Last November, more than 60 percent of voters on the San Francisco Peninsula supported a $9.9 billion bond measure to help pay for a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and the Los Angeles area.

When owners of the Empire State Building decided to blanket its towering facade this year with thousands of insulating windows, they were only partly interested in saving energy.

For Joe Kiely, the drone of thousands of trucks passing his Colorado plains town signals economic prosperity.

A date doesn't need to break the bank, especially as potential partners are increasingly likely to value substance over style during the recession.

Credit the recession for staycations and bringing us more game-night parties at home. But also give it a shout for spurring more first dates.

A firm appointed by Antiguan authorities to liquidate the assets of R. Allen Stanford's offshore Caribbean bank has won control of assets in the U.K. worth more than $100 million, a defeat for a U.S.-appointed receiver in an ongoing fight over jurisdiction in the case.

A firm appointed by Antiguan authorities to liquidate the assets of R. Allen Stanford's offshore Caribbean bank has won control of assets in the U.K. worth more than $100 million, a defeat for a U.S.-appointed receiver in an ongoing fight over jurisdiction in the case.

Hong Kong lawmakers said Saturday they would be unwilling to approve a plan to expand the city's Disneyland unless the government and Walt Disney Co. tell them how the theme park has performed since it opened in 2005.

Negotiations for the sale of General Motors Corp.'s unit Adam Opel GmbH to Canadian autoparts maker Magna are progressing well and should soon be complete, the head of GM Europe said in remarks released Saturday.

The economic downturn is allowing Malaysia's leader to chip away at an affirmative action program for Malay Muslims that has been considered virtually untouchable in the past.

The Saturday Evening Post, a centuries-old publication that helped make illustrator Norman Rockwell a household name and showcased some of America's greatest writers, is returning to its roots to show readers the value of a quiet read in an increasingly frenetic digital age.

President Hugo Chavez's government assumed control of Venezuela's third-largest bank on Friday - making the state the largest player in the nation's banking system.

That old saying "cash is king" certainly rings true these days. Investors can't seem to get enough of it, which ultimately could be bad news for the stock market and the economy.

Malt-O-Meal Co. is voluntarily recalling oatmeal that contains instant nonfat dry milk that may be contaminated with salmonella.

Tropicana Las Vegas has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with new owners.

Casket makers catering to natural burials have offered biodegradable coffins made of such materials as recycled newspapers or cardboard. Ecoffins USA, based in Montrose, Colo., is selling caskets made of banana sheaves.

Cummins Inc. is recalling 400 laid-off workers as it resumes production at a Columbus factory, while nearly 300 people lost their jobs as an auto parts company idled a plant in nearby Shelbyville.

The Founding Fathers left one legacy not celebrated on Independence Day but which affects us all. It's the national debt.

Canada's finance minister said Friday that the country's economic recovery will likely be modest and job losses will mount into 2010 even after growth has begun.

British Airways PLC announced Friday it will ground aircraft, slash seat numbers and postpone taking delivery of a dozen new Airbus A380 superjumbos as it faces a recession-driven decline in passengers.

Her fellow job seekers offer knowing groans as Diane Castro recalls the day she was laid off: The fear of being summoned to the front office. The phones in nearby cubicles going off like grenades. Finally, a ring at her desk.

HealthSouth Corp. is accusing fired chief executive Richard Scrushy of hiding money in offshore bank accounts and transferring assets out of his name to avoid paying court judgments.

Meridian Automotive Systems is idling a central Indiana factory, putting 295 people out of work.

By all accounts, Shiner beer shouldn't have made it this long. The Spoetzl Brewery ferments its brew in a one-stoplight town that's not on the way to anywhere, and much larger regional brewers long ago succumbed to consolidation and the muscle of national brewers.