Breakfast Briefing // Chicago

United's July business up 3.7% United Airlines said its traffic hadincreased 3.7 percent in July, compared with the same month a yearago, led by a 5.5 percent increase in North American traffic. Theairline said 75.4 percent of its seats were filled during the month. Stock Exchange sets record The Chicago Stock Exchange said it brokeits monthly volume records in July, beating the most recent recordsestablished in April. Trade volume totaled 1,509,794, and sharevolume was 764,495,197. Compared with July, 1997, trades and sharesrose 52 percent and 49 percent respectively. Wis. Central earnings off 8% Rosemont-based Wisconsin CentralTransportation Corp. said second-quarter earnings …

Lilly Bolsters Diagnostics Capabilities with Avid Buy.

Washington Editor

Seeking to build on its neuroscience product development program, Eli Lilly and Co. has put $300 million on the table to buy privately held Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., a Philadelphia-based firm that develops molecular imaging compounds, including florbetapir F 18 (18F-AV-45), an investigational agent used to detect the presence of amyloid plaque in the brain u a hallmark sign of Alzheimer's disease.

Avid stockholders also are eligible to receive up to $500 million if florbetapir, which currently is under review at the FDA, meets its regulatory and commercial goals.

The deal also provides Indianapolis-based Lilly, which has 22 drugs on the market for cancer, neuroscience conditions, diabetes, osteoporosis and other diseases, …

Forget the tiger _ new technology will put a microbe in your tank.(Main)

Byline: PAUL ELIAS Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - The key to kicking what President Bush calls the nation's oil addiction could very well lie in termite guts, canvas-eating jungle bugs and other microbes genetically engineered to spew enzymes that turn waste into fuel.

It may seem hard to believe that microscopic bugs usually viewed as destructive pests can be so productive. But scientists and several companies are working with the creatures to convert wood, corn stalks and other plant waste into sugars that are easily brewed into ethanol - essentially 199-proof moonshine that can be used to power automobiles.

Thanks to biotechnology breakthroughs, …

CARDONA WINS COURT SEAT BY 2-1 RATIO.(Local)

Byline: Carol DeMare Staff writer

Anthony V. Cardona won by a more than 2-to-1 ratio Tuesday a seat on the state Supreme Court as he breezed to victory in all but one of the seven counties in the 3rd Judicial District.

The 48-year-old Democrat who has been an Albany County Family Court judge for six years lost only Schoharie County, the home of his opponent, Dan

Lamont, 49, who ran on the Conservative line.

Unofficial final returns give Cardona, a Delmar resident, 135,883, to 58,181 for Lamont. Cardona's biggest margin was in his home county of Albany - the largest county in the judicial district - where he trounced Lamont 67,733 to …

Britain sending more troops to Afghanistan

Defense Secretary Des Browne announced Monday that 230 more British troops are going to Afghanistan, bringing the country's troop strength there to more than 8,000.

Browne told the House of Commons that 230 new troops include engineers, logistical staff and military trainers. Browne said the increase "means our mission is expanding" to include a greater emphasis on building the capacity of Afghan forces.

There are currently 7,800 British troops in the country, most based in Helmand province in the south.

A total of 102 British troops have died in Afghanistan since 2001 _ most in fighting with a resurgent Taliban since 2006.

…

Sox thriving thanks to big home crowds

Less elbow room at the ballpark seems to mean more success for theWhite Sox.

When the Sox rallied to win Monday's game against the AnaheimAngels in front of 32,381 fans, they improved to 9-3 at U.S.Cellular Field in front of crowds of 30,000 or more.

"We've had some pretty good crowds, crowds that have expressedtheir feelings one way or another and have gotten into the game, andguys feed off that," manager Jerry Manuel said. "If you have toperform, either way, you would rather the performance be in front ofyour fans. Hopefully, for at least this week, we can continue that."

With the Sox in a race with the Kansas City Royals and MinnesotaTwins for the …

Ceradyne enjoys opportunities beyond military markets.(IN THE NEWS)

Ceradyne, Inc. recently announced that its ceramics operation, ESK Ceramics in Kempten, Germany, received a five-year contract for its EKasic[R] silicon carbide industrial pump seal faces for an estimated minimum amount of 35 million [euro] ($50 million). ESK Ceramics has developed a product line of these pump seal faces for a variety of stringent applications requiring high levels of material properties and precision mechanical dimensions. ESK has been working on this program for more than 20 years.

"This multi-year order will support Ceradyne's strategy of developing commercial and industrial advanced technical ceramic products that are not dependent on its military …