Economists expect the joblessness that has weighed down the nation's economic recovery will start to slowly abate in 2010, but they predict consumers will continue to keep a tight rein on spending, according to a new survey.

A leading Senate Democrat said Monday his party is determined to push through a health care overhaul bill with or without Republican support because the "system is broken."

Jon Gosselin offered his estranged wife a bouquet of red roses at their divorce arbitration hearing over the weekend. She evidently turned them down. Despite the snub, the marathon session went so well that the feuding stars of "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" could be divorced by the end of the year, his attorney said Monday.

Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. rose after an RBC Capital Markets analyst recommended buying shares of the drug developer based on his expectations the company will announce news of a partnership for a key drug candidate.

Four British lawmakers could face criminal charges over the expenses they claimed from taxpayers, prosecutors said Monday, marking the latest twist in a scandal over lavish spending by elected officials.

Dominion Resources Inc. is donating $1 million to a program that helps families pay heating bills.

The administrator of the North Dakota Land Department is leaving.

President Barack Obama says he will have a national science fair next year to honor young inventors with the same gusto that college and professional athletes celebrate their victories at the White House.

Greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere reached record highs in 2008, with carbon dioxide levels increasing faster than previously, the U.N. weather agency said Monday.

On the opening day of the year's busiest travel season, the director of West Virginia Courtesy Patrol urged Gov. Joe Manchin and lawmakers Monday to reinstate around-the-clock roadside assistance service throughout the state.

Price-conscious grocery shoppers are being choosy about what they buy to cook at home, even from the value-oriented Campbell Soup Co.

A federal prosecutor has asked a jury to hold Minnesota businessman Tom Petters responsible for a massive fraud at his company.

The federal government said Monday that it has found a "strong association" between problematic imported Chinese drywall and corrosion of pipes and wires, a conclusion that supports complaints by thousands of homeowners over the last year.

A sports car worth nearly $2 million, an 87-foot yacht and a guitar collection worth as much as $20,000 were among the assets seized from a South Florida lawyer suspected of operating a massive fraud scheme, according to a court filing Monday.

New York's highest court ruled Monday that families forced to pay high phone rates to talk to relatives in state prison won't receive refunds for the cost.

McDonald's is going green -- swapping its traditional red backdrop for a deep hunter green -- to promote a more eco-friendly image in Europe.

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Monday:

The U.S. auto industry will recover only a little next year, weighed down by high unemployment and other troubles that will continue to limit economic growth, a top industry analyst said Monday.

A U.S. program that offers trusted trucking companies speedy passage across American borders has begun attracting just the sort of customers who place a premium on avoiding inspections: Mexican drug smugglers.