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U.S. markets make tentative gains

NEW YORK, June 23 (UPI) -- U.S. markets edged up Tuesday, following a sharp sell off in the previous session that pushed the Dow Jones industrial average down 2.35 percent.

Tuesday began with tentative gains. In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average added 21.84 points, or 0.26 percent, to 8,360.85. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 0.42 percent, 3.75 points, to 896.79. The Nasdaq composite index gained 6.07 points, 0.34 percent, to 1,772.26.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bond fell 5/32 to yield 3.703 percent.

The euro fell to $1.4009, compared to Monday's $1.3866. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar fell to 95.72 yen, compared to Monday's 95.92 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei average lost 276.66 points to 9,549.61, down 2.82 percent.

Bankruptcy gives GM, Chrysler immunity

NEW YORK, June 23 (UPI) -- More than 3,400 U.S. citizens could be killed or injured in the next 12 months by defective cars that are immune from lawsuits, a safety report said.

The Safety Research & Strategies report, "Public Safety at Risk: Bankruptcies Leave Legacy of Defects, Injuries and Deaths," details the fallout from potential accidents involving the 30 million GM and 10 million Chrysler products still on the road after bankruptcy agreements cancel the ability for accident victims to seek compensation by suing the companies.

"With more than 40 million vehicles in the U.S. fleet, the two companies accounted for 47 percent of all the claims filed against auto manufacturers" between the third quarter of 2003 and the fourth quarter of 2008, the report said.

In that period, Chrysler faced 3,497 death and injury claims. GM faced 15,284.

Post-bankruptcy proceedings, "there is every reason to conclude that the injury and death rates will continue,"" said Sean Kane, president and chief executive officer of Safety Research & Strategies.

"But the claims will disappear," he said.

With GM still in bankruptcy, eight state attorneys general filed an objection in court this week, seeking to keep GM from dodging liability claims.

It's all hush-hush at Apple Inc.

CUPERTINO, Calif., June 23 (UPI) -- News that Apple's chief executive officer had a liver transplant two months ago mirrors the U.S. company's culture of secrecy, company analysts said.

At Apple Inc., "they make everyone super, super paranoid about security," former employee Mark Hamblin told The New York Times Tuesday.

In some meetings, executives have given out incorrect information in order to help them track leaks to the press, the Times said.

Some employees developing products work in areas requiring multiple security checks. Video cameras watch them at work. On some projects, employees are required to cover their work with black cloaks and turn on a red warning light when the cloaks are removed.

"They don't communicate. It's a total black box," said company analyst Gene Munster at Piper Jaffray.

Apple uses its secrecy "to keep the surprise aspect to product launches, which can have a lot of power," said Silicon Valley marketer Regis McKenna.

Lack of disclosure of Jobs' health issues may have violated the law, but he was already on an extended leave and had transferred responsibilities to Chief Operating Officer Timothy Cook before the operation.

Apple has said Jobs would return to work at the end of the month.

Boeing delays launch of 787 Dreamliner

EVERETT, Wash., June 23 (UPI) -- Boeing said the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner in Everett, Wash., would have to wait for production crews to reinforce plane's side-of-body section.

The company said in a statement the plane's long-delayed initial flight and delivery would be rescheduled "following the final determination of the required modification and testing plan."

"Consideration was given to a temporary solution that would allow us to fly as scheduled," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Carson.

However, "we ultimately concluded that the right thing to do was to develop ... a permanent modification."