Latest Headlines

Bank of America CEO's strategy: Hoard cash for next 6 months

Ken Lewis of Bank of America joined three other prominent North Carolina business executives at a roundtable on Wednesday in predicting a business recovery in 2009. But until then prudence should be the watchword. What will drive a recovery: low interest rates and a bottoming of the housing market. » read more

In Olathe, retailers report good sales despite economy

The holiday shopping season kicked off with a bang nationally on Black Friday. According to ShopperTrak RCT, shoppers drove total retail sales up 3 percent over 2007, just days before the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the U.S. economy is officially in a recession. » read more

Christmas tree sales enjoy a growth spurt

Shoppers may buy fewer holiday gifts this year, but they don't appear to be skimping on Christmas trees. Local tree farms say opening weekend Christmas tree sales have far outpaced last year's numbers. » read more

Middle class has been shrinking for decades

Well, the economists finally made it official this week: We're in a recession. And, guess what? They said it began a year ago. » read more

America confronts the crisis

• · Help arrives for the newly needy
• · NC's Mecklenburg county could face bond debt problems
• · Myrtle Beach pets lose in downturn
• · Cruise lines slash prices to entice consumers
• · Pelosi says Congress won't let Big 3 carmakers go bankrupt
• · Florida, banks halt foreclosures for 45 days
• · Frugal folks fix what they've got
• · Auto slump hits hard in car-mecca California
• · With economy souring, illegal immigrants going home
• · Not everyone is a loser in today's struggling economy
• · Merced's food bank doing brisk business
• · N. Carolina bickers over who can sue Freddie Mac over losses
• · Borrowers move as new bailout plan drops mortgage rates
• · N. Carolina governor says new state buildings will create jobs