Senate approves raising federal debt limit to $14.3 trillion

The Senate agreed Thursday to raise the legal limit on government borrowing to a record $14.3 trillion, a total that would permit the Treasury Department to cover the nation's bills through the end of this year.

Ex-prime minister of France acquitted of charges in slander trial

PARIS -- Former prime minister Dominique de Villepin was acquitted Thursday of involvement in a plot to smear his main political rival, President Nicolas Sarkozy, with fraudulent documents suggesting Sarkozy was corrupt.

Toyota concedes quality took back seat to 'speedy moves' to global growth

TOKYO -- Toyota sacrificed quality for global growth and got burned.

State of the Union proposals by President Obama

In addition to urging Congress to finish work on financial reform, health-care legislation, climate-change legislation and a job-creation bill, President Obama also proposed:

Obama's 2010 State of the Union address fact-checked

"We've excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions. But we cannot stop there. It's time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or Congress."

Federal Reserve leaves key interest rate unchanged

The Federal Reserve left its target interest rate near zero and will continue winding down its unconventional programs, the central bank said Wednesday -- though there were new signs of internal disagreement about how much longer to continue its extreme efforts to support the economy.

First State of the Union speech by President Obama: 'We face a deficit of trust'

President Obama delivered an urgent plea for unity on Wednesday night during his first State of the Union address, seeking to recapture the energy that propelled him into office and to reverse his party's trajectory after a series of recent setbacks.

General Dynamics reports small increase in earnings

General Dynamics said its fourth-quarter profit rose less than 1 percent, to $614 million, from $612 million a year earlier. Revenue also rose less than 1 percent, to $7.9 billion.

Central banks end crisis lending measures

The Bank of England said that it and other major central banks are ending emergency lending arrangements put in place with the U.S. Federal Reserve in the wake of the global credit crisis, citing improvements in financial markets.

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Treasury Secretary Geithner defends handling of AIG rescue

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner pushed back Wednesday against lawmakers upset about his role in rescuing American International Group and defended decisions that allowed the company's trading partners on Wall Street and abroad to walk away with billions in taxpayer dollars as a result of t...

Toyota stops production, sales of 8 models for gas pedal problem

Toyota took the extraordinary step Tuesday of suspending the manufacture and sale of eight of its most popular models because of an unresolved mechanical flaw that might cause the accelerator to get perilously stuck in the depressed position.