Free Republic

A combination of rising costs, aggressive competition, and an uncooperative economy led to weaker-than-expected earnings, a dividend cut, and reduced financial guidance. Shares are down in early trading on Thursday. Wednesday evening, Whirlpool reported a first-quarter per share loss of 56 cents from sales of $3.3 billion. Wall Street was looking for earnings per share of 38 cents from sales of $3.4 billion, according to FactSet. A year ago, Whirlpool reported earnings per share of $1.70 from sales of $3.6 billion. Lower industry sales, unfavorable “price/mix,” and tariff confusion helped lead to the decline. In February, the Supreme Court overturned...

"Lookism" is a crime most foul in a perfect world devised by radical feminists, though most women will usually overlook the crime when a good-looking man gives them a respectful once-over. But researchers in England, source of our common law, have identified a real crime: Jurors are more likely to convict "ugly" defendants than "attractive" defendants. The investigators are from Bath Spa University in Bath, the lovely Somerset resort where Beau Nash set down rules of polite society and where Chaucer set his morality tale of a witch who gave an errant knight his choice of a wife "foul and...