Warner Bros.' tantalizing Web marketing campaign for the next movie installment of "Batman" took an unexpected turn when Heath Ledger, the 28-year-old actor playing the Joker in "The Dark Knight," was found dead in a New York apartment Tuesday. The campaign has been largely built around Ledger's Joker, even though Christian Bale returns as Batman. The Joker character became film legend in an earlier incarnation of the "Batman" series, when Jack Nicholson won praise for his deranged take on the villain. Ledger's eagerly anticipated portrayal is said to take the character to a darker level of violence and intensity. …

The American Heart Association--which last week came to the defense of Vytorin after a study found that it worked no better than cheap Zocor alone in reducing artery plaque--was itself questioned yesterday when it was revealed that it receives nearly $2 million a year from Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, the joint venture that markets Vytorin. The House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to send letters today to the association and Merck/Schering-Plough asking about their relationship. A letter will also be sent to the American College of Cardiology, a much smaller group, which also receives drug industry money and which also released …

A.G. Lafley, president and CEO of Procter & Gamble, has used his experiences to deepen his mastery and to nurture his originality, writes Roger Martin in his new book, "The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking." Lafley deepens his understanding of consumers by repeatedly listening to their needs and wants, taking responsive action, and measuring the results against expectations to hone his understanding. His mastery was essential during an internal battle in 1984, when he saw good reason for breaking precedent in the naming of the new liquid version of Tide laundry detergent. The …

A mass reorganization of Wal-Mart's apparel division is expected to eliminate up to 200 jobs in its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters, while shifting others to the expanding New York office. Sources close to and within the retailer say product sourcing jobs and some positions in product development and design may be eliminated as the retailer explores deals with new labels and restructures buying positions. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley says that no decisions have been made. She previously said buyers would remain in Bentonville, but product strategy, design and merchandising would be directed from the New York office under …

There's no denying the audacity of the bid of the Indian company Tata to buy Jaguar and Land Rover--the company has never sold a car in the U.S.--but there's also no denying its distinguished pedigree. Tata Group is a huge conglomerate of 98 companies producing everything from tea to steel and solar power with annual revenues around $30 billion. The implausibility of the bid was magnified when Tata rolled out its newest product--a tiny, stripped-down car that will sell for a mere $2,500. So few Americans have heard of Tata because much of its fortune has been made selling …