The slow economy doesn't seem to be slowing down the start of new businesses in Rochester. The city's South Wedge neighborhood welcomed its newest neighbor, "Muddy Waters".

ALBANY, N.Y. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin isn't the only government official hawking goods online. With the economy continuing to tumble, more state and local governments are using the Web to clear out inventory and bolster deflated budgets.

President Bush says those rebate checks are going to help move the economy along. Retailers are working on their own economic stimulus plans - coaxing people to use those rebate checks with special discounts and targeted promotions.

From Surfside to wayside Maybe it's bad timing. Maybe it's our struggling economy. Or maybe it's a testament to the local perception that independent businesses simply can't make it in the chain-dominant landscape of Powers Boulevard.

Average U.S. gasoline pump prices -- already above $4 a gallon -- could run up 20 cents or more by mid-summer, if crude oil prices don't fall from record levels near $140 a barrel, analysts said.