When the first of many loud alarms sounded on the space shuttle Columbia, the seven astronauts had about a minute to live, though they didn't know it. ...more

December 31, 2008

A new NASA report says that the seat restraints, suits and helmets of the doomed crew of the space shuttle Columbia didn't work well, leading to "lethal trauma" as the out-of-control ship broke apart, killing all seven astronauts. ...more

December 30, 2008

I usually hear from my distant cousin in Italy at Christmastime. The day after the election, though, an e-mail popped up. ...more

November 16, 2008

Investors agonizing over a faltering economy sent the stock market plunging all over again today after two disheartening reports convinced Wall Street that a recession, if not already here, is inevitable. The Dow Jones industrials dropped as much as 572 points, more than half their huge 936-point advance from Monday, and all the major indexes fell at least 5 percent. ...more

October 15, 2008

Wall Street extended its devastating losses Friday, but prices swung sharply as investors scooped up some shares decimated by more than a week of intense and panicked selling. The Dow Jones industrials, down nearly 700 points in the opening minutes of trading, recovered to an advance of more than 100 before turning sharply lower again, and the other major indexes fluctuated widely as well. ...more

October 10, 2008

Financial markets extended their declines Tuesday, with the Dow falling more than 150 points, as investors worried that lawmakers were beginning to doubt the necessity of a broad government bailout for financial institutions as a way to revive ailing credit markets. ...more

September 24, 2008

Every January, my husband and I update our finances, but this year's review nearly sent me over the edge. ...more

February 3, 2008

Rock singers tackling prerock standards have become something of an epidemic in recent years. Leave it to a rapper to show them how it's done. ...more

November 9, 2007