NEW YORK (Reuters) – Smart, adventurous lead girl characters like Dora the Explorer and superheroine WordGirl have found time on children’s television, but Hollywood has preferred to keep princesses safe in their turrets.

There’s more than just the self-esteem of girls at stake. TV executives have found young boys have no problem watching shows with girls as lead characters, which can result in improved ratings — and advertising dollars.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – George Steinbrenner, the New York Yankees owner known as “The Boss” for his colorful and tempestuous style, died in Florida at age 80, his family and baseball club said on Tuesday.

Media reports said he suffered a massive heart attack at his home in Tampa and was rushed to hospital.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was named the best small city in the United States in a new poll because of its low unemployment, abundance of lakes and safe streets.

The family-friendly city also boasts job growth of 12.6 percent and 125 miles of running and biking trails, according to Money magazine, which ranked 100 small cities with populations of 50,000 to 300,000 in terms of housing, affordability, safety and economic strength.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – What do you get one of the world’s most famous musicians for his birthday? Former Beatle Ringo Starr, who celebrated being 70 years-old on Wednesday, wants a little peace and love.

Starting in 2008, Starr began asking his fans to say “Peace and Love” at noon on July 7, wherever they were. This year, the drummer was at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square to continue spreading his message.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Groups that care for Great Danes are preparing for a surge of rejected dogs, expecting the Hollywood movie “Marmaduke” will spur adoptions — then abandonments — of cute puppies which can grow to 170 lbs and eat 10 cups of food a day.

The film, about an adorable yet clumsy pooch, debuted in theaters last month but stumbled at box offices. Still, it is prompting some demand for the breed, and dog groups are cautioning people that few families realize the resources needed to care for the big animals and can become overwhelmed.

By Chelsea Emery

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – Forget California dreaming. Colorado offers the best quality of life and job possibilities, according to a study released on Wednesday.

Boulder, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs took three spots out of 10 in an analysis of mid-sized cities with healthy economies, moderate living costs, light traffic and strong educational systems, according to business news website Portfolio.com.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Women claimed three of the top five spots in Forbes’ magazine’s 2010 Celebrity power list, with singer Lady Gaga making her first entry and Oprah Winfrey retaking her No.1 position.

Talk show host Winfrey earned an estimated $315 million, putting her atop the annual Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list for the fourth time. Winfrey reclaimed the No. 1 spot from 2009 winner Angelina Jolie, who fell to 18th in the latest ranking.

NEW YORK, June 28 (Reuters) – Luxury hotel chain Mandarin
Oriental International Ltd (MOIL.SI: Quote, Profile, Research) is planning on almost
doubling its international presence in the next three years and
sees China as a major focus, the company said on Monday.

“It’s a huge leap for us,” said Jill Kluge, group director
of brand communications.

NEW YORK, June 23 (Reuters) – U.S. corporate bankruptcies
have fallen by more than half this year as loosening credit
markets and an improving economy have brightened the outlook
for beleaguered companies — and brought stress to
restructuring professionals.

In the first six months of this year, 50 publicly traded
companies filed for Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S.
courts. That’s down from 118 a year earlier, according to
BankruptcyData.com.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Barclays Plc chief executive said on Tuesday that he would not have recommended the purchase of Lehman Brothers’ core U.S. brokerage business if the deal did not show a gain for Barclays, or at least an even exchange.

“We needed to be able to establish to the board and to regulators that there was a buffer between the” value of trading assets and trading liabilities, Barclays Chief Executive John Varley testified in U.S. bankruptcy court.