News In Brief

ALL IS NOT AS IT APPEARS

If it looks like a Ryder truck and says Ryder on the sides, then it must be a Ryder truck, right? Not according to a news release distributed as TV cameras tracked the vehicle in question, ferrying hundreds of thousands of disputed presidential ballots from south Florida to a Tallahassee court last week. Despite the free publicity, Ryder System Inc. wanted the world to know it sold its rental division in 1996 and now receives a fee for the use of the brand from Budget Group Inc. Presumably, lawyers had a say in the disclaimer.

HEY, I GAVE AT THE OFFICE

In Japan, results of a new government survey on gender equity show 72 percent of respondents believe men should lend a hand with household chores. But do they? In a word, hardly. Of 5,000 people questioned, only 1.4 percent said husbands were any help.

How Americans say they'll be philanthropic this season

Over the past few years, a growing number of Americans have supported the purchase of holiday gifts in which a percentage of the price is donated to a cause. That's the conclusion of an annual survey conducted for Boston-based Cone Inc., which links companies and causes. The poll of 1,000 shoppers last month also found that women tend to be more supportive than men of cause-related activities during the holiday season. The percentage of respondents who cited the following as ways they plan to support a cause:

1. Making in-kind donations 73%

2. Buying a product that supports a cause 58%

3. Writing a check 57%

4. Volunteering 40%

5. Attending a fundraiser 28%

- Business Wire

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