Woman faces charges (Pittsburgh Live) A Greensburg woman was charged

Woman faces charges (Pittsburgh Live)
A Greensburg woman was charged this week with embezzling $182,287 by forging checks at a Toyota dealership in Unity Township where she worked.

South Bay and Peninsula (San Jose Mercury News)
Afghan Afghani House. 1103 El Camino Real (just past Lawrence Expressway), Sunnyvale; (408) 248-5088. Quiet, dignified, attractive -- and yet, a good bet for school-age kids. Have them try aush, a noodle soup, and buranee-e-kadu, sauteed butternut squash, or one of many rice dishes. Wonderful lamb -- kebabs, chops and ribs. Aushak are delicious dumplings in yogurt and meat sauce. Lunch weekdays,

No sin in taking losses (Market Watch)
BOULDER, Colo. (MarketWatch) -- Taking losses is a tough part of doing business on Wall Street and no one is immune to making mistakes. In fact, professionals know that the sin isn't in taking a loss, but rather not taking a loss and letting a loser continue to eat away at the equity in a portfolio.

Winter Driving Tips From the ExpertsWinter conditions can be challenging

Winter Driving Tips From the Experts
Winter conditions can be challenging for drivers of all skill levels. The editor of Sympatico / MSN Autos Canada offers sound advice from the Great White North.
Marc Lachapelle, with Gerry Malloy for Sympatico / MSN Autos Canada

Winter Driving Tips From the ExpertsWinter conditions can be challenging

Winter Driving Tips From the Experts
Winter conditions can be challenging for drivers of all skill levels. The editor of Sympatico / MSN Autos Canada offers sound advice from the Great White North.
Marc Lachapelle, with Gerry Malloy for Sympatico / MSN Autos Canada

Santa Cruz residents recall city's worst flood 50 years ago (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
SANTA CRUZ Rain had fallen in sheets for five days straight, keeping Ruth Fingal glued to the urgent announce ments crackling from her AM radio. Fingal, then 35, had put her two young children to bed on the night of Dec. 22, 1955 and was slowly heading that way herself.

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, The Carlyle Group and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity Complete $15 Billion Hertz (The Auto Channel)
NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2005 -- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. (CD&R), The Carlyle Group (Carlyle) and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity (MLGPE), announced today that they have completed the acquisition of The Hertz Corporation (Hertz) in a transaction valued at $15 billion.

Market Ends Mixed; Dow Falls (Los Angeles Times)
GM hurts blue chips. Some broader indexes edge up. Gold sinks below $500. Stocks ended mixed Tuesday, with a sharp decline in General Motors dragging down the Dow Jones industrial average while smaller stocks stabilized after sliding Monday.

PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN AUTO MERGER TO CREATE US$125 MLN COMPANY (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance)
Retail National car trader Auto Group Ltd (ASX:ALO) is set to merge with Brisbane-based car dealership group, AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) to create an auto empire worth about A$170 million (US$125.72 million).

Should Dow boot GM? (CNN Money) Does General Motors still

Should Dow boot GM? (CNN Money)
Does General Motors still belong in the exclusive Dow club?

Proposed Australian Auto Merger To Create US$125 MLN Company (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ News)
National car trader Auto Group Ltd (ASX:ALO) is set to merge with Brisbane-based car dealership group, AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) to create an auto empire worth about A$170 million (US$125.72 million).

Detroit's 'Big Three' Automakers Launch New Incentive Programs
General Motors, Chrysler and Ford announce new programs in efforts to boost slackening year-end sales.
Perry Stern

Top Luxury Cars on MSN Autos
The most popular luxury cars on MSN Autos, based on visits to the site's vehicle pages during the third quarter of 2005.
compiled by MSN Autos

IIHS's Top 10 Safety Picks
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety picks the ten safest cars of the 2006 model year.
Perry Stern

Pew Study Finds Online Classifieds Taking Off (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
The stratospheric increase in the use of online classified advertising -- up 80 percent year over year according to a just-released national study -- represents a coming of age for the web, a milestone that will continue to eclipse itself for the foreseeable future, says one of the Internet's most popular classified ad companies.

Market Ends Mixed; Dow Falls (Los Angeles Times)
GM hurts blue chips. Some broader indexes edge up. Gold sinks below $500. Stocks ended mixed Tuesday, with a sharp decline in General Motors dragging down the Dow Jones industrial average while smaller stocks stabilized after sliding Monday.

The Truth About Fuel Economy Ratings
If your new car's actual fuel mileage does not match the fuel economy numbers on the window sticker, it's not necessarily your car's fault.
Ann Job

2006 NAIAS Coverage
The Official Web Site of the North American International Auto Show.
Editors of MSN Autos

PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN AUTO MERGER TO CREATE US$125 MLN COMPANY (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance)
Retail National car trader Auto Group Ltd (ASX:ALO) is set to merge with Brisbane-based car dealership group, AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) to create an auto empire worth about A$170 million (US$125.72 million).

Pew Study Finds Online Classifieds Taking Off (PR Newswire via

Pew Study Finds Online Classifieds Taking Off (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
The stratospheric increase in the use of online classified advertising -- up 80 percent year over year according to a just-released national study -- represents a coming of age for the web, a milestone that will continue to eclipse itself for the foreseeable future, says one of the Internet's most popular classified ad companies.

Auto Trader magazine gears up for Motor Show debut (AME Info)
Leading motor magazine, Auto Trader, today celebrated its debut at the Middle East International Motor Show with a number on-stand activities for car enthusiasts underlining the high-flying brand's exceptional choice for anyone buying or selling a vehicle in the UAE.

Market Ends Mixed; Dow Falls (Los Angeles Times)
GM hurts blue chips. Some broader indexes edge up. Gold sinks below $500. Stocks ended mixed Tuesday, with a sharp decline in General Motors dragging down the Dow Jones industrial average while smaller stocks stabilized after sliding Monday.

Flood Damage: Don't Get Soaked When Buying a Used Car
Carfax provides guidance and tips to help you spot vehicles with potential water damage.
Editors of MSN Autos

Should Dow boot GM? (CNN Money)
Does General Motors still belong in the exclusive Dow club?

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, The Carlyle Group and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity Complete $15 Billion Hertz (The Auto Channel)
NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2005 -- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. (CD&R), The Carlyle Group (Carlyle) and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity (MLGPE), announced today that they have completed the acquisition of The Hertz Corporation (Hertz) in a transaction valued at $15 billion.

Stock deal creates one of nation s largest energy companies (San Mateo Daily Journal)
BALTIMORE FPL Group Inc. s purchase of Constellation Energy Group Inc. in an $11 billion stock deal announced Monday creates one of the nation s biggest energy companies and gives Constellation additional power to sell through its growing energy trading business.

Idled workers get federal aid (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
Former employees of the Kendallville division of Tower Automotive can now apply for federal assistance, according to an announcement Monday.

Preview: 2006 Porsche Cayman SPorsche's new mid-engine coupe builds on

Preview: 2006 Porsche Cayman S
Porsche's new mid-engine coupe builds on the Boxster S, but kicks it up a notch in the performance department.
Mike Meredith

PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN AUTO MERGER TO CREATE US$125 MLN COMPANY (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance)
Retail National car trader Auto Group Ltd (ASX:ALO) is set to merge with Brisbane-based car dealership group, AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) to create an auto empire worth about A$170 million (US$125.72 million).

Top Luxury Cars on MSN Autos
The most popular luxury cars on MSN Autos, based on visits to the site's vehicle pages during the third quarter of 2005.
compiled by MSN Autos

Dollar Gains on View Its Drop Against Yen Was Too

Dollar Gains on View Its Drop Against Yen Was Too Far, Too Fast (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar had its biggest gain this month as technical indicators suggested the biggest weekly loss in six years against the yen was too fast.

PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN AUTO MERGER TO CREATE US$125 MLN COMPANY (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance)
Retail National car trader Auto Group Ltd (ASX:ALO) is set to merge with Brisbane-based car dealership group, AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) to create an auto empire worth about A$170 million (US$125.72 million).

Test Drive: Project Gotham Racing 3
Editors at MSN Autos take Microsoft's latest driving game out for a spin.
Perry Stern

Idled workers get federal aid (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette) Former

Idled workers get federal aid (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
Former employees of the Kendallville division of Tower Automotive can now apply for federal assistance, according to an announcement Monday.

PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN AUTO MERGER TO CREATE US$125 MLN COMPANY (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance)
Retail National car trader Auto Group Ltd (ASX:ALO) is set to merge with Brisbane-based car dealership group, AP Eagers Ltd (ASX:APE) to create an auto empire worth about A$170 million (US$125.72 million).

Dollar Gains on Speculation Last Week's Decline Was Too Fast (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar rose the most in almost three weeks against the yen after a technical indicator suggested last week's 4 percent decline was too rapid.

Dollar Gains on View Its Drop Against Yen Was Too

Dollar Gains on View Its Drop Against Yen Was Too Far, Too Fast (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar rose for the first day in four in Asia as technical indicators suggested its biggest weekly loss in six years against the yen was too fast.

Stocks Open Higher on Lower Oil Prices (AP via Yahoo! News)
Stocks are trading higher on Friday with crude futures below $60 a barrel, some recent healthy economic data coming out of the U.S. and a positive spin from the head of General Motors Corp. on the fortunes of the world's leading auto maker.

(AFX UK Focus) 2005-12-19 11:16 GMT: German shares lower midday on profit-taking following weak Wall Street showing (Interactive Investor)
FRANKFURT (AFX) - Shares were lower in midday trade on profit-taking following Friday's triple-witching-boosted gains and after a weak showing on Wall Street, with the session being quiet as many investors have already closed their books ahead of the Christmas break, dealers said.

Dollar Gains on Speculation Last Week's Decline Was Too Fast (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar rose the most in almost three weeks against the yen after a technical indicator suggested last week's 4 percent decline was too rapid.

Dollar Gains on Speculation Last Week's Decline Was Too Fast (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar had its biggest one-day gain against the yen in almost three weeks as a technical indicator suggested last week's loss was too fast.

Dollar Gains on View Its Drop Against Yen Was Too Far, Too Fast (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar had its biggest gain this month as technical indicators suggested the biggest weekly loss in six years against the yen was too fast.

INDUSTRY & ECONOMY (The Hindu)
Tropical storm shows signs of weakening TROPICAL storm 07B, the deep depression in the southwest Bay of Bengal, which lay centred about 250 km east of Nagapattinam at 11.30 a.m. on Monday, has already started showing signs of weakening. The central pressure of the system has scaled ...

The Truth About Fuel Economy Ratings
If your new car's actual fuel mileage does not match the fuel economy numbers on the window sticker, it's not necessarily your car's fault.
Ann Job

Auto Trader magazine gears up for Motor Show debut (AME Info)
Leading motor magazine, Auto Trader, today celebrated its debut at the Middle East International Motor Show with a number on-stand activities for car enthusiasts underlining the high-flying brand's exceptional choice for anyone buying or selling a vehicle in the UAE.

European Energy Stocks Including BP May Drop; E.ON May Advance (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- European energy stocks including BP Plc may push indexes down from four-year highs after oil prices had their biggest drop in almost three months.

Stocks Set to Open Up on Lower Oil Prices (AP

Stocks Set to Open Up on Lower Oil Prices (AP via Yahoo! News)
Stock market futures on Friday pointed higher with crude futures below $60 a barrel, some recent healthy economic data coming out of the U.S. and a positive spin from the head of General Motors Corp. on the fortunes of the world's leading auto maker.

European Energy Stocks Including BP May Drop; E.ON May Advance (Bloomberg.com)
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- European energy stocks including BP Plc may push indexes down from four-year highs after oil prices had their biggest decline in almost three months.

Curtain comes down amid cheers & deals at Dubai Motor

Curtain comes down amid cheers & deals at Dubai Motor Show (AME Info)
The 8th Middle East International Motor show, the region's premier event for the automobile industry, witnessed brisk business deals which peaked over the weekend as the show came to a successful close with a record turnout of visitors crossing the 81,272 mark up 8% from the last show.

Stocks Set to Open Up on Lower Oil Prices (AP via Yahoo! News)
Stock market futures on Friday pointed higher with crude futures below $60 a barrel, some recent healthy economic data coming out of the U.S. and a positive spin from the head of General Motors Corp. on the fortunes of the world's leading auto maker.

The Truth About Fuel Economy Ratings
If your new car's actual fuel mileage does not match the fuel economy numbers on the window sticker, it's not necessarily your car's fault.
Ann Job

South Bay and Peninsula (San Jose Mercury News)
Afghan Afghani House. 1103 El Camino Real (just past Lawrence Expressway), Sunnyvale; (408) 248-5088. Quiet, dignified, attractive -- and yet, a good bet for school-age kids. Have them try aush, a noodle soup, and buranee-e-kadu, sauteed butternut squash, or one of many rice dishes. Wonderful lamb -- kebabs, chops and ribs. Aushak are delicious dumplings in yogurt and meat sauce. Lunch weekdays,

Auto Trader magazine gears up for Motor Show debut (AME Info)
Leading motor magazine, Auto Trader, today celebrated its debut at the Middle East International Motor Show with a number on-stand activities for car enthusiasts underlining the high-flying brand's exceptional choice for anyone buying or selling a vehicle in the UAE.

How Will America's Big Two Automakers Survive?
After decades of market share losses, look for a leaner and more focused Big Two.
Ann Job

Stocks Open Higher on Lower Oil Prices (AP via Yahoo!

Stocks Open Higher on Lower Oil Prices (AP via Yahoo! News)
Stocks are trading higher on Friday with crude futures below $60 a barrel, some recent healthy economic data coming out of the U.S. and a positive spin from the head of General Motors Corp. on the fortunes of the world's leading auto maker.

GM Fate Looms Over Credit Players (Derivatives Week)
Credit derivative officials are starting to face up to the potential mammoth losses if auto giant General Motors Corp . defaults. The dollar impact of such a move is impossible to predict, they say, but it would far outstrip anything so far weathered by the market.

Curtain comes down amid cheers & deals at Dubai Motor Show (AME Info)
The 8th Middle East International Motor show, the region's premier event for the automobile industry, witnessed brisk business deals which peaked over the weekend as the show came to a successful close with a record turnout of visitors crossing the 81,272 mark up 8% from the last show.

Stocks Open Higher on Lower Oil Prices (ABC News)
Stocks Open Higher With Oil Prices Dropping Below $60 a Barrel

South Bay and Peninsula (San Jose Mercury News)
Afghan Afghani House. 1103 El Camino Real (just past Lawrence Expressway), Sunnyvale; (408) 248-5088. Quiet, dignified, attractive -- and yet, a good bet for school-age kids. Have them try aush, a noodle soup, and buranee-e-kadu, sauteed butternut squash, or one of many rice dishes. Wonderful lamb -- kebabs, chops and ribs. Aushak are delicious dumplings in yogurt and meat sauce. Lunch weekdays,

Auto Trader magazine gears up for Motor Show debut (AME Info)
Leading motor magazine, Auto Trader, today celebrated its debut at the Middle East International Motor Show with a number on-stand activities for car enthusiasts underlining the high-flying brand's exceptional choice for anyone buying or selling a vehicle in the UAE.

Stocks Set to Open Up on Lower Oil Prices (AP via Yahoo! News)
Stock market futures on Friday pointed higher with crude futures below $60 a barrel, some recent healthy economic data coming out of the U.S. and a positive spin from the head of General Motors Corp. on the fortunes of the world's leading auto maker.