As good as 2007 was to Pennsylvania's two big public pension funds, 2008 has been the polar opposite, pummeling the state's funds and most other large defined-benefit retirement plans. (Today)

If the United States doesn't get its finances in order, the coming years will make the current recession "look like a child's birthday party," said former Treasury secretary and Alcoa chairman Paul O'Neill. (Today)

The $34 billion bailout package the Big Three automakers are requesting from Congress includes the elimination of several brands, the closing of dealerships and an enhanced emphasis on hybrids and electric cars. (Today)

Pittsburgh continued to hold its own in the gloomy workplace as the unemployment rate here inched up to 5.5 percent in October, well below the state and national rates of 5.8 and 6.5 percent, respectively. (Today)

If ever there were an automotive equivalent of a comfy pair of house slippers, it's Volvo's station wagons. (Today)