Business and Finance
A UNION CARBIDE STAKE totaling more than 5% has been acquired by GAF Corp., which didn't give any indication of its plans. Separately, Carbide said a computer designed to track leaks wasn't programmed to monitor the chemical that spewed from a plant Sunday.</br></br>Retail sales rose a modest 0.4% in July after plunging a revised 1.4% in June, offering only faint hope for an economic pickup in the second half. Housing-related industries showed strength in July, reflecting lower interest rates, but car sales fell.</br></br>---</br></br>AT&T may announce layoffs at its computer and office telephone equipment arm, AT&T Information Systems, according to sources close to the company, with estimates ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 employees.</br></br>---