Economy

Cost of a Disney vacation makes you queasy? Why not opt instead for the nausea you get from the spinning rides at your neighborhood carnival? NPR's David Schaper found plenty to keep the kids happy at a local fair (and a beer tent for the grown-ups).

Cost of a Disney vacation makes you queasy? Why not opt instead for the nausea you get from the spinning rides at your neighborhood carnival? NPR's David Schaper found plenty to keep the kids happy at a local fair (and a beer tent for the grown-ups).

Major League Baseball comes with a major price tag, so check out a less expensive minor league game. The snacks are cheaper, the players are more accessible, and the fans are just as enthusiastic.

Major League Baseball comes with a major price tag, so check out a less expensive minor league game. The snacks are cheaper, the players are more accessible, and the fans are just as enthusiastic.

The Obama administration wants to expand the powers of the Federal Reserve as part of its efforts to overhaul the financial regulatory system. Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman William Donaldson, who opposes that plan, says the Fed should focus on monetary policy.

The Obama administration wants to expand the powers of the Federal Reserve as part of its efforts to overhaul the financial regulatory system. Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman William Donaldson, who opposes that plan, says the Fed should focus on monetary policy.

In all, 21 Chrysler and General Motors plants will be closed permanently or idled over the next few years. In addition to the loss of thousands of jobs, the closures can mean a substantial drop in tax revenue for affected communities. Some cities converted the vacant auto plants into other businesses in an attempt to reinvent their economies.

When Congress passed a new law to give people up to $4,500 to junk their old cars and buy new, more efficient ones, the auto industry cheered. But some charities say they'll be the unintended victims of this program, and so will the low-income people they try to help.

Summers in Phoenix can be long and lethal for those who can't escape the heat. Those who live in it say the heat makes them irritable, disoriented and unable to eat. Even at night, the temperature can hover in the lower 90s.

Some economists say the additional $20 billion allocated to the federal food stamp program is a smart way to boost spending in a recession — especially with 4.8 million new people getting aid. But critics say a real economic kick-start will take a lot more money.