Retailers are expected to have one of the worst holiday seasons in years as consumers cope with job uncertainty and the nerve-racking stock market, which lost $10 trillion in value between October 2007 and November. ...more

December 25, 2008

Alaska's Beluga Whales Gain Federal Protection WASHINGTON - The federal government on Friday placed the beluga whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, concluding that a decade-long recovery program has failed to ensure their survival. ...more

October 18, 2008

It may have taken longer and it may not be as acute, but there are early hints that the economic slump is crimping the lifestyles of the wealthy. ...more

August 4, 2008

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have reached an agreement that grants the pop singer more visits with her children and averts a custody trial that was scheduled for next month, attorneys said Friday. ...more

July 19, 2008

Rich Americans build backyard home theaters. British millionaires join exclusive car clubs. But the newly affluent in China, Russia, India and the United Arab Emirates have embraced a surprising status symbol: American furniture. ...more

October 28, 2007