41.   The judge had summoned Morales and the executives for a status report on any possible settlement.

42.   The negotiations by the tobacco industry for a possible settlement of nearly all smoking-related litigation are playing out against a complex backdrop of legal disputes.

43.   The new estimates do not include the effects of a possible settlement with the FDA.

44.   The possible settlement of tobacco lawsuits is a deal with the devil that will keep hell well lit for an eternity.

45.   The ruling started an outpouring of discussion about a possible out-of-court settlement.

46.   U.S. stocks were mixed as a decline in Intel Corp. offset early gains spurred by a flurry of acquisitions and a possible settlement of anti-smoking lawsuits.

47.   U.S. stocks were mixed as declining computer shares offset gains spurred by a flurry of acquisitions and a possible settlement of anti-smoking lawsuits.

48.   Volkswagen, based in Wolfsburg, Germany, apparently hoped that such a finding might clear the way to a revival of communications with GM about a possible settlement.

49.   Western diplomats said that Chirac and Bush had discussed Nagorno-Karabakh at length and that the French president was guardedly optimistic about a possible settlement.

50.   Word of a possible settlement was first reported Wednesday in The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.