Yesterday, six jurors in Indianapolis began to consider whether to hold major tobacco companies liable for the 1987 death of Richard Rogers, a local lawyer.

Today, the White House could give the Food and Drug Administration tough new powers to control the sale of cigarettes in an attempt to curb teen-age smoking.

Furthermore, the fear that a high-profile federal crackdown on cigarettes could affect how the six Indianans decide their case is giving tobacco companies and investors the willies.