Business Opinion

Lisa and Robert McIlwain are living a business owner's nightmare. It started when a tornado with 157 mph winds ripped through Fun Zone, their Montgomery (Ala.) skating rink and family entertainment center on Nov. 15, 2006. Although the 31 children and 11 staff members trapped inside the center survived, the 50-employee, $2.5 million business was wiped out. Fun Zone was the only source of income for the couple, who have six children. Their insurance payment went to pay off the mortgage on the damaged property.

Prices are going up all over, but it's common practice among economists to cite only the "core" inflation rate, which excludes food and energy costs.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The stock market will likely start the week on a hesitant note with Wall Street facing the first Federal Reserve interest-rate decision in many months not knowing that a cut is likely guaranteed.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors will have seen enough corporate results by the end of this week to determine if the recent string of encouraging earnings was an anomaly or a real sign stocks can weather the credit crisis and economic slowdown.