Profit

AS I NEVER tire of reminding people, it's called "show business ," not "show art. " Which is why the current 12-day run of "Les Miserables" at the Academy of Music - which opened Wednesday, a mere eight days after the Christmas Day debut of its cinematic offspring - is hardly a matter of cosmic happenstance. "It was totally planned. It was very much part of the strategy," admitted Matt Wolf who, as vice president of programming and theatrical presentations for the Kimmel Center, is responsible for the organization's Broadway series.

WASHINGTON - U.S. banks are ending the year with their best profits since 2006 and fewer failures than at any other time since the financial crisis struck in 2008. They are helping to support an economy slowed by high unemployment, flat pay, sluggish manufacturing, and anxious consumers. Signs of the industry's gains: Banks are earning more. In the July-September quarter, the industry's earnings reached $37.6 billion, up from $35.3 billion a year earlier. It was the best showing since the July-September quarter of 2006, long before the financial meltdown.

The inherent - but difficult to resolve - conflict in for-profit medicine and drugmaking shows up in many places, and one is the way vaccines are made and delivered in the world's poorest countries. "We need to find a way to de-link research and development of innovative drugs and profits," said Kate Elder, a Philadelphia native and vaccines policy adviser for Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French name Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). "We think the R&D model is not serving the needs of people in the places that MSF serves.

Just as hearings are about to begin on the six applicants vying for the city's second casino license, SugarHouse finished just eighth out of 11 statewide venues last month in gross slots revenue, generating $14.7 million. It was the same amount the casino reported in November 2011, according to figures released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Parx in Bensalem, the state's top-grossing casino, made $29.9 million, down just modestly from a year ago, while Harrah's Philadelphia in Chester also had a revenue decline of 2.71 percent, and generated $20.4 million last month.

THEY SEEM to be everywhere - outside gas stations, in mall parking lots, or beside a neighborhood minimarket. They are donated-clothing bins, those sturdy steel containers where you drop off used clothing for the needy. Ever wonder where those old shoes, shirts, belts and coats go? The answers may surprise you. For starters, many of these bins are not run by charities. And most of the stuff you donate isn't given to needy folks in the region. And two groups active in the donated-clothing business have been linked to a cultlike Danish organization that has been investigated by the Danish government and Interpol.

Two Judges, Thousands of Children, and a $2.8 Million Kickback Scheme By William Ecenbarger New Press. 272 pp. $26.95 Reviewed by David W. Marston Zero tolerance. That was Judge Mark A. Ciavarella's rigid formula for dealing with even trivial juvenile misconduct, and the tough boss of "kiddie court" made sure everyone in Scranton knew it. But almost no one - except Ciavarella's coconspirator, President Judge Michael T. Conahan - knew that zero tolerance was also the secret ingredient fueling a lucrative kickback scheme that paid millions to the corrupt judges.

Campbell Soup Co.'s first-quarter revenue rose 8 percent, mostly because of new products in its portfolio through the recent acquisition of Bolthouse Farms of California. But profits declined on transaction and restructuring charges. The sales of V8 juice declined but important U.S. soups climbed 2 percent. The company told investors that supermarket chains and retail stores seemed to stock inventory of Campbell ready-to-serve soup and broth products early for Thanksgiving so that the current quarter's profit growth may lag full-year projections.

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. president Yasuyuki Yoshinaga has become a market darling for something he failed to do: build a factory in China. The maker of Subaru cars, the only major Japanese auto brand without a plant in the world's largest vehicle market, has jumped 81 percent in Tokyo trading this year for the biggest gain on the Nikkei 225 stock average. Fuji Heavy's smaller presence in China has helped shield it from a consumer backlash triggered by a territorial dispute between Asia's two largest economies as its sales in the United States and Japan have surged.

Campbell Soup Co. first-quarter revenue rose 8 percent mostly because of new products in its portfolio with the recent acquisition of Bolthouse Farms of California but profits fell because of transaction and restructuring costs. Denise Morrison, the chief executive officer who was hired in 2011 to jolt the company into a higher-growth mode, said in a conference call the Camden company introduced 50 new products this year, compared with three in 2010, and is targeting younger consumers.

  Pfizer and Teva are the largest branded and generic pharmaceutical companies, respectively, as measured by revenue and both reported lower quarterly profits Thursday. The results are connected, due to patent litigation between the companies. Pfizer Inc. is headquartered in New York and has facilities around Philadelphia. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is based in Israel but has its Americas headquarters in North Wales. Teva swung from a $916 million profit to a $79 million loss in the quarter ending Sept.