The $70 million "Dove Chocolate Center of Excellence" has opened just 10 miles from Hershey's flagship factory in Pennsylvania, and Mars is aggressively attacking Hershey on taste, ingredients and its "Made in the U.S.A." credentials.

The financial news this morning is filled with scary words like "panic," "crash" and "dive." And the Los Angeles Times seems to almost be wagging a finger at beleaguered shopkeepers with the headline: "Retailers spread gloom with weak September sales data." But in the "go figure" department, the Detroit News reports that despite Metro Detroit's dismal economy, upscale grocers are flourishing in the region. Whole Foods Market opened in Ann Arbor, Hiller's Markets launched a second store in Commerce Township, and Holiday Market completed a $5 million renovation of its Royal Oak store. "A trip to …

Lexus is looking to build upon its reputation as the luxury segment's greenest brand by moving to a completely hybrid lineup, according to comments made by managing officer Toshio Furutani to Japan's Nikkei business daily, "in the medium to long term." The information backs up statements previously made by Lexus executives in Europe and Australia about the future of the brand as it expands out of the North American market. Meanwhile, the head of Toyota's American sales division says that Toyota may create a separate brand for its Prius hybrid car and could add both larger and …

As television pundits on both sides of the issue yammer away at the increasingly negative tone of the Presidential campaign, top advisers in John McCain's campaign are grappling over how far attacks on Barack Obama should go. Some McCain officials are becoming concerned about the hostility that attacks against Obama are whipping up among Republican supporters, the Journal reports. And the Arizona Republican has rejected pleas from some advisers to launch attacks focusing on Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Some longtime Republicans are befuddled by the decision not to …

Apple is holding an invitation-only press conference Tuesday morning at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. "The spotlight turns to notebooks," the company says in the announcement.

As we head into the weekend, I want to give you a heads-up about a study you may be hearing about from friends who drink and smoke more than is healthy for them. According to findings published in the October edition of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the antioxidants present in red wine may play a key role in the prevention of lung cancer, particularly among smokers. Although expert advice is clearly to avoid tobacco smoke altogether, the results suggest smokers could benefit from moderate consumption of red wine. As is usually the case, those who gleefully cite …

One woman's scoop is a frustrating dead end for the rest of us. Stephanie Clifford writes a compelling story this morning about a new campaign for Vaseline's Clinical Therapy lotion. Vaseline's agency and production company headed up to Kodiak, Alaska, and found the ideal influencer to entrust with the viral marketing of its industrial-strength moisturizer. Then, over the course of nine days of documentary-style shooting, they interviewed residents who had tried the potion on her recommendation. The central question was "how can you use skin as a way into people's lives?" says Justin Wilkes, vp for media and …

We picked up a story last week about Wal-Mart launching Christmas before Halloween by announcing that it was selling 10 popular toys for $10. Predictably, its competitors have parried back. KB Toys, for example, cut prices to $10 or less on more than 200 toys. Amazon and toy sellers it promotes on its sites have also matched prices (not including shipping). Wal-Mart is engaging in a classic loss-leader strategy, the Journal reports. M. Eric Johnson, a Dartmouth College professor who follows the toy business, says it is using cheaper toys to "get people into the stores, but not necessarily …