Police: UPS executive accused of rape kills self

A vice president for shipping giant UPS who was accused of raping a 21-year-old Indiana University student over homecoming weekend has committed suicide in Georgia, police said Monday.

NY jurors deliberate at hedge fund trial

A jury began deliberations Monday at the trial of two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers charged with lying to investors.

Ex-SEC lawyer pleads guilty in NY Marc Dreier case

A former lawyer with the enforcement division of the Securities and Exchange Commission pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring with a prominent Manhattan lawyer to dupe hedge funds out of tens of millions of dollars.

46% of South Florida homeowners are `underwater'

Nearly half of all owners of single-family homes in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area were underwater at the end of the third quarter, meaning their homes were valued at less than the mortgages owed against them.

Holiday airfares may be close to last year's, but bag fees are up

If holiday travelers on the same plane compare what they paid to fly, they're likely to find quite a spread, depending on when they bought their tickets.

Hotel rates down 8.8 percent this year

U.S. hotel room prices are expected to drop a total of 8.8 percent in 2009 compared to 2008 and will continue creeping down in 2010, though at a much slower rate, according to the 2010 lodging forecast from PricewaterhouseCoopers Hospitality & Leisure Practice.

Notice price gouging related to Ida? Report it

Floridians are asked to report anything that appears to be price-gouging related to Tropical Storm Ida.

Under Florida law, it is illegal to charge exorbitant or excessive prices for essential items -- including shelter, gasoline, food, water, ice, generators or lumber -- following the declaration of an emergency, unless the increases in the amount charged can be attributed to additional costs for retailers.

Expanding drug treatment: Is US ready to step up?

Based on the rhetoric, America's war on drugs seems poised to shift into a more enlightened phase where treatment of addicts gains favor over imprisonment of low-level offenders. Questions abound, however, about the nation's readiness to turn the talk into reality.

W.Va.'s Sen. Rockefeller stands behind coal

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller says current federal energy legislation doesn't do enough to protect West Virginia's coal industry.

NJ candy factory flips switch on new solar array

Those green M&Ms are getting greener.

Economic forecasts in bank tests miss their mark

All but one of the 19 largest banks have raised the extra capital cushion regulators said they'd need to withstand a deeper recession - a sign, the Treasury secretary said, of how much the financial system has improved since the crisis began. 1257811979

Texas Gov. Perry: Cap-and-trade would harm state

Texas Gov. Rick Perry told renewable energy industry officials that a cap-and-trade climate bill in Congress would increase taxes and devastate the state's energy sector.

Gospel's Bobby Jones donates recordings worth $6M

Gospel music singer Bobby Jones has donated an estimated $6 million worth of recordings to Tennessee State University, his alma mater.

Advocates want public input on Empire rate request

Consumer advocates say the public should be ready to express its opposition to Empire District Electric Co.'s proposed rate hike for Kansas customers.

FTI Consulting accelerates $250M share buyback

FTI Consulting Inc. said Monday it has agreed to accelerate the repurchase of $250 million of its stock from Goldman, Sachs & Co.

More job cuts planned at Star Tribune

The Star Tribune is cutting about 100 jobs as Minnesota's largest newspaper further trims costs after emerging from bankruptcy protection.

On the Call: Dish Network CEO Charles Ergen

Dish Network Corp. delighted investors Monday by declaring a special dividend of $2 per share, even as its third-quarter results failed to impress Wall Street.

Abortion could roil Senate health care debate

Abortion opponents in the Senate are seeking tough restrictions in the health care overhaul bill, a move that could roil a shaky Democratic effort to pass President Barack Obama's signature issue by year's end. 1257821277

Microsoft to buy SourceGear assets

Microsoft Corp. said Monday it will buy some assets of SourceGear LLC that will bolster its software design products.