Last spring, the cigar industry fretted that the federal government might tax so-called "little cigars" into oblivion. ...more

November 4, 2009

Bail Out Postal Service Stressed by the economy and competition from the Internet and private shipping companies, officials from the U.S. Postal Service have asked Congress for permission to scale back deliveries from six to five days a week, in order to dramatically cut costs. They are considering not delivering on Tuesdays, according to one report. ...more

February 28, 2009

As federal investigators searched the debris of Continental Connection Flight 3407, questions lingered over the use of the plane's autopilot system during icy conditions. ...more

February 15, 2009

E-Track Vehicles The Department of Justice says an online system allowing consumers to track a vehicle's detailed history, including whether it was stolen, will go live on Friday. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System will be accessible for a fee through third-party Web sites. The department says the system will help consumers and law enforcement track brand history, odometer data and other vehicle background information to ensure it is not stolen and prevent fraud. ...more

January 30, 2009

Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. sold more cars and trucks last year than General Motors Corp., stripping the Detroit automaker of the No. 1 global sales crown. But it's a victory made hollow by the overall industry's continued struggle for viability amid one of its worst sales declines ever. ...more

January 21, 2009

Easier auto loans for more people. The struggling financing arm of General Motors Corp., rescued by $5 billion in federal aid on Monday, plans to use some of the money to make cars and trucks more affordable to a larger pool of customers. ...more

December 31, 2008

Hard-line opponents of an auto industry bailout branded the industry a "dinosaur" whose "day of reckoning" is near, while Democrats pledged Sunday to do their best to get Detroit a slice of the $700 billion Wall Street rescue in this week's lame-duck session of Congress. ...more

November 17, 2008

Outback Steakhouse's parent company, OSI Restaurant Partners, posted a huge loss of nearly $177 million in its second quarter, much of it related to a reduction in the company's value, but also triggered by a steep drop in restaurant sales. ...more

August 16, 2008

TAMPA Outback Steakhouse's parent company, OSI Restaurant Partners, posted a huge loss of nearly $177 million in its second quarter, much of it related to a reduction in the company's value, but also triggered by a steep drop in restaurant sales. ...more

August 15, 2008

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on Thursday cut its ratings for all three of the U.S.-based automakers further into junk status, citing worries about their mounting cash losses and the continued deterioration of the U.S. auto market. ...more

August 1, 2008