Late payments on credit cards drop in 3rd quarter
NEW YORK (AP) -- For the first time in a decade, more people paid their credit card bills on time in the third quarter this year than in the second quarter....

Program to help truckers attracts drug smugglers
LAREDO, Texas (AP) -- A U.S. program that offers trusted trucking companies speedy passage across American borders has begun attracting just the sort of customer who places a premium on avoiding inspections: Mexican drug smugglers....

Bio-fuel growth raises concerns about forests
PARK FALLS, Wis. (AP) -- Forests are a treasure trove of limbs and bark that can be made into alternative fuels and some worry the increasing trend of using that logging debris will make those materials too scarce, harming the woodlands....

New olive planting method prompts Calif. oil boom
ARTOIS, Calif. (AP) -- An oil boom is under way in California's agricultural heartland, as evolving tastes and a trend toward healthy fare have transformed a profession as old as civilization: olive production for the extra virgin market....

Economic survey: Job losses to bottom out in 1Q
Economists expect the joblessness that has weighed down the nation's economic recovery will start to slowly abate in 2010, but they predict consumers will continue to keep a tight rein on spending, according to a new survey....

Miners' families want answers in China mine blast
HEGANG, China (AP) -- Grieving family members demanded answers Monday from mining officials about the underground gas explosion that left at least 104 men dead in northeastern China....

Gaps for consumers in Democrat health care bills
WASHINGTON (AP) -- For consumers, the health care bills taking final shape in Congress don't rate close to a perfect 10....

Holidays will again test NYC air travel bottleneck
NEW YORK (AP) -- Fewer people are expected to fly this holiday season, but travelers shouldn't expect a full reprieve from the horrid flight delays of Thanksgivings past, especially if they need to land anywhere near New York City....

Investors look to data-heavy week for more clarity
NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors are heading toward the final month of the year with more questions about the economy than they had just a few weeks ago....

Rising unemployment taxes could hinder hiring
WASHINGTON (AP) -- As if small businesses needed another reason not to hire, consider their latest financial burden: The cost of rising unemployment itself....