DAILY BRIEFING

COX, EXCITE ANNOUNCE DEAL: Cox Communications Inc. and Excite(AT)Home announced the launch of Cox(AT)Home2000, an enhancement to existing Cox(AT)Home Internet service that now features content from the Excite portal. Cox(AT)Home2000, a digital high-speed cable service, offers Internet connections at speeds between 1.5mbps to 3mbps, depending on the density of users. Excite, like other portals such as Yahoo!, offers lifestyle news, features and activities.
NAVY REQUESTS EXTRA SHIP REPAIR FUNDS: The Navy's top leadership asked Congress to add $220 million to this year's supplemental budget bills to meet ship repair costs. Adm. Jay Johnson, chief of naval operations, told the House Appropriations Committee that the Navy's lack of funds is an emergency because so much repair work has been deferred. Hampton Roads shipyards would welcome the extra money. Norshipco said this week it will lay off up to 200 workers in the next two weeks after the Navy cancelled repairs to a drydock because it lacked the money.
NUCLEAR PLANT BID: Entergy Corp., a New Orleans-based utility owner expanding into the Northeast, boosted its bid to buy to New York nuclear reactors to $1.12 billion from $806 million, topping a $946 million offer from Richmond-based Dominion Resources Inc. Entergy agreed Feb. 14 to buy two reactors from the New York Power Authority. Dominion then made a higher, unsolicited offer, prompting NYPA to open the sale to other bidders. No other bidders emerged. The authority, which provides a quarter of New York state's power, could choose the winning bid at its Monday board meeting.
STOUT BOYCOTT:
On the day to celebrate all things Irish, the most popular Irish beer was not available at some Philadelphia pubs. At least 10 local Irish bars are refusing to serve some Guinness Bass Import Co. products - the Irish brew Guinness and the English beers Bass and Harp - because of the company's involvement in starting up new Irish theme bars around the country. Four bars have taken the additional step of discontinuing Guinness Stout, the company's premier dark-bodied beer. At issue is Guinness' commercial development division, which the pub owners describe as a sort of incubator for new bars.