchasers of certain of our operating system software
that acquired the software from the shop.Microsoft.com web site
or pursuant to a direct marketing campaign and otherwise denied
certification of the proposed classes.  The denial of
certification of the proposed classes has been appealed and that
appeal is still pending.  Members of the certified class
licensed fewer than 550,000 copies of at-issue operating system
software from the Company.

In September 2003, the Company reached an agreement with
plaintiffs' counsel to settle that action, which received final
approval in April 2004.  In 2003, the Company reached an
agreement with counsel for the California plaintiffs to settle
all claims in 27 consolidated cases in that state.  Under the
proposed settlement, class members will be able to obtain
vouchers on a claims made basis that entitle the class members
to be reimbursed up to the face value of their vouchers for
purchases of a wide variety of platform-neutral computer
hardware and software.  The total amount of vouchers issued will
depend on the number of class members who claim and are issued
vouchers.

Two-thirds of the amount of vouchers unissued or unredeemed by
class members will be made available to certain schools in
California in the form of vouchers that also may be redeemed for
cash against purchases of a wide variety of platform-neutral
computer hardware, software and related services.  Since the
beginning of 2003, the Company also reached similar agreements
to settle all claims in a number of other states.

The proposed settlements in these states are structured
similarly to the California settlement, except that, among other
differences, one-half of the amounts of vouchers unissued to
class members will be made available to certain schools in the
relevant states.  The maximum amount of vouchers to be issued in
these settlements, including the California settlement, is $1.55
billion.  The actual costs of these settlements will be less
than that maximum amount, depending on the number of class
members and schools who are issued and redeem vouchers.

The settlements in California, Florida, Kansas, Montana, North
Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and West
Virginia have received final approval by the relevant court.
The proposed settlements in Arizona, the District of Columbia,
Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont have received
preliminary approval by the courts in those states, but still
require final approval.


MISSISSIPPI: 12 People Charged in $400M Fen-Phen Settlement Scam
----------------------------------------------------------------
Federal agents arrested twelve people who received portions of a
$400 million class action settlement reached in 1999 with the
manufacturer of the fen-phen diet drug for allegedly lying about
taking the drug, the Associated Press reports.

According to FBI agent Bob Garrity, the arrested individuals,
who were being charged with conspiracy to commit fraud sought
money for a drug they never took by conspiring with others who
were more knowledgeable about the system. The federal agent
further adds, "They were never entitled to any type of
compensation."

The defendants are accused of submitting fake pharmacy documents
showing they used the diet drug, which if proven could net them
a prison term as well as a $250,000 fine.

According to the FBI the arrests came after a yearlong and
exhaustive federal investigation into a rural corner of
southwestern Mississippi where juries have been known to return
multimillion-dollar "jackpot" verdicts that attracts lawyers who
were eager to capitalize. The federal agency also said that it
wanted to learn how individuals became part of these lawsuits
and how juries were picked from an area where many people are
kin or acquaintances.

The $400 million settlement came after a Jefferson County jury
had awarded $150 million to five people who claimed fen-phen
gave them heart and lung problems. Drug maker American Home
Products, which has since changed its name to Wyeth, quickly
settled the case, offering to cap damages at $400 million for
the five plaintiffs and claimants in about 800 other cases.

The FBI also said that all those arrested came from Jefferson
County and that they were released on their own recognizance.
The federal agency, however said that they ecpect more arrests
in the coming days.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals spokesman Douglas Petkus said that the
company cooperated with authorities, but declined to discuss any
details.


NEVADA: Lawsuit Cites Warnings of Toxic Dust in Nuclear Dumpsite
----------------------------------------------------------------
In recent court fillings, two former industrial hygienists are
claiming that they were fired after warning government
contractors about toxic dust in the first test tunnel at the
site of the Yucca Mountain project, 90 miles northwest of Las
Vegas, the Las Vegas Sun reports.

According to the court fillings, one account by Judy Kallas, a
former industrial hygienist for Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit
Construction Co., alleged that her supervisor ordered her in
1996 to change her notes about toxic silica levels in tunnels.
She was fired later that year. Another industrial hygienist,
Wilbert L. Townsend, formerly of Bechtel SAIC Co. was dismissed
in March 2002 after warning supervisors that workers were being
overexposed to silica and other harmful dust.

Joe Egan, an attorney representing workers, who are claiming
that they were exposed to dangerous silica dust, said that the
contractors completed the test tunnel for the proposed national
nuclear waste repository in 1997. He further adds, "They
sacrificed the workers to save time and money."

The companies involved in the project denied the allegations,
which were first made in a civil lawsuit filed in March that
seeks class action status and unspecified damages in Clark
County District Court.

Beatrice Reilly, an official with the chief Yucca Mountain
contractor, Bechtel SAIC Co., who spoke on behalf of all the
contractors, said that they will fight the suit.

Attorney Egan estimates that through the years about 1,200 or
more workers and visitors could have been exposed to dangerous
levels of the silica dust, which can cause Silicosis, an
incurable and fatal lung disease that can develop years after
exposure.


NEW HORIZONS: Reaches $1.7M Settlement in CA Overtime Wage Suit
---------------------------------------------------------------
Anaheim, California-based New Horizons Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq:
NEWH) entered into an agreement in principle to resolve a class
action complaint filed by two former instructors in the
California Superior Court for Orange County.

The settlement, which needs to be finalized and approved by the
Court, specifies that all New Horizons' instructors employed at
its California company-owned locations during the class period
will be certified as a class for settlement purposes and that
New Horizons will pay $1.7 million to settle the plaintiffs'
claims and the related attorneys' fees.

The complaint alleged that instructors working in the company's
Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Sacramento facilities were improperly
classified as exempt employees and sought overtime pay for hours
worked in excess of 40 in a given week and/or for hours worked
in excess of eight in a given day.

After considering the defense costs, potential damages had the
plaintiffs prevailed, and continued diversion of management
resources, New Horizons decided a settlement was warranted.


OREGON: Appeals Court Upholds Payout Formula, 9% Interest Denied
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled against most claims in a long-
running class-action suit regarding owed overtime pay to an
estimated 1,800-2,000 managers, professional and technical
workers that could cost the state millions more, the Statesman
Journal reports.

David Young, then a manager in the state Office of Degree
Authorization, filed the suit. He sued for back pay after the
1995 Legislature failed to include the usual exemptions from
overtime pay for salaried employees.

The appeals court decision upheld the state's payout formula,
which was based on overtime that for managers is half of the
regular hourly rate, not one and a half times that rate. The
court also denied a request by managers for 9 percent interest
on back overtime pay.

According to Kevin Neely, spokesman for Attorney General Hardy
Myers, "The decision by the Court of Appeals mandates the state
to pay a small amount in a limited number of cases. But it will
save the state a lot of money."

The state already has paid out about $6 million in the
settlement, less than the $100 million estimated initially that
could have been claimed.

Had the appeals court changed the overtime formula used by the
state and upheld by Judge Paul Lipscomb in Marion County Circuit
Court, the state might have had to pay out another $12 million.

Neither Mr. Young nor his lawyer, John Hoag of Eugene, could be
reached for comment about the appellate court's decision.


PELAGIC PRESSURE: Recalls 11.6T BC Inflators For Button Defects
---------------------------------------------------------------
Pelagic Pressure Systems, of San Leandro, Ca. is cooperating
with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission by
voluntarily recalling about 11,600 Oceanic-brand Reliant
Buoyancy Compensator (BC) Inflators and AERIS-brand AW3 BC
Inflators.

The Power Inflator Buttons can stick, which can cause
uncontrolled inflation of the BC. This could cause divers to
ascend too fast, resulting in decompression sickness as well as
the danger of an embolism. Pelagic has received eight reports of
the buttons sticking. No injuries have been reported.

The recall includes Oceanic-brand Reliant BC inflators and
AERIS-brand AW3 BC inflators. The Oceanic Reliant-type inflators
have three flow-through holes in the handgrip of the lower
inflator mechanism. The AERIS AW3 inflator has one flow-through
hole in the handgrip of the lower inflator mechanism.

Manufactured in Taiwan, the BCs fitted with Reliant inflators
were sold at authorized Oceanic dealers nationwide from February
2004 through June 2004 for between $320 and $550. Authorized
AERIS dealers sold BCs fitted with AW3 inflators from May 2004
through June 2004 for between $400 and $560.

Consumers should stop using BCs fitted with the recalled
inflators immediately and take them to any authorized Oceanic or
AERIS dealer to get a free repair.

Consumer Contact: Call Pelagic toll-free at (888) 854-4960
between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, send an E-
mail: service@oceanicusa.com or info2@diveaeris.com, or write to
Pelagic Pressure Systems, 2002 Davis Street, San Leandro, CA
94577.


PETMED EXPRESS: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suits in FL
----------------------------------------------------------------
PetMed Express, Inc. faces several securities class actions
filed in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of Florida, on behalf of purchasers of the Company's
common stock from June 18,2003 to July 26,2004.

The suits charge PetMed Express Inc. and certain of its officers
and directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.  More specifically, the Complaints allege that the Company
failed to disclose and misrepresented the following material
adverse facts which were known to defendants or recklessly
disregarded by them:

     (1) that the Company's business model enabled the company
         to experience sustained financial growth since the
         model shifted costs to veterinarians (who are the
         Company's competitors),

     (2) that the business model made the Company dependent on
         the cooperation of veterinarians to fill prescriptions,

     (3) that the defendants could not guarantee the quality,
         safety or efficacy of PetMed drugs because, as an
         unauthorized reseller of many products, the Company had
         to obtain such products through unauthorized channels,
         prompting veterinarians to refuse refilling
         prescriptions through PetMed, and

     (4) that as a result, the Company's financial results were
         not sustainable, causing the stock to trade at
         artificially high prices.

During the class period while PetMed's stock price was inflated,
Defendants and Company insiders sold almost $65 million in
privately held PetMed's stock.

On July 26, 2004, defendants shocked the market when they
belatedly disclosed that the Company was operating well below
defendants' previous guidance and that PetMed revenues and
earnings were well below plan. News of this shocked the market.
Shares of PetMed fell $2.07 per share or 29.70 percent to close
at $4.90 per share.

The plaintiff firms in this litigation are:

     (1) Brodsky & Smith, LLC, Mail: 11 Bala Avenue, Suite 39,
         Bala Cynwyd, PA, 19004 by Phone: 610.668.7987, by Fax:
         610.660.0450, E-mail: esmith@Brodsky-Smith.com;

     (2) Charles J. Piven, Mail: World Trade Center-
         Baltimore,401 East Pratt Suite 2525, Baltimore, MD,
         21202, Phone: 410.332.0030, E-mail: pivenlaw@erols.com;

     (3) Emerson Poynter LLP, Mail: P.O. Box 164810, Little
         Rock, AR, 72216-4810, Phone: 800.663.981, E-mail:
         tanya@emersonfirm.com;

     (4) Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP (New York), Mail:
         One Pennsylvania Plaza, 49th Floor, New York, NY,
         10119, Phone: 212.594.5300, Fax: 212.868.1229, E-mail:
         info@milbergweiss.com;

     (5) Schatz & Nobel, P.C., Mail: 330 Main Street, Hartford,
         CT, 06106, Phone: 800.797.5499, Fax: 860.493.6290, E-
         mail: sn06106@AOL.com;

     (6) Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP, Mail: 3 Bala Plaza E, Bala
         Cynwyd, PA, 19004, Phone: 610.667.7706, Fax:
         610.667.7056, E-mail: info@sbclasslaw.com;

     (7) The Brualdi Law Firm, Mail: 29 Broadway - Suite 1515,
         New York, NY, 10006, Phone: 212.952.0602, Fax:
         212.952.0608


PRICE LEGACY: Fiduciary Suits Filed in VA Over PL Retail Merger
---------------------------------------------------------------
Price Legacy Corporation (Nasdaq: PLRE) faces two purported
class action complaints filed in the Superior Court of
California, County of San Diego, against the Company and each
current member and one past member of the Company's Board of
Directors.

The complaints allege breaches of the defendants' fiduciary duty
to the Company's stockholders in connection with the recently
announced merger agreement pursuant to which PL Retail LLC, a
joint venture between Kimco Realty Corporation and DRA Advisors
LLC, will acquire the Company.

The complaints challenge the sufficiency of the merger
consideration and seek to enjoin the merger transaction and
unspecified damages from the defendants. No trial date has been
scheduled for either case.

For more information on Price Legacy, visit the Company's Web
site: http://www.PriceLegacy.com


PRIMUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Faces Securities Lawsuits in E.D. VA
---------------------------------------------------------------
Primus Telecommunications Group, Inc. faces several securities
class actions filed in the United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia, on behalf of purchasers of the
Company's shares from November 11,2003 to July 29,2004.

The complaints charge Primus Telecommunications Group, Inc. and
certain of its officers and directors with violations of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The complaints allege that
during the Class Period, PRIMUS's shares traded at inflated
levels due to materially false and misleading statements issued
by defendants to the investing public regarding the Company's
business and prospects.

The true facts, which were known by each of the defendants but
concealed from the investing public during the Class Period,
were as follows:

     (1) the Company was experiencing massive pricing pressures
         on its standalone international long distance business
         and the Company's minutes of use were not growing, but
         actually declining;

     (2) contrary to its projections, the Company, on a
         consolidated basis, would actually lose money for the
         second half of 2004 and even the Company's second
         quarter projections were grossly overstated;

     (3) the Company's business model was incredibly weak and,
         as a result, combined with the Company's second quarter
         2004 revelations and the fact that the Company was
         already highly leveraged ($580 million), its ability to
         raise the necessary monies for capital expenditures to
         achieve even the newly projected results was severely
         hampered if not taken away altogether;

     (4) contrary to defendants' statements, the Company was
         drowning in competition; and

     (5) as a result, the value of the Company as an enterprise
         was actually less than the Company's debt.

As a result of these false statements, PRIMUS's shares traded at
inflated prices during the Class Period, increasing to as high
as $13.15 on January 26, 2004, whereby the Company's top
officers and directors completed a $240 million note offering.

On July 29, 2004, after the market closed, PRIMUS issued a press
release announcing its second quarter results, posting a loss of
$14.9 million, or $0.17 per share, which reversed the year-ago
profit of $18.7 million, or $0.21 per share. The numbers fell
far short of Wall Street's expectations. Defendants had forecast
earnings of $.10 per share on revenue of $348 million. The
Company blamed the industry-wide price war for its troubles and
said it would push to roll out more integrated services in an
effort to defend its turf. PRIMUS shares dropped $1.70 to $1.52
per share -- a 50% drop in a single day.

NOTE: PRIMUS is a global facilities-based telecommunications
services provider offering an integrated portfolio of
international and domestic voice, Internet, voice-over-Internet
protocol, data and hosting services to business and residential
retail customers and other carriers located primarily in the
United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe.

The plaintiff firms in this litigation are:

     (1) Brodsky & Smith, LLC, Mail: 11 Bala Avenue, Suite 39,
         Bala Cynwyd, PA, 19004, Phone: 610.668.7987, Fax:
         610.660.0450, E-mail: esmith@Brodsky-Smith.com;

     (2) Charles J. Piven, Mail: World Trade Center-
         Baltimore,401 East Pratt Suite 2525, Baltimore, MD,
         21202, Phone: 410.332.0030, E-mail: pivenlaw@erols.com;

     (3) Cohen, Gettings & Caulkins, P.C., Mail: 2200 Wilson
         Boulevard, Suite 800, Arlington, VI, 22201, Phone:
         703.525.2260, Fax: 703.525.2489, E-mail:
         info@cohengettings.com;

     (4) Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins (San
         Diego), Mail: 401 B Street, Suite 1700, San Diego, CA,
         92101, Phone: 619.231.1058, Fax: 619.231.7423, E-mail:
         info@lerachlaw.com;

     (5) Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP (New York), Mail:
         One Pennsylvania Plaza, 49th Floor, New York, NY,
         10119, Phone: 212.594.5300, Fax: 212.868.1229, E-mail:
         info@milbergweiss.com;

     (6) Schatz & Nobel, P.C., Mail: 330 Main Street, Hartford,
         CT, 06106, Phone: 800.797.5499, Fax: 860.493.6290, E-
         mail: sn06106@AOL.com;

     (7) Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP, Mail: 3 Bala Plaza E, Bala
         Cynwyd, PA, 19004, Phone: 610.667.7706, Fax:
         610.667.7056, E-mail: info@sbclasslaw.com


PSS WORLD: FL Court Grants Class Status For Securities Lawsuit
--------------------------------------------------------------
The United States District Court for the Middle District of
Florida - Jacksonville Division issued a notice of pendency of
class action in the matter In Re: PSS World Medical, Inc.
Securities Litigation all persons who were shareholders of
Physician Sales & Services, Inc., now known as PSS World
Medical, Inc. ("PSSI"), as of March 26, 1998, the date of the
PSSI shareholder vote to approve the merger with Gulf South
Medical Supply, Inc. ("GSMS"), excluding the following:
Defendants; the officers and directors of PSSI; the officers and
directors of GSMS at the time of the merger; any firm, trust,
corporation or other entity in which any Defendant has a
controlling interest; and the legal representatives, agents,
immediate family members, affiliates, subsidiaries, heirs,
successors-in-interest, and assigns of any excluded person or
entity.

The Court has determined that the lawsuit may proceed as a class
action, with plaintiff Trust Advisors Equity Plus, LLC as the
certified representative of the class.

For more details, contact Andrew M. Schatz, Jeffrey S. Nobel or
Seth R. Klein of SCHATZ & NOBEL, P.C. by Mail: One Corporate
Center, 20 Church Street, Suite 1700, Hartford, CT 06103 by
Phone: 860-493-6292 or by Fax: 860-493-6290 OR James S. Notis or
Richard B. Margolies of ABBEY GARDY, LLP by Mail: 212 East 39th
Street, New York, NY 10016 by Phone: 212-889-3700 or by Fax:
212-684-5191 OR PSS World Medical, Inc. Securities Litigation
Class Administrator c/o FRG Information Systems Corp. by Mail:
P.O. Box 4059, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163-4059 by
Phone: 800-556-9955 by Fax: 212-490-5709 or visit their Web
site: http://www.frginfosys.com/pss


QUAKER MAID: Recalls Ground Beef Because of Mislabeling in July
---------------------------------------------------------------
Quaker Maid Meats, Inc., a Reading, Pennsylvania, firm, recalled
in July approximately 170,000 pounds of ground beef patties due
to mislabeling.  The beef patties were partially made from
Canadian product that was mislabeled and ineligible for import
to the U.S.

Products subject to recall include:

     (1) 5-pound boxes of "PHILLY-GOURMET, 100% PURE BEEF,
         HOMESTYLE PATTIES" with a packaging code of 1974 or
         2024

     (2) 3-pound boxes of "PHILLY-GOURMET, 100% PURE BEEF,
         HOMESTYLE PATTIES" with a packaging code of 1974 or
         2024

     (3) 3-pound boxes of "The Philly Homestyle Beef Patty" with
         a packaging code of 1984 or 2014

The products also bear the "Est. 2748" inside the USDA mark of
inspection. The patties were produced on July 15, 16, 19 and 20
and were shipped to distribution centers and retail stores in
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin and Maine.

Consumers and media with questions about the recall may contact
company General Manager Todd Bray at 610-376-1500, ext. 114.

Consumers with food safety questions can phone the toll-free
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline
(l-888-674-6854). The hotline is available in English and
Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are
available 24 hours a day.


SAFETY-KLEEN: Lawsuit Settlement Hearing Set October 13, 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------
The United States District Court for the Central District of
South Carolina - Columbia Division will hold a fairness hearing
for the proposed $20,000,000 settlement in the matter In Re:
Safety-Kleen Corporation Stockholders Litigation on behalf of
all purchasers of Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc. ("LES")
common stock between July 9, 1997; LES or Safety-Kleen
Corporation common stock between July 1, 1998 and March 6, 200;
and those who exchanged Safety-Kleen Corporation of Wisconsin
common stock for LES common stock pursuant to a merger completed
May 18, 1998.

A hearing will be held in United States District Court for the
District of South Carolina, United States Courthouse, 901
Richland Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201 at 10:00 a.m.,
on October 13, 2004.

For more details, contact the Claims Administrator c/o Heffler,
Radetich & Saitta, LLP - In Re: Safety-Kleen Corporation
Stockholders Litigation by Mail: P.O. Box 930, Philadelphia, PA
19105-0930 or by Phone: (800) 644-7835


SONY PICTURES: Reaches $1.5M CA Suit Settlement V. Bogus Critic
---------------------------------------------------------------
Sony Pictures Entertainment settled a class action lawsuit filed
in June 2001 by Omar Rezec of Los Angeles and Ann Belknap of
Sierra Madre, California claiming they were duped into seeing
movies by fake reviews company executives had planted in
advertisements, Reuters reports.

According to an insider, who has intimate knowledge of the
settlement talks, Sony agreed set aside $1.5 million into a fund
that could give about $5 per participant in the class action
with any remaining money to be donated to charity.

In the suit, the Plaintiffs claimed they were duped into seeing
the film, "A Knight's Tale", based on a bogus review by a
fictitious critic, named David Manning, who was concocted up by
Sony marketing executive Matthew Cramer of Ridgefield, Conn., as
a reviewer for a Connecticut newspaper. Sony then placed glowing
reviews by the fictional Manning in advertisements for its
movies.

Filed on the behalf of "all consumers nationwide who paid to see
any movie" on Manning's recommendation, the class-action suit
sought injunctive relief, restitution, and for Sony to make
restitution to everyone who bought a ticket to the falsely
advertised movies.

When the deception was exposed by Newsweek magazine, it proved
to be a major embarrassment for Sony, who immediately pulled the
ads and suspended Manning's creator and his supervisor, Josh
Goldstine.


SPRING HOUSE: Recalls Creamline Milk Products Due To Health Risk
----------------------------------------------------------------
Spring House Creamery announced that their customers should
return any Spring House Creamery Creamline Goat Milk carrying
"sell-by" dates of 9/13, 9/15 and 9/17, and Creamline Cow Milk
carrying a "sell-by" date of 9/6. Please return recalled
products to the store of purchase for a full refund. Recalled
products should not be consumed.

The recalled milk was distributed to parts of the Bay/Thumb and
mid Michigan areas as well as throughout Southeast Michigan.

Spring House Creamery apologizes for any inconvenience this may
cause, and assures their customers that this is a voluntary
recall and no illnesses have been reported.

These particularly dated products were not adequately processed
to ensure pasteurization and may present a health risk. These
products do not meet the highest safety standards set and
consistently honored by the Croswell-based dairy processor.

For more information contact William "Bill" Marshall, Spring
House Creamery at 810-679-4910.


ST. PAUL: Shareholders Launch Securities Fraud Suits in MN Court
----------------------------------------------------------------
St. Paul Travelers Companies faces several securities class
actions filed in the United States District Court for the
District of Minnesota on behalf of purchasers of the Company's
stock from May 1,2004 to July 23,2004.

According to a press release dated August 16, 2004, the
complaints allege that St. Paul's registration statement was
materially false or misleading because it failed to disclose
that:

     (1) there were significant disparities between the
         accounting and actuarial methods of St. Paul and
         Travelers, requiring St. Paul Travelers to increase its
         claims reserves by $1.171 billion to conform St. Paul's
         less conservative accounting and actuarial methods to
         that of Travelers;

     (2) St. Paul's then existing exposure to certain adverse
         financial condition of a construction contractor, a
         reduction in reinsurance recoverables, and other
         similar conditions, required St. Paul Travelers to
         increase its claims reserves by an additional $466
         million; and

     (3) the aggregate $1.637 billion of required increase in
         claims reserves due to these existing but undisclosed
         facts relating to St. Paul would require St. Paul
         Travelers to record a significant charge to its income
         statement, adversely impacting earnings.

The complaint further alleges that the facts were disclosed to
the market on July 23, 2004, when St. Paul Travelers revealed
that certain conditions relating to St. Paul required the
Company to increase its claims reserves by $1.6 billion.  On
August 5, 2004, St. Paul Travelers further announced that the
required $1.6 billion increase in claims reserves would result
in an operating loss of $310 million or $0.47 per basic and
diluted share for the quarter.

The per share closing price of St. Paul common stock was $40.77
on April 1, 2004, the date on which each share of Travelers'
Class A and Class B common stock was exchanged for 0.4334 share
of St. Paul common stock pursuant to the materially false or
misleading registration statement. By the time the true extent
of required reserve increase and its adverse impacts against St.
Paul Travelers were fully disclosed to the market on August 5,
2004, the per share price of St. Paul common stock had declined
by $6.02 or 14.77% to close at $34.75 on August 5, 2004 -
causing massive losses to former Travelers shareholders.

The class consists of the former shareholders of Travelers
Property Casualty Corporation's Class A and Class B common stock
who acquired St. Paul's common stock pursuant to a St. Paul
registration statement filed with the SEC in connection with St.
Paul's stock-for stock merger with Travelers on April 1, 2004.

The plaintiff firms in this litigation are:

     (1) Berman, DeValerio, Pease, Tabacco Burt & Pucillo (FL),
         Mail: 515 North Flagler Drive - Suite 1701, West Palm
         Beach, FL, 33401, Phone: 561.835.9400;

     (2) Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C. (Washington,
         DC), Mail: 1100 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, West
         Tower, Washington, DC, 20005, Phone: 202.408.4600, Fax:
         202.408.4699, E-mail: lawinfo@cmht.com;

     (3) Krislov & Associates, Ltd., Mail: 20 North Wacker
         Drive, Chicago, IL, 60606, Phone: 312.606.0500, Fax:
         312.606.0207, E-mail: mail@krislovlaw.com;

     (4) Murray, Frank & Sailer LLP, Mail: 275 Madison Ave 34th
         Flr, New York, NY, 10016, Phone: 212.682.1818, Fax:
         212.682.1892, E-mail: email@rabinlaw.com;

     (5) Vianale & Vianale LLP, Mail: The Plaza - Suite 801,
         5355 Town Center Road., Boca Raton, FL, 33486, Phone:
         561.391.4900, Fax: 561.368.9274, E-mail:
         info@vianalelaw.com;

     (6) Wechsler Harwood LLP, Mail: 488 Madison Avenue 8th
         Floor, New York, NY, 10022, Phone: 212.935.7400, E-
         mail: info@whhf.com;

     (7) Wolf Popper, LLP, Mail: 845 Third Avenue, New York, NY,
         10022-6689Ave, Phone: 877.370.7703, Fax: 212.486.2093,
         E-mail: IRRep@wolfpopper.com;

     (8) Zimmerman Reed, PLLP, Mail: 651 Nicollet Mall, Suite
         501, Minneapolis, MN, 55402, Phone: 612.341.0400, E-
         mail: 612.341.0844, E-mail: info@zimmreed.com;

     (9) Zwerling Schachter & Zwerling, Mail: 845 Third Avenue,
         New York, NY, 10022, Phone: 212-223-3900, Fax: 212-371-
         5969, or by E-mail: inquiry@zsz.com


4UNITED STATES: DRI Holds Annual Meeting, 1000 To Attend
--------------------------------------------------------
The DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar, the nation's largest
association of lawyers defending civil lawsuits will hold its
largest annual meeting, focusing on critical issues ranging from
the future of class action lawsuits to challenges facing women
in the legal profession at the New Orleans Marriott, October 6
to 10, 2004. Nearly 1,000 defense litigants expected to attend.

"Civil litigation has come to dominate the news, affect the
economy, and influence legislation. DRI's more than 22,000
members could not be practicing at a more compelling and
critical time. The annual meeting provides a virtual piazza to
examine where our industry is going and how it is affecting
America," said Richard T. Boyette, DRI incoming president.

The 2004 Annual Meeting: DRI's MardiGras! will begin with a
much-anticipated debate between President of the Association of
Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) Todd A. Smith and former US
Solicitor General Walter E. Dellinger, who will argue the
benefits and pitfalls of tort reform.

"Even the most seasoned litigants will find educational
programming that is compelling and fresh at DRI's annual
meeting. However, I find that, year after year, one of the
greatest draws seems to be the networking opportunities. For
many defense attorneys, the annual meeting is one of few chances
to develop relationships with colleagues from around the world,"
said DRI Executive Director John R. Kouris.

Special guests will include humorist Ben Stein and luminaries
such as reporter Howard Fineman, trial techniques expert James
McElhaney and political cartoonist Steven Kelly.

CLE accredited sessions include:

     (1) Mass Tort Crisis Management: Defending Corporate
         Clients in the Courtroom and in the Media

     (2) E-Discovery: Getting Beyond the Fear Factor

     (3) The New Ethics of Client Confidentiality and Disclosure

     (4) Automotive Event Data Recorders

For event and registration information visit DRI at:
http://www.dri.orgOR contact Ray Rahmati by Phone: 202-973-1319
or by E-mail: rrahmati@levick.com


US UNWIRED: Shareholders Lodge Securities Fraud Suits in E.D. LA
----------------------------------------------------------------
US Unwired, Inc. faces several class actions filed in the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on
behalf of purchasers of its common stock from May 23,2000 to
August 13,2002.

The complaints charge defendants with violations of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The Company holds direct or
indirect ownership interests in five Sprint PCS affiliates:
Louisiana Unwired, Texas Unwired, Georgia PCS, IWO Holdings and
Gulf Coast Wireless.

More specifically, the Complaint alleges that the Company failed
to disclose and misrepresented the following material adverse
facts which were known to defendants or recklessly disregarded
by them:

     (1) the Company was increasing its subscriber base by
         signing up high-credit-risk customers;

     (2) that accounting changes implemented by the Company were
         done in order to conceal the Company's declining
         revenues;

     (3) that the Company had been experiencing high involuntary
         disconnections related to its high-credit- risk
         customers;

     (4) that the Company experienced lower subscription growth
         as a result of its policy that required credit-
         challenged customers to pay substantial deposits upon
         the initiation of services; and

     (5) that the Company was engaged in a dispute with Sprint
         PCS regarding its business relationship with Sprint PCS
         and Sprint PCS was pressuring the Company.

The complaint further alleges that on August 13, 2002, US
Unwired announced in a press release the financial results for
the second quarter period ended June 30, 2002. The Company
revealed that it experienced lower subscription growth as a
result of its policy that required credit-challenged customers
to pay substantial deposits upon the initiation of services. In
response to this string of negative announcements, on August 13,
2002, the price of US Unwired common stock closed at $.90 per
share, down 94.8% from its Class Period high of $17.25 per
share.

The plaintiff firms in the suit are:

     (1) Charles J. Piven, Mail: World Trade Center-
         Baltimore,401 East Pratt Suite 2525, Baltimore, MD,
         21202, Phone: 410-332-0030, E-mail: pivenlaw@erols.com;

     (2) Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins (San
         Diego), Mail: 401 B Street, Suite 1700, San Diego, CA,
         92101, Phone: 619.231.1058, Fax: 619.231.7423, E-mail:
         info@lerachlaw.com;

     (3) Schatz & Nobel, P.C., Mail: 330 Main Street, Hartford,
         CT, 06106, Phone: 800.797.5499, Fax: 860.493.6290, E-
         mail: sn06106@AOL.com;

     (4) Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP, Mail: 3 Bala Plaza E, Bala
         Cynwyd, PA, 19004, Phone: 610.667.7706, Fax:
         610.667.7056, E-mail: info@sbclasslaw.com;

     (5) Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins
         (Melville), Mail: 200 Broadhollow, Suite 406, Melville,
         NY, 11747, Phone: 631.367.7100, Fax: 631.367.1173, E-
         mail: info@lerachlaw.com


VISTACARE INC.: Shareholders Commence Securities Lawsuits in AZ
---------------------------------------------------------------
Vistacare, Inc. faces several securities class actions filed in
the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, on
behalf of purchasers of the Company's common stock from November
6,2003 to August 5,2004.

The suits allege that throughout the Class Period, the Company
reported record revenue and overall growth and profitability in
publicly disseminated press releases and SEC filings, and
forecasted positive earnings and revenue targets.  The complaint
further alleges that, defendants managed to report quarter after
quarter of record financial growth because, unbeknownst to
investors, Defendants failed to properly reserve its Medicare
reimbursements.

The truth began to emerge on August 5, 2004. On that date, after
the close of trading, the Company issued a press release
announcing second quarter financial results for the quarter
ending June 30, 2004. The press release stated that results for
the quarter were impacted by the Company's decision to accrue
$6.2 million in the quarter for its Medicare cap reserve (Cap).
This news caused a dramatic decline in Vistacare's share price
from a closing price of $18.72 on August 5, 2004 to $15.28 on
August 6, 2004, for a total one day decline of over 18%.

The plaintiff firms in this litigation are:

     (1) Bonnett, Fairbourn, Friedman & Balint, P.C., Mail: 4041
         N. Cental Avenue, Suite 1100, Phoenix, AZ, 85012-
         3311nta, Phone: 602.274.1100;

     (2) Bull & Lifshitz, Mail: 18 East 41st St., New York, NY,
         10017, Phone: 212-213-6222, by Fax: 212.213.9405;

     (3) Charles J. Piven, Mail: World Trade Center-
         Baltimore,401 East Pratt Suite 2525, Baltimore, MD,
         21202, Phone: 410.332.0030, E-mail: pivenlaw@erols.com;

     (4) Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins (San
         Diego), Mail: 401 B Street, Suite 1700, San Diego, CA,
         92101, Phone: 619.231.1058, Fax: 619.231.7423, E-mail:
         info@lerachlaw.com;

     (5) Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP (Boca Raton),
         Mail: The Plaza - 5355 Town Center Road, Suite 900,
         Boca Raton, FL, 33486, Phone: 561.361.5000, Fax:
         561.367.8400, E-mail: info@milbergweiss.com;

     (6) Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP (New York), Mail:
         One Pennsylvania Plaza, 49th Floor, New York, NY,
         10119, Phone: 212.594.5300, Fax: 212.868.1229, E-mail:
         info@milbergweiss.com;

     (7) Schatz & Nobel, P.C., Mail: 330 Main Street, Hartford,
         CT, 06106, Phone: 800.797.5499, Fax: 860.493.6290, E-
         mail: sn06106@AOL.com;

     (8) Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP, Mail: 3 Bala Plaza E, Bala
         Cynwyd, PA, 19004, Phone: 610.667.7706, Fax:
         610.667.7056, E-mail: info@sbclasslaw.com


                     New Securities Fraud Cases


ALLIED WASTE INDUSTRIES: Marc Henzel Lodges AZ Securities Suit
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel launched a securities class
action in the United States District Court for the District of
Arizona on behalf of all securities purchasers of Allied Waste
Industries, Inc. (NYSE: AW) from February 10, 2004 through July
27, 2004, inclusive.

The complaint charges Allied Waste, Thomas H. Van Weelden, Peter
S. Hathaway, Thomas W. Ryan, and James E. Gray with violations
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Allied Waste is a non-
hazardous solid waste management company in the United States
that provides collection, transfer, recycling and disposal
services for approximately 10 million residential, commercial
and industrial customers.

The Complaint alleges that the Company failed to disclose and
misrepresented the following material adverse facts known to
defendants or recklessly disregarded by them:

     (1) that Company's internal growth, which the defendants
         touted as being strong, was lagging due to poor
         management execution and the loss of a large contract;

     (2) that defendants had failed to successfully implement
         the Company's "best practices" initiatives because the
         Company lacked adequate internal controls;

     (3) that defendants knew or recklessly disregarded the fact
         that much-anticipated cyclical volume pickup of trash
         was not materializing; and

     (4) that as a result of the above, the defendants'
         statements about the Company were lacking in any
         reasonable basis when made.

On July 27, 2004, Allied Waste posted earnings, excluding
special items, of 15 cents a share on revenue of $1.36 billion.
Wall Street, on average, had expected earnings of 18 cents a
share on sales of $1.39 billion. Including costs related to
early retirement of debt, Allied Waste posted a net loss of 7
cents a share. Following this announcement, J.P. Morgan cut the
stock to "neutral" vs. "overweight" on the news. "AW's big new
focus on its `best practices' initiatives now makes the
investment story one primarily about management execution," said
analyst Amanda Tepper. News of this shocked the market. Shares
of Allied Waste fell $2.55 per share, or 20.83 percent, on
unusually high trading volume, to close at $9.69 per share. This
was Allied Waste's biggest drop in five years.


For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com


DECODE GENETICS: Schiffrin & Barroway Lodges NY Securities Suit
---------------------------------------------------------------
The law firm of Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP initiated a class
action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York on behalf of all securities
purchasers of deCODE genetics, Inc. ("deCODE" or the "Company")
(Nasdaq: DCGN) from October 29, 2003 through August 26, 2004,
inclusive (the "Class Period").

The complaint alleges that defendants deCODE, Kari Stefansson,
and Lance Thibault violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated
thereunder, by issuing a series of material misrepresentations
to the market between October 29, 2003 and August 26, 2004. More
specifically, the Complaint alleges that the defendants'
statements were materially false and misleading because they
failed to disclose and/or misrepresented the following adverse
facts, among others:

     (1) that Company's period-end financial closing procedures
         were materially deficient;

     (2) as such, deCODE, during the Class Period, improperly
         recognized revenue in violation of Generally Accepted
         Accounting Principles ("GAAP");

     (3) that the Company lacked adequate internal controls; and

     (4) that as a result of the above, the Company's financial
         statements were materially inflated at all relevant
         times.

On August 26, 2004, deCODE announced the filing of a Form 8-K
with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the
August 19, 2004 resignation of PricewaterhouseCoopers ("PwC") as
deCODE's independent registered public accounting firm. PwC had
acted as deCODE's independent registered public accounting firm
since deCODE's formation in 1996. In a letter to the SEC, PwC
stated that it could not comment on the following:

     (i) The current condition of any reportable conditions in
         internal controls or with regard to the implementation
         of procedures of any kind to mitigate such reportable
         conditions; and

    (ii) The disclosure indicating that the resignation of PwC
         was neither approved nor recommended by deCODE's Audit
         Committee.

News of this shocked the market. Shares of deCODE, on August 27,
2004, declined $0.60 per share, or 9.52 percent, to close at
$5.70 per share on unusually high trading volume.

For more details, Marc A. Topaz, Esq. or Darren J. Check, Esq.
of Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP by Mail: Three Bala Plaza East,
Suite 400, Bala Cynwyd, PA  19004 by Phone: 1-888-299-7706 or
1-610-667-7706 or by E-mail: info@sbclasslaw.com



EXPRESS SCRIPTS: Wolf Haldenstein Lodges Securities Suit in MO
--------------------------------------------------------------
The law firm of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP filed
a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for
the Eastern District of Missouri, on behalf of all persons who
purchased the securities of Express Scripts, Inc. ("Express
Scripts" or the "Company") [Nasdaq: ESRX] between October 29,
2003 and August 3, 2004, inclusive, (the "Class Period") against
defendants Express Scripts and certain officers and directors of
the Company.

The case name is Childress v. Express Scripts, Inc., et al.

The complaint alleges that defendants violated the federal
securities laws by issuing materially false and misleading
statements throughout the Class Period that had the effect of
artificially inflating the market price of the Company's
securities.

Specifically, the complaint alleges that defendants failed to
disclose and misrepresented the following material adverse
facts, which were known to defendants or recklessly disregarded
by them:

     (1) that Express Scripts artificially inflated the cost of
         generic drugs;

     (2) that millions of dollars worth of rebates that belonged
         to its participating customers were diverted to the
         Company itself;

     (3) that the Company caused, through fraud and deception,
         physicians to replace patients' prescribed drug with
         another for which Express Scripts was rewarded with
         money from the substituted drug's manufacturer;

     (4) that the aforementioned deceitful practices were in
         violation of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles;

     (5) that the Company lacked adequate internal controls; and

     (6) that as result of the foregoing, Express Scripts'
         financial results were materially inflated at all
         relevant times.

On July 28, 2004, Express Scripts announced second quarter net
income of $65.4 million. The Company announced that the Company
received a Notice of Proposed Litigation from the Office of the
Attorney General of the State of New York in that announcement,
in addition to discussing its fourth quarter financial results.
On August 4, 2004, New York Attorney General's office announced
that it filed a lawsuit against Express Scripts alleging that
the Company conducted elaborate schemes that inflated the costs
of prescription drugs by millions of dollars to New York State's
largest employee health plan, the Empire Plan.

For more details, contact Fred Taylor Isquith, Esq., Christopher
S. Hinton, Esq., George Peters or Derek Behnke of Wolf
Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP by Mail: 270 Madison
Avenue, New York, New York 10016 by Phone: (800) 575-0735 by E-
mail: classmember@whafh.com or visit their Web site:
http://www.whafh.com/cases/expressscripts.htm


TECO ENERGY: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in M.D. FL
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel initiated a securities class
action filed in the United States District Court for the Middle
District of Florida on behalf of purchasers of TECO Energy, Inc.
(NYSE: TE) publicly traded securities during the period between
October 30, 2001 and February 4, 2003.

The complaint charges TECO and certain of its officers and
directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. TECO is a holding company for regulated utilities and
other unregulated businesses.

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants
concealed problems with several independent power plant
construction ventures for which TECO would ultimately be fully
responsible, including the Company's full exposure to the demise
of Enron Corporation and the vulnerability of the Company's
large cash dividend, causing TECO shares to trade at
artificially inflated levels, permitting defendants to sell over
$4.2 million of their own personally held stock and to raise
over $792 million selling equity securities in the capital
markets.

Then, through a series of events in late 2002 and early 2003,
the Company's complex financing scheme began to unravel as
several of these large projects and their liabilities were "put"
to TECO, moving hundreds of millions of dollars of off-balance
sheet debt onto TECO's balance sheet, resulting in the Company
taking over a billion dollars in impairment charges and causing
the price of its common stock to plummet from a Class Period
high of over $28 per share on April 23, 2002 to below $13 per
share on February 4, 2003, erasing hundreds of millions of
dollars in market capitalization.

For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com.


THORATEC CORPORATION: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Suit in CA
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel initiated a securities class
action in the United States District Court for the Northern
District of California on behalf of purchasers of Thoratec
Corporation (NASDAQ:THOR) publicly traded securities during the
period between April 28, 2004 and June 29, 2004.

The complaint charges Thoratec and certain of its officers and
directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.  Thoratec is the leading supplier of implantable heart
pumps and left ventricular assist devices.  The Company
manufactures these circulatory support products for use by
patients with congestive heart failure, including "end-stage"
patients.  Traditionally these products have been used in such
patients as a "bridge to transplant," for patients awaiting a
heart transplant.  In contrast, "Destination Therapy," or
permanent support, is the Company's flagship new treatment
option for patients with end-stage heart failure

The Company claims that its HeartMate XVE ("HeartMate") is an
approved ventricular assist device designed to provide permanent
support for these patients.  The Complaint alleges that during
the Class Period, defendants made a number of false and
misleading statements regarding expected sales and the market
for the HeartMate as a "Destination Therapy" treatment for end-
stage heart failure patients.  As a result of these statements,
Thoratec's stock traded at artificially inflated levels and
defendants were able to complete a $143.7 million note offering.

According to the complaint, during the Class Period defendants
knew but concealed from the investing public the following
adverse material facts:

     (1) even as the Company estimated that as many as 100,000
         patients per year in the U.S. could be helped by their
         new Destination Therapy treatment option, the actual
         "true" market for the product was far less than
         claimed, as it was severely constrained by limited
         reimbursement dollars available under Medicare and
         Medicaid service guidelines;

     (2) although the defendants claimed that there were
         approximately 900 hospital centers in the U.S.
         qualified for the practice of Destination Therapy and
         implantation of the HeartMate, in fact less than 75
         centers have been designated as Medicare-approved for
         Destination Therapy;

     (3) Medicare had rigid preset reimbursement guidelines and
         schedules for Destination Therapy that could only
         translate into a serious negative impact on the
         Company's FY2004 sales projections for the HeartMate;

     (4) cardiothorasic surgeons were rejecting and/or not
         accepting the HeartMate as a viable device for
         Destination Therapy patients because of issues with the
         device's reliability in a long-term setting;

     (5) the demand for the Company's Destination Therapy
         implants was not growing at the rate claimed;

     (6) the Company's Destination Therapy implant estimate for
         FY2004 of between 300 to 500 pumps was grossly
         overstated and was internally projected to be a
         fraction of this estimate;

     (7) the Company's FY2004 projections of $190-$200 million
         were overstated by tens of millions of dollars;

     (8) not only were CMS reimbursement charges delaying the
         number of implants, implantation centers and medical
         professionals had delayed any significant expansion of
         the existing implant programs until after October 1,
         2004 (the expected date of the availability of a
         significant increase in the CMS reimbursement rate);
         and

     (9) sales of the HeartMate implants would be depressed
         until Q4 2004, and as a result, the Company's earnings
         shortfall experienced in Q1 2004 (versus Q4 2003 and Q1
         2003) would not be made up for nearly one year, until
         Q1 2005, at best.

On June 29, 2004, after the market closed, Thoratec released its
preliminary results for the quarter ended June 30, 2004. These
results were much worse than previous forecasts. On this news
the price of Thoratec stock dropped precipitously to $10.74 per
share, a drop of more than 25% from the previous day's close, on
extraordinarily heavy volume of over 11 million shares.

For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com


US UNWIRED: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in LA Court
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel initiated a securities class
action in the United States District Court for the District of
Louisiana on behalf of all securities purchasers of US Unwired,
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: UNWR) from May 23, 2000 through August
13, 2002, inclusive.

The complaint charges US Unwired, William L. Henning Jr., Robert
W. Piper, and Jerry E. Vaughn with violations of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. US Unwired holds direct or indirect
ownership interests in five Sprint PCS affiliates: Louisiana
Unwired, Texas Unwired, Georgia PCS, IWO Holdings and Gulf Coast
Wireless.

More specifically, the Complaint alleges that the Company failed
to disclose and misrepresented the following material adverse
facts which were known to defendants or recklessly disregarded
by them:

     (1) the Company was increasing its subscriber base by
         signing up high-credit-risk customers;

     (2) that accounting changes implemented by the Company were
         done in order to conceal the Company's declining
         revenues;

     (3) that the Company had been experiencing high involuntary
         disconnections related to its high-credit- risk
         customers;

     (4) that the Company experienced lower subscription growth
         as a result of its policy that required credit-
         challenged customers to pay substantial deposits upon
         the initiation of services; and

     (5) that the Company was engaged in a dispute with Sprint
         PCS regarding its business relationship with Sprint PCS
         and Sprint PCS was pressuring the Company.

On August 13, 2002, US Unwired announced in a press release the
financial results for the second quarter period ended June 30,
2002. The Company revealed that it experienced lower
subscription growth as a result of its policy that required
credit-challenged customers to pay substantial deposits upon the
initiation of services. In response to this string of negative
announcements, on August 13, 2002, the price of US Unwired
common stock closed at $.90 per share, down 94.8% from its Class
Period high of $17.25 per share.

For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com


VISTACARE INC.: Cohen Milstein Files Securities Suit Fraud in AZ
----------------------------------------------------------------
The law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C.
initiated a lawsuit in the District of Arizona on behalf of its
client seeking class action status on behalf of persons who
purchased publicly traded securities of VistaCare, Inc.
("VistaCare") (Nasdaq:VSTA), between November 6, 2003, and
August 5, 2004, inclusive (the "Class Period').

The Complaint alleges that VistaCare, a provider of hospice
services, and certain of its officers and directors, issued
materially false statements concerning the Company's financial
condition. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that during the
Class Period, VistaCare issued quarter after quarter of record
financial growth, but failed to disclose that these gains were
partially the result of failing to properly reserve for its
Medicare reimbursements cap in violation of Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles.

On August 5, 2004, VistaCare issued a press release announcing
second quarter results for the quarter ending June 30. The
release stated that these results were impacted by the decision
to accrue $6.2 million in the quarter for VistaCare's annual
Medicare cap reserve. On this news, VistaCare's share price
declined from a closing price of $18.72 on August 5, 2004, to
$15.28 on August 6, 2004, a one-day decline of 18%.

For more details, contact Steven J. Toll, Esq. or Audrey Braccio
of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C. by Mail: 1100 New
York Avenue, N.W. West Tower - Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20005
by Phone: 888-240-0775 or 202-408-4600 by E-mail:
abraccio@cmht.com or stolldc@cmht.com


VISTACARE INC.: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in AZ
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel initiated a securities class
action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the
District of Arizona on behalf of purchasers of VistaCare, Inc.
(NASDAQ: VSTA) publicly traded securities during the period
between November 6, 2003 and August 5, 2004.

The complaint charges VistaCare and certain of its officers and
directors with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. VistaCare is a provider of hospice services in the United
States through interdisciplinary teams of physicians, nurses,
home healthcare aides, social workers, spiritual and other
counselors and volunteers.

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants
caused VistaCare's shares to trade at artificially inflated
levels through the issuance of false and misleading financial
statements. Specifically, the complaint alleges that defendants
concealed the following material adverse facts from the
investing public during the Class Period:

     (1) that the Company had manipulated the Company's EPS
         during the Class Period by understating the Company's
         Medicare reserves; and

     (2) that the Company's mix of patients requiring shorter
         hospital stays was declining, forcing the Company to
         increase reserves beyond the Medicare credit of $18,661
         per patient, the equivalent of approximately 150 days.

On August 5, 2004, after the close of trading, the Company
issued a press release announcing second quarter financial
results for the quarter ending June 30, 2004. The press release
stated that results for the quarter were impacted by the
Company's decision to accrue $6.2 million in the quarter for its
Medical annual per-beneficiary payment cap reserve. This news
caused a dramatic decline in VistaCare's share price, from a
closing price of $18.72 on August 5, 2004 to $15.28 on August 6,
2004, for a total one day decline of 18%.

For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com


WET SEAL: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suits in C.D. CA
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel initiated a securities class
action in the United States District Court for the Central
District of California on behalf of all securities purchasers of
The Wet Seal, Inc. (Nasdaq: WTSLA) from January 7, 2004 through
August 19, 2004 inclusive.

The complaint charges Wet Seal, Peter D. Whitford, Joseph E.
Deckop, and Irving Teitelbaum with violations of Sections 10(b)
and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5
promulgated thereunder. More specifically, the Complaint alleges
that the Company failed to disclose and misrepresented the
following material adverse facts which were known to defendants
or recklessly disregarded by them:

     (1) that the Company's strategic initiatives plan was not
         strengthening the Company's corporate standing. In
         fact, the Company's strategic initiatives plan was a
         complete and total disaster that was leading the
         Company into financial ruin;

     (2) that demand for the Company's products was based on
         deep-discounting and that without deep-discounting its
         products, demand for such was at an all time low; and

     (3) that as a result of the above, the Company's
         projections, outlooks, and positive statements, were
         lacking in any reasonable basis when made.

On August 19, 2004, Wet Seal, after the market closed, shocked
the market by reporting that net loss from continuing operations
of $3.20 per share for the second quarter ended July 31, 2004.
Following this post-market announcement, shares of Wet Seal shed
$1.25 per share, or 59.52 percent, to close at $0.85 per share
on unusually high trading volume on August 20, 2004.

For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com


WHITE ELECTRONIC: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Fraud Suit in AZ
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel initiated a securities class
action in the United States District Court for the District of
Arizona on behalf of purchasers of White Electronic Designs
Corporation (NASDAQ: WEDC) securities during the period between
January 23, 2003 and June 9, 2004.

The complaint charges White Electronic and certain of its
officers and directors with violations of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. White Electronic provides semiconductor
products for the wired and wireless communication industry. The
Company's products include high-density memory products and
multi-chip modules for data communications providers. White
Electronic also designs and manufactures flat panel displays for
commercial and military aircrafts and ordnance delivery systems.

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants
issued materially false and misleading statements regarding
White Electronic's increasing revenues and long-term growth
prospects. In truth and in fact, however, defendants knew or
recklessly disregarded that White Electronic's increasing
revenues and earnings could not be sustained and that orders for
sales of the Company's microelectronic products for use in
military weapons and procurement programs had been declining
since at least the second quarter of fiscal 2003. Defendants
failed to disclose that the declines marked a long-term change
in priorities by the U.S. military following the build-up of
orders prior to the armed conflict in Iraq.

On June 9, 2004, White Electronic issued a press release
announcing its forecast for the third quarter of fiscal 2004,
the period ending July 3, 2004. The Company announced that it
expected net sales to be between $24-$25 million, far short of
analysts' consensus estimates of approximately $30 million in
net sales for the third quarter 2004.

Following this news, the Company's stock plummeted 83 cents or
13.9% to $5.16 per share, on extremely heavy trading volume.

For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com


WIRELESS FACILITIES: Marc Henzel Lodges Securities Lawsuit in CA
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Law Offices of Marc S. Henzel launched a securities class
action in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of California on behalf of all purchasers of the common
stock of Wireless Facilities Inc. from April 26, 2000 through
August 4, 2004, inclusive.

The complaint charges Wireless, Masood Tayebi, Terry Ashwill,
Daniel Stokely, Eric DeMarco, and Thomas Munro with violations
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  More specifically, the
Complaint alleges that the Company failed to disclose and
misrepresented the following material adverse facts which were
known to defendants or recklessly disregarded by them:

     (1) that the Company had materially underreported its
         burgeoning foreign tax burden;

     (2) that as a consequence of the foregoing, the Company
         materially inflated its net income or loss by 3-8
         percent or $10-12 million;

     (3) that the Company lacked adequate internal controls and
         was therefore unable to ascertain the true financial
         condition of the Company; and

     (4) that as result of the above, the Company's financial
         results were materially inflated at all relevant times.

On August 4, 2004, Wireless reported results for the second
quarter of fiscal year 2004. In addition, the Company announced
that it intends to restate its financial statements filed on
Form 10-K for the years 2001 through 2003 to accrue for certain
foreign tax contingencies. News of this shocked the market.
Shares of Wireless fell as much as, 30% and reached at one point
on August 5, 2004, its 52 week low of $4.61 per share on
unusually heavy trading volume. At the end of the trading day,
shares of Wireless fell $1.96 per share or 28.08 percent to
close at $5.02 per share.

For more details, contact Marc S. Henzel by Mail: 273 Montgomery
Ave., Suite 202, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 by Phone: 610-660-8000 or
888-643-6735 by Fax: 610-660-8080 or by E-Mail:
mhenzel182@aol.com


                            *********


A list of Meetings, Conferences and Seminars appears in each
Wednesday's edition of the Class Action Reporter. Submissions
via e-mail to carconf@beard.com are encouraged.

Each Friday's edition of the CAR includes a section featuring
news on asbestos-related litigation and profiles of target
asbestos defendants that, according to independent researches,
collectively face billions of dollars in asbestos-related
liabilities.

                            *********


S U B S C R I P T I O N   I N F O R M A T I O N

Class Action Reporter is a daily newsletter, co-published by
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Pennsylvania, USA, and Beard Group, Inc., Frederick, Maryland
USA.   Glenn Ruel Se¤orin, Aurora Fatima Antonio and Lyndsey
Resnick, Editors.

Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.  ISSN 1525-2272.

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