The Alien Tort Statute dates to George Washington's era. Today, however, it worries some executives in charge of global operations. Their concern: the 18th-century law could make contemporary business liable at home for the bad behavior of their employees around the globe.

Are violence and murder part of global business? Some overseas labor leaders say yes, and they're suing American companies in U.S. courts. Several lawsuits alleging violation of the revolutionary era law are awaiting trial in federal courts, according to an article in USA Today.

"The lawsuits have set up a showdown over whether boardrooms in the USA should pay big-money verdicts for crimes not prosecuted in countries where corruption and violence are often seen as a cost of doing business," writes Alan Gomez.

Sam Zell has gotten really rich without my help. But I have to wonder what is motivating the "grave dancer" to buy Tribune Co. (NYSE:TRB).

Of all of the things that that Zell could spend with the billions he's earned from the sale of his Equity Office Properties company, Tribune seems to be an odd choice. I know he's from Chicago and Tribune, owner of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, is based there. But it's going to take more than civic pride to turn around Tribune.

The trends in the newspaper business are lousy. Though publishers are gaining Internet advertising revenue, it's not at a fast enough rate to off-set the decline in their core print business. Young people don't read papers and probably aren't going to start anytime soon.

Maybe Zell can prove naysayers like me wrong. Maybe private equity players will take an interest in Gannett Co. (NYSE:GCI), New York Times Co. (NYSE:NYT), and other publishers. But the newspapers continue to decline at faster rates than even the most pessimistic forecasts.

As the New York Times points out today, newspapers had an awful February. Advertising plunged 14 percent at USA Today, 7.5 percent at the Times (where I've done freelance writing), 5 percent at Tribune and McClatchy Co. (NYSE:MNI). Believe it or not before investors LIKED McClatchy before it acquired Knight Ridder last year.

I don't know what Zell and the members of the billionaire boys club who suddenly fancy themselves as William Randolph Hearst think they can do as publishers that the current crop of managers haven't already tried. Tribune, whose papers are mostly based in big cities where competition for readers is intense, seems like a particularly difficult company to turn around.

Like I said earlier, Zell has done fine in his career without my help. I only hope he understands the rough road ahead for Tribune.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• A full page advertisement by CVS Corporation (NYSE: CVS) in this morning's Wall Street Journal (subscription required) warned Caremark Rx Inc (NYSE: CMX) shareholders that their "[investments] would be at risk" under Express Scripts' (NASDAQ: ESRX) proposal and recommended the CVS/Caremark merger. Also in the Journal:
• Investors at Clear Channel Communications Inc (NYSE: CCU) believe they are being short changed and have started a showdown with private equity buyers.
• The NYSE Group Inc (NYSE: NYX) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange are expected to announce an alliance.
• US Airways Group (NYSE: LCC) may increase its offer for Delta Air Lines (OTC: DALRQ).
• The Financial Times (subscription required) featured articles on News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) and Corus Group ADS (NYSE: CGA).
• News Corp's MySpace is close to launching local versions in Canada and Mexico.
• Tata Steel is expected to top CSN's offer for Corus Group at a takeover auction on Tuesday.

OTHER PAPERS:

• USA Today wrote that two years ago, Verizon Communications' (NYSE: VZ) Verizon Wireless turned down the opportunity to be the exclusive distributor of the iPhone in the U.S. because of Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) financial terms and other demands.
• Investor's Business Daily's "New America" column mentioned Universal Stainless & Alloy Products (NASDAQ: USAP) positively, writing that Universal is looking to expand abraod with little foreign competition. The specialty steel products company focuses on the aerospace and power industries and named Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) as a key customer.

Thinking of taking up golf to improve your chances of climbing the corporate ladder? Better think twice.

Hitting the links could soon become a sore subject in corporate boardrooms, thanks to a new study by USA Today that looks at the stock prices of companies where the CEO is listed among the top golfers in Golf Digest magazine. Apparently, having a CEO who enjoys a good game of golf does more to hamper than help a company's share price.

USA Today reports that eight of the 12 companies who have CEOs with the lowest golf handicaps have performed worse than the S&P 500.

Should this really be a surprise? Any duffer or golf widow (of which I am a very occasional member of that club) knows that golf is a colossal waste of time. It usually doesn't make for a very good workout. Furthermore, participants often end up in a foul mood and suffering from a crippling lack of confidence.

What could be worse for business?

Of course, when you examine the companies listed -- EGL (shipping), UPS (package delivery), and Dollar General, to name a few -- it's pretty clear that their stock slump this year has a lot more to do with being in economically sensitive industries than having a CEO who shoots near par.

CEOs interviewed by USA Today are quick to explain that they only golf on the weekends or vacations and find it a valuable way to relax (yeah, right -- golf has to be the least relaxing game on the planet). They say there is no correlation between golf and the stock performance. But 71% admit they've done business with someone they played golf with.

Maybe playing golf is, in fact, a good way to get ahead in the corporate world. But once you reach the the CEO level, best to keep your sticks locked in the car trunk where they belong.