BRIEFCASE BOOKSTORE BOSS JUMPS TO EATERY.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

CALABASAS - Michael P. Berry will be trading books for the bakery as he takes over as president and chief operating officer of The Cheesecake Factory Inc.

The restaurant and bakery chain announced Tuesday that the former president of Barnes and Noble Booksellers will join its senior management team, continuing a career that also includes a three-year stint as senior vice president of operations at the Disneyland Resort and Downtown Disney.

Kodak reaffirms deal with Disney

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Eastman Kodak Co. signed a multiyear agreement with The Walt Disney Co., renewing its long-standing relationship as the exclusive imaging supplier of film and related products at Disney theme parks and resorts in the United States and France, as well as for the Disney Cruise Line.

Under the agreement, Kodak will continue to sponsor attractions in each of Disney's theme parks.

Shareholders get Kmart case voice

DETROIT - The U.S. Trustee's Office on Tuesday approved the formation of a committee to represent Kmart Corp. shareholders in bankruptcy proceedings.

Shareholder Ronald W. Burkle had asked for a committee, saying that having their own committee will allow shareholders to take part in determining the reorganization value of Kmart. Burkle said neither Kmart nor the creditors committee can adequately represent public shareholders.

T-bill rates trend stable, downward

WASHINGTON - Interest rates on short-term Treasury securities were mixed in Tuesday's auction.

The Treasury Department sold $17 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 1.73 percent, unchanged from last week. An additional $15 billion was sold in six-month bills at a rate of 1.89 percent, down from 1.90 percent.

The six-month rate was the lowest since May 13, when the rate was 1.87 percent.

In a separate report, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday that the average yield for one-year constant maturity Treasury bills, the most popular index for making changes in adjustable rate mortgages, dipped to 2.38 percent last week from 2.40 percent the previous week.

Pump problems drive BMW recall

MUNICH, Germany - German carmaker BMW AG is recalling several thousand of its new luxury 7-series cars worldwide to check for potential fuel-pump and valve problems, a spokesman said Tuesday.

About 15,000 cars could be affected by the pump problem, which ``may lead to the motor not getting enough fuel and the vehicle stalling,'' spokesman Alfred Broede said.

Vivendi's board to pursue clarity

Amid the continuing turmoil at Vivendi Universal of France, the company's board is scheduled to meet today in New York to try to resolve some of the uncertainties.

The board's most definitive action is expected to come in rejecting the idea of holding another shareholder meeting this year. In April, Vivendi said the electronic voting system used at its annual meeting in Paris had been tampered with, leading to the defeat of two important shareholder resolutions.

A French court ruled that Vivendi could submit the resolutions to another vote, but only if the company scheduled another shareholder meeting. The original meeting attracted about 4,000 people.

But faced with the expense of another meeting as well as the prospect of riling shareholders again, directors are expected to vote against another gathering and let the resolutions die for now.